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Working on perfecting both fingerspin and wristspin, and training for allrounder status, he hopes to make himself indispensable to West Indies cricket

Deivarayan Muthu26-Oct-2025West Indies’ Gudakesh Motie isn’t your average spinner. The 30-year-old, whose primary skill is left-arm fingerspin, can also bowl wristspin with that arm, turning the ball away from left-handers, denying them a favourable match-up. Clips of him bowling left-arm wristspin to left-handers in Guyana’s Global Super League earlier this year went viral.T20 continues to move forward at warp speed, and Motie is expanding his skills and range to keep up. Besides being the second highest wicket-taker in the CPL since his debut in September 2021, behind only Imran Tahir, his captain at Guyana Amazon Warriors, Motie was recently picked by Paarl Royals in the SA20, and is also part of Quetta Qavalry in the Abu Dhabi T20 league. He has previously had stints in the PSL (Multan Sultans) and UAE’s ILT20 (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders) as well.”[Left-arm wristspin] is something I’ve been working on for quite a long time now,” Motie said on the sidelines of a spin-centric camp at the Super Kings Academy in Chennai earlier this month, ahead of West Indies’ tour of Bangladesh. “I think I’m not perfect with it yet and I still have a lot of work to do. That’s something I want to go in the nets and work on, so that I can get it and use it whenever I’m under pressure or bowling to a left-hander.”Related

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Whether he’s bowling to a left- or right-hander, Motie sees himself as a strike bowler in T20. The numbers back him up as well. In his four years in the format, he has taken 118 wickets in 104 innings at a strike rate of 17.7, which is better than fellow West Indians Sunil Narine (23.1) and Akeal Hosein (20.60) and comparable with elite T20 spinners like Noor Ahmad (17.3) and Rashid Khan (17.0) during this period.”Well, whenever I’m bowling to a left-hander or anyone, I just look to get them out as quickly as possible, because I see myself as a wicket-taker,” Motie said. “And if they’re coming at me, I just find ways to get them off strike.”At Amazon Warriors in the CPL and the Global Super League, Motie has had veteran Tahir as a sounding board. “Imran is always there to pass on his knowledge to me, so I try to use him as best as possible,” he said. “Whenever we are training, I look at him, look at what he’s doing differently and ask him a lot of questions.”Hometown hero: Motie has won the CPL and the Global Super League with Guyana Amazon Warriors•Randy Brooks/CPL T20/Getty ImagesMotie is now one of the faces of Amazon Warriors along with Tahir and is a crowd favourite in Providence. As a homegrown player, Motie relishes the crowd support and hopes to make the country proud.”Well, it’s a very proud moment for me. The people in Guyana really love me,” Motie said. “So every opportunity I get, I just want to go out and do it for my family and my country.”It all began at the Albion cricket club in Guyana. “I started to practice [at the club] when I was six years old,” Motie recalled. “I was very young and from there, I was really committed to whatever I wanted. I know cricket was the only thing for me at that age, going forward. And then, I went on to play for Guyana at the youth level at age ten. And going on from there, I went on to play for the same team, played all ages and made my first-class debut in 2015. I took it forward from there.He had two senior international pros to learn from. “I had Veerasammy Permaul and Devendra Bishoo there with me. They are a very big help to me in my career so far because I learned most of my bowling from those two guys. They were playing for West Indies at the time I was playing youth cricket [for Guyana]. So whatever they know, they’re always passing it on to me and we always work together.”Motie left England captain Ben Stokes dumbfounded with a delivery that exploded out of the footmarks and blew away his middle stump•Gareth Copley/Getty ImagesMotie also draws inspiration from other giants of spin. “Coming through, there were players like [Daniel] Vettori and [Ravindra] Jadeja. I’ve picked up a lot of things from Vettori – the way he uses the crease and the pace with which he bowls.”Like Vettori did back in the day, Motie also brings the traditional skills of a left-arm fingerspinner. He can give the ball a rip and toss it up liberally, daring batters to go after him. When Ben Stokes tried to whip him hard into the leg side in the Lord’s Test last year, Motie got one to fizz out of the footmarks and knock out middle stump. That ball elicited a nod of acknowledgement from Stokes at the time.”I was just trying to hit my length there and there was a rough outside there,” Motie said. “But, fortunately, it spun and went through and hit the stump, which I was very happy with. It was a big wicket for me.”Motie was rested for the recent two-match Test series in India, but remains a crucial part of West Indies’ plans for next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. He is yet to play international cricket in India – he has played a handful of games in Sri Lanka – but he seems to have a fair understanding of what to do in these conditions, thanks to his camp with Keacy Carty, Sherfane Rutherford, Amir Jangoo, Ackeem Auguste, and CWI talent manager Jamal Smith at the Super Kings academy earlier this month.Motie hopes that the experience of bowling for the first time on black- and red-soil pitches in Chennai at the CSK camp will prove valuable in next year’s T20 World Cup•Super Kings Academy”It was a very good opportunity to come to Chennai because you’re bowling on different pitches,” Motie said. “It’s black and red soils, which I haven’t bowled on before. I think it’s a great opportunity for me to gain that experience, going to play a series in Bangladesh and then the World Cup here.”Motie also has ambitions of being an allrounder. He showed his batting potential in his ODI half-centuries against England in 2025 and against Sri Lanka in 2024. Occasionally, Amazon Warriors have also used him as a pinch-hitter in the CPL.”Definitely, that [batting] is something I’ve been working on for quite some time now,” Motie said. “I want to turn into a general allrounder. I don’t want to just be a bowler; I want to contribute with the bat too. I’ve been putting in a lot of work and I came here and put a lot of work into it. So, hopefully, whenever I get the opportunity, I can do it.”West Indies are in the middle of a big block of cricket: their ongoing white-ball tour of Bangladesh will be followed by an all-format tour of New Zealand, with the T20 World Cup being the marquee ICC event in 2026. Motie’s form and multi-dimensional skills could be central to their chances, especially in the white-ball game, during this busy period for them.

سجل محمد عنتر لاعب منتخب مصر، هدف الفراعنة الأول أمام جنوب إفريقيا، في المباراة المقامة بينهما الآن، ضمن منافسات تصفيات كأس أمم إفريقيا للمحليين.

ويتواجه منتخب مصر مع جنوب إفريقيا، على ملعب الأخير، ضمن مواجهات الذهاب للمرحلة الأولى من تصفيات كأس أمم إفريقيا للمحليين.

وأحرز محمد عنتر هدف منتخب مصر الأول من تسديدة قوية من على حدود منطقة الجزاء سكنت شباك حارس المنتخب الجنوب إفريقي في الدقيقة 66 من عمر اللقاء. هدف مصر الأول أمام جنوب إفريقيا في تصفيات كأس أمم إفريقيا للمحليين.. محمد عنتر

طالع | تشكيل منتخب مصر للمحليين أمام جنوب إفريقيا في تصفيات كأس أمم إفريقيا

وستقام مباراة العودة بين المنتخبين، على ملعب استاد هيئة قناة السويس بالإسماعيلية، يوم 9 مارس الجاري.

ومن المقرر أن تقام بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا للمحليين، خلال شهر أغسطس المقبل 2025، في ثلاث دول بشكل مشترك كينيا وتنزانيا وأوغندا.

وسيلتقي الفائز من مواجهة مصر وجنوب إفريقيا، أمام الفائز من مواجهة جزر القمر أمام مالاوي، في المرحلة الثانية من التصفيات لتحديد الفريق المتأهل إلى كأس أمم إفريقيا للمحليين.

With the summer transfer window now officially open, Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly made their first move to sign a defensive reinforcement for Ange Postecoglou and his side.

Tottenham transfer news

The Lilywhites and Daniel Levy are looking to bounce back from a mixed Premier League season, having started well before dropping off and eventually failing to qualify for the Champions League. What became clear throughout the campaign is a lack of depth within Postecoglou's squad, with a particular focus on the backline. As Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro suffered ill-timed injuries, Spurs were left short on the type of quality they must find in the summer transfer window.

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With that said, the reports have already started. On the incomings front, Spurs have already been linked with the likes of Eberechi Eze in an attempt to bolster their attack. Eze could be a particular one to watch after another excellent season at Crystal Palace. Called up to Gareth Southgate's Euro 2024 England squad as a result, the attacking midfielder would complete a summer to remember with a big move. And he's not the only one.

According to Caught Offside, Daniel Levy and Spurs have made their first move to sign Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna this summer, though the young Italian centre-back prefers a move to Juventus. Holding talks for the first time nonetheless, Spurs may just hope to gain an edge on the Serie A giants ahead of potentially meeting Bologna's €35m (£30m) release clause.

Still just 22 years old, Calafiori would join the likes of Van de Ven in a project that is still getting underway under Postecoglou and a project that he could play a crucial part in. Given that he is currently at Euro 2024 with Italy, however, any deal may have to wait until after his tournament has concluded.

"Confident" Calafiori can partner Romero

With Van de Ven stepping into the left-back role towards the end of the season at Spurs, the arrival of Calafiori would open up further possibilities for Postecoglou, who could partner Romero and the young Italian. Suddenly, the Australian would be looking at a back four of Van de Ven, Calafiori, Romero and Porro in what is, on paper, a backline potentially worthy of a top four finish.

Progressive Carries

28

32

Progressive Passes

96

179

Tackles Won

37

40

Interceptions

56

44

Ball Recoveries

194

189

Keeping up with a defender of Romero's quality takes some doing, but Calafiori did exactly that last season and could now find himself standing next to the Argentine if Spurs push on with their pursuit this summer.

It's no surprise that he's already impressed at the Euros too, with Zach Lowy taking the opportunity to call the young defender "confident" and a "delight to watch" on X.

It will be all eyes on Calafiori in North London as the Spurs target takes on the Euros and potentially proves exactly why they're after his signature this summer.

Newcastle United made their biggest sale in the club’s history over the summer, in perhaps the biggest Premier League transfer saga of all time.

Liverpool signed Alexander Isak from the North Eastern side for a fee of £125m, which was a British record deal.

Controversy aside, that move represented the change Newcastle have undergone over the past few seasons, since their takeover.

The Magpies more than doubled their money on the Swedish striker, having paid £60m for him. The fact that they can sign expensive talent and flip them for profit shows the positive financial state of the club.

In fact, there are a couple of other Newcastle players who could be future £100m stars, including – but not exclusive to – Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes.

Why Tonali & Guimaraes already are £100m stars

There is no doubt that Tonali and Guimaraes form one of the Premier League’s best midfield pivots. The Brazilian said it himself earlier this year, describing his partnership with the former AC Milan star as “one of the best midfields in the league.”

Newcastle’s number 39, Guimaraes, has already been valued at £100m by the club, and has previously had a release clause of that value.

Given his importance to the club, it’s easy to see why. The Brazil star has 21 appearances across all competitions and has ten goal involvements this term.

As for Tonali, the Italian is of equal importance to Eddie Howe’s midfield. He’s played 20 times this season, sitting at the base of their midfield and controlling the game, with Guimaraes operating just ahead of him.

Whilst there has never been an official report valuing the midfielder at £100m, it is clear he is a player worth that much.

Paul Scholes even said he is “better than Declan Rice,” with Arsenal paying £105m for the England star back in 2023. It is safe to assume Tonali can hit those heights.

However, it is not just Newcastle’s dynamic pivot who are future £100m stars at St James’ Park.

Newcastle’s latest future £100m player

Newcastle fans certainly adore the midfield, which Guimares says is among the Premier League’s elite. Tonali was lauded by one notable supporter earlier in the season as the “best” player he’s ever seen play for the Magpies.

It isn’t just Tonali, though, whom he heaped praise on. The content creator said Malick Thiaw is “a very strong contender for the best defender” he’s seen pull on that famous Black and White shirt.

Indeed, the German could easily earn a £100m price tag one day. His performances have been exceptional, as already alluded to, with scout Antonio Mango suggesting he was “one of the best signings of the summer.”

It is another example of a great investment from the Magpies, with Thiaw costing only £34.6m.

He’s cemented himself as Howe’s first-choice centre-back, playing 19 times in all competitions this term and even offering a threat from set pieces. Thiaw bagged twice against Everton in a 4-1 win last month.

Indeed, his stats reflect just how good a centre-back he is.

The 24-year-old averages 4.53 progressive passes and 3.81 aerial duels won per 90 minutes, ranking him in the top 17% and 15% of Premier League centre-backs, respectively.

Long pass accuracy

67.2%

92nd

Progressive passes

4.53

83rd

Progressive carries

1

85th

Ball recoveries

4.08

78th

Aerial duels won

3.81

85th

There is perhaps a case to be made that Thiaw is just as important to Howe’s side this term as Tonali and Guimaraes. He’s certainly played a similar number of games, completing 90 minutes in the Premier League ten times in a row now.

If the midfield duo are worth £100m, it is easy to see how that can be the case for Thiaw in the future.

He has all the attributes to go to the very top, and is highly rated by Newcastle fans and How alike. The German has been exceptional this season and will be hoping this form continues.

He's the next Bruno Guimaraes: Newcastle to launch move for £30m "monster"

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A timeline of Yash Dayal’s incredible redemption

When Yash Dayal helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru seal a spot in the 2024 IPL playoffs by defending 17 in the last over against Chennai Super Kings, his performance was widely described as redemption for failing to defend 29 against Rinku Singh and Kolkata Knight Riders in 2023Earlier this year Dayal, 26, impressed the selectors enough with his skills in white-ball and first-class cricket to be given a fast-bowling contract. And this month, he got his maiden Test call-up when he was picked in India’s squad to play the first Test against Bangladesh in Chennai. Dayal talks here about how he struggled to cope after the KKR match, his thoughts before bowling the final over against CSK, a significant conversation he had with Virat Kohli ahead of the 2024 IPL, and the cricketers who make up his support system.You are one step closer to realising the dream of playing for India. What has it been like since you received the Test call-up?
In 2022 I was named in the Indian squad for the first time – for an ODI series in Bangladesh – but I couldn’t make it due to injury. At the start of the Duleep Trophy [earlier this month], I was aware that there was a spot for a left-arm fast bowler in the Indian Test team. In the first innings, my bowling was normal [1 for 39 for India B against India A], though not to my satisfaction. But the way I bowled in the second innings [3 for 50], I believed I was a strong contender.We comfortably won the match and my performance was very good. I was at the team hotel in Bangalore, watching TV, when I got a message from a friend saying I’d been selected in India’s Test squad. I didn’t believe him, but a little later I saw my name in the Test squad on BCCI’s website.Related

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Immediately I kept my phones aside to try to process what was happening inside me emotionally.I had become too emotional, because getting a Test call-up is very big. I started recalling my journey across the years. I then called my family: my mother and my sister were equally emotional, tears of joy were rolling down their faces. I spoke to my dad in the evening. It was like a festival at home. A lot of people had gathered and the and [types of drums] were being played. The BCCI fast-bowling contract you got earlier this year – was that the first signal that you were in the India management’s plans?
I was already in the targeted pool after the 2022 IPL. But now, getting a fast-bowling contract given to a select few – I was aware that if I do well in domestic cricket, it could be easy to get the India call-up.At first I wasn’t aware what exactly happens with players in the targeted pool. But soon I understood that everything about my game would be looked after and monitored by the National Cricket Academy (NCA). That includes not just my bowling but my workload, training sessions, how much strain was on my body.A lot has changed in the last two years. When I see senior players from up close, when I talk to them, I notice [that some of them] travel with personal chefs, they measure what they eat, how much rice they consume, how much protein had, things to avoid to enhance their training. When I see them looking that lean, it naturally motivates me.In the 2023 IPL, after that match against KKR, I became slightly weak and my focus wasn’t there. But slowly I started to cope with what had happened. After that I made a set-up so I would not turn back – whether it be in training or my diet, I would be so clear that when I make the comeback, I would leave no stone unturned. I took the decision to focus on the assignments given to me and the targets I need to meet. Because of that I now feel that this call-up has come at the best time.”My basic bowling strength has always been swing. Then I developed speed to go with my swing, which is very difficult for batsmen to confront”•BCCIYour sister, Suchi, is a nutritionist. What role has she played in your career?
[MS Dhoni] hit Lockie [Ferguson] for a four in the 19th over [CSK scored 18 in that over]. At that point there was this anxiety in my head. I hoped CSK would need a lot of runs in the final over. There was this [changes direction]. I have always believed without swing nearly 90% of my bowling strength will be reduced.Dayal on what defending 17 runs in an over against CSK: “[Kohli] told me take my time between deliveries, not to worry about what happened, but that I needed to believe in myself”•BCCIWhile you were at the NCA with other fast bowlers in the targeted pool, Mohammed Shami, your team-mate at Titans was also there for his injury rehab. How has he helped you with your bowling?
I have spent a lot of time with Shami bhai at GT, both on and off the ground. He spoke to me a lot about the importance of backspin on the ball and suggested I work on that. He said the more backspin you have, the faster you will be able to bowl.Then there’s Ashu pa [Titans head coach Ashish Nehra], who has played a big role in my professional career. He has supported me a lot. He is the one who got me into the IPL. In the beginning, I used to face problems bowling in first-class cricket. Ashu pa worked on my [bowling] volume. In the IPL, you have to bowl only four overs, but he would say you cannot prepare for just four. You shouldn’t feel tired by the 24th ball. He would make us prepare in a way that even after bowling the 24th ball, you felt you could bowl another six overs. That helped change my mindset and become better at bowling longer spells.Your 27th birthday will fall in the middle of India’s tour of Australia. You wouldn’t mind celebrating your birthday bowling in a Test in Australia, will you?
If given a chance, it will be like the ultimate dream coming true.Having picked you in the ODI squad in 2022 and now in the Test squad, it looks like the selectors are considering you an all-format bowler.
That does feel really good that the selectors, the BCCI, people at the NCA, show trust in me. Yes, if you are here after performing in the IPL, then it’s obvious that you can do well in white-ball cricket. But now when I was picked for red-ball cricket, I realised they had been observing me for quite some time in domestic cricket.I was first picked for the Bangladesh tour [in 2022]. Since then I’d been wondering if I would ever get another chance [to make it to an India squad]. I have heard from others that it’s a big thing to make a comeback. I get that boost that I have made my comeback to such a big Test team that has all these big names who will play alongside me.

“It is all about what the team wants from me – and then go and contribute. And I am pretty much confident about that”

Sidharth Monga12-Feb-20212:37

Ajinkya Rahane: ‘I don’t need to worry about what happened in first Test’

Ajinkya Rahane is a man of few words. He keeps his assertions for on the field. On the eve of the second Test against England, though, he hit back at those questioning his batting, asking them to check his record. Rahane scored a resounding hundred in Melbourne, adjudged as the innings of the year by ESPNcricinfo, but either side of that knock have been 13 innings without reaching 50. More of a concern with Rahane is that his numbers are better away than at home, where he averages 37.75.”We are playing at home after two years,” Rahane pointed out. “We played last home series against South Africa. If you take that record out, you will find something over there. It is all about the team. It is not about any individual. My focus is completely on how I can contribute for my team. If you check out the last 10-15 Test matches about my individual performances, you will see some runs over there. I don’t need to worry about what is happening and what happened in the first Test match. It is all about what the team wants from me in this Test match. And then go and contribute. And I am pretty much confident about that.”Related

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The South Africa series that Rahane spoke about took place in October 2019. He scored a century and a fifty, averaging 72. In the series against Bangladesh that followed, he scored 86 and 51 in the two innings he got to play. In the most recent home Test, though, Rahane managed scores of 1 and 0.From being propped up as a full-time captaincy candidate to having his place questioned in the space of just one Test is some ride. Sanjay Manjrekar’s tweet summed it up: “My issue with Rahane the captain is Rahane the batsman. After that 100 in Melbourne his scores are – 27*, 22, 4, 37, 24, 1 and 0. After a 100, class players carry their form & carry the burden of players out of form.”However, Rahane enjoys full confidence from the full-time captain, Virat Kohli. “Ajinkya, I have said this many a times in the past as well, along with Pujara, he is our most important Test batsman and he will continue to be as we believe in his abilities and he is an impact player,” Kohli said after the first Test. “If you are talking about MCG Test, he stood up and scored a hundred when the team wanted it most. You can look at number of innings and what happens from thereon, the reality is we won the series in Australia.”Here it is just one innings, and today you can put that innings aside but in the first innings he wanted to score a boundary and it was a brilliant catch by Joe [Root] that got rid of him. If that goes for a boundary and he scores runs, then we are not having this conversation, so there are absolutely no issues and everyone is playing really well. We just need to be focused a lot more and understand that Test victories are earned in any condition whether you are playing at home or away from home. Nothing is given in Test cricket, and we need to work together as a team and put in a lot of pressure on the opposition.”

“England came up with their plans of playing sweeps and reverse sweeps. It is not necessary that we are going to play similar shots”Ajinkya Rahane

If Rahane is to get the criticism off his back in Chennai in the coming week, he will have to do in conditions more difficult than in the first Test. He himself said the pitch would turn much more. “[The pitch] looks completely different, I am sure it will turn from day one,” Rahane said. “We will have to wait and see how it behaves in the first session and take it from there. We have to forget what happened in the first Test and focus on this. Play good cricket. And we know these conditions really well. We have to put our best forward tomorrow and play as a team.”In the Bangalore Test that India beat Australia in, from a similar 1-0 deficit back in 2016-17, Rahane led the turnaround in partnership with Pujara. In that innings, Rahane unsettled Nathan Lyon with the sweep, a shot that England employed to good effect against India. Rahane was asked if that is a shot India are looking at.”It depends on what they bowl,” Rahane said. “What lines and lengths they bowl. Accordingly we play those shots. England came up with their plans of playing sweeps and reverse sweeps. It is not necessary that we are going to play similar shots. It is about what they bowl and how we actually attack their lines and lengths and play our game.”

There has now been a major new update on Emiliano Martinez’s Aston Villa future ahead of the January transfer window, amid recent praise from manager Unai Emery.

Martinez was very keen to leave Villa during the summer window, amid interest from Manchester United, but he ultimately ended up staying put at Villa Park, with Ruben Amorim’s side opting to bring in Senne Lammens instead.

The Argentina international was left out of the squad for the 3-0 defeat against Crystal Palace, given the doubts over his future, with Marco Bizot getting the nod between the sticks, but he has since been able to force his way back into the side.

Upon his return in the 0-0 draw against Everton, the 33-year-old received high praise from Emery, who said: “Today, his comeback has been fantastic. We have to protect him and feel him inside the group so he is comfortable and confident. He was fantastic.”

However, there has now been a major new update on the shot-stopper’s Villa Park future, which suggests a move could be on the cards very soon…

Aston Villa willing to accept January bids for Emiliano Martinez

According to a report from Football Insider, Aston Villa are now willing to accept January bids for Martinez, as they continue to explore replacements for their long-serving goalkeeper, who has been stripped of the vice captaincy.

Speaking about that decision, Emery said: “The first captain is John McGinn. We decided how we are, as well as managing the next captain. Usually, we have another captain, Emi Martinez, as second captain. But now, after speaking with him, I prefer to get him back. Konsa is the next one. Tyrone Mings, with Ollie Watkins too. Normally, we are managing it like that.”

The Villans recently identified Manchester City’s James Trafford as a potential target, with the Englishman being kept out of Pep Guardiola’s starting XI by Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Man United retain an interest in the Villa star, so there may be interest during the January transfer window, with Amorim personally requesting a winter deal back in October.

Should the 57-time Argentina international decide he wants to leave, there is no point Aston Villa standing in his way, but it would be a shame to let him go, given the level of some of his performances over the past few weeks.

The former Arsenal man has kept clean sheets in three of his last four matches in all competitions, most recently keeping a clean sheet after denying Antoine Semenyo from the penalty spot in the 4-0 victory against AFC Bournemouth.

The World Cup-winning goalkeeper remains under contract until 2030, so Aston Villa should be able to command a good fee for his services if they do decide to cash-in, but it would be a risk to sell one of their most experienced players.

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After impressing in the IPL, he has now bagged over 30 wickets for the third Ranji Trophy season in a row

Vishal Dikshit22-Feb-2024Madhya Pradesh left-arm-everything spinner Kumar Kartikeya’s story of rising to where he has is so hard to believe, that if it were to be made into a movie, it could well be called a work of fiction. Kartikeya declined that offer, in case you didn’t know.The challenges Kartikeya has thrown at himself since his self-imposed exile ten years ago – including a year in Delhi when he couldn’t afford lunch – have shaped him into such a gritty character that the tasks he faces on the field must pale in comparison. The challenges he has conquered have rewarded him with an indomitable spirit and a near-insatiable hunger to succeed.It’s with that spirit that Kartikeya, who bowls both left-arm orthodox spin as well as wristspin, has bagged over 30 wickets for the third Ranji Trophy season in a row. And this one has been his best, with the knockouts still to come: a tally of 34 wickets, an average of 19.02, a strike rate of 46.64, and an innings five-for and a ten-wicket match haul to go with them.Related

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If it was his wristspin that fetched him wickets for Mumbai Indians in the last two IPLs, in first-class cricket, he bowled fingerspin. Until this year. In the second-last league game of this Ranji season, Madhya Pradesh racked up 454, bowled out Baroda for 132, and asked them to follow-on. On the third day, Baroda started to put up a fight with a second-wicket stand of 136. MP were desperate for a win because a draw may not have been enough for a knockouts berth. Kartikeya went off the field for an over and asked coach Chandrakant Pandit in the dressing room if he could try legspin.”He gave me the go-ahead and told me what kind of field to set,” Kartikeya told ESPNcricinfo of his chat with Pandit. “I went back and bowled legspin and picked up two wickets in three overs, one with a googly and one with legspin. Before that, I had never bowled legspin in red-ball games at this level.”Whether he wanted the ball to turn this way or that, Kartikeya aimed to pick up wickets the old-school way – by being prepared: meticulous planning, focus on line and length, send down a thousand deliveries in the nets every day when things weren’t going too well.”My idea is to focus on the line and length according to the type of the batsman, that’s all,” he said. “If my line and length are good and my plans are simple, the batsman will probably make mistakes. I feel batsmen must be thinking more than me about where to play and how to play. I just have to focus on line and length and set the field. My coach does that the best for me.”Now I’m among the main players of this team. I feel like I’ve earned the faith of the coach and the team. My job is to keep performing the way I have been and not think too much about what I did last year or what I’m doing differently this year. My focus is to make the team win with my bowling, whether it’s with one wicket or two or five.”This fearlessness to try different things on the big stage didn’t start in the Ranji Trophy for Kartikeya. He had started working on his legspin in the early months of 2022 on the advice of his coach Sanjay Bhardwaj in Delhi. He was not in any IPL squad then, and an injury to Arshad Khan in the middle of the IPL season meant Mumbai Indians brought in Kartikeya as a replacement, but based on his legbreaks and variations they had seen in the IPL trials, not the fingerspin he had been bowling in the Ranji Trophy. He was yet to try legspin in a professional match.[File pic] Kumar Kartikeya (L) chats with coach Sanjay Bhardwaj during training•Sanjay BhardwajA day before Kartikeya’s IPL debut, Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma called him and encouraged him to continue bowling the kind of legspin that had brought him to that stage.”I told him I bowl only left-arm spin in Ranji,” Kartikeya said, recalling his tricky conversation with Rohit. “He said, ‘But you’re bowling [wristspin] here’. Then he only said, ‘ [you just bowl, I am with you]’. He supported me completely by saying even if I went for runs, they’d back me. I thought if the captain is backing me why do I need to be scared? His two lines drained out all my nervousness. I bowled with all my confidence after that. I felt so good after that pep talk, I had no tension.”Kartikeya dismissed Sanju Samson with his second ball in the IPL and finished with memorable figures of 4-0-19-1 to help Mumbai Indians end their eight-match losing streak.”Now whenever I bowl, he says only one thing to me: ‘ [you bowl what you want to, every bowler goes for runs in T20s, the format is such]’.”

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Kartikeya may have carried this fearlessness right from his teenage days when he left his home in Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh, with INR 40 (about half a dollar today) in his pocket, got on a random train and decided to pursue cricket in the city where the train would take him. He ended up in Delhi, chased down academies with the only promise of working hard on his game, and ended up with Bhardwaj.Even if it was the IPL that brought him fame, Kartikeya’s real calling was always the red ball. From his club days to the various leagues he featured in while in Delhi, Kartikeya was always training with the red ball. Except when he started getting picked for MP’s 20-over and 50-over squads in the 2018-19 season. His first-class debut also came in the same season but he got a proper run only once the Ranji season that resumed after the Covid-19 interval, in early 2022. In that truncated season of just three league games and three knockouts, MP stormed to their maiden Ranji title on the back of Kartikeya’s 32 wickets, second on the overall list, with eight wickets to his name in the semi-final and another five in the final against heavyweights Mumbai. Kartikeya took the new ball in all four innings of the semis and final, struck with the old ball too, and sent back some big names like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran and Manoj Tiwary.Kartikeya attributed that success to his maiden first-class season, especially his debut match in which he leaked 94 runs in 23 overs in the second innings against Kerala.”My debut made me learn a lot,” he said. “It was a turning and slow track. I was conceding at six an over for a change in red-ball cricket. I had bowled eight-nine overs for 48 runs. At one point I felt like I wasn’t made for this level. It had put that doubt in me. Whenever I had bowled before that, I had dominated. And that was the first such match that didn’t go my way. There were a lot of doubts in my mind.”Kartikeya found his bearings two games later. He came on to bowl when the ball was still new and removed the top three of Himachal Pradesh to finish with 6 for 28 in the first innings before sending back two of their top three again to end the match with a haul of nine.”In the third game, I got some confidence when I bowled well,” Kartikeya said. “When I got the five-for, it felt like the first match was probably just a one-off. I started growing from there and it’s been fine.”Kumar Kartikeya (L) celebrates winning the Ranji Trophy with his MP team-mates•Shashank Kishore/ESPNcricinfo LtdNot just in the Ranji Trophy, this season has been the most successful for Kartikeya across formats. In the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy just before Ranji, he bagged wickets in double-digits (14) for the first time, and the T20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy also saw him finish with his best tally of eight wickets from five games with an economy rate of 5.58. He had trained with the red ball initially for all those years in Delhi, and when he had to switch to the white ball for the shorter formats, it came out better from his hand.”There wasn’t much I had to do,” Kartikeya spoke of bowling with the white ball. “The white ball comes out of my hand better; I can grip it better. Its seam and grip are better from the red ball and it suits my hand better for both left-arm spin and legspin.”The common thread in his success and consistency, he said, has been Pandit, who took over the MP reins in 2020 and has taken them to unprecedented heights.”My recent performances – be it in our victorious Ranji campaign [in 2022] or T20s or Vijay Hazare – had one thing in common, Chandrakant Pandit sir,” Kartikeya said. “He had told me to not think much and just bowl as per plan. I’ve stuck to that and have found success too. Ever since he came to MP, I have picked up wickets and my bowling has reached another level. Before that, I didn’t have that many wickets. He has played the main role.”It’s only because of him – his fielding plans, how he explains things to me, he has 20 years of experience – that I’ve learnt so much and gained from his ideas. He teaches in different ways, sometimes he scolds me, sometimes it’s with love, and that’s probably because of the expectations he has from us. His anger has in fact helped me at times. The most important thing for me is his guidance.”Pandit wrote his own path as a successful coach with his achievements after his playing career had ended. The spotlight is now on where Kartikeya’s steps take him.

Miami got the trophy. But Thomas Muller's Vancouver might have gotten something even more valuable: proof that they’re good enough to win it next year.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The first thing Thomas Müller said after losing MLS Cup was that Vancouver will be back.

“We will come back stronger next season,” he said. “Even stronger.”

It’s a familiar sentiment. Post-match optimism is a well-worn reflex in sport. Every defeat, no matter how bruising, comes with a silver lining: get battered, and at least it wasn’t worse; lose a final, and at least you reached it. But this time, Müller wasn’t just grasping for clichés. Cup finals are unforgiving things — decided by moments, small margins and flickers of luck – and this one felt like proof that Vancouver are closer than the scoreline suggested.

Sure, it's cliché to say that teams rely on "difference makers" in the big moments. But when the other team has Lionel Messi, and you don't, then it all looks like a remarkably uphill battle.

But this feels like one of those rare occasions where it is true. The first reason is because of the person who said it. Muller may be a dorky guy, but he is also brutally honest. He is a serial winner who also knows how to come back from losses. The German would not say those words if he didn't mean them. 

The second, and far more relevant, point is that there’s evidence to support his claim. Vancouver didn’t stumble into this final. They earned it on the back of a genuinely remarkable season. They play excellent soccer, and they have a squad deep enough to contend. They also helped turn three Americans – Sebastian Berhalter, Brian White and Tristan Blackmon – into legitimate stars in MLS, all of whom have featured for the USMNT. The fact that they reached MLS Cup while dealing with a long-term injury to star creator Ryan Gauld, relying on third-choice options at the back, and integrating a Designated Player with barely four months in his new home, suggests this is a team that will only get better.

"Our process is not at the top. At the moment, we are on our way up. We have a young group, a very talented group, and a very hungry group," Muller said.

Getty Images SportThe final loss

Vancouver have every reason to feel aggrieved after the MLS Cup final loss. Javier Mascherano, the guy who manages the team, admitted that with a little bit of luck, the game could have easily gone the other way. And he had a point. In the 60th minute, just after Vancouver equalized with a lovely flowing move finished by Ali Ahmed, they could have taken the lead. Emmanuel Sabbi, arguably the Whitecaps' best player on the day, cut inside and unleashed a shot that pinged off posts before somehow cannoning back into play. 

It was a cruel moment, but one that perhaps showed that the soccer gods weren't on their side.

And of course, Messi took over. Except, he really didn't. He operated in moments. a few seconds of magic leading to a duo of assists that put the game beyond reach. In fact, both came from Vancouver mistakes. The first was due to a heavy touch and giveaway in midfield that Messi took advantage of with a signature shuffle and pass. The second came from a disorganized backline that didn't know whether to step or sit. Messi played right through it. Yet Vancouver had more of the ball, more shots, and more on target. The Miami opener came from a deflected cross. Manager Jesper Sorensen did admit that they put themselves in those situations: 

"We made a mistake. We made a few mistakes, and they took advantage of them. And they also have players really good at taking advantage in these situations as a team," Sorensen said. 

But they certainly were unlucky.  

“Losing a final’s never easy. I think the frustrating thing is I know we weren’t at our best. And we still had a few little chances here and there," Gauld said after the match. "It’s tough to take. Never easy losing a final.”

AdvertisementGetty Images SportSorensen remains confident

Like Muller before him, Sorensen said all of the right things. His post-match press conference was a strange affair. The press room at Chase Stadium lies right next to the home locker room. Sorensen sat there, steely-eyed, in front of the media while the chants of a victorious Miami penetrated the walls. Sorensen joked that they were 'probably not his players', but it was still a cruel scenario.

"We have come out on top in different situations, with fortune. Today, we didn't," he said.

Yet Sorensen was defiant. 

"Today, obviously, we cry, but I think what is important is that they are proud tears, because I know that we have excited a lot of people in Vancouver," he said.

And he framed the game expertly. Sure, Vancouver had lost, but this loss wasn't too different from the rest of the season

"I told them that when you reach out for something, it hurts even more when you don't get it. I told him that we've never been dreamers. I think [Muller] said it when he came in. We're hard workers. We worked hard today," Sorensen.

It is that attitude that carried Vancouver to this point. There are more talented teams in this league – more sides blessed with more apparent star power. Over the course of a full season, Muller is certainly among the best. But he joined in August and is, no doubt, still adjusting. Instead, it was a workmanlike team that got them here. They were fitter and stronger than many of their opponents – and experts at bagging late goals. Twenty-eight of their goals came in the final 15 minutes of games, 12 more than during any other 15-minute phase. 

MLS MediaDid it without some big names

It is important to consider, too, that the Whitecaps got here in a season of immense change. They lost two center backs, Ranko Veselinovic and Sebastian Schonlau, to long term injuries. Belal Halbouni, who had been in the mix all season, picked up a knock against LAFC in the Western Conference finals. Pedro Vite, one of their main sources of attacking quality, was lured away by Pumas midway through the season. 

Brian White, their leading goalscorer, sustained a hamstring injury halfway through the season and was barely at full fitness by the time he suited up for the game Saturday evening. And Gauld, their presumptive best player at the start of the season, was hurried back into action after sustaining what should have been a season-ending knee injury in March. 

He was far from his former self. And who could have blamed him? That they managed to be there alone was impressive. 

"Considering where we were at the start of the season, there weren’t many people even giving us a chance to make the playoffs," Gauld said. "So for us to get here tonight, to get to the [CONCACAF] Champions Cup final, I’m extremely proud of what the group’s given and the work they’ve put in week after week.”

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Getty Images SportCaveat of uncertainty

That, in theory, should be enough to give the Whitecaps sufficient hope for next season. The vibes are here. They have improved enough, dealt with adversity, and fought their way to a final. Losing hurts, but optimism might reign supreme.

Except, there are issues. The Whitecaps officially began the process to put the team up for sale last December. Their lease at BC Place is up at the end of the year, and there is little indication that a deal is imminent. Last week, Don Garber admitted that MLS might have to make some 'tough decisions.' What, exactly, those decisions are isn't quite clear. 

But after the game, Sorensen reiterated his desire for soccer to stay in Vancouver.

"We want to be in Vancouver. We want to play for Vancouver. Vancouver is a great city for soccer, and, you know, we are proud of playing for Vancouver," he said. 

Muller emphasized that the fans have helped fuel their journey.

"We gave it all, and that's what matters the most, and the way we do it, the respect we have also, not only for the fans, but also for the whole city, for the people in the city, and for the media and all this stuff. So we are a very lovable team, and we will continue this journey, and how we do it," he said. "It's so nice to hear that we created in a city like Vancouver, the hockey city, we created the buzz." 

Aston Villa were steadily getting back to their best across October.

Indeed, five straight wins had been collected by Unai Emery’s men, with three of those victories falling in October, before a trip to Dutch outfit Go Ahead Eagles fell on the calendar in the Europa League.

Yet, even with Evann Guessand netting after just four minutes had been played, the Eredivisie hosts would collect a surprise 2-1 win come full-time, as Emery and Co. cursed their luck away from Villa Park.

On another night, Villa might well have at least collected a share of the points. Unfortunately, though, Emiliano Buendia noticeably underperformed throughout, with a second-half missed penalty from the ex-Norwich City midfielder only further confirming that it was the hosts’ lucky day.

Buendia's poor showing against Go Ahead Eagles

Before his Europa League hiccup, Buendia had very much shown Emery why he was deserving of more consistent first-team minutes.

It was widely reported this summer that Buendia was on the brink of a move away from the West Midlands, with his future at the club still remaining uncertain if Villa need to cash in on an asset here and there to satisfy PSR troubles.

Despite all this distracting chatter, Buendia had managed to let his football do the talking as of late, with a standout haul of three goals and an assist from 11 appearances.

However, his poor day at the office in the Netherlands does have the potential to trouble his concrete starting position.

The out-of-sorts number ten would spurn another big chance away from missing that vital spot-kick, with Buendia also uncharacteristically sloppy with the ball at his feet, with possession surrendered a worrying 17 times.

Off the back of this individual showing, leaving a sour taste in Emery’s mouth, the Spaniard could look to alternate options in the number ten spot when Premier League action returns, with Morgan Rogers an easy fix here.

He might not be afforded a spot down the left wing, either, with Guessand scoring from this spot on the pitch against Melvin Boel’s hosts, as the ex-OGC Nice forward was in the right place, at the right time, to poke home a rebound.

Emery will want all of his attackers to be as instinctive as the Ivorian when Manchester City come to town next, with this other notable Villa first-teamer fearful of his starting spot subsequently, after another quiet game passed him by mid-week.

Emery must axe Villa star who is "off it"

The former Arsenal boss isn’t blessed with plentiful options in the centre-forward department anymore, with super sub Jhon Duran now plying his trade in the Saudi Pro League, after once being seen as an ideal second-in-command figure.

This has ramped up the pressure on Ollie Watkins’ shoulders, arguably, with his forgettable season so far displaying a striker in clear decline, with talkSPORT’s Troy Deeney even calling out the England international as being way “off it” back in September, when his goal output had already begun to disastrously dry up.

Games played

12

Minutes played

822

Goals scored

1

Assists

0

Since this scathing assessment from the former Watford centre-forward, Watkins has only gone on to pick up an unsatisfactory one strike for the Villans from 12 matches, with Emery clearly losing patience with his usual reliable starter when benching him last time out in the Premier League against Tottenham Hotspur.

Villa didn’t look lost without their 88-goal man leading the line, either, with ex-Borussia Dortmund man Donyell Malen filling in as the main marksman somewhat competently, as the likes of the aforementioned Rogers and Buendia stole the show with goals from the midfield areas.

Watkins didn’t exactly bang the door down to reclaim his top-flight starting spot with his shoddy showing against Go Ahead Eagles, with what should have been a confidence-boosting night only sapping the 29-year-old’s belief even more, as three shots failed to find the back of the net from his minimal 17 touches of the ball.

Guessand might even be the face that Emery chooses to start up top against Pep Guardiola’s challengers, if he wants to experiment away from a goalless Malen, with eight goals actually collected by the versatile Ivorian from this position for Nice, as Watkins fears another spot warming the bench is going to come his way later today.

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