David Beckham’s mum meets Lionel Messi for the first time; Inter Miami keen to make ‘reunion’ with ‘LSM’ next season!
The Argentine star plays for Beckham’s MLS franchise Inter Miami and met his mother, Sandra, at the club’s training ground. Beckham, 50, caught the wholesome moment on camera as his mum, 76, encountered the 2022 World Cup winner. He snapped two pictures of the pair as they shook hands before posing together. The former Manchester United star shared the snaps on Instagram for his 88.1million followers. He captioned the post: “When your Mum meets Leo for the first time.” Beckham’s son, Romeo, responded with crying face emojis, while his Spice Girl wife, Victoria, commented with two love hearts. His fans also loved the snaps as they flooded the comment section. One posted: “What a great picture. Tad is jealous.” However, it is expected that he will renew terms with the franchise with reports suggesting he is close to signing new agreement with Miami. Should he sign, he would not be returning to the Chase Stadium as the club is preparing to move to Miami Freedom Park Stadium from 2026. It has also been claimed that Miami is keen to reunite Messi with his former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Neymar Jr. The Brazilian’s contract at Santos is due to expire with Miami’s top brass looks willing to sign him on a free transfer fee. The move would see them recreate Barca’s iconic front three of Neymar, Messi and Luis Suarez. Meanwhile, Beckham has also been in talks with FA about helping England ahead of the 2026 World Cup in the US.
Rohit Sharma wins praise despite the slowest ODI fifty in 10 years
Rohit Sharma won praise for battling it out in tough conditions at the Adelaide Oval, even as Virat Kohli fell for a duck in the second ODI between India and Australia on Thursday. On a pitch offering movement and bounce for the Australian pacers, Rohit held one end, providing India with a solid platform to post a challenging total after a slow start to the innings. Rohit scored 73 off 97 deliveries, reaching his fifty in 74 balls – his slowest ODI fifty since 2015. However, caution was necessary on a pitch with some moisture, which assisted the Australian bowlers. After looking scratchy on his comeback to international cricket in the first ODI in Perth on Sunday, Rohit was far more cautious this time, giving himself sufficient time to negotiate the new ball. Josh Hazlewood, who had dismissed the former captain in the first ODI, troubled Rohit once again by bowling tight lines and not giving him room to free his arms. Rohit was prepared to look ugly, playing out two maiden overs at the start, maintaining composure and not throwing his wicket away. Though he appeared rusty initially in Adelaide, he remained patient and determined. By the end of the 15th over, Rohit had scored 26 off 56 deliveries, absorbing pressure after India lost Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli early. Gill had attempted to accelerate after Rohit struggled in the first five overs, only to throw his wicket away to Xavier Bartlett in the seventh over.
Virat Kohli’s swansong at Adelaide ends with a duck again, waves goodbye to fans
It was not expected. Virat Kohli is the former Indian captain and the highest scorer at Adelaide Oval as a visiting batsman. His much-awaited swansong ended in disappointment on Thursday in the ongoing second One Day International (ODI) at Adelaide. He returned to the pavilion, dismissed for another duck after he had bagged his first ODI duck at Perth. Kohli was trapped LBW after failing to cover the line of an in-swinging delivery from medium pacer Xavier Bartlett. Kohli appeared distraught after being given out by the on-field umpire. He walked back after facing just four deliveries in the second ODI at one of his favorite hunting grounds. Australia struck twice in the seventh over, removing captain Shubman Gill and Kohli after a cautious start from India, who were sent in to bat. In a poignant moment, Kohli acknowledged the Adelaide crowd with a wave as he walked back to the pavilion. The fans responded with a standing ovation, aware that it might have been his final outing at the iconic venue. Kohli ends his career at Adelaide Oval with 976 runs — the most by a visiting batter at the ground. However, Rohit Sharma who was also a failure in the team’s first ODI at Perth, looks surviving at Adelaide as he is unbeaten 44 off 68 deliveries so far, having shown patience as he has hit only three boundaries. With Shreyas Iyer accompanying him with 29 off 36 deliveries India are 84 for the loss of two wickets.
