Harbhajan Singh is the solitary Indian player to enter the draft for the inaugural season of The Hundred, which starts in July 2020. Harbhajan, who last played for India during the 2016 Asia Cup, has put his base price at £100,000.

Senior off-spinner Harbhajan is one of the 25 overseas player on the longlist with a base price of £100,000 (US$124,000) or more with the draft scheduled for October 20 in London.

The development is likely to raise eyebrows in the BCCI considering no Indian player can participate in overseas T20 leagues without having retired. Recently Harbhajan's former India and Punjab team-mate Yuvraj Singh featured in the Global Canada Twenty20, but that was possible only because the allrounder had retired.

ESPNcricnfo understands Harbhajan, who is 39, is keen to feature in The Hundred, but he is yet to approach the BCCI, which he will only do if he is picked in the draft. The tournament rules dictate only three overseas players are allowed in the squad as well as the team. In the extreme case where the only option left to him is to retire, it is understood that Harbhajan would not be shy to take that step.

Harbhajan's 417 Test wickets puts him as the 13th-highest wicket-taker overall and the third on the all-time Indian list in the longest format. In ODI cricket, Harbhjan is fifth on the all-time India list with 260 wickets. Despite having featured in the inaugural World T20 that India won in 2007, Harbhajan has only played 28 T20Is.

However, his stock in the IPL has always soared, where he is joint-third on the all-time list grouped with legspinner Piyush Chawla at 150 wickets. After a long and successful stint at Mumbai Indians, Harbhajan was bought by another multiple-IPL winner, Chennai Super Kings, led by old friend MS Dhoni in 2018. In the last two years, Harbhajan has been used by Dhoni mostly in the Powerplay where he has taken 11 wickets at an economy rate of 8.4 and average of 25. Overall he has 23 wickets in the last two seasons of the IPL in 23 innings at an economy rate of 7.67 and an average of 25.30.

Although Harbhajan waits in expectation for an India call-up, he is at the same time well aware that he has a limited shelf life as far his playing career is concerned. In 2020 he will be 40 and he will believe he still has at least two years left in him to play the shortest formats. For the past few years he has only featured regularly in the IPL. He stopped playing domestic cricket last year as he did not want to take up a position that could go to a young player.

Realistically the chances of the BCCI relaxing the rules remain highly unlikely. That would put the onus on Harbhajan, who would then need to retire to feature in the overseas leagues.

Zimbabwe 168 for 2 (Moor 92*, Munyonga 44) beat Singapore 167 for 7 (Chandramohan 66, David 47, Jakiel 2-27) by 8 wickets

Peter Moor smashed 92* off 60 as Zimbabwe avenged their shock defeat against Singapore in the two sides' last meeting in the Singapore Twenty20 Tri-Series 2019, beating the home team by a handy eight wickets, with eight balls to spare.

The result meant Zimbabwe finished the tournament as the team with the most points, having three wins and one defeat in their four games. Singapore, and the third team Nepal, had one win and one no result each. The tournament does not have a final, so Zimbabwe were effectively the winners, with the double round-robin league stage completed.

ALSO READ: Why Singapore beating Zimbabwe is a big deal

Put in to bat, Singapore were driven by a 90-run second-wicket stand between opener Surendran Chandramohan (66 off 47) and Tim David (47 off 23). There were no big contributions either side of that partnership, but it was enough to carry Singapore to 167 for 7. Right-arm medium pacer Daniel Jakiel was Zimbabwe's best bowler, with 2 for 27 in four overs.

Singapore would have got even fewer, having collapsed from 114 for 1 in 10.5 overs to 130 for 4 in 14.2 overs, but a quick 22 by Janak Prakash at No.6 gave them impetus at the end.

But it wasn't enough to trouble Zimbabwe, whose chase was helmed by Moor from the top of the order.

Singapore struck early enough, with Janak having Regis Chakabva caught in the fourth over, but just like it had in the first innings, there was a substantial second-wicket stand in the chase too. Moor got together with Tony Munyonga (44 off 33) to put on 84 in ten overs.

David completed a good all-round day by sending back Munyonga caught and bowled, but Zimbabwe followed one good stand with another. Captain Sean Williams played second fiddle as Moor blasted off, with the unbroken third-wicket partnership yielding 63 runs in just 5.3 overs, completing a comfortable win.

India women 99 for 5 (Harmanpreet 34*, Ismail 2-19) beat South Africa women 98 for 8 (Wolvaardt 17, Radha 3-23, Deepti 2-19) by five wickets

Spinners Radha Yadav (3 for 23) and Deepti Sharma (2 for 19) stifled South Africa women before Harmanpreet Kaur steered the tricky chase to see India women home by five wickets in the additional T20I in Surat. Their victory ensured the extra game, scheduled to make up for two washed-outs, had no impact on the series result as India lead the now six-match series 3-0.

After being put in, South Africa kept losing wickets at regular intervals and could manage only 98 for 8. Six of their top seven batsmen reached double digits but none could cross 20.

Stand-in captain Sune Luus promoted herself to open the innings with Lizelle Lee but the move didn't pay off. Deepti and medium-pacer Shikha Pandey, who found some swing with the new ball, restricted the visitors to 13 in the first four overs. Lee tried to step it up with back-to-back fours off Deepti in the fifth over but Radha broke through by trapping Luus lbw with her first ball in the next.

Lee didn't last long either and fell to Poonam Yadav for 16 when she top-edged a slog to Smriti Mandhana at deep backward square leg. Laura Wolvaardt and Nadine de Klerk added 32 in 28 balls to take the side to 57 for 2 at the end of the 11th over. But both batters fell in successive overs. Wolvaardt missed a sweep against Harmanpreet and was bowled for 17, while de Klerk fell to Radha.

The lower-middle order dragged South Africa to 96 for 5 before they lost three wickets in three balls while trying to accelerate. On the last ball of the penultimate over, Radha got debutant Anne Bosch while Deepti dismissed Shabnim Ismail and Lara Goodall with the first two of the 20th. Tumi Sekhukhune prevented the hat-trick but South Africa could manage only two runs from the final over and failed to reach even the three-figure mark.

India though stumbled in what looked like a walk in the park and found themselves at 29 for 3 in the seventh over. However, Harmanpreet's unbeaten 34 off 32 balls, during which she also became the second Indian woman to reach 2000 T20I runs took the hosts to victory with 17 balls to spare.

Shafali Verma started the chase aggressively by lofting Ismail and Ayabonga Khaka straight down the ground for fours before Ismail got her caught behind for 14. At the other end though, Smriti Mandhana once again struggled for the timing and took six balls to open her account and was eventually dismissed for 7 in the last over of the Powerplay. And when Jemimah Rodrigues too fell in the next over, it appeared South Africa had an opening.

Harmanpreet though batted sensibly, nudging the ball in the gaps to rotate the strike while still putting away the loose deliveries. Along with Deepti, she took India to safety as the two added 50 in 49 balls for the fourth wicket.

Ismail struck again to send Deepti back for 16 but Harmanpreet stayed till the end and finished the game with an imperious square drive.

Roger Binny was elected as president of the Karanataka State Cricket Association on Thurday, winning by 943 votes to the 111 that his competitor M.M Harish. This is the former India allrounder's third stint at the KSCA - he was a vice-president from 2007 to 2012 - and it will keep him in office until 2021-22.

Binny, 64, was part of the World Cup winning side in 1983. He played 99 games for India (27 Tests and 72 ODIs) scoring a total of 1459 runs and picking up 124 wickets. Former India captain Shanta Rangaswamy, who resigned from the BCCI's Cricket Advisory Committee on Sunday, became the first woman to be elected into a managing committee in the KSCA.

The Supreme Court of India had ordered all state associations in India to conduct elections by October 4. Several of them have announced their results but the KSCA is one of a few which has chosen a former cricketer as its president after former captains Sourav Ganguly and Mohammad Azharuddin took charge in Bengal and Hyderabad respectively. Saurashtra too have a former player as its head - Jaydev Shah, who played over 100 first-class games. He is also the son of longtime cricket administrator Niranjan Shah.

This isn't the first time a cricketer will be running things in Karnataka. Anil Kumble was elected president of the state association in 2010. Additionally, this time around, KSCA also has a former umpire as its joint secretary - Shavir Tarapore.

Korean golfer Bio Kim, who was suspended for three years by the Korean Tour for an obscene gesture directed at a spectator during the final round of a tournament Sunday, said he will not appeal the suspension or fine and is concerned about his golf future.

Kim, 29, told ESPN's Michael Collins on Monday that he is "sincerely sorry" for his actions and "takes full responsibility" for what he did in reaction to a spectator's cellphone camera going off during his backswing.

According to the Korean Tour, Kim has 15 days to appeal his suspension, but the golfer said he would not be doing so because it might suggest his apology is not genuine. He believes the fine and punishment are warranted.

As he played the final round of the DGB Financial Group Volvik Daegu Gyeongbuk Open in South Korea on Sunday, Kim held a one-shot lead on the 16th tee when he was distracted in his backswing by a spectator taking a photo. His tee shot carried only a short distance.

Kim angrily turned to the crowd, flipped off a spectator and slammed his club to the ground. The incident was captured on live television in Korea. Kim went on to win the tournament, his second victory of the year and fifth overall on the Korean Tour.

"Kim Bi-o damaged the dignity of a golfer with etiquette violation and inappropriate behavior," the Korean Tour said in a statement.

Kim said he was not notified directly of his suspension by the tour, that he was aware of it and a fine of $8,350 only via news reports.

Kevin Na, a PGA Tour player competing this week in Las Vegas, said he reached out to Kim and believes a three-year suspension is unwarranted.

"What he did was wrong. Kind of surprised me," Na said. "He's not that kind of person. I talked to him on the phone [Tuesday]. We exchanged some texts. From what I've gathered, I guess it wasn't the first time that happened that day. He was fed up with it.

"Yes, what he did was wrong. Should he be fined? Yes. Three years is ridiculous. ... Yes, he was unprofessional and there should be consequences for it, but not take a man's job away for three years. At the same time, the spectator was disrespecting the game and the player at the same time."

Na said he spoke with someone on the PGA Tour about the incident and will do what he can to help Kim.

Cellphones are now common at golf tournaments across the world, as spectators use them to check scores and take photos or videos. On the PGA Tour and its various developmental tours, spectators are made aware that they need to put their phones on silent so they will not make noise when photos are taken.

But that is against the law in South Korea. Cellphones there are not made with that feature due to a law that prohibits mobile phone manufacturers from silencing the sound made when a photo is taken. The law went into effect in 2013 due to privacy concerns.

This has created issues at golf events in South Korea, including the 2015 Presidents Cup. Kim said that just like on the PGA Tour, spectators are advised to take photos only before a player takes his stance or after the swing is completed. This etiquette is breached often "to put it mildly," Kim said, and players are simply expected to deal with it.

To Kim's knowledge, no action was taken against the spectator.

Kim played on the PGA Tour in 2011, and in 2018 had 19 starts with two top-25 finishes and 11 missed cuts on the Korn Ferry (formerly Web.com) Tour, one of the PGA Tour's developmental circuits.

He said he was in touch with tour officials to seek clarification on whether he might be able to qualify for various events or accept sponsor invites. For now, the PGA Tour said he is not eligible pending its own review.

The New York Yankees have left CC Sabathia off their roster for the American League Division Series, manager Aaron Boone announced Thursday.

Boone also announced that James Paxton will start Game 1 of the series against the Minnesota Twins and will be followed by Masahiro Tanaka and Luis Severino for Games 2 and 3, respectively.

"I've been talking to teammates, asking them what it's been like pitching in the postseason," Paxton said.

Paxton (15-6, 3.82 ERA) won a career-best 10 straight starts before leaving his final regular-season start after one inning Friday because of a tight glute muscle in the left buttocks. He said the injury was a "non-issue."

Paxton, 30, struggled in the first inning this season, allowing 12 of his 23 home runs. However, he gave up just six homers in his final 11 starts.

"I threw a few more pitches in the bullpen [during the] second half of the season, so I could kind of get the first few hitters out of the way in the bullpen," Paxton said. "Just so to try and sharpen myself up, and that seemed to help a little bit -- and also trying to be really aggressive from pitch one."

Boone said Sabathia would not be included on the division series roster because of issues with his pitching shoulder. Sabathia had a cortisone shot and did not respond well enough after throwing in a simulated game Tuesday.

"Frankly, [he] threw the ball pretty well, but just not quite where it needs to be -- to be in the kind of role we're going to ask him to be in where he's potentially getting up on the spot and then maybe having to get up later in the game," Boone said.

The Yankees' full ALDS roster will be announced Friday, Boone said. He anticipates Edwin Encarnacion will be on the roster. Encarnacion, who hasn't played since Sept. 12 because of a strained left oblique, hit in a pair of simulated games this week.

Thursday's decision means Sabathia, who serves as a baseball analyst for ESPN, will miss at least the first round of the playoffs in his final season as a major leaguer.

The Yankees put the 39-year-old left-hander in the bullpen for the season's final week, and Sabathia made his first regular-season relief appearance Sept. 24. A second planned bullpen outing was scrapped.

"It's tough, obviously, being here and not being able to participate in playoffs," Sabathia said. "I didn't want to put the team in jeopardy. I want the best opportunity for this team to win a championship. I feel like we have a good opportunity. I didn't want to be selfish and go out there hurt and put the team in a bad spot."

Sabathia has had four stints on the injured list because of his chronically hurt right knee.

Left-hander J.A. Happ (12-8, 4.91) will start the series in the bullpen but could be an option to start Game 4.

"We'll try and have him prepared for a lot of different roles, but he'll certainly, in some way, shape, or form, be in play the first two games," Boone said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

New York Mets pitchers Noah Syndergaard and Edwin Diaz will be back with the team next year, general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said Thursday.

"Edwin Diaz will be on our team next year. That's our full expectation," Van Wagenen said. "Noah Syndergaard will be on our team next year."

Diaz, the prize in a trade with the Seattle Mariners in December that also brought Robinson Cano back to New York, had a 5.59 ERA, seven blown saves and seven losses for the Mets. He allowed 15 home runs in the ninth inning and was replaced as closer late in the season.

"Edwin still saved 26 games for us this year," Van Wagenen said. "That was 30 percent of the wins we had."

Syndergaard was the subject of trade rumors all season while going 10-8 with career worsts in ERA (4.28) and WHIP (1.23).

Van Wagenen indicated that he expected Cano to be back as well.

"We felt like Diaz and Cano would make impacts immediately. ... We feel good about the talent those two players possess," Van Wagenen said, "and we feel confident they will be helping us make contributions in the upcoming 2020 season."

Mickey Callaway was the toast of New York when the Mets won 11 of their first 12 games with him as manager in 2018.

Less than two years later, Callaway no longer has a job.

The Mets on Thursday cut ties with the second-year manager despite an 86-76 season highlighted by a midsummer surge that put them in the postseason hunt.

Ultimately, New York fell short of October baseball, and it cost the 44-year-old Callaway his job.

"We want to thank Mickey for his consistent work ethic and dedication over the last two seasons and I'm certain these characteristics will serve him well in his next opportunity," Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said in a statement. "A decision like this is never easy. However, we believe it is in the best interest of the franchise at this time."

The Mets are the seventh team seeking a new manager this offseason, joining the Angels, Cubs, Giants, Padres, Pirates and Royals.

New York hired Callaway in October 2017, tasking the former Cleveland Indians pitching coach with turning around a team that finished with 70 wins its previous season under Terry Collins.

The immediate results were strong.

New York raced out to an 11-1 record in Callaway's first season, but besieged by injuries, the Mets went 5-21 that June and never could get back in the race, finishing 77-85 and 13 games back in the National League East.

When the Mets hired agent-turned-GM Van Wagenen last October, he said Callaway's job was safe.

With expectations high, New York struggled in the first half of 2019, falling 11 games under .500 on July 11 as big offseason acquisitions Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz looked nothing like the players Van Wagenen had hoped.

The hot seat seemed to affect Callaway, who cursed at a Newsday reporter following a tense postgame news conference in June during which the manager repeatedly was asked about a bullpen decision. He later apologized.

Plenty of Callaway's pitching moves -- not to mention other substitutions -- came into question as well.

"I put my heart and soul into this team, into this game, every single day, and I believe in those players," Callaway said Saturday. "I make unpopular decisions every day, whether it's unpopular to you guys or the players. And every decision I make is going to be unpopular to somebody. But I make decisions based on trying to win games and trying to keep these guys motivated to win as many games as they possibly can. And I think that in the end when you look back on it, our players played hard and continue to play hard for a reason. And I'm proud of that."

Soon after the June confrontation, the Mets took off, winning 15 of 16 games during a torrid stretch from July 25 to Aug. 10 that saw their record go from 46-55 to 61-56. With NL home run leader Pete Alonso and ace Jacob deGrom leading the charge, New York marched into the postseason hunt and remained there until the final days of the regular season.

They ultimately finished with an 86-76 record, a nine-game improvement from Callaway's first season. But considering the seasons Alonso and deGrom had, along with those of Jeff McNeil, Michael Conforto, Seth Lugo and a host of other players, some viewed it as a disappointment.

The Mets front office apparently was among them.

New York went 163-161 under Callaway. On the final day of the season, Callaway said he had been packing up his New York apartment since last week and planned to spend 19 hours driving home to Florida on Monday and Tuesday.

He said he'd had no in-depth discussions with the front office about his future but felt no anxiety either, because he "left everything on the field."

"There's conversations that I've had with players that I'd like to have another chance at, but I learned from them," Callaway said the previous day. "There's all kinds of things that you look back on and you try to self-reflect on and want to improve upon."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

LOS ANGELES -- Justin Turner's first baseball memory occurred 39 days before his fourth birthday, at his grandmother's house in Lakewood, California, where he watched Kirk Gibson hit the legendary home run that propelled the Los Angeles Dodgers to a World Series title in 1988. His recollections of that moment are hazy, progressively more so over time. But he is reminded of it constantly, as a longtime member of a Dodgers franchise that seems to play Gibson's highlight on a constant loop, biding the time until another championship moment can replace it.

As summer turned to fall, Turner was asked if he had finally grown tired of that '88 team.

He managed a smile.

"Not really," Turner said. "I'd like to think that when we win our World Series, it'll be talked about just as much."

The Dodgers are primed for yet another run at an ever-elusive championship, a pursuit that resumes with Thursday's National League Division Series opener against the Washington Nationals. (First pitch is 8:37 p.m. ET on TBS.) Meaningful Octobers have become a celebrated tradition around these parts, even though the triumphant Novembers have been nonexistent. The Dodgers have been crowned division champions seven consecutive times and have built uncommon sustainability through shrewd drafts and enviable player development. Their reign probably won't end any time soon.

This fall, however, offers a unique, fleeting opportunity.

The Dodgers are riding what seems like an ideal blend of young players coming into their own and veteran stars preserving some of their peak, an intersection that might not last much longer.

Turner, the 34-year-old third baseman, Kenley Jansen, the 10th-year closer, and Clayton Kershaw, the longtime ace, have faded toward the background while others have stepped into prominence. Cody Bellinger and Walker Buehler are the emerging stars, and Will Smith, Gavin Lux and Dustin May highlight a dizzying array of rookie contributors. But it's Turner who still embodies the Dodgers' hitting philosophy, Kershaw who still sets the tone for the rotation and Jansen who still carries the weight of the bullpen.

"They're the lifeline to our ballclub," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, "because they make everyone around them better."

Turner, Jansen and Kershaw have played in 10 postseason series together, none of which resulted in a title. They endured the disappointment of back-to-back first-round exits, felt the thrill of back-to-back pennants and dealt with the heartache of losing in the final round in consecutive years. Turner tried his best to distance himself from the memory of the last two World Series. Kershaw found comfort in his demanding routine. Jansen preserved the emotions in hopes that they would drive him, then thought otherwise.

"You gotta let it go," Jansen said. "Sometimes I feel like I hold on to it, try to let that motivate me, but it's not doing me any better. It's hurting me."

Turner has acknowledged that winning a World Series -- winning five of them -- wouldn't erase the disappointment from the ones he has lost. Kershaw has talked about being so day-to-day focused that he doesn't get consumed by the overarching pursuit of a title, adding that he would be at peace if his career ended suddenly, with or without one. Jansen, however, feels differently.

"I think it would only feel complete, for me, if we won the World Series," Jansen said. "And we've had our chances."

Kershaw, Turner and Jansen -- the Dodgers' three highest-paid players, this year and next year -- will once again have a major say in their team's chances, regardless of the help that surrounds them. The Dodgers possess a deep lineup, a star-studded rotation and a better-than-advertised bullpen. But if Jansen doesn't solidify the ninth inning or Turner doesn't return to health or Kershaw doesn't shake the October demons, hope might be lost. The trio's window would only shrink.

"I want to see us win one together," Jansen said, "and maybe win multiple together."

Kershaw is only 31 but has become a veteran presence on a team with as many as 10 prominent players under the age of 26. He is among the many who have been struck by the youth of today's sport.

"People used to say your peak was 28, 29 -- your athletic peak," Kershaw said. "And now it seems like it's closer to 23, 24."

Kershaw has taken note of how accepting veterans are of rookies these days, a stark contrast to the perpetual hazing that was so commonplace when he debuted. His approach has been to lead by example in hopes that it would spark questions from the younger players. But over time, Kershaw has found himself going out of his way more often.

"Not to say I didn't do that before," Kershaw said, "but I think it's a little more intentional now."

Turner also has found himself making more of an attempt to be a sounding board for young players.

"Let them be themselves," he said, "but continue to nudge them in the right direction."

Jansen, 32, came to the Dodgers as a 17-year-old catcher in 2005. His time with the organization has seen him transition into an All-Star reliever, get married and become a father of three. But this, he said, is the year he grew the most.

"Just learning how to get back up after failing, failing and failing," Jansen said. "I feel like I've matured a lot."

Jansen has had to live with the reality that his cutter is no longer unhittable. He learned about sequencing, struggled with his mechanics and finished the 2019 season with career highs in ERA (3.71) and blown saves (eight). But Roberts will continue to entrust Jansen as his closer, dismissing the possibility of matching up in the ninth inning.

Kershaw started the postseason opener every year from 2013 to 2017, but he gave way to Hyun-Jin Ryu in 2018 and will take a back seat to Buehler in 2019. Kershaw struggles to break 90 mph with his fastball now, but his evolution has been a source of inspiration for Jansen. Kershaw's numbers this season -- 16 wins, a 3.03 ERA, nearly 10 strikeouts per nine innings -- were a revelation.

Turner batted .296/.375/.522 with 26 home runs over this season's first five months. But he played in only four of the team's final 14 regular-season games while battling injuries to his ankle and back, and he wasn't fully cleared for postseason action until taking part in Tuesday's scrimmage.

Turner has reached the playoffs every year he has been with the Dodgers, but he still savors each trip. He broke into the majors with Baltimore Orioles teams that annually finished last in their division. It taught him to appreciate October.

"I understand that this isn't a given, that you can't just show up and play in the playoffs," Turner said. "It's a lot of work. It's something that I'm thankful for."

Winding down his 12th season with the Dodgers, Kershaw feels similarly. He was born and raised in Dallas, but he has adopted L.A. as his second home and has grown to realize what another championship would mean to this city. Since Kershaw's rookie season in 2008, the Dodgers have possessed a future star in Matt Kemp, a midseason jolt in Manny Ramirez, a co-ace in Zack Greinke, a lightning rod in Yasiel Puig and a steady run-producer in Adrian Gonzalez.

They're all gone now, but the Dodgers once again have a legitimate chance to snap a championship drought that sits at 31 years with a group that, given the 106 regular-season victories, could go down as the greatest in franchise history.

Kershaw will stop short of saying this has to be the year.

"That's for the front office to figure out. I'll just say this: We expect to win this year, and we hope to. This is as good a year as any."

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