Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has now made a major decision on Pedri’s fitness ahead of the Champions League clash against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge this Tuesday.

The Blues will be looking to return to winning ways in the Champions League on Tuesday, having been unable to overcome Qarabag last time out, drawing 2-2 away at the Azerbaijani side, but they should be heading into the game with renewed confidence.

Enzo Maresca’s side have put together a good run in the Premier League, winning their last three matches without conceding, most recently securing a 2-0 win at Burnley courtesy of goals from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez.

Maresca was particularly happy with his side’s defensive showing, saying after the game: “The way we competed I am very happy.

“To come here and not concede is very difficult. It’s normal to concede something. But overall they only had one real chance. During the game they didn’t have any big chances and during the game we had loads of chances.”

However, the manager will be well-aware that Tuesday’s opposition will be much tougher, and the west Londoners have now been handed a boost heading into the Champions League encounter…

Hansi Flick set to leave Pedri out against Chelsea

According to reports from Spain (via Sport Witness), Pedri is now unlikely to travel to London ahead of Tuesday’s game, as Flick and his coaching staff believe it is not worth risking the midfielder, who suffered a hamstring injury near the end of October.

The 22-year-old is now a serious doubt for the trip to Stamford Bridge, having missed training on Sunday, which will be welcome news for Maresca & co, who need every advantage they can get heading into the game against the reigning La Liga champions.

Lauded as “amazing” by journalist Muhammad Butt, the Barcelona star has been absolutely integral for Barcelona over the past year, regularly displaying his ability to dictate games, set-up chances for his teammates, and drive the ball forward.

Pedri’s key statistics

Average per 90 (past year)

Assists

0.17 (80th percentile)

Passes attempted

91.85 (98th percentile)

Progressive carries

3.42 (99th percentile)

Successful take-ons

1.40 (97th percentile)

That said, the La Liga side are likely to be just as fearful of Chelsea’s midfield, with Fernandez scoring his fifth goal of the season against Burnley at the weekend, while Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp has waxed lyrical about Moises Caicedo this season.

As such, Chelsea should no doubt fancy their chances heading into Tuesday’s game, taking on Barca in a competitive game for the first time since a 3-0 defeat at Camp Nou back in 2018.

Moises Caicedo and Pedri have been named among the best midfielders in the world The Best 15 Midfielders in World Football Ranked (2025)

Some of the best players in the world do their stuff in the middle of the park, but who’s number one?

5 ByCharlie Smith Nov 20, 2025

A Liverpool legend has suggested £116 million summer signing Florian Wirtz could leave the club on loan in January. Much was expected of the German international when he joined for a then-Premier League record fee, an amount that has since been surpassed by Alexander Isak. And amid his Reds struggles, an ex-Anfield favourite thinks a short-term switch for the 22-year-old could be in the offing.

Wirtz failing to fire at Liverpool

Hopes were high when Wirtz made his big-money move to Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen this summer but the player that Reds fans have seen on the pitch has not justified that huge fee so far. Indeed, in 16 appearances, he has failed to score a single goal, but he has contributed three assists. The playmaker is currently sidelined with a muscle injury, in a time where Liverpool have lost nine of their last 12 games in all competitions – a 71-year low.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportLoan move for Wirtz?

Former Liverpool midfielder and German international Didi Hamann thinks spending the second half of the season at another club could be beneficial for Wirtz. He also questioned if he has the right physicality for the Premier League.

He told CoinPoker.com: "Could Florian Wirtz still leave Liverpool on loan in January? Yeah. Obviously with all the help and all the protection from the club and the manager, if you bring somebody in for that amount of money, then maybe he should be the one, even though he's still very young, then maybe you expect him to turn things around. I don't think, the way he's playing at the moment, I'm not sure he's capable of doing that. And when I watch him sometimes, you know, thinking, has he lost belief because it is in the Premier League? Sometimes when I watch him when he loses possession, I'm thinking maybe it’s because it’s a lot quicker, a lot more physical, as if he were to say: ‘I'm not sure that's for me'. I hope I'm wrong, but this is how it looks to me. Sometimes if it's going on for too long, you know, it's very hard to turn it around."

Wirtz sent Liverpool warning

Wirtz, who has started 12 of his 16 games for Liverpool, has also been warned by Hamann that if he doesn't come good before Christmas, his Reds future may be discussed by the club's board. The German added that the youngster doesn't look happy at Anfield after a "very disappointing" start.

"Florian Wirtz has had chances to perform. He's had chances over the last six to eight weeks, where the team hasn't really fired since the start of the season," he said. "Even the games against Bournemouth, Newcastle, and Burnley were all games they probably didn't deserve to win, but they did, and he played in all of them. He's had the chance for the last three months to perform. What should make me believe he's going to do it now, because the team seems to be in disarray? It's not easy when you come in and there are cracks or problems within the team, and I don't know what it is or why it is. He doesn't look happy at the moment. He's a player who learned football on the streets, and that's how he played for Leverkusen, and this is why he was so natural, he always did the right thing. Now he doesn't do that anymore, he thinks too much. I think he works too much going backwards, which credits and honours him because he wants to help the team. But obviously, he was brought in to affect games on the other side of the pitch, and he hasn't done it so far. Having said that, it might take a little bit of weight off his shoulders because people clearly saw this past weekend that he is not the problem. Despite that, so far he's been very disappointing. I think he's got until Christmas now to show his worth, which is not easy because, as I said, the team is not functioning at the moment. I think if he doesn't do it from now until Christmas, I'm pretty sure that the club will get together with him and see what the best would be for both parties."

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Getty ImagesWhat comes next for Liverpool?

With Liverpool on a run of six Premier League defeats from their last seven games, some of the heat may have been taken off Wirtz as many of his team-mates are struggling at present. Arne Slot's team are down to 12th in the table and if they don't beat West Ham this weekend, the Dutch manager could be in a fight to save his job. Either way, Wirtz needs to start contributing soon or he could be on the bench more often than not.

Retiring allrounder says he agrees with decision to overlook him for Ashes tour after dislocation

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Oct-2025Chris Woakes has confirmed that his international retirement was accelerated by the shoulder injury he sustained at The Oval in July, which he quickly realised could mark the end of his England career.Woakes, 36, announced his decision to retire from international cricket on Monday after discussions with Rob Key, England’s managing director, in which it became clear that he would not be considered for selection in the upcoming Ashes. He intends to play on both in franchise cricket, starting at the ILT20 in December, and for his county Warwickshire.His decision means that the final act of his England career was to walk out to bat at No. 11 with his left arm in a sling, spending 16 agonising minutes at the non-striker’s end and grimacing in pain every time he ran through for a single. Woakes did not face a ball as England fell six runs short, but was widely praised for his courage and bravery, defying a shoulder dislocation.He sustained the injury while diving over the boundary in an attempt to save a run on the first day of that fifth Test, and admitted in an interview with Sky Sports that retirement soon crossed his mind. “Definitely, there was a part of me that thought then that this could be my last act in an England shirt,” Woakes said.Related

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“When my shoulder was in the wrong place and you’re walking off at that moment, immediately you’re thinking about the game, and thinking you’re not going to play any further part. And then once things calm down a little bit, and you get the shoulder back in place, I suppose you start to then reflect and think, ‘Actually, this could be potentially be my last act in an England shirt.'”Woakes had been preparing to take a left-handed stance if required to face a ball, and conceded that he had found the prospect “slightly terrifying”. But he said that he never doubted his decision to bat: “I would’ve never been able to live with myself if I’d have said no… It just wouldn’t have sat right with me. It felt the right thing to do, and I’m sure everyone [else] would’ve done the same.”While he would have been in contention for England’s Ashes squad if fully fit, Woakes’ recovery timeframe effectively ruled him out of the start of the series and he was ultimately not considered for selection. He said that he was confident he could have “done a job” in some capacity if available, but accepted that the severity of his injury changed the picture.”I’ve got to get this right and rehab it well,” Woakes said. “Before that, the body was feeling great, and actually got better as the [India] series went on. Physically, I felt great and I felt like I potentially could have continued, but then obviously this happened and it just did change things a little bit.”I still feel like I would’ve been good enough and had the ability to go out [to Australia] – with my experience – to be able to go and do a job for the team, but I understand the route that the team are wanting to take. We haven’t won in Australia for a long time, so it feels like we’ve got to do something a little bit different and I’m fully behind that.”There was a chance I could have been fit once we go into December, but obviously the series would’ve been well and truly underway [by then]. You’re into the third or fourth Test match by that point, and I’m generally better with cricket under my belt. That call wasn’t surprising and, to be fair, I totally agree with that decision as well.”Woakes said that he had been “overwhelmed” by the response to his retirement, and that he will leave international cricket with no regrets: “To have won two World Cups, been a part of many Ashes series and one Ashes series win, I could never have dreamt of anything more.”

Manchester United are keen to secure a new midfield arrival and could now be set to turn to a star who Sir Alex Ferguson once likened to David Beckham.

The Red Devils are probing in their hunt to climb the Premier League table under Ruben Amorim and will hope that they can attack their festive schedule now that the international break is over, even if they need to navigate injuries and absences along the way.

Benjamin Sesko is set to be on the sidelines, and the former Sporting boss has confirmed that his summer striker signing is set to return around the same time that Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui exit for the African Cup of Nations.

He said on his potential return: “He’s going to stay a few weeks out. I don’t know how long but it is not that serious. We have to be careful with him. He is doing the recovery, he is feeling better, so in a few weeks I expect to have Ben.

“I think it’s going to be more or less at the same time. I don’t want to say for sure but when they are going to the camp, I expect to have Ben back.”

While the goals have been spread for Manchester United this season, there is always a cause to add more expertise in front of the target to alleviate pressure on the strikers, something Mbeumo in particular has brought to the club since his summer move from Brentford.

With the transfer window fast approaching, Amorim and INEOS will have their list of targets in place and ready to go, either for the January period or even beyond into the summer.

Man Utd now make approach to sign exciting gem who shone at U17 World Cup

The Red Devils are now keen to secure his signature before some high-profile suitors.

BySean Markus Clifford Nov 23, 2025

Now, they have added a surprise name to their shortlist who is a popular figure among supporters, and news that he could be set to move to Manchester would certainly make headlines.

Man Utd eyeing surprise Scott McTominay return

According to CaughtOffside, Manchester United are eyeing a surprise return for Napoli midfielder Scott McTominay, who is also on the radar of Arsenal due to his exploits for club and country.

His career revival since leaving Old Trafford hasn’t gone unnoticed, with the Scotland international striking 17 times and registering eight assists in 51 appearances for the reigning Serie A champions.

Of course, McTominay’s exploits for the Tartan Army have also drawn worldwide attention, especially after his incredible overhead kick strike to help his country edge out Denmark for a place at the World Cup finals.

Happy in Italy, it is believed that Napoli has set a £60 million valuation of the 28-year-old, and unless something drastic were to happen, a summer 2026 transfer move appears to be the most likely outcome.

Manchester United have been in the market for a midfielder to add to their existing pool of options, though it would be a surprise if they were to bring in a former academy star with such a strong connection to the club, where his ascent was even likened to Beckham’s at Old Trafford by Ferguson.

The teams are better prepared and the gap between them has shrunk considerably

S Sudarshanan29-Sep-20253:00

Is this India’s best chance to win a World Cup?

Big picture: More ODIs, better clarity

On the eve of the tournament opener, the contrasts were subtle but telling in Guwahati. India’s training session was light, confident and precise. Avishkar Salvi, India’s bowling coach, tried Rana’s offspin grip before she showed him how it’s done. Kranti Goud charged in with rhythm and responded to match-specific challenges. It was a sight of a team that looked settled.Earlier in the afternoon, Sri Lanka had gone through a more muted, methodical session. They started with catching drills before quickly shifting to the nets. It was not all work and no play, though. Left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera teased the young seamer Malki Madara about getting Hasini Perera lbw, and Sugandika Kumari joked with fellow offspinner Dewmi Vihanga about why her grip was better.Two teams, two different rhythms. But the bigger picture was clear: this World Cup doesn’t begin with undercooked sides trying to find cohesion. This begins with teams well-prepared and clear on goals.Related

• World Cup offers an air of freshness to sombre Guwahati

• Athapaththu alone at the top as she carries Sri Lanka above her

• World Cup to World Cup, 2013 to 2025: The story of a revolution

• Harmanpreet: 'This time we will cross the line'

• This World Cup promises to take women's cricket to brand-new heights

Since the 2022 edition – which saw pandemic-hit schedules and limited preparation in the lead-up – the change has been striking. Sri Lanka, who didn’t qualify then and hadn’t played an ODI in three years, arrive with 31 games under their belt. India have been the busiest, having played 38 since the last edition, including 14 this year.”We’ve played more ODI cricket after the last T20 World Cup,” India captain Harmanpreet Kaur said. “We have won most of the games. That has definitely given us a lot of confidence to do well in ODI cricket. We now have a lot of experience. This group has played together for so many years. There is a lot more clarity.”And that clarity is evident – not just in numbers, but in body language, in banter, in how batters walk into the nets, and bowlers finish their spells. This World Cup picks up where the teams left off, with momentum already building.

Form guide

India LWLWL
Sri Lanka LLWWL3:45

Athapaththu: ‘Would like to see an Asian team lift the trophy’

In the spotlight: Jemimah Rodrigues and Udeshika Prabodhani

She has already played 51 ODIs, but the match against Sri Lanka will be Jemimah Rodrigues’ maiden appearance in a 50-over World Cup. A natural top-order batter, she has slotted seamlessly into India’s middle order. Rodrigues scored her first ODI hundred earlier this year and showcased her finishing ability during India’s last two series – the tri-series in Sri Lanka involving South Africa, and the tour of England. With the pitch at the ACA Stadium expected to be flat, Rodrigues will aim to make her World Cup debut a memorable one.Veteran left-arm seamer Udeshika Prabodhani will be key for Sri Lanka with the new ball. Her ability to swing the ball and maintain control during the field restrictions has been invaluable. She could pose a challenge to India’s right-hand opener Pratika Rawal with her inswingers. However, match rustiness could be a factor – Prabodhani last played international cricket at the 2024 T20 World Cup, and hasn’t featured in an ODI since August 2024. But if her performance in the last warm-up game is any indication – 2 for 26 from six overs, including two maidens – Sri Lanka have little to worry about.

Team news: Amanjot could return

Harmanpreet confirmed that the entire squad is fit, which could pave the way for Amanjot Kaur’s return to the XI after recovering from a back injury. That would likely mean only one of Sneh Rana or Radha Yadav makes the final cut. While Amanjot did not bowl in either of the warm-up games, on the eve of the match, she bowled a short spell and then spent some time batting in the nets.India (probable): 1 Smriti Mandhana, 2 Pratika Rawal, 3 Harleen Deol, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Jemimah Rodrigues, 6 Richa Ghosh (wk), 7 Deepti Sharma, 8 Amanjot Kaur/Radha Yadav, 9 Sneh Rana, 10 Kranti Goud, 11 Renuka SinghBased on the two warm-up matches, Sri Lanka are expected to have Hasini Perera opening with Chamari Athapaththu. Vishmi Gunaratne, usually an opener, is likely to bat at No. 4. With Prabodhani back, only one of Achini Kulasuriya and Madara will play.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Hasini Perera, 2 Chamari Athapaththu (capt), 3 Harshitha Samarawickrama, 4 Vishmi Gunaratne, 5 Kavisha Dilhari, 6 Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), 7 Nilakshika Silva, 8 Sugandika Kumari, 9 Inoka Ranaweera, 10 Malki Madara/Achini Kulasuriya, 11 Udeshika Prabodhani2:06

Harmanpreet: ‘No pressure at all’ playing World Cup at home

Pitch and conditions

On Monday, after a spell of slightly cooler weather, the evening in Guwahati turned noticeably muggier. Around the start of play, temperatures are expected to hover in the low 30°C, though it may feel hotter under the afternoon sun. The centre pitch will be used, which has minimal grass.

Stats and trivia

• The ACA Stadium will become the 55th venue in India to stage a women’s ODI.
• Kavisha Dilhari’s 26 wickets are the most for Sri Lanka in ODIs since the 2022 World Cup. Three Indians have surpassed that mark in the same period – Deepti Sharma (59), Renuka Singh (35) and Sneh Rana (27).
• For the first time since 2016, Athapaththu is not Sri Lanka’s leading ODI run-getter in a calendar year. Harshitha Samarawickrama leads the pack with 336 runs, with Athapaththu fifth on the list.
• Smriti Mandhana’s 2100 runs are the most by any batter since the last ODI World Cup. The next best is Laura Wolvaardt with 1736.
• One of India’s three ODI defeats to Sri Lanka came earlier this year.

Quote

“No doubt it’s a quite new venue for us. But in India, many stadiums have a very similar feel, similar pitches, and we have played a lot of cricket in India. So we are taking it as an opportunity.”
“Udeshika is our strike bowler, she is the most senior player in my team. If I have to take a decision, sometimes I go to her for an opinion, and she helps me out. That is the [equation] we have. It’s a big privilege for me to play with her.”

A shocking stat has suggested that Chelsea have no chance of beating Arsenal in the Premier League title showdown. The Blues arrive at the Emirates on Sunday with an opportunity to cut Arsenal’s lead at the Premier League summit, but history and numbers paint a grim picture for Enzo Maresca’s resurgent side, who have only beaten their rivals once in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge in the last seven years.

• A high-stakes London derby framed by bleak statistics

  The Blues have climbed into second place after stitching together three consecutive league wins, yet they remain six points behind a near-faultless Arsenal team who have dropped points only twice all season. Mikel Arteta’s side have recorded 14 victories and two draws in their last 16 matches, a run of form that would intimidate anyone, let alone a Chelsea team seeking only their second win over Arsenal in seven years at Stamford Bridge. However, one headline stat is damning as Chelsea have won just one of their last 11 Premier League meetings with Arsenal. For a fixture that once swung like a pendulum, the balance has tipped dramatically in one direction and refuses to budge back.

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• AFP
  

  The derby dominance that should terrify Chelsea

  Arsenal’s record in London derbies under Arteta has reached staggering levels. Since the beginning of the 2022-23 campaign, they have lost only three derbies in the league, and just one away from home, at Fulham nearly two years ago. They have swept all four derby fixtures this season, including last weekend’s dismantling of Tottenham. This will be the fifth time Arsenal have faced Chelsea while sitting top of the table. The Gunners won the previous four in 2003, 2004, 2007 and most recently in the 5-0 demolition at Stamford Bridge in April 2024. Hence, the trend is unmistakable. Chelsea once made the Bridge a nightmare for Arsenal, beating them six times in seven visits between 2013 and 2018. But Marcos Alonso’s winner in 2018 marks the last time the Blues claimed three points at home against their London rivals. Since then, Arsenal have built a remarkable unbeaten run of six league games at Stamford Bridge, three wins and three draws. For a side looking to mount a title challenge, Chelsea must shatter a curse that has hardened over nearly a decade.

• Arteta praises Chelsea, but refuses to declare them contenders

  Arteta suffered his first defeat as Arsenal manager against Chelsea in December 2019, just days into the job. Since then, he has turned the London rivalry on its head. He has won seven of the last 11 meetings, boasting a 58.3 per cent win rate that stands behind only Pep Guardiola and Kenny Dalglish among managers who have faced Chelsea at least ten times.

  Asked whether Chelsea deserve to be considered genuine title rivals, Arteta chose diplomacy over provocation.

  The Spanish manager said: "I think we are all there, and they are there because they fully deserve what they have done in the last few years. I think the squad that they assembled, the numbers that they have, the quality that they have, the number of coaches they have it makes sense that what is happening there is very, very positive and they deserve to be there."

  When asked if he still views Chelsea as the league's best attacking force, he replied: "They were [the best last season], the sample now this season is early, so it's difficult to say. But it is one of the teams that I enjoy the most watching and they have a lot of fluidity, they have a lot of threat, they have a lot of individual talent, they are very clear what they want to do and that's why they are very tough."

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• (C)Getty Images
  

  Arsenal’s star men carry a psychological edge

  Chelsea supporters may cling to hope that Martin Odegaard, the man who has tormented them more than any other, misses out through injury on Sunday. The Norwegian has seven goal contributions in eight league matches against Chelsea and, remarkably, has never lost a Premier League game to them. Gabriel Magalhães shares that unbeaten streak, and only Patrick Vieira, who faced Chelsea ten times without defeat, boasts a longer run in the division. Meanwhile, Leandro Trossard remains another Arsenal weapon sharpened specifically for this fixture. The Belgian has scored four Premier League goals against Chelsea, and another on Sunday would make him only the fifth Belgian to reach 50 goals in the competition. 

Injuries to key players, departures of overseas players for national duty, and the break in momentum – they were playing a game after 20 days – contributed to RCB’s nosedive against SRH

Shashank Kishore24-May-20250:58

Moody: RCB need to move on from this loss quickly

Sometimes, a loss helps as much as a win does. That’s the sentiment Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) want to channel after a heavy defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL 2025 game in Lucknow may have stalled their top-two aspirations.For 14 overs in their chase of 232, RCB had the game by the scruff of the neck. Their batters seemed in perfect symphony. Virat Kohli, fresh off his Test retirement announcement, was flowing. Phil Salt, back after illness, was firing away. Rajat Patidar’s injured-and-repaired right hand was looking mobile again. Jitesh Sharma, the stand-in captain, kept reeling one big hit after another.RCB, who had only ever chased down 200-plus twice in 18 years, were on track to scale a peak. And then they unravelled, as they went from 173 for 3 to 179 for 7 in the space of 12 balls. A march towards the top spot turned into a swift nosedive that has sent them to No. 3, with their net run-rate taking a huge hit in the process too.Related

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Andy Flower: RCB do not have 'ideal lead-in' to playoffs

But, in the aftermath, there’s more reflection than panic.”I think sometimes losing a game is a very good sign because you can check, analyse where we are lacking,” Jitesh said on the broadcast. “If you keep winning, you don’t see your mistakes. You keep going with the flow. But I think the positive things are everyone is chipping in.”I’m batting well, Rajat is batting well – Rajat has come back. Even the bowlers are bowling well. Virat is in form. But after this loss, we will get that light setback to check again, see the set-up, how to get things working again. Once we’ve got this setback, I think we will go forward again.”Friday’s fixture was RCB’s first in 20 days. Last week, they had their home fixture against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) washed away by rain. The four days after that were spent indoors, thanks to wet weather in Bengaluru. The break was a lot longer in Salt’s case. Having last played on April 24, he spent two weeks on the sickbed before returning re-energised after a short trip home.”It’s a funny one,” Salt said in the press conference after his 32-ball 62, his third half-century of the season. “Obviously when you’re ill you sit in your bed and wonder if you’re ever going to feel better again. You think about all the things you took for granted when you were healthy.”As a group, we’d not played until tonight in three weeks or so. I don’t think I’ve played in a month, which is a long time. More than anything else, I’m just glad I’m healthy and feeling good and playing another game of cricket.”When they last played, on May 3, RCB had completed a magnificent double over Chennai Super Kings (CSK). While the long break since then has allowed Patidar time to heal sufficiently to at least bat, it has also taken away the winning momentum they were building. Salt underlined the need to quickly get this loss out of the way.”You don’t mind not having this game in the playoffs,” Salt said. “You can take it as a disappointment or you can take it for what it is. We’ve qualified. We’ve lost a game. No one likes to lose games of cricket. I hate the fact we’ve lost, as everyone else in an RCB shirt [does].”[But] you’d rather have that now than you would in an Eliminator, let’s say. So, we’re going to get an opportunity to pick the bones out of it, have a look at things we did well and things we didn’t do so well and come back. We’ve got one more group game and headed to the playoffs.”

“Honestly, we’ve qualified for the playoffs. Once you’re in you’ve got to play in a pretty carefree manner and do what you can to win the trophy. We’re not too far ahead of ourselves at the moment with that thinking”Phil Salt

Despite that bit of perspective, it’s fair to say RCB’s journey has hit a bit of a speed bump.Josh Hazlewood’s absence owing to a shoulder niggle is no longer just a missing piece. It feels like a fault line beneath a strong foundation RCB carefully built at the auction. Without him, they lack an all-phase bowler. On Friday, against SRH, they bled 71 in the powerplay and 54 at the death.Lungi Ngidi hasn’t been able to conjure the same kind of intensity or form Hazlewood brought. On Friday, he went for 51 in his four overs. In three days, he too will leave to prepare for the World Test Championship (WTC) final. This will leave RCB’s overseas pace stocks worryingly thin, though there is hope that Hazlewood will be around. Nuwan Thushara hasn’t played a game yet. Blessing Muzarabani will be straight off a flight following a Test match in England for the next game.On Friday, they had another massive injury scare. Tim David, a wrecking ball in the death overs with his big hits, limped to the crease dragging an injured hamstring and was barely able to run. He had felt a twinge while fielding and immediately went out. David’s role as a finisher has been key to RCB being the best death-overs bating team this season. But this throws a big doubt over his participation in the remainder of the season.1:01

Did RCB get their bowling tactics right?

And it comes amid more departures; Jacob Bethell is done for the season, he has national duties to take care of. Devdutt Padikkal is gone, his injury has opened up No. 3 – a crucial pillar now suddenly fragile. On Friday, Mayank Agarwal, an opener, stepped in as a stop-gap arrangement and looked like he was playing catch-up.So, unless Hazlewood returns or a Plan B emerges fast, their promising campaign that had their fans dreaming of a maiden title runs the risk of a slow fadeaway, with resources stretched just a little too thin. Yet, Salt isn’t panicking.”Obviously the schedule has done a bit of jumping around,” he said. “We’ve got another opportunity to go out and show ourselves and our fans what we can do before the playoffs begin [against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on May 27]. I can’t speak for anyone else, a lot of times in cricket you do all the preparation, so much that goes into it. Performance on the night, sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t happen.”I can’t sit here and tell you we prefer to finish one, two, three, four, five. Honestly, we’ve qualified for the playoffs. Once you’re in you’ve got to play in a pretty carefree manner and do what you can to win the trophy. We’re not too far ahead of ourselves at the moment with that thinking. In a few days we’re playing again here in a game we want to win, and show how good we are.”

Zimbabwe took a 233-run lead, and then prised out one Afghanistan wicket before stumps

Ekanth21-Oct-2025

Zimbabwe scored 229 runs and lost eight wickets. Afghanistan scored 34 and lost one. On paper, day two was a day of shared honours. In reality though, the hosts were left holding all aces after having bundled out Afghanistan for 127 on day one, and then converting a three-run lead to a 233-run lead, thanks mainly to a gritty, layered 121 from Ben Curran and a calculated (if not slick) 65 from Sikandar Raza.Ziaur Rahman’s 7 for 97 was a dreamy career-best on Test debut. He became the first bowler to take seven or more wickets via bowled or lbw in a Test innings since Imran Khan in 1982. Afghanistan batted for 12 overs before stumps and lost opener Abdul Malik to Richard Ngarava. Ibrahim Zadran got off to a start and was unbeaten on 25.On a day tailor-made for pacers, the proactivity of Brendan Taylor and the experience of Craig Ervine were no match for the reveries of a Harare pitch offering up-and-down as well as sideways movement. Taylor got an edged boundary through gully (over 41.2) and a chipped four through mid-on (43.3).Despite being decisive and even picking up a boundary to third from a semi-educated edge off a flashing cut and looking solid in defence, the right-handed Taylor fell to a vicious inducker from Ziaur, who then used his allies – low bounce and seam in – to trap the left-handed Craig Ervine lbw.Curran, at the other end, grew into a natural rhythm. One undeterred by being beaten and edging. Raza came in with his problem-solver hat on, walking down the pitch and shuffling sideways against the pace of Ismat Alam and Ziaur. He had nervy moments – like a chip to cover off Alam (50.2) – but overcame them while disregarding the threats posed by the conditions and some skillful bowling.Yamin Ahmadzai’s accuracy and consistency in a six-over collection, split across two spells between overs 38 and 56, saw two maidens, just 11 runs but no wickets. The Morne Morkel-esque Ziaur didn’t face a case of pretty figures. Alam created more nervy moments, especially against Raza, but also conceded more boundaries.Curran and Raza built their 99-run stand in 160 balls with Curran scoring 33 despite facing a healthy share of 72 balls. The clear roles and the duo’s commitment ground down Afghanistan, who had an upbeat presence at the start – with chatter and buzz from the keeper and cordons. Zimbabwe went into lunch on 214 for 4, with Curran on 79* and Raza 37*.The older ball, tiring bowlers and the fewer challenges posed by Hashmatullah Shahidi’s part-time bowling and Khalil Gurbaz’s awkward action, helped the two batters consolidate.Curran brought up his 217-ball ton off Shahidi’s flick and virtually levitated with open arms, a bat in one hand and helmet in the other, in celebration.Ziaur Rahman picked up a five-for on Test debut•Zimbabwe Cricket

Raza hit three fours off Sharafuddin Ashraf between overs 69 and 72, but then fell on 75.3, looking for the fourth, after top-edging a slog sweep to Yamin Ahmadzai running around from deep square leg to take the catch.Afghanistan took the new ball one ball after it was available and got it changed 3.5 overs later. Meanwhile, Curran hit three fours in the space of four balls that he faced. There were immediately more threats after the second ball change.Ahmadzai and Ziaur went back to what they did earlier in the day to first threaten edges and dry up scoring, and then Ahmadzai took Curran’s wicket on the stroke of tea. Low bounce and seam in was a culprit again as Curran was hit on the back leg and was out plumb lbw for a 256-ball 121 across 423 minutes.Zimbabwe slumped from 302 for 6 to 359 all out after tea. Ziaur came into his own against a helpless lower-middle and lower order as the final three batters fell for single figures. The carnage began with Tafadzwa Tsiga and Ngarava being lbw in successive balls.Ahmadzai missed the chance to run Blessing Muzarabani out. Perhaps that was because the bowling division of the cricket Gods wanted to watch Ziaur send Muzarabani cartwheeling its way back halfway to the keeper. Evans pulled through against spread-out fields and took Zimbabwe past 350 before Chivanga fell to Ziaur, thus wrapping up the innings.Muzarabani juggled jaffas with the odd bouncer to make Afghan opener Malik’s short stay a scarring one. There were two close shaves in the third over where the ball nearly took the edge – one against each batter.When Ngarava went after Malik with a less attacking plan of bowling short from around the wicket, an attempt to break the shackles was made and an aerial pull went into Muzarabani’s hands at deep-backward square leg.Amid lightmeter readings and some fiery pace bowling, Ibrahim seasoned a crafty little knock while Rahmanullah Gurbaz batted through to stumps. With the visitors still being in the deficit by 198 runs, an innings-win for the hosts is on the cards.

Cummins is the fifth-fastest to 300 Test wickets in terms of balls bowled, reaching the milestone in 13,725 balls

Shubh Agarwal12-Jun-20251:53

‘Once the ball gets older, Cummins puts his hand up’

Pat Cummins has reached the milestone of 300 Test wickets, claiming his 14th five-wicket haul during the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord’s. Picking five of the six South African wickets to fall on day two, Cummins finished with figures of 6 for 28 in 18.1 overs.Six wickets short at the start of the Test, he has now become the 40th bowler to reach the landmark and the eighth for Australia. Among pacers, he is the 30th to enter this club and the sixth for Australia.Cummins is the fifth-fastest to reach there in terms of balls bowled, completing 300 wickets in 13,725 balls, beating Malcolm Marshall by three deliveries. His bowling strike rate of 45.75 is the best for an Australian seamer.He also levelled with Imran Khan to become the joint-tenth-fastest to complete 300 wickets, reaching there in 68 Test matches.Cummins has picked up 136 wickets as the captain of his side. Among pace-bowling captains, only Imran has picked up more wickets (187). Among Australian captains, only Richie Benaud is ahead by a slender margin of two wickets. Overall, only ten bowlers have picked up over 100 Test wickets while being the captain of their side.Cummins has been among Australia’s greatest match-winners with the ball in this format. Overall, 184 of his Test wickets before this WTC final came in wins. The likes of Jason Gillespie, Mitchell Johnson, Dennis Lillee, Brett Lee, Mitchell Starc and Glenn McGrath are ahead but no one has a better average than Cummins’ 18.09, which is bound to improve further if Australia win the WTC final to claim their second successive title.Also, he is only the second Australian to claim over 200 wickets in the WTC, and the only quick bowler in the list with 206 wickets at 22.11 runs apiece.Cummins has mostly been a first-change bowler for Australia, coming in after the new ball bowlers in 48 of the 126 innings in which he has bowled in Test cricket. He is the only Australia quick with more than 100 wickets as a first-change bowler, with Peter Siddle behind him with 87 wickets on this metric. Among those who have over 50 wickets as the first-change bowler, only Scott Boland (52 wickets) has a better average than that of Cummins (Boland 15.75, Cummins 24.50).Overall, only four quick bowler have more than 100 Test wickets as first-change bowler – Courtney Walsh (106), Cummins (107), Morne Morkel (129) and Ian Botham (129).Cummins made his Test debut in 2011. However, after one Test – where he was the Player of the Match against South Africa – he was sidelined for six years owing to recurring injuries, and made a return in 2017 when he played his second Test. England’s Joe Root has been the highest run-scorer during Cummins’ career since November 2011, scoring 13,006 runs in this period.Cummins has dismissed Root 11 times, the most time he has dismissed a single batter in Test cricket, followed by Cheteshwar Pujara and Rohit Sharma (eight times each).He also holds the record for the best bowling average for an Australia fast bowler in a calendar year with more than 50 wickets. He averaged 20.13 for his 59 wickets in 2019, bettering Lillee’s feat in 1981 – 85 wickets at 20.95.

Chelsea striker Liam Delap sung the praises of a Stamford Bridge teenager after the 3-0 rout of Barcelona, describing him as “so raw” but “so exciting”.

Blues breeze to victory against Barcelona in the Champions League

The Blues made a major statement by defeating Barca 3-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday evening, leaving goalkeeper Robert Sanchez optimistic they can go all the way and win Europe’s elite competition for the third time.

Delap scored his first goal since making the move to Stamford Bridge from Ipswich Town in the summer, capping off what was a fantastic all-round display against the reigning La Liga champions, and the centre-forward was left impressed by how they executed the game plan.

The Englishman could be in line for a start on Sunday, courtesy of scoring after replacing Alejandro Garnacho in the second half, potentially alongside Estevao, who bagged the second goal in the 3-0 victory.

Indeed, the 11-cap Brazil international once again caught the eye, also creating one big chance, making three key passes and completing two successful dribbles.

Speaking after the game, Delap took the time to praise his teammate, who has now established himself as a key player for the Blues.

Estevao draws Messi comparisons after remarkable solo goal

It would be fair to say Enzo Maresca was also left very impressed with the Brazilian’s performance, taking the time to praise his fantastic solo goal, saying: “The goal Estevao scored reminded me of the one [Lionel Messi] scored against us in the Club World Cup. It’s very similar, the same action.”

With Sanchez of the belief Chelsea are the favourites to win the Champions League this season, the 18-year-old could be key to their success, having already scored three goals in the competition, which is more than any of his teammates.

Not only has the starlet been impressing at club level, but he has also continued to impress for Brazil, having scored four goals in his last four matches, which bodes well for the Seleção Canarinho as we edge closer to the 2026 World Cup.

Related Chelsea have already signed another exciting star who's "just like Estevao"

Chelsea have already signed another youngster who could become another Estevao for Enzo Maresca.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 26, 2025

Perhaps Chelsea’s toughest game so far this season is penciled in for this weekend, as they take on Arsenal at Stamford Bridge, but if Estevao is firing on all cylinders, Maresca’s side certainly stand a chance of defeating their London rivals and closing the gap at the top of the Premier League table to just three points.