Chris Nenzani's tenure as Cricket South Africa president could be nearing its end. ESPNcricinfo has learnt that an attempt will be made to persuade Nenzani to step down ahead of a board meeting in East London on Wednesday. This would present a more seamless way forward because, according to an insider, it could take between 45 to 60 days to vote a sitting president out.

Jack Madiseng, the president of the Gauteng Cricket Board, who resigned from the CSA board in December, is understood to have lobbied enough support to succeed Nenzani.

The process to vote a sitting president out of office requires support from two-thirds of the Members' Council (the body made up of the 14 provincial presidents). That equates to 10 of the 14 presidents being in favour of the motion. Then, the CSA president has the opportunity to respond to the grievances leveled against him and if their explanation is accepted, they could continue in office. If not, they would be dismissed.

Given the time such a procedure would take, and the fact that Nenzani's term ends in September, a more immediate way for the presidency to change hands would be if he voluntarily walked away.

A few months ago, such a thought would have been unlikely. Nenzani has one of the longest serving members in CSA. He has been in office since February 2013 - that's two three-year terms and then he was able to amend the CSA constitution to secure a one-year extension as well. At the time, Nenzani claimed he was staying on to tide the board through an unsettling period, with major administrative changes in the works.

"Since 2018, there has been a high turnover on the board; we failed at the World Cup and that has forced us to introduce a different structure for the team management and team coaching. We are appointing a key person, a Director of Cricket, and at the same time we have given a lot of responsibility to the management through the office of the CEO," Nenzani said at CSA's AGM last September. "These are not small changes, they require sensible leadership - which is not to say no one else can provide that - I'm part of a collective and that collective will provide that sensible leadership."

However, in the months that followed, CSA's executive unraveled, four board members resigned, sponsors were lost and seven staff members including CEO Thabang Moroe were suspended. Key stakeholders, such as the South African Cricketers' Association (SACA) called on the board, and specifically the president and vice-president, to be held accountable for the multiple crises affecting the organisation. Now, it appears the pressure has told and Nenzani is likely to take the fall. The position of vice-president Beresford Williams is unclear but the rest of the board are set to remain in their positions.

When spring training kicked off a year ago, Bryce Harper and Manny Machado remained unsigned. The drama this year will center around the Houston Astros: their cheating scandal, reactions from other players about the Astros' cheating scandal, the possibility of other teams throwing at Astros hitters in spring training, the counter-reaction from Astros pitchers and the reaction to the counter-reaction. Fun times!

Oh, and Gerrit Cole is with the Yankees, Anthony Rendon is with the Angels and Mookie Betts is (we think) headed to the Dodgers. For now, Francisco Lindor is still with the Indians, Nolan Arenado with the Rockies and Kris Bryant with the Cubs. We'll see if those three stars exit camp with those teams.

As pitchers and catchers report, let's look at one major spring training story or player to watch for each team, along with the level of enthusiasm (graded 0-5) for the club entering the season.

NL East | NL Central | NL West | AL East | AL Central | AL West

National League East

Atlanta Braves: What happens at third base? The Braves signed Cole Hamels, Marcell Ozuna and Travis d'Arnaud as free agents, but wouldn't dig deep to bring back Josh Donaldson. Austin Riley and Johan Camargo will compete for the job at third. Riley hit .324 with nine home runs in his first 18 games as a rookie, but pitchers exposed his aggressive approach after that and he hit .192 with nine home runs over his final 203 at-bats. Camargo played well in 2018 with 3.7 WAR, but he struggled in a bench role last season (minus-0.7 WAR). There could be a platoon here with the right-handed Riley and switch-hitting Camargo.

Level of excitement: 5. Coming off two straight division titles and a 97-win season, the Braves feel like this is their best team since Greg Maddux was in the rotation and John Smoltz was closing in 2003. With Ronald Acuna Jr., Freddie Freeman and Ozzie Albies, the fans have a compelling core to root for. Now the Braves just need to snap a string of eight straight losses in the division series.

Miami Marlins: Jorge Alfaro, Isan Diaz and Lewis Brinson. The Marlins brought in some veterans -- Jonathan Villar, Corey Dickerson, Jesus Aguilar -- to help provide support to what was a historically awful offense. The key for the future, however, is the development of the younger hitters. These three all struggled mightily with controlling the strike zone a year ago -- Diaz and Brinson both hit .173 -- and spring training will give some early insight into whether they're showing any improvement.

Level of excitement: 1. Things should get a lot more interesting in 2021, when top prospects like Sixto Sanchez, JJ Bleday, Jesus Sanchez and Jazz Chisholm should reach the majors.

New York Mets: Edwin Diaz, Dellin Betances and Jeurys Familia. Yes, all eyes will be on new manager Luis Rojas, who moved up from quality control coach to manager after previous new skipper Carlos Beltran was let go in the wake of the Astros scandal. More interesting, however, will be the early signs on what the Mets hope will be one of the best bullpens in the majors -- after having one of the worst in 2019. In 2018, Diaz, Betances and Familia combined to pitch 212 innings with 322 strikeouts and a 2.58 ERA. The Mets traded for Diaz and signed Familia, and both were terrible last season. Betances threw just two-thirds of an inning for the Yankees last year and has to come back from a partial tear of his left Achilles tendon, after missing time earlier in 2019 with shoulder and lat injuries. If those three regain their form alongside Seth Lugo, watch out.

Level of excitement: 4. Mets fans, as always, are an emotional blend of relentless pessimism and rabid enthusiasm. This is a fun team, with a powerful lineup led by Pete Alonso and super-ace Jacob deGrom to head the rotation.

Philadelphia Phillies: Joe Girardi. The Phillies signed Zack Wheeler and Didi Gregorius, but the most intriguing move was bringing in Girardi to replace Gabe Kapler as manager. The criticism of Girardi in his final year or two with the Yankees was that he had tuned out and wasn't completely engaged with his players. We'll see if two years away from managing will change that and if he can help figure out -- along with new pitching coach Bryan Price -- how to get a Phillies team that many believe underachieved last year into the 2020 pennant race.

Level of excitement: 3. Phillies attendance increased from 2.16 million in 2018 to 2.73 million in 2019 after the additions of Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto and Andrew McCutchen. The only way to get a similar increase in 2020 is to win a lot more than 81 games.

Washington Nationals: How does the infield sort itself out? The key player to watch is rookie Carter Kieboom, MLB.com's No. 21 prospect after hitting .303/.409/.493 at Triple-A. A shortstop in the minors, he struggled at the plate and in the field during his brief MLB stint in 2019, but will get the chance to start at third base or second. Otherwise, it will be a revolving door of veterans: Asdrubal Cabrera, Starlin Castro and Howie Kendrick in the mix at second and third, and Kendrick, Eric Thames and Ryan Zimmerman at first. You can't replace Rendon, but it's the most depth the Nationals have ever had.

Level of excitement: 5. The champs bring back Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Patrick Corbin and Anibal Sanchez as they try to defend their title and dethrone the Braves in the division. Oh, and what will Juan Soto do at age 21?

NL Central

Chicago Cubs: Will Kris Bryant be traded? Bryant lost his grievance on service time, so the Cubs now control his rights for two more seasons instead of one. That obviously increases his trade value, but it may also mean the Cubs end up keeping him for 2020. While the Cubs are coming off a disappointing season with 84 wins, remember that they were just two games out of first place until that nine-game losing streak in late September. They underperformed their Pythagorean record by seven wins -- a 19-27 record in one-run games and 4-9 record in extra-inning games didn't help. There's talent here, but trading Bryant would be a loud signal that the Cubs have other interests than trying to win in 2020.

Level of excitement: 3. Trading Bryant will create an even bigger groan of disgust from Cubs fans, who after four straight great seasons (2015 to 2018) now expect greatness every season.

Cincinnati Reds: Who plays center field? It has been a big offseason for the Reds, but the most interesting thing to watch in spring training will be the battle for center field between Nick Senzel and Shogo Akiyama. Senzel moved from the infield to center as a rookie and hit .256/.315/.427, below expectations, and was average -- at best -- in center. He also ended the season on the injured list after a partial tear in his labrum that required surgery. Akiyama, meanwhile, played center field in Japan, but he'll be 32 in April, old for a center fielder, and some scouts are skeptical he has the range to still play there. Reds president of baseball operations Dick Williams said Senzel is not a temporary option at third base (Eugenio Suarez will miss the start of the season) or shortstop, so he'll have to prove himself in center.

Level of excitement: 5. Coming off six straight losing seasons, the Reds have made the push for 2020, adding Akiyama, Nick Castellanos, Mike Moustakas, Wade Miley and Pedro Strop (plus a full season of Trevor Bauer). The most moves do not guarantee success, but the NL Central looks winnable.

Milwaukee Brewers: How does the starting rotation unfold? You don't see this too often: The Brewers made the playoffs and then traded away the two pitchers who started the most games for them (Zach Davies and Chase Anderson). The one rotation lock is Brandon Woodruff, who had a breakout season interrupted by an oblique injury in August. Two to watch closely are Josh Lindblom and Corbin Burnes. Lindblom last pitched in the majors in 2017, but he remade himself as a starter in Korea the past three seasons. Burnes was a top prospect as a starter after a big year in the minors in 2017 and pitched well in relief in 2018, but had a disastrous 2019 with an 8.82 ERA in 49 innings (although he did manage to strike out 70 batters).

Level of excitement: 4. Replacing Yasmani Grandal and Mike Moustakas won't be easy, but the Brewers have made a lot of secondary-type moves. Oh, and having Christian Yelich to anchor the lineup means a third straight postseason trip is possible.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Who are Trevor Williams and Mitch Keller? Well, we know who they are, but the question is how good are they? Williams won 14 games in 2018 with a 3.11 ERA, including an amazing run in which he had a 1.29 ERA over his final 13 starts. He couldn't replicate that success in 2019 (5.38 ERA). Keller was a hotshot prospect who got blitzed in his first MLB test, with a 7.13 ERA and 72 hits allowed in 48 innings over 11 starts.

Level of excitement: 0. No fan base is more disillusioned with its ownership than Pirates fans. Attendance has plummeted by a million since 2015. I doubt it will increase in 2020.

St. Louis Cardinals: Carlos Martinez. Two issues regarding Martinez. He underwent a platelet-rich plasma injection on his right shoulder after the season, considered a minor procedure, and he should be ready for a normal spring training. Still, keep an eye on his health. The other issue is whether the Cardinals will return him to the rotation. He was very good in that role from 2015 to 2017 with 42 wins and a 3.24 ERA before splitting duties in 2018 and making all 48 appearances in relief in 2019. The Cardinals did sign Korean lefty Kwang-Hyun Kim to compete for the rotation, but Martinez arguably has the most upside of any starter besides Jack Flaherty.

Level of excitement: 4. Cardinals fans aren't happy about the club failing to bring in a big hitter to help what was a mediocre offense in 2019; Arenado certainly felt like a potential fit. Still, they're coming off a division title and will draw three million fans for the 17th consecutive season.

NL West

Arizona Diamondbacks: Madison Bumgarner in black, teal and Sedona red. It will look weird seeing Bumgarner in a different uniform, but there are also legitimate concerns about how good he'll be away from the pitcher-friendly confines of San Francisco. We won't learn anything about that in March, and the Cactus League is notoriously hitter-friendly anyway. We'll also start to see what kind of positive influence he may have on guys like Robbie Ray and Zac Gallen, who give the Arizona rotation a lot of upside.

Level of excitement: 4. The only thing holding this down is the Dodgers seem virtually unbeatable in the NL West, but this is an exciting team with rotation depth, good defense and a breakout star last year in Ketel Marte.

Colorado Rockies: Will Nolan Arenado be traded? This seems much less likely now than it did a few weeks ago, but when Arenado shows up and meets the media for the first time, he'll be asked: Do you want to stay in Colorado? He'll almost certainly say "yes," and that he's fully committed to helping the Rockies win in 2020 ... but what if he says no?

Level of excitement: 3. Rockies ownership is talking like 2019 was just a fluky bad season after the success of 2017 and 2018. The fans aren't as optimistic.

Los Angeles Dodgers: Julio Urias. Yes, Mookie Mania will be of immense interest, but that will play out more in the regular season. For spring training and beyond, I'm curious to see if the Dodgers finally take their foot off the brake on Urias. He threw 79 innings in 2019, mostly in relief, but minus Hyun-Jin Ryu, Kenta Maeda and Rich Hill, the Dodgers are down 68 starts. They will presumably lean on David Price to help fill that gap, but Urias should be slated for 25 starts or so.

Level of excitement. 5. Let the good times roll once again. At least until October puts the fear in every Dodgers fan.

San Diego Padres: The young pitchers. How does Chris Paddack look after his impressive rookie season? How about Dinelson Lamet, now even further removed from Tommy John surgery? Will MacKenzie Gore show he's ready -- similar to Paddack a year ago -- to make the leap from Double-A to the majors, if not at the beginning of the season, perhaps soon enough? Or Luis Patino, another top pitching prospect with premium stuff? Or young lefty Adrian Morejon? And flame-throwing reliever Andres Munoz? Can I just spend spring training at Padres camp?

Level of excitement: 4. This was a 5 a year ago with the signing of Manny Machado and the pending arrival of Fernando Tatis Jr., but I get the feeling that enthusiasm has cooled a little after the disappointing 70-win season and failure to add a big name after all the rumors that included Betts.

San Francisco Giants: The comeback attempts in the rotation. Let's see, you have Johnny Cueto, who did return last September. Kevin Gausman will try to bounce back from a 5.72 ERA in 2019. Tyler Anderson made 32 starts for the Rockies in 2018, but just five last year after knee surgery (he's not expected to be 100% in spring training). Tyson Ross is a non-roster invite.

Level of excitement: 2. Attendance dropped under three million for the first time since 2009. It's still an old team, with the best prospects at least or a year or two away.

NL East | NL Central | NL West | AL East | AL Central | AL West

American League East

Baltimore Orioles: Adley Rutschman. The No. 1 overall pick is a non-roster invite, and while he might not get a lot of time in big league camp before being reassigned, it will be the first extended look at the player the Orioles hope becomes the face of their franchise. His stats at Oregon State were ridiculous: .411/.575/.751, with 17 home runs in 185 at-bats, 76 walks and 38 strikeouts. He's already polished behind the plate and will be on the fast track to the majors.

Level of excitement: 0. The Orioles lost 108 games, traded their best position player (Jonathan Villar) and their second-best pitcher (Dylan Bundy). So, umm, yeah.

Boston Red Sox: Chris Sale and Nathan Eovaldi. While the Betts/Price trade finally was completed, we're still waiting for a manager to be named. And we're still waiting for the penalties from the investigation into Boston's sign-stealing scandal to be revealed. Once the dust settles, however, the biggest story of the spring will be the health of Sale and Eovaldi. Sale made his final start on Aug. 13. Eovaldi did return to start the down the stretch, but had a 6.21 ERA over those eight starts.

Level of excitement: 3. Red Sox fans are not happy about Betts' departure and the apparent punt on 2020 to save money. The team isn't without hope, however. The lineup should still score plenty of runs, and the fans will still show up.

New York Yankees: Guys returning from injuries. The news that James Paxton is out several months after spinal surgery to remove a cyst is a reminder of the long list of Yankees coming back from injuries: Miguel Andujar (shoulder), Giancarlo Stanton (knee), Luis Severino (shoulder, lat), Luke Voit (abdominal), Mike Tauchman (calf), Aaron Hicks (Tommy John surgery), Jordan Montgomery (Tommy John surgery). Stanton, Severino and Montgomery did return late in the season, but will be closely monitored. Hicks will still be rehabbing and will join Paxton on the IL to begin the season. Andujar is the key guy to watch, as he undoubtedly will get a lot of action at first base.

Level of excitement: 5. Of course, the biggest spotlight -- even in spring training -- will be on Gerrit Cole. World Series or bust, Gerrit. Good luck.

Tampa Bay Rays: Wander Franco. There is SO much that is interesting about the Rays. Where will everyone play? Is Brendan McKay ready to make the leap and give the Rays another front-line starter? Do they have anybody in the bullpen who doesn't throw 97? But we're talking spring training, and if there's one thing you want to watch in spring training, it's the game's No. 1 prospect. The Rays have not announced Franco as a non-roster invite, but you have to think he'll get called up from minor league camp for some Grapefruit League action. Franco finished last year in High-A and while the Rays traditionally advance their players slowly, Franco may force his way into the big leagues later in the season.

Level of excitement: 4. It should be a 5, but I'm not sure Rays fans know how to get that excited (beyond the die-hards). They won 97 games last year and their attendance was lower than it was in 2017.

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Toronto Blue Jays: Sophomore sensations. What will Year 2 look like for Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and Cavan Biggio? The interesting part about their rookie seasons is that Bichette (.930 OPS) and Biggio (.793) both outhit Vladdy Junior (.772). We saw Guerrero's raw power on display at the Home Run Derby, but he ranked in just the 46th percentile in hard-hit rate (percentage of balls hit at 95-plus mph). When he does make contact, it's too often on the ground. His defense remains, umm, a work in progress as well.

Level of excitement: 3. They have the exciting young core to watch and added three-fifths of a new rotation in Hyun-Jin Ryu, Tanner Roark and Chase Anderson. There is surprise potential here if hitters besides Biggio can learn a little more patience. Check the spring stats to see how that's going.

AL Central

Chicago White Sox: Luis Robert and Nick Madrigal. The White Sox signed the multitooled Robert to a six-year deal with two option years, paving the way for him to start the season in the majors after hitting .328 with 32 home runs in the minors. Madrigal, the fourth overall pick in 2018, should be in the majors soon after. Both will see extensive action in the Cactus League.

Level of excitement: 5. With the additions of Robert and Madrigal, plus the free-agent signings of Yasmani Grandal, Edwin Encarnacion, Dallas Keuchel, Gio Gonzalez and Steve Cishek, and the hopeful return of hard-throwing Michael Kopech from Tommy John surgery, enthusiasm is sky high on the South Side for what should be an exciting team.

Cleveland Indians: What happens in the outfield? It seems the Francisco Lindor trade rumors have died down for now after the Dodgers, Reds, Padres and Mets reportedly pursued him over the winter. At the team's recent Tribe Fest, Lindor told reporters, "If they don't think I can stay here because of the money situation, then I won't be here," and later adding, "The front office tries to put a team together to win, not to save money. They're supposed to try to put a team together to win. I'm here to try to win." Now, about the outfield ...

Level of excitement: 3. The Indians have won 94, 102, 91 and 93 games the past four seasons. The Dodgers are the only other team with active streak of four straight 90-win seasons. Still, the Lindor rumors have disillusioned a fan base still upset over last offseason's inactivity.

Detroit Tigers: The minor league pitchers. The Tigers have an even more impressive group than the Royals as Casey Mize and Matt Manning are consensus top-25 overall prospects and Tarik Skubal came out of nowhere to reach Double-A last season -- even outperforming Mize and Manning at that level with 82 strikeouts in 42⅓ innings. All three are in big league camp and could certainly arrive in Detroit at some point in the regular season.

Level of excitement: 1. What, signing Jonathan Schoop, C.J. Cron and Ivan Nova doesn't get you excited for 2020?

Kansas City Royals: Also the minor league pitchers. The Royals' hope of turning things around in two or three years hinges on the development of the young starters in the minor leagues. Brady Singer, Jackson Kowar, Daniel Lynch and Kris Bubic are all non-roster invites to spring training. Singer and Kowar reached Double-A last year, while Lynch and Bubic topped out at High-A. All four have impact potential.

Level of excitement: 2. The big league club is still a long way away, and a third straight 100-loss season is certainly possible. The Royals have already lost 15,000 fans per game from their 2015 attendance figures. Rebuilding is not easy.

Minnesota Twins: Rotation battles. With the late addition of Josh Donaldson, the lineup is set, and it's impressive, perhaps even more powerful than last year's group that set the single-season home run record. The spring storyline to watch, however, is the rotation. Jose Berrios, Jake Odorizzi, Kenta Maeda and Homer Bailey are locks, but with Michael Pineda suspended for the first 39 games of the season and Rich Hill out until he comes back from elbow surgery, there are still things to be sorted out, with youngsters such as Randy Dobnak, Lewis Thorpe and Sean Poppen in the mix.

Level of excitement: 5. Last year's division series flameout left a bitter taste after such a fun regular season, so give the Twins credit for adding Donaldson and more depth to the rotation. The Twins have one series victory in the wild-card era, the 2002 ALDS over Oakland. It's time to go deeper into the postseason -- and figure out how to beat the Yankees because they've lost 16 straight playoff games ... 13 of them against New York.

AL West

Houston Astros: The fallout. It will be interesting to see how Astros hitters respond to the throng of national media that will descend upon West Palm Beach. Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve didn't exactly apologize when questioned a couple of weeks ago at the team's fan festival. Will that tone strike a different chord now? While AJ Hinch took ownership during his interview on MLB Network for his own failures in stopping the sign-stealing scheme in 2017, will the players do the same? How will they respond to the accusations that they used buzzers in 2019, which Hinch didn't exactly categorically deny? And that's before we even get to the games and how opponents will respond. That first day of spring training is just the beginning of what will be a long season for Houston.

Level of excitement: 4. But not necessarily an unsuccessful one. Even with the loss of Cole, the Astros project as a powerhouse. Indeed, the current projections at FanGraphs forecast the Astros as four wins better than the Yankees. Playing with a chip on their shoulder creates another intriguing motif.

Los Angeles Angels: Shohei Ohtani on the pitcher's mound. It's going to be a fascinating spring for the Angels -- not just the big signing of Rendon, but the other new faces (Jason Castro, Julio Teheran, Dylan Bundy). We'll also get a look at top prospect Jo Adell, although he may start the season in Triple-A given his struggles there in 27 games last season (.264/.321/.355, no home runs and 43 strikeouts in 131 PAs). The Angels plan to bring Ohtani along slowly from Tommy John; he may not join the big league rotation until May. Keep in mind that he has thrown just 77 innings the past three seasons.

Level of excitement: 4. Angels fans wanted Cole. But Rendon is a pretty nice Plan B. Getting 20 starts from Ohtani is a nice wish, but they should consider that a bonus.

Oakland Athletics: Jesus Luzardo, A.J. Puk and Frankie Montas. The A's have a position battle at second base, a rookie catcher in Sean Murphy, and Khris Davis trying to regain his power stroke, but I want to see the three young starting pitchers. Montas is returning from a PED suspension after an All-Star-caliber first half, and Luzardo and Puk are finally ready for their shots in the rotation, which could be one of the best in the majors with the two rookies and full seasons from Montas and Sean Manaea.

Level of excitement: 5. With the cracks potentially showing in the Astros' foundation, the AL West is ripe for the A's to win it. They won 97 games with the four pitchers mentioned above making just 21 starts.

Seattle Mariners: The kids? By that, we really mean outfielders Jarred Kelenic and Julio Rodriguez, who have both cracked top-10 overall prospect lists this year -- the first top-10s for the Mariners since (cough) Jesus Montero in 2012. Before that, you have to go all the way back to Felix Hernandez in 2005. Both are non-roster invites to camp and Kelenic, who ended 2019 in Double-A, has the ability and confidence to reach the majors this year.

Level of excitement: 1. The farm system is fun. The big league roster? Not as fun. Young players like Evan White, J.P. Crawford, Shed Long, Kyle Lewis and Justus Sheffield will at least get the chance to prove themselves, but it projects as a possible 100-loss season.

Texas Rangers: Corey Kluber. Of all the injury returnees, Kluber is right at the top. The Rangers didn't address their offense in the offseason -- although perhaps a Bryant or Arenado trade can still happen -- so they're counting on Kluber, Mike Minor and Lance Lynn to be one of the best 1-2-3 trios in the majors. Kluber's injuries were a broken forearm and an oblique, so nothing with his elbow or shoulder. He did, however, struggle at the start of 2019, so he'll have to re-establish himself as a staff ace.

Level of excitement: 3. The move to the new park will help ramp up enthusiasm, but on paper the Rangers are still a long way behind the Astros and A's. Adding another star bat would help, but so far the front office has shied away from that additional move.

From Armand Duplantis’ world pole vault best in Toruń to Jemma Reekie’s national records in New York, it has been a busy record-breaking weekend

While a full online report for the Copernicus Cup meeting in Toruń, where Armand Duplantis broke the world pole vault record, can be found here, and a round-up of Millrose Games action, which included two more British records run by Jemma Reekie, can be found here, below we list some of the top performances together with other recent highlights.

Orlen Copernicus Cup, Toruń, Poland, February 8

Click here for full report.

Sweden’s Armand Duplantis cleared an incredible 6.17m to break the world pole vault record.

Britain’s 2018 world indoor champion Andrew Pozzi won the men’s 60m hurdles in 7.53 after a 7.58 heat, while Ethiopia’s world medallist Gudaf Tsegay clocked 4:00.09 to win the 1500m and runner-up Lemlem Hailu ran 4:01.79 to break the world under-20 indoor record.

NYRR Millrose Games, New York, USA, February 8

Click here for full report.

After breaking the British indoor 800m record the weekend before, Jemma Reekie added two more UK records to her CV as she improved the national indoor 1500m and mile marks to 4:00.52 and 4:17.88 respectively.

In an historic mile race, winner Elle Purrier clocked a US record of 4:16.85 (4:00.20 1500m split) as Konstanze Klosterhalfen was second in a German record of 4:17.26 (3:59.87 1500m).

Britain’s Chris O’Hare was among the winners in New York as the European indoor 3000m silver medallist clocked 3:55.61 for Wanamaker men’s mile victory ahead of Australia’s Olli Hoare with 3:56.47.

Both Donavan Brazier and Ajeé Wilson improved their own US indoor 800m marks with respective winning times of 1:44.22 and 1:58.29.

Perch Elite Tour, Rouen, France, February 8

Two-time world champion Sam Kendricks broke the US men’s pole vault record with 6.01m.

Sam Kendricks passe la barre des 6m01 au Kindarena ! 2eme performance américaine de tous les temps ??!#PercheEliteTour20 pic.twitter.com/rjEqDiKCjX

— France 3 Normandie (@f3htenormandie) February 8, 2020

Harry Coppell cleared 5.80m, adding 9cm to his previous best for an Olympic qualifying mark and to move to third on the UK indoor all-time list.

British record-holder Holly Bradshaw won the women’s competition with her clearance of 4.63m.

Akron Ohio, USA, February 8

Lucy Bryan cleared a pole vault PB of 4.51m to improve her previous best by 1cm.

Hustopeče, Czech Republic, February 8

Tom Gale cleared a 2.33m high jump PB which moves him to fifth on the UK indoor all-time list and is an Olympic qualifier.

Kelechi Aguocha cleared 2.22m to move the 18-year-old to joint fourth on the UK under-20 indoor high jump all-time list.

Kelechi Aguocha 2.22m. He dared to believe. #hustopece #hughjump pic.twitter.com/uQETzCbumj

— Fuzz Caan (@fuzzcoaching) February 8, 2020

In the women’s competition Nikki Manson improved to 1.93m ,while Morgan Lake cleared 1.90m.

PSD Bank Indoor Meeting, Dortmund, Germany, February 9

European indoor medallist Melissa Courtney-Bryant won the 3000m in 8:49.78 while her fellow Briton Piers Copeland, the European under-23 silver medallist, won the 1500m in 3:40.25.

Moscow, Russia, February 9

Maria Lasitskene cleared a world-leading indoor high jump PB of 2.05m to win ahead of Anna Chicherova with 1.96m.

Meeting Metz Moselle Athlélor, France, February 9

Yulimar Rojas moved to equal sixth on the world indoor triple jump all-time list with a Venezuelan record of 15.03m.

15.03 WL NR Yulimar Rojas (Venezuela ??) Triple jump 6th attempt #Athlelor2020 #Metz2020
(Also 14.94 NR) https://t.co/MVx6rTG1ia pic.twitter.com/zjynSU99Uk

— PJ Vazel (@pjvazel) February 9, 2020

CrossCup Rotselaar, Belgium, February 9

Britain’s Kate Holt won the senior women’s race, with Izzy Fry finishing fourth.

Adam Hickey was second in the senior men’s race, just three seconds behind Belgium’s Lahsene Bouchikhi. Ellis Cross was sixth.

Shannon Flockhart, Alexandra Millard and Phoebe Anderson achieved a GB clean sweep in the junior women’s race, while Matthew Stonier led a British top four in the junior men’s event ahead of Oliver Newman, Tomer Tarragano and Charlie Brisley.

Tarawera Ultramarathon, New Zealand, February 8

GB international cross-country and ultra runner Tom Evans returned to ultra running after racing for Britain at the European Cross Country Championships and won the 102km event with 3000m of climb by over 30 minutes in a course record of 8:03:29.

What a run and what a welcome! @TomEvansUltra has won the 102km @taraweraultra #TUM102km, breaking the course record. Last month he spoke with @euancrumley for AW's training special and shared insight into why, for him, variety is key ➡️ https://t.co/68uOkvKGXv #interview https://t.co/s93Q3ByDiY

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) February 8, 2020

Belgium’s Manuela Soccol was the women’s winner in 9:39:49.

Storm Ciara

A number of UK events were cancelled on Sunday due to Storm Ciara.

A list of some of the events affected can be found here.

Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Leonardo came to the defence of superstars Neymar and Kylian Mbappe after the French champions' 4-2 Ligue 1 win over Lyon on Sunday.

France international Mbappe scored the hosts' second goal, while Neymar was out injured with a rib problem but watched on from the stands at Parc des Princes.

Mbappe, 21, came in for criticism after his reaction to being substituted during the previous week's 5-0 thrashing of Montpellier, while Neymar, 28, threw a well-publicised birthday party -- even though it was supposed to be more low-key than usual.

"Neymar was born this way," Leonardo told Canal+ of his compatriot. "God gave him his talent and what he is doing is tremendous.

"I am glad we are on the topic of Neymar as there was a lot of 'We will see with his party,' and 'How will PSG handle this?' There was no internal influence and the player knew what we thought. We also know how he is. There was no problem.

"Today, if we talk about the pitch, what are we saying? He is committed, very happy and a fantastic player. He is very fit. We are happy to have him. Wonderful."

Instead of handing the floor back to the studio after answering the question on Neymar, Leonardo continued to challenge the recent portrayal of Mbappe as a spoiled child by large swathes of the media.

"We are also happy to have Kylian," he said. "That is another thing. I have heard things said about him on a personal level that bother me.

"If a player storms off and talks back to the coach, OK, it is a mistake. We discuss it internally and settle the issue.

"To say that he is a brat and this or that, I do not accept that. He is an adorable guy, very committed, and a fantastic player."

With PSG's return to Champions League action fast approaching as the knockout stages near, Leonardo sought to protect Thomas Tuchel's squad against criticism after their implosions against Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United in recent seasons.

- Champions League round of 16: All you need to know
- ESPN Champions League fantasy: Sign up now!

"We have the right to be happy from time to time," he said. "Today, we are 12 points clear in Ligue 1, managed five wins and a draw in the Champions League group stage, while our players are in great shape for the highest level.

"Why should we be scared of a Champions League round of 16 clash? Honestly, I do not see it. Why? It is not life or death against Borussia Dortmund. I think the team is ready. If we win, great. If not, we will continue to grow.

"We are relaxed, as we must be. We want to reach the quarterfinals, the semifinals, and who knows, one day win it."

Leonardo also expressed his hope that PSG can end the negativity surrounding the club in Europe by taking a big step forward for themselves and Ligue 1 on the continental stage.

"I am just saying there is some negativity that has started to come out," he said. "It looks like preparation for a defeat, which I do not like.

"It feeds negativity. It would be good for France, not just PSG, to get to the final or better. I do not understand why we enter into this negativity."

"We have to leave behind this 'If we lose, we are dead' attitude. No, it's not life or death. We are going to play a match and hope to win."

Bournemouth forward Joshua King has said returning to Manchester United would have been a "dream come true," following a failed transfer in January.

United targeted a new striker in January following injury to Marcus Rashford, with Odion Ighalo eventually completing a loan move from Shanghai Shenhua in the final hours of the window.

- Transfer Grades: All the big moves rated
- When does the transfer window re-open?
- All major completed transfer deals

However, King, who made two first team appearances from 2009 to 2013 at Old Trafford, was the initial target but United were unable to agree a deal.

"How close it [the transfer] was I have no complete answer to," King told TV2 following his side's 2-1 defeat to Sheffield United. "I have to watch what I say.

"I had some faith that it was going to happen. And it was a bit sensitive for me considering that I moved to England as a 16-year-old to achieve my dream and wanted to reach that goal at Manchester United.

"It did not [happen] and then I made a choice and left. When you hear that you are connected to United and a bid comes in, then the feelings you had as a 16-year-old come back to you."

However, despite seeing the move fall through, King said he remains just as committed to Bournemouth.

"But why it did not happen, I do not know," he added. "I'm a Bournemouth player and I really enjoy it here.

"But it had been a dream come true, I will not lie. That didn't happen and I'm going to give everything to Bournemouth as long as I'm in this club.

"The coach [Eddie Howe] was absolutely fantastic with me during those days and was very helpful with me. I have respect for how he behaved with me during the little episode."

Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli has apologised for a video posted on his Snapchat account in which he appeared to mock an Asian man in relation to the coronavirus outbreak.

The outbreak in China has killed over 900 people, with more than 40,000 infected.

- Premier League winter break: All you need to know

Alli, who has been on holiday while Spurs are on their winter break, posted the video of him wearing a face mask in an airport lounge with the message: "Corona whattt, please listen with volume."

He then zooms the camera towards a man before panning to a bottle of antiseptic hand wash with the video caption reading: "This virus gunna have to be quicker than that to catch me."

The post was subsequently removed and Alli later apologised on Chinese social media platform Weibo.

"It wasn't funny -- I realised that immediately and took it down," he said. "I let myself down and the club. I don't want you guys to have that impression of me."

The winter transfer window is closed, but now it's time to look ahead to the summer! Here are the new rumours floating around following the Jan. 31 deadline day.

TOP STORY: Bayern plan summer Sane, Firmino moves

Bayern Munich are said to be plotting ambitious moves to snap up Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino and Manchester City winger Leroy Sane as they look to begin "a new era of dominance" in the Bundesliga, The Sun has reported.

Liverpool were reportedly in pole position to land RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner, leaving Firmino facing increased competition for playing time at Anfield, and according to the report, Bayern see that deal as a key opportunity to tempt the Brazilian with a move to the Allianz Arena.

Manager Hansi Flick is said to be readying a £75 million bid for the Liverpool ace after identifying him as his top transfer target, while the German side are also still keen on signing long-term target Sane after last summer's overtures failed to result in a deal.

Sky Blues boss Pep Guardiola has spoken of his desire to keep hold of Sane, who is back in training following a knee injury early in the season, but the Germany international might opt to move back to his homeland if Bayern come calling.

LIVE BLOG

10.53 GMT: Goran Pandev, who was part of Inter Milan's 2010 Treble-winning side and started the Champions League final win over Bayern Munich, has revealed he was close to a stunning return to the club in January.

On Sunday, his goal helped Genoa beat Cagliari 1-0 and, following the game was asked about rumours he was close to re-joining the Nerazzurri in winter transfer window.

"There was something, but everyone knows my attention is on Genoa and that I want to stay here," Pandev told Sky Sport Italia.

"Inter for me are everything. They brought me to Italy, I had amazing years there and won everything. Now I want to help save Genoa [from relegation]."

10.19 GMT: Bournemouth forward Joshua King has said returning to Manchester United would have been a "dream come true," following a failed transfer in January.

United targeted a new striker in January following injury to Marcus Rashford, with Odion Ighalo eventually completing a loan move from Shanghai Shenhua in the final hours of the window. However, King, who made two first team appearances from 2009 to 2013 at Old Trafford, was the initial target but United were unable to agree a deal.

"How close it [the transfer] was I have no complete answer to," King told TV2 following his side's 2-1 defeat to Sheffield United. "I have to watch what I say.

"I had some faith that it was going to happen. And it was a bit sensitive for me considering that I moved to England as a 16-year-old to achieve my dream and wanted to reach that goal at Manchester United.

"It did not [happen] and then I made a choice and left. When you hear that you are connected to United and a bid comes in, then the feelings you had as a 16-year-old come back to you."

09.28 GMT: Inter Milan are on the verge of signing former Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano on an emergency loan, according to reports in Italy.

First-choice goalkeeper Samir Handanovic, who is regarded among the best in Serie A, has been on the bench for the past two games due a broken finger, with Daniele Padelli starting against Udinese and AC Milan.

However, Padelli was at fault for Milan's opener in Sunday's epic derby, while there were question marks over his role in the Rossoneri's second goal.

Thankfully for the 34-year-old, Inter stormed back to win 4-2 (stream the replay on ESPN+ in the U.S.) and claim three extremely valuable points as they battle for the title.

08.58 GMT: Bayern Munich president Herbert Hainer told supporters at a fan club meeting that Cristiano Ronaldo would be too old to join the Bavarians.

Ronaldo is under contract at Juventus until 2022 and will be 37 by the time his current deal expires. But with Bayern going into a summer transfer window in which they are expected to spend big, some fans have been dreaming of signing the Portugal international.

When asked about potential summer transfers at a fan club meeting earlier this week, Hainer ruled out a move for Ronaldo.

"Many names are linked with us by the media," Hainer said in quotes reported by Passauer Neue Presse. "Cristiano should be a bit too old for us."

- ESPN+ obtains Bundesliga rights from 2020

08.31 GMT: The agent of Paris Saint-Germain defender Thiago Silva has kept the prospect of a return to AC Milan open this summer.

Brazil international Thiago Silva, 35, left the San Siro for PSG in 2012 at the same time as Zlatan Ibrahimovic. With the Swede now back at Milan, Paulo Tonietto hinted that his client could reunited with him at the end of the season when his contract at the Parc des Princes expires.

"His love for Milan is great, but nothing has been decided -- yet," Tonietto told Milancafe24. "Everything is possible."

08.00 GMT: Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has said Gareth Bale is "an important player" who will "give us a lot until the end of the season" after he returned for their La Liga win at Osasuna.

Bale had been left out of the squad entirely for the derby win over Atletico Madrid last weekend as well as the Copa del Rey defeat to Real Sociedad in midweek, despite being fully fit and available for selection, leading to renewed speculation about his future at the Bernabeu. The Wales international played over an hour in Real Madrid's 4-1 victory on Sunday before being substituted.

"He is an important player," Zidane said a postmatch news conference. "He has shown it. He hasn't played the last three games and he played 70 good minutes defensively.

"Everyone wants us to have a problem with Gareth, but there isn't one. I'm happy with his game. Offensively and defensively he gave everything. He was a bit short physically at the end, that's why he came off. We know the player he is and he'll give us a lot until the end of the season."

PAPER TALK (by Liam Wheeler): Liverpool to prioritise Havertz deal

Speaking of Premier League and Bundesliga switches, the Express says Liverpool have made Bayer Leverkusen's Kai Havertz their main transfer target this summer as Jurgen Klopp looks to add some creative flair in the middle of the park.

The 20-year-old has impressed in the Bundesliga this season and is said to have caught the eye of some of Europe's biggest clubs, with Manchester United and Bayern Munich believed to be among those interested in the youngster, who has scored four goals and two assists.

But according to the Express, it is the Reds who are the most desperate to recruit Havertz, though Klopp will turn to former Anfield fan favourite Philippe Coutinho if the attempts to sign his compatriot do not come to fruition.

Better still, any deal for Coutinho could be struck at a significantly reduced price as Barcelona look to recover whatever costs they can at the end of his loan spell with Bayern, as the Catalan side prepare summer moves for Neymar or Lautaro Martinez.

Even though Bayern are unlikely to exercise their purchase option on Coutinho, there are other teams interested in signing the 27-year-old, with the Daily Star reporting that Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain and Serie A side Juventus are also in the mix.

The Star suggests that Juventus see Coutinho as a strong option to add some flair to the Turin club, and PSG are keen to add to their ranks, with questions hanging over the futures of some of the club's biggest stars.

-- Transfer grades: All the big moves rated
-- When does the transfer window reopen?
-- All major completed transfer deals

Tap-Ins

-- Juventus boss Maurizio Sarri has opened talks about a new contract with ex-Tottenham target Paulo Dybala, as the Italian side appear to have made a complete U-turn regarding the striker's future. Dybala, who has previously been linked with Manchester United, was on the brink of joining Spurs in the summer, but the Mirror reports that he could stay in Turin after hitting 11 goals this season.

-- Hellas Verona could lose a host of loan stars this summer, with plenty of fellow Italian sides ready to cash in, Calciomercato.com reports. According to Calcio, Kosovo defender Amir Rrahmani is expected to return to Napoli, and Sofyan Amrabat will end his stay at Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi. Midfielder Matteo Pessina will likely be brought back to Atalanta with Juventus reportedly ready to buy.

Big picture

As if injuries to Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry weren't enough, New Zealand were hampered by absence of Scott Kuggleijn and Mitchell Santner for the second ODI. Tim Southee, too, battled an illness while Ish Sodhi had been released to play a four-dayer against India A in Lincoln.

Southee soldiered on and meticulously took down India captain Virat Kohli, but had to leave the field after finishing his ten overs. So depleted were New Zealand that they had to call their assistant coach Luke Ronchi as a substitute fielder. Yet, they dug deep enough to overcome a batting collapse and a late scare from Ravindra Jadeja to sew up the series.

But problems - even outside fitness reasons - persist. Ross Taylor has fired in both the ODIs, but the rest of the middle-order has faltered. Williamson's return at Bay Oval, his home ground, could remedy some of those issues. He had a proper workout on the eve of the game, and is set to resume his mouth-watering tussle against Jasprit Bumrah. Santner and Kuggleijn are also coming along well, according to bowling coach Shane Jurgensen, while Sodhi has flown back to Mount Maunganui and rejoined the squad along with fast bowler Blair Tickner.

After India had conceded the series in Auckland, Kohli reckoned that the team management might use this dead rubber to test out their bench. Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, who hasn't played a single match so far on tour, might get a look-in on Tuesday. Will there be some room in the middle order for Manish Pandey too? Allrounder Shivam Dube is also among India's reserves and hasn't played in India's last nine ODIs.

Form guide

New Zealand WWTWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
India LLWWL

In the spotlight

Colin de Grandhomme din't bowl in two of the three T20Is he played, but has been pretty tidy with the ball in the two ODIs. After removing Prithvi Shaw with an outswinger in the first game, he tricked KL Rahul into cutting a ball that was neither short or wide enough for the shot. His batting form, though, has cooled off and he has floated down the order as the hosts have looked to maintain a left-right combination. Can he land the mighty blows with the bat on Tuesday?

There has been plenty of scrutiny over Kedar Jadhav's role in the current set-up. He has played some charming cameos while coming in with just a few deliveries left, but has bowled all of one over with the ball since the World Cup. Jadhav has one more opportunity in Mount Maunganui before the new selection panel picks the squad for the three-match ODI series at home against South Africa in March.

Team news

Having been severely depleted by injuries and illness, New Zealand have called in reinforcements in the form of Sodhi and Tickner.

New Zealand (probable): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Henry Nicholls, 3 Kane Williamson (capt.), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Tom Latham (wk), 6 Jimmy Neesham, 7 Colin de Grandhomme, 8 Tim Southee, 9 Kyle Jamieson, 10 Ish Sodhi/Mitchell Santner, 11 Hamish Bennett/Scott Kuggleijn

Having given Mohammed Shami a break at Eden Park, India might look to rest Bumrah ahead of the Test series and bring back Shami. And it remains to be seen whether Pant will take over the gloves from Rahul.

India (probable): 1 Mayank Agarwal, 2 Prithvi Shaw, 3 Virat Kohli (capt.), 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul/Rishabh Pant, 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Kedar Jadhav/Manish Pandey/Shivam Dube, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Yuzvendra Chahal/Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Navdeep Saini, 11 Mohammed Shami/Jasprit Bumrah

Pitch and conditions

The Bay Oval rolled out a fairly slow track the last time these two sides met in an ODI at this venue in 2019. The T20I game that the Bay Oval had hosted last week was also similarly slow and provided some assistance to the bowlers. The weather is likely to be nice and pleasant for the duration of the match.

Stats and trivia

• The last time India were whitewashed in a bilateral ODI series of three or more matches was in 1989 when they lost 5-0 in the West Indies.

• India have played two ODIs at this venue and have won both.

• Henry Nicholls has made 315 runs in 10 ODI innings as an opener at an average of 35 and strike rate of 70. His last three scores at the top read: 41, 78 and 55.

Quotes

"The T20 series didn't go according to plan, but we knew we weren't too far off. We've played some good cricket in the one-dayers…although we're missing a couple of guys, as a whole, the one-day side has been tracking pretty good."
Tim Southee

"I think Taylor's batting really well. Once he's set he can play on the leg side like he's a God. We have to be precise bowling to him."
Shardul Thakur

Ranji Trophy 2019-20 is entering its final group-stage round but so far only three teams - Gujarat, Saurashtra and Andhra - have confirmed their berths in the quarter-finals. ESPNcricinfo takes a look at what the other contenders need to do in order to make it to the knockouts.

Elite Groups A and B

Gujarat (29 points) and Saurashtra (28) have enough points already to ensure themselves quarter-finals spots, and even if Andhra (27) lose their last group match, their four wins will be higher than any other side they might end up tied with for the final slot.

That means there are only two more slots to be filled up from Elite Groups A and B, combined. And there are seven teams - Bengal, Karnataka, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Vidarbha and Delhi - still in contention. Here's what each of them needs to do.

Bengal (points 26)
Remaining fixture: v Punjab in Patiala
A win, or even a draw with a first-innings lead, will seal their place in the quarter-finals. Even if Punjab take the first-innings lead, they should be safe, courtesy their superior quotient (1.537). In fact, they can qualify even if they lose, provided Uttar Pradesh don't get a bonus point against Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka either lose or concede a first-innings lead in a draw with Baroda.

Karnataka (points 25)
Remaining fixture: v Baroda in Bengaluru
Ditto. They either need to win or secure a draw with a first-innings lead to qualify for the knockouts. But if Baroda get the first-innings lead, they will have to hope Bengal beat Punjab, UP don't win against Himachal, and Tamil Nadu don't get a bonus point against Saurashtra.

If they lose, they can still qualify if Bengal beat Punjab, UP and Tamil Nadu either draw or lose their games, and Vidarbha and Delhi don't get a bonus point against Hyderabad and Rajasthan respectively.

Bengal and Karnataka are the only teams from the combined group that can qualify even if they lose their games.

Punjab (points 24)
Remaining fixture: v Bengal in Patiala
Punjab's fate is also in their own hands. If they beat Bengal, they qualify. They can also scrape through if they manage a draw with a first-innings lead. In that case, both Punjab and Bengal will end with 27 points, and there is a scenario where Andhra and UP too can finish with 27 points each. Then the quotient will be the tie-break.

Uttar Pradesh (points 20)
Remaining fixture: v Himachal Pradesh in Lucknow
A bonus-point win against Himachal will take them to 27 points, but even that will not guarantee them a quarter-final berth. Their best chance is if there is an outright result in the Punjab-Bengal game and Karnataka lose to Baroda or at least concede a first-innings lead in a draw.

But if Karnataka win or take a first-innings lead, they would want Punjab to take a first-innings lead against Bengal in a drawn game, or Andhra to lose to Gujarat. In both those scenarios, there will be multiple teams tied on 27 points with the quotient being the deciding factor.

If UP win without a bonus point, then their best chance is if Bengal beat Punjab, Baroda beat Karnataka and Saurashtra either beat Tamil Nadu or draw with them. In that scenario, they will be through without relying on the quotient. But if Karnataka win and there is an outright winner in the Punjab-Bengal game, UP will be out of the race.

Tamil Nadu (points 19)
Remaining fixture: v Saurashtra in Rajkot
Tamil Nadu also need many other results to go their way. Their best chance is to beat Saurashtra with a bonus point and hope that Karnataka, Punjab and UP lose their respective games. This way they will be on 26 and could be the fifth team to make the cut.

If Tamil Nadu don't win by a bonus point, they can still qualify if Karnataka, Punjab and UP lose their respective matches. In that case, it will be battle of quotients between them and Karnataka (and Vidarbha, if they beat Hyderabad with a bonus point). Right now, Tamil Nadu (1.319) have a higher quotient than both Karnataka (0.969) and Vidarbha (1.126).

Vidarbha (points 18)
Remaining fixture: v Hyderabad in Hyderabad
The two-time defending champions need a slew of results to go their way. The only positives for them are their decent quotient and that they are playing against Hyderabad, who have lost six out of their seven games. Vidarbha must beat Hyderabad either by an innings or by ten wickets, and then hope Karnataka and Punjab lose their games, and UP and TN don't win theirs.

Delhi (points 18)
Remaining fixture: v Rajasthan in Delhi
Despite having the same number points as Vidarbha, their situation is even worse because of a low quotient. They need to beat Rajasthan with a bonus point and then hope Karnataka and Punjab lose their games, UP and TN at the most draw theirs, and if Vidarbha win, it's not with a bonus point. Even after all this, they will have to ensure they end with a higher quotient than Karnataka's. Looks like they need a miracle, right?

Elite Group C

The road to the quarter-finals isn't any simpler in Elite Group C. Five out of the ten teams in the group are battling for the top-two slots. Here's what they need to seal them.

Jammu and Kashmir (points 39)
Remaining fixture: v Haryana in Jammu
If they win or get a first-innings lead against Haryana, they qualify. But even if they lose, they can still progress to the quarter-finals if one of the following is met: a) Odisha either lose to Jharkhand or at the most get a first-innings, or b) Services don't get a bonus point against Chhattisgarh.

Odisha (points 35)
Remaining fixture: v Jharkhand in Cuttack
A victory against Jharkhand will send Odisha through. If they only manage a first-innings lead, they have to hope Services don't win against Chhattisgarh. If Odisha lose to Jharkhand, they need Services to either lose to Chhattisgarh or at least not get a first-innings lead in a draw.

Services (points 33)
Remaining fixture: v Chhattisgarh in Raipur
If Services beat Chhattisgarh with a bonus point, they will want Jammu and Kashmir to lose to Haryana, or Odisha to not win against Jharkhand. If Services get don't a bonus point, they can still go through without bringing the quotient into the picture provided Odisha don't win.

In fact, Services can qualify even if they manage just a first-innings lead, but in such a case Odisha will have to lose and Haryana shouldn't win. In such a case if Odisha manage a draw after a conceding a first-innings lead, or Haryana win without a bonus point, the quotient will become the deciding factor.

Haryana (points 30)
Remaining fixture: v Jammu and Kashmir in Jammu
Haryana need nothing short of a win to give themselves a chance, and even then they will have to depend on others. Their best bet is to beat Jammu and Kashmir with a bonus point, and hope Services don't win and Odisha lose or don't get a first-innings lead in a draw. If Haryana don't get a bonus point, they need both Odisha and Services to lose, else it will come down to the quotient.

Maharashtra (points 28)
Remaining fixture: v Uttarakhand in Baramati
Their only - and very bleak - chance is if they beat Uttarakhand by an innings or ten wickets and then Odisha lose to Jharkhand, Services either lose to Chhattisgarh or don't get a first-innings lead in a draw, and Haryana don't win against Jammu and Kashmir.

Plate Group

Things are much simpler here as only Goa and Puducherry are in the race for the lone quarter-final spot from Plate Group.

Goa (points 43)
Remaining fixture: v Mizoram in Barasat
If Goa win against Mizoram - with or without a bonus point - they will be the one qualifying. But if they just manage a first-innings lead, they should hope Puducherry don't win against Nagaland.

If Goa end up conceding the first-innings lead, they want Puducherry to do the same. Similarly, if Goa lose, they want Puducherry to lose as well.

Puducherry (points 41)
Remaining fixture: v Nagaland in Puducherry
Puducherry's best chance is if they win and Goa don't. If they manage only a first-innings lead, Goa should lose or at the most fetch a draw after conceding a first-innings lead. In the latter case, Puducherry would bank on their superior quotient - 2.225 as compared to Goa's 2.080 - to see them through.