Category: 6. Sports

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Keep track of the frenzy of moves during the 2025 NBA Free Agency period, which officially begins Monday, June 30 at 6 p.m. ET. 

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Monday, June 30

Reports: James to stay with Lakers

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer will be staying put in Los Angeles as LeBron James plans to exercise his player option for 2025-26 with the team, per multiple reports.

Reports: Harden plans to re-sign with Clippers

Former Kia MVP winner James Harden plans to opt out of his deal for 2025-26, but will sign a new deal worth $81.5 million to stay with the Clippers, per multiple reports.

Ayton enters free agency

Portland has bought out the contract of former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton, making him a surprise addition to the 2025 free agency pool.

Randle, Wolves reportedly agree to extension

The Timberwolves are keeping their frontcourt in order after agreeing to a three-year, $100 million deal with All-Star big man Julius Randle, per multiple reports.

Portis reportedly plans to re-sign with Milwaukee

One of the NBA’s top reserves, Bobby Portis plans to decline his player option for 2025-26 and instead agree to a three-year, $44 million deal to stay put, per multiple reports.

Thunder sign Jaylin Williams to extension

Oklahoma City announced it has signed big man Jaylin Williams to an extension, a deal that is three years and worth up to $24 million, per multiple reports.

While the competition season might be long over, that doesn’t mean freestyle skiing athletes are kicking back for a seven-month holiday. For moguls and aerials skiers, the off-season is one of the most important blocks of training in the year. It’s a time to recover, reset, and most importantly, level up. And with the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics creeping closer on the calendar, the intensity and purpose behind every session is only growing stronger.

Even without winter snow, there’s no shortage of work. Summer for these athletes means long days on water ramps, trampolines, and glacier courses—paired with hours in the gym, on the bike, and yes, sometimes even in the science lab. It’s all about perfecting technique, building strength, and unlocking new tricks so that once the snow flies again, they’re not just back—they’re better.

For aerials athletes, summer kicks off the all-important water ramp season, a cornerstone of technical training. Here, skiers send their most complex tricks into pools, getting repetition and feedback without the hard landings of winter. With the Water Ramp Summer Grand Prix coming up later in the season—featuring four stops across Mettmenstetten (SUI), Park City (USA), Brisbane (AUS), and Qinhuangdao (CHN)—the stakes are already high.

Just take a look at Miha Fontaine, who recently shared a wild perspective of what it feels like to throw a double backflip into the water. It’s a view few get to see—and one that highlights the precision these athletes chase every single day.

The clubs last met at first-team level in September 2019, when United won a penalty shootout in the Carabao Cup, following a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.

The same method was used to decide an EFL Trophy clash at the Crown Oil Arena a year later, after a goalless stalemate.

Former United Academy man Aidan Barlow is part of the current Dale squad.

More details on the pre-season schedule will be confirmed in due course.

LONDON (AP) — Two-time Wimbledon runner-up Ons Jabeur retired during her first-round match Monday after taking a medical timeout, the latest issue for her during an injury-filled season.

Jabeur, a 30-year-old from Tunisia, quit playing while trailing Viktoriya Tomova 7-6 (5), 2-0.

Jabeur was visited by a trainer in the first set. At one point, she sat on her sideline seat and cried into a towel.

“I wasn’t expecting not to feel good. I have been practicing pretty well the last few days. But I guess these things happen,” Jabeur said afterward. “I’m pretty sad. Doesn’t really help me with my confidence and what I keep pushing myself to do even though it was a very tough season for me. I hope I can feel better.”

She lost to Elena Rybakina in the 2022 final and to Marketa Vondrousova in the 2023 final. Jabeur also was a finalist at the 2022 U.S. Open, losing to Iga Swiatek.

Jabeur’s 2024 season ended early because of a shoulder injury and she’s dealt with leg problems this year.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Reigning women’s singles champion Barbora Krejcikova begins her title defence on Tuesday, 1 July at Wimbledon 2025 (30 June-13 July).

The Olympic tennis gold medallist opens on Centre Court in a bid for her third major singles title, having defeated fellow Olympic champion Jasmine Paolini in the 2024 final.

Krejcikova takes on rising Filipina star Alexandra Eala, who makes her main draw debut at SW19 on the grandest stage and her dream court.

Men’s world No.1 Jannik Sinner opens No.1 Court in an all-Italian battle against Luca Nardi, as the 23-year-old aims for his first trophy since the 2025 Australian Open.

Among the big names in action are seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic, Roland-Garros winner Coco Gauff and British No.1 Jack Draper.

Read on to find out the start times and how to watch the Championships live by scrolling over to 1 July below.

Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed that he had the opportunity to take part in the ongoing FIFA Club World Cup, but he resisted the temptation and signed a
new mega deal with Al Nassr.
The 40-year-old star striker is looking to have a great season with the Saudi Arabian club and do well with Portugal at the 2026 World Cup.

Ronaldo’s contract with Al Nassr was set to end on 30 June, but the former Real Madrid forward penned a new two-year deal on 26 June. He will now stay at the Saudi Pro League club till he’s 42.

It was reported that clubs from Brazil and Morocco were interested in signing Ronaldo on a short-term deal for the new-look Club World Cup, which has now been expanded to 32 clubs. Even FIFA president Gianni Infantino said that Ronaldo could play at the Club World Cup, even though Al Nassr have not qualified.

Ronaldo explains skipping Club World Cup

But Ronaldo has now clarified that the Club World Cup was not on his radar, as he loves Al Nassr and is already thinking about next year’s World Cup.

“I had some offers to play in the [Club] World Cup but I think it didn’t make sense because I prefer to have a good rest, a good preparation, because this season will be very long as it is the World Cup season at the end of the year,” Ronaldo told Al Nassr website.

“I want to be ready not only for Al Nassr but also for the national team. So, this is why I decided to play the last game for the Nations League and not listen to anything,” he added.

“And of course, to be in this club, which I love”.

Ronaldo recently helped Portugal win the UEFA Nations League title and will hope to win his first World Cup next year.

He added that one of his aims is to win a major trophy at Al Nassr.

“My goal, it’s always to win something important for Al-Nassr. And of course I still believe in that,” Ronaldo said. “This is why I renewed the two years more because I believe that I will be a champion in Saudi Arabia.”

Ronaldo has scored 93 goals so far in 105 appearances for Al Nassr. He is also very close to the 1,000-goal mark, having already scored 932.

Here are the Fantasy Cricket  and Match Predictions for Afghanistan National T20 Cup 2025, Match 5 – Mahipar Stars vs Maiwand Champions and Match 6 – Hindokush Strikers vs Pamir Legends on the 30th of June at the Kunduz Cricket Ground, Kunduz.

Points Table

Match 5 – Mahipar Stars vs Maiwand Champions (Kunduz Cricket Ground, Kunduz)

Current Form Mahipar Stars:

Mahipar Stars are currently placed at the 3rd position on points table with 1 win and 1 loss to their credit.

The top run scorer for Mahipar Stars in the Afghanistan National T20 Cup is Mohammad Shahzad with 94 runs to his name.

The top wicket taker for Mahipar Stars in the Afghanistan National T20 Cup is Saleem Safi with 6 scalps under his belt.
Mahipar Stars have won their previous match against Pamir Legends by 4 wickets.

Pamir Legends batted first and they posted a total of 174 for 8 in 20 overs. The top order batters including Rahmanullah Zadran got out without troubling the scorers much. Opener Mohammad Haroon batted superbly. He scored 92 runs off just 56 balls, hitting 10 fours and 4 sixes. Nangeyalia Kharote also played a significant innings of 39 runs in 21 balls to help Pamir Legends get to 174 in their innings.

During the chase, Mahipar Stars lost Hazaratullah Zazai and Naveed Obaid early on in the innings. Usman Sadat and Allah Noor also disappointed and got out without troubling the scorers much. It was Mohammad Shahzad who took the responsibility of taking Mahipar Stars over the line. He smashed 94 runs in just 48 balls, hitting 9 fours and 6 sixes. After he got out, Mahipar Stars struggled a little in the death overs. However, they managed to get over the line in the last over with 4 wickets in hand.

Current Form Maiwand Champions:

Maiwand Champions are currently placed at the 4th position on points table with 2 losses to their credit.

The top run scorer for Maiwand Champions in the Afghanistan National T20 Cup is Imran Mir with 89 runs to his name.

The top wicket taker for Maiwand Champions in the Afghanistan National T20 Cup is Khalel Ahmad with 5 scalps under his belt.

Maiwand Champions have lost their previous match against Hindokush Strikers by 5 wickets.

Maiwand Champions batted first and they posted a total of 146 for 9 in 20 overs. Wasim Akram disappointed and got out after scoring just 9 runs off 12 deliveries. Imran Mir and Yousuf Shah played well and scored 25 and 20 runs respectively. Samiullah Shinwari also played a knock of 29 runs but he consumed 34 deliveries for doing so and it didn’t help his team’s cause. Najibullah Zadran made 26 quick runs as Maiwand Champions managed to reach a modest total of 146 in their innings.

During the chase, Hindokush Strikers lost Zubaid Akbari and Kamal Khan early on in the innings. After their dismissals, Hassan Eisakhel and Mohammad Ishaq played superbly. They scored 39 and 65 runs respectively to seal the deal in favor for Hindokush Strikers. They chased the total down on the last ball of the innings with 5 wickets in hand.

Batting Stats T20

Let’s have a look at the squads:

Maiwand Champions

Najibullah Zadran, Yousaf Shah, Abdul Hadi, Mohammad Akram, Khalid Taniwal, Imran Mir, Shawkat Zaman, Ijaz Ahmad, Samiullah Shinwari, Ismat Alam, Babar Khan, Naseer Maroofkhil, M Gul Alizai, Khalil Ahmad, M Dawood, Sami Sarmast, Bashir Ahmad

Mahipar Stars

Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Shahzad, Hamza Khan Alikhil, Usman Sadaat, Naveed Obaid, Shir Khan Bahadur, Allah Noor, Sediq Pacha, Javid Sulaimankhil, Shamsurrahman, Farmanullah Safi, Khalil Gurbaz, Qamar Shams, Mohammad Ibrahim, M Saleem Safi, Aftab Alam, Mohib Zurmatai

Match Prediction – Maiwand Champions v Mahipar Stars

Cricket Betting Tips and Match Predictions* – PrePlay

Who will win the toss? – Mahipar Stars

Who will win?– Mahipar Stars

Top Batter (Runs Scored) – Hazaratullah Zazai (Mahipar Stars), Imran Mir (Maiwand Champions)

Top Bowler (Wickets taken) – Saleem Safi (Mahipar Stars), Samiullah Shinwari (Maiwand Champions)

Most Sixes – Hazaratullah Zazai (Mahipar Stars), Imran Mir (Maiwand Champions)

Player of the Match– Hazaratullah Zazai (Mahipar Stars)

Team Scores Batting first – Mahipar Stars 160+, Maiwand Champions 150+

Match Handicap : Mahipar Stars

Wicket Takers T20

Match 6 – Hindokush Strikers vs Pamir Legends (Kunduz Cricket Ground, Kunduz)

Current Form Hindokush Strikers:
Hindokush Strikers are currently placed at the 1st position on points table with 2 wins to their credit.

The top run scorer for Hindokush Strikers in the Afghanistan National T20 Cup is Mohammad Ishaq with 71 runs to his name.

The top wicket taker for Hindokush Strikers in the Afghanistan National T20 Cup is Dawlat Zadran with 6 scalps under his belt.

Hindokush Strikers have won their previous match against Maiwand Champions by 5 wickets.

Maiwand Champions batted first and they posted a total of 146 for 9 in 20 overs. Wasim Akram disappointed and got out after scoring just 9 runs off 12 deliveries. Imran Mir and Yousuf Shah played well and scored 25 and 20 runs respectively. Samiullah Shinwari also played a knock of 29 runs but he consumed 34 deliveries for doing so and it didn’t help his team’s cause. Najibullah Zadran made 26 quick runs as Maiwand Champions managed to reach a modest total of 146 in their innings.

During the chase, Hindokush Strikers lost Zubaid Akbari and Kamal Khan early on in the innings. After their dismissals, Hassan Eisakhel and Mohammad Ishaq played superbly. They scored 39 and 65 runs respectively to seal the deal in favor for Hindokush Strikers. They chased the total down on the last ball of the innings with 5 wickets in hand.

Current Form Pamir Legends:

Pamir Legends are currently placed at the 2nd position on points table with 1 win and 1 loss to their credit.

The top run scorer for Pamir Legends in the Afghanistan National T20 Cup is Mohammad Haroon with 118 runs to his name.

The top wicket taker for Pamir Legends in the Afghanistan National T20 Cup is Arab Gul with 5 scalps under his belt.
Pamir Legends have lost their previous match against Mahipar Stars by 4 wickets.

Pamir Legends batted first and they posted a total of 174 for 8 in 20 overs. The top order batters including Rahmanullah Zadran got out without troubling the scorers much. Opener Mohammad Haroon batted superbly. He scored 92 runs off just 56 balls, hitting 10 fours and 4 sixes. Nangeyalia Kharote also played a significant innings of 39 runs in 21 balls to help Pamir Legends get to 174 in their innings.

During the chase, Mahipar Stars lost Hazaratullah Zazai and Naveed Obaid early on in the innings. Usman Sadat and Allah Noor also disappointed and got out without troubling the scorers much. It was Mohammad Shahzad who took the responsibility of taking Mahipar Stars over the line. He smashed 94 runs in just 48 balls, hitting 9 fours and 6 sixes. After he got out, Mahipar Stars struggled a little in the death overs. However, they managed to get over the line in the last over with 4 wickets in hand.

Most 6’s T20

Let’s have a look at the squads:

Hindokush Strikers
Mohammad Ishaq, Mobin Khan, Zubaid Akbari, Hassan Esakhil, Kamal Khan, Asif Mosazai, Ijaz Ahmadzai, Sohail Khan, Tariq Stanikzai, Abdullah Tarakhil, Izharulhaq Naveed, Azeem Zadran, Lutfullah, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Dawlat Zadran, Yama Arab, Faridoon Dawoodzai

Pamir Legends

Nangyal Kharoty, Noor Rahman, Murad Muradi, Wafiullah Tarakhil, Haroon Khan, Barakzai Naseri, Bilal Ahmad, Emal Shaheen, Rahmanllah Zadran, Asif Shah, Mohib Hamraz, Mohammadullah, Arab Gul Momand, Lalbaz Sinzai, Sayed Shirzad, Kamil Kakar, Bilal Sami

Match Prediction – Hindukush Strikers v Pamir Legends

Cricket Betting Tips and Match Predictions* – PrePlay

Who will win the toss? – Pamir Legends

Who will win?– Pamir Legends

Top Batter (Runs Scored) – Mohammad Ishaq (Hindokush Strikers), Barakzai Nasari (Pamir Legends)

Top Bowler (Wickets taken) – Faridoon Dawoodzai (Hindokush Strikers), Bilal Sami (Pamir Legends)

Most Sixes – Mohammad Ishaq (Hindokush Strikers), Barakzai Nasari (Pamir Legends)

Player of the Match– Bilal Sami (Pamir Legends)

Team Scores Batting first – Pamir Legends 165+, Hindokush Strikers 155+

Match Handicap : Pamir Legends

Live Cricket Streaming Afghanistan National T20 Cup 2025: The live cricket streaming page which enables you to watch live cricket  – Geo-restrictions apply

*NB these predictions may be changed nearer the start of the match once the final starting teams have been announced and we will be running ‘In-Play’ features, so stay tuned.

© Cricket World 2025
 

In front of a roaring full house at Grand Prairie Stadium, Faf Du Plessis’ second ton of the season, followed by Akeal Hosein’s spin web ensured the Texas Super Kings delivered a commanding all-round performance to defeat rivals MI New York by 39 runs to secure their spot in the 2025 Cognizant Major League Cricket playoffs.

Match Summary

Texas Super Kings vs MI New York, Match 21, Major League Cricket

Texas Super Kings 223/4 (20 ov)

MI New York 184/9 (20 ov)

Result – Texas Super Kings won by 39 runs

Scorecard

Partnership

 

Match Analysis

 

After the early departure of Smit Patel to left-arm Proteas spinner George Linde, Du Plessis took charge of the innings with a calculated, explosive knock. The Texas skipper raced to a 21-ball half-century, highlighted by a quick onslaught in the Powerplay against MI New York’s attack consisting of Trent Boult, George Linde, and Ehsan Adil. 

After Linde accounted for Saiteja Mukkamalla in the 9th over, Du Plessis showed his leadership settling into a captain’s innings blending maturity with flair after he was joined by Marcus Stoinis. The pair proceeded with caution, rotating the strike and keeping the scorers engaged with odd boundaries here and there. While Du Plessis gradually started to shift gears, Stoinis struggled to keep pace ultimately losing his wicket to Rushil Ugarkar in the 15th over. 

Stoinis’ dismissal brought in the flamboyant Donovan Ferreira, whose thunderous late-innings cameo amplified his captain’s anchoring innings. Ferreira showed his power-hitting prowess blazing 53 off just 20 balls to equal the fastest fifty in MLC history. 

Ferreira and Du Plessis made life tough for MI New York’s bowlers who were unable to stem the tide as Texas surged to a formidable 223/4. Du Plessis carried his bat through the innings for a dominant 103* off 56 deliveries — his second century of the season and eighth in T20 cricket.

MI New York’s chase stuttered from the outset. Coming off a wonderful evening in the previous game, Nicholas Pooran could not capitalize on his form falling early to Nandre Burger in the 4th over. Akeal Hosein applied further pressure with a clinical spell of left-arm spin. Hosein had a wonderful day spinning his way to a brilliant 3/15 including the key scalps of Monank Patel and Quinton De Kock to leave MI New York reeling through the middle overs.

For a few moments, Kieron Pollard’s towering sixes triggered a few nerves in the TSK camp when the tall Caribbean powerhouse dispatched TSK’s premier spinner, Noor Ahmed, for 22 runs in the 14th over. However, despite his best to keep the game alive with a bruising 70 off 39 deliveries, his assault came too late as the asking rate proved too steep. The pressure took its toll ultimately as Burger and Stoinis returned to claim late wickets restricting MI New York to 184/8 in their 20 overs.

With this win, the Texas Super Kings not only punched their ticket to the playoffs but also continued their stronghold at home, where the energy of a sold-out Grand Prairie crowd seemed to push them up another gear. Meanwhile, MI New York’s have a lot to ponder to keep their hopes alive in the competition after a tough day at the field. 

As both teams now head to Lauderhill, Florida for the final week of the league stage, Texas Super Kings will take on an in-groove Washington Freedom on Wednesday, July 2, while MI New York will face the Los Angeles Knight Riders on Thursday, July 3 at Broward County Stadium.

 

 

Match Highlights

Texas Super Kings beat MI New York by 39 runs

TSK: 223/4 in 20 overs (Faf du Plessis 103*, Donovan Ferreira 53; George Linde 42/2, Rushil Ugarkar 47/2)

MINY: 184/9 in 20 overs (Kieron Pollard 70, Quinton de Kock 35; Akeal Hosein 15/3, Nandre Burger 40/2, Marcus Stoinis 43/2)

 

 

Wagon Wheel

 

FAF DU PLESSIS SMASHES ANOTHER CENTURY ?? He started and finished the innings in dominant fashion ?? pic.twitter.com/LDVp1lmIsA

— Cognizant Major League Cricket (@MLCricket) June 30, 2025

 

Match Details:

Date: Monday, June 30, 2025 01:00

Venue: Grand Prairie Stadium, Texas

© Cricket World 2025