Royal Challengers have now lost nine playoff matches, the joint-most in IPL history
Sampath Bandarupalli27-May-20224 Centuries for Jos Buttler in IPL 2022, the joint-most for any player in a T20 series or tournament. Virat Kohli also scored four centuries during the 2016 edition of the IPL.2 Players to score more runs in a T20 competition than Buttler’s 824 runs in this IPL season. (And he still has one more innings left) Kohli and David Warner scored 973 and 848 runs, respectively, in the 2016 IPL.ESPNcricinfo Ltd5 Hundreds by Buttler in the IPL, including one in 2021. He is one of three players with five or more centuries in the IPL. Kohli also has five hundreds, while Chris Gayle tops the list with six.195 Runs scored by Buttler in the playoffs this season, a new IPL record, surpassing Warner’s tally of 190 in 2016. Rajat Patidar is third on the list with 170 runs across the Eliminator and Qualifier 2.Most hundreds in IPL•ESPNcricinfo Ltd2 Buttler’s hundred is only the second in an IPL playoff match, while chasing. Shane Watson scored an unbeaten 117 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2018 final. It is also only the sixth century recorded in an IPL playoff match and the first for Rajasthan Royals.8 Hundreds in IPL 2022, including the unbeaten 106 by Buttler on Friday. This is also a new tournament record, surpassing the seven that were made in 2016.ESPNcricinfo Ltd31 Sixes conceded by Mohammed Siraj, the most by a bowler in any edition of the IPL. Wanindu Hasaranga is second (30) on this list; both Royal Challengers Bangalore bowlers going past Dwayne Bravo, who held the record previously with the 29 sixes conceded in 2018.10.07 Siraj’s economy rate this year is the worst for a bowler across IPL history (min 50 overs). Siraj is also only the third bowler to finish with an economy rate in excess of ten in any T20 tournament (Min: 300 balls).9 Playoff losses for Royal Challengers, the joint-most in the IPL. Chennai Super Kings have also lost nine playoff matches, although they played 11 more than the Bangalore franchise. Delhi Capitals have lost nine out of 11. Royal Challengers have lost 11 playoff matches in all T20s, also the joint-most defeats for a team.
Rahul has been key to India’s new attack-from-the-start approach, while Dhawan’s pedigree in ICC tournaments is top class
Deivarayan Muthu in Indore07-Jan-2020Shikhar Dhawan was the first to turn up for batting practice before the toss of the washed-out first T20I between India and Sri Lanka in Guwahati. The capacity crowd welcomed him with boisterous chants of And the chants became louder when he punched left-arm throwdown specialist Nuwan Seneviratne on the up with a high elbow. Moments later, KL Rahul netted up and unfurled the right-hander’s version of the shot and had the crowd cheering for him. For a brief while, the two openers matched each other shot for shot, entertaining the spectators before wet weather played spoilsport.So, the second T20I in Indore will be the first round of a direct shootout between a fit-again Dhawan and an in-form Rahul for the second opener’s slot behind limited-overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma, who has been rested for this series.ALSO READ: Rahul 2.0 makes strong case for regular limited-overs selectionWhen Dhawan was out of action, Rahul staked his claim for a permanent role at the top, rattling off scores of 62, 11, 91 and 6, 102, 77 against West Indies in three T20Is and three ODIs respectively. Notably, the 91 off 56 balls came in the T20I series decider in Mumbai while the century came in a must-win ODI in Visakhapatnam. When Rohit took his time to get his eye in, Rahul teed off from the get-go and embodied India’s new, attack-from-the-start approach.Rahul has been given mixed signals by the management in the past few years. In 2017, Virat Kohli had said that they didn’t want to forcefully make Rahul a middle-order option, but then India trialled him in the middle order in the Nidahas Trophy in Sri Lanka in 2018. Last year, Rahul started the 50-over World Cup in the middle order before an injury to Dhawan forced the team management to move him back to the top.But now, through the sheer weight of runs in both international and domestic white-ball cricket, Rahul has made his top-order case too hard to ignore.Rohit Sharma goes down the ground•BCCI”Rahul has done really well for himself and it’s good for the team as well that he’s coming into his own,” Kohli said on the eve of the series opener in Guwahati. “We know how good a player he is and what he can do with the bat. We are happy that he has got runs so consistently.”When Rohit comes back, it’s going to be a difficult thing to address because Shikhar is an experienced player but KL is playing so well. We have to decide the best combination to go with and what’s the best XI we can go with.”Rahul has been the fastest starter among the three Indian openers in T20 cricket since January 2017, striking at nearly 128 off his first ten balls. Dhawan’s strike rate in the first ten balls isn’t too far behind in this period: 123.84.Dhawan had a lean run in T20Is in 2019, but that could be because of the two injuries he had that year. In 2018, Dhawan was the top run-getter in the world in T20Is, with 689 runs in 17 innings at a strike rate of 147.22. He also sparkled for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2019 and emerged as their top scorer at home, on a tough Feroz Shah Kotla pitch, making 236 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 130.38. Shreyas Iyer, who was the only other Capitals batsman to pass 200 runs at their home venue, struck at a shade less than 120.
Dhawan’s overall T20 strike rate – a middling 123.58 – has become a talking point in recent times, but that’s partly down to his role during his five-season stint at Sunrisers Hyderabad where he was to hold one end up and let David Warner be.But more recently, in the second T20I against South Africa in Bengaluru last September, Dhawan did show greater intent at the top and took more risks than he usually does after India had chosen to bat first. He regularly flitted around his crease against South Africa’s spinners and although he wasn’t picking left-arm wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi, he shimmied out and hoisted him for back-to-back sixes. However, when Dhawan attempted another six in Shamsi’s next over, the spinner pulled his length back and had the batsman holing out.When Dhawan was going through a lean patch in ODI cricket ahead of the 2019 World Cup, questions were raised about his form. Dhawan, though, bounced back spectacularly, with a well-constructed hundred against Australia.Dhawan’s weakness against left-arm pace is well-documented, but he found a way past that by standing on leg stump – and occasionally outside – staying beside the line of Mitchell Starc. He cleverly saw off Starc and Pat Cummins and went after the rest of the attack.Dhawan’s bouncebackability and pedigree in the ICC tournaments need no introduction, but Rahul’s recent run and his range have heated up the race for the second opener’s role in the T20 World Cup later in 2020 in Australia.You can’t really separate Dhawan and Rahul now, and you might not be able to do that after just two T20Is against Sri Lanka. The verdict will probably come in New Zealand.
When IPL 2021 kicked off in India, Iyer didn’t get a single game. Now, in the UAE, he has announced himself to the world in style
Hemant Brar14-Oct-20214:53
Manjrekar: This has been the most frustrating IPL
Who is Venkatesh Iyer?An MBA in Finance and a Rajinikanth fan, as he himself told ESPNcricinfo? Or a swashbuckling opener who has helped Kolkata Knight Riders turn around their IPL campaign? Or a medium-pacer who has been selected as a net bowler for India at the upcoming T20 World Cup?Of course, he is all of the above, but if Knight Riders’ mentor David Hussey is to be believed Iyer is a Stephen Fleming clone as well.
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That’s the adage the sluggish Sharjah pitches have given birth to in IPL 2021.Before Wednesday, the teams that scored more runs in the powerplay won eight out of nine games in Sharjah this season. The reason behind that being once the ball becomes a bit softer and the field spreads out, the run-scoring gets difficult, and whatever teams accumulate in the powerplay proves to be decisive.Watch the IPL on ESPN+
Sign up for ESPN+ and catch all the action from the IPL live in the US. Match highlights of Qualifier 2 between Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders are available here in English, and here in Hindi (US only).
Coming into Qualifier 2, both Delhi Capitals and Knight Riders were aware of that.After Capitals were asked to bat, Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw tried to maximise their team’s chances in the powerplay. They took them to 32 for no loss in four overs before Varun Chakravarthy trapped Shaw lbw with his first ball. Marcus Stoinis was sent in at No. 3 to fetch some quick runs but Varun and Lockie Ferguson didn’t let that happen, and Capitals could manage only 38 for 1 in the first six overs.After that, the Sharjah slowdown set in and Capitals finished with a below-par 135 for 5.Now it was Shubman Gill and Iyer’s responsibility to give Knight Riders a brisk start. Gill started with a cover drive off the first ball of the chase but after that, it was all Iyer. The left-hander swept R Ashwin behind square leg, launched Axar Patel over wide long-on and caressed Avesh Khan through midwicket. All done with so much ease and nonchalance.The jaw-dropping shot, however, came against Kagiso Rabada. Rabada didn’t have a great season but he is still Rabada. Iyer, though, jumped out of his crease as if he were facing a dibbly-dobbler in a domestic game. Yes, it was a slower ball but Iyer went through with the shot and dispatched it into the deep-midwicket stands.Despite Gill scoring only one boundary in the powerplay, Iyer’s assault meant Knight Riders were cruising at 51 for no loss after six overs. That was half the battle won.Venkatesh Iyer is pumped after his side’s victory•BCCICapitals coach Ricky Ponting said as much after the game. “The powerplays in both innings were probably the difference in the game. I don’t think we got enough in our powerplay with the bat. I think we were 37 [38] at the end of our powerplay, which was probably eight to ten runs short of where we wanted to be and what the par score is on this sort of wicket.”And then the conditions changed dramatically from the first innings to the second innings. Probably the first ten overs of their batting innings when they had a newish ball and the dew was on the ground certainly made batting look a lot easier. The opening stand today for KKR, I thought they did a great job and I think they’ve actually found a really good player there in Venkatesh Iyer. He looks like someone that could be a terrific player for Kolkata and maybe even India in the future.”By the time Iyer got out, he had steered Knight Riders to 96 in 12.2 overs; his 55 runs off 41 balls were as sublime as they could have been on this pitch.That left Hussey gushing about him. “He struck the ball superbly from ball one. Some of those big sixes he hit actually changed the tempo of the game and got us into a winning position. He’s just a class player at the top. He is tall, a Stephen Fleming clone, I believe. He’s got a big future in the game.”
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Iyer wasn’t a starter when IPL 2021 kicked off in India. In fact, he didn’t get a single game back home. But after coming to the UAE, he has scored 320 runs at an average of 40 and a strike rate of 125; only Ruturaj Gaikwad (407) has scored more runs in this period. Iyer is also the only one to have scored a half-century at all three venues – Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi – in the UAE.Related
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At the post-match presentation, he was asked to compare playing domestic cricket in India to plying his trade against the who’s who of world cricket in the IPL.”There is no difference, I think,” he replied. “I have played the way I wanted to play and I am extremely delighted that the management has asked me to play that way. I don’t see any difference in what happened in the [Syed] Mushtaq Ali [Trophy], and the first-class, and what’s happening here. There is a bit more pressure but if you know how to handle that, this is a wonderful place for all of us to play cricket.”I think for the past couple of games I was restricting myself. I was just wanting to be there till the end. Then I realised that’s not me. In believing I will be there till the end, I was losing out on the present. So I was wanted to stay in the moment and convert bad balls into boundaries and once I got the momentum, I thought this the way I should go. This is the way have been playing in the IPL and I want to keep it going.”And what about his call-up as a net bowler for India? Is he pleased with that? “Absolutely but I am not thinking about it. There’s one more game to go and my entire focus is on that game. Of course, I got the news today but I really didn’t give it a lot of thought because [there was] a big match tonight. So I wanted to stay completely focused on it and that will be the case day after as well.”When asked if his days in a corporate job were over, Iyer didn’t wait for the question to finish. “Absolutely. I don’t wanna go back there.”He need not because he belongs here.
Invincibles choked by spin as Heather Knight oversees knockout victory at The Oval
ECB Reporters Network17-Aug-2024London Spirit secured a place in the Women’s Hundred final against Welsh Fire at Lord’s with an eight-wicket win over Oval Invincibles.A disciplined bowling performance followed by a Georgia Redmayne half-century took the side to their first final since the competition’s inception – and ensured that across both men’s and women’s competitions, all eight teams will have featured in the Hundred final.Spirit won the toss and elected to bowl. Winfield-Hill hit Danielle Gibson for three boundaries in the second set to take the Invincibles to 21 for 0 after 10 balls before Charlie Dean trapped Paige Scholfield lbw for 5.The introduction of Sarah Glenn saw the back of Winfield-Hill, the Invincibles skipper slapping a return catch back to make the score 37 for 2.At the halfway point of their innings, Invincibles had moved on to 54 for 2, the Spirit spinners bowling tightly, Dean, Glenn and Deepti Sharma with the combined figures of 2 for 25 from 30 balls.Gibson, who had previously dropped Alice Capsey twice, eventually removed her for 30 before Kapp fell to Glenn for a run-a-ball 26.Dean then combined twice with Gibson in the deep to dismiss Mady Villiers and Laura Harris to finish with figures of 3 for 24 – Gibson’s full-length heroics to snare Villiers one of the catches of the tournament.Gray returned for the final five, dismissing MacDonald-Gay first ball and having Smale stumped as the Invincibles closed their innings on 113 for 9.Chasing 114 to win, opening batter Redmayne made an unbeaten 53 from 47 balls and was well supported by captain Heather Knight who made a classy 36 not out.Spirit had reached 33 for 0 after the powerplay, Meg Lanning going well on 21 from 14, both she and Redmayne surviving tough chances to Villiers and Harris.Marizanne Kapp returned to the attack to have Lanning caught behind for 22 and Amanda-Jade Wellington had Cordelia Griffith stumped to leave the Spirit on 42 for 2 after 40 to bring Knight to the crease.From there on, Spirit cruised to their target, Redmayne and Knight sharing an unbroken stand of 74.Meerkat Match Hero, Redmayne, said: “It’s really special, we came into this game in really good spirits.”Oval have probably got the best of us in the games we’ve played against them previously. We knew if we did the simple things right that we’ve got the team to be able to win the game and get to a Lord’s final at home which is going to be incredible.”On her innings she said: “It’s nice knowing what kind of intent you’ve got to go in with. Sometimes when you’re facing some really good bowling upfront you can get caught up in that a bit, but it helps having kept for a hundred balls beforehand.”
Fair to say, it has been a very forgettable season for West Ham United.
The Hammers are currently 15th in the table, a major downturn following three top-half finishes in four years, while they’ve enjoyed just five home wins, their lowest tally since being relegated in 2010/11.
West Ham United managerGrahamPotterapplauds fans after the match
The Irons could improve that tally in their final home match of the season on Sunday, welcoming Nottingham Forest to East London, although, having won only four of 16 Premier League matches under Graham Potter, confidence is unlikely to be sky-high.
Thus, a big summer is ahead for the Hammers and, if they’re going to start contending for European spots once again, their recent recruitment record needs to improve.
Jarrod Bowen's West Ham career
While many of West Ham’s recent big-money signings have turned out to be massive flops, the reported £22m paid to sign Jarrod Bowen from Hull City in January 2020 has proved to be an absolute bargain.
wilfried-gnonto-jarrod-bowen-west-ham-opinion
Now the club captain, he has scored 72 goals and provided 50 assists in 236 appearances for the Hammers, including the historic late winner against Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League Final, securing the club’s first trophy for 43 years.
So, let’s assess how he compares to West Ham’s other big-money signings of the London Stadium era.
West Ham signings £20+ (2016-present)
Players
Fee
Appearances
Max Kilman
£40m
39
Crysencio Summerville
£25m
22
Niclas Füllkrug
£27m
18
Luis Guilherme
£25m
12
Edson Álvarez
£35m
71
James Ward-Prowse
£30m
65
Mohammed Kudus
£38m
78
Lucas Paquetá
£50m
118
Gianluca Scamacca
£30m
27
Nayef Aguerd
£30m
58
Kurt Zouma
£30m
103
Nikola Vlašić
£33m
31
Saïd Benrahma
£30m
155
Sébastien Haller
£45m
54
Pablo Fornals
£24m
203
Jarrod Bowen
£22m
236
Issa Diop
£22m
121
Felipe Anderson
£36m
73
Marko Arnautović
£20m
65
André Ayew
£20.5m
50
All statistics and information courtesy of Transfermarkt
What the table above highlights, first and foremost, is that West Ham have spent, and arguably wasted, an absolute mountain of money since relocating to the London Stadium almost a decade ago.
A few players on that list, namely Kurt Zouma, Pablo Fornals, and Saïd Benrahma did establish themselves as stalwarts, while others have been mercurial talents without ever really getting it all together; looking at you, Mohammed Kudus, Lucas Paquetá, Felipe Anderson, and others.
That’s not to mention the complete flops, who we won’t name, and let you make up your own mind!
Nevertheless, Bowen has been, indisputably, West Ham’s best signing of the modern era, so should the Irons go shopping in the EFL Championship again, as they search for their next gem?
West Ham chasing a new centre-back
According to a recent report by Jacob Steinberg of the Guardian, West Ham are ‘continuing’ to pursue a deal to sign Burnley central defender CJ Egan-Riley.
CJ Egan-Riley for Burnley.
It has been widely reported, including by L’Équipe, that the 22-year-old is close to joining Ligue 1 side Strasbourg, who are owned by Todd Boehly’s company BlueCo, and his current market value is estimated to be around £12m, according to Transfermarkt.
Nevertheless, West Ham are still very much in the running to sign the centre-back who Graeme Bailey of TBR Football describes as a “brilliant young defender”, while Andy Bayes of BBC Sport outlines that he, alongside partner Maxime Estève, has played a ‘key role’ in Burnley’s promotion.
So, let’s assess how Egan-Riley compares to West Ham’s current selection of centre-backs this season.
CJ Egan-Riley vs West Ham centre-backs 2024/25
Statistics
CJ
Egan-Riley
Jean-Clair
Todibo
Max
Kilman
Konstantinos
Mavropanos
Appearances
43
27
39
34
Minutes
3,705
1,788
3,439
2,077
Tackles
60
41
36
33
Tackles won
42
26
23
39
Interceptions
36
23
42
50
Clearances
199
72
202
118
Blocks
39
24
56
24
Errors leading to a shot
2
3
5
1
Ball recoveries
185
70
143
70
% of aerials duels won
49.3%
48.9%
67.3%
70%
Pass completion %
86.2%
87.7%
86.5%
85.9%
Touches per 90
79
58
58
50
Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt
As the table outlines, Konstantinos Mavropanos has been West Ham’s best-performing centre-back this season, but Egan-Riley certainly compares favourably to the existing trio.
Konstantinos Mavropanos in action for West Ham.
The Burnley youngster ranks first when it comes to tackles and ball recoveries, while many of his other statistics are more than comparable, while admitting he’s played the most minutes, and is operating at a lower level in the Championship, of course.
Nevertheless, the available evidence suggests he would be an excellent addition for the Hammers, if they’re able to beat Strasbourg to his services, and that is why he could be the best signing since Bowen because, at the age of 22, he could be a star for the club for many, many, years to come.
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FSG’s transfer ethos – getting their work done nice and early – often leaves Liverpool somewhat in the corner of the room while rivals party late into the market, enjoying the thrill of Fabrizio Romano and the rest’s transfer updates.
There are worse problems to have, it must be said. And the real success is found on the field. Liverpool are on the verge of signing Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez, having already added Jeremie Frimpong.
Now, it’s time to sign a centre-forward, for Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota left plenty to be desired as Arne Slot’s focal frontmen last season, actually paling in comparison to Liverpool’s wider forward.
Mohamed Salah
38 (38)
29
18
Luis Diaz
36 (28)
13
7
Cody Gakpo
35 (23)
10
5
Diogo Jota
26 (14)
6
4
Darwin Nunez
30 (8)
5
3
Federico Chiesa
6 (1)
0
0
Luis Diaz was even called into play as a makeshift number nine for much of the campaign, his false-nine-type qualities proving invaluable for the Reds as they marched toward the Premier League title.
Who, then, to sign? Targets like Hugo Ekitike, Viktor Gyokeres and Victor Osimhen would all do a job, but Alexander Isak is the cream of the crop, and sporting director Richard Hughes would rake in the plaudits if he got that one over the line.
The latest on Alexander Isak to Liverpool
It’s pretty clear Liverpool will sign a striker this summer. However, who that player might be is less certain. Liverpool can dream, though, and signing Isak would be an incredible way to cap off a wonderful summer.
As per transfer insider Ben Jacobs for GIVEMESPORT, Liverpool are prepared to break the British transfer record to sign Isak this summer, with Newcastle United valuing their striker at over £150m.
The “unstoppable” Isak, hailed by pundit Ally McCoist as “the best out-and-out forward in the league”, was outscored only by Mohamed Salah in the Premier League last season, his 23-goal return illustrating his elite ability.
However, Newcastle’s position on their talisman’s unavailability has been absolute (insofar as any stance can be absolute in the transfer market). Liverpool can dream, and it appears they will try, but don’t hold your breath.
Newcastle United's AlexanderIsakcelebrates scoring their first goal
Luckily, Liverpool are one of the most astute transfer operators, and they’ve already lined up the perfect alternative.
Liverpool line up Isak alternative
As per TEAMtalk, Liverpool have sounded out a potential move for Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez this summer, and while the La Liga side would be looking for an unrealistic £160m figure, Anfield hold a trump card.
Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez
Indeed, Diego Simeone is interested in bringing Nunez to the Wanda Metropolitano this summer, and previous reports even suggest personal terms have been agreed for around a month. As a result, TEAMtalk suggest that a swap deal is an avenue they are exploring this summer.
This would no doubt be a difficult one to get over the line, but Liverpool’s interest is long-standing and the Argentina forward would be perfect for Slot’s system.
Why Julian Alvarez would be perfect
Alvarez had been tracked by Liverpool during his time at Manchester City, where he scored 36 goals and laid on 19 assists across two trophy-laden campaigns, earning an £81.5m transfer to Atletico Madrid last summer.
His first term in Spain was his finest yet, posting 29 goals and seven assists across 55 matches, blending newfound potency with his robust and dynamic attacking style. Making a direct comment on his exploits in Spain, journalist Roy Nemer even described the player as “the best forward in the world.”
As per FBref, he ranked among the top 6% of strikers across Europe last year for passes attempted, shot-creating actions and progressive carries, the top 8% for progressive passes and the top 12% for successful take-ons per 90.
Already something of a nomad, the 25-year-old has demonstrated continual development and would now prove the perfect alternative to Isak, who is actually considered by the data-driven site as being one of Alvarez’s most comparable players.
River Plate
122
54
31
Manchester City
103
36
19
Atletico Madrid
53
29
6
Argentina
44
12
33
Liverpool need a new goalscorer to perch at the front of their ship, but they also need a centre-forward who will play with flair and bring the attacking players together.
One of the Merseysiders’ attacking staples is that when the frontline clicks, they perform in concert, effectively unplayable. Isak aligns perfectly in this regard, but Alvarez too could dovetail into Slot’s set-up and provide a higher level of goalscoring threat while using his technical skills and off-the-ball intelligence to open up a new dimension.
Isak’s completeness is echoed by Alvarez, but the roots of the South American’s style are shaped by a natural quality in front of goal. As per Sofascore, he only missed seven big chances in La Liga last season, scoring 17 goals and creating nine big chances too.
And this isn’t a simple anomaly. Across his two campaigns in the Premier League, the 2022 World Cup winner scored 20 goals from 44 starts, only missing 14 big chances.
It’s pretty clear he’d prove an upgrade on Nunez, and while Isak is FSG’s first-choice pick, Alvarez might just be the perfect fallback if ambitious efforts to bring Isak over from St. James’ Park don’t pull through.
The winds of change are blowing at Anfield, all right, but there’s more still to come for the Premier League champions, who are packaging a proven squad with exciting additions who might just solidify Slot’s early success, shaping it into a dynasty.
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Trent Alexander-Arnold made his debut for Real Madrid in the Club World Cup.
The two County Championship games will serve as good prep for the Duleep Trophy, which begins on September 5
ESPNcricinfo staff21-Aug-2024
B Sai Sudharsan is now a familiar face at Surrey•Getty Images
India and Tamil Nadu batter B Sai Sudharsan has returned to Surrey for their County Championship matches against Lancashire and Nottinghamshire.Sudharsan had earlier turned out for Surrey in their previous County Championship match, against Essex at the Kia Oval in June, before making his T20I debut for India in Harare the following month.The two County Championship games will serve as good prep for Sudharsan ahead of the Duleep Trophy, which begins on September 5 in Bengaluru and Anantapur. Sudharsan is part of Team C, which will be captained by Ruturaj Gaikwad. His county stint will end on September 1 after the away game at Trent Bridge.Sudharsan is not part of the two Tamil Nadu teams that are currently in action in the ongoing Buchi Babu tournament in Coimbatore and Salem.He had also featured twice for Surrey in September 2023, when he won the County Championship Division One title in what was his maiden stint for the team. He continued his rise with Gujarat Titans, emerging as their highest run-getter in IPL 2024, with 527 runs in 12 innings at an average of 47.90 and strike rate of 141.28.Surrey are currently top of the Division One table and are looking to win their third County Championship title in a row.
Al-Hilal want to sign a new striker and have lined up Arsenal target Benjamin Sesko as a potential addition to their squad.
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Al-Hilal consider Sesko moveArsenal switched attention to GyokeresRB Leipzig star valued at £77mFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Al-Hilal are searching for a new striker this summer, having encountered issues in their pursuit of Victor Osimhen. The Nigerian is now expected to remain with Turkish side Galatasaray, though some work needs to be done by the Super Lig giants to reach Napoli's asking price. Sesko had been a target for Arsenal as Mikel Arteta's side assessed strikers to bring to the Emirates Stadium, but the Gunners are thought to instead be closing in on a deal for Viktor Gyokeres.
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With Osimhen probably out of the picture, Al-Hilal need to target other candidates. understand they will up their pursuit of Sesko once they have wrapped up a deal for AC Milan defender Theo Hernandez, though they will have to stump up close to Leipzig's valuation of £77 million (€89.3 million/$104.7 million).
DID YOU KNOW?
Al-Hilal have one of the most star-studded squads in the Saudi Pro League following a couple of years of heavy investment. They already have Aleksandar Mitrovic up front but want another lethal forward to boost Simone Inzaghi's squad, which also includes Ruben Neves, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Joao Cancelo.
AFPWHAT NEXT FOR AL-HILAL?
Al-Hilal have run into some obstacles during the summer transfer window but their recent victory over Manchester City at the Club World Cup shows how they've improved and players may well be keen to swap Europe for the Middle East, not least because of the lucrative contracts on offer.
Barry McCarthy and Andy McBrine took three wickets each, as visitors lost all their wickets for the last 113 runs
Ekanth25-Jul-2024Zimbabwe 210 (Masvaure 74, Gumbie 49, McBrine 3-37, McCarthy 3-42) vs IrelandA wicketless first session gave the impression that Zimbabwe would dominate the first ever day of Test cricket in Northern Ireland, but Ireland took all ten wickets in just over 40 overs to vindicate Andy Balbirnie’s decision to bowl first on an overcast morning.Barry McCarthy’s relentless eight-over spell after lunch denied Joylord Gumbie a half-century, left Dion Myers looking clueless, and set up a 65-run session where the visitors couldn’t get away. Curtis Campher blew hot and cold but dismissed Prince Masvaure, the top scorer with 74, allowing Andy McBrine to run through the lower half of the middle order.Zimbabwe had their share of soft dismissals, and the risks their batters took, particularly after tea, backfired as they lost their last six wickets for 17 runs. A second spell of rain came amid the change of innings and took out about half an hour, which was enough for the umpires to call stumps.Zimbabwe had the upper hand going into the evening session despite losing three wickets in the afternoon. The sun had peeked out, and Sean Williams was off and running. Campher was bowling the odd beauty, but it was an innocuous back-of-a-length ball going down leg that strangled Masvaure.Williams continued to take on McBrine despite Masvaure falling, and hit two fours. The offspinner did create a chance in the 59th over, but McCarthy, running back from mid-on, spilled it. But Balbirnie was rewarded for keeping McBrine on as he turned one away to have Williams edge to slip.An adventurous first-ball swipe from Clive Madande, trying to pump the spinner down the ground, found mid-off. A bouncer from Mark Adair had Brian Bennett edge a pull to the wicketkeeper as Zimbabwe lost two wickets with the score on 193, and the next on 194. The bowling duo took another wicket each before McCarthy closed out the innings. McBrine, who started the session with the ball, bowled 11 straight overs and took 3 for 32.Prince Masvaure scored 74•Cricket Ireland
The initial damage was done after lunch. Gumbie and Masvaure, Zimbabwe’s openers, had batted through a session, softened the new ball and were inching towards a hundred stand. But Gumbie, who went into lunch unbeaten on 49, fell after facing 11 dots as he clipped a leg-stump half volley from McCarthy to Campher at square leg. Four balls later, a brief rain break forced players off the field.Masvaure was getting off strike as the bowlers strayed down leg often. A flick to fine leg was what brought up the opener’s fifty, even as Dion Myers took 14 balls to get off the mark. But Myers pulled Adair for two fours amid leaving balls with exaggerated rotations.But McCarthy bowled a legbreak, angling the ball in before straightening it off the pitch, to Myers to hit the top of off stump. He took two wickets and gave away 14 runs in an eight-over spell. Craig Ervine couldn’t get going, and the first aerial shot he played was a pull that went straight to McBrine at deep-backward square leg. Masvaure, who made 35 in both sessions, was solid all the while.Thick grey clouds, a bit of grass on the pitch, and lush outfield. The conditions couldn’t have been better for the seamers in the morning. But Gumbie and Masvaure saw off the new ball. Gumbie’s early movement across the crease to work the ball leg side resembled Steven Smith’s batting style and allowed him to score off balls in and around the fifth-stump line. Masvaure was more orthodox but just as compact to help see off McCarthy and Adair’s new-ball spell.There were a few nervy moments in the first hour. Gumbie was hit on the pad while offering no shot off McCarthy in the second over but was saved by the bounce. He edged Adair to deep third for four off the next over, fended one that reared off the pitch over the slips in the eighth, and was beaten by a jaffa that straightened off a full length in the 11th.But Gumbie, who hit the first six fours of the innings, was often able to cover the line and duck under the odd bouncer. The tension built up by Adair and Young’s consecutive maidens was dissipated in the following two overs where Masvaure drove overpitched balls. The let-off balls between the good ones allowed Zimbabwe to turn strike and go into lunch unbeaten. But loose batting and luck combined to wreck Zimbabwe’s advantage as they lost all ten wickets for 113 runs.
Lionesses star Chloe Kelly has signed for Arsenal permanently after a successful loan spell with the Gunners that ended in Champions League glory.
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Kelly spent second half of last season at ArsenalLionesses star helped Gunners win Champions LeagueNow signs permanently in London after Man City exitFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Kelly spent the second half of the 2024-25 season with the north London club, whose ranks she came through as a young girl. The winger had found herself out of favour at Manchester City, a situation that also led to her losing her spot in the England squad. However, a fruitful few months back in the capital saw Kelly rediscover her form as she played a key part in Arsenal's European triumph and she has now joined the club on a permanent deal, following the expiration of her contract in Manchester.
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That increased game time also paid dividends for Kelly on the international front, allowing her to regain her place in the Lionesses squad ahead of this summer's European Championships. For a while, it looked like a lack of minutes could well cost the 27-year-old her spot, just three years on from her title-winning goal in the final against Germany. But her form with Arsenal changed all of that for the better.
WHAT KELLY SAID
“Putting pen to paper on a permanent contract at Arsenal is a standout moment for me," Kelly said upon the announcement of her permanent return to the Gunners. “Learning from an incredible manager and continuing to build relationships with an excellent team is a journey I’m looking forward to continuing. I’m excited for more silverware at this special club and to bring more trophies back to north London to celebrate with our supporters. I’ve always said that Arsenal supporters are the best and to have them on my side, singing my name, means so much to me."
Head coach Renee Slegers added: “I’m delighted that we’ve been able to make Chloe a permanent signing for us. She had a great impact for us and played an important role in what we achieved here last season, and I know she shares our ambition to compete for more.”
DID YOU KNOW?
Kelly is Arsenal's first signing of the summer window. The Gunners' transfer activity to this point instead concerned the release of players, with defender Amanda Ilestedt, academy product Teyah Goldie and forward Lina Hurtig all leaving the club upon the expiry of their contracts. Hurtig, who will represent Sweden at the Euros this summer alongside Ilestedt, has since signed for Fiorentina.