England will be touring Sri Lanka for three ODIs and three T20Is in January-February 2026 as part of their build-up to the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup.

The Harry Brook-led side will open the tour with a three-match ODI series from January 22 to 27, followed by three T20I between January 30 and February 3. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) will confirm the venues for the matches in due course of time.

The series in Sri Lanka will give England valuable experience of playing in subcontinental conditions ahead of their quest of winning a third Men’s T20 World Cup crown after having won the tournament previously in 2010 and 2022 respectively.

Mbappe's goal from the penalty spot guided Real Madrid to make a winning start to their LaLiga campaign at the Bernabeu.

Xabi Alonso's men, who dominated the game from start to finish, overcame Osasuna 1-0 on the opening matchday of the season.

After a goalless first half, Mbappe, last season's Golden Boot winner, gave the Madridistas the win with a penalty goal early in the second half of the clash. Carreras, who started the game, and Mastantuono made their official debuts for the team, Real Madrid reports.

Madrid started on top and pressed high up the pitch. Carreras was the first to try his luck with a long-range left-footed effort that went just wide (7'). Ten minutes later, Huijsen also attempted a shot from outside the area, but Sergio Herrera deftly pushed his effort wide.

Ex-England men's football team coach Gareth Southgate and USA women's team manager Emma Hayes have been named the 2025 recipients of the PFA Merit Award, recognising their contributions to football and achievements.

Appointed England manager in November 2016, Southgate ended his tenure as one of the most successful managers in the nation’s history. One of only three managers to take charge of 100 matches, he led the Three Lions to four back-to-back major tournaments, including the finals of EURO 2020 and EURO 2024.

Before stepping up to the senior side, Southgate played a pivotal role in developing future stars as manager of England U21s. He is widely credited with breathing new life into the national team by integrating a new generation of young talent. Over his tenure, he handed debuts to 42 players - nearly double that of any other England manager.

The national selectors for the men's team sprung a pleasant surprise for the Test team captain Shubman Gill by including him in the T20I team and elevating him as vice-captain under Suryakumar Yadav while at the same time bringing in T20 World Cup stars Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav for the Asia Cup, to be held in the United Arab Emirates from September 9.

The Ajit Agarkar-led committee attempted to strike a balance, giving preference to T20 credentials for some players while accommodating the biggest star of the Indian cricket firmament - Shubman Gill, clearly indicating that current form will not be ignored, even if that was in the longest format. Gill was the star of India's tour of England, compiling a mammoth 752 runs, including a double century.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has awarded central contracts to 30 male cricketers for the upcoming 2025–26 international season, with veteran batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan being demoted to category B, as no player has been placed in category A.

Babar and Rizwan were also snubbed from the T20I squad for the upcoming Asia Cup. The senior duo featured in the recently concluded three-match ODI series against the West Indies. The wicketkeeper-batter has been Pakistan's captain in the 50-over format. However, they haven't featured in Pakistan's T20I squad since last year.

Compared to last year’s list of 27 contracted players, when Babar and Rizwan were the only players to be placed in category A, the PCB has expanded the pool to 30 this year, including 12 fresh additions.

Lukas Nmecha enjoyed a dream Leeds United debut as his late penalty helped the club began their 2025/26 Premier League campaign with a memorable 1-0 victory over Everton.

Nmecha, who joined Daniel Farke's side on a free transfer in June after leaving Bundesliga club Wolfsburg, came off the bench to slot home from the spot in the 84th minute.

Having won the Championship title with 100 points last season, Leeds played with a swagger at a buoyant Elland Road, but it looked like they would have to settle for a point as a stubborn Everton defence dug in.

However, the decisive moment came when James Tarkowski was penalised for handball from Anton Stach's deflected drive, and Nmecha held his nerve to beat Jordan Pickford, Premier League reports.

Carlos Alcaraz won his sixth title of the season at the Cincinnati Open on Monday after fierce rival Jannik Sinner was forced to retire early in the first set into their championship-match clash.

The final would last just 23 minutes as the top-ranked and top-seeded Sinner unable to play on due to illness. Only five games into the match, the Italian informed chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani that he could not continue. The finally tally, 5-0, ret., gives Alcaraz the eighth ATP Masters 1000 title of his career.

As the defending champion, Sinner was bidding to become the first player to go back-to-back here since Roger Federer in 2014-15. It marks only the second time in the Open Era that a player has retired in the Cincinnati men’s final. Novak Djokovic was forced to retire in 2013 due to a shoulder injury trailing, 6-4, 3-0.