وصل تشابي ألونسو لتدريب ريال مدريد الصيف الماضي، وعلى الرغم من ذلك فقد كشفت تقارير جديدة فإنه كان من الممكن أن يتخذ مساره التدريبي اتجاها مختلفا قبل عودته لملعب سانتياجو برنابيو كمدرب.

وبحسب الصحفي “فابريس هاوكينز” فإن تشابي ألونسو مدرب ريال مدريد كان من بين الأسماء المرشحة لتدريب باريس سان جيرمان في عام 2023 عندما كان يحقق نجاحاته مع بايرليفركوزن.

وأضاف أن باريس سان جيرمان وصناع القرار في النادي كانوا يبحثون ويدرسون أسماء العديد من المدربين وملفاتهم الشخصية.

أقرأ أيضاً.. مخاوف في باريس سان جيرمان بسبب لويس إنريكي

وتحدث هاوكينز عن ارتباط عدة أسماء بتدريب باريس سان جيرمان في عام 2023: “وضع المدير الرياضي لويس كامبوس قائمة طويلة جداً، كان أرتيتا أحد المرشحين الأوفر حظاً وكان أيضاً هناك هانز فليك ولويس إنريكي وتشابي ألونسو”.

وأكد الصحفي الفرنسي أيضاً أن باريس سان جيرمان تحرك للعديد من الأسماء المرشحة الأخرى: “كان هناك محادثات مع ناجلسمان، وأرتيتا، وتشابي ألونسو، أراد ألونسو الاستمرار في ليفركوزن وكان يحلم بتدريب ريال مدريد بينما أراد أرتيتا البقاء مع آرسنال”.

وحول قرار باريس سان جيرمان بتفضيل تعيين لويس إنريكي مدرباً جديداً للفريق، اختتم أيضاً: “ما جذب اختيار لويس إنريكي هو شخصيته، إنه شخص يعبر عن رأيه بصراحة، ولا يخشى اتخاذ قرارات صعبة، هناك أيضاً الجانب الرياضي وقصة لويس إنريكي التي أثرت في ناصر الخليفي ولكل هذه الأسباب كان الإسباني هو المدرب المختار”.

Throughout the years, Tottenham Hotspur supporters have been truly blessed with the chance to watch numerous elite-level attackers feature for the club.

Players such as Heung-min Son, Teddy Sheringham and Harry Kane all managed to make themselves club-legends in North London, with the latter breaking nearly every record in sight.

The 32-year-old currently sits at the top of the Lilywhites’ all-time scoring charts on 280, which saw 208 of his efforts come in the Premier League – with only Alan Shearer scoring more.

However, Spurs’ lack of success on the pitch ultimately led to his departure in 2023, which has left boss Thomas Frank unable to have the chance to work alongside the talisman.

He will no doubt want his own elite-level talent within the final third, potentially landing a player of that calibre during the upcoming January transfer window.

Spurs’ hunt for new attackers in January

Over the last couple of months, Spurs have been just one Premier League side linked with a potential deal for Porto star Sami Aghehowa in the winter window.

The Spaniard has been in tremendous goalscoring form during the early stages of 2025/26, as seen by his remarkable tally of 13 goals in his first 22 appearances across all competitions.

However, the Portuguese outfit don’t want to lose their star man anytime soon, subsequently slapping an €80m (£70m) asking price onto the 21-year-old’s head.

He’s not the only centre-forward in their sights ahead of the upcoming window, with Crystal Palace star Jean-Philippe Mateta another player being considered by Fabio Paratici.

According to one Spanish outlet, the Lilywhites are seriously considering tabling a bid for the Frenchman in January, as his contract talks at Selhurst Park look to have stalled in recent weeks.

It also states that the Eagles may be forced to offload the 28-year-old in the near future to avoid losing him for nothing, with his current deal set to expire in June 2027.

Why Spurs’ latest target would be Frank’s next Mbeumo

During Frank’s time in charge at Brentford before taking the Spurs job, he often had numerous top-level attackers at his disposal, which helped make the Bees an established top-flight club.

The Dane mainly relied on forward Bryan Mbeumo during the latter years of his spell at the GTEC, with the Cameroonian international providing a constant source of goals in the Premier League.

During the 2024/25 season, the 26-year-old netted a career-best 20 league goals, ending the campaign as just one of five players to achieve the feat in the division.

He no doubt thrived under the 52-year-old across the capital, so much so that the manager made a fierce attempt to land his signature after taking the reins in North London.

However, a reunion just wasn’t meant to be, as Mbeumo opted for a move to join Manchester United during the summer, subsequently leading Frank to hunt for a new talisman.

The likes of Mohammed Kudus and Richarlison have often provided the goods in attacking areas for Spurs this campaign, but Frank could get his new star forward with a move for Mateta this winter.

The Palace star has registered 30 goals in the last two full seasons in England’s top-flight, whilst already making huge waves during the first 15 games of the new campaign.

Mateta already has seven goals in 2025/26, but it’s his underlying stats from his outings at Selhurst Park that would make him Frank’s next star attacker in the capital.

The French international, who’s been dubbed “world-class” by one analyst, has registered 1.6 shots on target per 90 this season, which such a tally ranking him in the top 7% of all players in the league.

Such a figure showcases his relentless nature in front of goal, handing the Spurs side the constant nuisance and goal threat they have lacked since Kane’s departure.

He’s also completed 53% of his attempted dribbles to date, whilst achieving a 75% cross completion rate – highlighting his all-round nature within the final third.

His biggest asset is his hold-up play, which could allow the Lilywhites to have the needed focal point they’ve craved, with the striker winning 2.5 aerials per 90 so far this season.

It could hand Frank the aerial presence needed to dominate in the 18-yard box, but also an option to help link the play and create intricate moves off a direct ball into the striker.

Whilst he operates in a different role to Mbeumo, the pair have both demonstrated their goalscoring prowess in recent times, with clinical goalscorers often hard to come by in the modern game.

Mateta could provide Frank with exactly what he wants in the January window, with such a move handing the Dane the perfect attacking option to kickstart his career in charge of the Lilywhites.

Their new Son: Spurs have held advanced talks to sign a future £100m player

Tottenham are looking to add fresh quality to their attacking flanks in 2026.

1

By
Angus Sinclair

3 days ago

Manchester United’s glory days under Sir Alex Ferguson now feel like a distant memory given the slump that they’ve endured over the last couple of seasons.

The Red Devils won 13 Premier League titles during the Scotsman’s reign, helping them win the treble back in the 1998/99 season – a feat that remains remarkable to this day.

However, his side have failed to win the league title since Ferguson’s final year in charge at Old Trafford, with their drought now about to enter its 15th season.

Ruben Amorim is the latest boss to try and end such a wait, but his tenure has yet to lift off after a 15th-place finish after taking the reins back in November last year.

However, the summer transfer window presents an opportunity for the 40-year-old to transform their fortunes, leading to numerous players being touted with a move to the Theatre of Dreams.

The latest on United’s hunt for new signings this summer

Over the last couple of days, Copenhagen winger Roony Bardghji has been touted with a move to United, handing the side an added threat in the final third after scoring against the Red Devils in the Champions League last season.

He’s not the only player on their radar, with Richard Rios emerging as a potential option after impressing for Palmeiras at the ongoing Club World Cup.

However, their ambitions in the market have been evident with their attempts to sign Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo, taking another step in landing the talent, according to one Spanish outlet.

They claim that Amorim’s side have taken the next step in their pursuit, submitting a £60m offer for the 25-year-old after having their opening bid of £55m rejected.

It also states that the hierarchy see him as a key part of their ambitions for the future, which has seen the Cameroonian international agree to a move with the two sides needing to negotiate a fee.

Why United’s £60m target would be a better signing than Ekitike

Despite the interest in other forwards, Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitiké has been another name that has been mentioned as a potential option for Amorim this summer.

The 23-year-old has enjoyed a breakthrough year in the Bundesliga this campaign, registering 22 goals across all competitions, evidently catching the eye of the Red Devils.

However, they’re not alone with Liverpool and Chelsea also in the race to land the Frenchman’s signature ahead of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign.

Any deal for Ekitike’s services would cost the hierarchy a small fortune, given the German outfit are demanding a fee in the region of €100m (£84m) to part ways with their talisman.

Such a fee may not be value for money, with Mbeumo certainly a better option for Amorim’s side in his attempts to bring the glory days back to Old Trafford.

He’s set to be available for a cheaper fee this window, whilst also having the experience in England’s top-flight – netting 20 goals this campaign, the best year in his professional career to date.

Mbeumo, who’s been labelled “world-class” by former teammate Pontus Jansson, has outscored the Frenchman and achieved a better goal per shot on target rate – demonstrating his clinical nature despite not being a centre forward.

Games played

38

33

Goals & assists

27

23

Shot on target accuracy

43%

38%

Progressive passes

3.7

1.8

Key passes made

1.9

1.5

Take-on success

47%

43%

Carries into opposition box

2

1.8

Goals per shot on target

0.4

0.3

He’s also achieved a higher tally of progressive passes per 90, along with more key passes, having the ability to provide others around him with the tools to star alongside him.

However, the 25-year-old’s talents don’t end there, completing more take-ons and carries into the penalty area, demonstrating his direct nature with the ball at his feet.

If the offer of £60m is accepted, it would be an excellent piece of business by the hierarchy, handing Amorim the tools he needs for success at Old Trafford.

Whilst Ekitike would be a viable option, the difference in price and experience in such a division makes the Brentford talent a better option ahead of the 2025/26 season.

He'd be perfect for Bruno: Man Utd set to hold talks for "incredible" star

Manchester United could be about to land a star who could take Bruno Fernandes to the next level.

ByEthan Lamb Jun 20, 2025

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim's handling of Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford has been supported by a club legend.

Butt supports making winger leaveHe also green-lit Rashford exitEx-midfielder believes coach needs timeFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Amorim decided that Garnacho had to leave United after his fiery post-match interview following the Europa League final defeat by Tottenham, in which he complained about not starting the game and criticised the team's results under their Portuguese coach. Garnacho is nearing a permanent move to Chelsea and former United midfielder Nicky Butt has praised the coach's handling of the situation.

AdvertisementWHAT BUTT SAID

"He's certainly found Garnacho had the wrong attitude, the wrong way of behaving," Butt told GOAL, via BetMGM. "It was only the other day he was getting a tattoo while vaping so he's 100% right with that one. He's got to make sure he cracks down on that one and, you know, Garnacho has done okay, but he's no superstar. He's not some world class player that we're going to lose. He's just a young player that had a good season in a bad team, and you can't behave like that playing from Man United. So I think he's 100% right about that one."

Getty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Amorim's decision on Garnacho followed the coach putting his foot down on Rashford's transgressions in December, leading to the England forward heading to Aston Villa on loan and then moving to Barcelona. Butt believes Amorim also played things right with Rashford. He said: "Certain things have been going on with Rashford over two or three years, and sometimes it's time for you to leave the football club and I think that was the case for Marcus. Marcus has been at the club since he was eight years of age and it does come to an end for all of us at some point, there are very few that stay there right through their careers and think it's a good move for him. He went to Villa on loan and did well and now he's gone to a massive football club in Barcelona, and I think he'll kick on there. So that could be the right thing as well. So I think on both occasions Amorim has done the right thing."

DID YOU KNOW?

Butt, who won six Premier League titles at United and was part of the team that won the treble in 1999, also backed Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the other United directors' decision to keep the faith in Amorim even after he presided over the worst season in 51 years. He explained: "I think they had to give him that support. Man United can't keep getting rid of managers. They can't keep blaming these managers that come in, because these managers that come in have got a track record. They're all good. They know what they're doing. They've been there, seen it, and done it. I think probably only Ole hadn't. So you can't keep blaming the managers. I think the bigger thing is, is what the recruitment team was doing over the last 10 years and and how the club had been set up. Hopefully they've sorted that out now they seem to have got a lot of structure within the club now that they've been crying out for." 

They’ll meet Hurricanes in title match after restricting Sixers to 151, and chasing the target down in scrappy Challenger

Andrew McGlashan24-Jan-2025

David Warner will have the chance to lead Sydney Thunder to their first BBL title in nine years, a season after they finished with the wooden spoon, after his side held their nerve in a scrappy Challenger final derby against Sydney Sixers to win by four wickets, with seven balls to spare.The experience of Sam Billings proved vital in the outcome as he nursed Thunder to their target amid a regular loss of wickets. With another 18 runs needed off the remaining 13 balls, Billings broke the tension with a huge leg-side six off Hayden Kerr.Thunder had been excellent in the field, with only a sixth-wicket stand of 56 from 34 balls between Jordan Silk and Ben Dwarshuis hauling Sixers as far as 151. Although Tom Andrews was their only spinner in the wickets – his brace came in the space of three balls – Thunder’s spinners were otherwise again very effective. The ten overs between Andrews, Tanveer Sangha and Chris Green cost just 66 runs on a surface that offered assistance.In reply, young English legspinner Jafer Chohan was very impressive, but Sixers did not have the volume of spin overs they were able to turn to as Thunder set up a final showdown with Hobart Hurricanes on Monday.Jason Sangha opens upThunder have tried a variety of opening combinations this season, although some of it has been out of their hands due to injury to Cameron Bancroft, and a Test call-up for Sam Konstas. For the Challenger, they opted for Jason Sangha, alongside Warner. Jason Sangha was playing in just his second game of the season, and started with a bang by taking 14 runs off the first over.Warner then scooped his first ball from Kerr for six, and Thunder were off to a flyer. But he bunted a catch to mid-on in the third over. Jason Sangha, meanwhile, had reached 30 off 19 balls at the other end, when he slog-swept Chohan to deep midwicket, as the game really started to tighten up.Matthew Gilkes was run-out, although Jack Edwards thought he had broken the stumps with his hands•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

A zing-bail run-outWhen on 3, Thunder’s Matthew Gilkes was given a life as he lofted Ben Manenti’s first ball to long-off, where Lachlan Shaw, who has produced some spectacular fielding in the competition, spilled a regulation catch in front of the Thunder dugout. From there, Gilkes built steadily, including landing a huge six into the Members Stand off Mitch Perry. But Gilkes was then at the centre of a borderline third-umpire decision.Coming back for a second run after playing towards deep third, Gilkes was beaten by a superb throw from Kerr. But Jack Edwards thought he had broken the stumps with his hands. However, after multiple replays, the third umpire Phillip Gillespie ruled that it was the ball that had fully dislodged the bail so Gilkes was ruled out for 26. The stump could be seen moving before the ball made contact, but, crucially, the zing bails had not lit up, so they had not been fully dislodged. Without zing bails, it was unlikely to have been given out.That is when Sixers put the squeeze on. Hugh Weibgen under-edged on to the stumps against Kerr, and Thunder couldn’t find the big over that would likely have killed the game off sooner. Chohan was superb, as he had been in the Qualifier final, and did not concede a boundary until the final delivery of his spell.Thunder held the power surge back until the 18th over, and though George Garton fell swinging across the line, Billings and Nathan McAndrew finished the job with some breathing space.Jordan Silk’s 43 took Sixers to 151•Getty Images

Tanveer’s fortune; Andrews’ doubleAmid the loss of Edwards and Kurtis Patterson inside the powerplay, which ended with Sixers just 23 for 2, it was a struggle for the hosts. Josh Philippe, who had been moved down to No. 3 after having not reached double figures in his last five innings, and Moises Henriques, were starting to engineer a platform when Henriques nailed a return catch to Tanveer, who dropped it, but deflected the ball on to the stumps with Philippe out of his ground.Then Andrews, who has had a huge impact on Thunder’s run to the finals, further dented Sixers’ middle order with two wickets in the 13th over. Firstly, Henriques was brilliant caught at cover by Garton, diving full length to his left. Then Shaw picked out Warner on the off side, with the Thunder captain rewarded for aggressive fielding placement. Somewhat surprisingly, that was Andrews’ last over of the innings.Silk’s forlorn finalsSilk was superb in Hobart on Monday, when he had nearly hauled Sixers over the line with 57. Against Sixers in the Challenger, he had to do another rebuilding job from 76 for 5. He broke the shackles with a sweep for six off Tanveer Sangha, and cleared the rope again in the power surge against Wes Agar.The surge brought 20 runs from the two overs, before Dwarshuis was able to find his range against McAndrew in the 18th over, which cost 19 runs. It gave Sixers something to defend, although it wasn’t quite enough in the end.

They beat Chittagong Kings by nine wickets in the first qualifier

Mohammad Isam03-Feb-2025Fortune Barishal became the first team to reach this season’s BPL final when they swept past Chittagong Kings with a nine-wicket win in the first qualifier. This is the franchise’s third final since the pandemic, having won the trophy last year. They await the winner of the second qualifier on Wednesday, between Khulna Tigers and Chittagong.Mohammad Ali was Barishal’s lynchpin with the ball, the Pakistan seamer taking his maiden five-wicket haul in T20s. Ali, who was playing his first match for Barishal this season, took the third five-wicket haul in this year’s BPL, following Taskin Ahmed and Faheem Ashraf. He also became the first bowler to take four wickets in an over in the BPL.Then it was Towhid Hridoy’s turn to wow the crowd, who had been desperate for some good cricket. Hridoy cracked his first fifty in this BPL campaign, getting Barishal to the target in 17.2 overs.

Mayers’ swingers dupe top-order

Kyle Mayers’ last over in the BPL was a disaster. He gave away 30 runs in the last over bowling to Rangpur Riders’ Nurul Hasan in Sylhet. Having played ten matches in the ILT20, Mayers returned to the BPL with a bang. He removed Khawaja Nafay in the first over, getting his inswinger to zip into the batter’s off-stump. Mayers then had the dangerous Graham Clark caught in the covers in his next over, reducing Chittagong to 14 for 2.Captain Mohammad Mithun and Haider Ali were dismissed as they tried to counterattack, both falling to big shots in the powerplay. Hridoy took a superb catch in the deep to remove Mithun for 1, while Ebadot Hossain cleaned up a swinging Haider in the sixth over.Mohammad Ali was wrecker-in-chief of Chittagong Kings, with figures of 4-0-24-5•Fortune Barishal

Shamim keeps Chittagong in the hunt

The task to recover was a big one but Shamim and Parvez added 77 runs for the fifth wicket. Parvez allowed Shamim to go for the shots, before opening up himself. He struck three fours and two sixes in his run-a-ball 36. Shamim meanwhile kept Chittagong in the contest, with his second fifty in this season’s BPL. Shamim’s nine fours and four sixes included some of his trademark sweeps, cuts and switch hits. One of his sixes was the no-look flick against the veteran offspinner Mahmudullah.

Ali takes four in an over

Till this point, Ali bowled three steady overs, picking up one wicket. Bowling the penultimate over, there was a bit of pressure on him, but Shamim, Chittagong’s last recognised batter, wanted to get on strike too. Ali bowled his back of the hand slower ball to remove Khaled Ahmed, before Shamim’s attempted switch hit found Ebadot at short third. Arafat Sunny and Aliss Al Islam were also undone by Ali’s slower balls, who ended up taking four wickets in the 19th over.

Hridoy anchors Barishal chase

Hridoy and Tamim Iqbal added 55 runs for the opening stand, steadying their 150-run chase in the first nine overs. Tamim fell for 29 off 26 balls, with four boundaries, when Nafay took the catch in the deep off Khaled’s bowling. Dawid Malan was attacking from the word go, which allowed Hridoy to go for the shots. He struck four boundaries and a six when he reached his fifty off 45 balls.

Muyeye’s fifty closes the contest out to keep quarter-final hopes alive

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay13-Jul-2025The Kent Spitfires are still in with a shout a Vitality Blast quarter-final place, after they coasted to a seven-wicket win over Middlesex at Canterbury, with 11 balls to spare.Fred Klaassen took 3 for 39 as the visitors were limited to 160 for five from their 20 overs and they needed 68 from Leus Du Plooy to give them something to defend.A blistering opening partnership of 66 between Tawanda Muyeye, who top-scored with 59 and Harry Finch meant Kent always looked favourites and when Finch went for 36, Joe Denly took the Spitfires to the brink with 46, before Sam Billings sealed the win with a six.Middlesex chose to bat first but lost Stevie Eskinazi in the second over when he was bowled off stump by Klaassen.In his next over Klaassen got Ben Geddes for 22, after he slapped him straight to Finch at point, leaving the visitors on 40 for two after the powerplay.Kane Williamson was caught and bowled by Jack Leaning for just six but Leaning’s 10th over went for 14, and allowing Middlesex to reach 68 for three at halfway and Matt Parkinson’s 11th went for 16.There was a lengthy delay while du Plooy was treated for a hand injury, after which Grant Stewart bowled Ryan Higgins middle stump for 19, breaking a partnership worth 68.Klaassen claimed the key wicket of du Plooy when he was caught by Finch near the rope but some late hitting by Joe Cracknell, who finished on 24 not out, and Luke Hollman, who was unbeaten on 14, steered Middlesex to a defensible total.It looked less defensible when openers Finch and Muyeye flayed 59 from the powerplay,Although Zafar Gohar made a breakthrough when he caught and bowled the former for 36, it didn’t affect the scoring rate.A single from Josh Little gave Muyeye his 50 and although Higgins had him caught by du Plooy in the 16th, Billings came in and blasted 20 from seven.Denly was denied the satisfaction of hitting the winning runs when he was bowled by Tom Helm, leaving Billings to complete the job with a six off Higgins that flew over square leg.

He was 5 off 13. He finished 53 off 31. This innings made you want to believe that the tide can turn. Even in T20s

Sidharth Monga28-Sep-20205:59

Making sense of Tewatia’s ‘freakish’ knock

Among all the content IPL teams produce thanks to their access, “Dressing Room Talks”, Ricky Ponting’s debriefing after any Delhi Capitals game, is absolutely must-see. Players circle around Ponting, who often refers to his big black notebook, and listen to him break down the game. When Capitals win, it is done amid raucous laughter and applause. It is a rare window into how a team works.Ponting also introduced to Capitals a concept of “Change Room Man of the Match” to appreciate the support acts that don’t get spoken about during a match. He hands them badges for their contribution.Ponting debuted this at the start of the 2019 season, which they began with a big win after losing the toss at Wankhede against the winningest IPL team of all. Rishabh Pant had scored a scarcely believable 78 off 27 that night, but Ponting commended Colin Ingram for his 47 off 32 from 29 for 2, Shikhar Dhawan for a forty, and Ishant Sharma, Trent Boult and Kagiso Rabada for their bowling. He said he didn’t care that Axar Patel went for 42 in his three overs because the conditions were unfavorable for spinners. He spoke of the fielding. He called Capitals a “f*cken good” team. He chalked plans for the next day, and then began to walk off.On his way, Rahul Tewatia stopped him. The conversation between the two wasn’t audible because of the noise, but Ponting turned around and patronisingly said, “Boys, Tewatia took four catches, and wants a pat on the back.” To the sound of mocking laughter. And walked off with an even more patronising smirk on his face.Oh the ignominy of being forgotten.A tender coconut in his hand, Axar immediately walked to Tewatia to mock him. “Who begs for recognition, bro?” Axar asked Tewatia in Hindi.”Bro, you have to fight for what you are owed,” Tewatia replied earnestly.

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This. Is. New. Delhi. Coach Ricky Ponting out there giving us all the #MotivationalFeels with his speech after the #MIvDC game The boys are ready for #DCvCSK at #QilaKotla! #ThisIsNewDelhi #DelhiCapitals

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**Tewatia had probably done all that was asked of him that night. He came out to bat with 16 balls remaining in the innings, made sure Pant got the strike for 12 of those, and also hit a six in the four he got. He was taken for 12 by Kieron Pollard in his first over before he took the wicket of the last batsman in his second. In between he took four catches; he had to dive for one, the other three were more regulation.You could see why Ponting didn’t choose him for the honours. More than that you could feel what Tewatia would have gone through that night. He was a proper journeyman. He had played only six first-class games, 18 List A games and 32 T20 ones. And he was about to turn 27. His T20 debut came in the IPL, for Rajasthan Royals in 2014, but he was soon traded to Kings XI Punjab. He next played in the IPL in 2017, only to be traded to Capitals (Daredevils back then) next year.Rahul Tewatia was the centre of attention after his spectacular innings•BCCITewatia would have known he was never going to be the star player. He wasn’t a good enough legspinner to play for his bowling alone, and he hardly got to bat. This was a night he had made contributions in every small window of opportunity he had been given. He was in the midst of possible heroes – Ponting, Sourav Ganguly, his team-mates, including Haryana legspinner Amit Mishra – and would have spent every second of that debriefing hoping to hear his name and the applause and the recognition to go with it.It never came. When he asked for it – not outside but within the team – the derision that did come wasn’t entirely unexpected in a cricket change room full of alpha male egos. Tewatia bowled 38 balls, and batted 22 that season. He was soon traded back to Royals. It was a sensible move. Tewatia wasn’t a finished product, and they didn’t have a slot where they could develop a player.**Tewatia is the kind of player who will not get a lot of opportunity. His legspin is not classic, his batting unproven. It shows in how his home state Haryana struggled to find him a regular spot in their sides. Twenty20 cricket brought cricketers such as Tewatia a chance to build a career. They could super-specialise to such an extent they could get a game for a certain match-up to contain just one batsman. The short duration of the format means you can even afford to waste one player in case you don’t get your desired set-piece. However, when you get that chance, you have to be precise and efficient with executing the skill you have been brought on to execute.Tewatia is also the kind of player who will be more at home at a team with budget constraints so that it is then in their best interest to develop such a player. Apart from being one of those teams, Royals also needed Tewatia’s super specialisation as the only Indian left-hand hitter anywhere near their first XI. Through this trade, Tewatia had come back to his spiritual home.**In his first match back for Royals, Tewatia managed to annoy the biggest fanbase in the IPL. Not only did he take three Chennai Super Kings wickets, he also brought out the “fingers in ears” celebration to mark one of those wickets. Later in the night he posted his photo with fingers in ears on his Instagram page. The comments section was inundated with abuse primarily from CSK fans. Some of them unimaginatively told him of alternate places to stick his fingers, some mockingly asked what noise he was blocking in empty stadiums, but the gist of the abuse was: “We have seen Philippe Coutinho celebrate this way for Barcelona, who are you? A walk-on player in a walk-on team.”The comments section was about to get busy in five days again.**Rahul Tewatia took two wickets in two balls•BCCITwenty20 cricket has freed batsmen up. They actually prepare to hit sixes. Earlier batsmen only used to practise in the nets, which could be claustrophobic. You didn’t quite know and watch for yourself how far you were hitting balls. A Lance Klusener, who would hit just sixes in a training session, was an exception. Now they have intra-squad contests to see who hits more sixes. Royals had one such in their camp to see who hit most sixes in an over. According to Sanju Samson, the six-hitting machine, Tewatia hit four or five sixes in that over.That day onwards, Andrew McDonald, the coach, and Zubin Barucha, the director of cricket, began to work on Tewatia’s batting. A potential move to open the innings had also been considered, according to Samson. The same Samson was reduced to turning down a single with Tewatia at the other end.**In his second match back for Royals, Tewatia’s 31-ball stay at the wicket brought forth the best and worst of T20 cricket the format. Its crunched nature leaves little room for personal struggle. Coaches tell batsmen if they are struggling, chances are others will too, so don’t give up the ghost, but what if your side has scored 100 in nine overs chasing 224 and you, promoted to do a job, are unable to get the ball off the square? It happened, most infamously, to Yuvraj Singh, one of the cleanest strikers cricket has ever seen, in the World T20 final of 2014. It happened to a young Ravindra Jadeja when he was promoted up the order in a 2009 World T20 game. It keeps happening to someone or the other.The essence of sport is to fight through tough situations. The crunched nature of this sport doesn’t allow for it. Those crunching numbers have been egging coaches on to pull back the batsman who is sucking the momentum out of an innings. You have only so many deliveries and 10 wickets to make use of them. Personal struggle is a nicety best left for the nets. The kindest of people wanted Tewatia to commit the less dramatic version of stepping on his wicket: just leave the crease and swing so that you can at least get stumped when you hit. At one point, even Samson asked him to do the same: run down the pitch and hit hard.4:02

Manjrekar, Chopra bat for ‘retired out’ concept

Tewatia didn’t want to. This is where the philosophical essence of sport comes into question. I once goaded Stephen Fleming to say retiring-out people should be normalised. He wouldn’t have any of it. I gave him the example of Yuvraj in the 2014 final. “That’s the beauty of it, isn’t it? Not let someone get away with it just because they can tap out. ‘Not my day today, I am out.'”Fleming has played a lot of international cricket and now coaches a successful T20 franchise. To him, the philosophy was clear: you do not give up the struggle. Tewatia never tapped out. He kept doing the right thing. He kept picking the wrong’uns, kept trying to go over long-off, but kept getting beaten. With every dot and single, the walls kept closing in, the asking rate kept rising, and Samson kept getting frustrated. Imagine the abuse that awaited on his Instagram page.You wonder how Tewatia felt when Samson nearly holed out, playing a frustrated shot because of all the momentum loss. Or when Samson refused to take a single lest Tewatia get back on strike. This is where you saw T20 at its practical best. That match-up – Tewatia against Maxwell – was proving to be the worst, and Samson had just hit two sixes off the same bowler. Ego or pity was taken out of this decision making. “How will Rahul feel if I push him further into the dumps by not taking the one?” No sir, not the time to think that.That also showed how over-rated singles and rotating strike in T20s can be. On the night Kings XI Punjab hit 11 sixes, Royals cleared the ropes 18 times to make up for all the lack of rotation of strike. It happens in 80% of the matches: score more in boundaries, and win the game.The commentators rightly questioned the wisdom of promoting Tewatia on a night when orthodox hitting produced more and easy runs. Cameras kept panning to the dugout and kept showing worried faces. Tewatia kept the noise out. He kept trying to hit that one six to get him going. In the timeout, at 5 off 13, having failed to get the better of the legspinner, Tewatia told his captain, Steven Smith, he was still in it, that he could hit three sixes each of Sheldon Cottrell and Mohammed Shami, international bowlers both. A bemused Smith said, “Mate, that is great self-belief.” Was there some derision in that?In the end, the sensational turnaround – six sixes in the last eight balls Tewatia faced – didn’t prove any of the rationalists wrong. He was perhaps not the right choice to send at No. 4, but you have also got to look at the shallow batting line-up. Stepping on your wicket is perhaps the better solution if an Andre Russell is waiting in the dugout. There is no way this kind of an effort is repeatable. In hindsight, if Kings XI had bowled M Ashwin – remember Tewatia’s struggle against non-turning legspin earlier – instead of Sheldon Cottrell, this might not even have happened in the first place.This innings was not about all that. It transcended tactics. It went into the larger essence of sport. How can you be an elite competitor and just give up? This innings made you want to believe in the romance of the struggle. That the tide can turn. Even in a duration as small as T20 cricket. That tapping out, in life as in sport, is not really the option after all.”You have to fight for what you are owed.”

There are various roles to account for but the selectors have options for each of them. Here’s a run through, with an IPL lens for context

Gaurav Sundararaman21-May-2022

BATTERS
Role 1: Powerplay enforcer
Contenders: Prithvi Shaw and Ishan Kishan
One of the key requirements of a T20 opener is the ability to maximise the powerplay. This is crucial for various reasons: conditions could get tougher for run-scoring later in the innings, and teams often try to slip in a few overs from a weaker bowler up front if the batters are conservative. Not to mention, the powerplay enforcer is critical to taking advantage of fielding restrictions to set a strong foundation and/or bring the asking rate down in a jiffy.