Adams, acquired by the Raiders in a blockbuster trade with the Green Bay Packers for first- and second-round draft picks on March 17, 2022, missed his first game as a member of the Raiders on Sunday with a hamstring injury suffered in practice on Thursday.

He was on the sidelines for the Raiders’ 20-16 win over the Cleveland Browns and celebrated fellow receiver DJ Turner’s first career touchdown.

Earlier Tuesday, Adams appeared on the “Up & Adams Show with Kay Adams” and was asked about Raiders coach Antonio Pierce’s verified Instagram account liking a post from Sports Illustrated wondering whether Adams had played his final game with Las Vegas. The like was later removed.

“I haven’t heard from him. I haven’t talked to him,” Davante Adams said when asked if he has heard from Pierce. “… Social media is a beast so it’s a lot of people out there that saw it and wondering what’s going on and reaching out.”

Told by Kay Adams that a lot of people think he has played his last down with the Raiders, Davante Adams said, “All I can control is this talk we’re having right here and after we’re done with this all I can control is the next thing that I’m on to.”

Earlier this offseason, with so many rumors linking him to his former Packers quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, now with the New York Jets, Adams’ agents Kenny Chapman and Frank Bauer disputed the speculation, calling it “baseless” and “unfounded.”

Bauer, Adams, Pierce and Raiders general manager Tom Telesco did not reply to messages Tuesday. Pierce and Adams, though, are scheduled to meet with local media Wednesday.

Adams’ salary for this season is $17.5 million, with $13.5 million still owed through the end of the season. And while he is under contract for 2025 and 2026, his annual salary jumps to $36.25 million for each of those seasons.

With such a hefty price tag, a trade partner would likely have to get Adams to agree to a restructured contract.

Adams, 31, created a bit of a stir in the Raiders’ building this offseason with several of his comments on the Netflix series “Receiver.”

During a sideline venting session in a Week 6 game against the New England Patriots, a game in which Adams was hit repeatedly, Adams said, “I gotta get the f— out of here before I lose my f—ing life. I ain’t never been hit this many f—ing times in my career. Every game, I get f—ed up.” While the comments themselves grabbed attention, the fact that Adams, as a willing participant in the series, allowed them to be aired is what raised eyebrows.

“I watched pieces of it, but there’s nothing to talk about,” Pierce said at the start of training camp. “Davante signed up for the show, there were things said and shown and it is what it is. You can’t erase it.”

Adams then missed the final two weeks of camp to return home for the birth of his son. Adams said he would prefer to not play in the preseason while Pierce said all starters would suit up for the Raiders’ exhibition finale. Adams was then “sore” following an “awkward movement” in practice that kept him sidelined.

Sitting out the Browns game marked the first regular-season game Adams had missed since 2021, with the Packers.

Adams, who agreed to the Raiders trade partly to reunite with his college quarterback at Fresno State, Derek Carr, only played one year with him in Las Vegas as Carr was released in spring 2023.

Since then, Adams, who had really had only two quarterbacks since high school in Carr and Rodgers, has caught passes from Jarrett Stidham, Jimmy Garoppolo, Brian Hoyer, Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew.

Adams has 18 catches for 209 yards and a touchdown through three games this season. He has 221 catches for 2,869 yards and 23 touchdowns in 37 games with Las Vegas.

KARACHI: Time constraints ended the opportunity for Pakistan national football team to play a friendly match against a high-ranking opponent, Russia, this month.

According to sources, Russia had offered Pakistan the chance to play a friendly match during the FIFA international window in October.

The Russian Football Federation was to cover all expenses for the match, which was initially proposed for October 11 in Russia. However, the PFF declined the offer, citing insufficient time for preparation.

In response, the PFF requested that the friendly match be rescheduled for the November window, but the Russian Football Federation rejected the proposal.

The last communication between the two federations occurred in late September, and with no further developments, the prospects of a November match have nearly faded.

Sources added that FIFA will not release funds to the PFF for friendly matches, further complicating efforts to arrange an international fixture against another opponent in November.

“Discussions with Russia were initiated because they were willing to cover all expenses,” one source said. “Going forward, a match will only be possible if the hosting federation agrees to bear the costs.”

Afghanistan cricket T20I captain Rashid Khan tied the knot in a cheerful wedding ceremony on Thursday attended by his fellow cricketers, admirers and loved ones.

Khan is considered one of the finest cricketers of this time specifically in T20I cricket. He owns multiple records with his name. He is a fast bowler who took 50 and 100 wickets.

Moreover, he has also been ranked the No 1 bowler in ICC T20I rankings. He was just 17 when he made his ODI debut on Afghanistan’s tour of Zimbabwe in 2015, according to ESPNCricinfo.

Global sportstar, who has been the key to Afghanistan’s successes in their early years in international cricket, graced his fans with the news of his wedding.

Notably, his brothers Amir Khalil, Zakiullah and Raza Khan also got married in the same wedding ceremony.

The pictures and videos of Khan’s wedding ceremony went viral on social media as his fans could not stop drooling over the new chapter of their favourite cricketer’s life.

Additionally, prominent players from the Afghan cricket team wrote heartiest congratulations to Khan. Among all of them, the sweet words of veteran team member Mohammad Nabi caught everyone’s attention.

“Congratulations to the one and only King Khan, Rashid Khan, on your wedding! Wishing you a lifetime of love, happiness, and success ahead. @rashidkhan_19,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Khan adorned a traditional Afghan outfit matching with his brothers as he was seen smiling with full heart on his special day.

Let’s break down some of the doubleheader’s biggest questions:

OK, why are we here in the first place?

These are makeup games from the two Hurricane Helene-related rainouts in last week’s Mets-Braves series. Without them, the standings entering the day had the Braves, Mets and Diamondbacks in a virtual tie for the final two wild-card spots, necessitating the two games be played:

Diamondbacks: 89-73
Mets: 88-72
Braves: 88-72

The important thing to know here: Both the Mets and Braves hold the tiebreaker over the Diamondbacks by virtue of winning their season series. That’s why the Diamondbacks need a sweep to get in; if the Mets and Braves split the doubleheader and all three teams finish 89-73, the Diamondbacks stay home.

Another thing to know: The Braves led the season series over the Mets 6-5, entering Monday so a split would see them remain the higher seed.

What are the scenarios for each team to clinch a playoff spot?

Because the Mets won the first game, they have clinched a playoff spot. Now here are the scenarios heading into Game 2 of the doubleheader:

1. The Mets win the first game, the Braves win the second game. The Braves are the No. 5 seed and head to the No. 4 San Diego Padres for a best-of-three wild-card series starting Tuesday. The Mets are the No. 6 seed and play the No. 3 Milwaukee Brewers. Yes, that means the Mets would have gone from Milwaukee on Sunday to Atlanta on Monday, and then back to Milwaukee on Tuesday.

2. The Mets win both games, eliminating Atlanta. New York is the No. 5 seed and plays the Padres. The Diamondbacks are the No. 6 seed and play the Brewers in a rematch of last year’s wild-card series. The Mets travel from Milwaukee to Atlanta to San Diego.

Who are the starting pitchers?

Well, first of all, remember: The scheduled starter is likely to change for the team that wins the first game.

The Mets are going with right-hander Tylor Megill in the first game. Megill last pitched on Sept. 22 against the Phillies, allowing one run in four innings (but throwing 93 pitches). He has allowed just two runs over his past three starts. Right-hander Luis Severino is on the schedule for the second game. His last start was the first game of the Atlanta series last Tuesday and he took the loss, allowing seven hits and four runs in four innings. He has a 3.17 ERA over his past eight starts.

While the Mets used arguably their top three starters — Sean Manaea, Jose Quintana and David Peterson — over the weekend against the Brewers, they are all lefties. These two righties might actually be a better matchup against the righty-heavy Braves lineup that had a .778 OPS against left-handed pitchers but .706 against right-handers.

It’s worth noting here that if both scheduled starters are used and the Mets advance — if they lose the first game and win the second — they would have to use Manaea on three days’ rest to start the wild-card series.

The Braves announced that rookie Spencer Schwellenbach will start Game 1. He faced off against Severino last week and pitched a gem, allowing just three hits and one run over seven innings. He faced the Mets one other time, back in July, and had the best game of his career, striking out 11 in seven scoreless innings.

Atlanta’s starter for the second game — for now — is Chris Sale.

Wait, yeah, what’s going on with Sale?

Good question. Sale, who leads the NL in wins, ERA and strikeouts, hasn’t pitched since Sept. 19, when he went five innings against the Cincinnati Reds. He was scheduled to start one of the rained-out games, but heading into the weekend the Braves said they would now save Sale for an “emergency” situation — meaning, a must-win game. That will come into play now only if they lose the first game.

It’s certainly an interesting strategic decision — if they had won Sunday with Sale pitching, they would have clinched a playoff spot. Instead, they can use him in the second game if needed, and if they win the first game, they’ll have Sale ready to start the first game of the wild-card series.

Of course, there’s also this question: Is he 100 percent right now?

His four-seam fastball averaged 92.7 mph against the Reds — his lowest average of the season, down from 95.9 mph the start before, and down from his overall season average of 94.8 mph. Maybe it was just a little late-season fatigue: He was starting on four days of rest and his previous start had come against the Los Angeles Dodgers, when he had his second-highest average velocity. But a 2 mph drop is considered significant, so it’s certainly something to note.

Maybe there’s nothing here. Maybe the Braves were just holding Sale back with the hope that he wouldn’t be needed and thus would be rested for the start of the postseason. We’ll find out if the Braves lose that first game.

What about the bullpens?

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza used Edwin Diaz to close out the 5-0 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday. This is understandable — you don’t want to mess around in that situation. But it was a safe five-run lead and Diaz ended up throwing 26 pitches. Now, there’s a scenario where the Mets need him in six games over five days, counting Sunday’s finale, Monday’s doubleheader and the wild-card series.

The Braves are in better shape; none of their top relievers — closer Raisel Iglesias, Joe Jimenez or Pierce Johnson — pitched in Sunday’s 4-2 loss to Kansas City. They also have one of the deepest and best bullpens in the league, so they’re in good shape to withstand the rigors of a doubleheader.