Kabaddi

Pro Kabaddi Season 8 2021-22

Following 132 matches in 60 consecutive matchdays, the league stage of Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 8 has drawn to a close. The league now enters the playoffs stage of the tournament with top 6 six teams – Patna Pirates, Dabang Delhi K.C, U.P Yoddha, Gujarat Giants, Bengaluru Bulls and Puneri Paltan – battling it out to lift the coveted PKL trophy. With plenty of twists and turns, PKL Season 8 witnessed one of the most competitive seasons ever to the extent that it took till the last matchday of the League stages to determine the Top 6 teams that qualified for the Playoffs. The thrilling competition is certain to continue with all remaining matches being knockout fixtures.&nbsp;The playoffs are set to take stage on February 21st &amp; February 23rd, and the grand finale will take centre stage on February 25th.&nbsp;Mashal Sports, organisers of the VIVO Pro Kabaddi League, have ensured the continuity &amp; completion of the league with matches on a daily basis without any break. This, inside the confines of a bio secure bubble in Bangalore comprising of over 900+ individuals across players, coaches, teams &amp; league staff. The health &amp; safety of all stakeholders was the league’s highest priority from day 1. Together with the support of the 12 franchises, the League has worked collectively to ensure top-notch quality on the mat, inside the bio-bubble that was created in complete compliance with relevant official guidelines.&nbsp;&nbsp;Speaking about the PKL Playoffs, Prashant Kumar Rai, captain, Patna Pirates said,&nbsp;“It gives us a lot of joy that we have finished on top of the league table going into the final week of the season. It shows the amount of effort the team has made to make it this far in the competition. We are excited to be part of the Playoffs and guarantee to our fans that are making the necessary preparations to give our best on the mat.”&nbsp;Meanwhile, Dabang Delhi KC's skipper Joginder Narwal looks to carry momentum and be on top form for the playoffs and the finals.“It feels amazing to be part of the top 6, all the strategies and planning that we made daily throughout the season has really paid off. Every player in the squad has contributed to our success in this competition so far with young and experienced players turning up many times in key moments. We are aiming to carry this momentum and be on top form for the playoffs and the finals,” Joginder said.&nbsp;UP Yoddha's captain Nitesh Kumar talked about the playoff journey which was full of ups and down and assured that they are working hard for the playoff week and the finals.“Our road to the Playoffs has been full of ups and downs. We didn’t have the best start to the season but together as a team, we were able to manage our problems and we came back strong in the second half. The team and coaching staff have worked really hard, and we will continue to do so going into the Playoffs week and the finals,” Nitesh said.&nbsp;On Monday (February 21), Puneri Paltan will lock horns with UP Yoddha while Gujarat Giants will take on Bengaluru Bulls. The winners of the respective matches will take on Patna Pirates and Dabang Delhi KC respectively on Wednesday (February 23). Further, the summit clash will be on Friday (February 25) for the PKL coveted title.

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Pro Kabaddi League enters final stage as top-6 teams ready to slug it out in play-offs

Pardeep Kumar dug deep as his last-minute heroics helped Gujarat Giants dent Bengaluru Bulls 40-36 on the final day in vivo Pro Kabaddi League Season 8’s Rivalry Week. The raider scored a Super 10 (14 points) including 4 in the final minute to give Gujarat a very important win in their battle to secure a Playoff spot. The Giants captain Sunil Kumar also had a good night in the right cover position with a High 5. Bengaluru Bulls will have only have themselves to blame for the loss. A lapse of concentration in the final minutes cost them important points. Their raiders Pawan Sehrawat and Bharat scored Super 10s but didn’t get the necessary support from the defence.&nbsp;There was very little to separate the two sides in an evenly contested first half. Bengaluru started the match brightly with their captain Pawan Sehrawat looking in good form. But the raider was pinned to the mat in the early minutes by Parvesh Bhainswal with a Super Tackle which temporarily gave Gujarat the momentum. But Bengaluru immediately took back the lead with Bharat also joining in the raiding duties. They kept probing the experienced Gujarat defence. Again, right when the Bulls smelled an ALL OUT possibility, Sunil Kumar came up with a Super Tackle. Pardeep Kumar’s 3-point Super Raid in the 15th&nbsp;minute gave Gujarat a slender advantage, but Pawan immediately clinched a 3-point Super Raid for the Bulls to douse the fire. The first half ended 15-14 with the Giants in the lead.&nbsp;The defenders continued to dominate in the early minutes of the second half. Gujarat’s Sunil Kumar reached his High 5 with fellow cover defender Parvesh Bhainswal offering great support. Pardeep Kumar’s 2-point raid in the 9th&nbsp;minute after the restart gave Gujarat a chance to inflict an ALL OUT. They eventually got the game’s first ALL OUT with 9 minutes on the clock to build a 5-point lead.&nbsp;Bharat and Pawan Sehrawat kept working extra hard on the mat to keep the Bulls within touching distance. Bharat raced to a Super 10 and made it a 2-point game with 3 minutes remaining. Pardeep’s high-pressure raid forced two Bulls’ defenders into falling out of bounds. But Pawan Sehrawat immediately clinched a 2-point raid to once again reduce Gujarat’s lead to 2 points. With a minute left to play Bulls got an ALL OUT to level the scores at 35-35. But Pardeep Kumar produced two 2-point raids in the final minute of the match to take the game completely away from the Bulls.

Pardeep Kumar's final minute gem helps Gujarat Giants carve out victory against Bengaluru Bulls

Former champions Patna Pirates recorded a pulsating win in match 88 of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) as they took one step closer towards the top spot. A Super 10 from Sachin saw the three-time champions come from behind and win by 37-35 to clinch the spoils that had huge ramifications on the PKL table. In the first game of the day, Puneri Paltans beat U Mumba 36-34 in a neck-to-neck affair. With a win in the Maharashtra derby, Paltans advanced to seventh in the PKL standings. Patna keep hopes alive for top spot in PKLThe former champions Patna started the match on a high as they picked up 13 raid points in the first half. They also managed to inflict an all out on Yoddhas in that period as the Pirates led by 20-15 at the break. Monu Goyat was the missing piece in the puzzle for the Pirates, as he was an unused substitute in the match. The second half saw Yoddhas make a comeback as they even led 28-26 at one point, thanks to the exploits of Surender Gill (10) and Shrikant Jadhav (9). Gill reached a milestone as he registered his 200th raid point of his PKL career. However, the Pirates made sure they pulled out all the tools from the arsenal and pinched important points towards the end. Mohammadreza Chiyaneh (5) and Prashant Kumar (5) showed their defensive work to help Sachin and other raiders to clinch a last-ditch win as they won by 37-35. Puneri Paltans win local spoilsThe second encounter didn't disappoint either as Puneri Paltans came from behind to beat U Mumba in the Maharashtra derby. Having trailed by 18-19 at the break, Puneri Paltan produced a complete team performance to crawl to the win. Raid points from Aslam Inamdar (8) and Mohit Goyat (9) made sure the Paltan had enough gas in the tank in the end to clinch the contest. U Mumba did have the services of V Ajith (10) and Abhishek Singh (8) but lost concentration at the crucial time to surrender the match, which they had in control and eventually lost 34-36. Ajith's Super 10, in the end, went in vain while Paltan's defender Abhinesh Nadrajan (6) stole the show in the dying moments of the match.

Pirates inch closer to top spot with win against UP Yoddha; Puneri Paltan clinch Maharashtra derby

Deepak Hooda punched big for Jaipur Pink Panthers as they got the better of Dabang Delhi K.C. 36-30 in the Pro Kabaddi League match on Thursday (February 3). The star raider garnered a Super 10 (12 points) and was ably supported by his team’s defence. The victory made it two in two attempts for the Season 1 champions who will slowly feel confident about clinching a Playoff spot. Dabang Delhi’s disorganised defence was the main reason for their downfall. Experienced stars Manjeet Chhillar, Jeeva Kumar and Joginder Narwal had very little effect on the match. They got just seven tackle points in the entire match (which included two Super Tackles).&nbsp;&nbsp;All-rounder Sandeep Narwal also had a poor outing, making errors in the defence and not involving in the raids. Vijay was the sole performer with 16 points. Naveen Kumar was back for Delhi after a lengthy injury layoff, but it was his raiding partner Vijay who impressed in the early minutes. In fact, he was the only bright spot for Delhi as Jaipur raiders Deepak and Arjun Deshwal picked up easy points.&nbsp;Delhi’s balance in defence seemed to have been affected by Naveen’s comeback and Jaipur were quick to make the most of it. Two Super Tackles close to the 10th minute helped Delhi level the points with Jaipur. But the Panthers eventually went on to clinch an ALL OUT in the 16th minute to open a 4-point lead. The Jaipur defenders didn’t allow Naveen any chance to settle, and Delhi substituted him for Neeraj Narwal close to the interval. The first half ended 21-15 with Jaipur in a comfortable lead. Naveen continued to be benched in the second half as Vijay took over the lead raider duty for Delhi. He crossed his Super 10 as Dabang started aggressively chasing Jaipur. But despite Delhi’s best attempts they could not cut short Jaipur’s 7-point lead. All-rounder Sachin Narwal and substitute Nitin Rawal helped Jaipur extend their lead to 10 points.&nbsp;&nbsp;Deepak clinched his Super 10 as Jaipur maintained the gap in the dying minutes. Vijay tried his best to draw Delhi closer with his raids and ensured Dabang lost the match with a margin of just six points.

Jaipur Pink Panthers ride on Deepak Hooda's exploits to outclass Dabang Delhi

In the first match of the evening, raiders Gujarat Giants beat Haryana Steelers 32-26 to register their fourth win of the season. Gujarat dominated right from the first whistle and gave Haryana’s defense no chance to stamp their authority. Ajay Kumar scored a Super 10 (11 points) while Pardeep Kumar fetched 10 points. On the other hand, Dabang Delhi made a spectacular comeback by defeating U Mumba 36-30 to register their ninth win in 15 matches and are on the top spot with 53 points.&nbsp;Haryana's much-famed defense had a night to forget with Surender Nada struggling in the left corner. The Steelers had just 5 tackle points in the entire match. Pardeep Kumar’s multi-point raids gave the Giants an All Out with two minutes remaining for half time. That opened a seven-point lead and Gujarat maintained it to end the half with scores 19-12.&nbsp;The early minutes of the second half saw both sides slow down the pace of the match. The experienced defender Surender Nada was having a torrid time with multiple unsuccessful tackles. At the other end, Vikash Kandola grabbed eight points and Meetu took seven raid points in the match.&nbsp;Haryana kept picking up points from one end &nbsp;&nbsp;Raider Ajay Kumar picked a Super 10 for Gujarat With five minutes remaining, Haryana trailed by six points and had reduced Gujarat to four men on the mat. But the Giants' defenders held firm to ensure there was no late collapse. This win will come as a big relief for the Giants as they have struggled in the recent past.&nbsp;In the second match of the day, Dabang Delhi made a spectacular comeback by defeating U Mumba 36-30 to register their ninth win in 15 matches and are on the top spot with 53 points. This is the fourth loss for U Mumba in 14 matches and they remain in fifth place with 42 points. From Dabang Delhi's side, Vijay scored 12 points in the match.&nbsp;The first half was very exciting, U Mumba's team narrowly escaped being all out and due to this Dabang Delhi could not take the lead at the end of the first half. U Mumba's Harendra Kumar took 3 tackle points and captain Fazal Atrachali took 2 tackle points. Vijay and Ashu Malik took 4-4 points in the raiding for Dabang Delhi, while captain Manjit Chillar got two tackle points. At half-time both teams were tied at 12-12.&nbsp;At the beginning of the second half, U Mumba took an important two-point lead by all out Dabang Delhi. After 30 minutes the score was 23-22 in favour of U Mumba. In the next five minutes, Dabang Delhi took three and U Mumba took two. After 35 minutes, the score was level at 25-25.&nbsp;In the last five minutes, Dabang Delhi performed brilliantly and completely turned the match in their favour. Just before the end of the match, U Mumba were all out and their chances of a comeback were over. Dabang Delhi in the end registered a fine win with a margin of six points.&nbsp;For Dabang Delhi, Vijay put up a Super 10 and took 11 raids and one tackle point in the match. Ashu Malik took eight raiding points in defense, Manjit Chillar took four and Sandeep Narwal took two tackle points. Abhishek Singh took eight raid points for U Mumba. Apart from this, V.Ajit Kumar flopped and could take only three raid points. Shivam, who came as a substitute, took six raid points.&nbsp;

Ajay & Pardeep help Giants beat Steelers; Delhi make spectacular comeback to defeat U Mumba

The Pro Kabaddi League match played between Haryana Steelers and Telugu Titans on Tuesday (January 25) ended in a draw at 39-39. Despite this, Haryana, led by Vikas Kandola, made a big jump in the points table and entered the top three. On the other hand, Covid-19 outbreak within a couple of unnamed teams, forced organisers to reschedule fixtures&nbsp;Haryana were 20-19 ahead of Titans in a closely-fought first half of the match. Haryana scored 12 points from raids and five points from tackles, while Titans scored nine points from raids and eight points from tackles in this half.&nbsp;In the second half, for a long time, the match was evenly balanced. At one point, Haryana had a lead of three points, but Titans made a comeback and tied the match. Raider Vikas Kandola scored 10 points for Haryana while Vinay and all-rounder Rohit Gulia scored eight points each. At the same time, Titans raider Ankit Beniwal scored 10 and captain Rohit scored eight points.&nbsp;Haryana played their third tie in 14 matches in the current season, taking them to 42 points while the Titans are at the bottom of the 12-team table with 22 points.&nbsp;PKL fixtures rescheduled to Covid-19 outbreak within the Bio-bubbleCovid-19 outbreak within the bio-bubble of PKL has resulted in an unspecified number of players in two teams testing positive. This has forced organisers to reschedule some of the matches. The PKL organisers said in a statement that the infected players have been isolated. Changes have been made in the matches scheduled between January 25 and 30.&nbsp;“After the successful completion of the first half of the league-stage... two of the 12 PKL teams have found it difficult to field the requisite number of 12 players for their respective matches due to some players in these teams testing positive for Covid-19," the organisers Mashal Sports said in a statement. "The affected players have been timely isolated as part of the safety protocols. To ensure the continuity of matches in the present environment, Mashal Sports together with all PKL Teams, have proactively rescheduled some of the matches and will continue to review the situation," the statement added.&nbsp;Match Schedule&nbsp;January 26: U Mumba vs Bengaluru BullsJanuary 27: UP Yoddha vs Puneri Paltan&nbsp;January 28: Patna Pirates vs Tamil ThalaivasJanuary 29: Dabang Delhi vs Gujarat Giants and Telugu Titans vs Bengal WarriorsJanuary 30: Jaipur Pink Panthers vs Patna Pirates and Bengaluru Bulls vs Tamil Thalaivas

Steelers and Titans play hard-fought draw; PKL fixtures rescheduled due to Covid-19 outbreak within bio-bubble

U Mumba beat Bengaluru Bulls 45-34 in match 78 of Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) season 8. With a formidable win, U Mumba move into top four. Meanwhile, Bengaluru have a lot to reconsider as they looked clueless and conceded a comprehensive defeat.&nbsp;&nbsp;For U Mumba, Abhishek Singh took 11 points in raiding, while Rahul Setpal performed well to get a total of eight points in the match including seven points in defence. V Ajit Kumar also took eight points in raiding while Rinku earned four points in defense. Fazal Atrachali and Harendra Kumar contributed too with 3 tackle points each.&nbsp;First halfU Mumba got Bengaluru Bulls all out in the fifth minute of the match and took a tremendous 10-3 lead. Pawan Sehrawat, the Bulls captain performed brilliantly to complete the Super 10 in the first half but it was not enough to take the lead. U Mumba were leading 22-20 at the end of the first half.&nbsp;&nbsp;For U Mumba, Abhishek Singh took 8 points in the raiding in the first half, while Setpal secured a high five in defence. Apart from Sehrawat, only Saurabh Nandal could impress in the first half from Bulls' side and took two tackle points. At halftime stage, the game was still delicately poised between the two teams.&nbsp;Second halfAt the beginning of the second half, U Mumba once again inflicted an all out in the 22nd minute to consolidate their lead in the match. Abhishek Singh completed his Super 10 in raiding and U Mumba were ahead 31-26 in the 30th minute. In the 37th minute, U Mumba got the Bulls all out for the third time in the match and ended all their comeback hopes.&nbsp;In the second half, Pawan Sehrawat (14 raid points in the match) could not impress much which resulted in his team's one-sided defeat. Apart from Pawan, Bharat got seven points (6 raids and 1 tackle) from Bulls' side. Saurabh Nandal took four tackle points in the defence as well. &nbsp;Milestone for Pawan&nbsp;Pawan Sehrawat completed 200 raid points in 15 matches in PKL 8 and became the first player to do so, but could not save the team from a major defeat. Despite the defeat Bulls are at the top of the table with 46 points.

U Mumba hammer PKL table-toppers Bulls to move into top four 

Defending champion Bengal Warriors beat Jaipur Pink Panthers 41-22 at the Sheraton Grand ,Whitefield, Bengaluru. Captain Maninder Singh scored 13 points and was the star of the match as Warriors improve their chances of making it into playoffs. In the second match of the day, Puneri Paltan hammered Dabang Delhi 42-25.&nbsp;&nbsp;The first half of the first game was a fought closely, with both teams matching each other. Pink Panthers were without their star player Deepak Hooda which meant Arjun Deshwal had too much on his plate. The youngster picked points, targeting Vishal Mane in the Warriors defense, but didn't get support from his teammates. At the other end, Bengal’s Maninder Singh looked flat in the first half. It was the secondary raiders Sukesh Hegde and Anand V who chipped in raid points for Warriors. A tackle in the last minute by Mane ensured that Bengal were leading 14-11 in the first half.&nbsp;In the second half, Jaipur faced an all out on the very first minute thanks to Maninder Singh’s two-point raid. He then followed it with a three-point super raid in the third minute and secured his Super 10 by the sixth minute of the second half. Bengal got its second all out in the seventh minute to make scores 27-14.&nbsp;Mohammad Nabibakhsh inflicted another all out with three minutes remaining as Sahul Kumar and Sandeep Dhull struggled. Even Arjun Deshwal’s Super 10 wasn’t enough to help Jaipur make a comeback as the Warriors had a 20-point lead at one point. In the end Panthers suffered a 19-point defeat.&nbsp;Pune dominated the first half with an all-round performance. Aslam Inamdar, Mohit Goyat and Nitin Tomar picked up quick points while their defenders ensured Delhi raiders had no luck in finding any sort of form in the first half. The Paltan got its first all out in the 10th minute and then followed it with another in the 18th to secure a 13-point lead.&nbsp;The first half which ended 25-13 in Pune’s favour.&nbsp;Pune inflicted their third all out in the seventh minute of the second half and opened a 19-point lead by the 10th minute. Sombir got a high five for Pune as they maintained a massive lead in the end moments of the match. Delhi had no answers for Pune’s spirited display as Anup Kumar’s men secured an important win to keep their play-offs hopes alive.

Warriors beat Panthers to keep playoff hopes alive; Paltan dominate Dabang with easy win

Surender Gill led U.P. Yoddha to a convincing win over Puneri Paltan by 50-40 match 60 of the ongoing Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) season 8. In the second game, Telugu Titans lost in a closely-fought contest against Bengaluru Bulls as they continue their losing run.&nbsp;&nbsp;Gill registered as many as 21 points whereas Pardeep Narwal scored super 10 to capitalise on Paltan's unforced defensive errors. For Paltan, Mohit Goyat and Aslam Inamdar registered Super 10s but they could not reduce to the deficit as Paltan lost by a margin of 10 points in a high-scoring affair.&nbsp;&nbsp;Till the end of first half, both the teams were in the game with the score reading 20-20. Just one empty raid was recorded in the first five minutes. While Narwal bagged a three-point super raid, Inamdar and Goyat managed to pull of first all out in the 10th minute of the first half. With seven minutes remaining in the first half, Yoddhas got their first all out too with Gill's three-point super raid.&nbsp;&nbsp;Yoddhas were even more aggressive in the second half as they got another all-out in the fifth minute and took a seven-point lead. In the 10th minute as well, the Narwal-Gill duo helped pull off another all out. While Inamdar tried to get his team back in the game with a three-point super raid, Pune defenders erred too many times to put some pressure on Yoddhas.&nbsp;&nbsp;With this win, Yoddha surpass Pink Panthers and move to the fourth spot whereas Paltan are still struggling at the 10th spot with 21 points to their name. In the second game of the night, Bengaluru Bulls beat Telugu Titans in a game that went right down to the wire. Bulls registered a victory by 28-27 and moved to the top of the table to dethrone Patna Pirates. Bulls have 39 points with seven wins from 11 games. On the other hand, Titans are at the bottom of the table with 12 points as they still search for their first win of the season.&nbsp;&nbsp;For Bulls, Maninder Singh scored a Super 10 whereas Titans’ Rajnish scored 11 points. In the end, it was a super raid in the dying moments that changed the game and snatched Titans’ first win of the season.

Surender Gill's super show helps UP Yoddha dominate Puneri Paltan; Telugu Titans still searching for 1st win

Tamil Thalaivas crushed Haryana Steelers by 45-26 to register a massive win in Pro Kabbadi League (PKL) 8 in Bengaluru. Marginally ahead at half-time, Thalaivas extended their lead by 19 points to stage a comprehensive win.&nbsp;For the Thalaivas, Manjeet scored 10 raid points along with K.Prapanjan scoring four raid points and Ajinkya Pawar chipping in with two. Surjeet Singh, on the other hand, scored eight tackle points, most by any Thalaivas player.&nbsp;Vikash Khandola fought the lone battle for the Steelers, as the raider bagged eight points with very little support from others.&nbsp;Thalaivas got off to a good start and took a 4-2 lead in the opening minutes of the match. The Steelers carried out a fantastic tackle and reduced the gap between the two sides. However, the Tamil side kept picking up points and continued to forge ahead. The Haryana side tried to fight back, but the Tamil team continued to effect raids and tackles.&nbsp;Steelers carried out an All Out in the 17th minute as the Thalaivas led at 20-15. Towards the end of the first half, Thalaivas carried out a great raid coupled with two tackles and stayed in the lead. At half-time stage, Thalaivas were leading by 24-18.&nbsp;Thalaivas carried out another All Out in the opening minutes of the second half and took an 11-point lead at 29-18. Steelers carried out a Super Tackle in the 30th minute but Thalaivas maintained the lead with scoreline reading 35-23.&nbsp;Steelers tried to stay in the contest by picking up raid points but could not narrow down Thalaivas' lead. Thalivas affected another All Out in the 34th minute and took an 18-point lead at 41-23. Thalaivas rode on the momentum and ensured that they stayed in the lead until the final whistle was blown.

Thalaivas hammer Steelers in a one-sided contest

Naveen Kumar proved his prowess once again and showed why he is considered the best raider in kabaddi by helping Dabang Delhi K.C. edge past UP Yoddha 37-33 in Match 40 of the Pro Kabaddi League Season 8 at The Sheraton Grand, Whitefield, in Bengaluru on Saturday (January8).&nbsp;&nbsp;The opening game of the Triple Panga night saw the Yoddha defenders give Naveen Kumar a tough time with aggressive tackles, but the young raider still found a way past them to ensure his Delhi side emerged victorious.&nbsp; Yoddha didn’t do a lot wrong on the night with Pardeep Narwal and Surender Gill scoring 9 points each. Unfortunately for them, it was just another outstanding performance from Naveen Kumar who scored 18 points including one for the tackle. The result helped Delhi regain the top spot on the points table. Yoddha started the match with a steely determination to stop Delhi’s Naveen Kumar from running away with the points. Yoddha’s corner duo of Nitesh Kumar and Sumit were at their aggressive best as they thwarted the Delhi’s raider.&nbsp;At the other end, Pardeep Narwal looked confident against the error-prone Delhi defence. He picked crucial points off left cover Manjit Chhillar and guided Yoddha to their first ALL OUT with 5 minutes remaining. Yoddha continued the aggressive approach in the remainder of the first half, with Shubham Kumar also impressing in defence. Naveen Kumar was benched five times in a half that ended 18-13 in favour of Yoddha. If Yoddha thought they had found a solution to stop Naveen Kumar, they were in for a rude surprise. The first 10 minutes of the first half belonged completely to the Delhi raider who started it all with a tackle on his nemesis of Pardeep Narwal.&nbsp;&nbsp;He then went on to chip points off the Yoddha defence and eventually helped Delhi clinch an ALL OUT. He scored yet another Super 10 as Delhi opened a 3-point lead with five minutes remaining. The lead proved too much for the Yoddha raiders to claw back as Delhi sealed an important win.

Dabang Delhi ride on Naveen's heroics to down UP Yoddha

Patna Pirates needed a victory against Gujarat Giants in order to sustain the pressure on table-toppers Dabang Delhi and they exactly did that last night (Saturday, January 8) in a Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) match. The match might have been a low-scoring affair but in terms of excitement and thrill, there was no shortage of any of those.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pirates turned out to be the victorious side after they managed to oust their rivals Giants by a margin of just a point (27-26) and ended the night after climbing up to second position.&nbsp;&nbsp;Positive intent from beginningPirates looked positive from the very beginning and determined to seal victory as the best raider of the night- Prashanth Kumar Rai helped his side Pirates in gaining an early lead. Due to the brilliance of Rai, Pirates managed to secure the victory as the star raider claimed eight raid points in total in the game.&nbsp;&nbsp;But a resilient show by the Giants players helped in reducing the deficit and but their opponents were prompt enough in responding sharply as their prolific attacking display left the Gujarat-side with a lone player on the mat pretty soon.&nbsp;&nbsp;The three-time champions ended the first half on a higher note after gaining a two-point lead over their opponents also they managed to execute the first all-out just shortly before the half time.&nbsp;&nbsp;A prompt replyGiants, on the other hand, showed no intent of being casual in their approach as just four minutes after the half time break they pulled off two more points to bring the equilibrium back to the game.&nbsp;&nbsp;But in a match, that was full of ups and downs, Pirates soon reclaimed their two-point lead as their defender Sajin C landed two back-to-backs super tackles. Sajin also went on to become the best defender of the night with crucial five tackle points in his kitty.&nbsp;In the final do-or-die raid of the night, Rai made an attempt to claim a bonus point but ended up conceding a point. Though, that was not enough for the Giants as they fell just a point short to get something out of the last encounter of the Saturday night.&nbsp;Other resultsPreviously, in the first match of the night, Dabang Delhi claimed a victory after defeating U.P. Yoddha (37-33).&nbsp;In the second match of the night, U Mumba thrashed their opponents Telugu Titans (48-38) to secure a win. &nbsp;

Patna Pirates climb to second spot after beating Gujarat Giants in PKL

Puneri Paltan outplay the defending champions Bengal Warriors by 39-27 as they looked helpless in far too many passages during the clash. While Paltans have had a very poor season so far, the franchise from Maharashtra will have their noses in front with a resounding win over a champion side. Raider Aslam Inamdar was the star for Paltans with 17 points to his name.&nbsp;It was a dominating show from the Paltan who were at 11th spot on the points table before the clash as Inamdar, Abinesh Natrajan and others were just too good for Bengal Warriors here. The defending champions will be in shock after this massive defeat.&nbsp;Maninder Singh tried hard to keep Bengal Warriors alive in the game. Maninder scored yet another Super 10, as he has in the last five games Bengal has played, but once more, he seemed to be fighting this battle alone. The dependence on Maninder and Mohammad Nabibakhsh cost Bengal dearly. Amit Narwal seemed to have decided that he would help Inamdar score points today as he kept being taken out by the imperious allrounder. Pune got their second all out in the third minute of the second half to open with a 12-point lead.&nbsp;&nbsp;Earlier Bengal started well in the first half, leading 5-3 at one stage. The Paltans bounced back quickly scoring six points in the next six minutes while conceding only one. Bengal could not recover from the counter attack by Pune led by Nitin Tomar. At half-time Paltans were ahead by 21-11 and Bengal were way too far off to stage a comeback in the second half.&nbsp;In the end, Puneri Paltan held win the game comprehensively. The win sees Puneri Paltan go up to ninth place from 11th, just below Bengal Warriors who is placed eighth on the points table. With plenty of matches to go, teams should be wary of Pune given their one-sided victory against Warriors.&nbsp;

Puneri Paltan outcast defending champions Bengal Warriors in a one-sided contest

In a cracker of a contest, Pawan Sehrawat's last-second tackle pulled off an unlikely 34-34 stalemate against Telugu Titans in the Pro Kabaddi League's second match played on Saturday (January 1).&nbsp;The Titans dominated the match with two ALL-OUTs but their inability to safeguard a lead in the final stages cost them a win.Bengaluru Bulls had a poor day on the mat with Pawan Sehrawat spending more than 20 minutes in the dugout but the captain initiated the most important tackle of the match in the final second. Titans, despite the morale-depleting tie, will take positives in the performance of their young raider Ankit Beniwal who finished with a Super 10.&nbsp;With no Siddharth Desai available for selection, Telugu Titans went into the Southern Derby as underdogs against a Bulls team in rich form. But Kabaddi is a game of surprises and the tempo was set early with Pawan Sehrawat tackled successfully by Sandeep Kandola. The “high-flyer” raider had no points in the first 8 minutes of the match and spent more than 15 of the half in the dugout as the Titans matched the Bulls blow for blow.&nbsp;&nbsp;Titans’ captain Rohit Kumar had yet another ineffective half as a raider with no points but his calmness on the mat inspired youngsters Ankit Beniwal and Rakesh Gowda to shine. Both raiders picked up 4 points in the half, but Bulls stayed in the match through Chandran Ranjit and Bharat.&nbsp;&nbsp;Titans captain will only have himself to blame when he failed in a raid when Bulls had just two men on the mat. The first half ended with Bengaluru in a two-point lead (14-12) but the game was well-balanced.&nbsp;&nbsp;Telugu Titans were quick to inflict an ALL OUT in the second half. Ankit Beniwal picked up a 2-point raid and Sandeep Kandola followed it up with a tackle on Pawan Sehrawat in the third minute to get an ALL OUT. &nbsp;&nbsp;The Bulls, despite lacking the usual sharpness, kept matching the Titans and the scored were tied 22-22 with 10 minutes remaining in the half. Ankit Beniwal picked up his Super 10 but Rohit Kumar failed to give him the support needed with Rakesh Gowda getting injured. But left-corner defender Adarsh showed he is more than a capable deputy in a time of crisis by fetching a 3-point Super Raid in a do-or-die situation with 5 minutes on the clock.&nbsp;&nbsp;Titans got another ALL OUT when Sandeep Kandola tackled Chandran Ranjit with less than 2 minutes to go. But Bulls refused to give up and Pawan Sehrawat tackled Rohit Kumar in the last raid of the match to clinch a tie. Rohit’s baffling decision to choose himself when all Titans needed was a safe, legal raid instead of in-form Adarsh cost the team a valuable win against Season 6 champions.

Bengaluru Bulls & Telugu Titans play stalemate in an exciting Southern Derby

Pawan Sehrawat led from the front as Bengaluru Bulls annihilated Puneri Paltan 40-29 in Match 29 of Pro Kabaddi League Season 8 at The Sheraton Grand Whitefield Bengaluru on Sunday (January 2). The star raider garnered 11 points, 10 of which came in a second half that helped the Bulls overcome a 6-point lead Pune had at the break. Paltan had a great start to the match but lost their composure against an experienced Bulls attack.&nbsp;Pune went into the match as underdogs, especially with Rahul Chaudhari missing from the squad, but it was their raiders who started brightly. The young raiding duo of Mohit Goyat and Aslam Inamdar regularly found chinks in the Bengaluru armour. At the other end, Bengaluru struggled for points with both their top raiders Pawan Sehrawat and Chandran Ranjit looking tired.&nbsp;Pune defence, marshalled by the experienced corners Baldev and Vishal Bharadwaj, ensured the Bulls got no easy points. Pune clinched their first ALL OUT in the 15th minute to open a five-point gap. Bulls tried to fight back with their young raider Bharat but the half ended 18-13 with Pune in the lead.&nbsp;Champion teams have an ability to dig deep into their reserves for inspiration and that is exactly what Bengaluru Bulls did post the break. Pawan Sehrawat said enough was enough as he led the Bulls’ charge with multiple raid points that eventually gave them an ALL OUT in the 9th minute.&nbsp;&nbsp;There was a definite shift in momentum as Pune’s next-generation stars looked leaderless on the mat.Bulls clinched another ALL OUT with 6 minutes remaining and opened a 12-point lead.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pawan Sehrawat raced to yet another Super 10 as coach Anup Kumar’s Pune team struggled to cope with the intensity.&nbsp;The experienced heads of Bulls ensured there were no slip-ups in the final minutes to ensure they get all 5 points. Pune could only muster 11 points in the second half which will have coach Anup Kumar worried.

Pawan powers Bengaluru to bulldoze Puneri Paltan

Riding on Abhishek Singh's top show U Mumba downed Tamil Thalaivas 35-33&nbsp;on Day 7 in VIVO Pro Kabaddi League Season 8’s Rivalry Week. Thalaivas fought bravely after a dismal first half to make it a close affair in the final minutes. But Mumbai’s captain Fazel Atrachali marshalled his defence well to ensure they walk away with all five points in the race for a Playoff spot.&nbsp;&nbsp;Abhishek Singh scored 10 points for Mumbai while defenders Rinku, Fazel Atrachali and Rahul Sethpal had 3 points each. Thalaivas raiders Manjeet and Ajinkya Pawar had 7 points each.&nbsp;U Mumba completely dominated the first half with their raiders Abhishek Singh and Ajith Kumar finding east points from a disjointed Tamil defence. Abhishek’s hand touches gave Mumbai an early lead, but Sagar’s Super Tackle helped Thalaivas stay in the match.&nbsp;&nbsp;But Ajith Kumar, playing against his former team, donned the secondary raider role to perfection and ensured Mumbai got their first ALL OUT in the 9th minute to open a 6-point lead. The raiders continued their good work while the defenders also stepped for U Mumba.&nbsp;&nbsp;Rahul Sethpal was an important cog in that defence. Their corners Fazel Atrachali and Rinku were also nearly flawless. Thalaivas’ raiders Manjeet and Ajinkya Pawar had no luck against a well-oiled Mumbai defence.&nbsp;Abhishek Singh’s heroic 3-point Super Raid paved way for another ALL OUT with 4 minutes remaining for the interval. Thalaivas had no control in the first – perhaps best summed by captain Surjeet’s bizarre decision to go in for a raid and not cross the touch line thereby making it an illegal raid. The scores were 26-11 at the interval with Mumbai clearly on top.&nbsp;The 15-point gap didn’t dampen the spirits of the Tamil team as they started the second half on the front foot. A combination Super Tackle on Abhishek Singh followed by a 2-point raid by Manjeet changed the direction of the wind. Ajinkya Pawar then got a 2-point raid (+2 for ALL OUT) to complete the clean-up act and further reduce Mumbai’s lead. Thalaivas continued to push hard as they smelled the possibility of taking the lead. Ajinkya Pawar’s 2-point raid in the 15th minute made it a 4-point game and gave Thalaivas the chance to inflict another ALL OUT.&nbsp;&nbsp;But Mumbai’s Fazel Atrachali and Harendra Kumar clinched 2 successful tackles to take the match away from Thalaivas’ grasp. U Mumba will breathe a huge sigh of relief after almost squandering a 15-point lead. The victory will also help the Season 2 champions improve their chances of a playoff spot.

Abhishek Singh shimmers with 10 points as U Mumba edge Tamil Thalaivas to improve Playoff chances

Three-time champions Patna Pirates meant business in match 80 of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) as they outshined Tamil Thalaivas 52-24 to go second on the table. A complete team performance with six 'high-fives', the Pirates ran riot as they dominated from the word go and gave the opposition no chance to stage a comeback.&nbsp;First half dominanceThe teams had earlier shared the spoils with a 30-30 tie. But, this time the former champions had nothing of the opposition as they notched an all-out thanks to raiders Sachin, Manu Goyat and Prashanth Kumar. With 11 raid points in the first half, they underlined their dominance, while the Pirates also scalped six tackle points.&nbsp;While Sachin was doing the attacking work, defender Mohammadreza Chiyaneh was firing on all cylinders with both tackles and raids. He ended with six points in the match, but his defensive show saw the Pirates take a 21-12 lead at the break.&nbsp;Pirates consolidate on half-time leadThings only got better for the Pirates in the second half as Sachin (8 points) and Goyat (9 points) continued their trade. The Thalaivas did respond with Ajinkya Pawar (5 points) and Sagar (8 points) but they couldn't prevent their team from the embarrassing defeat.&nbsp;Manjeet Dahiya becomes silver lining on dark cloudRaider Manjeet Dahiya has been a consistent performer for the Thalaivas, but couldn't replicate his form in the contest as he raided only four points. However, he marked the occasion with his 100th raid point of the PKL.&nbsp;The three-time champions, Pirates with a 47 per cent raid success rate compared to Thalaivas' 26 per cent, won the match by 52-24. They picked up an astounding 31 points in the half, along with three all-outs.&nbsp;The win sees Patna Pirates climb to second position on the table, one point behind league leaders Bengaluru Bulls, although, the Bulls have played three matches more than the Pirates. In 12 matches, the Pirates have 45 points with eight wins and three defeats, along with a solitary tie against the Thalaivas in the reverse fixture.&nbsp;The Thalaivas, on the other hand, are steering down the barrel, as they are now winless in their last five encounters and sit 10th with 34 points. The Pirates next take on former champions Jaipur Pink Panthers on Sunday (January 30) while the Tamil Thalaivas take on Bengaluru Bulls on the same night, where they can turn out to be as party spoilers after their hopes of reaching the playoffs are all but over.

Patna Pirates eye top spot after dominant win against Tamil Thalaivas

Cricket

The Haryana Steelers defeated Puneri Paltan 37-30 in Pro Kabaddi League Season 8 in Bengaluru on Wednesday whereas in the second encounter Telugu Titans edged past Jaipur Pink Panthers in a game that went right down to the last raid.&nbsp;&nbsp;Neck-to-neck startThe Steelers and Puneri Paltan played out an even contest in the first few minutes of the match as the two sides were locked at 5-5 at the end of the seventh minute. The two teams continued to play out a neck-to-neck contest, but Puneri Paltan held the lead at 8-7 in the 11th minute. Paltan then picked up a bonus point and effected a Super Tackle to take the lead at 14-13. Thereafter, the Steelers pulled off a brilliant tackle as the two sides were locked at 14-14 at the end of the first half.&nbsp;The Steelers attained momentum in the opening minutes of the second half and took a four-point lead at 19-15. The Haryana side kept picking up points and kept forging ahead. The Steelers inflicted an all out and took a 10-point lead at 31-21. The Puneri Paltan side tried to fight back, however, the Steelers still held the lead at 34-25. In the 38th minute, the Steelers carried out an impressive tackle and continued to stay in the lead at 36-26. The Haryana side rode on the momentum and eventually walked off the mat as winners of the match.&nbsp;Titans drought endsIn the second match, Telugu Titans claimed their first win of the season by beating Jaipur Pink Panthers 35- 34 in Match 65 of PKL season 8. Adarsh T, who picked up multiple points in the dying minutes of the match, was instrumental for the Telugu team desperately seeking their first victory. He scored nine points while Rajnish scored seven as Titans staged an incredible comeback to beat in-form Panthers.&nbsp;Jaipur Pink Panthers dominated the first half with their defenders finding form in the early minutes. Vishal and Sandeep Dhull were impressive for the inaugural season's champions who prevented Titans' Rajnish and Ankit Beniwal from scoring points. The Panthers inflicted the first all out with five minutes remaining to half time to open an eight-point lead. Despite a renewed effort the Titans could not close the gap as the half ended with scores 20-13.&nbsp;In the second half, the Titans staged an immediate comeback when Adarsh produced a three-point super raid immediately after the restart to inflict an all out. The five-point move (2 for all out) made the scores level. Arjun Deshwal kept on picking up points for Jaipur, but the Titans stayed in the match with some dogged defending.&nbsp;Substitute Galla Raju was impressive with his all-round work for the Titans while Deshwal clinched his Super 10 for Jaipur.&nbsp;Deepak Hooda's two-point raid kept Jaipur in a narrow lead, but the Titans got an all out with almost a minute to go to shift the balance. The 2-point lead proved good enough as the Telugu team kept calm to get their first win of the season.

Steelers beat Paltan, Titans claim season's 1st win by beating in-form Panthers

It was a record-breaking night for Bengaluru Bulls as they registered the second-highest win margin in the history of Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) with a massive win by 61-22 against Dabang Delhi. Pawan Sehrawat ended with an astonishing tally of 27 points as he inspired his team to a record win. The win sees Bengaluru Bulls go second in the table with 33 points behind Patna Pirates. The earlier encounter between Haryana Steelers and UP Yoddha's ended at 36-36 as the two served a thriller of a contest. The ninth tie of the season&nbsp; It was all square between the northern giants as Haryana and UP Yoddha served a frantic 36-36 tie. Vikas Kandola’s raids (17) were canceled out by Surender Gill (14) as the two teams went neck-to-neck. A good defensive show was followed by a good attacking province as the teams were matched on multiple fronts. The half-time score was 14-13 in favour of UP Yoddha but the half-time advantage mattered little. Pradeep Narwal (6) and Shrikant Jadhav (5) were on song for the Yoddhas, while for the Steelers it was Meetu (6) and Surender Nada (5) who contributed to the thrilling contest. The tie sees UP Yoddha occupy eighth spot while Steelers sit ninth on the points table with 20 points each. Bengaluru embarrass Dabang Delhi with record points tallyIt was one-way traffic in the second match of the night as Bengaluru Bulls humiliated Dabang Delhi by 61-22. The scoreline entered history books for the second-biggest margin in the history of PKL. Naveen Kumar's absence might have had little to do with the result as the Bulls recorded a whopping 10 all-outs. The Karnataka-based franchise ran riot with a half-time score of 27-11. Things only got worse in the second half as the Bulls inflicted six more all-outs in the second half. Delhi not long ago were top of the table, but now have been leapfrogged by the Bulls. Pawan Sehrawat was the man to watch out for as he gained 27 points on the night with &nbsp;27 raids. He was well supported by Bharat (7) and Chandran Ranjit (5) who contributed significantly. Sehrawat marked the record night with a milestone, as he crossed 800 raid points on the night, the fifth raider to achieve the tally. The win sees Bengaluru go second in the league with 33 points while opponents Dabang Delhi sit third with 32 points in nine matches. On Thursday (January 13), U Mumba take on Puneri Paltan in a Maharashtra derby while defending champions Bengal Warriors take on Tamil Thalaivas in the earlier encounter.

Bengaluru Bulls run riot with record win margin; UP Yoddha & Haryana Steelers serve thriller tie

Puneri Paltans earned the local bragging rights as they defeated U Mumba in a Maharashtra derby in Match 52 of the Pro Kabaddi League (KBL) by 42-23. An off day for Mumba was well exploited by Paltans as their captain Nitin Tomar produced an all-rounder performance. In the earlier encounter, defending champions Bengal Warriors win by 37-28 in a close contest which saw them end their two-match losing run against Tamil Thalaivas.&nbsp;&nbsp;First win in three gamesDefending champions Bengal Warriors registered their first win in three games as they overcame fourth place Tamil Thalaivas with a score of 37-28. Two all-outs on both side of the first half saw the champions make light work of the Thalaivas with a halftime lead of four points, as the scoreboard read 20-16. Raider Maninder Singh picked 12 points in 19 raids to inflict first all-out of the match for the Thalaivas. This included eight touch points and four bonus points.&nbsp;The Thalaivas did try to make a comeback into the contest by going on attack with Manjeet (8) and Bhavani Rajput (5). Courtesy of Manjeet and Rajput, Thalaivas picked more raid points (7) in the second half than the Warriors (5). However, it was the Warriors defense that proved to be the difference maker as Amit Narwal (5), Ran Singh (4) and Mohammad Nabibaksh (2) ensured that the champions consolidated on their half time lead and win the match by 37-28.&nbsp;Puneri Paltans earn local bragging rightsIn an all Maharashtra affair, it was the team from Pune who came out on top with the scoreline of 42-23. Tomar was the standout performer on the night for the Paltans as he smashed a total of nine points, four of which came in successful tackles. The Paltans went with a halftime lead of eight as they led the game by 18-10. Aslam Inamdar earned seven points on the night to support his team.&nbsp;The second half brought more misery for Mumba as they were steering down the barrel to yet another 20-point defeat. They missed the services of V Ajith, who was missing from the squad, while star player Fazal Atrachali only managed one point in the entire evening. Abhishek Singh's poor conversion rate of four points from 11 raids also proved costly for them as they lost 42-23. The Paltans now sit third from bottom with 21 points in nine encounters while U Mumba occupy fifth spot, but have won only one of their last five.&nbsp;The earlier win sees Bengal Warriors go on 22 points in nine matches while opponents Tamil Thalaivas remain on 27 points at fourth. On Friday (January 14), two former champions, Jaipur Pink Panthers and Patna Pirates, will go head-to-head in the first encounter of the night whereas Gujarat Giants will lock horns with high-flying Bengaluru Bulls in the second encounter.

Puneri Paltans romp local rivals U Mumba while defending champions Bengal Warriors win close contest

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WPL 2026

Delhi Capitals managed to pull off a nail-biting seven-wicket win over UP Warriorz in a last-ball thriller in their Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026 clash

Delhi Capitals nicked past UP Warriorz by seven wickets in their WPL 2026 clash

DC managed to overhaul the 155-run target in a last-ball thriller

Delhi Capitals' Lizelle Lee (R) in action in this frame. (Getty)

WPL 2026: DC eke out seven-wicket win over UPW in last-ball thriller

WPL 2026: Gujarat Giants captain Ashleigh Gardner revealed that she told Ayushi Soni that it was a team decision to retire her out.

Ayushi Soni scored 11 runs from 14 balls.

After retiring out Soni, Bharti Fulmali scored an unbeaten 15-ball 36. 

Ayushi Soni

Gujarat Giants batter becomes 1st to be retired out in WPL history, captain says

Harmanpreet Kaur starred with an unbeaten 71 to guide the Mumbai Indians to their highest successful chase in the WPL, leading a thrilling seven-wicket win over the Gujarat Giants. After early setbacks, Harmanpreet and Amanjot Kaur steadied the innings, with Nicola Carey finishing the job, while Harmanpreet also became the first Indian to cross 1,000 WPL runs.


Mumbai Indians defeated Gujarat Giants by 7 wickets.

Harmanpreet Kaur scored 71 runs against Gujarat Giants.

Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Harmanpreet Kaur playing a shot

Harmanpreet Kaur’s 71 leads Mumbai Indians to record WPL chase against GG

Gujarat Giants all-rounder Anushka Sharma is expected to be out for the next few matches after she sustained an injury while fielding against the Delhi Capitals

Anushka Sharma to be out of action for Gujarat Giants

Anushka had sustained an injury during the clash against Delhi Capitals

Gujarat Giants' Anushka Sharma plays a shot during the Women's Premier League (WPL) Twenty20 cricket match between Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai (via Getty)

Big blow for Gujarat Giants as all-rounder to be out of action due to injury

Grace Harris stole the show with a stunning 85 off just 40 balls as Royal Challengers Bengaluru easily beat UP Warriorz by nine wickets in their Women’s Premier League clash. Chasing 144, Harris raced to the fastest fifty of the season in only 22 balls, hitting 10 fours and five sixes.

RCB defeated UP Warriorz by nine wickets

Grace Harris’ smashed fastest half-century in WPL 2026.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's captain Smriti Mandhana (L) and her teammate Grace Harris run between the wickets

WPL 2026: Grace Harris blasts 85 as RCB crush UP Warriorz by nine wickets

Football

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has suggested that a loss of trust from Real Madrid’s hierarchy led to Xabi Alonso’s exit, while praising the Spaniard as a top-class manager.


Hansi Flick hinted that no coach can survive once belief from club decision-makers fades, while wishing Xabi Alonso success in his next project.

Real Betis boss Manuel Pellegrini echoed Flick’s view, calling Alonso’s dismissal premature and questioning Real Madrid’s patience.

Real Madrid's Spanish coach Xabi Alonso reacts during the Spanish Super Cup final football match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid at the King Abdullah Stadium?in Jeddah on January 11, 2026.

Barcelona boss Hansi Flick gives his opinion on Xabi Alonso's Real Madrid exit

N’Golo Kante could be set for a return to European football, with reports linking the former Chelsea midfielder to Turkish giants Fenerbahce as his Al-Ittihad contract nears its end.


Kante is reportedly in talks with Fenerbahce amid hopes of returning to Europe ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The French midfielder boasts a decorated career with Chelsea and France, despite modest numbers during his time in Saudi Arabia.

Ngolo Kante of Chelsea looks on during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Brentford FC at Stamford Bridge on April 26, 2023 in London, England.

Former Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante linked with comeback to Europe 

American Football

Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti revealed that John Harbaugh’s firing was inevitable after the season-ending loss, admitting he would have kept him “for a week” even if the missed kick had gone in.


Steve Bisciotti gave a blunt three-word response when asked if a made field goal would have saved John Harbaugh’s job.

Bisciotti later described Harbaugh’s dismissal as the “craziest firing in the world,” expressing regret over doing it via phone call.

Owner Steve Bisciotti of the Baltimore Ravens looks on before the game against the Detroit Lions at M&T Bank Stadium on September 22, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti drops 3-word response about John Harbaugh's future 

Von Miller has expressed his desire to return to the Denver Broncos in 2026, hoping to mentor the next generation of linebackers after a standout season with the Commanders.


Miller revealed on a podcast that he wants to rejoin the Broncos to guide young linebackers like Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper.

The Super Bowl 50 MVP is eager to give back to the franchise where he became an NFL star.

Von Miller #24 of the Washington Commanders walks off the field after the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on January 04, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Von Miller gets HONEST about reunion as star LB sits in free agency

As retirement speculation swirls around Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift is reportedly supportive of his future beyond football but concerned about the emotional toll of walking away from the NFL.


Taylor Swift believes Kelce has many opportunities outside football but worries about how retirement may affect him emotionally.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid admitted the franchise will take time before deciding on Kelce’s future ahead of the 2026 season.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding plans get a glamorous boost with special invite