Who are the players unavailable? And what have been the key takeaways?

Hemant Brar28-May-20253:45

Moody: ‘A clear gap’ in GT’s middle order

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Players unavailable for playoffs: Devdutt Padikkal, Jacob Bethell, Lungi NgidiReplacements: Mayank Agarwal, Tim Seifert, Blessing MuzarabaniKey takeaway: Tim David sat out of RCB’s last league game with a hamstring injury and remains “a work in progress”, according to team mentor and batting coach Dinesh Karthik. Among those who have scored at least 100 runs this season, David has the sixth-highest strike rate (185.14). If he stays unavailable, it will rob RCB of the lower-middle-order firepower. Can Liam Livingstone, who has a strike rate of 126.08 this season, up his game in David’s absence?On the bright side, Josh Hazlewood is likely to be available for Qualifier 1. He has been outstanding both in the powerplay and at the death. RCB’s flawless away record this season – seven wins in seven matches – should also boost their confidence.Related

• Jitesh 85* trumps Pant 118* as RCB make Qualifier 1

• GT bowlers 'losing form at the wrong time'

• Arya and Inglis take PBKS to Qualifier 1 and send MI to the Eliminator

Likely best XII: 1 Virat Kohli, 2 Phil Salt, 3 Mayank Agarwal, 4 Rajat Patidar (capt), 5 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 6 Krunal Pandya, 7 Tim David/Liam Livingstone, 8 Romario Shephard, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Yash Dayal, 11 Josh Hazlewood, 12 Suyash Sharma

Gujarat Titans

Players unavailable for playoffs: Jos Buttler, Kagiso Rabada, Glenn PhillipsReplacements: Kusal Mendis, Dasun ShanakaKey takeaway: Shubman Gill, B Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler have scored almost 73% of GT’s bat runs. Therefore, Buttler’s unavailability leaves a massive hole for Kusal Mendis to fill. Another concern for GT is Rashid Khan’s form. No matter what parameter you look at – average, strike rate or economy – he is having his worst IPL season. In 14 games, he has picked up just nine wickets at an economy rate of 9.47. He has been hit for 31 sixes, the joint-most for any bowler in an IPL season.Likely best XII: 1 Shubman Gill (capt), 2 B Sai Sudharsan, 3 Kusal Mendis (wk), 4 Sherfane Rutherford, 5 M Shahrukh Khan, 6 Rahul Tewatia, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Gerald Coetzee, 9 Arshad Khan, 10 R Sai Kishore, 11 Mohammed Siraj, 12 Prasidh KrishnaPunjab Kings sealed their top-two spot with a win against MI•Associated Press

Punjab Kings

Players unavailable for playoffs: Marco Jansen, Glenn Maxwell, Lockie FergusonReplacements: Kyle Jamieson, Mitchell OwenKey takeaway: PBKS’ biggest strength this season has been their Indian core, be it in the batting department or bowling. That said, Marco Jansen’s absence will take away some sting from their bowling and lower-order batting. Can Kyle Jamieson step into those shoes? Yuzvendra Chahal missed the last two league games because of an issue with his right wrist but he is expected to be available for the playoffs.Likely best XII: 1 Priyansh Arya, 2 Prabhsimran Singh (wk), 3 Josh Inglis, 4 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 5 Nehal Wadhera, 6 Shashank Singh, 7 Marcus Stoinis, 8 Azmatullah Omarzai, 9 Kyle Jamieson, 10 Harpreet Brar, 11 Arshdeep Singh, 12 Yuzvendra Chahal

Mumbai Indians

Players unavailable for playoffs: Will Jacks, Ryan Rickelton, Corbin Bosch, Vignesh PuthurReplacements: Jonny Bairstow, Charith Asalanka, Richard Gleeson, Raghu SharmaKey takeaway: Despite losing two of their last three games, MI remain a formidable unit. Moreover, Ryan Rickelton and Will Jacks’ unavailability should not affect them much. Jonny Bairstow can replace Rickelton at the top of the order and behind the stumps. To cover up for Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav can move up to No. 3 and one of Charith Asalanka and Bevon Jacobs can slot in the middle order. Asalanka can also chip in with his offspin if required.Likely best XII: 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 3 Suryakumar Yadav, 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Charith Asalanka/Bevon Jacobs, 6 Hardik Pandya (capt), 7 Naman Dhir, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Jasprit Bumrah, 12 Karn Sharma

Arsenal have identified a marquee Nottingham Forest star as one of their top transfer targets heading into 2026, according to a report this week.

Gunners sporting director Andrea Berta splashed nearly £270 million on new recruits last summer, and the Italian’s investments have paid dividends thus far.

This was evident in the North London derby last weekend, when Arsenal put arch rivals Tottenham to the sword in a 4-1 win, piling pressure on Thomas Frank and cementing Mikel Arteta’s side as the overwhelming Premier League title favourites.

A hat-trick from summer signing Eberechi Eze, who was once on the verge of joining Spurs before Berta hijacked the deal, and Leandro Trossard’s strike saw Arsenal claim all the bragging rights on Sunday while extending their lead at the top of the table to six points.

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-1 Tottenham

Another new recruit, Piero Hincapie, was also handed his first Premier League start by Arteta with star defender Gabriel Magalhaes sidelined due to a thigh injury.

The Ecuadorian shone in Gabriel’s stead, with Arteta hailing his exceptional display against Spurs on the eve of their Champions League clash with Bayern Munich.

Arsenal’s water-tight backline is one of the major reasons why they’re top of the pile and unbeaten in all competitions since August, with Arteta very well-stocked in defence after both Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera’s arrivals in the summer.

Both men have performed exceptionally when called upon, but according to Spanish media sources, Berta and co are still planning to reinforce their backline in future windows.

Arsenal identify Nottingham Forest star Murillo as top target

Indeed, it is now believed that Arsenal have identified Nottingham Forest centre-back Murillo as a priority transfer target, entering a three-way battle with Chelsea and Barcelona for the Brazilian’s signature.

Arteta has apparently earmarked the young defender as crucial to strengthening his backline for the long term.

The Spanish tactician particularly values Murillo’s ball-playing prowess, ability to break defensive lines and his left-footed profile, which Arteta believes would bring even more balance to Arsenal’s central defence.

However, Forest have set a large price tag for their defensive jewel, and Evangelos Marinakis could charge up to £79 million for Murillo to ward off potential suitors like Arsenal.

Since arriving from Brazil, Murillo has become a cornerstone of Forest’s backline.

The 23-year-old’s links with a move away are nothing new, and Arsenal have been named as suitors for Murillo even before now. Despite their many options at the back, Berta’s admiration for the South American hasn’t gone away, and it is clear to see why.

Murillo ended 2024/2025 as Forest’s best-performer by average match rating in the Premier League last season, according to WhoScored, with only Matz Sels and Nikola Milenkovic playing more minutes than the ex-Corinthians sensation.

Ex-Everton star Yannick Bolasie has hit out at Gary Neville's punditry, claiming the Manchester United legend "thinks he’s the second coming of Pep Guardiola". Neville was on Sky Sports commentary during the Premier League clash between the Toffees and the Red Devils as Ruben Amorim's side suffered a disappointing 1-0 loss against 10 men.

• Man Utd's unbeaten streak ends

  After a torrid start to their 2025-26 campaign, United began to pick up form in the Premier League as they registered three wins in a row against Sunderland, Liverpool and Brighton. At the start of November, they were held to back-to-back draws by Nottingham Forest and Tottenham. After a five-match unbeaten run, many believed that the days of agony were finally behind United as they were looking like a close-knit unit for the first time in the Amorim era. 

  However, United were brought crashing back down to earth on Monday evening as they went down 1-0 against a 10-man Everton side. Idrissa Gueye was sent off in the 13th minute after he fought with his own team-mate Michael Keane on the pitch. The hosts, though, could not capitalise on their man advantage and instead conceded around the half-hour mark as former Chelsea man Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored the all-important winning goal.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Ex-Everton star slammed Gary Neville

  Former United star Neville, who was on broadcasting duty with Sky Sports for the game, failed to impress ex-Everton and Crystal Palace player Yannick Bolasie with his punditry skills. The 36-year-old Congolese winger took a shot at the Red Devils legend on social media.

  Bolasie wrote on X: "I’m watching this game on mute. I respect opinions but not when he’s giggling all over the mic thinking he’s the second coming of guardiola, allow it…great player but the tactics give it a rest laaaad."

• Amorim wished United played like Everton

  Amorim was understandably unhappy with the team's performance at home against a team reduced to 10 men as he went on to claim that United deserved to lose, while heaping praise on David Moyes' side for showing fighting spirit.

  After the game, the Portuguese coach told reporters: "I think they were a better team with 11. They then worked really well with 10 men for 70 minutes. So I think we deserved to lose. We didn't play well. We didn't play with the right intensity. I know which point we are in the moment. So we are not there, not even near the point that we should be to fight for the best positions in the league. We have a lot to do, and we need to be perfect to win games. We were not perfect. I feel afraid of returning of this feeling of last season, that is my biggest concern. So we need to work together. We are going to work together. I'm not going. The players are trying, but we need to be better so we have training tomorrow, and we are going to prepare the next one."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Are United ready to challenge for a top five finish?

  United had the perfect opportunity to reclaim their place among the top five teams in the Premier League after Bournemouth dropped points against West Ham, Arsenal thrashed Tottenham in the north London derby and both Liverpool and Manchester City lost their respective fixtures. However, with the lost against Everton, United have dropped to 10th.

  Amorim admitted that United are still not ready to challenge the elite teams in the division. The Portuguese added: "It is my responsibility to explain the game, and today, it was not one mistake of one individual, it was the team. The way we saw the results of the weekend. We should get inside the pitch with a different level of excitement, that is, that is my feeling. It doesn't matter if you are playing well, making good passes, but the feeling and Old Trafford was there, saying we are all here to give a big step up, and I felt that we were not ready again."

  The Red Devils next face Crystal Palace in a difficult away fixture on Sunday in the Premier League. 

His two wickets on the opening day slowed down Pakistan’s progress and helped South Africa go to stumps after an “even day”

Danyal Rasool20-Oct-2025It may not have seemed that way when Pakistan were 146 for one, but by stumps, South Africa had clawed back enough into the Test for Keshav Maharaj to call it an even day. The left-arm spinner – who did not play the first Test owing to a groin injury – began South Africa’s comeback when he dismissed crowd favourite Babar Azam early on in his innings. In the final session, Maharaj struck once more when he drew Shan Masood into a sweep, which he could only drag to Marco Jansen at square leg. By the end, there was time for Kagiso Rabada to snag a fifth wicket, forcing Pakistan to see off the final half hour cautiously. They finished on 259 for five.”I think it was an even day,” he said. “We managed to control their run rate. When the ball gets softer – which happens quite quickly because the wicket’s quite hard, we managed to just go to old-fashioned Test cricket… I felt if we got one more wicket at night, we’d probably have had a little bit of an upper hand.”Related

• South Africa are selecting based on character rather than just stats now

• First day in Pindi = first day in Lahore

• South Africa, Pakistan share opening-day honours after Masood 87

The first two sessions were shaping up to tell a different story, using the same, frustrating script for the visitors. Having lost the toss and being inserted to field once more, they were sloppy, putting down five catches – just as they had on the first day in Lahore. Abdullah Shafique was the primary beneficiary, with South Africa spurning three opportunities to dismiss him. Earlier, Marco Jansen had nipped one in that Shafique left. The ball had kissed the off stump, only for the bails to be left undisturbed.”As a collective we know how important catches are, not just in the subcontinent. No one means to drop catches; it was nice to see the guys bounce back and take the catches that they did. Bit frustrating but no one means to drop chances.”Simon Harmer bowled 23 overs of spin to complement Maharaj•AFP/Getty Images

The fielding tide for South Africa began to turn when Tony de Zorzi took an excellent catch, which sent Babar on his way. South Africa have placed a lot of faith in their leading offspinner; he bowled 31 overs – the most for any bowler on a day this series. Harmer bowled 23 further overs of spin, but Senuran Muthuswamy, the leading wicket-taker in Lahore, sent down just four.Maharaj, who said he regretted being unable to play in Lahore, called the decision to use Muthuswamy more sparingly “tactical”. “We saw that the wicket didn’t play like Lahore and we felt like we just wanted to try and restrict the Pakistani batters. I don’t think there was an issue. Sen came back nicely with the second spell that he bowled.”In the end, Pakistan scored 54 fewer runs than they did on day one in Lahore, with South Africa drying up the runs, giving the final session a slightly different tinge to the first day they had during the first Test. They will be further encouraged by the knowledge that Pakistan have a collapse in them, something Masood highlighted following the first Test. In the first Test, Pakistan lost their last five for 16 in the first innings, and their last six for 17 in the two innings. One more wicket, and South Africa will know there are opportunities to run through the lower order.”Tomorrow’s an important day,” Maharaj said. The first sessions in the series so far have been quite action-packed. “Hopefully, we can make inroads tomorrow morning. The main thing is to try bowling as many dot balls as we can. We saw for a period of time when we did do it, that it brought us a little bit of reward, and we created opportunities. I think it’s important we start really well tomorrow. Hopefully we can get Saud and Agha early in the morning and open up an end with the lower-order batters. But it’s about just trying to bowl our best balls for long periods of time.”

Marnus Labuschagne fell cheaply while Matt Renshaw couldn’t convert a start

AAP30-Oct-2025

Usman Khawaja produced his best innings of the season just three weeks out from the Ashes, with a timely 87 for Queensland against New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield.In a match that appears destined to for a draw, Queensland went to stumps on day three at 238 for 4 in reply to NSW’s first-innings score of 429 for 7 dec.Related

Australia's top order: What are the selectors' options?

Marsh has a route to the Ashes; Khawaja backs Renshaw

Smith puts England on notice with sparkling Gabba knock

Matt Renshaw missed out on a chance to further press his Test claims on Thursday when bowled for 29, while Marnus Labuschagne was also out for 4.But there were at least positive signs for Khawaja, with the veteran’s form looming as crucial for Australia this summer. While all eyes have been on who will partner him at the top against England, Khawaja only averaged 15.37 in four Tests last winter.The 38-year-old has had scores of 69, 46 and 0 in the Shield for Queensland, before looking in good touch at the Gabba on Thursday. Khawaja hit three boundaries in one over early from Ryan Hadley, while his shot of the day was a lovely drive down the ground off the quick later in his innings.He also looked at his laconic best clipping Test team-mate Nathan Lyon for two more boundaries through the legside, after sweeping the spinner for another. But with a century in sight he fell in common fashion, edging a Charlie Stobo ball that was angled across his stumps and swung away.Renshaw also gave himself the foundation to produce a score befitting his Test claims, before attempting to leave a Jack Edwards ball and edging it onto his stumps.Australia’s selectors will name an extended squad for the first Test in Perth after this Shield round, with Renshaw likely battling with Jake Weatherald for a spot in the group. Whether either plays will likely depend on if Beau Webster and Cameron Green are both included in the XI, or if one makes way and a specialist opener is preferred.Labuschagne looks certain to be there in Perth after a hot start to the summer, with the only question being if he is used as a makeshift opener or in his normal role of No. 3. He was out when he glanced Hatcher straight to a deep leg gully, before Hatcher also had Lachlan Hearne caught in the slips for 9.But Jack Clayton’s unbeaten 81 has all but killed off NSW’s hopes of victory after a washed-out opening day. They would theoretically need to bowl Queensland out for under 280 on Friday, enforce the follow on, and then knock them over again.

Leeds United fans headed into the half-time interval against Aston Villa pleased with their team’s overall fight and desire on show.

On top of the energy and application being there, Lukas Nmecha’s bundled opener gifted the Whites a slim 1-0 lead.

But, everything went pear-shaped for Daniel Farke and Co in a worrying second half that saw Villa come out and display their obvious Premier League quality, which, in tow, saw the West Yorkshire giants crumble to a 2-1 loss.

Farke will be extremely unsure about his future in the Elland Road hot seat, with several of his key players letting him down in that disastrous second 45 minutes.

Even the memorable days of Marcelo Bielsa had their poor moments, too, with Gaetano Berardi often sticking out as a liability as the Whites attempted to return to the Premier League, before the South American would clinch the Championship title.

What went wrong for Berardi at Leeds

Despite Berardi’s reputation for being a rash individual when donning Leeds white, the central defender is fondly remembered to this day at Elland Road as a character who gave “everything” for the shirt, as Bielsa once noted.

Lining up all along the defence when needed, the one-time Switzerland international bowed out from West Yorkshire with two goals and seven assists from 157 appearances, leading to an emotional farewell come the close of the 2020/21 season in the Premier League.

However, this isn’t to say Berardi wasn’t a liability when it came to his hot-headedness, with the former number 28 picking up a ridiculous seven red cards, one of which came during Leeds’ playoff semi-final collapse at the hands of Frank Lampard’s Derby County during the 2018/19 season.

Obviously, it was a team effort that culminated in Jack Marriott stealing a late winner to send the Rams to Wembley, but Leeds did have to play the final exchanges down a man due to the recklessness of the full-blooded defender, with Leeds great Eddie Gray once even admitting that he often ‘shut’ his eyes when Berardi went full steam ahead with challenge, largely due to his notorious disciplinary record.

Gray said in full: “There was a few challenges when he was going in after being booked, and I shut my eyes. I thought, ‘No!’ but he pulled back and did the right thing. There comes a time in your career when ‘I shouldn’t be doing that’ because you’re letting yourself down, the manager down, the team down and the supporters down.”

Ultimately, that rash nature resulted in Berardi only being handed two Premier League chances for the Whites, before being let go of, with the now retired defender admitting, when looking back on his Leeds career, that he just couldn’t stem the “fire inside me.”

Fast forwarding back to the present, Leeds may now have another Berardi on their books.

Leeds' new Berardi

Farke might well be persisting with players now that just aren’t cut out for the intensity of the Premier League week in, week out.

Indeed, while Brenden Aaronson does show flashes of immense quality here and there in the top division, it’s clear from his goalless showing against Villa that he isn’t an established Premier League talent for a reason, as just one of his five dribbles came off.

On the contrary, Emery has the likes of Morgan Rogers and Donyell Malen at his disposal, who can regularly punish teams at a moment’s notice.

The England international would end up being Villa’s match-winner when he delicately placed this free-kick past a stationary Lucas Perri, but he was not helped by Pascal Struijk rashly tackling Ross Barkley for this free-kick to be given in an ideal spot on the pitch.

To make matters worse for the Dutchman, he also spurned a header late on that was comfortably saved by Emiliano Martinez, as Struijk’s days now begin to look numbered as a regular in the heart of Farke’s defence.

Games played

95

Goals scored

4

Assists

1

Duels won

416

Tackles

200

Yellow cards

16

Red cards

1

Clean sheets

13

This isn’t to say, much like with the Berardi example, that Struijk hasn’t had some great moments over the year donning Leeds white, with the 26-year-old helping himself to eight goals in Championship action.

But, it could now be a case that the ex-Ajax youngster has overstayed his welcome as a Premier League starter at Elland Road, with only 13 clean sheets coming his way across four top-flight campaigns, backing up claims by journalist Phil Hay that he is not “Premier League quality.”

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Leeds Live reporter Isaac Johnson would state in his post-match debrief after Villa that Struijk was regularly “caught out of position” and looked prone to a mistake, with Berardi also generating the same feeling of unease with his unpredictable showings for the club.

This is not the first time Struijk has been guilty of an error-ridden performance, with both goals at Spurs deflecting off the unfortunate defender. Still, the Dutchman could have been closer to Mohammed Kudus when he was allowed to have a pop at goal.

The match against Burnley also highlighted the defender’s susceptibility to aerial contests. As the Clarets took the lead, Kyle Walker swung in a lovely delivery, but neither Joe Rodon nor Struijk communicated properly which allowed Lesley Ugochukwu to ghost in and head home. As the first defender, it should have been up to the latter to deal with the situation but he didn’t read the flight of the ball well at all.

With Manchester City and Chelsea to come next, Farke will have to seriously consider dropping his underperforming dud if he doesn’t want to be on the receiving end of two depressing drubbings, with the beginning of the end for Struijk at Leeds now coming into view.

Forget Aaronson: It's a sackable offence if Farke starts £14m Leeds man again

Daniel Farke must be sacked at Leeds United if he continues to start this ropey dud.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 24, 2025

Uncertainty amid the euphoria as Oval Invincibles brace for break-up in new era

Matt Roller01-Sep-2025It was the trophy lift that marked the end of the beginning for the Hundred. As Sam Billings hoisted the golden ‘H’ aloft, flanked by his Oval Invincibles team-mates, Surrey chief executive Steve Elworthy and Reliance Jio chairman Akash Ambani stood on the outfield and offered head coach Tom Moody their congratulations on a third successive title.In a month’s time – pending the final details of paperwork – those two parties will assume operational control of the franchise from the ECB and run it as a joint-venture, as the Hundred enters a new era. It remains to be seen exactly what comes next – a new name, a new kit, and new sponsors all appear highly likely – but the only certainty is that change is coming.After five seasons, the Hundred’s incubation period is over. It has been an arduous process: it was nearly a decade ago that the counties voted through a city-based T20 tournament which later morphed into 100-ball cricket, and it remains a divisive subject. But in raising over £500 million for the English game, the ECB’s start-up has been an overwhelming financial success.Akash Ambani chats to Jordan Cox after the Hundred final•Philip Brown/Getty ImagesIncoming investors have lined hospitality suites throughout the last month, and Ambani’s latest visit was only a fleeting one: he told Jordan Cox, the men’s MVP, that he was meant to be catching a flight barely 90 minutes later. “I was like, ‘Good luck with the traffic,’ and he was like, ‘Don’t worry,'” Cox dead-panned. Certain planes wait for their passengers.The Hundred’s new board will meet this week as ideas designed to “supercharge” the competition start to become reality. They will include a “reset” of squads in the style of the IPL’s mega-auction: the dominance of Invincibles men and Southern Brave women has become too predictable for the ECB’s liking, in a tournament designed with unpredictability in mind.Cox said he would be “devastated” if the core of the Invincibles squad split apart but considers it inevitable: “Being three from three, it’s going to be quite hard to get the same players and the same team unless we’ve got some serious money lying around.” The new investors are not short on cash, but the salary cap will force a greater revamp than in any previous season.Surrey insist that no decision has been reached on a potential name change, but the most likely outcome is the Invincibles becoming ‘MI London’, the latest outpost in Mumbai Indians’ global network. The timing is curious: if few will mourn the demise of a brand that has only existed for five years, then the Invincibles had formed a genuine identity that had cut through to the public.Davina Perrin’s century in the Eliminator was the innings of the tournament•Philip Brown/Getty ImagesThe sense of uncertainty extends beyond The Oval: Harry Brook captained Northern Superchargers to Saturday’s Eliminator, but has only briefly interacted with their incoming owners, the Sun Group. “God knows,” he said, asked how the 2026 season might look. “I don’t know if I’m going to be here… Who knows what’s going to happen?”A change in format from 100 balls to T20 has been mooted but is unlikely before the end of existing broadcast contracts in 2028. “You’re never going to be better than the IPL,” Cox said. “What’s the point in trying to change it to be second-best? This is perfect for English cricket. Just keep it the same. Friends, families, kids love to come and watch. Why ruin it?”Cox’s comments cut to the fundamental question facing the ECB: can they make the Hundred bigger and better without turning it into a knock-off IPL? The tournament has established a solid base to work from but is a long way from achieving managing director Vikram Banerjee’s stated long-term aim of being mentioned in the same breath as the NFL or Wimbledon as an event.Related

Northern Superchargers officially renamed Sunrisers Leeds

The Hundred to introduce player auction for 2026 season

Hundred squads face 2026 'reset' in bid for competitive balance

Trent Rockets progress to Men's Hundred final after Eliminator wash-out

Ferreira relishes 'heater' role as Invincibles' six-hitter-in-chief

This edition, widely framed as a transition year, was a qualified success. Ticket sales returned to their 2023 peak after a dip last summer, a trend reflected in TV viewing figures. There were only a handful of last-ball finishes but the standard was strong in both men’s and women’s competitions, while Davina Perrin’s 101 in the Eliminator was the innings of the season.Across 57 minutes of free-wheeling hitting, Perrin’s 42-ball ton encapsulated the Hundred’s impact on women’s cricket in England. She was only 14 when the tournament started but has watched attendances grow year-on-year and thrived when presented with the platform of a knockout game in front of 13,623 people, the closest thing possible to international cricket.The double-header model – stumbled upon five years ago due to Covid – will remain for 2026 but there have been murmurs of concern within the women’s game about the direction of travel. Banerjee insists that new investors see their franchises as a “two-for-one” deal, but only time will tell if they treat both teams equally, or pay the women lip service while focusing on the men.But what is abundantly clear already is that the Hundred will look very different next year. New investors have not spent tens – or, in some cases, hundreds – of millions of pounds in order to run their teams as passive investments, even if most of them will start as minority shareholders. After five years of incremental change, something far more radical is coming.

اعترف بول ميرسون، النجم السابق لنادي آرسنال، أنه سيتفاجأ إذا تصرف المدرب آرني سلوت بطريقة ما تجاه المصري محمد صلاح، في مباراة يوم الأربعاء ضد سندرلاند في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ويستضيف ملعب “الأنفيلد” مباراة فريقي ليفربول وسندرلاند، في إطار منافسات الجولة الرابعة عشر من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، موسم 2025/26.

وحقق ليفربول فوزًا على وست هام بهدفين دون رد على ملعب “لندن الأولمبي” يوم الأحد الماضي، في الجولة الثالثة عشر، في مباراة غاب عنها محمد صلاح الذي تواجد على دكة البدلاء.

اقرأ أيضًا.. تاونسند يحذر من رد فعل محمد صلاح بعد استبعاده من تشكيل ليفربول

وقال بول ميرسون، في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “rousingthekop” الإنجليزية: “سأُصاب بالصدمة إذا قرر آرني سلوت إعادة محمد صلاح إلى تشكيلة ليفربول في هذه المباراة، هذا ليس القرار الصائب، لقد تم استبعاده (من مباراة وست هام) لسبب وجيه، وفاز ليفربول”.

وأضاف: “يحتاج محمد صلاح إلى الجلوس على مقاعد البدلاء ليستعيد مستواه المعهود، لا يمكن اختيار اللاعبين بناءً على أدائهم السابق، اتخذ سلوت القرار الصائب باستبعاد صلاح في المباراة الأخيرة، وعليه الالتزام به”.

وواصل: “من المستحيل أن ينهي ليفربول الموسم خارج المراكز الأربعة الأولى، أتوقع فوزهم في هذه المباراة بنتيجة 2/1 وحصد ثلاث نقاط إضافية”.

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O Fluminense ficou no empate em 2 a 2 diante do Red Bull Bragantino na noite de sábado (13), mas o volume ofensivo apresentado pela equipe é de animar o torcedor. Na estreia do time no Brasileirão 2024, o Tricolor superou dificuldades apresentadas em partidas recentes e criou diversas oportunidades de gol, quebrando, inclusive, marca importante sob o comando de Fernando Diniz.

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Contra o Massa Bruta, o Fluminense finalizou 26 vezes no total, com 11 chutes ao gol. O número é o maior da equipe durante a segunda passagem de Diniz como treinador, desde 30 de abril de 2022. Os dados são de OptaJoao, perfil especializado em estatísticas do futebol na rede social X (antigo Twitter).

O volume ofensivo do Tricolor na estreia do Brasileirão foi superior ao apresentado em partidas recentes na temporada. Contra o Colo-Colo, na última terça-feira (9), o time de Fernando Diniz finalizou nove vezes, acertando a baliza em apenas três. Antes, contra o Alianza Lima, foram 11 chutes totais, com míseros dois no gol adversário.

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Sobre o desempenho do ataque diante do Bragantino, Diniz afirmou, em entrevista coletiva, que este sempre foi o objetivo do plano de jogo. Além disso, citou os chutes de fora da área – recuso muito utilizado pelo Fluminense na partida, sobretudo no primeiro tempo.

– Na realidade, meu pedido (de finalizar mais) é desde sempre, só que contra determinados adversários temos mais dificuldades. Com características de alguns jogadores temos mais possibilidades de chutar de fora da área – disse o treinador tricolor.

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Após o empate com o Red Bull Bragantino Bragantino, o Fluminense volta a campo na próxima terça-feira (16), às 21h30. A equipe enfrenta o Bahia fora de casa, na Arena Fonte Nova, pela segunda rodada do Brasileirão 2024.

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The Miami Marlins were able to beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 5-3, on Sunday to avoid being swept at home. After the game the pitcher who closed it out, Tyler Phillips, gave one of the most intense interviews you'll ever see that left the team's sideline reporter a bit scared.

Phillips pitched a perfect ninth inning for the Marlins while not allowing a ball to leave the infield. A groundout to first, a grounder back to the pitcher and a popup to second sealed the deal and gave the Marlins their 61st win of the season.

Stephen Strom, who works for the Marlins radio broadcast, was the reporter who got to talk to Phillips right after his outing and this was easily one of the best interviews you'll ever see.

Some highlights:

Strom: "Tyler you threw 32 pitches yesterday. When did you know you were going in tonight?"

Phillips: "When they called down."

Strom: "And you were ready to go?"

Phillips: "They call down, I’m pissed off. I’m ready to go."

Strom: "Why do you get so pissed off?"

Phillips: "I don’t like hitters."

Strom: "How did you get through that ninth?"

Phillips: "Throw the ball over the plate."

Strom: "How long does it take you to cool down after a win?"

Phillips: "I never cool down."

Strom, on Phillips slapping himself while making his entrance: "And the slapping. What was the level of slapping when you came on?"

Phillips: "Pretty hard. My face is hot."

Strom: "Great win, you’re scaring me. Go to the clubhouse. Thank you very much."

Here's that interview:

Here's Phillips slapping himself while entering the game:

You gotta love baseball. And, if you're Phillips, hate hitters.