Harry Kane has confirmed that England have a plan if their players are racially abused by fans in Serbia during their World Cup qualifier.
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If you’re a batter, your first Test at one of the most trying venues on the planet tends not to go well for you. Rachin Ravindra, though, is proving across formats, that he’s not your run-of-the-mill batter out of New Zealand.His fourth-innings vanguard, which by the end of day four has brought him 91 not out off 158, and pushed New Zealand into a spot where they still have an outside chance of victory, has been full of bravado.Sri Lanka’s offspinners attacked him outside off stump, figuring that as he likes to play shots out there, there will eventually be an edge that comes off his bat. The edge never materialised but plenty of runs did – 40 of his runs coming in the arc between backward point and cover, Ravindra’s shot-making frequent and consistent even when the pitch was spitting towards the end of the day.Related
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“I’ll be honest, the pitch isn’t easy – but there were periods there when Rachin made it look very easy,” said Ajaz Patel, who partnered Ravindra through the last few overs of the day.”He’s a phenomenal player. I think he’s world class. With his batting out there today, you saw him sticking to a solid plan for long periods, and trusting his skills. He’s got an amazing future in front of him. I’m grateful he’s on our team. He’s a headache to bowl to in first-class cricket.”When Sri Lanka switched to bowling straighter at him, Ravindra was no less proficient through the legside. He was ruthless when the bowlers erred even slightly on length, preferring the pull to the sweep as his main run-scoring option on the legside.In fact, four of his nine fours, and his one six all came through midwicket, with the six coming off a full toss.Opposition left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya had serious praise for Ravindra too.”I mostly tried to bowl into the rough to him and turn it into him. Sometimes he was very good at latching on to the short balls.”There was some little chances that came off him. But he kept his patience and batted nicely. He hit the loose balls away and kept the good ones out. He played like someone who understood his game, and was sticking to a game plan. Sometimes we tried to take his wicket and bowled aggressively, but he turned those into scoring opportunities.”Sri Lanka now need two more wickets to win, while New Zealand need 68 for victory. Ravindra has to score those runs in the company of No. 10 Patel, and No. 11 Will O’Rourke. If he gets through that challenge, it may be the finest moment of his career to date – in Tests, at least.”We can’t make mistakes against him tomorrow,” Jayasuriya said. “We have to take those two wickets.”
Celtic will be in the market to add to their options in the wide department after Nicolas Kuhn officially completed a permanent transfer to Como for a reported fee of £16.5m.
The German forward racked up 13 goals and nine assists from the right flank in the Scottish Premiership last season, which shows the kind of quality that Brendan Rodgers has lost.
On top of that, Portuguese winger Jota may be out until January or February with a knee injury that was sustained against Dundee United back in May.
This means that the Hoops are short out wide, even with the addition of Benjamin Nygren this summer, which is why they are reportedly keen on adding another winger to their squad.
Celtic place star at the top of their wishlist
The Scottish Premiership champions are looking to dip into a rarely-utilised market, for them, as they plot to repeat the masterclass they played with Victor Wanyama by signing another star from the Belgian Pro League.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
According to the Daily Record, Royal Antwerp forward Michel-Ange Balikwisha is at the very top of their wishlist to replace Kuhn during the summer window.
The report adds that the Belgian winger is out of contract at the end of next season and that Antwerp sporting director Marc Overmars has opened the door to sales for players in that situation.
It has previously been claimed that the Hoops have been in talks with the Pro League side to discuss a deal for £5m-rated attacker, and this latest update now suggests that he is a priority target for the Scottish giants.
Why Balikwisha could be a Wanyama repeat
As per the Daily Record, Rami Gershon from Standard Liege in 2013 was the last player the club signed from the Pro League, whilst the last notable signing was the deal to bring Wanyama to Parkhead from Beerschot in 2011.
The Kenya international went on to score 13 goals in 91 appearances for Celtic in all competitions as a central midfielder, before Southampton signed him for a reported fee of £12.5m in the summer of 2013.
Balikwisha could be the first player to become a star at Parkhead after moving from the Pro League since Wanyama made that successful transition between 2011 and 2013, based on his form for Antwerp over the past two seasons.
The 24-year-old forward, who was described as a “creative” talent by analyst Will Glavin, racked up 14 goals and nine assists in 59 games in all competitions between the 2023/24 and 2024/25 campaigns combined.
Starts
27
12
xG
6.46
2.65
Goals
7
4
Big chances created
6
7
Key passes per game
1.5
1.6
Assists
5
3
As you can see in the table above, Balikwisha has delivered 11 goals and eight assists in his last 39 games in the Pro League, outperforming his xG as a finisher in both of those seasons.
These statistics show that he is an efficient finisher who could thrive in a dominant Celtic team, which has won the Premiership in each of the last four years, that creates plenty of chances for him from the wing.
His creative numbers, with at least 1.5 key passes per game, also show that he has the potential to create opportunities for his teammates on a regular basis on the flank, if the youngster can translate his form from Belgium over to Scotland, as Wanyama did over a decade ago.
It is fair to say that Celtic hit the jackpot when they signed Wanyama, who was a key player on the pitch and made the club a fortune, and Balikwisha appears to have the qualities to follow in his footsteps next season.
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Therefore, the Belgian whiz could be a shrewd addition from a market the club rarely looks to explore if they can wrap up a deal for him this summer.
It’s certainly an exciting time to be an Evertonian, something that very much has not always been the case in recent decades.
David Moyes’ men concluded the last campaign with three successive victories, thereby finishing 13th, the perfect way to wave goodbye to Goodison and commence the club’s new era.
From this season, the Toffees will now call the Hill Dickinson Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock home, their first-ever Premier League fixture there coming up against Brighton & Hove Albion on the weekend of 23 August.
Ahead of the new campaign, Everton have been busy in the transfer market, so are they about to land another key target?
Everton's search for reinforcements
So far this summer, both Abdoulaye Doucouré and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have departed following the expiration of their contracts; the duo made a combined 439 appearances for the Blues.
In better news, star centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite has signed a new five-year contract, while centre-forward Thierno Barro is set to arrive from Villarreal for a reported £30m.
Now, according to Mick Brown of Football Insider, Everton are interested in signing Wilfred Ndidi from Leicester City this summer.
The Nigerian is available for as little as £9m, thanks to a ‘release clause’ which was activated following the Foxes’ relegation back to the EFL Championship.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Thus, he adds that Ndidi will definitely be on the move this summer, claiming many ‘top clubs across Europe’ are monitoring the situation, but Moyes is ‘prepared to rival other interested clubs for his signature’.
A deal could even be done for just £5m, according to GIVEMESPORT, who report that both the Toffees and Manchester United have started ‘working’ on a deal.
So, could the 28-year-old swap the East Midlands for Merseyside?
How Wilfred Ndidi would improve Everton
At the peak of his powers, Ndidi was extremely highly rated, with Adrian Clarke of the Premier League labelling him the division’s ‘most effective all-round holding midfielder’, adding that his ‘greatest strength is his uncomplicated style’.
This led to mass speculation that he would move to one of the country’s biggest clubs, Arsenal and Man United purportedly amongst those chasing his signature at the peak of his powers, but the Nigerian has remained loyal to Leicester, making over 300 appearances for the Foxes to date.
He’s represented the club in all three major UEFA competitions, as well as the EFL Championship, but, following yet another relegation, is seemingly pushing for a move.
So, how does he compare to the man he could be replacing in Everton’s midfield, namely Doucouré?
Appearances
28
33
Minutes
2,337
2,577
Goals
Zero
3
Assists
5
2
All statistics below are on a per-90 basis.
Shots
0.8
0.7
Chances created
0.7
1
Attempted passes
38.7
30.6
Forward passes
10.5
7.1
Passing accuracy %
82.35%
82.74%
Duels contested
13.8
10
Duels won
6.9
3.8
Ground duel success %
49.36%
36.67%
Tackles
3.3
1.7
Interceptions
1.2
0.4
Touches
57
43
As the table outlines, pretty much across the board, Ndidi’s statistics are more impressive than those of Doucouré.
The Mali international did score three goals last season, to the Nigerian’s zero, and created 0.3 more chances per-90, but that’s about all he has going for him.
Ndidi comes out on top in terms of shots, despite being deployed a lot deeper in midfield, as well as passes, duels, tackles, interceptions and touches, which is ultra-impressive, considering he was playing for a largely hopeless Leicester side.
Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout labelled him “an absolute beast”, while Mak Pakhei of Total Football Analysis describes him as ‘physically strong’ and a duel-winning monster, noting that he was one of Leicester’s ‘most crucial players’ when they were regularly finishing in the top five and won the FA Cup in 2021.
So, if Everton are able to convince him to move to Merseyside, for around £5m-£9m, Ndidi would represent an absolute bargain.
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This season could have been catastrophic for Manchester City, but they’re now very much on course to salvage the campaign.
On Wednesday night, even without the sidelined Erling Haaland, the Sky Blues swatted aside Leicester at the Etihad, thanks to first-half goals from Jack Grealish and then Omar Marmoush.
This victory propelled Pep Guardiola’s team up to fourth, ahead of a fascinating Manchester derby at Old Trafford on Sunday.
The Citizens could also bookend a generally miserable season with silverware, through to the FA Cup semi-finals for a seventh successive season, set to face high-fliers Nottingham Forest at Wembley in three and a half week’s time.
As Man City rebuild, and Guardiola continues to rejig his team, has he found his new Raheem Sterling?
Raheem Sterling's Manchester City career
As outlined by David Mercer of Sky News, Sterling has spent his entire career ‘in the spotlight’ with ‘newspaper controversies’ often overshadowing his sporting talent.
This was certainly the case when he made the £49m move from Liverpool to Manchester City in 2015, with former Manchester United defender Paul Parker labeling him ‘overpriced’, claiming Man City paid ‘a lot of money’ for a player who hadn’t ‘really done anything that’s worthy of that price’.
Well, fair to say, Sterling did justify his price tag in sky blue, scoring 131 goals and providing 73 assists in 339 appearances for the club, winning four Premier League titles, an FA Cup and five EFL Cups.
Guardiola labeled him ‘so important’ to their success, while Vincent Kompany believed, at his peak, Sterling was ‘one of the best wingers in the world’. His form at Chelsea and now Arsenal subsequently show Man City were vindicated to sell him for £47.5m when they did.
Now, can Man City’s current mercurial talent, who exists under a similar level of media scrutiny, rediscover his best form and become a key figure for Guardiola once again?
Man City's new Raheem Sterling
By opening the scoring against Leicester on Wednesday, Jack Grealish ended his 473-day wait for a Premier League goal, dedicating it to his younger brother Keelan, who tragically died exactly 25 years ago to the day.
On Wednesday, Guardiola chose to deploy Grealish as the central playmaker, handing him his first Premier League start since Christmas, a decision that was certainly vindicated.
The England international certainly made a strong case to start as the number ten in Sunday’s Manchester derby too, considering both Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne continue to misfire, notably reduced to a role among the subs.
Minutes played
90
Goals
1
Assists
0
Touches
68
Accurate passes
51/55 (93%)
Shots
2
Key passes
2
Duels won
1/9
Fouls won
1
By his own admission, Grealish has not been at his best this season, but he still has plenty to offer between now and the end of the campaign.
Similar to Sterling, Grealish exists under intense media scrutiny, which John Nicholson of Football365 describes as ‘grotesque’ and hyperbolic stupidity in pursuit of content’.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
The most recent example of this came just last month when the Daily Mail ran a story about Grealish spending an evening in a pub in Newcastle, supposedly ‘stumbling’ out in the early hours of the morning.
Back on the pitch, Gareth Southgate described Grealish as “fantastic”, so let’s compare his campaign to those of the aforementioned Foden and De Bruyne, attempting to decipher who Guardiola should start going forward.
Appearances
28
31
39
Minutes
1,430
1,698
2,674
Goals
3
4
10
Assists
5
7
6
Chances created
51
54
70
Take-on success %
41.2%
37.5%
40%
Shot-creating actions per 90
5.56
6
4.66
Pass completion %
87.8%
75.9%
84.8%
Touches per 90
37
60
51
As the table outlines, Grealish comes out on top when it comes to dribbling and pass completion, with Foden registering the best statistics overall, albeit he’s played 1,200 more minutes than his compatriot and 1,000 more than De Bruyne.
So, while none of the trio have been at their best, Grealish might just be the man in form, suggesting their ‘new Sterling’ should start at Old Trafford this weekend.
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He also became the first spinner to bag six wickets in the first session on day one
Sampath Bandarupalli25-Jan-20255 Noman Ali became only the fifth bowler to take a hat-trick for Pakistan in men’s Tests and the first spinner to do so. Wasim Akram took a hat-trick in consecutive Tests against Sri Lanka in 1999, while Abdul Razzaq in 2000 and Mohammad Sami in 2002 also took hat-tricks against the same opponents. The last hat-trick by a Pakistan bowler was taken by Naseem Shah against Bangladesh in 2020.ESPNcricinfo Ltd6 Wickets taken by Noman before Lunch on Saturday. He is only the sixth bowler to take six or more wickets in the opening session of a men’s Test. He is the first spinner to bag six wickets in the first session on day one.He is also the first Pakistan bowler to achieve the feat, as only Abrar Ahmed took a five-wicket haul (On debut against England in 2022) previously before lunch on the first day’s play.38y 110d Noman’s age on Saturday, making him the second oldest to claim a hat-trick in men’s Tests. Rangana Herath was 38 years and 139 days old when he took a hat-trick against Australia in 2016.ESPNcricinfo Ltd2 Number of instances of a team’s top three individual scores coming from their No.s 9, 10 and 11 in a men’s Test innings: both by West Indies in the ongoing series against Pakistan.Jomel Warrican (31* at No. 10), Jayden Seales (22 at No. 11), and Gudakesh Motie (19 at No. 9) were the top contributors in West Indies’ first innings in the first Test, while Motie (55 at No. 9), Warrican (36* at No. 11) and Kemar Roach (25 at No. 10) did the same on Saturday.Related
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5 Consecutive Test matches with a five-wicket haul for Noman. Only Sydney Barnes, Charlie Turner and Alec Bedser had a longer streak than Noman, with five-fors in six successive Tests, while Yasir Shah also took five-wicket hauls in five consecutive matches.ESPNcricinfo Ltd41.72 Percentage of West Indies’ first innings total in Multan contributed by their tenth wicket partnership. It is the second highest for West Indies in men’s Tests, behind the 50% by Kemar Roach and Miguel Cummins, who added 50 out of 100 all-out against India in 2019.6 Bowlers to take a hat-trick before lunch on the first day of a men’s Test, including Noman. All the previous five bowlers were pacers only, with the last one being Irfan Pathan against Pakistan in the 2006 Karachi Test.
69 Balls Pakistan needed to take the first seven wickets to fall in the West Indies innings, the third fewest by any team in men’s Tests since 1999. Australia lost their seventh wicket in 56 balls against England in 2015 at Trent Bridge and 64 balls against South Africa in 2011 Cape Town.38 Runs were added by the West Indies before losing their seventh wicket. It is the second-lowest total for any team at the fall of the seventh wicket against Pakistan in men’s Tests, behind the 36 by West Indies in 1986 in Faisalabad. 38 is also the third-lowest total at the fall of the seventh wicket for West Indies in men’s Tests.20 Wickets that fell on Saturday in Multan, the most in a single day’s play in a Test match in Pakistan. The previous highest was 19 wickets on the second day of the first match of the ongoing Pakistan-West Indies series.These are also the most wickets to fall on the opening day of a men’s Test in Asia, surpassing the 18 between India and the West Indies in Delhi in 1987.16 Wickets picked by the spinners on the first day of the Multan Test. These are the most wickets for spin bowlers on the opening day of a men’s Test, bettering the 14 wickets by England and South Africa at Leeds in 1907.
Plus, the BCCI – who have no opposition
Alan Gardner15-May-2023Some bowlers, when they get into the latter stage of their careers, pare down their repertoire and focus simply on executing their best skill again and again. Others keep looking to develop new tricks, real or imagined, and push themselves to engage with the opposition in innovative – perhaps even puerile – ways.Which brings us, as you’ve no doubt already guessed, to Stuart Broad’s reinvention as a teenage internet troll, a 36-year-old headband-wearing provocateur, shitposting his way through the summer. The England team’s Outside-Edgelord, if you will.Broad was always a prime candidate for this sort of thing, given the way he lapped up all the “smug Pommie cheat” banter that came his way during the 2013-14 Ashes. His very presence as a blond, pouting, celebrappealing member of the English establishment is enough to wind up some people, and that’s before you begin to factor in the 500-plus Test wickets.Now, at the start of another Ashes summer, he has decided to put down the controller and get fired up for the time-honoured phoney war that precedes any England-Australia skirmish. The first salvo came a few weeks ago during an outing for Nottinghamshire, when he revealed that he had been working on – wait for it, wait for it – an outswinger. “It’s designed, to be honest, for Marnus and Smith,” he said with a committed poker face.Related
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That’s Marnus Labuschagne and Steven Smith, the ICC’s No. 1 and No. 3-ranked Test batters. Who you suspect might have faced a bit of RFM away swing in their time. Perhaps for his next move, Broad will reveal that he has been working with Darren Stevens and plans to bowl 65mph with the keeper stood up to the stumps this summer. (Although given Labuschagne’s experiences on the “Stevo’s gonna get ya” circuit, that might not actually be such a bad idea.)Anyway, Broad then added in a newspaper interview that he considered the previous Ashes in Australia, which took place under pandemic restrictions in 2021-22, “a void series” – a calculated dangling of bait that was swallowed by more than a few down under. “The definition of Ashes cricket is elite sport with lots of passion and players at the top of their game,” Broad said, by which measure England didn’t actually contest the urn at all in the 1990s.By now, with the comment threads fizzing and empty bottles of Prime all over his bedroom floor, Broad was ready for a full-on flame war against anyone and everyone. Despite his semi-mythical status as the Bazball Nighthawk, he came out to bat against Lancashire – facing up to his old England mucker James Anderson – and flicked the Vs at the new orthodoxy, blocking his way to 3 off 50 balls to nick a draw for Notts. One famous mischief-maker who would surely look on approvingly is the late Shane Warne, a man for whom teenage rebellion was a way of life. This will be the first Ashes without any involvement from the Australian in over 30 years but the Light Roller likes to think that, while Broad stirs the pot in the physical realm, Warnie is up there in the windowless basement in the sky, teaching Loki and Beelzebub exactly how to grip the Zooter.
****
Over in the IPL, meanwhile, another of the game’s great competitors was going back to basics. “If you can give it, you got to take it,” growled Virat Kohli after a typically feisty display in Royal Challengers Bangalore’s win over Lucknow Super Giants earlier this month. “Otherwise don’t give it.” Valuable lessons there in the immutable laws of playground pointing-and-shoving, following some beef between Kohli and his former India team-mate, now Lucknow mentor, Gautam Gambhir. Or was it with Kyle Mayers, whom Gambhir had gone to rescue? Maybe Naveen-ul-Haq, who had words with Kohli during the Lucknow innings? Whatever, whoever, Kohli is always up for a bit of give and take. Anyone who says otherwise can meet him round the back of the bike sheds in ten.
****
While administrators in England and Australia can still afford themselves some hearty backslapping when they eye up space for another Ashes series on the FTP, the rest of the calendar for bilateral cricket isn’t in quite such fine fettle. But don’t worry, the BCCI has come up with a solution. Essentially, because most of the great piles of sweaty media rights cashola heading for the ICC coffers comes from the Indian market, they reckon most of it should come straight back to them, too. Who cares if cricket is still being played in Papua New Guinea/ Afghanistan/England, so long as India gets its (increasingly large) slice of pie? Call it equality, “Big One” style.
Sanju Samson, Navdeep Saini, Ishan Kishan, Kuldeep Yadav, R Ashwin and others must impress the selectors ahead of the big event in October-November
Shashank Kishore07-Apr-2021The impressive debuts of Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav in T20Is and Krunal Pandya and Prasidh Krishna in ODIs against England have proved the match-readiness of India’s young talent in international cricket. Thanks to the IPL and the BCCI’s robust India A programme, the national side has an embarrassment of riches and multiple options for every position – all healthy signs for the selectors in a T20 World Cup year.As such, the IPL could have a massive influence on the make-up of India’s final squad for the tournament at home in October-November. But for several players, it will be particularly important, either because they have been left out of the India squad recently or haven’t been able to consistently make the playing XI.
What the selectors might look for: powerplay game
Dhawan’s conservative approach early in the innings has been an issue in the past, but at the 2020 IPL, he struck at 139.13 in the first six overs – the fifth best among batsmen who played a minimum of 50 balls. Overall, his 618 runs in 17 innings – second best in the tournament behind KL Rahul – came at a strike rate of 144.73. None of the four other Indian batsmen at the Capitals who aggregated over 200 runs in the season got their runs at a faster rate. With Shreyas Iyer missing the 2021 IPL because of a shoulder injury, Dhawan will have a bigger role to play if the Capitals are to build on their runners-up finish last season. At 35, he is among the oldest contenders for a T20 World Cup spot. Having been left out of four of the five T20Is against England, he will want to make the most of the long stretch at the top of the order in the IPL to keep himself in contention.
What the selectors might look for: consistency
While he has timing and fierce ball-striking going for him, inconsistency hasn’t helped Samson’s cause. His highest score in six T20I outings for India in 2020 was 23, which was perhaps why he was overlooked for the series against England. But as the Rajasthan Royals captain this season, he will get a long run of matches to prove himself. Samson hasn’t played a lot of competitive cricket lately, and when he did, he managed only one half-century in five matches for Kerala in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in January. In the 2020 IPL he started with two match-winning half-centuries before tailing off mid-season, although he still finished as the Royals’ top scorer. This season the selectors will be looking for more consistency and impactful knocks from Samson.Only one of Ishant Kishan (left) and Surkyakumar Yadav might make it to the India playing XI at the World Cup•Deepak Malik/BCCI
What the selectors could look for: middle-overs acceleration
Both batsmen are products of Mumbai Indians’ robust scouting system. Kishan showed he was not afraid of the big stage when he smacked a match-winning half-century on T20I debut. He is a back-up keeping option and can bat anywhere in the top five. No one hit more sixes than Kishan at the 2020 IPL – a testament to his improved power game. His ability to go after the bowling from the get go makes him a fearsome prospect for the opposition.Yadav too has taken the IPL route to get a roaring start in international cricket. He is a 360-degree player who can drop anchor and play the enforcer at the same time. Over the years, he has become inventive with his strokeplay. His first scoring shot for India was a one-footed hook for six off Jofra Archer. He has scored 400-plus runs in the last three IPL seasons, two of which Mumbai won. Another good IPL could strengthen his place in the India side. However, it’s also possible that Kishan and Yadav could be competing for the same spot in the XI.
What the selectors might look for: powerplay wickets and control
Ashwin is itching for an opportunity in white-ball cricket again after being dropped entirely from the set-up in 2017, but he isn’t fretting over it. He says this has helped him become calmer and focus on red-ball excellence. But India aren’t brimming with spin options in white-ball cricket at the moment; they went into the ODI series decider against England without a front-line spinner. Virat Kohli was testy when asked about Ashwin’s absence, insisting Washington Sundar remains India’s preferred offspiner, but it isn’t unusual for India to have two similar-style bowlers in the squad. Ashwin and Harbhajan Singh were both part of the 2016 T20 World Cup side. Ashwin has been a key member of the Delhi Capitals think tank and his 13 wickets at an economy of 7.66 in 15 games at the 2020 IPL were more than respectable. His seven wickets in the powerplay were the most by a spinner in the season, ahead of Axar Patel and Washington, and joint fifth overall. Can he force his way back into white-ball mix once again?A good IPL season for Rahul Chahar could put Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav under pressure•Saikat Das/BCCI
What the selectors might look for: wristspin options
Left-arm wristspinner Yadav has spent more time on the bench than in the middle since 2019, not only losing his spot in the India XI but also at the Kolkata Knight Riders, a franchise he has been part of since 2014. He managed only four wickets in nine innings in the 2019 IPL and one wicket in four in the 2020 IPL. In India’s 2020-21 season he took three wickets in four innings (three ODIs and a Test) and admitted he was confused about what lengths to bowl against England. Of all the players in this article, he is one who desperately needs a big IPL season to be in contention for that World Cup berth.Meanwhile, legspinner Chahar’s career has taken a different trajectory. For two seasons now, he has been the Mumbai Indians’ lead spinner, which, given he is 21, is a remarkable distinction. In the 2019 IPL he picked up 13 wickets in as many games, at an economy of 6.55. He followed it with 15 in 15 (econ of 8.16) in 2020. It’s clear that Chahar is a strike bowler; not a traditional leggie who gives it a rip but one who relies on change in length, angles, and bounce, like Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan. Getting rid of the fear of being hit, Chahar says, has contributed immensely to his improved mindset. He has also shown the ability to bowl in different phases of an innings. Yuzvendra Chahal, India’s senior legspinner, has had an indifferent run lately, his T20I economy of 9.14 being the second worst among those who have bowled 50 or more overs since the start of 2019. And he has taken only 18 wickets in 21 T20Is in that period. While there may not be an immediate threat to Chahal’s place in the India squad, a strong performance from Chahar will keep Chahal on his toes and give the selectors another healthy selection dilemma.
What the selectors might look for: death bowling
Raw pace, the ability to hustle batsmen with the short ball, and getting it to swing both ways make Saini a key component of the Royal Challengers Bangalore attack. But to make the step up to become a T20I regular and be in World Cup contention, he needs to build on his IPL gains from 2020, where he carried the team’s bowling alongside Chahal, Mohammed Siraj and Chris Morris. He faces stiff competition from other India quick bowlers like T Natarajan and Shardul Thakur, who is an all-round option. For long now, RCB have identified death bowling as an area of concern. If Saini can deliver telling spells and win them games to possibly qualify for the knockouts and beyond, he has an excellent chance of making the World Cup longlist.Navdeep Saini could make a strong case for himself if he delivers for RCB in the death overs•Saikat Das/BCCI
What the selectors might look for: powerplay wickets and death bowling
He bowls the tough overs economically, and has pace and swing. Chahar has been on the periphery of India’s white-ball squads since 2019. He has taken nine wickets in the powerplay overs at an economy of 7.14 in 13 games for India. His corresponding figures in the IPL are 33 wickets at 7.58 in 48 innings for the Chennai Super Kings. Captain MS Dhoni has often preferred to give Chahar three overs in this phase because of his impressive economy. For India, he is ideally seen as a like-for-like replacement for Bhuvneshwar Kumar, but given the senior bowler’s spate of recent injuries, Chahar can always come in as a back-up.
What the selectors might look for: all-round back-up
Tewatia was part of the T20I squad against England but did not get a game. He is an explosive lower-order batsman who can also bowl two or three overs of handy legspin, offering all-round skills like the Pandya brothers do. Tewatia is best remembered for walloping Sheldon Cottrell for five consecutive sixes to turn around an impossible chase for the Rajasthan Royals in Sharjah last season. He is often praised for his street-smart approach, and he will do well to show some of that for the Royals in what could be an audition for a T20 World Cup berth.
يواجه منتخب مصر الثاني بقيادة مديره الفني حلمي طولان، نظيره منتخب الأردن، ضمن مباريات دور المجموعات من بطولة كأس العرب 2025.
وكان منتخب مصر قد تعادل في الجولة الماضية مع منتخب الإمارات بهدف لكل فريق، ضمن مباريات الجولة الثانية من دور المجموعات ببطولة كأس العرب.
ويقع منتخب مصر في المجموعة الثالثة رفقة منتخبات الأردن والإمارات والكويت.
ويسعى منتخب مصر لتحقيق الفوز أو التعادل على أقل تقدير أمام الأردن، من أجل حسم التأهل إلى دور ربع النهائي من بطولة كأس العرب.
ويحتل منتخب مصر المركز الثاني في ترتيب المجموعة الثالثة لبطولة كأس العرب، برصيد نقطتين من التعادل مع الكويت والإمارات في الجولتين الأولى والثانية. موعد مباراة مصر والأردن في كأس العرب 2025
يواجه منتخب مصر نظيره منتخب الأردن، في تمام الساعة الرابعة والنصف من مساء اليوم الثلاثاء بتوقيت القاهرة، والخامسة والنصف بتوقيت قطر والسعودية والأردن. القنوات الناقلة لمباراة مصر والأردن في كأس العرب 2025
وسوف تذاع مباراة منتخب مصر الثاني مع نظيره منتخب الأردن عبر قنوات بي إن سبورت المفتوحة، وأبو ظبي الرياضية 1، وقناة الكأس، بالإضافة إلى ذلك، ستنقل المباراة عبر قناة دبي الرياضية 2، وقناة الشارقة الرياضية، وقناة إم بي سي مصر 2.
ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنـــا
Manchester United’s system under Ruben Amorim has led to huge questions being asked about the manager and his ability to lead the side forward in the future.
The 40-year-old has consistently used a 3-4-2-1 system at Old Trafford since his appointment last November, but the formation hasn’t worked as many would have expected.
He could only lead the Red Devils to a 15th-place finish in the Premier League last season, whilst also suffering a defeat in the final of the Europa League to Tottenham Hotspur.
The recent defeat against Everton on home soil led to further questions being directed his way, especially after refusing to move away from his tactics and push more attacking players forward.
However, the manager has desired additions of numerous players ahead of the January transfer window, with the midfield department one that looks set to be bolstered.
Over the last couple of weeks, United have ramped up their pursuit of Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson ahead of a potential move in the January window.
It’s been reported that the Red Devils are willing to complete a deal in the coming weeks for the England international after his remarkable start to the current campaign.
However, bitter rivals Manchester City have also now entered the race for the 23-year-old’s signature, which could lead to a huge battle for his services in the months ahead.
He’s not the only Premier League option currently in their sights at present, with Bournemouth star Tyler Adams another player being considered by INEOS ahead of January.
According to the Daily Mail, the hierarchy have held internal talks over a deal to land the American international who has started every Premier League game this season.
It also states that he’s seen as a cheaper option to improve the midfield department, but it remains to be seen if the Cherries would sanction his departure during the winter.
Just a couple of years ago, it appeared as though Kobbie Mainoo would be a crucial first-team member for United for many years to come, but it appears as though his time at the club could be coming to an end.
The midfielder has gone from a regular starter and an England international, to now being a player who has been massively restricted to substitute appearances off the bench.
His tally of nine league appearances, none of which were from a starting position, showcases the lack of faith the 40-year-old currently has in the 20-year-old sensation.
Unsurprisingly, the player has grown frustrated at the Red Devils in recent weeks, which has led to the player himself even requesting a move away ahead of January.
If the manager is simply refusing to utilise the youngster, it’s crucial he makes the next step in his career to continue his development and get back onto his recent trajectory.
It remains unclear whether the hierarchy will sanction a move away from Old Trafford for Mainoo, but his career at the club would be all but over with a move for Adams.
Should the American join, it would push him further down the pecking order, with the Bournemouth star producing some incredible numbers over the last couple of months for Andoni Iraola’s side.
Adams, who’s been labelled a “monster” by journalist Tomi Oladipo, has completed 88% of the passes he’s attempted, at an average of 45 per 90 – with both ranking him in the top 25% of all midfielders in the division.
Such numbers showcase his composed nature in possession, but that’s also reaffirmed by his tally of 0.3 times dispossessed per 90, which ranks him in the top 15% in the league.
|
Tyler Adams – PL stats (2025/26) |
|
|---|---|
|
Statistics (per 90) |
Tally |
|
Games played |
14 |
|
Goals scored |
2 |
|
Pass accuracy |
88% |
|
Passes per 90 |
45 |
|
Times dispossessed |
0.3 |
|
Tackles won |
2.6 |
|
Interceptions made |
1.6 |
|
Duels won |
52% |
|
Stats via FotMob |
|
However, out of possession, he’s been just as impressive, as seen by his phenomenal tallies of 2.6 tackles won and 1.6 interceptions made per 90 to date.
Despite his small frame, the American has also won 52% of the duels he’s entered, whilst completing 48% of the dribbles he’s attempted – further highlighting his all-round talents at the heart of the side.
It’s unclear if his current employers would sanction a departure in the coming weeks, but it’s evident that United would be getting themselves an incredible Premier League talent.
As for Mainoo, it appears to be the end at his boyhood club given his recent lack of action, with the player needing a move to reignite the spark in his professional career.
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By
Ethan Lamb
Dec 5, 2025