match

A MAN has been charged with manslaughter following the death of a 43-year-old man last month.

Michael John Edwards died in hospital after he was taken by an ambulance from the scene in a life-threatening condition.

Met Police and ambulance were called to reports of an altercation in Southwark just before 3am on Saturday, September 13.

He was believed to have been in the area for the Crystal Palace v Sunderland match.

Edwards from Nuneaton, Warwickshire was taken from the scene to a central London hospital.

He died from injuries four days later on Wednesday, September 17.

Lewis Macleod, 36, appeared at Inner London Crown Court on Monday where he was charged with manslaughter in connection with Michael’s death.

He had previously been charged with one count of causing grievous bodily harm.

A trial will begin at Inner London Crown Court on April 13, 2026.

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Norwegian riot police used pepper spray to disperse a pro-Palestinian protest outside a World Cup qualifier match between Norway and Israel, which the hosts won 5-0. Several activists were arrested.

Oct. 7 (UPI) — The European Union has announced it will match President Donald Trump‘s tariffs on steel, causing the United Kingdom’s steel industry to quake.

The new tariffs would cause a crisis in the U.K. steel industry, as 80% of British exports are to the EU, according to a lobbying group representing the sector. Unions said the tariffs could kill the industry, The Guardian reported.

The European Commission’s plan would sharply cut the amount of steel that can be imported to the EU without tariffs to 18.3 million tons a year, an almost 50% drop, and would almost double the tariff rate to 50%.

The EU’s goal is to cut down on global overcapacity, which brings cheap steel from China and hurts steel jobs in Europe, the New York Times reported. It is also a reaction to Trump’s tariffs on EU steel, which could increase the likelihood that global producers will send their steel to Europe, flooding the market.

“Global overcapacity is damaging our industry,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement.

“We have global overcapacity, unfair competition, state aid, and undercutting in prices, and we are reacting to that,” Stéphane Séjourné, the European Commission’s executive vice president for prosperity and industrial strategy, said at a news conference at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France. “Eighteen thousand jobs were lost in the steel sector in 2024. That’s too many, and we had to put a stop to that.

“The European steel industry was on the verge of collapse — we are protecting it so that it can invest, decarbonize, and become competitive again,” Séjourné said.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters during a flight to India that officials were in discussions with the EU about the tariffs, according to The Guardian.

“In relation to the question of tariffs or other measures, as you’d expect, we are in discussions with the EU about this, as we’re in discussions with the U.S. about it,” Starmer said. “So I’ll be able to tell you more in due course, but we are in discussions as you’d expect.”

The U.K. government took control of Chinese-owned plants in Scunthorpe, England, earlier this year, while Liberty Steel plants in Rotherham and Stocksbridge, England, fell into government control last month.

U.K. industry minister Chris McDonald said it was “vital” to “protect trade flows between the U.K. and EU” and that he would meet with industry leaders on Thursday. He said he was “pushing the European Commission for urgent clarification of the impact of this move on the U.K.”

Charlotte Brumpton-Childs, U.K. national officer with the GMB trade union, called the tariffs a “hammer blow” that “could end steelmaking in the U.K. if safeguards aren’t secured,” according to The Guardian.

Denis Bouanga scored in his sixth consecutive match Sunday night, connecting in the 86th minute to send LAFC past Atlanta United 1-0 for its fifth consecutive victory.

Late in a frustrating evening for LAFC stars Son Heung-min and Bouanga, the French star pounced when a long cross into the box deflected to him off the head of Atlanta’s Enea Mihaj. In his 100th MLS match, Bouanga hammered home his 99th goal for LAFC.

LAFC has been turbocharged by Son’s arrival, losing just once in all competitions since July 25 while streaking up the standings and becoming the Western Conference’s highest-scoring team.

Bouanga and Son have scored LAFC’s last 18 goals, an MLS record, while combining to score 19 total goals in their nine matches together.

Son’s four-match goal-scoring streak was ended by 14th-place Atlanta’s cautious game plan, which included a five-man back line with 10 men frequently behind the ball. Atlanta attempted just three shots and nearly disappointed a packed stadium eager to watch exciting soccer, with a particularly huge turnout of Son fans during Korea’s Chuseok mid-autumn holiday.

LAFC is fourth in the Western Conference after this victory, but with two games in hand on first-place San Diego and third-place Minnesota.

LAFC nearly broke through in the 57th minute, but Atlanta goalkeeper Jayden Hibbert saved Mark Delgado’s point-blank shot with his trailing hand. Son then got a corner to an unmarked Ryan Hollingshead in the 64th minute, but the LAFC defender barely missed the net.

Atlanta got a rare chance in the 70th minute, but Bartosz Slisz hit the post.

Son and Bouanga are both headed off for international duty this week, and they’ll be absent when LAFC hosts Toronto on Wednesday. LAFC must make up postponed matches after earning a spot in the FIFA Club World Cup.

Watch the moment play is interrupted following a large swarm of files distracting the players in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup match between India and Pakistan in Columbo.

FOLLOW LIVE: ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup – India v Pakistan

Available to UK users only.

Who: India vs Pakistan
What: ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025
When: Sunday, October 5 at 09:30 GMT
Where: R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, Sri Lanka
How to follow: Al Jazeera Sport will have live build-up from 06:30 GMT ahead of our text commentary stream.

Cricket could take the backseat on yet another Sunday when India meet Pakistan in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 in Colombo amid lingering political tension between the South Asian neighbours.

The eagerly awaited group-stage fixture will likely be bookended by questions surrounding the now-infamous handshakes between both sides as the captains meet at the pre-match coin toss, and at the end of the match, when both squads traditionally step back on the field.

When India and Pakistan’s men’s teams met in the Asia Cup 2025, the Indian team and its captain did not shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts in all three fixtures at the tournament, leading to furore and backlash that marred the tournament.

A top official of the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) has not ruled out a “no handshake” policy for the Women’s World Cup fixture, as well.

“Whether there will be handshakes, whether there will be hugging, I cannot assure you of anything,” BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia told the BBC’s Stumped podcast.

“I cannot forecast anything, but our relationship with that particular hostile country is the same. There is no change in the last week.”

‘Focus on the game’

While it may seem that cricket has been, once again, pushed into the background, both teams want to overlook the controversial build-up and focus on the game instead.

“Obviously, we know what’s happening around us, but we try to stay focused on the game because the World Cup is an event every player waits for,” Pakistan’s captain Fatima Sana said on Saturday.

Sana, whose team were comprehensively beaten by Bangladesh in their opening match, said Pakistan will “focus on the tournament and on what we have come here for” when asked to comment on the “outside noise”.

The last time India played Pakistan at the Women’s World Cup, the players’ off-field interactions left an indelible mark on the game and earned widespread praise from the fans.

At the 2022 tournament in New Zealand, Pakistan’s then-captain Bismah Maroof was surrounded by a group of Indian players as they cooed over her six-month-old daughter Fatima.

Jokes were shared, selfies were taken, and memories were made as players from the rival nations bonded outside their dressing rooms well after the match was over.

Sana, who was part of the Pakistan squad in 2022, was asked whether the players will miss the spirit and camaraderie from three years ago.

“We try to maintain healthy relationships with every team,” Sana replied.

“What happened with Bismah’s daughter, when everyone mingled and enjoyed together – as players, we all like such moments, but the main thing is to stay focused [on the game].”

When the same question was posed to India’s bowling coach Aavishankar Salvi, the journalist was notified that India will not answer it.

However, Salvi did say that India – who beat Sri Lanka in their opening game by 59 runs – will also “focus on the cricket” on Sunday.

#Throwback to this beautiful moment from the 2022 World Cup involving Bismah Maroof’s daughter and Indian girls ❤️#CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/PuxFEC5O1Y

— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) April 25, 2024

‘The world will be watching’

“We want our girls to take it just as a game because the World Cup is a long campaign and there will be a lot of games coming our way,” he said.

“When you enter a big tournament, the area of focus is only cricket, and it’s good to have the players into a good [head] space.”

The fixture is expected to draw huge viewing figures and organisers will expect a sizeable crowd at the ground, as well.

Sana, who also led Pakistan in their match against India in the T20 World Cup 2024, admitted such factors make it a high-pressure fixture and one that “the whole world will be watching”.

“There is pressure but the main thing is how we handle it. We’ll try to focus on our game, execute our plans, and play the way we’ve prepared.”

What happened in the last India vs Pakistan women’s cricket match?

The teams last met in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 in Dubai, where India emerged victorious by six wickets.

When was the last time Pakistan beat India in women’s cricket?

Pakistan have only beaten India on three occasions, the last of which came on October 7 at the T20 Women’s Asia Cup 2022. Nida Dar’s all-round performance sealed Pakistan’s 13-run win in Bangladesh.

Will it rain in Colombo during the India vs Pakistan match?

Rain is expected in the early hours of Sunday in Khettarama, the neighbourhood that houses the R Premadasa Stadium in Sri Lanka’s capital.

The weather will remain cloudy throughout the day, with light showers expected to return later in the evening, as well. This could lead to delays or disruption of play.

There was plenty of rainfall on Saturday before Sri Lanka’s match against Australia at the same venue. The persistent rain led to the match being called off without any play.

India vs Pakistan: Head-to-head in women’s ODIs

India hold an 11-0 lead over their neighbours in women’s ODIs. All of India’s wins have come with comfortable margins, including the 107-run victory at the ICC Women’s World Cup 2022 in New Zealand.

Players to watch: India

• Smriti Mandhana: Widely regarded as the best limited-over batters in present-day women’s cricket, Mandhana has swept most women’s ODI records in the past two years. She is the top-ranked ODI batter by a distance and was the leading run-scorer in the format in 2024. The Indian vice-captain has scored four ODI centuries in 2025, the most by any player in the current year.
• Deepti Sharma: The all-rounder poses an equal threat with bat and ball, and has performed well against Pakistan in previous encounters. Sharma’s right-arm off-break bowling will be a big threat for Pakistan’s batters. She took three wickets and scored 54 runs in India’s World Cup opening win against Sri Lanka on Tuesday.

Players to watch: Pakistan

• Sidra Amin: The veteran batter recently became the top ODI century-maker for her country with her sixth ton in the series against South Africa. She comes into the crucial match with good run-scoring form and is regarded as the mainstay of Pakistan’s batting attack against a strong Indian bowling line-up.
• Nashra Sandhu: The unassuming slow left-arm bowler has been Pakistan’s go-to spin option in recent years and is third on the list of top ODI wicket-takers for her country. Sandhu has taken 16 wickets in Pakistan’s nine ODIs in 2025, including six in a match against South Africa on September 22.

Form guide: India

India entered the World Cup with a home series loss and an away series win in the bag. They were tested by Sri Lanka in the tournament’s opening game, but recovered well to begin their World Cup campaign with a win.

Last five ODIs (latest result first): W L W L W L

Form guide: Pakistan

Pakistan’s form has dipped after their five-match unbeaten run at home in the World Cup qualifiers, where they beat Bangladesh, Thailand and the West Indies to book a place in this tournament. Sana’s team lost a home ODI series to South Africa and then suffered a dramatic batting collapse in their opening World Cup game against Bangladesh.

Last five ODIs (latest result first): L W L L W

Team news: India

India are expected to name an unchanged XI for their second match of the tournament.

Predicted XI: Pratika Rawal, Smriti Mandhana, Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wicketkeeper), Amanjot Kaur, Sneh Rana, Kranti Goud, Shree Charani.

Team news: Pakistan

Pakistan are likely to field the same XI that lost to Bangladesh, but there could be a case for replacing Natalia Pervaiz with in-form all-rounder Aroob Shah.

Predicted XI: Muneeba Ali, Omaima Sohail, Sidra Amin, Rameen Shamim, Aliya Riaz, Sidra Nawaz (wicketkeeper), Fatima Sana (captain), Natalia Pervaiz, Diana Baig, Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal.

EDDIE NKETIAH sealed a comfortable win as Crystal Palace set a new club-record 19-game unbeaten run.

The former Arsenal striker came on for Jean-Philippe Mateta at the break to fire home from Yeremy Pino’s brilliant 58th-minute cross.

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Daniel Munoz had headed the Eagles into a 31st-minute lead against the Ukrainians in Poland.

That broke their existing 56-year record.

But they ended the game with 10 men when Borna Sosa was sent off for a second yellow with 14 minutes left.

Jean-Philippe Mateta was given a boost before kick-off by being named in the France national team for the first time for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers with Azerbaijan and Iceland.

Les Bleus boss Didier Deschamps said: “He’s not exactly young, even if he went through almost all the youth national teams. 

“Wherever he plays, he has the ability to score goals. He has an interesting profile.”

And Mateta almost got Palace off to a flying start.

Adam Whartons pushed a ball toward Daniel Muniz down the right and his low first-time cross found the striker lurking at the near post.

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But Taras Mykhavko was quick to get a block in with Mateta set to pounce.

And the Dynamo defender just managed to get a ball forward to Mateta to clear the danger.

Palace moved in front with a peach of a goal.

Yeremy Pino appeared to have overhit a free-kick from the right yet Munoz somehow managed to get up to it and steer a brilliant header into the top right corner.

And Palace were denied a second when Borna Sosa slid in to attack a brilliant Wharton’s 20-yard diagonal pass.

But keeper Ruslan Neshcheret managed to get his body in the way to block the attempt.

Mateta broke through just before the break with only keeper Ruslan Neshcheret to beat but he blazed over.

Nketiah had the ball in the net after coming on at the break when he got on to a Wharton pass but was fractionally offside.

But moments after he did get his goal — converting with a lovely finish from Pino’s cross.

Palace were having fun. Wharton again released Nketiah but Neshcheret managed to deflect it behind.

Sosa, who had been booked three minutes earlier for hacking down Shola Ogundanam, received his marching orders for barging over Tymchyk.

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RASMUS HOJLUND pointed to the Champions League badge on his Napoli shirt before winning man of the match in Europe’s elite competition.

While the current Manchester United squad watched from their Cheshire sofas, Hojlund and two other Man Utd cast-offs collected individual awards on Wednesday night.

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United failed to qualify for Europe after losing last season’s Europa League final to Tottenham – but several of their former players proved the doubters wrong this week.

The Red Devils have endured another dismal start, with the club 14th in the Prem after six matches, following three defeats, two wins and a draw.

Hojlund, who was dropped from Ruben Amorim‘s squad after the arrival of Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig at the start of the season, continued his impressive start to loan life in Naples.

The Denmark striker‘s two goals secured a 2-1 win over Amorim’s former side Sporting Lisbon at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.

Hojlund, who joined United for £72m, opened the scoring in the 36th minute after racing onto a through ball from Kevin De Bruyne before calmly slotting home.

After Sporting equalised in the second half from the penalty spot, De Bruyne’s cross again assisted Hojlund’s header to restore Napoli‘s lead.

Ex-City rival De Bruyne praised Hojlund by offering a comparison to his former team-mate Erling Haaland, who is arguably considered the best striker in the world.

De Bruyne, 34, said: “We deserved the win today. I was trying to get into that space for the first goal and was waiting for the right moment to pass it to Rasmus.

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“Luckily he did the rest. I think Rasmus is growing a lot and is very similar to Haaland. I think they are very similar because they both like to attack the depth.

“Maybe Hojlund comes to play the ball towards us more, but he needs to attack the space a lot because he can score and give us a big hand.”

Hojlund has now scored three in his first five matches for Antonio Conte’s side since signing an initial loan, which carries an obligation to buy for £38million.

The 22-year-old, who would often become emotional after scoring for United, said: “It was the night you dream of, playing in the Champions League.

“I celebrated touching the Napoli badge because I’m happy to play here and the Champions League badge because I love to score in Europe.”

Hojlund wasn’t the only United reject to shine on Wednesday night.

Anthony Elanga and former loanee Marcel Sabitzer also scooped player of the match awards.

Elanga has continued his rise since leaving Old Trafford for Nottingham Forest for £15m in 2023, with the winger earning a £55m move to Newcastle.

The Carrington graduate played a key role in the Toon’s first two goals in their 4-0 thrashing of Union Saint-Gilloise.

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His cross to Sandro Tonali led to Newcastle‘s first goal with the Italian’s shot flicked in by former United target Nick Woltemade, before he earned a penalty after being brought down by Fedde Leysen.

Marcus Rashford also continued his superb form for loan club Barcelona to take his goal contributions to six in six games.

The England star’s quick thinking low cross assisted Ferran Torres’s opener against holders Paris Saint-Germain in the 19th minute.

Despite PSG fighting back to win 2-1, with Senny Mayulu and Goncalo Ramos scoring for the French side, Rashford was a constant threat before coming off for Robert Lewandowski with 20 minutes to go.

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Sabitzer, who had a short injury-ravaged loan spell at United in 2023, picked up the gong as Borussia Dortmund earned a 4-1 win over Athletic Bilbao.

Alejandro Garnacho, who started on Tuesday night, had played a big hand in Chelsea’s only goal of the game in their 1-0 win over Benfica at Stamford Bridge.

Meanwhile, SunSport exclusively revealed that United could consider organising midweek friendlies for their players to get more match-playing time.

The pressure is growing on Amorim ahead of their clash against an in-form Sunderland outfit at Old Trafford on Saturday.

But United are unbeaten in their previous 23 Prem meetings with newly- promoted teams – if that run were to end this weekend, it might prove fatal for Amorim.

Man Utd’s transfer deals

IN

• Bryan Mbeumo – from Brentford – £71m
• Matheus Cunha – from Wolves – £62.5m
• Diego Leon – from Cerro Porteno – £7m
• Benjamin Sesko – from RB Leipzig – £74m
• Senne Lammens – from Royal Antwerp – £18m

TOTAL – £232.5m

OUT

• Alejandro Garnacho – to Chelsea – £40m
• Marcus Rashford – to Barcelona – Loan
• Victor Lindelof – released
• Christian Eriksen – released
• Toby Collyer – to West Brom – Loan

TOTAL – £40m

MAN UTD TRANSFER NEWS LIVE

Hi and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and our long regular-season journey has ended with more October baseball.

The Cincinnati Reds won the final wild-card spot and will face the Dodgers in a best-of-three wild-card series starting today at 6 p.m. at Dodger Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN; in fact, all three games will be at 6 p.m. on ESPN (and on the usual Dodgers radio stations).

On paper, the Dodgers should beat the Reds, but we all know what that is worth.

Let’s take a look at how the two teams compare and where they ranked among the 30 teams:

Batting

Runs per game
Dodgers, 5.09 (2nd)
MLB average, 4.45
Reds, 4.42 (14th)

Batting average
Dodgers, .253 (5th)
MLB average, .245
Reds, .245 (18th)

On-base %
Dodgers, .327 (5th)
MLB average, .315
Reds, .315 (16th)

Slugging %
Dodgers, .441 (2nd)
MLB average, .404
Reds, .391 (21st)

Doubles
MLB average, 258
Dodgers, 257 (13th)
Reds, 250 (18th)

Triples
Reds, 23 (10th)
MLB average, 21
Dodgers, 21 (T12th)

Home runs
Dodgers, 244 (2nd)
MLB average, 188
Reds, 167 (21st)

Walks
Dodgers, 580 (2nd)
Reds, 527 (12th)
MLB average, 513

Strikeouts
Reds, 1,415 (9th)
MLB average, 1,355
Dodgers, 1,353 (16th)

Stolen bases
MLB average, 115
Reds, 105 (19th)
Dodgers, 88 (T21st)

Sacrifice bunts
MLB average, 19
Dodgers, 13 (T20th)
Reds, 12 (24th)

Batting average with two out and runners in scoring position
Dodgers, .271 (1st)
MLB average, .233
Reds, .208 (28th)

Pitching

ERA
Reds, 3.86 (12th)
Dodgers, 3.95 (16th)
MLB average, 4.15

Rotation ERA
Dodgers, 3.69 (5th)
Reds, 3.85 (9th)
MLB average, 4.21

Bullpen ERA
Reds, 3.89 (14th)
MLB average, 4.08
Dodgers, 4.27 (20th)

FIP (click here for explainer)
Dodgers, 3.93 (7th)
Reds, 4.11 (18th)
MLB average, 4.16

Walks
Dodgers, 563 (5th)
MLB average, 513
Reds, 494 (20th)

Strikeouts
Dodgers, 1,505 (1st)
MLB average, 1,355
Reds, 1,380 (13th)

Saves
Dodgers, 46 (5th)
Reds, 41 (T15th)
MLB average, 40

Blown saves
Dodgers, 27 (T7th)
MLB average, 24
Reds, 22 (16th)

Inherited runners who scored %
Dodgers, 26.1% (3rd)
MLB average, 31.8%
Reds, 31.8% (14th)

Relief innings
Dodgers, 657.2 (1st)
MLB average, 595
Reds, 569.1 (25th)

Relief wins
Dodgers, 44 (T1st)
MLB average, 33
Reds, 30 (20th)

Relief losses
Dodgers, 33 (T7th)
Reds, 30 (11th)
MLB average, 29

The players

When comparing the main players on the teams, keep in mind that players can move around depending on who is starting and managerial whim. Gavin Lux, for example, has started at left field, DH and second base for the Reds. For a full look at the Reds statistically, click here.

DH
Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani. .282/.392/.622, 25 doubles, 55 homers, 102 RBIs
Reds, Miguel Andujar, .359/.400/.544, 7 doubles, 4 homers, 17 RBIs

Catcher
Dodgers, Will Smith, .296/.404/.497, 20 doubles, 17 homers, 61 RBIs
Dodgers, Ben Rortvedt, .224/.309/.327, 2 doubles, 1 homer, 4 RBIs
Reds, Jose Trevino, .238/.272/.351, 20 doubles, 4 homers, 22 RBIs
Reds, Tyler Stephenson, .231/.316/.421, 18 doubles, 13 homers, 50 RBIs

First base
Dodgers, Freddie Freeman, .295/.367/.502, 39 doubles, 24 homers, 90 RBIs
Reds, Spencer Steer, .238/.312/.411, 21 doubles, 21 homers, 75 RBIs
Reds, Sal Stewart, .255/.293/.545, 1 double, 5 homers, 8 RBIs

Second base
Dodgers, Miguel Rojas, .262/.318/.397, 18 doubles, 7 homers, 27 RBIs
Dodgers, Kiké Hernández, .203/.255/.366, 8 doubles, 10 homers, 35 RBIs
Reds, Matt McLain, .220/.300/.343, 18 doubles, 15 homers, 50 RBIs

Third base
Dodgers, Max Muncy, .243/.376/.470, 10 doubles, 19 homers, 67 RBIs
Reds, Ke’Bryan Hayes, .234/.315/.342, 6 doubles, 3 homers, 13 RBIs

Shortstop
Dodgers, Mookie Betts, .258/.326/.406, 23 doubles, 20 homers, 82 RBIs
Reds, Elly De La Cruz, .264/.336/.440, 31 doubles, 22 homers, 86 RBIs

Left field
Dodgers, Michael Conforto, .199/.305/.333, 20 doubles, 12 homers, 36 RBIs
Reds, Gavin Lux, .269/.350/.374, 28 doubles, 5 homers, 53 RBIs

Note: Lately, when a left-hander is on the mound, Steer moves from first to left, Stewart starts at first and Lux hits the bench.

Center field
Dodgers, Andy Pages, .272/.313/.461, 27 doubles, 27 homers, 86 RBIs
Dodgers, Tommy Edman, .225/.274/.382, 13 doubles, 13 homers, 49 RBIs
Reds, TJ Friedl, .261/.364/.378, 22 doubles, 14 homers, 53 RBIs

Right field
Dodgers, Teoscar Hernández, .247/.284/.454, 29 doubles, 25 homers, 89 RBIs
Reds, Noelvy Marté, .263/.300/.448, 17 doubles, 14 homers, 51 RBIs

The three probable starting pitchers

Dodgers
*Blake Snell, 5-4, 2.35 ERA, 61.1 IP, 51 hits, 26 walks, 72 K’s
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 12-8, 2.49 ERA, 173.2 IP, 113 hits, 59 walks, 201 K’s
Shohei Ohtani, 1-1, 2.87 ERA, 47 IP, 40 hits, 9 walks, 62 K’s

Reds
Hunter Greene, 7-3, 2.76 ERA, 107.2 IP, 75 hits, 26 walks, 132 K’s
*Andrew Abbott, 10-7, 2.87 ERA, 166.1 IP, 148 hits, 43 walks, 149 K’s
*Nick Lodolo, 9-8, 3.33 ERA, 156.2 IP, 138 hits, 31 walks, 56 K’s

The main relievers

Reds
Emilio Pagán, 2-4, 2.88 ERA, 32 saves, 68.2 IP, 41 hits, 22 walks, 81 K’s
Tony Santillan, 1-5, 2.44 ERA, 7 saves, 73.2 IP, 53 hits, 29 walks, 75 K’s
*Brent Suter, 1-2, 4.52 ERA, 67.2 IP, 69 hits, 18 walks, 53 K’s

Dodgers
Tanner Scott, 1-4, 4.74 ERA, 23 saves, 57 IP, 54 hits, 18 walks, 60 K’s
*Alex Vesia, 4-2, 3.02 ERA, 5 saves, 59.2 IP, 37 hits, 22 walks, 80 K’s
Emmet Sheehan, 6-3, 2.82 ERA, 73.1 IP, 49 hits, 22 walks, 89 K’s
Blake Treinen, 2-7. 5.40 ERA, 26.2 IP, 30 hits, 19 walks, 36 K’s

The wild-card roster

We know Clayton Kershaw will not be on the wild-card roster, as Dave Roberts announced that over the weekend.

Will Smith is still dealing with a hairline fracture of his right hand. Will he be able to play in the wild-card series? That’s a big question. And if they put him on the roster and have to take him off because he is too injured, then he would also have to sit out the next round.

Max Muncy is ready for the wild-card series; they were just being judicious with his playing time to protect the various sore body parts he has right now.

Brock Stewart won’t be on it. He’s having season-ending shoulder surgery.

Who makes it among Alex Call, Michael Conforto and Hyeseong Kim? If Smith makes the roster, do they add Dalton Rushing as a third catcher? Do they put Tyler Glasnow in the bullpen for this round or go with a true reliever?

Who’s going to win?

The Dodgers have been playing some of their best baseball lately, going 15-5 in their last 20 games. The Reds are a good team, but I think the Dodgers will get past them. Prediction: Dodgers in two.

The folks at baseball-reference.com simulated the postseason 1,000 times, and this is how many times each team won the World Series:

Milwaukee, 216
Philadelphia, 191
Toronto, 134
Seattle, 125
Boston, 68
New York, 52
San Diego, 46
Dodgers, 44
Cleveland, 38
Chicago, 37
Cincinnati, 25
Detroit, 24

Nice moment

Since he is not on the wild-card roster, Clayton Kershaw pitched what could be his final game Sunday in Seattle. He struck out the final batter he faced.

Striking him out seemed apropos, since a strikeout is what put Kershaw on the scene with Dodgers fans.

It was spring training of 2008, and the game was on TV, on a station where everyone could watch it (the good old days). Most fans knew Kershaw was a highly touted prospect, the seventh overall pick in the 2006 draft. But that’s all they knew.

And then Kershaw came in to pitch. Back then, fans didn’t trust anything unless it was told to them by Vin Scully, who was in the booth for the game. Kershaw was wearing not No. 22, but No. 96, as he wasn’t expected to make the team.

Scully was recounting Kershaw’s many accomplishments in high school and the minors when Sean Casey of the Boston Red Sox came up to the plate. Casey was a career .302 hitter, so he was no slouch at the plate. Kershaw got two strikes on him, then broke off his famous 12-to-6 curve. Casey’s knees buckled. Scully said

“Oh, what a curveball. Holy mackerel! He just broke off Public Enemy No. 1. Look at this thing. It’s up here, it’s down there and Casey’s history.”

People were talking about it the next day. “Did you see Kershaw yesterday? Did you hear what Vin said?”

That began the legend of Clayton Kershaw. Hopefully, there’s at least one more magical moment left.

Remember them?

The Dodgers used 25 position players and 40 pitchers this season (some, such as Kiké Hernández and Shohei Ohtani, did both). Do you remember them all? Here’s they are, listed in order of plate appearances and innings pitched.

Position players
Shohei Ohtani
Mookie Betts
Freddie Freeman
Andy Pages
Teoscar Hernández
Michael Conforto
Will Smith
Max Muncy
Tommy Edman
Miguel Rojas
Kiké Hernández
Hyeseong Kim
Dalton Rushing
Alex Freeland
Alex Call
Ben Rortvedt
Austin Barnes
James Outman
Chris Taylor
Esteury Ruiz
Buddy Kennedy
Eddie Rosario
Hunter Feduccia
Chuckie Robinson
Justin Dean

Pitchers
Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Clayton Kershaw
Dustin May
Tyler Glasnow
Ben Casparius
Jack Dreyer
Emmet Sheehan
Justin Wrobleski
Anthony Banda
Blake Snell
Alex Vesia
Tanner Scott
Shohei Ohtani
Kirby Yates
Landon Knack
Roki Sasaki
Tony Gonsolin
Matt Sauer
Luis García
Blake Treinen
Lou Trivino
Edgardo Henriquez
Will Klein
Michael Kopech
Alexis Díaz
Noah Davis
Evan Phillips
Kiké Hernández
Miguel Rojas
Bobby Miller
Yoendrys Gómez
Chris Stratton
Brock Stewart
Jack Little
José Ureña
Ryan Loutos
Paul Gervase
J.P. Feyereisen
Julian Fernández
Andrew Heaney

Up next

Tuesday: Cincinnati (Hunter Greene, 7-4, 2.76 ERA) at Dodgers (*Blake Snell, 5-4, 2.35 ERA), 6 p.m., ESPN LA, AM 570, KTMZ 1220

Wednesday: Cincinnati (TBD) at Dodgers (TBD), 6 p.m., ESPN, AM 570, KTMZ 1220

Thursday: Cincinnati (TBD) at Dodgers (TBD), 6 p.m., ESPN, AM 570, KTMZ 1220

*-left-handed

The other postseason games

In case you want to watch how the other teams are doing:

Tuesday
Detroit at Cleveland, 10 a.m., ESPN
San Diego at Chicago, noon, ABC
Boston at New York, 3 p.m., ESPN

Wednesday
Detroit at Cleveland, 10 a.m., ESPN
San Diego at Chicago, noon, ABC
Boston at New York, 3 p.m., ESPN

Thursday*
Detroit at Cleveland, 10 a.m., ESPN
San Diego at Chicago, noon, ABC
Boston at New York, 3 p.m., ESPN

*-if necessary

Note: Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Toronto and Seattle have first-round byes.

In case you missed it

Dodgers feel an urgency to deliver another World Series title to L.A.

‘That’s why I came here.’ Dodgers bet on Blake Snell’s potential as a postseason ace

Dodgers-Reds wild-card preview | Dodgers Debate

Nine concerns the Dodgers should have about facing the Reds in the NL wild-card series

Plaschke: Dodgers hero Kirk Gibson now tries to be a hero for those battling Parkinson’s disease

Dodgers find out Brock Stewart won’t return this season before win over Mariners

World Series hangover? Dodgers feel battle-tested for October by repeat challenges

And finally

Freddie Freeman removes Clayton Kershaw from his final regular-season start. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

US captain Keegan Bradley put English’s name in the envelope in case of injury to a European player.

When the draw for the singles came out following play on Saturday, English and Hovland were paired in the 12th match.

Hovland’s issue flared up following his Saturday morning foursomes victory alongside Robert MacIntyre against Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley.

Scheduled to play with Matt Fitzpatrick in the afternoon fourballs, Hovland was replaced by Tyrrell Hatton.

Hovland, who said he has “had some issues with a neck injury on and off for the last two months”, had an MRI scan on Saturday evening.

This is the third time the envelope rule has been used since it was introduced in 1979.

In 1991 American Steve Pate was injured in a car crash before the Ryder Cup started, and in 1993 Europe’s Sam Torrance could not play on the Sunday because of an infected toe.

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — No. 1 in the world is 0-2 at this Ryder Cup, and Scottie Scheffler had the worst first day by a top-ranked player since Tiger Woods.

Scheffler lost again in foursomes — and as always in that format at the Ryder Cup, lost badly — in the morning with Russell Henley, then went back out with U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun for a loss in fourballs in the afternoon.

By himself, Scheffler is winning more often than anyone in golf. But his teams were behind nearly throughout both his matches Friday, and with Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau, their two biggest stars, both going 0-2, the Americans trailed Europe 5½ to 2½ overall.

Scheffler finally seemed to find his game late in the afternoon match, with three birdies in the final four holes of the match. But he didn’t have any until the 13th hole as Jon Rahm and Sepp Straka built a comfortable lead, and the European duo went on to a 3-and-2 victory.

“We gave ourselves plenty of opportunities,” Scheffler said. “It really just came down to me not holing enough putts. We put up a good fight at the end.”

He fell to 0-4-2 in his last six Ryder Cup matches, becoming the first No. 1 player in the world to go 0-2 on the opening day since Woods in 2002. Woods also did that in 1999; Ian Woosnam in 1991 is the only other top-ranked player to do it.

Scheffler and Henley were defeated 5 and 3 by Europe’s Matt Fitzpatrick and Ludvig Åberg in the morning, Scheffler’s third blowout loss in three career foursome matches in the Ryder Cup.

Two years after being left in tears when Åberg and Viktor Hovland routed Scheffler and Brooks Koepka 9 and 7 in Rome in the shortest foursomes match in Ryder Cup history, Scheffler watched Fitzpatrick and Åberg make seven birdies in 15 holes.

Scheffler has trailed by at least four holes in all three of his Ryder Cup foursomes matches.

“We just didn’t hole enough putts early,” Scheffler said. “We had some chances. I think the putts just didn’t fall.”

The afternoon match seemed to swing when one of his didn’t on No. 8.

He and Spaun were 1 down and Scheffler hit his tee shot on the par three to about eight feet. Rahm made his putt from about twice as long and Scheffler missed, turning the Americans’ hopes of evening the match into a 2-up lead for Europe.

Rahm and Straka would never let the U.S. back into it, making five birdies in the final six holes.

“The guys just really turned it on on the back nine, but it really came down to us not taking advantage of the holes early in the match that we needed to,” Scheffler said. “But overall it was a good fight at the end, and we’ll come back out tomorrow.”

Scheffler has won six times this year, four more than anyone else on the PGA Tour, with two major championships. He has played himself back into tournaments after slow starts before, and maybe his performance on the final few holes gives him some momentum going into Saturday.

U.S. captain Keegan Bradley sent Scheffler and Henley out second, after DeChambeau and Justin Thomas. While the leadoff duo was the high-profile match of the morning, the one after might’ve appeared to be the best U.S. team.

Henley is No. 3 in the world ranking, and he and Scheffler went 2-1 together last year in the Presidents Cup in Montreal.

Scheffler pumped his fist after rolling in a birdie putt on No. 2 to quickly tie the match after Fitzpatrick and Åberg had won the opener, but there wouldn’t be much more to celebrate for the Americans. The Europeans ran off three straight birdies to win Nos. 4-6 to build a 3-up lead that ballooned to 5 up, and won it when the U.S. made bogey on No. 15.

“They played great, gave themselves a lot of chances and just was a little sloppy,” Henley said. “Didn’t make the putts I needed to and didn’t really keep the momentum going with the ball-striking on the back nine, either. Hung in there as best I could, but they played great.”

Scheffler also lost 4 and 3 with Sam Burns against Rahm and Tyrell Hatton in his other foursomes match in 2023, when he went 0-2-2. He didn’t play in either match in his Ryder Cup debut in 2021, when he went 2-0-1.

Mahoney writes for the Associated Press.

Who: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka
What: T20 Asia Cup 2025 Super Fours
When: Tuesday, September 23 at 6:30pm (14:30 GMT)
Where: Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
How to follow: Al Jazeera Sport will have live build-up from 11:00 GMT ahead of our comprehensive text commentary stream of the match.

Pakistan and Sri Lanka meet in their Super Fours match at the T20 Asia Cup 2025 knowing that a loss in Abu Dhabi could jeopardise their place in the tournament.

Both former champions have lost their opening games in the second phase of the regional competition, and the match on Tuesday will offer them a chance to revive their campaign for the final.

The top two teams from the round-robin style Super Fours will qualify for the final in Dubai on Sunday.

Bangladesh and India, the other Super Fours teams, each have two points on the board after their respective wins against Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

Six-time winners Sri Lanka were edged by the Tigers by four wickets in a closely fought match on Saturday, while Pakistan were handed a second defeat in eight days at the hands of India on Sunday.

Charith Asalanka’s team were unbeaten in Group B and will start as favourites against Pakistan, whom they have beaten in their last five T20 international (T20I) meetings.

For two-time champions Pakistan, the match will offer a chance to restore some pride after their two heavy losses against archrivals India.

Players to watch: Pakistan

• Fakhar Zaman: The veteran batter has made a return to the team after a long, injury-forced layoff. And while he hasn’t posted big scores on a consistent basis, Zaman is known to demoralise opposition bowlers once he gets in the flow. The longer the opener stays at the crease, the better Pakistan’s chances of posting a big target or chasing one down.
• Abrar Ahmed: The bespectacled leg-spinner has been Pakistan’s most economical bowler in the tournament despite picking up only four wickets in his four Asia Cup games so far. His tight spells often force opposition batters to attack the other bowlers and lose wickets at the other end, making Abrar a key figure in Pakistan’s lineup.

Players to watch: Sri Lanka

• Pathum Nissanka: The Sri Lankan opener is enjoying an exceptional run of form and has scored a minimum of 30 runs in 16 of his last 25 innings in T20Is at a strike rate of 124. At the Asia Cup 2025, Nissanka is second on the run-scoring charts with 146 runs in four matches, 27 runs behind India’s exceptional batter Abhishek Sharma.
• Wanindu Hasaranga: Hasaranga’s place in the Sri Lankan side has been blighted by frequent injuries, but the leg-spin bowling all-rounder remains a key member of the team. He has taken five wickets in five Asia Cup 2025 matches at an economy rate of under six. Hasaranga enjoys playing against Pakistan and has taken 14 wickets and scored 61 runs in his five matches against the 2012 Asian champions.

Super Fours points table and qualification scenario

India sit on top of the Super Fours table with two points and a net run rate (NRR) of 0.689, followed by Bangladesh, who have the same number of points but an NRR of 0.121.

The winner of Tuesday’s match could rank anywhere from first to third, based on their NRR, and the losing team, while still not out, must win their last match by a big margin and hope the other results go their way.

Points Table 📊

The Super 4️⃣s are off to a thrilling start, with 🇮🇳 & 🇧🇩 recording important wins in their respective rivalry clashes and occupy top spots.#DPWorldAsiaCup2025 #ACC pic.twitter.com/eRw9yRHzco

— AsianCricketCouncil (@ACCMedia1) September 22, 2025

Head-to-head: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka in T20Is

While Pakistan lead Sri Lanka in their overall T20I results, the Lions have been the dominant team in the format in the past six years.

Pakistan have beaten Sri Lanka 13 out of 23 times, but their last T20I win against the Lions came in 2019.

Form guide: Pakistan

Pakistan have blown hot and cold in the T20 Asia Cup, having won against lower-ranked teams Oman and the UAE while losing both their matches against defending champions India.

As always, it is difficult to predict which Pakistan team – hot or cold – will turn up on match day.

Last five results (most recent first): L W L W W

Form guide: Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka beat all three of their Group B opponents prior to the Super Fours loss against Bangladesh, but have had a mixed bag of results in T20Is in 2025. They beat Zimbabwe 2-1 in their bilateral series but lost 2-1 to Bangladesh a few weeks earlier.

Last five results (most recent first): L W W W W

Team news: Pakistan

Pakistan have, predictably, made a few changes to their playing XIs over the course of the tournament, and not all of them have paid off.

Belligerent batter Hasan Nawaz’s exclusion from the team that faced India on Sunday was met with criticism, especially as the player replacing him – Hussain Talat – did not improve on Nawaz’s performances.

Salman Agha’s team have also switched between playing two spinners and pace bowlers.

Nawaz and spinner Sufiyan Muqeem could return against Sri Lanka.

Predicted XI: Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (captain), Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Hasan Nawaz/Hussain Talat, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi/Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed, Sufiyan Muqeem

Team news: Sri Lanka

Lower-order batter Kamil Mishara’s spot in the playing XI will be under scrutiny, given his low strike rate and scores in the last three matches. Janith Liyanage could replace Mishara on Tuesday.

Predicted XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wicketkeeper), Kamil Mishara/Janith Liyanage, Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka (captain), Dasun Shanaka, Kamindu Mendis, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Thushara

Match of the Day’s Theo Walcott looks at Gabriel Martinelli’s attitude coming off the bench to score a late equaliser for Arsenal in their 1-1 draw against Man City in the Premier League.

WATCH MORE: Martinelli snatches late draw for Arsenal against Man City

Available to UK users only.

India and Pakistan are keen to avoid controversy ahead of their crucial Super Fours fixture at the Asia Cup 2025, as the political fallout of their previous match continues to overshadow the cricket tournament in Dubai.

Pakistan cancelled their pre-match news conference one hour before its scheduled time on Saturday, while India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav evaded questions on the “no handshake” row when he spoke to the media after his team’s win over Oman on Friday.

Sunday’s match between the South Asian archrivals will be their second meeting in eight days, with the winner taking a step closer to the tournament’s final on September 28.

While the political statements and off-field actions following the September 14 clash continue to impact preparations for the upcoming Super Fours match, both camps have taken steps to avoid further repercussions and protect the players from controversy.

When Yadav was asked to comment on the handshake row after his team’s last group-stage fixture on Friday evening, he responded by saying: “It [the match] will be a good contest between the ball and the bat.”

He went on to add that he’s asked his players to “shut the noise” ahead of the match against Pakistan.

“Close your room, switch off your phone and sleep,” the India captain said.

“It’s easy to say, but sometimes it is difficult.”

Having made pointedly political statements after his team’s win over Pakistan on Sunday, the 35-year-old chose to steer clear of similar comments a day before their second match.

“We stand with all the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and with their families, and dedicate this win to our brave armed forces who took part in Operation Sindoor,” the 35-year-old said when asked if his team’s decision to not shake hands with Pakistani players was against the spirit of cricket.

Yadav was referring to the Indian armed forces’ multiple missile attacks on six locations inside Pakistan.

India said the missiles were in response to the April 22 attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir in Pahalgam, in which 26 men were killed. An armed group called The Resistance Front (TRF), which demands independence for Kashmir, claimed responsibility for the attack, but India had alleged Pakistani involvement.

Pakistan denied any role in the attacks and asked for an independent investigation to be carried out.

Two days later, Pakistan responded to the missile strikes by attacking military installations across its frontier with India and Indian-administered Kashmir, striking at least four facilities.

The conflict ended four days later, thanks to an internationally-brokered ceasefire.

While the exchange of aerial fire came to a halt, the diplomatic ties between the neighbours remained suspended, and the political tension spilled over into cricket as India’s players walked off the field without shaking hands with their opposition.

A few moments later, Pakistan’s players trudged off in a group and waited for the Indian squad and support staff to come out and shake hands, as is the norm at the end of cricket matches.

However, the Indian contingent only shook hands with each other before walking into their dressing room and shutting the door as the waiting Pakistan players looked on.

Shortly after the events unfolded, Pakistan’s manager Naveed Akram Cheema lodged a protest against the Indian cricket team’s actions with Andy Pycroft, who is an International Cricket Council (ICC) accredited match referee.

Pakistan alleged that Pycroft did not clearly communicate the Indian team’s decision to not partake in the handshake, an act they termed in contravention of the spirit of cricket.

Pakistan demanded Pycroft’s removal as match referee for their remaining fixtures in the tournament, but later reached an agreement with the ICC and Pycroft went on to officiate Pakistan’s last group game against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday.

The Pakistan-UAE match was delayed by an hour as officials from the ICC and Pakistan’s team management held a meeting at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium before the match.

“The ICC’s match referee, Andy Pycroft, has apologised to the manager and captain of the Pakistan cricket team,” the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement.

“Andy Pycroft termed the September 14 incident a result of miscommunication.”

The PCB also said that the ICC “expressed its willingness to conduct an inquiry into the code of conduct violation that occurred during the September 14 match”, referring to Pycroft’s request to Pakistan and India captains to avoid the customary handshake at the toss, which the PCB alleges contravened the laws of the game.

However, a source within the ICC told Al Jazeera that Pycroft did not apologise to Pakistan and only clarified his position.

The source also said that the ICC had investigated the issue and concluded that it did not warrant action against the Zimbabwean match referee.

The Zimbabwean match official will be in charge of Sunday’s India-Pakistan fixture as well.

Who: India vs Pakistan
What: T20 Asia Cup Super Fours
When: Sunday, September 21 at 14:30 GMT
Where: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai, UAE
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 09:30 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream.

It will be a case of “here we go again” as bitter rivals India and Pakistan meet on the cricket field for the second time in eight days at the T20 Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai.

The stakes will be higher this time as their clash on Sunday takes place in the Super Fours stage, and the winning side will take one step closer to the final, while the losers will move further away from the tournament decider.

India will start as favourites for multiple reasons, not least their seven-wicket thrashing of Pakistan in their Group A match on September 14.

In addition to their status as the ICC’s top-ranked men’s T20 team, Suryakumar Yadav’s side are the tournament’s defending champions and the reigning T20 champions.

For Pakistan, a lot more than two points will be on the line as they will look to put aside not only the embarrassing defeat but also events that transpired following their thumping loss, as India’s players walked off the field without partaking in the customary post-match handshake.

Here’s what you need to know about the match:

What happened in the last India vs Pakistan match?

India stamped their authority on the match with the first ball, as Pakistan’s opener Saim Ayub Ayub was caught out at point off Hardik Pandya’s bowling and wicketkeeper Mohammad Haris followed suit in the next over as India’s star bowler Jasprit Bumrah struck.

It wasn’t until Shaheen Shah Afridi and leg-spin bowler Sufiyan Muqeem hit four fours and two sixes that Pakistan crossed the 100-run mark in their 19th over and finished at 128.

The target was never going to be enough for a power-packed Indian batting lineup, and opener Abhishek Sharma took the match away from Pakistan with his belligerent innings of 31 runs off 13 balls.

Yadav followed suit with 47 runs off 37 balls as India won their second match of the tournament.

India walked away with two points and walked off without shaking hands with the Pakistan team, as is the norm after every cricket match.

What happened after the match?

Yadav walked off the field alongside his batting partner, Shivam Dube, without approaching the Pakistani captain and team for the traditional post-match handshakes.

Pakistan’s players trudged off in a group and waited for the Indian squad and support staff to come out and shake hands, as is the norm at the end of cricket matches.

However, the Indian contingent only shook hands with each other before walking into their dressing room and shutting the door as the waiting Pakistan players looked on.

Why did India’s players not shake hands with the Pakistani team?

“A few things in life are above sportsman’s spirit,” India’s captain Yadav said when asked to clarify his team’s actions.

“We stand with all the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and with their families, and dedicate this win to our brave armed forces who took part in Operation Sindoor.”

Yadav was referring to the Indian armed forces’ multiple missile attacks on six locations inside Pakistan.

How did Pakistan respond?

Pakistan’s manager Naveed Akram Cheema lodged a protest against the Indian cricket team’s actions with Pycroft, who is an ICC accredited match referee.

Additionally, Pakistan captain Agha did not speak at the post-match captain’s chat with the host broadcaster, in a mark of protest.

Three days later, Pakistani officials deliberated pulling out of the tournament as a mark of protest, causing a delayed start to their match against the UAE.

Why is India ‘hosting’ the Asia Cup in the UAE?

India was slated to host the tournament as per the hosting rights schedule, and while the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) remains the official host of the tournament, it is being played in the UAE due to the recent conflict between India and Pakistan.

What’s the weather forecast for India vs Pakistan in Dubai?

The weather forecast for Sunday is hot and humid, with highs of 41 degrees Celsius (106 degrees Fahrenheit) and partial cloud cover.

It will get slightly cooler in the evening as the match will start just after sunset, and the temperature will drop to 31C (88F).

How many times has Pakistan won the Asia Cup?

Pakistan have lifted the trophy on two occasions – in 2000 and 2012 – and qualified for the final five times.

India are seven-time Asia Cup champions, with 11 appearances in the final.

How many times has India beaten Pakistan in the Asia Cup?

In their 20 clashes in the Asia Cup, India have beaten Pakistan 11 times and lost to their neighbours on six occasions. Three matches, including the group-stage match in 2023, were abandoned due to poor weather.

When was the last time Pakistan beat India?

Pakistan’s last Asia Cup win over India came in the 2022 edition in the UAE. Mohammad Rizwan top-scored with 71 runs in the Super Four clash, but it was Mohammad Nawaz’s 20-ball-41 that took Pakistan over the line in the run chase.

India vs Pakistan: Head-to-head in T20Is

Since the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup in 2007, the countries have met in 14 T20Is. India has won 11 times, including the first match in 2007, which was tied and then decided in a Super Over.

Two of Pakistan’s three wins came in Dubai.

Players to watch: India

• Abhishek Sharma: The fact that the young top-order batter has managed to carve a spot in a highly competitive T20 Indian batting lineup is enough to mark Sharma as one to watch in the Asia Cup. The 24-year-old boasts the highest career strike rate of 198 among all batters in T20s and backs it up with two centuries and half-centuries in the format.
• Varun Chakaravarthy: The 34-year-old leg-spin bowler’s second foray into the Indian side has reaped him big rewards as he has taken 35 wickets in 20 T20I matches.

Players to watch: Pakistan

• Hasan Nawaz: Pakistan have often been criticised for their batters’ inability to match modern-day T20 batting strike rates, but in Nawaz, they seem to have found a solution to this problem. The 23-year-old has a strike rate of 174, with a T20 hundred and two fifties in his 16 matches.
• Sufiyan Muqeem: The left-arm wrist spinner has taken 27 wickets in his 19 T20Is since making his debut less than two years ago and has become a mainstay of the bowling lineup in limited-overs cricket.

Form guide: India

India are unbeaten in the Asia Cup and have not lost a T20 series since winning the World Cup in June 2024.

Last five results (most recent first): W-W-W-W-W

Form guide: Pakistan

Pakistan’s form in T20s has been mixed of late and but they head into the marquee clash with a series win in the bag.

Last five results (most recent first): W-L-W-W-L

Team news: India

After resting a couple of their star bowlers in the game against Oman, the holders are expected to go back to the same team that beat Pakistan in the group stage.

Predicted XI: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav.

Team news: Pakistan

Despite the loss on Sunday, Pakistan are expected to field the same XI and will hope the result goes their way this time.

Predicted XI: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Salman Agha (captain), Hasan Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Faheem Ashraf, Abrar Ahmed, Sufiyan Muqeem.

Where can I buy tickets for India vs Pakistan?

A selection of seats, starting at $95 apiece for the general stand and going up to $8,767 for a four-person hospitality box, is still available on the tournament’s official ticketing website, Platinumlist, and at the stadium’s ticketing office.

Pakistan agrees to have Andy Pycroft as a cricket match referee after he apologises for his role in a handshake row against India.

Pakistan’s cricket match against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the Asia Cup was delayed by an hour amid uncertainty about the fixture as Pakistani officials deliberated pulling out of the tournament as a mark of protest.

The match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium began at 7:30pm local time (15:30 GMT) on Wednesday, as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) reached an agreement on Andy Pycroft’s assignment as match referee following his role in the “no handshake” row involving India three days earlier.

“The ICC’s match referee, Andy Pycroft, has apologised to the manager and captain of the Pakistan cricket team,” the PCB said in a statement released minutes before the toss for the Pakistan-UAE fixture.

“Andy Pycroft termed the September 14 incident a result of miscommunication.”

The PCB also said that the ICC “expressed its willingness to conduct an inquiry into the code of conduct violation that occurred during the September 14 match”, referring to Pycroft’s request to Pakistan and India captains to avoid the customary handshake at the toss, which the PCB alleges contravened the laws of the game.

Pycroft was the key match official in the crucial and politically charged match between the South Asian archrivals on Sunday, and had allegedly asked Pakistan’s captain Salman Agha and his Indian counterpart Suryakumar Yadav to not partake in the customary captains’ handshake at the toss.

Later, once Yadav hit the winning runs for India, he walked off the field along with his batting partner Shivam Dube without shaking the opposition’s hands – a tradition in cricket – in a move that went uncontested by the match officials.

Additionally, the Indian players and staff did not shake hands with the Pakistani contingent and instead shut the door of their dressing room as the Pakistanis looked on.

The move, and Pycroft’s decision not to reprimand the Indian team, infuriated the PCB, which lodged an immediate complaint with the tournament’s organisers.

The PCB also wrote to the ICC on Monday, asking for Pycroft’s removal as match referee for all of Pakistan’s remaining fixtures due to his “failure to discharge his duties”, according to a PCB official who spoke to Al Jazeera on the condition of anonymity.

The deadlock, resulting from the ICC’s apparent refusal to remove Pycroft, lasted up until an hour prior to the official match start time.

Later, as Pycroft conducted the toss in Dubai, the PCB released a video of a meeting where ICC General Manager of Cricket Wasim Khan is seen mediating a settlement between Pycroft and the Pakistan team – represented by manager Naveed Akram Cheema, captain Agha, and head coach Mike Hesson.

Hours earlier, the match’s fate was left in limbo as the Pakistani squad did not board the bus for the venue at its scheduled departure time, indicating a logistical logjam between the PCB and the ICC.

However, once both parties had reached an agreement, the team departed for the stadium. But the fate of the match became certain five minutes before the toss with the PCB’s statement.

Meanwhile, the UAE squad awaited Pakistan’s arrival at the stadium under a cloud of uncertainty.

The Group A fixture acts as a knockout game for both teams, with the winner progressing to the Super Four stage of the eight-nation tournament.

India have already qualified for the next stage on the back of their wins against the UAE and Pakistan.

A COUNTY Championship match between Somerset and Hampshire was postponed due to a bizarre weather ruling on Monday.

Several games in the competition had been rained off elsewhere in the country, but it was the wind which was eventually deemed unplayable in sunny Taunton.

2

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Rain had passed through the ground overnight and into the morning and prompted a lunch-time pitch inspection of the field, but soon the rain had blown over to sunny skies.

However, it was reportedly another weather phenomena that put the final nail in the coffin of the day’s cricket action, before a single ball was bowled.

High winds in the area had reportedly made removing the covers a hazardous prospect for groundstaff at County Ground.

There is a precedent for such injuries, with groundsman Matt Page of the Western Australian Cricket Association being struck and concussed by one of his own coverings during an Ashes test in Perth in 2017.

The Times reports that umpires Ben Debenham and David Millns made an inspection of the scene as fans waited for play to finally begin.

But they were waiting in vain, with the game later being abandoned, in line with England and Wales Cricket Board health and safety guidelines.

Those in attendance were initially left in the dark as to the reason for the delay, with the eventual decision being announced after tea

The cricket world was evidently unimpressed by the situation, with several fans of the sport slamming the ECB in reply to The Times’ report.

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One fan said: “And they wonder why the County game is not in rude health? This was simply ridiculous.”

Another fan was just as harsh, saying: “This is a complete disgrace. Why is the ECB not in hot water over this ridiculous rule?

Some fans found the funny side of the ridiculous situation, with a third fan adding: “I’m surprised they allow the ball to land in the crowd…”

And a fourth fan sarcastically chimed in: “How are they allowed to play with that very hard ball?”

Like most of Monday’s postponed matches, the contest eventually got underway on Tuesday, with Somerset choosing to start off with bat in hand.

Middlesex and Lancashire however were subject to a further rain delay as they met at Old Trafford Cricket Ground.

Dubai, UAE – The wide-ranging ramifications of an ongoing political standoff between India and Pakistan have led to a controversial conclusion of the archrivals’ cricket match at the Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai, where India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav confirmed that his squad opted against shaking hands with their opponents as a mark of protest.

When Sunday’s Group A fixture between the South Asian archrivals was confirmed after long deliberations from the Indian government, fans and experts had hoped that the on-field action could help cool the off-field heat.

Yadav, though, crushed all expectations by saying his team’s thumping seven-wicket win in the T20 match was a “perfect reply” to Pakistan in the wake of the intense four-day cross-border conflict that brought both countries to the brink of an all-out war in May.

“Our [Indian] government and the BCCI [Board of Control for Cricket in India] were aligned on the decision to play this match. We came here just to play the match and gave them [Pakistan] a perfect reply,” Yadav told the media shortly after the match.

What happened at the end of the India vs Pakistan match?

Yadav, who hit the winning runs for India, walked off the field alongside his batting partner, Shivam Dube, without approaching the Pakistani captain and team for the traditional post-match handshakes.

Pakistan’s players trudged off in a group and waited for the Indian squad and support staff to come out and shake hands, as is the norm at the end of cricket matches.

However, the Indian contingent only shook hands with each other before walking into their dressing room and shutting the door as the waiting Pakistan players looked on.

No handshakes between the teams. Salman Agha looked to lead Pakistan over to the India dressing room, but nothing doing. They all headed straight in #INDvPAK pic.twitter.com/0BbJtYdkAf

— Paul Radley (@PaulRadley) September 14, 2025

Why did Indian team refuse to shake hands with Pakistani players?

The Indian captain was asked to clarify his team’s actions and whether they were in contradiction with the spirit of the sport.

“A few things in life are above sportsman’s spirit,” the 35-year-old swiftly responded.

“We stand with all the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and with their families, and dedicate this win to our brave armed forces who took part in Operation Sindoor.”

Yadav was referring to the Indian armed forces’ multiple missile attacks on six locations inside Pakistan.

India said the missiles were in response to the April 22 attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir in Pahalgam, in which 26 men were killed. An armed group called The Resistance Front (TRF), which demands independence for Kashmir, claimed responsibility for the attack, but India had alleged Pakistani involvement.

Two days later, Pakistan responded to the missile strikes by attacking military installations across its frontier with India and Indian-administered Kashmir, striking at least four facilities.

The conflict ended four days later, thanks to an internationally-brokered ceasefire.

While the exchange of aerial fire came to a halt, the diplomatic ties between the neighbours remained suspended, and the political tension spilled over into cricket when the fixture between India and Pakistan was announced by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).

Did India break any rules by not shaking hands?

As a result, the match was played under a highly charged political climate, and when both captains did not indulge in the customary handshake at the pre-match toss, the focus swiftly shifted to the interactions between the teams.

However, Al Jazeera has learned that the match referee, Andy Pycroft, had asked Yadav and his counterpart, Agha, to skip the pre-toss ritual.

“The match referee requested both captains to not shake hands at the toss,” an official of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), requesting anonymity, told Al Jazeera after the match.

Match officials also granted India permission to skip the post-match handshakes with Pakistan, but did not inform Agha or his team, according to the source.

This resulted in an awkward-looking post-match scenario, where the Pakistani players followed Yadav off the pitch and waited for the Indians to emerge, only to watch them shut the dressing room door.

How did Pakistan respond?

Pakistan’s manager Naveed Akram Cheema lodged a protest against the Indian cricket team’s actions with Pycroft, who is an International Cricket Council (ICC) accredited match referee.

“The umpires had allowed the Indians to walk off the field without shaking hands for which the match referee apologised after the protest of our team manager,” the official said.

Additionally, Pakistan captain Agha did not speak at the post-match captain’s chat with the host broadcaster in a mark of protest.

Mike Hesson, Pakistan’s head coach, confirmed that Agha’s refusal to show up for the talk and the media briefing was a “follow-on effect” of the Indian team’s actions.

“We were ready to shake hands at the end of the game, but our opposition did not do that,” Hesson said.

“We sort of went over there to shake hands, and they had already gone into the changing room.”

Why are handshakes important in cricket, and what’s the protocol?

As per the norm in cricket, the two on-field players of the team batting second shake hands with the fielding team and the umpires before walking off.

And in what is now a common practice in all international cricket matches, the batting team then enters the ground to shake hands with their opponents.

It offers both sides to end the match on a friendly note and exchange words of encouragement.

In the same manner, both teams’ captains shake hands before the toss, which takes place 30 minutes before the start of play.

The toss is conducted by the match referee on the pitch and usually broadcast live.

Both captains and the match referee can also indulge in a pre-match chat regarding team lineups or any other matters of mutual interest for both teams.

The match referee can also meet a captain, head coach or manager of either team before the match.

What have the tournament officials said about the incident?

The move was lamented by the ACC chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the chairman of the PCB.

“Utterly disappointing to witness the lack of sportsmanship today,” Naqvi said in a post on X.

“Dragging politics into the game goes against the very spirit of sports.”

Utterly disappointing to witness the lack of sportsmanship today. Dragging politics into the game goes against the very spirit of sports. Lets hope future victories are celebrated by all teams with grace

— Mohsin Naqvi (@MohsinnaqviC42) September 14, 2025

Al Jazeera has reached out to the ACC for a comment on the revelation that both captains were asked not to shake hands at the toss.

The ACC has not yet responded to the request.

Pakistan and India are likely to meet again in the Asia Cup if both teams qualify for the Super Four stage.

India have all but qualified after two wins in two games, while Pakistan face the UAE in a must-win fixture on Wednesday.

Should both teams win their respective games, their Super Fours match will take place on Sunday in Dubai.

India and Pakistan cricketers did not shake hands after their first meeting since the conflict between the two nations earlier this year, with India winning the Asia Cup tie by seven wickets.

India cruised home with 25 balls to spare in pursuit of 128, after which captain Suryakumar Yadav, who was unbeaten on 47, and batting partner Shivam Dube immediately left the field.

Pakistan’s players appeared to walk towards India’s dugout when they left the field but the India players had already returned to the dressing room.

There was also no handshake between Suryakumar and Pakistan captain Salman Agha at the toss in Dubai.

Suryakumar was not asked directly about the conflict or lack of handshakes at the post-match presentation, but said the win was a “perfect return gift to India”.

After his final question, he added: “We stand by with the victims and families of the terror attack and express our solidarity.

“We want to dedicate today’s win to all of our armed forces who showed a lot of bravery.”

No Pakistan players spoke at the presentation.

India and Pakistan engaged in a four-day military conflict in April following a deadly militant attack on tourists in India-administered Kashmir.

India blamed Pakistan for the attack – which Pakistan denied – and then launched air strikes inside Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, with Pakistan firing missiles back.

It was the worst military confrontation between the neighbouring countries in decades, with dozens of people killed.

The countries already did not play each other in cricket other than at global events. There were calls for the Asia Cup to be cancelled or the match boycotted, but it went ahead.