GLENEAGLES, Scotland – The Korda sisters were benched Saturday afternoon at the Solheim Cup.

Though Jessica and Nelly Korda are both undefeated, each with 2-0-1 records this week, U.S. captain Juli Inkster will rest them in the fourballs session.

Is it a mistake?

Even Brittany Lincicome, a six-time Solheim Cup veteran, with two of those appearances with Inkster as her captain, can’t help wondering.

Inkster is 2-0 as the American skipper, and she’s sticking with a strategy that has worked well in both her team’s victories. She has never played anyone in all five matches since becoming the U.S. captain. She wants all her players rested for the vital Sunday singles finish.

Though it is a strategy that has worked well for Inkster, it is bound to be second guessed if the Americans lose this week.

Europe’s Catriona Matthew will play her Spaniards, Carlota Ciganda and Azahara Munoz, in all five matches this week.

The Korda sisters didn’t seem bothered by the decision after they teamed to win another foursomes match in a rout Saturday morning. They defeated Ciganda and Bronte Law, 6 and 5. They beat Caroline Masson and Jodi Ewart Shadoff, 6 and 4, in Friday’s opening foursomes session. The Kordas were split up for Friday fourballs, with each winning a half-point with their new partners.

“We’re going to rest up today and give it our all tomorrow,” Nelly Korda said.

Inkster didn’t play anyone all five sessions when she was captain two years ago in Iowa, nor when she led the team in Germany four years ago, even with her team facing large deficits all weekend. Inkster’s team was down 8-4 going into Saturday foursomes in Germany and she still sat Michelle Wie, Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressel and Angela Stanford in that last session of partnered play to give all her players rest.

This strategy of resting everyone has become an American staple. No U.S. player has competed in all five matches since Creamer did so in Ireland in 2011, with Rosie Jones as her captain. Cristie Kerr was also scheduled to go five matches that week but withdrew from Sunday singles with a wrist injury. American captain Beth Daniel didn’t play anyone five matches in ’09 when she led the team to victory at Rich Harvest Farms outside Chicago.

Tucked away in a lovely corner of the world called Dhaka - even as most were obsessed with the Ashes or rejoicing at the return of the Indian team onto their screens again - Afghanistan gave another reminder of just why they are one of THE most exciting teams in the world.

Mohammad Nabi and Najibullah Zadran turned a sleepy old T20 - the score was a mere 123 after 16 overs - into an absolute firecracker, hitting seven sixes in seven balls. Here's how ESPNcricinfo's Hemant Brar captured the mayhem.

It all began with Tendai Chatara

16.3 Chatara to Mohammad Nabi, SIX, legcutter from Chatara but too short and Nabi just waits at the back foot before pulling it way over the deep midwicket boundary

16.4 Chatara to Mohammad Nabi, SIX, fuller, doesn't miss the yorker by much but Nabi clears the front leg and makes full use of the bottom hand it smash it for a straight six

16.5 Chatara to Mohammad Nabi, SIX, three in three for Nabi! A low full toss on the stumps, Nabi was just standing very still in his crease and sends it over deep midwicket. Moves to 26 off 11

16.6 Chatara to Mohammad Nabi, SIX, is that the fourth one? Yes!!! Another low full toss from Chatara, this time outside off and Nabi moves towards the off stump and lofts it over deep extra cover. Another big over for Afghanistan - 26 from that

Then came Neville Madziva, the man who went toe-to-toe with MS Dhoni in the last over of a T20I and still came away with victory

17.1 Madziva to Najibullah Zadran, SIX, Madziva too disappears! Was a length ball and Najib just pulls it with utter disdain, over deep midwicket, that's fifth six in last five balls

17.2 Madziva to Najibullah Zadran, SIX, makes it six in six! Short, just outside off and pulled almost into the second tier this time, way over deep midwicket

17.3 Madziva to Najibullah Zadran, SIX, this is carnage! A slower one gone wrong, loopy delivery down the leg side, Najib helps it over fine leg. Another six. Seven now. This must be some kind of a record

Washington Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov has been suspended three games for inappropriate conduct, the NHL announced Saturday.

Kuznetsov tested positive for cocaine at the 2019 IIHF World Championship on May 26. He will not appeal the suspension.

"I am once again sorry that I have disappointed my family, my teammates, and the Capitals organization and fans," Kuznetsov said in a statement. "I promise to do everything in my power to win you back with my actions both on and off the ice. I also understand that I am fortunate to have an opportunity to make things right.

"Thanks to the Capitals, NHL, and NHLPA, I have taken many steps in the right direction and I'm confident that I will continue on that path. I am grateful for everyone's support and I'm looking to move forward from this point. While I can appreciate that people may have additional questions, I will not be commenting further on this matter."

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman met with Kuznetsov and NHLPA representatives on Monday.

Kuznetsov, 27, is under contract with the Capitals through 2024-25 and competes internationally for Russia, which won the bronze medal in May.

In May, Kuznetsov appeared in a now-deleted video that surfaced on social media in which he was sitting in a hotel room near lines of a white, powdery substance. Kuznetsov denied ever taking drugs. The NHL launched an investigation into the incident that it swiftly closed after five days.

The International Ice Hockey Federation announced in August that it had suspended Kuznetsov from international play for four years -- until June 12, 2023.

Kuznetsov led all NHL players with 32 points (12 goals, 20 assists) in the 2018 playoffs, which culminated with the Capitals winning the franchise's first Stanley Cup. He had 21 goals and 51 assists last season for the Capitals, who were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Carolina Hurricanes.

"He realizes he makes mistake," captain and fellow Russian Alex Ovechkin said Thursday. "Sometimes the best thing is just support him and be at his side."

The NHL tests its players for drugs of abuse such as cocaine and marijuana. However, according to the NHL and NHLPA's joint substance abuse and behavioral health program, players are not suspended for positive tests. Rather, if the program administrators flag "abnormally high levels" of any substance, the veil of anonymity is lifted and doctors can recommend treatment. The player is not required to enter the program if he doesn't want to.

ESPN's Emily Kaplan and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

BEIJING -- From the minute Team USA lost to France in the quarterfinals of the FIBA World Cup earlier this week, USA Basketball had to begin preparing itself for 10 months from now and the Olympics in Tokyo.

Fair or not, that is shaping up to be a referendum on the state of the national team.

The modern era of Olympic basketball started in 1992 in Barcelona. And for all the Olympics since, the Americans have sent a team loaded with All-Stars and high-level role players who represented the birthplace of the game at the highest level. Even when they were beaten, it was not because of talent issues.

But that model is a bit on the line now. Players are pulling back on summer commitments as rest and recovery methods become more of a focus. And a new calendar where the World Cup and Olympics are played in back-to-back summers is clearly going to stress America's stars going forward.

There is an assumption that the cavalry will come next year with the event in the middle of the offseason in late July, and in the wake of this showing, which ended Saturday with a win over Poland and a seventh-place finish -- their worst finish in either the Olympics or World Cup. Perhaps that will be the case and James Harden, Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard and the like will be striding into the opening ceremony in Japan with this adventure in China reduced to an asterisk.

But making that assumption is perhaps a little dangerous. If nothing else, this summer showed that.

While still in China, USA Basketball officials already have been meeting to discuss strategy for how to approach putting the pieces back together. Though in the disappointment of the moment, coach Gregg Popovich was a little defiant on Saturday.

"What does USA Basketball have to do? Continue and keep going. We coach and they play and we do our best. That's what USA Basketball does," he said. "It's not like something has to be changed or do this O's and X's wise or do something strategy-wise. It's a tough competition. You do the best you can with whoever comes and that's it. All the other countries have some guys who didn't come."

Team USA managing director Jerry Colangelo was feeling a little raw, too. He told the Associated Press after the France loss that "you can't help but notice and remember who you thought you were going to war with and who didn't show up."

Of course they do have to make changes. They finished 13th in the tournament in 3-point shooting and eighth in scoring. They were scrambling to fill out the roster to be sure, but it had some holes that could've been better addressed on this front. Whoever is on the roster next year, there's going to have to be some better decisions made, especially after seeing how the competition handled them this summer.

But they also have to evaluate the approach. Colangelo was stunned by the number of pullouts and the timing of many of them, leading to some self-evaluation on the process. But again, maybe it's just changing tastes and there was nothing that could be done. It became fashionable among the superstars to pull out of China, and for a few weeks there, it almost seemed cool to pass.

These aren't just issues for the U.S. but for much of international basketball. In general, this tournament was missing a lot of big names. The move to an odd year just before the Olympics has been blamed.

"The FIBA calendar proved to be wrong in any competition they have organized. From the national team windows in the middle of the season 'til organizing the World Cup one year before the Olympics," Euroleague CEO Jordi Bertomeu said at an event in Italy this week. "The logic says to return to World Cup to even years."

Colangelo has a track record of fixing Team USA's problems. He also has been able to win over stars and assemble megastar teams. Unless there was a widespread cover-up, the players who were here enjoyed much of the experience with Popovich and, in theory, that word should spread.

Fearing a black mark on their reputations for being part of a losing roster could've played a role in the dropout rate this summer once the ball got rolling. But rallying to the rescue could reverse the trend among the big names.

One thing is clear: For the first time in a long time, there is some real drama involved in the future of USA Basketball.

GLENEAGLES, Scotland – Morgan Pressel and Marina Alex showed why U.S. captain Juli Inkster sent them out as her leadoff team on both Friday and Saturday mornings at the Solheim Cup.

They are her new bulldogs, the kind of playing partners who refuse to let go of any chance to win a point or even half-point.

After falling 4 down through six holes in foursomes on Saturday, Pressel and Alex rallied to defeat Europe’s Anne van Dam and Anna Nordqvist, 2 up.

The first tee introduction was a bit comical, with Nordqvist and van Dam, who are both 6 feet tall, towering over the dimunitive Pressel and Alex while lining up together for a camera shot on the first tee.

Pressel and Alex proved formidable in competitive stature.

“Definitely never gave up,” Pressel said. “We're both pretty tough.

“After I missed a birdie putt, after Marina hit such a great shot on 6, I got kind of mad. I was pretty angry.”

At the seventh, Alex buried a 6-foot putt for par to win that hole. They won five consecutive holes in the middle of the round.

“The putt Marina that made on 7 was really the turning point in our match,” Pressel said. “From there, they started to get a little shaky and all the momentum went toward us. We just kept playing our game.”

Pressel and Alex combined to halve their opening match on Friday, also in foursomes.

India Under-19s 106 (Karan Lal 37, Hossain 3-8) beat Bangladesh Under-19s 101 (Akbar Ali 23, Ankolekar 5-28) by five runs

Left-arm spinner Atharva Ankolekar broke Bangladesh's spirited late resistance to help India defend 106, taking them to a seventh Under-19 Asia Cup title with a five-run win in a rain-interrupted, nerve-wracking encounter in Colombo. Needing 29 runs to win after being reduced to 78 for 8 in 21.1 overs, Tanzim Hasan Sakib and Rakibul Hasan put up a patient 23-run stand, taking Bangladesh close to their maiden title, before Ankolekar struck twice in the 33rd over to finish with figures of 5 for 28 in eight overs.

India started poorly after they elected to bat, reduced to 8 for 3 by seamers Sakib and Mrittunjoy Chowdhury within the first six overs. A 45-run stand between Dhruv Jurel and Shashwat Rawat helped rebuild the innings, before offspinner Shamim Hossain broke through, picking Rawat and next batsman Varun Lavande in the same over.

Karan Lal at No. 8 then shored up India after having walked in at 61 for 6 in the 20th over, hitting the day's highest score of 37, which played a major part in getting India to a three-digit score. He was the last batsman to be dismissed, bringing the Indian innings to a close in 32.4 overs. Chowdhury and Shahin Alam cleaned up the tail to finish with three wickets each.

In reply, Bangladesh too were dealt early blows with fast bowlers Akash Singh and Vidhyadhar Patel striking in succession to reduce them to 16 for 4 in 4.1 overs. India seized control when Bangladesh captain Akbar Ali and Chowdhury - who were the only ones to cross 20 in the innings - fell within a space of three balls. However, that led to the fight back by Sakib and Rakibul for the ninth wicket, with the duo batting for 11.2 overs.

Ankolekar ended the stand by trapping Sakib in front, leaving Bangladesh needing just six runs with one wicket remaining, and the match still poised on knife's edge. It ended two balls later, when Ankolekar bowled No. 11 Shahin Alam to wrap up a win for India. Ankolekar also finished as the tournament's highest wicket-taker, with 12 wickets in three matches.

Zimbabwe chose to bowl v Aghanistan

Zimbabwe captain Hamilton Masakadza decided to field after winning the toss against Afghanistan in the second match of the tri-series. Masakadza said that they wanted to win this game to ensure that their last two games don't become dead rubbers.

Afghanistan are currently on a hot streak in T20 cricket, having been undefeated for ten games since the start of last year. They have also won all seven of their previous games against Zimbabwe. For this game, they have handed a debut to wicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz.

Zimbabwe meanwhile have dropped Timycen Maruma and Tony Munyonga and brought in Regis Chakabva and 23-year old left-arm spinner Ainsley Ndlovu who is making his T20 international debut.

Zimbabwe: 1 Brendan Taylor (wk), 2 Hamilton Masakadza (capt), 3 Craig Ervine, 4 Sean Williams, 5 Regis Chakabva, 6 Ryan Burl, 7 Tinotenda Mutombodzi, 8 Neville Madziva, 9 Kyle Jarvis, 10 Ainsley Ndlovu, 11 Tendai Chatara

Afghanistan: 1 Hazratullah Zazai, 2 Karim Janat, 3 Najeeb Tarakai, 4 Asghar Afghan, 5 Mohammad Nabi, 6 Najibullah Zadran, 7 Gulbadin Naib, 8 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 9 Rashid Khan (capt), 10 Fareed Ahmed, 11 Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Hasnain has been asked to return home from the CPL immediately. He had originally gone to the West Indies with a no-objection certificate that said he could play the entire tournament for Trinbago Knight Riders but it has now been revoked by the PCB with the aim of bringing the 19-year old back to play the Quaid-e-Azam trophy.

Hasnain shot to prominence earlier this year, when he was picked up by the Quetta Gladiators even though at the time he had played only two first-class games. The reason for that became immediately apparent as the teenager started hitting speeds of 150 kph consistently and ended up with 12 wickets in 28 overs with an economy rate of 7.5. That led to a maiden call-up to the Pakistan one-day team in March and a World Cup spot in July (even though he didn't get to play any games).

Considering that, it was unsurprising that TKR came calling but the fact that one of Pakistan's most promising bowlers was missing the first round of the Quaid-e-Azam trophy to play T20 cricket abroad became a talking point, especially in light of other senior Pakistan bowlers doing much the same. Mohammad Amir retired from red-ball cricket earlier this year and Wahab Riaz has also chosen to take an indefinite break from first-class cricket. These events - and perhaps a Test tour of Australia in November - prompted the PCB to call Hasnain back home so he can hone his long-form skills.