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'My shot changed the momentum' - Sachin Baby takes 'blame' for Kerala's heartbreaking loss
Several members of the Kerala team, heartbroken and lost for words, recognised the presence of these young kids in the stands, posing for pictures even as Baby momentarily brought some comic relief at the presentation. "You guys have beaten us in all three knockout stages. Next time, guys, we'll beat you. We'll give you a tougher time," Baby told the Vidarbha team in jest.
"Brain fade," he said at the post-match press conference, of the slog he dragged to Karun Nair at deep midwicket on 98. The occasion couldn't have been bigger; a century in his 100th first-class game may have well killed the game. But it wasn't to be; it was as if they'd run out of luck in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, which they scraped through courtesy leads of one and two runs respectively.
"As the leader, I'll take the blame," he said. "My shot changed the momentum of the game. I wanted to be there for the team, and we were six down. I wanted to be there till the end to get the lead. I wanted to have a lead of 100-plus if at all we got a lead. That would have made a difference."
Baby couldn't quite explain why he played the slog - it was instinct more than a calculated risk, one that he will perhaps replay in his mind over and over again. "I was playing all along the ground till that moment, but then I don't know what happened and why I played that shot. But that and the dropped catch of Karun [Nair] were important moments of the game."
And then he continued. "If I take credit for the success, I will take the blame for failure, too. Nobody plays a shot to get out. That shot was not on my mind, actually. Maybe, it was a brain fade moment. But on this wicket, you had to play shots. If I had played too defensively, there would have been pressure on the team and myself."
At 36, Baby is the oldest member of this side. He hates the use of the word 'veteran' to describe ageing stars. He says he's never felt fitter - all possible signs of him wanting to continue. But without wanting to make it about him, he continued: "We have to improve still. I was telling the team about how Vidarbha came back from the defeat in last year's final to win the trophy this year."
Varun takes five as India top group and set up Australia showdown
India 249 for 9 (Iyer 79, Axar 42, Henry 5-42) beat New Zealand 205 (Williamson 81, Varun 5-42) by 44 runs
Wave after wave of attack from India's spinners was held back by some luck and Williamson, but eventually they broke the bund starting with Ravindra Jadeja getting Tom Latham lbw on the reverse-sweep in the 33rd over. India bowled 29 overs of spin out of the 30 middle overs, and 37.3 in all for nine wickets and just 166 runs. This was an improvement after their spinners had gone at 0.7 an over more than the opposition spinners in the first two games. Turns out it was only a function of bowling first when the ball gripped less than in the second innings.
Iyer and Axar Patel then shored India up with some old-fashioned ODI batting. They went 51 balls without a boundary but didn't play a rash shot. Iyer went from 12 off 29 to 27 off 35 and went back into his bunker, eschewing any risk before opening up after having faced 63 balls. Axar kept pressing claims to a proper allrounder spot with a mature 42 off 61 in the 98-run stand.
After taking 21 runs off 19 short or short-of-a-length deliveries, Iyer finally fell to a bouncer from Will O'Rourke in the 37th over, a wicket that curtailed India's ambitions at the death. Still, KL Rahul's 23 off 29 and Hardik Pandya's run-a-ball 45, which he scored while also turning down singles when batting with the tail, took India to a challenging total.
Hardik then proved to be a serviceable replacement for Harshit Rana with the new ball, drawing some movement in the first over and then getting Rachin Ravindra caught on the upper-cut. Before long, spin was in, and it was apparent New Zealand were not reading Varun out of the hand, from whom they had collectively faced 34 balls in all T20Is and IPL before this match.
Will Young, a key batter during New Zealand's Test whitewash of India in India, was the first one to fail to play a wrong'un off the pitch and pay the price. Daryl Mitchell was all at sea too. India had tied the batters down, the asking rate went to six in the 23rd over, and runs only came in drips, a nudge here, a paddle there, and the rare loose ball. How long could they avoid a risk?
It didn't matter as Kuldeep Yadav had Mitchell lbw with the perfect left-arm wristspinner's delivery, but it also beat Mitchell's inside edge by a distance unbecoming of an international batter. He also burned a review, which would cost Michael Bracewell a reprieve later.
The 40-run stand between Williamson and Latham was the smoothest New Zealand batted with Latham's sweeps and Williamson's inside-out chips giving them some momentum. At the 30-overs mark, New Zealand had scored exactly half of their target and had seven wickets in hand. However, Jadeja soon turned one past Latham's reverse-sweep from around the wicket, and bowled it so accurately that it pitched on and turned enough to hit the wicket.
Now the game changed. Williamson would have to carry this chase on his bat if New Zealand were to get close. Varun came back to make even that a near impossibility. Phillips missed an in-drifting half-volley one ball after pulling Varun for a six. Then a significant dismissal followed.
Video analysis suggests Varun tends to bowl wrong'uns with a scrambled seam and legbreaks with the seam straight and tilted to slip. Now, though, he got Bracewell with a legbreak bowled with a scrambled seam, which presents batters and analysts with a new challenge. Also Williamson, probably mindful of only one review left, advised against the review only for the projection to show it hadn't turned back enough to be hitting the stumps.
Dropped on 17 and 68, Williamson couldn't make India pay the ultimate price as Axar got the man off his bowling with the last ball of his allotment. The asking rate of nine an over now demanded a risk, and Williamson just walked past a straight delivery.
Mitchell Santner delayed the inevitable, but Varun ended his resistance with his other variation: a medium-pace cross-seam ball bowled at 113ks to rip out the off stump. He had four balls left in which to complete a five-for. It took him two as Henry tried to hit out.
Sidharth Monga is a senior writer at ESPNcricinfo
Panthers' Tkachuk placed on IR with groin injury
Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk, who has missed the past four games since suffering a groin injury during the 4 Nations Face-Off, was placed on injured reserve Sunday.
It was not immediately known if Tkachuk is on the traditional or long-term IR.
Tkachuk first experienced discomfort during the 4 Nations Face-Off, where he helped lead the United States to the tournament final. He was limited to 6:47 of ice time in the United States' 3-2 loss in overtime against Canada.
Evan Rodrigues and Mackie Samoskevich could see additional ice time in place of Tkachuk, who has totaled 57 points (22 goals, 35 assists) in 52 NHL games this season.
A Stanley Cup champion with Florida, Tkachuk has totaled 636 points (240 goals, 396 assists) in 642 career games with the Calgary Flames and Panthers.
Field Level Media and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Pitt freshman CB Alexander dies in car accident
Pitt freshman football player Mason Alexander was killed Saturday night in a car accident in his hometown of Fishers, Indiana.
Alexander, 18, was pronounced dead at the scene. According to the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office, he was a passenger in a 2016 BMW driving south on Florida Road. The driver of the car tried to pass a 2015 Toyota before a hillcrest and swerved to avoid a head-on collision with another car traveling in the northbound lane. The BMW traveled off the road and eventually hit a tree, catching on fire.
Alexander starred at cornerback for Hamilton Southeastern High School in Fishers, near Indianapolis, and was an ESPN 300 recruit in the 2025 class. He signed with Pitt in December, enrolled early and was set to join the team for the start of spring practice this month.
"I received a call this morning that no parent, teacher or coach ever wants to get -- the news of the sudden loss of a young and promising life," Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said in a statement. "Our entire program is shocked and deeply saddened to learn of Mason Alexander's passing.
"Mason had just enrolled at Pitt in January following his early graduation from Indiana's Hamilton Southeastern High School. Even during that short time, he made a great impression on all of us. Mason was proud and excited to be a Panther, and we felt the same way about having him in our Pitt family. He will always be a Panther to us. The Alexander family and Mason's many loved ones and friends will be in our prayers."
Peyton Daniels, a high school teammate of Alexander's who plays at Butler, posted about his friend on X, writing, "Mason lit up every room he was in. Brought joy and playfulness to everything and everyone. He could change the entire direction of your day with one interaction. Mason is the embodiment of exceptional. Rest Easy 15. Love forever."
It's hard to find the words to say right now. Mason lit up every room he was in. Brought joy and playfulness to everything and everyone. He could change the entire direction of your day with one interaction. Mason is the embodiment of exceptional. Rest Easy 15. Love forever. pic.twitter.com/FptDR74MSN
Peyton Daniels (@daniels_peyton) March 2, 2025
Mulkey: LSU's Johnson (shin) to miss SEC tourney
LSU guard Flau'jae Johnson will miss the SEC tournament, Tigers coach Kim Mulkey told the team's radio station Sunday.
Johnson has been battling shin inflammation since the Tigers' Feb. 16 loss to Texas, Mulkey said. Johnson missed LSU's regular-season finale against Ole Miss on Sunday, and now the hope is that she will be healthy enough to rejoin the team by the start of the NCAA tournament.
"I know she's trying to mask the pain she's in," Mulkey said on the pregame radio show. "It's not a stress fracture or anything like that. It's just rest. We'll get that inflammation down, and we'll see the Flau'jae that we need to see when we start playoffs."
The game Johnson missed on Sunday was only the second contest she's missed in her career.
This season, the junior is leading LSU in scoring with 18.9 points per game -- good enough for the sixth-best scoring average in the SEC -- on 46.5 percent shooting.
In her last game, though, Johnson scored a season-low six points, promoting Mulkey and her staff to look to get her some recovery time.
"I don't think Flau'jae's best basketball has happened in the last couple of weeks," Mulkey said, "so let's rest her. Why put her through that? Because it's just not worth it."
The SEC tournament tips off on Wednesday in Greenville, South Carolina.
S. Carolina tops Kentucky for share of SEC title
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Tessa Johnson scored 16 points, and the No. 6 South Carolina women's basketball team claimed a share of the Southeastern Conference regular-season championship with a 78-66 victory over No. 15 Kentucky on Sunday.
No. 1 Texas defeated Florida 72-46 on Sunday, so the Longhorns and Gamecocks both finished 15-1 in conference play. Because the teams split the season series, a coin flip Sunday determined that South Carolina would have the No. 1 seed for this week's SEC tournament in Greenville, South Carolina.
Te-Hina Paopao added 13 points and Chloe Kitts had 12 points and 10 rebounds for South Carolina (27-3), which has won at least a share of the regular-season title for the past four seasons.
Clara Strack scored 23 points and Georgia Amoore had 16 points for Kentucky (22-6, 11-5), which failed to build on the momentum of its 82-58 home win over No. 11 Tennessee on Thursday night. Kentucky struggled from deep, converting just 6 of 23 shots from beyond the arc.
South Carolina led 41-33 at halftime, but Kentucky closed to 63-62 with seven minutes left on a driving layup by Amoore. The Wildcats had a chance to take the lead on their next possession, but MiLaysia Fulwiley blocked Teonni Key's shot under the basket and drove the length of the floor for a layup, igniting a 12-2 run.
The Gamecocks outscored the Wildcats 13-2 in the final six minutes.
Both teams will compete this week in the SEC tournament. Kentucky was locked in as the No. 4 seed whether it won or lost on Sunday.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Sources: Cowboys to tag Odighizuwa if no deal
The Dallas Cowboys plan to use the franchise tag on defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa if a long-term deal is not reached by Tuesday's deadline, sources told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano on Sunday.
The franchise tag for defensive tackles is projected at $25.1 million.
If the Cowboys tag Odighizuwa, it would be the seventh time in the last eight years they opted for the franchise tag. The last two players tagged, running back Tony Pollard (2023) and tight end Dalton Schultz (2022), did not sign long-term extensions and left the next year via free agency. The Cowboys were able to sign Dak Prescott (2020-21) and DeMarcus Lawrence (2018-19) to long term deals after they used the tag a second time.
Teams have until Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET to place the tag on their pending free agents.
A third-round pick by the Cowboys in 2021 out of UCLA, Odighizuwa, 26, has not missed a game in his career (67 straight with 63 starts).
He had his best season in 2024 with a career-high 4.5 sacks, 47 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble and 1 pass deflection. He was credited with 54 pressures, second on the Cowboys to Micah Parsons.
At 6-foot-2, 280 pounds, Odighizuwa relies more on leverage and quickness than brute strength, but he can hold up well enough in the run game. He played a career-high 860 snaps (77.9%) in 2024.
He has 172 tackles and 13.5 sacks in his four NFL seasons.
ESPN's Todd Archer contributed to this report.
Oklahoma City Thunder center/forward Chet Holmgren has been ruled out of Sunday's game against the host San Antonio Spurs due to a sprained left ankle.
Holmgren scored seven points and played only 15 minutes in Oklahoma City's 135-119 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday.
The 7-foot-1 Holmgren is averaging 15.2 points and 8.4 rebounds in 17 games (all starts) this season. He missed nearly three months of the season due to a pelvic fracture suffered in a hard fall in a game against the Golden State Warriors.
Holmgren, 22, is averaging 16.3 points and 8.0 boards in 99 career games (all starts) since being selected by the Thunder with the second overall pick of the 2022 NBA draft.
Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu will undergo surgery on his left shoulder and be out for the remainder of the season, the team announced Sunday morning.
Dosunmu had been dealing with left shoulder instability, which kept him out of three games before returning on Friday night against the Toronto Raptors. He scored 11 points and grabbed five rebounds in 23 minutes while wearing a left shoulder sleeve in the game.
But after further evaluation by the Bulls' medical professionals, Dosunmu will shut it down this season to have surgery and address the issue.
Dosunmu, 25, averaged 12.3 points, 4.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds -- all career highs -- in 46 games this season. The fourth-year guard has one more year remaining on a three-year, $21 million contract.
The Bulls (24-36) enter Sunday in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, 2.5 games ahead of the 11th-place Philadelphia 76ers. Chicago visits the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night.
Magic's Suggs to stay sidelined for knee surgery
Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs will undergo surgery to remove a cartilage fragment in his left knee and is out indefinitely, the team announced Sunday.
Suggs' return will be based on his rehab and he is expected to make a full recovery.
The Magic on Friday announced Suggs would be out indefinitely with a trochlea injury in the knee before discovering the cartilage fragment in the joint.
Suggs left a Jan. 3 game with back spasms and since then has made only one appearance, in a Jan. 25 win over the Detroit Pistons. During his recent ramp-up to return to play, he experienced discomfort in his knee and had further testing.
Known for his defense, Suggs is averaging career highs of 16.2 points and 4.0 rebounds per game in his fourth season.
After finishing fifth in the Eastern Conference standings last year and making the playoffs for the first time since the 2019-20 season, the Magic have taken a step back. The team enters play Sunday with a 29-32 record and sits in eighth place.
Orlando's struggles can largely be attributed to injuries knocking out the team's top players. Both Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner missed multiple weeks with torn oblique injuries. Suggs, Banchero and Wagner have played just six games together this season and 97 total minutes.
The Magic have lost three of their past four games and have three games remaining on a seven-game homestand that continues Sunday against the Toronto Raptors.
ESPN's Shams Charania contributed to this report.
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