Zohran Mamdani may have won New York City’s mayoral election on Nov. 4, but it was not for a lack of trying on the part of … his city’s athletes?
After every mayoral election, New York publishes the recipients of write-in votes—often a motley crew of celebrities and politicans past and present. This election’s field was no exception.
Here, per Spencer Gustafson of WPIX-TV and Gary Phillips of the , are the athletes who received at least one write-in vote to become mayor of New York in Jan. 2026. The list includes the living and the dead, as well as representatives of three different sports.
ATHLETE
POSITION
TEAM/ORGANIZATION
NOTES
Pete Alonso
First baseman
New York Mets
Five-time All-Star
Carmelo Anthony
Forward
New York Knicks from 2011 to ’17
Six-time All-Star with Knicks
Saquon Barkley
Running back
New York Giants from 2018 to ’23
Two-time Pro Bowler with Giants
Jalen Brunson
Guard
New York Knicks
Two-time All-Star with Knicks
Jaxson Dart
Quarterback
New York Giants
1,556 passing yards in 10 games this season
Walt Frazier
Guard
New York Knicks from 1968 to ’77
Seven-time All-Star with Knicks
Lou Gehrig
First baseman
New York Yankees
Two-time American League MVP; died in 1941
Aaron Glenn
Coach
New York Jets
3-9 in 12 games this season
Josh Hart
Shooting guard and small forward
New York Knicks
11.8 points per game in 19 games this season
Derek Jeter
Shortstop
New York Yankees
14-time All-Star
Aaron Judge
Right fielder and designated hitter
New York Yankees
Three-time American League MVP
Sandy Koufax
Pitcher
Brooklyn Dodgers from 1955 to ’57
1963 National League MVP with Los Angeles Dodgers
Rob Manfred
Commissioner
Major League Baseball
Commissioner since 2015
Cam Schlittler
Pitcher
New York Yankees
4–3 with 2.96 ERA in 14 starts this season
Cam Skattebo
Running back
New York Giants
410 yards in eight games this season
Tom Thibodeau
Coach
New York Knicks from 2021 to ’25
2021 NBA Coach of the Year with Knicks
The list can be grouped with relative neatness into four brackets—the modern baseball figures (Alonso, Judge, Manfred, etc.), the faces of the Knicks’ 2020s renaissance (Brunson, Hart, Thibodeau, etc.), the football rookies (Dart, Skattebo, etc.), and the past greats (Anthony, Gehrig, etc.).
Mariners fans still grimacing at Judge’s MVP win over catcher Cal Raleigh must now ask themselves: would they trust the Big Dumper to run Seattle?
Former captain could have been forgiven for wishing he’d been in Ahmedabad, but he was fully present at the Kia Oval
Matt Roller04-Jun-2025″That’s up in the air,” boomed the unmistakable Ravi Shastri. “Straight down the throat of the man at square leg!” Shastri’s voice echoed around The Oval, where the IPL final beamed live on the big screens. Designed to keep fans entertained during a rain delay, it only emphasised the contrast with a dead-rubber ODI in soggy south London.England’s players sat in the dressing room, with three IPL returnees among them. When the BCCI announced revised dates for the play-offs following the league’s brief suspension, the ECB opted against extending the No-Objection Certificates for players involved in England’s ODI squad. For Jacob Bethell, Will Jacks and Jos Buttler, that meant an early return home.In Ahmedabad, Romario Shepherd was padded up in the dugout. Shepherd, centrally contracted by CWI, was named in West Indies’ squad for the series but had his NOC extended by a board on a weaker standing than the ECB. So too did Sherfane Rutherford, who top-scored in his only innings of the series as if to remind West Indies what they had missed when he was in India.Related
England rush to 3-0 series win as Smith, Buttler star in rain-reduced chase
London traffic chaos makes West Indies late for Oval ODI as England cycle in
There was never much chance of Bethell or Jacks defying the ECB’s directive but for Buttler, the clash must have stung. He has become an IPL great across 10 seasons in the league, but has only once been involved in the play-offs, in 2022 with Rajasthan Royals. He was a champion in 2017 with Mumbai Indians, but watched the final from his sofa after being brought home by the ECB.Buttler’s Gujarat Titans were not involved in the final, but could easily have been if he had stayed for the duration. They were beaten in the Eliminator last week, falling short in the sort of steep run-chase in which Buttler has often thrived: with him at No. 3 throughout the play-offs, they could have locked horns with RCB on Tuesday night.Instead, Buttler was pulled home for an ODI series notable only for being his first back in the ranks after three years as captain. His successor, Harry Brook, revealed it had been Buttler’s idea to use Lime bikes to beat the gridlocked London traffic to reach The Oval; in India, whole cities are shut down if that is what it takes to get IPL teams from their hotels to a stadium.Jos Buttler and Harry Brook savour England’s 3-0 series win•ECB/Getty ImagesYet as Buttler walked off grinning alongside Brook, after a cameo of 41 not out off 20 balls secured a seven-wicket rout, it felt like a significant moment for England’s white-ball teams. Here was a new England captain being supported fully by his predecessor, whose availability was proof that he remains committed to a format from which he could easily have walked away.Buttler has largely left Brook to his own devices as captain, having returned to keeping wicket, though has offered support when prompted. “He’s letting me do it my own way, and then I’ve gone over to him a few times,” Brook said. “Having him behind the stumps with that wealth of experience, it’s easy to just go up to him and chat, and see what his thoughts are.”In truth, his biggest role in supporting Brook will be with the bat, in the same way that Joe Root’s relentless run-scoring in Test cricket has helped Ben Stokes far more than his tactical insight. Buttler knows as much: when he resigned in February, he cited a desire to “follow Joe Root’s lead” when addressing his own international future.”He almost goes until he wants to retire,” Brook said, acknowledging that Buttler’s achievements as a double World Cup-winner allow him to set his own deadlines as an England player. “He is very well known for being one of the best – if not the best – white-ball players in the world. To see him go out there and crunch the ball as he did tonight was thrilling.”It is easy to risk overstating the pull of the IPL: after all, playing for England is no great sacrifice. Buttler’s earning potential in India (his Titans deal is worth Rs 15.75 crore, around £1.4m) owes no small part to his international success, while his lucrative central contract has seen the ECB pay him handsomely for a decade.That is to say nothing of the prestige that international sport retains, even bilateral series that are largely devoid of context. Buttler would surely not have bothered with this series were he not set on reaching the 2027 50-over World Cup in South Africa, the same tournament that has prompted Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to cling onto ODIs while quitting other formats.But the stark reality is that this England team needs Buttler more than he needs them, as he heads into a later phase of his international career. His innings on Tuesday night – and a shimmying scoop for six off Alzarri Joseph in particular – hinted at a man liberated by his resignation, and one whose mere presence at The Oval was a statement of his intent.
Phil Foden was in disbelief after he rescued all three points for Manchester City after a totally unexpected fightback from Leeds United. Foden, who had got the ball rolling by scoring in the first minute, fired in the winner in added time to grab a 3-2 victory for Pep Guardiola's side after the struggling visitors had come back from two goals down at the break to level the score.
Foden the hero for Man City
Foden's first goal in the first minute of the game saw him become only the second City player along with Erling Haaland to score more than once in the Premier League this season. And after an unusually quiet performance from his usually insatiable team-mate, Foden stepped up again and hit a brilliant winner from outside the area. Josko Gvardiol had doubled City's lead after Foden's goal in a totally dominant first-half performance from Guardiola's side.
But the game took a dramatic turn in the second half as Leeds came out with renewed hunger and energy, hitting back through a Dominic Calvert-Lewin goal and then levelling when Lukas Nmecha scored on the rebound after seeing his penalty saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma. Foden, though, had the final say.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportFoden: One of the wildest games I've played
Foden said: "It's up there as one of the wildest games. We had full control in the first half. They changed their system in the second half and we couldn't get going. It was a frustrating half. But when there was a short break the manager got us together and we adapted to their formation. We had a few half chances and finally I've found a bit of space and found the bottom of the net. We're delighted with the result."
The title race is never straightforward. There's always ups and downs and periods where you can't seem to get going and we've had that. The belief and togetherness came through at the end. Hopefully that's the case today that we can kick on from here. But you never know what to expect. I was so hungry today to play and prove to myself I could still score goals. I missed a few chances against Newcastle and wanted to put it right."
Dias furious with second half display
City defender Ruben Dias was livid with how his side wilted in the second half and let Leeds back into the game. He said: "The mistakes that happened cannot happen. It was just not good enough. We're not happy with the beginning of the second-half especially. Maybe 10, 15 minutes in we finally adjusted, started to play more comfortably but by then I think it was already 2-1.
"At the end of the day, I feel we need to leave this on a positive note because mistakes happen and are part of football. Obviously we're challenging for everything in every season we play, and these kind of mistakes can cost us heavily. But still, we faced the situation, kept fighting, had the chance for Phil , a clear chance for Omar just before and I'm proud of the way the team kept fighting."
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Getty Images SportFoden: Title race 'never straightforward'
Foden's winner averted a third consecutive disappointing result for City after their 2-1 defeat at Newcastle last week and their 2-0 loss at home to Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League. The match-winner explained: "I was so hungry today to play and prove to myself I could still score goals. I missed a few chances against Newcastle and wanted to put it right.
Instead of trailing leaders Arsenal by six points in third place, City climbed into second in the Premier League table, four points behind the Gunners before they play Chelsea on Sunday. City visit Fulham on Tuesday and then have another home game, against Sunderland next Saturday.
"The title race is never straightforward," Foden added. "There's always ups and downs and periods where you can't seem to get going and we've had that. The belief and togetherness came through at the end. Hopefully that's the case today that we can kick on from here. But you never know what to expect. I was so hungry today to play and prove to myself I could still score goals. I missed a few chances against Newcastle and wanted to put it right."
Mikel Arteta is now driving Arsenal’s move to sign Scott McTominay, with the manager of the belief the Scot would be the perfect addition to his midfield, and Napoli’s asking price has been revealed.
Arteta is already blessed with a wide array of options in central midfield, having signed Christian Norgaard and Martin Zubimendi in the summer, while Declan Rice also continues to impress, receiving plaudits from Gary Neville after the recent 4-1 North London derby victory.
Neville said: “The only player you would be worried about losing for a period of time would be Declan Rice because you cannot replace that,”
“That is your Roy Keane, that is your Rodri, the player that holds you together. There is only one of them.”
However, despite strengthening considerably in the summer, the Gunners have struggled injury-wise this season, with Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus being ruled out against Tottenham Hotspur, meaning Mikel Merino had to lead the line.
As such, it could be a wise idea to bring in another central midfielder in the transfer window, and Arteta is personally a fan of a Serie A star…
Arteta driving Arsenal move for Scott McTominay
According to a report from Spain, Arteta believes McTominay could be the ideal addition to his midfield, with Arsenal closely monitoring the Napoli star’s performances over the past few months.
The Spanish manager rates the Scotland international highly due to his ability and press forward, and there are signs that a deal could be possible, though Andrea Berta will have to stump up £60m.
The 28-year-old is under contract until 2029, meaning Napoli are in a strong negotiating position at present, but interest from elsewhere is growing, with Manchester United also joining the race to re-sign their former player.
The Napoli star has certainly taken his career to new heights since leaving Old Trafford, with football writer Mark Carruthers praising him for the part he played in the Serie A side winning the title last season.
The former Man United man displayed his attacking quality as Napoli went on to win the league, picking up 12 goals and six assists in 34 Serie A outings, and he recently scored a remarkable bicycle kick as Scotland beat Denmark 4-2 to qualify for the World Cup.
It may be difficult for McTominay to force his way into the Arsenal starting XI ahead of Rice and Zubimendi, but he would certainly provide Arteta with fantastic depth in the middle of the park.
Scott McTominay has been named as one of the best midfielders in the world The Best 15 Midfielders in World Football Ranked (2025)
Some of the best players in the world do their stuff in the middle of the park, but who’s number one?
Think back to the morning of the Fourth of July. Our nation’s birthday. Quintessential America. Barbecues. Burgers. Fireworks. Everything as you expect, including the Dodgers with the best record in baseball.
Now seems like a long time ago. Since then, the Dodgers have been as sorry as a sack of soggy charcoal briquettes: 12–21. Only the Nationals and the Rays have been worse.
Wait, the Dodgers? The $391 million payroll Dodgers? The same Dodgers who gobbled up so many high-profile free agents last winter we started asking, “Are the Dodgers good for baseball?”
Eight months later, now we’re asking, “Will the Dodgers ever play good baseball?”
They better figure it out quickly. Starting tonight, the Dodgers play six of their next 10 games against the smoking hot, deadline-fortified, first-place San Diego Padres.
What is wrong with the Dodgers? It’s time to dig in.
1. Maybe the Dodgers are just in a slump
All teams go through valleys. At some point in June, the Dodgers, Cubs, Mets, Astros and Yankees all had leads as big as 5 1/2 games. All gone.
But slumps this deep are rare for the Dodgers. In the past 30 years, here are the only seasons in which the Dodgers hit .236 and lost at least 21 games in a 33-game span:
Dodgers Seasons with 33-Game Span With 21+ Losses and Hitting .236 or Worse (Wild Card Era)
Year
Final Record
Postseason Result
2003
85–77
None
2010
80–82
None
2012
82–76
None
2017
104–58
Lost World Series
2025
?
?
I know you optimistic Dodger fans are thinking:
But the problems this year go deeper than 33 games. Let’s continue.
2. Dodgers don’t measure well against good teams
Los Angeles is 28–32 against teams that are .500 or better. Among the 12 teams in playoff position today, only the Tigers are worse against good competition.
To find the last Dodgers team that had a losing record against teams .500 and above, you must go back a decade, to 2015, when Don Mattingly was the manager, Andrew Friedman had just arrived as president of baseball operations—and the Dodgers were booted in the NLDS by the Mets.
That best record on the Fourth of July? Fool’s gold. The Dodgers were 14–1 against the Rockies, Marlins and White Sox. They proceeded to get swept by the Astros and then twice by the Brewers.
3. Dodgers are a poor team in defensive efficiency
This is shocking news.
What is defensive efficiency? It’s the measurement of how often a team turns batted balls into outs. I like this measurement because it does not isolate defense but reflects the unbreakable marriage between pitching and defense. A pitching staff that gets weak contact, for instance, makes the job easier for the defense.
This has been Andrew Friedman’s secret sauce. You can talk all you want about the Dodgers’ money, technology, scouting, international footprint, annoying speaker system at Dodger Stadium, whatever … turning batted balls into outs is what they do best under Friedman.
No more. Their amazing six-year year run of elite pitching combined with elite defense is over.
Dodgers MLB Rank in Defensive Efficiency
Year
Defensive Efficiency MLB Rank
2019
2
2020
2
2021
1
2022
1
2023
2
2024
2
2025
18
The Dodgers have posted their worst defensive efficiency rating in the past seven seasons in 2025. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images4. Dodgers pitchers and fielders share the blame
Dodgers pitchers allow the same average exit velocity this year as Rockies pitchers.
It continues an erosion of generating soft contact. Check out this decline.
Dodgers Exit Velocity Allowed
Year
Average MPH
MLB Rank
2022
87.4
1
2023
88.7
8
2024
88.9
17
2025
89.8
24 (tied with Rockies)
And of the Dodgers’ seven positions behind the pitcher, five of them rate average or worse, according to Outs Above Average (OAA).
Dodgers Weakest Defensive Positions by Outs Above Average (OAA)
Position
OAA
MLB Rank
Third Base
-7
24
Left Field
-6
22
Right Field
-5
21
First Base
-4
19
Shortstop
0
18
5. Dodgers don’t get enough starting pitching length
The Dodgers in recent years have redefined starter workloads. They pitch their starters with more rest and get them out quicker than any other team. They have taken this philosophy to a new extreme.
Dodgers Starters
Amount
MLB Rank
Starts on Four Days Rest
7
Fewest
Batters Faced Third Time Per Start
3.5
Fewest
Pitches Per Start
76
Fewest
Innings Per Start
4.6
Fewest
The result is that because of injuries and workload management none of their starters are in top form. Maybe they will be, come October.
6. Dodgers don’t have enough shutdown relievers
Manager Dave Roberts does not have a clear path to lock down games. This ranking is damning: the Dodgers and Yankees rank among non-contenders as allowing the highest OPS in high leverage spots.
Highest OPS Allowed in High Leverage, 2025
Team
OPS Allowed in High Leverage Spot
1. Rockies
.848
2. Nationals
.819
3. Angels
.808
4. Diamondbacks
.782
T5. Athletics
.774
T5. Marlins
.774
T7. Dodgers
.764
T7. Yankees
.764
9. White Sox
.754
So, who does Roberts trust? Here are his most used pitchers in high leverage:
Most Batters Faced in High Leverage, Dodgers 2025
Pitcher
Batters Faced
OPS in High Leverage Spot
Notes
1. Tanner Scott
89
.820
Injured List
2. Yoshinobu Yamamoto
78
.695
Starter
3. Alex Vesia
71
.694
.759 OPS by RHB
4. Ben Casparius
65
.784
4.78 ERA
5. Dustin May
59
1.084
Traded
Three years ago, the Dodgers adopted a paradigm shift. That year they went 51–21 in the second half to win 111 games, a franchise record. They were in the business of building superteams and putting the gas pedal to the floor to get the No. 1 seed.
What it got them was a first-round exit. The Padres sent the superteam home quickly. They held them to 12 runs and a .227 batting average in four games.
The Dodgers learned a lesson. No more maxing out. The north star became workload management. Win enough games to get to the postseason but make sure you get there with your pitchers healthy and with gas in the tank.
It worked last year, barely. Gavin Stone, who broke down, led the staff with 140 innings. But when Walker Buehler got the last out of the World Series, Kiké Hernandez, a position player, would have been the next pitcher if the Yankees scored the tying run.
This year feels like even more of a risk of for October, not grinding toward it. The Dodgers are the oldest team in baseball. They don’t turn batted balls into outs like they used to. And they don’t have the bullpen depth to withstand planned, abbreviated starts.
More than any other team, the Dodgers play the long game. It may work again. But two things have changed.
Now the Dodgers are playing from behind.
And the Padres, fortified by the trade deadline, are lighting it up like it’s the Fourth of July.
The New York Yankees haven't made a big splash ahead of Thursday's MLB trade deadline just yet. Though they've made a few minor moves in the past few days, it seems as if the Yankees' front office has been working the phones with little coming to fruition.
According to a report from MLB insider Jon Heyman, New York has been fielding calls from teams interested in acquiring standout outfield prospect Spencer Jones, but they have rebuffed any attempt by declaring they'd only be willing to move Jones, along with other pieces, for Pirates ace Paul Skenes.
Heyman indicated that teams had been dangling good players in front of the Yankees in hopes of working out a deal for Jones, but the team has been consistent in that it won't trade him for anyone other than Skenes, who is not going to be traded by Pittsburgh.
It makes sense why the front office is so hellbent on keeping Jones. Since his promotion to Triple A, Jones has hit 13 home runs in just 21 games, and he has 29 home runs in 70 games in total this year. A former first-round pick, Jones has tremendous upside, and it seems the Yankees are determined to keep him in the organization at virtually any cost.
New York still has some other attractive prospects who could potentially fetch a big name at the trade deadline, including starting pitcher Cam Schlittler, but it appears Brian Cashman & Co. aren't even entertaining the idea of letting Jones go.
Marseille’s Champions League campaign has unravelled under Roberto De Zerbi, with just one win in four games and mounting criticism over his tactics and squad choices. After a frustrating 1-0 home loss to Atalanta, former France international Jerome Rothen blasted the Italian coach’s approach, saying he “can’t find the ingredients” to make Marseille click – while labelling everyone but Mason Greenwood and goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli “useless.”
Atalanta exposed Marseille’s flaws
The mood in the stands turned bitter as Marseille fell 1-0 to Atalanta via a last-minute goal at the Velodrome on Wednesday. A penalty appeal that went unanswered only deepened the frustration, but the result laid bare deeper issues within De Zerbi’s side. Marseille’s fourth Champions League game of the season left them with a record of one win and three defeats, sparking fierce criticism from former Paris Saint-Germain player and France international, Rothen, who didn’t hold back as he called De Zerbi’s European campaign “ridiculous”.
AdvertisementAFPRothen’s rage gets a fiery response from Marseille
Rothen blasted Marseille and coach De Zerbi after their disastrous run in their European campaign. The French pundit said on : "OM's results are ridiculous, that's the reality. They're struggling and in a group of teams that are currently eliminated and look more like Europa League teams than Champions League teams . Let's call a spade a spade. When you look at De Zerbi's record, it's 10 Champions League matches and one win. That sums it up. Tactically, he doesn't have the tools, he can't find the ingredients and the skills to push OM to be better. He was outmaneuvered by Juric, the Atalanta coach. There was a casting error."
He further added: "Who recruited and built this team? When you see OM's resources, which are not Atalanta's resources, and you see such a difference in performance and technical execution. In yesterday's match, apart from Greenwood and Rulli, the rest is useless. The players who were there yesterday, who have special statuses and who are highlighted like [Pierre-Emile] Hojbjerg. They highlight that he is an experienced player, but he is an average player! You look at his big matches in the Champions League and you will see that he is nothing."
Rothen’s outburst didn’t go unnoticed. His remarks about Marseille's “Europa League-level” football and De Zerbi’s poor Champions League record drew a sharp response from inside the club. Ali Zarrak, assistant of Marseille sporting director Medhi Benatia, took to social media to hit back at Rothen, posting screenshots of private conversations between the two.
“It’s ugly to bite the hand that feeds you,” Zarrak wrote. “Last year, when you were asking for VIP lounge seats for every game, OM wasn’t a pushover. Things were going well then.”
The exchange quickly went viral, adding fuel to a situation already tense after Marseille’s recent struggles.
De Zerbi’s stuttering European experiment
De Zerbi’s Champions League campaign tells a story of contrast, from the brilliance of a 4-0 win over Ajax to the disarray of defeats against Real Madrid, Sporting CP and Atalanta.
In Madrid, Marseille were overwhelmed despite early promise; against Sporting, they lost control and organisation; and versus Atalanta, they lacked creativity and edge. Injuries and fatigue have taken a toll, but critics argue De Zerbi’s unwillingness to adjust his high-pressing, possession-heavy approach has been his undoing.
He continues to trust experienced names like Hojbjerg and Matteo Guendouzi, yet performances remain uneven. Marseille’s midfield struggles to link defence and attack, and their pressing often collapses under well-drilled opponents. Rothen’s accusation of a “casting error” in recruitment stings but the imbalance between De Zerbi’s vision and Marseille’s reality is becoming impossible to ignore.
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AFPGreenwood’s spark amid the chaos
Amid the criticism, one player continues to shine – Greenwood. The English forward, now in his second season at Marseille, has been the club’s one consistent bright spot. With seven goals in 10 league games and decisive contributions in Europe, Greenwood embodies the efficiency and hunger lacking elsewhere in the squad.
His four-goal performance against Le Havre earlier this season drew comparisons to club legend Jean-Pierre Papin, and even in the Atalanta defeat, his energy stood out. As Rothen noted, Greenwood and goalkeeper Rulli are among the few who have “earned their place.”
De Zerbi’s challenge now is to channel Greenwood’s form and rediscover Marseille’s rhythm before the season unravels completely. With Champions League qualification slipping away and internal tensions mounting, the Italian coach must prove he still has the tactical spark – or risk losing a project that once promised revival but now flirts with collapse. Marseille currently stand 25th in the Champions League table and are set to face Newcastle United next in the European competition on November 25.
Opportunities have been scarce, but the stonewalling to prevent an outright defeat against Central Zone in the Duleep Trophy quarter-final was a big tick mark for North East Zone
Himanshu Agrawal01-Sep-2025Jehu Anderson is 25. He made his first-class debut for Mizoram in 2022, but this is the first time he has faced genuine swing and pace in his fledgling career.Deepak Chahar was making the ball hoop around, as he does, and Khaleel Ahmed was banging them in short and into the body. One such delivery hit Anderson in the ribs. The angry red mark, Anderson joked, is like a “badge of honour” for having fought his way through a tough passage to make 64 in the second innings of that Duleep Trophy quarter-final.The innings ensured North East Zone didn’t lose outright; though a massive first-innings lead meant Central Zone were through to the semi-finals.Anderson hit 11 fours and a six in his innings, while his captain, Rongsen Jonathan, hit 60. The two put on 110 for the fourth wicket, denying a potent attack of Chahar, Khaleel, Kuldeep Yadav and Harsh Dubey on the final day. “Getting blows like that from Khaleel is part of the mental challenge,” Anderson said after the match.Related
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Anderson was playing in rural England just two weeks ago – for Wellingborough Town Cricket Club. It’s a stint that enriched him as a cricketer. Apart from playing matches on weekends, part of his responsibilities as an overseas professional involved helping the age-group players with their training and conducting one-on-one sessions for kids.If the Duleep Trophy hadn’t reverted to a zonal format, chances are Anderson, like many from the northeastern part of India, would have been starved of the opportunity to prove themselves on the big stage. So, when his opportunity came, Anderson had to return.He faced eight balls from Khaleel in the first innings, but couldn’t score a run. He hit two fours off him in the second innings. Off Kuldeep, he seemed tentative and edgy in the first innings, managing just one run off 16 deliveries. In the second, Anderson scored 27 off Kuldeep alone, including four fours and his only six.”I told myself to play the ball and not the bowler,” Anderson said of his experience of facing Kuldeep. “I take back lots of confidence. It was quite the challenge to face him and to play fearless cricket against them, which was quite nice.”
“In [Ranji Trophy] Plate matches, we don’t get this quality bowling. Nor in practice do we get this kind of speed from bowlers in the nets. We play at home at around 120kph [from pace bowlers], but suddenly we have to come and face 135kph-plus”Rongsen Jonathan
Unlike Anderson, whose best years are perhaps ahead of him, Jonathan is at the sunset of his career. Having grown up in Bengaluru, he came through the ranks in junior cricket alongside the likes of Mayank Agarwal, Manish Pandey and KL Rahul. Then in 2017, Jonathan, now close to 39, returned to his roots in Nagaland after the northeastern states earned BCCI affiliation.Jonathan is a journeyman, having played in Karnataka and for Railways before moving to Nagaland. For many in the set-up, he is captain-coach-mentor, and as several players vouch, an elder brother. Prior to the match, Jonathan’s words to his players centred on showing fight, showing guts.He asked them to feel the “privilege” of playing a quality team, like Central Zone.”You have been watching them on TV, and [now] you are going to face them. So a lot of things played in our mind,” Jonathan said. “Like, you have been a fan of [some of the players], and now you are getting to face them in a match.”In [Ranji Trophy] Plate matches, we don’t get this quality bowling. Nor in practice do we get this kind of speed from bowlers in the nets. We play at home at around 120kph [from pace bowlers], but suddenly we have to come and face 135kph-plus.”With the match reduced to a mere formality the moment Central Zone decided to bat again despite taking a 347-run first-innings lead, Jonathan was more interested in soaking up lessons from the middle.If the Duleep Trophy hadn’t reverted to a zonal format, chances are players from the northeastern part of India would have been starved of the opportunity to prove themselves on the big stage•Jehu Anderson”I spoke to Shubham Sharma when he was past his hundred in the second innings,” Jonathan said. “I asked him, ‘how do you go about your innings?’ A very valuable point he gave me was ‘when you let bowlers bowl more balls to you, there are more chances of getting out’. So he said ‘try and go to the non-striker’s end as quickly as possible’, and concentrate more on singles and doubles.”For those from the northeast, every little opportunity is possibly the biggest. Ask Ankur Malik, the Sikkim legspinner, who may replay his wicket of Rajat Patidar over and over in his mind. Or Manipur seamer Bishworjit Konthoujam, who dismissed double-centurion Danish Malewar.Konthoujam’s first love was boxing – he was a gold medallist at a junior boxing championship in Arunachal Pradesh in 2014. But when a shoulder injury prevented him from continuing as a boxer, his interests wavered and he eventually chose cricket. Like Anderson, Konthoujam came back from a club cricket stint in the UK, with Tynemouth Cricket Club, to play in the Duleep Trophy.”More than even my own development, my priority is to use this opportunity to create pathways for young cricketers in Manipur and throughout India,” he said. “I want to support and mentor a new generation of cricketers, to get to my level, and to go beyond my level.”Over time, the bruise on Anderson’s ribs will fade, Malik and Konthoujam’s wickets may end up being mere footnotes on scorecards, but they will hope their performances spur belief and hope for cricketers from the northeast aspiring to make a career out of the game. All of them, Jonathan and the others, will be around to help with that process.
Armando González made history for Chivas, becoming the club’s seventh player to win the Liga MX Golden Boot after finishing the Apertura 2025 with 12 goals – level with Toluca’s Paulinho and Atlético de San Luis’ Joao Pedro. The young striker credited Javier “Chicharito” Hernández as a key mentor during his breakout season and said his next dream is to lead Chivas to the title.
AFPArmando González finishes as joint top scorer
González closed out a memorable season by becoming the Liga MX Apertura 2025 Golden Boot winner, netting 12 goals to share the honor with Paulinho of Toluca and Joao Pedro of Atlético de San Luis. The 21-year-old forward ended a six-year drought for Chivas without having a top scorer and did so in style, scoring in the final match against Monterrey.
AdvertisementAFPCredits Chicharito for his advice and mentorship
González revealed Hernández played a pivotal role in his mental preparation for the final stretch of the tournament.
“Javier told me not to worry about it – that if it happened, it happened, and if not, I should still be proud of what I’d accomplished,” González said. “He told me to enjoy it, to let things flow, because moments like these are special.”
AFPDenies rumors of locker-room tension
Amid recent rumors suggesting Hernández had caused friction in the dressing room, González firmly denied the speculation.
“Everything that’s said about Javier and Chivas is false,” he stated. “I see him every day, and what he wants most is for the team to grow and for Chivas to be champions.”
The young striker emphasized that personal accolades come second to the team’s objectives.
“I’m happy to win the scoring title, but our main goal is to win the championship,” he said. “It’s not common for a Mexican player to win the Golden Boot, so it’s something to be proud of. This is just the beginning – I have to keep working hard every day.”
González also touched on his call-up to the Mexican national team for the upcoming friendlies against Paraguay and Uruguay.
“You always hope for the best. If it happens, I’ll give 1,000 percent for the national team,” he said.
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Getty Images SportPaulinho shares the Golden Boot
Meanwhile, Paulinho’s story added another layer of sportsmanship to the race for the scoring crown. During Toluca’s 2–0 win over América, the Portuguese forward – after earning a penalty in the 56th minute – surprised everyone by letting teammate Helinho take the kick that sealed the victory.
“I took a hit to the head and didn’t feel 100 percent. I wasn’t going to risk the team’s win just for the Golden Boot,” Paulinho explained post-match, embodying the selflessness that defined Toluca’s championship run.
Having retired hurt on the first day, Pant came out on the second morning, hit Archer for a six, completed his fifty and helped India cross 350
Sidharth Monga24-Jul-2025
Rishabh Pant scored 17 runs batting with a fractured foot•Associated Press
Rishabh Pant shocked everyone by coming out to bat with a broken foot and extending his overnight retired-hurt score of 37 to 54.During this unexpected extension of his innings, he hit his 90th six in Test cricket to go level with Virender Sehwag, India’s highest six-hitter in Test cricket. It took Sehwag 103 Tests to do so; this was Pant’s only 47th Test. Pant went on to get to his fifty with a block with no follow-through that raced along the floor to the cover boundary.Pant injured his right foot during the final session of the first day when, while trying to reverse-sweep Chris Woakes, he ended up playing the full toss onto his boot. He went down in seemingly unbearable pain immediately, and when he removed his sock, it revealed an egg-sized lump.Pant had to be carted off the field in a golf-style buggy, and he went straight for scans. The BCCI is yet to confirm the results of the scans, but ESPNcricinfo understands that he has a fracture and that he is out of the final Test.Related
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Pant suffers foot fracture, set to miss remainder of series
Dhruv Jurel will keep wicket for the rest of the Manchester Test, but it was anticipated that Pant would bat only if India needed him desperately.However, Pant was seen in his whites as Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar added 48 for the sixth wicket. Just before lunch on day two, with the score 314 for 6 in conditions where 350 is being seen as above par, Pant walked out to a big applause. He was still in pain, couldn’t do much more than hobble through for his runs, but he hung around for long enough to have 35 runs added while he was at the wicket.During his extended innings, Pant was involved in the running 14 of singles. Once he lost Washington, Pant picked up a slower ball from Jofra Archer and smacked a pull for six before bringing up his fifty. Archer had to produce the unplayable ball – angling in from round the wicket, seaming away, hitting top of off – to get rid of Pant.