UEFA have appointed an ethics and disciplinary inspector to conduct an investigation into AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic for having an "alleged financial interest in a betting company," the European football governing body said on Monday.

Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reported earlier this month that Ibrahimovic, 39, is a part-owner of betting company Bethard, which he teamed up with in 2018.

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FIFA's Code of Ethics states a player cannot have interests in entities or companies that "promote, broker, arrange or conduct betting, gambling, lotteries or similar events or transactions connected with football matches and competitions."

"A UEFA ethics and disciplinary inspector has today been appointed to conduct a disciplinary investigation regarding a potential violation of the UEFA disciplinary regulations by Mr. Zlatan Ibrahimović for having an alleged financial interest in a betting company," UEFA said in a statement.

Ibrahimovic had quit international football after the 2016 European Championship but returned to Sweden's national team for their World Cup qualifiers last month and also played in UEFA's Europa League for AC Milan this season.

If found guilty, Ibrahimovic would have to pay a fine of 100,000 Swiss francs ($109,373) and would be banned from any football-related activity for a maximum of three years.

Last week, Ibrahimovic signed a one-year contract extension that will keep him at AC Milan beyond his 40th birthday.

Christian Pulisic has dismissed lingering concerns over his fitness by insisting "I'm not injury prone" as Chelsea prepare to face Real Madrid in the Champions League semifinals.

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel claimed earlier this month that the United States men's international needed to learn to trust his body again after suffering nagging injury issues, dating back to a hamstring problem sustained in last August's FA Cup Final defeat to Arsenal.

Tuchel's first game in charge took place on Jan. 27 against Wolves but Pulisic did not start a Premier League game until March 13.

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However, the 22-year-old has started six of Chelsea's last eight matches across all competitions and he said: "I feel very confident in my body and my fitness level at the moment. I have played a string of games.

"I've never thought of myself as a player who is injury prone or anything. Obviously I had some time out in the past year and a bit. It is really just about taking care of my body and putting myself in the best position to be available for every single game. I feel good about that right now."

Pulisic began both USMNT games at the end of March -- against Northern Ireland and Jamaica -- and the winger suggested that period was important in rebuilding his self-belief.

"I think maybe it did help a little bit to go away and get some games in with the national team," he said.

"I definitely always enjoy that and coming back, I felt very confident and I still feel that way. It is just about keeping up this form and help my team to win these big games."

Madrid are hopeful former Chelsea playmaker Eden Hazard will be fit to face his old club having struggled with muscular problems.

Hazard left Chelsea in 2019, the same summer Pulisic arrived from Borussia Dortmund, leading to inevitable comparisons between the two players as Pulisic was the only major signing the club could make due to a FIFA transfer ban.

Pulisic has always sought to distance himself from any similarities to Hazard but he added: "He was an incredible player at this football club, of course. He is someone I definitely looked up to. I am not comparing myself to him in any way or trying to be like him.

"I am my own player, doing my best for this club. Obviously he was a massive player for this club and obviously it is an honour to hear comparisons like that, but I still have a way to go.

"We are moving on without him. I never played with him so I only know how it is without him. I think we are in good place now. I mean we are in a semifinal of the Champions League, we have got a lot left to play for this season, so I think this team definitely has a good situation at the moment, so that's a positive."

A consortium led by Spotify owner Daniel Ek and including three former Arsenal players is planning a sensational bid to buy the north London club, sources have told ESPN.

Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira are involved in a move that will test the resolve of American owners Kroenke Sports Enterprises, who insisted at a fans forum Thursday that they had "no intention of selling" the club.

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- Olley: Anti-Kroenke sentiment runs deep at Arsenal

Sources have told ESPN that there could be a formal offer tabled within the next two weeks, although it is unclear at this stage what valuation they are placing on Arsenal.

In a message posted on Twitter, Ek said: "As a kid growing up, I've cheered for @Arsenal as long as I can remember. If KSE would like to sell Arsenal I'd be happy to throw my hat in the ring."

Sources have told ESPN this interest is genuine, but former Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini, rumoured to be one member of the consortium, is not part of the group.

Forbes estimates the Gunners are worth just over £2 billion. Ek is worth an estimated £3.4bn and would have little problem raising the funds necessary to buy the club.

Kroenke took full control of Arsenal in August 2018 after buying out rival shareholder Alisher Usmanov in a £550 million deal which valued the club at £1.8bn.

That came just over a year after KSE rejected an offer from Usmanov to sell their stake in the club.

Sources have told ESPN that there were senior figures within KSE who were wavering over whether to support a sale at the time before eventually rejecting the proposal, and it is unclear whether there are any fault lines this time given the wider circumstances.

Around 2,000 fans descended on Emirates Stadium on Friday to voice opposition over Stan Kroenke's ownership, but those protests are nothing new. Supporters have largely opposed Kroenke's involvement in the club, ever since he first became involved in 2007 but most notably when taking a controlling stake four years later.

That deal in April 2011 valued the club at £731m, underlining the dramatic growth in football club valuations since then, particularly in the Premier League.

However, COVID-19 has hit football's finances hard, and a leading reason behind the decision of 12 clubs to try to form a new European Super League was the huge loss of revenues during the pandemic.

Having already posted losses of £47.8m for the 2019-20 season, Arsenal chief executive Vinai Venkatesham told supporters last week the Gunners are on course to lose well over £100m this season.

The ESL clubs were due a huge windfall, splitting £3bn in an initial payment before playing for an annual prize fund of £2.66bn, but the proposal was met with government and fan opposition, leaving it on the brink of collapse. Owners have been facing backlash ever since.

Sources with financial backgrounds have suggested to ESPN the Kroenkes could have been looking to join the ESL as the final part of an exit strategy to sell the club.

The proposal's failure leaves them with no alternative to quickly generate fresh revenues and therefore a sale may theoretically appeal. However, when asked specifically about KSE's exit strategy last week, Josh Kroenke, the son of Stan Kroenke, said: "I am not willing to answer that question because we have no intention of selling."

Spotify told ESPN that "we're not providing any further comment to Daniel's tweet" while KSE didn't respond to a request for further information.

It's Monday, and we're just waking up after another incredible weekend of action in Major League Soccer. This season's off to a hot start: Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez scored a hat-trick to make that FIVE goals in two games for the Mexico and LA Galaxy star, and firmly putting to rest any lingering memories of his two-goal debut season in 2020. There was also history made by Inter Miami as the Higuain brothers, Federico and Gonzalo, both scored in the same game for the team, an MLS first. Elsewhere, Seattle slipped a little, Atlanta United showed their renaissance is right on track and NYCFC scored five vs. Cincinnati.

Get caught up with the weekend's action and see where your team sits in our Week 2 Power Rankings.

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1. LA Galaxy

Previous ranking: 5

Next MLS match: Sunday, May 2 at Seattle, 9 p.m. ET

Through two weeks, the reemergence of Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez under new head coach Greg Vanney has been the story of the MLS season. After scoring a brace in the opener, his hat trick against the New York Red Bulls on Sunday powered the Galaxy to a 3-2 win. -- Bonagura

2. Seattle Sounders

Previous ranking: 1

Next MLS match: Sunday, May 2 vs Los Angeles Galaxy, 9 p.m. ET

Brad Smith's first MLS goal early in the second half rescued a point for the Sounders in a 1-1 draw at LAFC. Their next game against the Galaxy begins a stretch in which the Sounders will play on four consecutive Sundays in a busy month of May. -- Bonagura

3. Columbus Crew

Previous ranking: 3

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 1 at CF Montreal, 3 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

The Crew got the weekend off to better prepare for the first leg of its CONCACAF Champions League tilt against Monterrey on Wednesday. Will midfielder Darlington Nagbe recover from his hamstring injury in enough time to have an impact? -- Carlisle

4. Sporting Kansas City

Previous ranking: 4

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 1 at Real Salt Lake, 2 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

In his fourth MLS season and still just 18 years old, is 2021 going to be a breakout season for midfielder Gianluca Busio? His smart finish to open the scoring against Orlando City was an encouraging sign for a player who has long been linked to a European move, but a late goal from Nani led to a 1-1 draw Friday night. -- Bonagura

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5. LAFC

Previous ranking: 6

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 1 at Houston, 3:30 p.m. ET

Playing without stars Carlos Vela and Diego Rossi, LAFC took the lead 84 seconds into the game on a Eduard Atuesta free kick, but gave it up early in the second half and settled for a 1-1 draw with the Sounders. Chances were hard to come by for both sides, who will meet again May 16 in Seattle. -- Bonagura

6. CF Montreal

Previous ranking: 7

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 1 vs. Columbus, 3 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

Coughing up a two-goal lead to draw in Nashville won't please manager Wilfried Nancy, but four points from two matches to start the season is better than expected. Forward Mason Toye, acquired late last season, has gotten off to a good start, scoring his second goal in as many games. -- Carlisle

7. Vancouver Whitecaps

Previous ranking: 10

Next MLS match: Sunday, May 2 vs. Colorado in Salt Lake City, 10 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

The Whitecaps were in position to start the season with a pair of wins before a calamitous equalizing goal in the 82nd minute rescued Toronto in a 2-2 draw. Despite dropping the points late, it was a strong overall performance for Vancouver, which fought back from a 1-0 deficit with second-half goals from Cristian Dajome (penalty) and Andy Rose. -- Bonagura

8. Atlanta United FC

Previous ranking: 11

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 1 at New England, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

The good vibes seemed to have returned to Atlanta, with a team that was starved for goals last year beginning to deliver again on the attacking end in Saturday's 3-1 win over the Fire. Of course, a golazo from Ezequiel Barco always helps, but Josef Martinez's return is creating even more optimism. -- Carlisle

9. New England Revolution

Previous ranking: 13

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 1 vs. Atlanta, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

Chances were scarce for both sides in the Revs' 1-0 win over D.C. United, but Brandon Bye's improved service from out wide helped force an own goal. The good news for New England is that Bruce Arena's side is proving it can grind out results. -- Carlisle

10. Real Salt Lake

Previous ranking: 20

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 1 vs. Sporting Kansas City, 2 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

RSL goalkeeper David Ochoa's postmatch decision to punt the ball into the stands will be the lasting memory from a 2-1 win at Minnesota, but it shouldn't overshadow the brace from Anderson Julio in his debut for the club. -- Bonagura

11. San Jose Earthquakes

Previous ranking: 24

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 1 vs. D.C. United, 11 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

After a frenetic first few minutes, San Jose calmed down and had its way with FC Dallas in a 3-1 win as Cade Cowell stole the show. The 17-year-old attacker's world-class, outside-of-the-foot pass assisted a Cristian Espinoza goal to make it 2-0 and then he weaved through three defenders in the box to score his second career MLS goal. -- Bonagura

12. Inter Miami CF

Previous ranking: 25

Next MLS match: Sunday, May 2 at Nashville, 1 p.m. ET (ESPN/ESPN Deportes)

Phil Neville secured his first win as Miami manager thanks to the brothers Higuain. Federico assisted on Gonzalo's equalizer and then notched the game-winner himself to beat Philadelphia 2-1. The brothers are the first to both score in a game in MLS history. -- Carlisle

13. Portland Timbers

Previous ranking: 18

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 1 at FC Dallas, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

The Timbers rebounded from their loss to Vancouver last week with a 2-1 win against Houston. Now they head into a packed two-week stretch in which they'll balance a pair of midweek CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal games, against Mexican giant Club America, with key MLS games against the Seattle Sounders and FC Dallas. -- Bonagura

14. Houston Dynamo

Previous ranking: 9

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 1 vs. LAFC, 3:30 p.m. ET

The Dynamo were a bit unfortunate not to tie the score with a couple of late chances, and left Portland without a point following a 2-1 loss. Despite the loss, Houston will probably feel optimistic about its direction through two games after finishing in last place in the Western Conference last year. -- Bonagura

15. Philadelphia Union

Previous ranking: 2

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 1 vs. NYCFC, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

The Union's defense of its Supporters' Shield crown is off to a tough start after suffering a home loss to Miami. A midweek CCL clash against Atlanta United gives Jim Curtin's side a chance to get back on track. -- Carlisle

16. New York City FC

Previous ranking: 22

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 1 at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

Unlike its opening-week loss to D.C. United, NYCFC finished what it started, parlaying a bright start -- and a decided advantage on set pieces -- into a 5-0 hammering of Cincinnati. That said, games on the claustrophobic field at Yankee Stadium are still tough to watch. -- Carlisle

17. Orlando City

Previous ranking: 12

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 1 vs. FC Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

The Lions probably deserved better than the 1-1 draw in Kansas City, especially given how they gifted SKC its goal. Fortunately for Orlando, Nani, even at 34, still has some magic in his boots, as evidenced by the delightful backheel for the equalizer. -- Carlisle

18. Austin FC

Previous ranking: 26

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 1 at Minnesota, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

After being held goalless last week, three second-half goals in a 12-minute span for the expansion club provided a historic first victory, 3-1, at Colorado. Diego Fagundez became the club's first scorer before Cecilio Dominguez tallied twice as Austin showed it promises to be competitive in Year 1. -- Bonagura

19. D.C. United

Previous ranking: 8

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 1 at San Jose, 11 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

The soccer gods turned on Brendan Hines-Ike in Week 2, as he scored an own goal in the 1-0 loss to New England one week after scoring on a rocket. Until more of the Black-and-Red's walking wounded return, it's tough to gauge just how well the approach of new manager Hernan Losada is working. -- Carlisle

20. Nashville SC

Previous ranking: 15

Next MLS match: Sunday, May 2 vs. Inter Miami, 1 p.m. ET (ESPN/ESPN Deportes)

Two home draws to start the season doesn't bode well, nor does spotting its opponent -- in this case, Montreal -- a two-goal lead for the second game running. The fight to come back is there, but whether you chalk it up to great goals or bad luck, NSC needs to tighten things up in the back. -- Carlisle

21. Colorado Rapids

Previous ranking: 16

Next MLS match: Sunday, May 2 vs. Vancouver in Salt Lake City, 10 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

The Rapids were hoping to build off a promising 2020 season only to stutter out of the gate, following last week's goalless draw with FC Dallas with a 3-1 loss to Austin FC. Colorado will look forward to getting Sam Vines back from injury, which will allow Kellyn Acosta to push back into central midfield. -- Bonagura

22. Toronto FC

Previous ranking: 19

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 8 at New York Red Bulls, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

The Reds' injury list is decreasing bit by bit, and the signing of Yeferson Soteldo should boost the attack. But the 2-2 draw with Vancouver hints at defensive frailties. -- Carlisle

23. New York Red Bulls

Previous ranking: 23

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 1 vs. Chicago, 1 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

The Red Bulls almost rescued a point in LA, and fought to the bitter end -- including 11 minutes of stoppage time -- but there was no stopping Chicharito in a 3-2 defeat. At least Frankie Amaya looked sharp in his Red Bulls debut. -- Carlisle

24. FC Dallas

Previous ranking: 17

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 1 vs. Portland, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

After squandering some early opportunities, it was another toothless performance from FC Dallas, which wasn't able to generate a consistent attack in a 3-1 loss at San Jose. A 79th-minute goal from substitute Ricardo Pepi provided some consolation, but it came too late to change the complexion of the game. -- Bonagura

25. Chicago Fire

Previous ranking: 21

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 1 at New York Red Bulls, 1 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

It seems that not a week goes by without the Fire suffering from self-inflicted wounds, with an own goal by Johan Kappelhof proving to be the killer blow in a 3-1 loss to Atlanta. Hitting the woodwork three times didn't help, either. -- Carlisle

26. FC Cincinnati

Previous ranking: 14

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 1 at Orlando, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

Sure, FCC took the field without Luciano Acosta and Przemyslaw Tyton, but conceding 53 shots total in two games is frightening indeed. Defending set pieces will also be a focus after getting torched by NYCFC, 5-0. -- Carlisle

27. Minnesota United

Previous ranking: 27

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 1 vs. Austin FC, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

A 2-1 home loss to Real Salt Lake means the Loons will head into Saturday's game against Austin without a point through two games, which is especially disappointing considering Minnesota reached the Western Conference finals last season. -- Bonagura

Kolkata Knight Riders 126 for 5 (Morgan 47*, Tripathi 41, Henriques 1-5) beat Punjab Kings 123 for 9 (Agarwal 31, Jordan 30, Krishna 3-30, Narine 2-22) by five wickets

Eoin Morgan's 47 not out off 40 balls steered the Kolkata Knight Riders to victory with five wickets and 20 balls to spare after his bowlers restricted the Punjab Kings to 123 for 9 in the first game of IPL 2021 in Ahmedabad.

It wasn't a smooth ride though. At one stage, the Knight Riders were 17 for 3 but a 66-run stand between Morgan and Rahul Tripathi shut the door on the Kings. During his innings, Morgan also completed 7000 runs in T20 cricket and helped his side climb from the bottom of the points table to the fifth spot.

Earlier, the Kings innings never really took off after they were asked to bat first. The Knight Riders' seamers restricted them to 37 for 1 in the powerplay and 56 for 3 after ten overs.

Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy then proved too good for the Kings' middle order. Despite the dew setting in the second half of the innings, the spin duo finished with combined figures of 3 for 46 from eight overs. A cameo from Chris Jordan proved too little, too late.

Knight Riders seamers strike at top
The Ahmedabad pitches were conducive to seamers during the recent India-England T20I series, and it was no different on Monday.

Shivam Mavi, bowling at a brisk pace, hit the good length consistently and kept the scoring rate down. KL Rahul tried to cut loose against Pat Cummins. He managed a six over third man but fell on the very next ball while going for another big shot, giving Cummins his first powerplay wicket in the tournament.

From the other end, Mavi dismissed Chris Gayle for a first-ball duck. Pushing away from his body, Gayle ended up bottom-edging to Dinesh Karthik behind the stumps.

Mavi was done by the seventh over, finishing with figures of 4-0-13-1, but there was no relief for the Kings. In the next over, Prasidh Krishna removed Deepak Hooda for 1, Morgan holding on to a low catch at backward point to leave the Kings 42 for 3.

Narine, Chakravarthy's mystery engulfs middle order
After three wickets in 13 balls, the onus was on Mayank Agarwal to bail the Kings out. He launched Krishna for a six over deep midwicket to take the side past 50 in the tenth over. In order to push the run rate, Agarwal tried to take on Narine too but Tripathi's tumbling catch sent him back for a 34-ball 31.

Soon after, Narine bowled Moises Henriques through the gate to make it 75 for 5.

Nicholas Pooran had three ducks in four innings coming into this match. Here he hit Chakravarthy for a six and a four on successive balls but the spinner had the last laugh when he uprooted Pooran's off stump as the batter failed to connect a slog.

It was only because of Jordan's 18-ball 30, which included three sixes and a four, that the Kings could cross 120.

Knight Riders stuttering at the start
Given the small target, the Knight Riders' openers had the opportunity to get their eye in and find some form. They failed to made use of that though. Nitish Rana got a full toss from Henriques in the first over that he hit straight to short extra cover. In the next over, Shubman Gill ended up playing across the line to Mohammed Shami and was lbw for 9.

Narine was peppered with the short ball right from the start. He managed to connect one well against Arshdeep Singh but Ravi Bishnoi sprinted to his right from deep midwicket before putting in the dive to complete a stunning catch. Suddenly, it looked like the Kings could pull off a surprise.

Morgan, Tripathi dash Kings' hopes
Morgan and Tripathi had other plans. The two didn't hesitate coming down the pitch to fast bowlers and found boundaries regularly to keep the Kings on the back foot. That Bishnoi let a couple of fours slip in the field didn't help either. The Knight Riders' finished the powerplay on 42 for 3.

The flow of runs didn't stop even after the field restrictions were lifted. Jordan's first over, the eighth over of the innings, went for 13. Hooda finally broke the stand when Tripathi holed out to long-on for a 32-ball 41. Andre Russell tried to smash almost every ball he faced but found either an under edge or a fielder. He was run-out for 10 off nine balls but by then the Knight Riders needed just 24 from 35 balls. Morgan and Dinesh Karthik hit a flurry of boundaries to take knock them off.

Big picture

Delhi Capitals will be bouncing right about now. Very few things in the IPL give as much confidence - and a thirst for even more action - like a Super Over victory. Plus with the shift to Ahmedabad, their batters are likely to enjoy much better conditions than they encountered in Chennai. Shikhar Dhawan is the top run-getter this season having played on slow, low, turning pitches. Imagine the damage he can do on a true one.

Royal Challengers Bangalore's firepower needs no hyping up. If conditions will suit the Capitals, they will definitely suit the likes of Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Glenn Maxwell as well. This year they've been able to find a first XI that plugs all the gaps that existed previously. The over-dependence on Kohli and de Villiers isn't so stark. Their bowling is much more balanced. Morale is high and so is their ambition.

As far as great contests go, this is all very neatly set up.

In the news

Kane Richardson and Adam Zampa have cut short their stints with the Royal Challengers and have chosen to go back home to Australia for "personal reasons".

R Ashwin is also unavailable having stayed behind in Chennai to support his family who are "putting up a fight against Covid-19"

Dhawan performed post-match presentation duties on Sunday night with Rishabh Pant "unwell." Although the Capitals skipper batted well in both normal and extra time against Sunrisers Hyderabad, it is unclear if he has recovered from his illness.

Likely XIs

Delhi Capitals: 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Prithvi Shaw, 3 Steven Smith, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt & wk), 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Lalit Yadav, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Kagiso Rabada, 9 Avesh Khan, 10 Anrich Nortje, 11 Amit Mishra

Royal Challengers Bangalore: 1 Virat Kohli (capt), 2 Devdutt Padikkal, 3 Washington Sundar, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 AB de Villiers (wk), 6 Dan Christian, 7 Kyle Jamieson, 8 Harshal Patel, 9 Mohammed Siraj, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Navdeep Saini/Shahbaz Ahmed

Strategy punt

The match-up between AB de Villiers and Axar Patel in T20 cricket goes 59 runs in 60 balls and one dismissal. Those numbers should persuade the Capitals to save their left-arm spinner for RCB's prolific finisher.

Washington Sundar could be a key bowler for the Royal Challengers. He has a good record against Dhawan (33 runs in 41 balls, no dismissals) and Rishabh Pant (29 runs in 21 balls, one dismissal).

Stats that matter

• The Capitals' run-rate of 8.4 in the powerplay is the second-best this season. Their opponents on Tuesday are the only team who have scored quicker.
• In each of his previous IPL seasons since 2017, Mohammed Siraj barely managed to keep his economy rate in single-digits. In 2021, he gives away only 6.5 runs per over and 54% of his deliveries are dot balls. His increased control has given Royal Challengers a very useful weapon, especially in the death overs.
• Pant needs two sixes to reach a tally of 100 as wicketkeeper-batsman. Shaw needs eight runs to score 1000 in the IPL.
• Devdutt Padikkal has become a serious hitter of spin bowling. In IPL 2020, he was content hitting a boundary every nine balls of spin he faced. This year he's finding that fence every 3.7 balls. His aggression is why taking the pace off against RCB, which used to be a good tactic, may not always work.

Zimbabwe have named five uncapped players - Luke Jongwe, Richard Ngarava, Roy Kaia, Milton Shumba and Tanaka Chivanga - in their 16-man squad for the series of two Tests against Pakistan, the first of which starts in Harare on April 29.

Brendan Taylor, who missed Zimbabwe's last Test series against Afghanistan in the UAE because of health issues but made a comeback for the second and third T20Is against Pakistan, has made the cut. Craig Ervine continues to miss out because of a calf injury. Tendai Chisoro, who played his only Test match in 2017, has also been recalled.

The players from Zimbabwe's Test squad against Afghanistan to miss out were Sikandar Raza, who is recovering from a bone marrow infection, Ryan Burl, Wesley Madhevere, Richmond Mutumbami, and Brandon Mavuta.

Of their replacements, right-arm medium pacer Jongwe was Zimbabwe's most successful bowler in the T20Is against Pakistan with nine wickets, while left-arm quick Ngarava took two wickets at an economy rate of 8.36. Kaia, a 29-year-old middle-order batter, was part of the XI on his ODI debut against Pakistan in Lahore in May 2015, but didn't get a chance to bat or bowl as the game was washed out. Shumba, a 20-year-old left-arm spinner, has played two T20Is, while 27-year-old fast bowler Chivanga has never played internationally.

Joylord Gumbie, a wicketkeeper-batter, and Takudzwanashe Kaitano, an offspin-bowling allrounder, have been placed on standby.

The Pakistan Super League (PSL) will conduct a replacement draft for the six teams to complete their squads ahead of the resumption of the 2021 edition of the tournament, which had been suspended after 14 matches following a spate of Covid-19 cases among players and support staffers.

The remainder of the tournament will be played in June, with all matches in Karachi, in a bio-security bubble being put in place by a UK-based company. The teams will assemble by May 23 to begin their mandatory seven-day quarantine, and action will resume on June 2, with the final on June 20.

Most of the overseas players, who were around for the first set of games before the postponement, are going to be missing for one reason or another. The English players are going to be busy with the Vitality Blast T20 tournament. Some others will be on national duty. As a result, their will be a mini draft, where the teams will get to pick from 134 players, from Australia (10), New Zealand (12), South Africa (18), Bangladesh (7), West Indies (25), Sri Lanka (24), Zimbabwe (6), Afghanistan (16), Ireland (5), UAE (5), Scotland (4), Nepal (1) and Oman (1).

The roster of local players, fortunately for the teams, are intact. And there are quite a few big names for the players to pick from, including Martin Guptill, Andre Russell, Shakib Al Hasan in the platinum category, and Usman Khawaja, Adam Milne, Morne Morkel, Tamim Iqbal, James Faulkner and Joe Burns in the diamond category.

Lahore Qalandars
Players unavailable: Rashid Khan (Platinum), Samit Patel (Gold), David Wiese (Diamond), Tom Abell (Silver), Joe Denly

Areas impacted: Middle order and spin department

Ideal XI before postponement: Fakhar Zaman, Sohail Akhtar (capt), Joe Denly, Mohammad Hafeez, Ben Dunk, Samit Patel, David Wiese, Zeeshan Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Ahmed Daniyal, Haris Rauf

Karachi Kings
Players unavailable: Colin Ingram (Platinum), Mohammad Nabi (Diamond), Dan Christian (Diamond), Joe Clarke (Silver)

Areas impacted: Nos. 3 to 6

Ideal XI before postponement: Sharjeel Khan, Babar Azam, Joe Clarke, Colin Ingram, Dan Christian, Imad Wasim (capt), Mohammad Nabi, Mohammad Ilyas, Mohammad Amir, Waqas Maqsood, Arshad Iqbal

Islamabad United
Players unavailable: Alex Hales (Platinum), Lewis Gregory (Diamond), Phil Salt (Gold)

Areas impacted: Opening and lower-middle order

Ideal XI before postponement: Phil Salt, Alex Hales, Shadab Khan (capt), Hussain Talat, Asif Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Lewis Gregory, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Zafar Gohar

Quetta Gladiators
Players unavailable: Tom Banton (Platinum)

Areas impacted: Nothing

Ideal XI before postponement: Usman Khan, Saim Ayub, Faf du Plessis, Azam Khan, Sarfaraz Ahmed (capt), Ben Cutting, Mohammad Nawaz, Qais Ahmad, Zahid Mahmood, Dale Steyn, Mohammad Hasnain

Peshawar Zalmi
Players unavailable: Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Diamond), Liam Livingstone (Gold), Saqib Mahmood (Silver), Tom Kohler-Cadmore (Silver)

Areas impacted: Leading wicket-taker Mahmood out

Ideal XI before postponement: Kamran Akmal, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Shoaib Malik (capt), Haider Ali, Ravi Bopara/David Miller, Sherfane Rutherford, Amad Butt, Umaid Asif, Saqib Mahmood, Mohammad Imran, Mohammad Irfan

Multan Sultans
Players unavailable: Chris Lynn (Platinum), James Vince (Gold), Adam Lyth (Silver), Carlos Brathwaite (Supplement),

Areas impacted: Opening, and the absence of Brathwaite

Ideal XI before postponement: Chris Lynn, Mohammad Rizwan (capt), James Vince, Sohaib Maqsood, Rilee Rossouw, Khushdil Shah, Shahid Afridi, Carlos Brathwaite, Sohail Khan, Usman Qadir, Shahnawaz Dhani

Billy Stanlake, the Australia fast bowler, has been prevented from making his Derbyshire debut this week as the County Championship is not considered "elite sport".

Stanlake arrived in England on Sunday and was hoping to play in the Championship match against Nottinghamshire starting on Thursday. But while that would have been fine if he had been hoping to play in the T20 Blast - or, indeed, the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy - which have government exemptions on the grounds of being deemed elite sport, the County Championship holds no such status. As a result, Stanlake is required to serve a period in quarantine.

"We originally thought he would be available for the Nottinghamshire game because he's come from a secure bubble," Dave Houghton, Derbyshire's head of cricket, said. "However, first-class county cricket is not classed as elite sport.

"If he was playing Twenty20 tomorrow he would be eligible, but because it's four-day cricket he has to quarantine for five days, which will go beyond the start of Thursday's game. We'll have him ready to play in the away game against Essex [starting on May 13]."

While such a situation may jar, there is some logic behind it. The concept of elite sport exemption was developed to enable relatively short-term sporting events - such as Champions League football matches or an international cricket tour - to take place without the need for quarantine protocols. For comparison, the Champions League has such an exemption but the Premier League does not.

As a consequence, all overseas players arriving to play County Championship cricket in recent times have been required to serve a quarantine period.

There may be eyebrows raised about the consistency of the criteria applied to deciding which events are "elite", though. The Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, the domestic 50-over women's competition, does hold such an exemption but starts in May and ends in September, albeit with no matches in July or August.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- If he makes the Kansas City Chiefs' roster to begin this season, tight end Sean Culkin will be the first NFL player to convert all of his salary to Bitcoin.

Culkin, who is vying to be a backup behind starter Travis Kelce, would be paid his $920,000 salary by the Chiefs in U.S. dollars but in turn will convert it to Bitcoin.

"I've always had a lot of interest in and a passion for finance and economics from my days at Mizzou," Culkin said. "Even before that, my dad was big, really bullish on gold. Early on, I was always exposed to his philosophies on what made gold an intractable investment looking at it from a macro perspective. There's a lot of overlap between gold and Bitcoin. I really spent all of my time in the offseason the past year just hearing about this growing space in crypto. It just seemed like it was getting bigger and bigger.

"Through education and learning and having a level of conviction over the course of time, I just felt like I wanted to be compensated from my services in football in Bitcoin."

Culkin, 27, joined the Chiefs this past February on a reserve/future contract. He tweeted about his decision earlier Monday, saying Bitcoin is "the future of finance."

I fully believe Bitcoin is the future of finance and I wanted to prove that I have real skin in the game - not just trying to make a quick buck. I will be converting my entire 2021 NFL salary to #Bitcoin.

— Sean Culkin (@culkin22) April 26, 2021

Culkin has played 19 career NFL games and caught two passes for the Los Angeles Chargers and Baltimore Ravens. But he said the upcoming season would be his first for converting his paycheck to Bitcoin.

"I want to do this with the thought it would continue to rise over the long term," he said. "This for me is a long-term play, a generational play. The more research I did and the more I zoomed out, I didn't necessarily link volatility to risk. I saw Bitcoin was growing at such an exponential rate.

"It's going to have some large pullbacks and dips and people are probably going to say I'm crazy, but I'm focusing on the long term. Long term, it's a stored value. What makes Bitcoin so intractable is its scarcity. Over time, it's deflationary by nature. If you look at history, it appreciates over time."

Veteran offensive lineman Russell Okung announced this past December that approximately half of his 2020 salary from the Carolina Panthers would be converted to Bitcoin.