In averting the kind of slip-ups made by Bangladesh, in backing the hitting power of their middle and lower-middle order, Afghanistan prove they know how to win and are ready for a bigger challenge

Sidharth Monga in Dehradun06-Jun-2018Twenty20 is too unpredictable a format to term unexpected results as upsets, but one of the traits of better, more fancied sides is that their cricket is more deliberate when things get tight. On a difficult pitch, during a spell of good bowling from the opposition, they appear more in control, unhurried even if it might seem to those outside that time is running out. The better sides target the weak bowlers in these situations. Those who don’t trust themselves go after the good bowlers. It can come off at times, but it is low-percentage T20 cricket in tight situations.In winning the second T20I against Bangladesh, and with that the series, Afghanistan have left no doubt over who the better, the more fancied team was. They faced two maiden overs from left-arm spinner Nazmul Islam at the start of the innings, went 33 balls without a boundary in the middle, but rarely played shots that they are not comfortable playing. The slightly desperate sixes were straight hits and not slogs across the line. In a similar scenario, having gone 39 balls without a boundary, three of Bangladesh’s left-hand batsmen got out trying to hit Rashid Khan for a six.The situation in both the innings was pretty similar. Rashid came on to bowl in the 11th over, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi soon bowled out, and Bangladesh had to know they were going to get three overs of pace towards the end that they could target. Afghanistan also got stuck against the spin of Nazmul, Shakib, Mahmudullah and Mosaddek Hossain, but they also knew Bangladesh couldn’t forever continue bowling spin.Bangladesh didn’t wait for the overs of pace. Imagine a batsman like MS Dhoni in this situation. Bangladesh were 101 for 4, Rashid’s third over was the 16th of the innings, the other two spinners were bowled out, and you have three overs of pace to target. Dhoni is not always the best example on flat pitches, but in this situation, what would he do? He would not even mind as few as eight runs off Rashid’s two overs as long as he doesn’t get a wicket, which in turn leaves them in a position to gather 40 off the other three. That is an effort that takes them to 150, which is what Bangladesh felt was a winning total on this pitch.Instead, Shakib, Rashid’s team-mate at Sunrisers Hyderabad, went to hit six off the first ball, and Tamim Iqbal – who must have felt the pressure of having faced 47 balls for 43 – off the fourth. The next ball, Rashid got Mosaddek with a wrong’un. Soumya Sarkar soon became the fourth batsman to get out trying to hit Rashid out of the ground.There can be two explanations for this approach. Bangladesh didn’t have the luxury of knowing what they were chasing, which must have made them feel they were going under par. Having got the match-ups right – they had stacked left-hand batsmen against Rashid, who went at close to 10 runs an over against left-hand batsmen in the IPL as compared to under a run a ball against the rest – they possibly felt obliged to chase the match-up and attack Rashid.However, Bangladesh need to ask themselves if the third one was true: that they failed to judge the pitch and back themselves against the quicker bowlers. Even if you get historical match-ups right – and they do tell you a lot – you have to sometimes respect the conditions, and this has not been the pitch to be going after the spinners. In this series, the quicks have gone at 9.75 an over and spinners at 5.29. One of the two senior batsmen – Shakib and Tamim – should have taken it upon himself to be there against the returning quicks.In contrast, Afghanistan made sure they had set batsmen when the quicks returned. Shafiqullah later said the captain and the coach had told the batsmen going out that if they had five wickets in hand in the last five overs, they would win. The confidence comes from their faith in the hitting power of the middle and lower-middle order. While a tiring Samiullah Shenwari kept going for his hits, Mohammad Nabi took no risk at all against spin. Bangladesh played it well by continuing with spin till the 18th over but Nabi knew he still had time. Nabi was telling Shakib he is not going anywhere, that he will be there to see the spinner should he still fancy bowling the last over.Shakib eventually gave in and went to Rubel Hossain in the 19th over, and clinically, without fuss, Nabi ended it in the that over itself. This is a team that has come a long way from being the emotional side that coaches wanted to calm down. This is a side that is extremely good at T20 and knows it. They have two of the best spinners going around, they have experience in the batting, they are all naturally strong batsmen who have now honed their techniques to hit sixes efficiently. They know how to win. They are now waiting for bigger prey.

This was Qalandars’ fourth defeat in a row, with Sahibzada Farhan’s unbeaten 72 going in vain

AP and ESPNcricinfo staff25-Feb-2024Karachi Kings clinched a last-ball thriller to hand two-time defending champions Lahore Qalandars their fourth straight loss in the Pakistan Super League on Saturday.Kings won by two wickets after defying a much-improved Qalandars pace attack, led by Shaheen Shah Afridi (1 for 34), to reach 176 for 8 in exactly 20 overs in reply to Qalandars’ 175 for 6.Qalandars were asked to bat first by Kings, and opener Sahibzada Farhan anchored the innings with an unbeaten 72 off 45 balls. South African George Linde provided the late flourish with a breezy 26 not out off 13 balls.Kings’ Kieron Pollard (58) and Shoaib Malik (39) led the chase with their 95-run fifth-wicket stand after their team had stuttered at 44 for 4 inside the powerplay.But their departures in successive overs brought Qalandars back into the game, with Afridi featuring in both dismissals. Pollard skied an easy catch to cover against the left-arm fast bowler in the 16th over, and Afridi took a brilliant catch running backwards from mid-off to dismiss Malik in Haris Rauf’s next over.Rauf (1 for 22), who had taken just one wicket in the previous three games and conceded 110 runs, got his rhythm back before suffering a shoulder injury late in Kings’ chase.Zaman Khan (2 for 25) bowled Daniel Sams, and that gave the inexperienced spinner Ahsan Hafeez 11 runs to defend in the last over.Hasan Ali hoisted Hafeez for a six over wide mid-on off the first ball. After the scores were level, Rauf damaged his shoulder while holding on to a spectacular diving catch to dismiss Hasan. Mir Hamza cut Hafeez to deep third off the final ball to raise Kings’ second win in four games. Kings are third with four points, behind Multan Sultans and Quetta Gladiators.Earlier, Farhan had counterattacked in the second half of the innings as Kings’ pace and spin pinned down Qalandars to 59 for 3 in ten overs.Shai Hope (21) smashed Tabraiz Shamsi (2 for 42) for 16 runs in the spinner’s final over. Farhan and Linde combined in a 54-run stand off the final 26 balls.

Comfortable among the stars and in his own skin, the Maharashtra batsman has gained prominence in a short span of time, and is a regular in the India A set-up now

Shashank Kishore25-Sep-2019″Mahi , Andre Russell scoop paddle . Short fine leg deep square [Mahi , Andre Russell doesn’t play the scoop or the paddle. We could have removed the short fine-leg and put a deep square-leg instead].”That’s not Virat Kohli having one of his routine consultations with MS Dhoni. This was Ruturaj Gaikwad, a 21-year-old rookie top-order batsman, who did not feature in a single IPL 2019 game for Chennai Super Kings, asking his captain if he had erred by letting the Kolkata Knight Riders danger man off the hook. Each of Russell’s five fours and three sixes had come in the arc between long-off and deep square-leg, not one behind the wicket. Russell had rescued a floundering innings and remained unbeaten on 50.”Sharp cricket mind,” Dhoni told Gaikwad, who smiles as he narrates his conversation with his hero. ” plan , short fine top edge . involved [The plan was to bowl a little shorter, and the short fine-leg was for the top edge. Stay involved with the game like this].”That’s ‘Rutu’ for those who know him well, like Surendra Bhave, the former India batsman and Maharashtra coach. “A confident young man, who is comfortable carrying himself around the superstars,” Bhave tells ESPNcricinfo.But why are we talking about Gaikwad now, you might wonder. It’s because he has moved up the ranks to become an India A regular on the back of some impressive performances for Maharashtra in 2018-19. He was their leading run-getter in last year’s Vijay Hazare Trophy too, with 365 runs in eight innings at 45.62 and a strike rate of 90. While his Ranji Trophy numbers were slightly less impressive, the selectors clearly saw something in his game and decided he was primed for the step up.

I asked Mahi bhai this when I joined the CSK camp. ‘?’ He said: ‘ sign , shot [to get out] .’ You’re talented, keep scoring runs in domestic cricket

On his India A debut, however, Gaikwad was out for a golden duck, against England Lions in January 2019. It was to be, however, just a small blip in the course of a glorious summer. His scores for India A in List A cricket during the home series against Sri Lanka A and in the Caribbean against West Indies A read: 187*, 125*, 94, 84, 74, 3, 85, 20, 99. That’s 677 runs at an average of 112.83 and strike rate of 116.72. He did have three forgettable outings against South Africa A in Thiruvananthapuram after that, but Gaikwad isn’t ready to tinker with his reputation as an aggressive run-getter who likes to dominate bowling attacks. And that’s the confidence he wants to carry into this season’s Vijay Hazare Trophy, which started this week.Gaikwad is somewhat in the KL Rahul mode: a tall, lanky, right-hand opener. He might not be as stylish as the Karnataka opener, but Bhave says Gaikwad has a very simple game that is compact and suitable against all bowling. “I saw him first about four years ago, and I could immediately see there was an X-factor about him. I’d heard of him scoring a double-century in an Under-19 game where Maharashtra were 250 all out. And people were talking about him, so I took a look at him and have been impressed. He’s fit. He’s an outstanding fielder, bats at a very good clip. His mindset is that of a run-scorer. At times he has to curb his aggression, but some of his shots – just wow.”***Gaikwad is from a Pune-based family that has always valued academics highly. His father is a Defence Research Development Officer and his mother a teacher at a municipal school. None of his cousins, with whom he grew up in a large joint family, played sport. But, in 2003, watching Brendon McCullum scoop Australia’s fast bowlers at Nehru Stadium in Pune got him hooked to the sport. He was just six then. Soon enough, he was playing too. At 11, he joined the Vengsarkar Academy in Kondwa, a Pune suburb, and has been training there since.Initially a middle-order batsman, Gaikwad’s breakthrough season was 2014-15, when he was the second-highest run-scorer in the Under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy. In the following season, he made 875 runs at 97.22, leading to a Ranji Trophy debut against – guess who? Yes, Dhoni’s Jharkhand, in New Delhi, a game he remembers fondly, even though he made just 15.”Mahi was Jharkhand’s mentor. I wanted to impress him, but suddenly got hit by a bouncer from Varun Aaron and fractured my finger,” Gaikwad remembers. “I wanted to come off, but Kedar Jadhav told me to carry on. After a point, I just couldn’t tolerate the pain, so tried to hit out and was caught. At the lunch break, Mahi came over to talk to me and signed my bat and wrote ‘get well soon’ on my plaster.”

Frankly speaking, I didn’t expect to get picked for India A so soon, but now that it has happened, I’m only learning to take the good with the bad and be balanced about things. I try to learn as much as I can from every session

Gaikwad is replaying the moment in his mind as he speaks. “In fact, I asked Mahi this when I joined the CSK camp. ‘ [Do you remember]?’ He said: ‘ sign , shot [to get out] [Of course. Not just the sign, but the shot too]. You’re talented, keep scoring runs in domestic cricket.'”Gaikwad was among the Super Kings’ last picks at the December auction at his base price of INR 20 lakh, something he wasn’t expecting. “After the first round for uncapped players, I switched off the TV and turned on my Playstation,” he says. “My number was 80-odd, and suddenly from 75 it jumped to 110. So I thought my chance was gone.”After some time, I started getting messages. That’s how I found out about my selection. My parents were out of town and returned later that night. It was only when a friend came home with a cake that they actually believed I had been picked.”***Gaikwad hasn’t modelled his game on anyone, but likes to pick out aspects from those he has watched and followed. He talks a lot to contemporaries Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill, with whom he’s spent some time at the India A set-up. He shares a good rapport with Ankit Bawne too. “We’re all close friends, we learn off each other,” he says. “The India A system is very competitive, but it’s a special place to be in because we learn from each other, even if we may directly or indirectly competing with each other.”Frankly speaking, I didn’t expect to get picked for India A so soon, but now that it has happened, I’m only learning to take the good with the bad and be balanced about things. I try to learn as much as I can from every session. Like, earlier this year, Stephen Fleming (Super Kings’ coach) told me: ‘don’t premeditate at the nets, just allow your instincts to take over, because match pressure is a different ball game.’ So from then on, I’ve tried to consciously cut out risks early and try and play out 10-15 balls.”What if there’s a bad ball? “Sehwag mantra, see-ball, hit-ball,” he laughs. “In fact, during the recent tour of West Indies, I tried to follow his of hitting a six to get to a century, but I was out caught for 99.”Gaikwad is witty and candid, and up for a laugh, even if the joke is on him. That, he says, is how he is. Not intense, but not too casual either. It is a philosophy he has followed from observing players and getting to spend time with them in the IPL and the India A set-ups. “Once I know I’m set, I know I can score quickly, I just want to dominate,” he continues. “There’s no fear. By dominating, I don’t mean playing rash shots. Rahul Dravid sir said, sometimes a good leave or a good forward defense can also show signs of a batsman’s domination. I haven’t spoken much to him one-on-one, but these words have stayed with me.”Gaikwad is aware that to be considered at the highest level, he needs to show consistency across formats. In List A cricket, he averages an impressive 53 across 41 innings. In first-class cricket, though, he’s managed just 38 in 15 matches.”In 20 first-class innings, only once or twice I’ve been out early. Mostly been getting 30 or 40, 70-80. The conversion isn’t there and I need to get better,” he agrees. “In one-dayers too, I have 15 fifties [he has 14], and have been out from 75-99 some 11 times. In first-class, if I’ve scored 70-odd in one innings, I’ve been out cheaply in the second innings. It’s not like I’m getting out on zero. I know if I iron out this and figure things out, I can get big 100s.”So, clearly, he’s one of the geeky sorts who remembers numbers. “Because it irritates me,” he says loudly. “I do all the hard work and then I get out when I know I’m capable of much more. Hopefully the coming season, I can correct this.”Bhave reckons Gaikwad could fulfil his potential if he sticks to the straight and narrow. “The best part about his batting is that it is simple. There’s no complication, no awkward back lifts, shoulder dipping and all that,” Bhave says. “If you look at all quality players, simplicity is their forte. He keeps it like that. Like to drive the ball, but has an equally good back-foot game, is a very good puller of the ball. At the international or A level you won’t get too many half-volleys to drive, so your back-foot game has to be good and he has that. I think he has a lot of upsides. The way he’s shown form at the India A level, we expect him to carry that for Maharashtra and hope he can pile on the runs. If he has a good season from here on, he’ll be right up there in contention.”

Crystal Palace have reportedly received a massive boost to their Europa League aspirations after John Textor's Lyon were forcibly relegated from Ligue 1 over financial concerns.

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Lyon have been relegated to Ligue 2Clears the way for Palace's UEL participationFinal decision set to be taken at CFCB meetingFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Ligue 1 club – majority-owned by the Eagle Football Holdings company chaired by American businessman John Textor – was officially demoted to Ligue 2 after failing to satisfy French football’s financial watchdog, the DNCG (Direction Nationale du Contrôle de Gestion), despite months of negotiation and attempted remedies. The ruling found that the club had not demonstrated sufficient progress in resolving its estimated €500 million (£418m) debt crisis. However, Lyon is likely to appeal the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to seek relief.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

To comply with UEFA’s multi-club ownership regulations, Textor agreed to sell his 43 per cent ownership in Palace to fellow American investor Woody Johnson. This transaction, though not finalised before UEFA’s critical March 1 deadline, is intended to eliminate any conflict of interest between Lyon and Palace, both of whom secured Europa League qualification; the French side through Ligue 1 standings and the English club by virtue of winning the FA Cup. But with Lyon now relegated to Ligue 2, it should clear any potential competition-specific obstacle for Palace to participate in the Europa League.

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If the CFCB determine that the rules have been violated due to Textor's multiple ownership of clubs, Palace could be redirected to the Europa Conference League instead of the Europa League. In that scenario, Palace will challenge the decision at the CAS, arguing that Textor’s exit from the club’s ownership renders any concerns about dual control moot.

DID YOU KNOW?

On the other side of the argument, Nottingham Forest, who would stand to inherit Palace’s Europa League spot in the event of their disqualification, are reportedly monitoring the situation closely. Should UEFA allow Palace to remain in the competition, Forest could also take their case to CAS, citing UEFA’s firm ownership deadline of March 1 as grounds for appeal.

MatériaMais Notícias

da poker： Um dos lances mais polêmicos da vitória de virada por 2 a 1 sobre o Goiás na noite deste sábado (27), no Morumbi, resultado que levou a equipe para o G4 do Campeonato Brasileiro, foi o gol impedido de Marcos Paulo, que seria o da vitória tricolor. O meia-atacante comemorou à beça, mas acabou frustrado pela decisão. Nos vestiários após a partida, o jogador comentou sobre o lance e brincou: se fosse o auxiliar, não teria marcado, óbvio. Confira:

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+ Clique aqui e veja como apostar no Brasileirão

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Celtic were officially crowned as champions of the Scottish Premiership for the fourth time in as many seasons when they beat Dundee United 5-0 away from home last month.

Braces from Adam Idah and Nicolas Kuhn, after an own goal from Ryan Strain, secured the win and the title for the Hoops on the day, which made the rest of their league games relatively stress-free.

There was some negative news that came from that result, though, as Jota hobbled off with a knee injury just before half time, and it has since been confirmed that he will be out for between six and nine months.

This means that the Portuguese winger will not be available for selection when the Hoops take to Hampden Park to face Aberdeen in the SFA Cup final next weekend, and he is set to miss the start of next season on top of that.

Jota, however, is not the only Celtic star who will not be available for Brendan Rodgers to call upon at the national stadium, as the manager has confirmed that Reo Hatate is set to miss the match through injury.

Why losing Reo Hatate is a big blow

The Northern Irish head coach recently revealed that the Japan international suffered a knee injury in the 5-1 win away at Aberdeen, after being on the wrong end of a “needless” challenge.

Rodgers confirmed that the 27-year-old star should be fit for pre-season, if all goes well, but he will not be in the squad that travels to Hampden Park to take on the Dons, which is a blow for the Hoops.

Losing Hatate to injury is a big blow because he has starred for Celtic in the middle of the park throughout the campaign, as a player who can make an impact at the top end of the pitch, and played a pivotal role in the club’s SFA Cup semi-final win over St. Johnstone.

As you can see in the highlights above, the Japanese midfield star created three of the five goals, assisting Callum McGregor, Daizen Maeda, and Adam Idah, to help his side progress through to the final of the competition, a game he will now miss.

Hatate has also caught the eye with his impressive performances in the Premiership for the Scottish giants, as he has displayed his ability to score goals and create high-quality chances at an exceptional rate.

Appearances

37

Goals

10

Big chances missed

2

Big chances created

14

Key passes per game

1.2

Assists

2

As you can see in the table above, the Celtic star has delivered 24 goals and ‘big chances’ created combined in 37 appearances in the division, which further illustrates why losing him to injury is such a big blow for Rodgers.

The Scottish Sun recently reported that Serie A side Udinese are eyeing up a big-money swoop for the Japan international in the upcoming summer transfer window, which shows that teams are paying attention to his performances for the Hoops.

Celtic may, therefore, have a decision to make over his future if Udinese, or any other team, come in with a firm offer for his services ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

With this in mind, Rodgers could source a brilliant replacement for Hatate by pushing the club to secure a deal for Motherwell central midfielder Lennon Miller, who is a reported transfer target for the Hoops ahead of the summer window.

Why Celtic should sign Lennon Miller

Celtic should sign the Scotland U21 international, who is reported to be valued at £5m, because he is an incredibly young talent who has both the potential to be a long-term signing as well as the quality to make an immediate impact at Parkhead.

Miller, who does not turn 19 until August, has already racked up 60 appearances in the Premiership for Motherwell, which suggests that he could hit the ground running at Parkhead because he already knows the country and the league.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The 18-year-old, who has been praised as “ridiculous” by pundit James McFadden, has the age and quality to be a starring player in midfield for many, many, years to come as a possible replacement for Hatate, who turns 28 this year.

Miller’s performances in the Premiership suggest that he could be a brilliant replacement for the Japanese star next season, as he was awarded the PFA Young Player of the Year award in the Scottish top-flight, which speaks to how highly his peers rate him.

The Scottish whiz is not as much of a goalscoring threat as Hatate, as he only scored two goals in the Premiership, but the creative and defensive aspects of his game suggest that he could be a fantastic signing for Rodgers and Celtic this summer.

Appearances

37

31

Goals

10

2

Big chances created

14

12

Key passes per game

1.2

1.6

Assists

2

8

Tackles + interceptions per game

1.1

3.1

Ball recoveries per game

3.2

6.4

Duel success rate

44%

52%

As you can see in the table above, Miller, despite playing for Motherwell, delivered a similar number of ‘big chances’ created and key passes per game, whilst creating six more goals for his teammates.

The Scotland youth international has also proven himself to be an active and effective defender in the middle of the park, making 9.5 tackles, interceptions, and recoveries per match alongside a 52% duel success rate.

Whereas Hatate has only made 4.3 per game and lost 56% of his duels, which suggests that Miller could be an upgrade on him from an out-of-possession perspective, and that could make him particularly valuable on the European stage in the Champions League when Celtic face tougher challenges.

Therefore, the Motherwell star could be a brilliant signing to replace Hatate, whether that is as a direct replacement or just as a depth option to come in when the midfielder is injured, because of the creative and defensive qualities he can bring to the party at Premiership level.

Rodgers can sign Jota 2.0 in Celtic move for star who could be worth £30m

Celtic could find their next version of Jota by swooping to sign this star this summer.

1 ByDan Emery May 17, 2025

While the other batsmen struggled to score runs or played reckless shots, West Indies’ No. 6 rescued them with a near-spotless 98 not out

Alagappan Muthu in Hyderabad12-Oct-20181:27

Batting Chase higher is a big ask – Law

West Indies captain Jason Holder had spoken at length about how they need to be patient, but also recognise scoring opportunities. That they should do all they can – without being reckless – to put the pressure back on India. There couldn’t have been a better opportunity to do so than the first day in Hyderabad, after winning the toss and getting to bat on a flat track with the opposition reduced to only four frontline bowlers. Fast-forward to around tea and he was walking in to bat at No. 8 with the score 182 for 6.Holder had mounted a stout-hearted defence of his team in the pre-match press conference, highlighting that they were still a developing side and even those from the past – with greats such as Brian Lara in the side – couldn’t consistently win in India. That is certainly true. The last time they were on the right side of a result here was in 1994.But it is hard to remember a more poorly equipped top order. Even someone of the quality of Kraigg Brathwaite currently averages 8.66 from three innings. Only one West Indian batting in the top four has ever fared worse on a tour of two or more matches to India – Deryck Murray back in 1974.Shimron Hetmyer is fourth on that list, so clearly it is an area that needs a lot of work, but for now it can be put in the back of the mind, and that’s only because of Roston Chase. He bats at No. 6, which looks two spots too low, but it is understandable because he’ll be required to do a lot of bowling on the pitches West Indies often play on. Back home, the tracks have become slow and low and here in India, the more spinning options a team has, the better its chances.Chase’s entire career is built around spin. It kicked off when he made an unbeaten 137 against India in Jamaica in 2016, facing and besting the threat of R Ashwin. It gained momentum when he showed himself the equal of Yasir Shah and were it not for one stroke of bad luck he would have had two backs-to-the-wall, match-saving hundreds. Nevertheless, the quality of his batting – the footwork and shot selection especially – was refreshingly normal on a day when his team-mates either showed a total lack of interest in scoring runs or went after the bowling rather recklessly.He walked in with West Indies 92 for 4. He sent the 16th ball he faced for a six. His ability to read length quickly coupled with a wristy style of play allowed him to feed his innings with singles. There was never a point where he was stuck at one end with India able to build pressure against him. In fact, for the first 50 balls he faced, he was perfect. tweeted there were no false shots. There could not have been too many even after that considering he finished the day with a control percentage of 94%.Jason Holder shares a laugh with Roston Chase•Associated PressThere’s a simple reason for that. Of the 174 deliveries that Chase faced, 136 were from spin bowlers and since his debut in July 2016, he averages 52.75 against them. That puts him among the world’s top 10 players. If you’d like to take out all the subcontinent batsmen from the list, only Joe Root and David Warner have fared better.The West Indies coach Stuart Law said Chase was “lucky he was a natural player of spin”.”I think he understands spin. They’ve faced a lot of spin back in the Caribbean in domestic cricket. Also he’s got long levers. He’s got long reach. He takes half a stride and he’s almost down the length of the pitch so he uses that to his advantage. He’s a clean striker of the ball. He plays good cricket shots. And, apart from that, we try and get the dirtiest, dustiest pitches to bat in the nets so we do learn to bat against spin quicker.”You don’t have to talk to him too much either. He’s a deep thinker. At practice, you mention one thing and he just goes about it his way and you can see him thinking about it – he doesn’t talk initially – but if he agrees with you, he’ll come back and say yeah that’s pretty good and if he doesn’t, he’ll come back and say it’s not working for him. He’s working out how to play the game which is better, you learn quicker and you get success quicker if you’re actually learning the game rather than people telling you the game. You try and give him – hopefully you try and give him everything that’s going to be thrown at him. Discuss how I’d go about it and he works it into his game.”To become a complete player – the kind that can take West Indies’ batting forward for the next five or 10 years – Chase will have to do better when conditions favour fast bowling. So far, he’s only faced them in England and New Zealand and he’s struggled to score runs there.He had a tough time against Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami here in India too, when they managed to produce reverse-swing. At the pre-match press conference Chase spoke about that threat rather like a man who didn’t appreciate being the only one that had to make runs against 140kph deliveries that kept tailing into middle stump. The message was clear. He wanted his own bowlers to be just as menacing. Perhaps, they might be, now that they have a good total on the board on a pitch that will get difficult to bat on as the match progresses.

With 21 runs to get off the final over, Karn nearly pulled off a miracle, but Knight Riders and Phil Salt held their nerve to effect a run-out off the last ball

Alagappan Muthu21-Apr-20241:50

Jaffer: ‘If Narine doesn’t get you, Salt will’

Mitchell Starc had 20 runs to defend and he nearly didn’t. In the course of six balls, he exemplified just how difficult it is to be a bowler in T20 cricket, and how he will always fly in the face of it. Having been hit for three sixes in the final over which reduced the equation down to 3 off 2, he went to his bread and butter. He went pace on. He went yorker. And he produced a wicket. Karn Sharma, who had brought this game back from the dead, was gone. As soon as the catch was taken – Starc himself diving low to his right in his followthrough – RCB knew there were no more miracles.Ramandeep Singh contrived to give them one. His throw from deep point was poor. It didn’t come in quick enough or straight enough. It left the wicketkeeper with a lot to do. Phil Salt, though, was fine with it. He was alert enough to step forward and shrink the distance the ball had to travel and then agile enough to fling his whole body at the stumps and break it before the No. 11 Lockie Ferguson could make his ground and trigger a Super Over. KKR had won, by one run, and maybe five inches.Related

RCB and KKR serve up a thriller with a different kind of tension

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Plans made, plans fall apartRCB did beautifully to keep Sunil Narine quiet. While most teams do know not to give him any room, they went a step further, dropped all pretense and tried to bowl nothing but leg-stump yorkers. KKR’s biggest hitter this season needed eight balls to get off the mark. Salt came to his rescue though hitting 10 of the first 13 balls to the boundary and flirting with the fastest fifty of IPL 2024. He could have had it too but in going for another six – to a ball that was very hittable – he got caught at deep midwicket. Still, 48 off 14 with seven fours and three sixes is nothing to scoff at.The middle overs slowdownKarn bowled the first boundary-less over in the 10th. Cameron Green was keeping Rinku Singh quiet, their head-to-head for the first six balls yielding three dots and two singles. The Australian had used his height to great effect earlier, leaping up to catch a ball that was 8.1m off the ground and travelling fast, to dismiss Angkrish Raghuvanshi. Now, he was digging off-pace deliveries into the pitch and getting them to soar past Rinku’s bat swing. Even with Shreyas Iyer scoring his first IPL fifty since May 2022, RCB had the better of the middle overs (economy rate 8, from 12.5 in the powerplay). Ferguson, who conceded a boundary with every ball of his first over, gave up only one more after that in the next three. He also took a wicket, a skillful use of the knuckle ball which got big on Rinku and took away his power.Faf du Plessis fined for slow over rate

RCB captain Faf du Plessis was fined for his side maintaining a slow over rate against KKR. As it was his first such offence, he was penalised with a minimum over-rate fine of INR 12 lakh.

Small marginsAndre Russell had walked in during the 14th over. At the time of the 18th, he was still 11 off 13 with only one hit to the fence, and still, he was toying with the bowlers.Yash Dayal was desperate to keep the ball out of his hitting arc, which forced him to spray one too wide outside off and another too wide outside leg, which also beat the keeper and went for four. To make matters worse, he had overstepped.Dayal was only trying to do the right thing but it is so hard in this format. A nine-ball 17th over ended with Shreyas pinging the long-on boundary twice and yielding 22 runs. RCB trusted him to close the innings out but that over went for 16. Once again, he did the right things. Went wide yorker, but missed the mark and got hit. Took pace off, but Muscle Russell found a way. Recovered to string two yorkers and a bouncer that cost only three runs but the last ball was cleverly ramped for four by Ramandeep. KKR 222 for 6.Mohammed Siraj is distraught even as KKR celebrate their dramatic one-run win•BCCIJacks and Patidar step upAngry Virat Kohli made an appearance after a long time, disputing the technology that gave him out off a full toss that he was certain was over waist high. Faf du Plessis couldn’t stick around for long enough. RCB were in familiar dire straits once again when two of their least heralded players decided to shoot their shot.Will Jacks took down Starc in the final over of the powerplay, hitting him for three sixes and a four. The whole over was symptomatic of the way KKR had bowled to him, pace on and in the slot. A tall batter with a strong front foot game loves it there. So did the RCB fans who were sat down the ground or at midwicket.At the other end, Rajat Patidar found his rhythm. He has looked short of confidence ever since he was dropped by India during the Tests against England. A batter who relies on feel more than technique was struggling to get it back, until it all came back, and he was sitting pretty with a 21-ball fifty. He scored 16 off 8 off Narine, with two sixes, and 30 off 9 against Suyash Sharma, with three sixes and two fours.Russell goes slow, Starc goes fastRCB were 77% favourites at this point, needing 86 off 54 balls. Then on came Russell for his first over of the night and knocked over both of RCB’s half-centurions. For a guy who wants to look like a UFC fighter, he keeps sucker-punching people. Running in nice and hard. Properly powering through his action. That tree-trunk like shoulder whipping the ball down the pitch. But then the fingers do their magic, and all of a sudden, a batter prepping for 140kph is caught off guard with 115kph.Starc has not learned that lesson yet. He has found all his success – even here in the IPL when he was wearing the opposition’s colours – by trusting his pace and his accuracy. According to ESPNcricnfo ball-by-ball data, he has attempted a slower ball only 11 times this season. It is part of why he has given up 44 boundaries, the most by any bowler in IPL 2024. The opposition sets up for his thunderbolts, which in India, don’t always kiss the pitch and fly through. They sometimes sit up to be smacked.However, people under pressure trust what has worked for them in the past and the Starc yorker is still money. He went for it. It came out as a low full toss. Karn, who had already carved three sixes off near yorkers, set up to smash it down the ground. But this time he couldn’t get enough power on it. He could only bunt it and Starc was agile enough to dive to his right and come up with a blinder. That was the decisive play in a game full of them. Pace on for the win. Who knew.

Danni Wyatt blazed her way into form with 87 from 48 balls to set England on their way to a 3-0 sweep against Pakistan. Wyatt made the most of being dropped on 12, 79 and 81 to help power England to their highest score of the series before the bowlers comfortably kept Pakistan in check in front of a sizeable crowd basking in the Leeds sunshine.Without Wyatt, England’s efforts would have looked a lot less convincing. On a true Headingley surface with a fast outfield, Amy Jones’ 26 was the next-highest score and they were eventually bowled out from the final ball of the innings – albeit with more than enough on the board. Diana Baig picked up 3 for 26 as well as running-out Maia Bouchier for the second match running, and contributing several athletic stops in the field.Pakistan also produced their best showing with the bat but could not match England’s power. The openers, Sidra Ameen and Gull Feroza, equalled Pakistan’s highest T20I partnership against England by putting on 60, but a collapse of 4 for 13 put paid to any thoughts they might have a tilt at a record chase. Aliya Riaz and Nida Dar stopped the rot and then struck some defiant blows during a stand that eventually eclipsed that of Ameen and Feroza to ensure respectability.High Wyatt act
Wyatt managed seven runs from nine balls in her two previous innings – having made a highest score of 21 on the recent tour of New Zealand – and was clearly eager to make a significant contribution this time out. Her sixth and seventh balls were crunched to the boundary, although that should have been the end of her fun, as she pushed tentatively forward to Baig and sent a thick edge towards first slip. However, wicketkeeper Muneeba Ali couldn’t cling on diving across to her right and Wyatt survived.She ensured that Pakistan would pay dearly for the miss. Her ball-striking was as crisp as ever, and she rattled the scoreboard along almost single-handedly during her time at the crease. With Bouchier and Nat Sciver-Brunt falling cheaply, at the halfway mark Wyatt had scored 42 out of England’s 69 for 2; she then kicked up a gear, clouting Dar for a six and three fours in an over that cost 20, before adding back-to-back boundaries off Sadia Iqbal in the next.Wyatt was then dropped twice in the space of three balls – Riaz and Sadaf Shamas the culprits – before the latter was presented with a chance to make amends. With Wyatt closing in on a third T20I hundred, she again sliced Baig high into the off side, only for Sadaf to cling on running in off the rope. England were 118 for 3 in the 14th over, with Wyatt having scored three-quarters of the team’s runs and struck 13 out of 15 boundaries.Go hard, stumble harder
With Wyatt’s bit done, England’s attempt to “put on a show”, in the words of captain Heather Knight, began to go awry. Knight chipped tamely to short extra cover at the start of the next over and then Alice Capsey was run out by a direct hit from Ameen at point. England had lost 3 for 4 in the space of six balls and it could have been worse had Waheeda Akhtar not overstepped with the first delivery of the 16th – but Danielle Gibson was reprieved after top-edging to short third and helped add 27 in 16 balls alongside Jones.Jones looked in good nick, finding the boundary four times in her 26 from 15. But after Gibson mishit a Dar full toss to short fine leg, Jones spooned a Fatima Sana slower ball to be caught by Waheeda at point (at the third attempt). England kept coming, nevertheless, and the wickets continued to fall – three of them in Baig’s final over – as they signed off their 20 overs with a scruffy slide of 8 for 58.Opening gambit
Pakistan’s struggles in the series could be summed up by all out scores of 110 and 79 in the first two T20Is – with a highest partnership of 30. Ameen and Feroza doubled that effort here as they looked to gain a foothold in their chase, picking off five boundaries apiece during an increasingly confident stand. They were 45 for 0 after the powerplay – bettering England (40 for 1) on both counts – and only came unstuck when Ameen was given out lbw against Sophie Ecclestone and failed to realise that contact with her glove would have saved her on review.Feroza departed in the next over, having surpassed her previous T20I best of 21 not out, but the innings did not fall away. As in Northampton on Friday, Riaz showcased her long levers, while Dar thumped Charlie Dean for six and four – their unbroken partnership of 65 setting a new mark for Pakistan against England in women’s T20Is.Filer makes mark
England’s one change was to bring in the extra pace of Lauren Filer for her third T20I cap. The speed gun was immediately pushed up to 75mph during a two-over spell in the powerplay, although she discovered the challenge of dealing with the Headingley slope when overstepping with her second ball. She returned to claim her maiden T20I wicket in the 12th over, Sadaf unable to live with a short ball that grazed the top edge as it flew through to Jones. At 73 for 4, the Pakistan innings became an exercise in damage limitation.

Manchester City have endured somewhat of a disappointing campaign in 2024/25, with any hopes of retaining their Premier League title out of the window with just eight games remaining.

Pep Guardiola’s side only remain in the FA Cup, but will face an in-form Nottingham Forest side, who have recently beaten them, to have any chance of ending the season on a high.

A rebuild is desperately needed at the Etihad this summer, with groundwork being done in January after the arrivals of Abdukodir Khusanov, Victor Reis, Omar Marmoush and Nico Gonzalez.

However, if it is to continue this summer, the Spaniard will have to brutally part ways with numerous fan-favourites who have helped the club achieve the heights they have in recent years.

One of which could be set for a switch in the coming months, potentially cashing in at the right time and ending his eight-year stint in the Citizens’ first-team.

Real Madrid plot summer move for Manchester City star

According to Spanish outlet DefensaCentral, Real Madrid are keen on a summer move for City midfielder Bernardo Silva – a move that could kickstart any rebuild in Manchester.

The Portuguese international has been a regular in Guardiola’s side since his transfer from Monaco back in the summer of 2017, often being a dependable figure in their success.

However, with Bernardo turning 31 this summer and his deal expiring in 2026, it could provide the right time to part ways and allow for fresh blood at the Etihad.

The report states that the LaLiga giants are huge admirers of Silva and keen to make a move this window, but won’t pay over the odds given his age and contract scenario.

Whilst on the face of things, offloading a player who’s made 40 appearances this season may seem like a big call, the time has ultimately come for the next generation to stake their claim in the first-team.

Why City should look to sell Bernardo to Real Madrid this summer

There’s no denying that Silva has been a modern-day icon for City, racking up just shy of 400 appearances, and winning a total of 14 major trophies during his stint at the club.

However, despite his huge tally of outings this season, the midfielder, who’s valued at £46m by Football Transfers, has ultimately failed to match his usual high standards, with Guardiola needing to inject more energy into the heart of the side.

This summer could prove the last chance for the hierarchy to gain any money back on their investment, risking losing the “world-class” star, as labelled by Statman Dave, for nothing next January – with other clubs able to agree a pre-contract for his signature.

How Bernardo Silva’s stats compare from the last two years in the PL
Statistics (per 90)	2023/24	2024/25
Games played	33	26
Goals & assists	15	6
Pass accuracy	90%	87%
Chances created	2.3	1.8
Dribble success	65%	52%
Duel success rate	50%	47%
Touches per 90	81	68
Stats via FotMob

Gonzalez has already shown glimpses early on in his City career that he’s capable of being a key member for years to come, with a plethora of other young talent waiting in the wings.

Nico O’Reilly has demonstrated in recent weeks that he’s capable of stepping up to the plate, staking his claim for a regular starting role after notching two assists against Bournemouth – helping the club reach the next stage of the FA Cup.

Whilst the 20-year-old operated at left-back against the Cherries, he’s primarily a central midfielder, with Silva’s potential departure opening the door for him to thrive in his natural position.

As for James McAtee, he’s also waiting to get a consistent run in Guardiola’s side, only being restricted to substitute appearances within the Premier League this season.

However, the 22-year-old has still managed to notch two goals to date, showcasing he has the talent to become a regular should the Portuguese international depart in the coming months.

Whilst losing Silva would be a huge call, it’s one that is needed if the side are to return to the top of the English top division, needing new blood to take the side back to where they belong.

Investment from the hierarchy could help soften the blow, but it’s important that the manager hands the likes of O’Reilly and McAtee the opportunity to fulfil their potential at their boyhood outfit.

Pep may have just unearthed his new Raheem Sterling at Man City

Manchester City swatted a generally hopeless Leicester team aside 2-0 on Wednesday, but did Pep Guardiola find his new Raheem Sterling?

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Ben Gray

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