Mulder had a shot at Lara’s world-record 400* but SA declared at lunch with Mulder unbeaten

Sampath Bandarupalli07-Jul-2025

Wiaan Mulder became the second-fastest triple centurion in Test cricket•Zimbabwe Cricket

367* Wiaan Mulder’s score against Zimbabwe in the second Test in Bulawayo. It is now the fifth-highest individual score in Test cricket, and the highest since Mahela Jayawardene’s 374 at Colombo in 2006.1 Number of South Africa batters to score a triple-hundred in Test cricket before Mulder. Hashim Amla had scored an unbeaten 311 against England in 2012 at The Oval.Mulder’s 367* is also the second-highest individual score by a South African in first-class cricket, behind the 390 by Stephen Cook for Lions against Warriors during the SuperSport Series in 2009-10.Related

Mulder: 'Lara keeping that record is exactly the way it should be'

Mulder's 367* headlines SA's day of domination

Mulder makes 367*, the fifth-highest individual Test score of all time

1 Mulder also recorded the first triple-ton in Tests in Zimbabwe. He bettered Kumar Sangakkara’s 270 in 2004, also in Bulawayo. His 367* is the second-highest Test score by any batter against Zimbabwe, behind Matthew Hayden’s 380 at the WACA in 2003.It’s also the highest first-class score in the country. The previous highest was 306 by Mark Richardson for New Zealand A against Zimbabwe A in 2000.297 Balls that Mulder needed to complete his triple-century, the second-fastest in Test cricket. Virender Sehwag holds the record, having taken only 278 balls for his triple-hundred against South Africa at Chennai in 2008.ESPNcricinfo LtdMulder took 27 more balls to bring up his 350, off 324 balls, the fastest by any batter in Test cricket. Hayden held the previous fastest 350, off 402 balls, also against Zimbabwe in 2003.53 Number of boundaries that Mulder hit during his knock (49 fours and 4 sixes), the second most by any batter in a Test innings, behind 57 by John Edrich (52 fours and 5 sixes) during his 310* against New Zealand in 1965.The 49 fours that Mulder hit are also the second most in a Test innings behind Edrich, who hit 52 fours during his unbeaten 310.264* Mulder’s score on Sunday was the second highest by any batter on the opening day of a Test match, behind only Don Bradman’s 309* against England at Headingley in 1930.

All the key numbers from the second ODI in New Chandigarh, where India handed Australia their heaviest defeat in ODIs

Namooh Shah17-Sep-2025102 – Margin of defeat for Australia against India on Wednesday, their biggest in terms of runs in women’s ODIs. Their previous biggest loss by 92 runs came against England in the inaugural Women’s World Cup in 1973.11-1 – Australia’s win-loss record against India in India in the previous 12 ODIs, having last suffered a defeat in February 2007. India also ended Australia’s winning streak of 13 matches in ODIs that started with their 84-run loss against South Africa in February 2024.2 – India’s win in the second ODI was only the second time they won an ODI against Australia with the bilateral series still undecided. The other such win came in 2004 in Mumbai in the third game of a seven-match ODI series.Related

• Mandhana ton hands India first win at home against Australia since 2007

292 for 10 – India’s score in New Chandigarh in the second ODI is the second-highest team total in an ODI against Australia, only behind England’s 298 for 8 in Hamilton in 2022.12 – Hundreds by Smriti Mandhana in ODIs, equalling Tammy Beaumont. She is third on the list, only behind Meg Lanning (15) and Suzie Bates (13). Mandhana’s 12 hundreds are also the joint-most by an opener in ODIs alongside Bates and Beaumont. Mandhana now has 15 international hundreds (12 in ODIs, two in Tests, one in T20I) and is only behind Lanning who has 17 across formats.ESPNcricinfo Ltd77 – Number of balls Mandhana took to complete her century is the fastest against Australia in ODIs. She bettered Nat Sciver-Brunt’s 79-ball effort in the Women’s World Cup in 2022. It is also the second-fastest hundred by an Indian in ODIs after Mandhana’s own record of 70 balls against Ireland this year.17 – Number of Player-of-the-Match awards for Mandhana in ODIs. She drew level with Charlotte Edwards and Ellyse Perry at third. Stafanie Taylor (28) and Mithali Raj (20) are the only ones ahead.

ESPNcricinfo celebrates the careers of some remarkable players we might not see at another 50-over global tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Sep-2025Alyssa HealyEven in a side boasting Australia’s depth, Alyssa Healy – their captain, wicketkeeper and prolific run-scorer – will leave a sizeable hole when she leaves. After a year fraught with injury setbacks, Healy believes she has more to give beyond this World Cup but has ruled out playing at the 2028 Olympics or after that. Anyone who remembers her tearing up the run-scoring charts at the 2022 edition – with 509 runs averaging 56.55 and two centuries in the knockout phase, including the 170 that broke England hearts in the final – will savour seeing her at this tournament one last time.Suzie BatesChallenging “ageist” notions was firmly on Suzie Bates’ agenda on the eve of the last T20 World Cup final where she, Sophie Devine and Lea Tahuhu lifted the trophy. And here they all are again, flying the New Zealand flag for players on the other side of 35. Bates was Player of the Tournament in 2013, her second of what will be five World Cup appearances.Having thought the 2017 and 2022 editions might be her last, 38-year-old Bates recently said, “never say never”, but she is fairly certain that this will be it. “I feel like there’s no milestones on my list anymore,” she recently told ESPNcricinfo. “As you get older and you know you’re near the end, you honestly do go into every game wanting to contribute to a win, and it’s as simple as that.”Chamari Athapaththu: “Before I retire, what I want is to take Sri Lanka to a semi-final”•Getty ImagesChamari AthapaththuSkipper Chamari Athapaththu has long shouldered a heavy load for Sri Lanka as their standout allrounder and captain. Now she carries a self-imposed burden on her 35-year-old shoulders, the desire to take her team to a maiden women’s World Cup semi-final “before I retire”.”If we can get there, we can figure out the next steps,” she told at the captains’ call on Friday. “But even getting there is big.”It’s been eight years since Sri Lanka featured at a 50-over World Cup and, if Athapaththu can rediscover the year-long run of form she enjoyed from June 2023 – three unbeaten centuries, including 195 not out against South Africa – it would be a return to remember.Harmanpreet KaurIf this is Harmanpreet Kaur’s final 50-over World Cup, what a farewell party it would be should India win a maiden senior women’s title, at home. Like many of her contemporaries, 36-year-old Harmanpreet is contesting her fifth ODI World Cup, although it is her first as captain.The architect of one of the most memorable innings in women’s World Cup history – her 171 not out off 115 balls in the 2017 semi-final – Harmanpreet has an excellent track record at the tournament. Three of her seven ODI centuries have been in World Cups, where she averages 51.52 compared to her overall average of 37.37. Her determination to take the weight of expectation off her team suggests that personal milestones are, however, at the back of her mind.”I just want to go there and enjoy, and play my best cricket,” she said. “That’s what I’ve been telling myself and my team… it’s all about not taking too much pressure.”Sophie Devine was in a cheerful mood at the captains’ conference•AFP/Getty ImagesSophie DevineAs she did before the T20 World Cup, Sophie Devine has been upfront about her future from the start. Last year, she announced she would relinquish the T20 captaincy after what turned out to be a glorious campaign in the UAE. This time, she’s retiring from 50-overs cricket at the end of the tournament. So what would it mean to walk away with the double?”It’d be pretty special,” Devine told ESPNcricinfo, adding her reasons for announcing her ODI retirement beforehand. “A part of the reason, similar to last year at the World Cup, was getting it out there nice and early so that I can just focus on enjoying it, being present with the group and get the focus on playing really good cricket and hopefully bring home a trophy.”At her best with the bat, Devine is pure destruction. With the ball, she recently ended the Hundred in the top-five wicket-takers’ list with 13 at an economy rate of 6.70 in an evergreen performance for Southern Brave.Heather KnightHeather Knight has faced a tough road to reach her fourth World Cup. She lost the England captaincy after a bleak Ashes tour of Australia and then suffered a serious hamstring injury at the start of the home summer and spent four months undergoing painstaking rehabilitation work.In her first outing since, she scored 41 off 48 balls in a warm-up game against New Zealand and 37 off 47 in another against India. Knight’s reliability with the bat will be key to an England side still in transition under new head coach Charlotte Edwards and captain Nat Sciver-Brunt. With her 35th birthday still three months away, it’s not inconceivable that Knight could do a Bates in 2029 but time will tell.Marizanne Kapp now has an entire side wanting to go one better than their previous two runners-up results at the T20 World Cup for her•Matthew Lewis/ICC/Getty ImagesMarizanne KappHer team-mates are barely joking when they lovingly refer to Marizanne Kapp as the stern matriarch of the team. But her conduct on and off the pitch over the course of a career spanning five World Cups in 16 years commands their utmost respect.Kapp made her international debut at the 2009 event in Australia, scoring 7 and 0 in her two matches and going wicketless from the three overs she bowled. But from those humble beginnings rose the fiercest of competitors. She had her best World Cup with the bat at the next edition in India, scoring a century and 61, and took her only ODI five-for at the 2022 event against England.Since then, she has racked up three more ODI centuries outside World Cups, including away to India last year and in Pakistan this month. In T20s, Kapp has consistently had one of the top economy rates in all three editions of the WPL. She now has an entire side wanting to go one better than their previous two runners-up results at the T20 World Cup for her.Ellyse PerryIt’s hard to imagine an Australia side without Ellyse Perry, such is her longevity and supreme athleticism. With this year’s tournament set to end the day before her 35th birthday, she is a player you might see still running around aged 39, especially given that she recently signed a fresh three-year contract with Sydney Sixers.Her best World Cup bowling figures came at Mumbai’s Brabourne Stadium, against West Indies in 2013, and she averages significantly higher with the bat compared to overall in ODIs (56.08 vs 49.19), although a century eludes her at this tournament.That aside, after a career spanning 18 years and counting, having made her debut at the age of 16, what more would be left to achieve if Australia defend their title here? An Olympic Games gold? Surely. A World Cup title hat-trick? Maybe.Ellyse Perry successfully appeals for a wicket on her ODI debut, aged 16•Getty ImagesMegan SchuttA swing bowler who has made no secret of this being her last 50-over World Cup, Megan Schutt returns to the place she made her tournament debut – in just her third ODI. Schutt took her joint-best World Cup bowling figures during that tournament – 3 for 40 against New Zealand, which she repeated against the same opposition in Bristol four years later.”I’ve no intentions on hanging around for another four years,” Schutt said. “Being able to have the chance to finish an ODI World Cup in India when that’s where I’ve kind of started my career is really cool. The stars have aligned in some ways and so obviously coming away with a win is the ultimate goal, but I really just want to enjoy it, absorb the enormity of it all and being in a country that’s obviously cricket-mad and where my career began hopefully will bring some success.”Inoka RanaweeraSri Lanka’s 39-year-old left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera has played 164 white-ball games for her country and boasts three four-wicket hauls, two of them in ODIs, and one of those was against India during their 2022 tour.Ranaweera missed this year’s tour of New Zealand but earned a recall for the home tri-series with India and South Africa, where she had steady if unremarkable figures as 20-year-old off-spinner Dewmi Vihanga emerged as the future of Sri Lanka’s slow-bowling ranks.This will be Ranaweera’s third World Cup and first since 2017, where she was captain, with her team missing out on qualifying in 2022.Udeshika Prabodhani is back after nearly a year battling a hamstring problem•Getty ImagesUdeshika PrabodhaniWith Athapaththu and Ranaweera, the 40-year-old Udeshika Prabodhani boosts Sri Lanka’s bid to rival New Zealand for players plying their trade into their late 30s and beyond.A left-arm seamer, Prabodhani was second behind only young spinner Kavisha Dilhari as Sri Lanka’s leading bowlers at last year’s Asia Cup. She returned to Sri Lanka’s World Cup squad after nearly a year battling a hamstring problem, during which time Malki Madara made her debut, allowing Sri Lanka to build balance between youth and experience. Her wily inswinger has proved problematic for opposition batters, just ask Mithali Raj about Sri Lanka’s maiden ODI win against India, which knocked the hosts out of the 2013 World Cup.Lea TahuhuIn case Perry, Harmanpreet, Knight or someone else exercises their powers of longevity and play on next time, Lea Tahuhu makes the squad as 12th woman.She has just turned 35 but she keeps finding herself grouped with New Zealand’s trio of “grandmas” – their term, not ours.Fast bowler Tahuhu fought her way back into the White Ferns’ central contract list for 2023-24 after missing out the previous year. She accounted for Smriti Mandhana, Yastika Bhatia and Deepti Sharma in the recent second ODI against India.

With only nine Premier League wins under his belt as a manager in the top flight, it’s fair to say Daniel Farke has his work cut out for him right now to arrest the current Leeds United slide.

With four defeats from their last five league clashes, Leeds now sit just one point above the depressing relegation zone, as Sean Dyche’s equally relegation-troubled Nottingham Forest sucked the Whites deeper into the relegation pit by beating them 3-1 at the City Ground before the international break.

Yet, despite the West Yorkshire outfit hanging on for their lives, and Farke’s wretched record in the top division, it appears as if the ex-Norwich City boss will be kept on, for the time being at least.

Surely, though, if the results continue in their gloomy downward trajectory, the plug will have to be pulled.

But, until then, the under-pressure German has some big decisions to grapple with to try and save his job in the long run.

Decisions Farke needs to make to save his job at Leeds

Sack season is also in full swing now in the Premier League, with bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers getting rid of Vitor Pereira recently, after extending a vote of confidence his way.

Farke will hope he doesn’t follow Pereira in being the next managerial casualty, with the German now facing the decision to make a number of changes to his regular starting lineup.

One of those includes dropping the likes of Brenden Aaronson if he is to remain in the Elland Road dug-out moving forward.

Unfortunately, Farke does appear to be staunchly loyal to certain members of his camp, even when they’re obviously falling below their expected standards, with Aaronson selected now by the German a high 59 times, to hit-and-miss results.

Only one of his ten goals for the West Yorkshire giants under Farke has fallen in the Premier League, and with both Daniel James and Wilfried Gnonto waiting in reserve, switching out the ex-Union Berlin playmaker for either the Welshman or Italian could seriously boost the relegation-threatened side in attack.

Farke might also help the wins to start flowing if he selects Lukas Nmecha as his sole striker more often, heading into crunch games this November and December, with the ex-Wolfsburg striker stylishly putting away a goal against Forest, which is his second for the club already, despite only amassing 279 minutes of total league action.

The German will also know he needs to change up his defence, with Jaka Bijol receiving plenty of pelters for his recent performances.

However, Farke didn’t exactly help out his tiring defence at the City Ground.

Bielsa signing must be given the boot by Farke

Another compelling argument to get rid of Aaronson from the first team picture, away from his hot-and-cold reputation, is the fact that he’s a remaining relic of the dismal 2022/23 squad that was relegated to the Championship.

The only other dire member of that team that featured against Dyche’s hosts was Jack Harrison, who is somehow still getting minutes under Farke, many years on from his Leeds peak.

25/26

11

0

22/23

40

6 + 10

21/22

38

10 + 2

20/21

37

8 + 8

19/20

49

6 + 8

18/19

42

4 + 4

Indeed, looking at the data above, it’s clear that the former Manchester City youth product was a dependable first-teamer many moons ago at Elland Road, with an impressive collection of 66 combined goals and assists for the Whites.

Leeds managerial great Marcelo Bielsa even once hailed Harrison as a “big influence” during his heyday down the left channel.

But, right now, the 28-year-old needs to be put out of his misery, on his subdued return to the Whites first team fold, after a two-season-long loan stay at Everton.

Last time out versus Forest, when strangely placed into the side at left-back, Harrison would clatter into a Forest shirt late on, clumsily, to gift Elliot Anderson his game-clinching penalty.

Moreover, away from that moment of stupidity, the below-par number 20 still manages to pocket a steep £90k-per-week salary at the Premier League newcomers, despite having no goals or assists to shout about this season from 11 forgettable outings.

Recent reports have also suggested that Harrison could be sold in January if Leeds can win themselves some more reinforcements in attack.

Still, if Farke wants to send out a message that he isn’t going to stand by and watch standards slip, he will try to offload the shoddy winger in the transfer window, anyway, as he attempts everything in his power to keep his precarious position.

He's got a "bit of Bielsa": Leeds could sack Farke for "mental" 4-3-3 coach

A Bielsa-style change of manager could keep Leeds in the Premier League

ByJoe Nuttall Nov 12, 2025

One Chelsea star has been critiqued for his performance in their game against Wolverhampton Wanderers, with Robert Sanchez having more touches than him at Stamford Bridge.

In what was Chelsea’s final Premier League game ahead of the November international break, the Blues played host to a Wolves side who, after 10 games, were still without a win in the top flight.

Enzo Maresca’s side struggled to do much with the chances they generated in the first half against Wolves, frustrating the home support at Stamford Bridge. Soon after the half-time break, however, the Blues broke the deadlock.

Malo Gusto opened the scoring with what was his first-ever senior goal just minutes into the second half. This lead was doubled just after the hour mark when Joao Pedro smashed a deflected Estevao cross beyond Wolves goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.

The game was put beyond any doubt when, with less than 20 minutes to go, Pedro Neto scored against his former club. The win moved Chelsea to second in the table. However, one Blues player was slammed for his performance against the relegation-threatened side.

Delap failed to make mark against Wolves

Signed in the summer from Ipswich Town, Liam Delap has endured a tough start to life at Chelsea. An injury saw him sidelined for weeks to open the 2025/26 campaign, missing almost two months. Upon his return, against Wolves in the Carabao Cup, Delap was sent off for accumulating two yellow cards after coming off the bench.

Delap, who reportedly signed a contract worth £100,000 per week, made his first start for Chelsea since returning from injury against the Old Gold, but failed to make an impact. Simon Johnson, who works for The Athletic, was critical of what the striker produced, noting that he did not appear at match fitness and said he was “struggling”.

As per SofaScore, within 64 minutes of football, Delap had just one shot on target. He was dispossessed on three occasions and by having just 15 touches in the game, had less time on the ball than Sanchez.

Delap is still a young player, one coming back from a relatively long set-back no less. His performance against Wolves, though, can simply not be the level that he consistently operates at going forward.

Chelsea weighing up move for England international

Toss India captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and elected to bat against Oman in the last league fixture of the Asia Cup, in Abu Dhabi. With this being a dead rubber – India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have qualified for the Super Four – India experimented with their combination, resting their bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy. They handed Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh their first games of the tournament.With Abu Dhabi less conducive to spin than Dubai in recent times, India fielded just two specialist spinners in Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel though Abhishek Sharma can also pitch in with left-arm spin, if needed. Arshdeep, who returned to the XI, is on the brink of a milestone: he is just one strike away from 100 T20I wickets. He is set to become the first Indian to the landmark.Suryakumar explained that India chose to bat to test their depth. “We’ve not batted [first] in this competition and we want to know our depth. having game-time is important going into Super Fours,” he said.Oman also made two changes, with Zikira Islam and Mohammad Nadeem coming in for Wasim Ali and Hassnain Shah.Oman captain Jatinder said his team lacked experience and exposure at this level and were keen to compete against India. This is the first international game between Oman and India.India: 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Sanju Samson (wk), 4 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 5 Tilak Varma, 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Harshit Rana, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Kuldeep Yadav.Oman: 1 Aamir Kaleem, 2 Jatinder Singh (capt), 3 Hammad Mirza, 4 Vinayak Shukla (wk), 5 Shah Faisal, 6 Zikria Islam, 7 Aryan Bisht, 8 Mohammad Nadeem, 9 Shakeel Ahmed, 10 Samay Shrivastava, 11 Jiten Ramanandi.

Pakistan lost six wickets for 40 runs late in the chase to lose the match by 25 runs

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Sep-2025With 11 days to go for the World Cup, Pakistan and South Africa played out a high-scoring thriller in Lahore. There were three centuries: Tazmin Brits posted her career-best 171 not out, Laura Wolvaardt brought up her ninth ODI hundred, and Sidra Amin hit 122. After over 90 overs and a rain break, South Africa won the match and took a 2-0 unassailable lead in the series with a match to spare.Chasing a revised target of 313 in 46 overs due to rain, Pakistan lost their first three wickets for 101, with Omaima Sohail making a brisk 43 and laying a solid platform. From there, Amin and Natalia Pervaiz stitched a momentum-changing 146-run stand off just 111 deliveries to lift Pakistan to a strong position. When Amin was cleaned up by Chloe Tryon, attempting to slog to the midwicket region, Pakistan needed 66 from 49 balls, with Pervaiz batting on 55 off 46. However, South Africa struck again, thanks to Tryon, and that shifted the momentum in their favour.Pakistan lost captain Fatima Sana, Natalia Pervaiz (73 off 60), and Diana Baig in a span of just nine balls, as South Africa seized control late in the chase. The hosts eventually folded for 287 in 44.4 overs, losing their final seven wickets for just 40 runs. Nadine de Klerk led the bowling effort with 3 for 45.South Africa posted 292 for 3 after being asked to bat first, but were sloppy in the field. Sidra Amin, who went on to register her sixth ODI hundred, was dropped several times during her innings.Earlier, Brits and Wolvaardt got off to a steady start and converted it to a 260-run opening stand. Brits was the aggressor in the stand and reached her sixth ODI ton a few overs before rain interrupted play. After 41 overs, South Africa were 238 for no loss, with Wolvaardt unbeaten on 95. Once play resumed and the contest was reduced to 46 overs per side, Wolvaardt reached her ninth hundred in ODIs, and South Africa added 54 runs in the last five overs. Brits, who scored 101 not out in the series opener, remained unbeaten on Friday, scoring 20 fours and four sixes.

For the first time since February, Rangers have won three successive Scottish Premiership games.

On Sunday, the Gers demolished Dundee 3-0 at Dens, sporting their eye-catching luminous all orange fourth kit; that’s too many kits!

Nicolas Raskin broke the deadlock, heading home James Tavernier’s corner, Mikey Moore slotted home a second soon after before, after an uneventful hour or so, Djeidi Gassama rubber-stamped the points in stoppage time, curling into the top corner.

Danny Röhl’s side go into the international break in fourth, level on points with Hibs, five points below fierce rivals Celtic and 12 adrift of leaders Hearts, who dropped points elsewhere on Sunday.

When Rangers return to action against Livingston in a fortnight, which star can Röhl rely on following his outstanding display in the city of discover?

Mikey Moore's massive moment

Dens Park will always hold a special place in Moore’s heart, given that it is the venue at which he scored his first goal for Rangers.

When Moore joined on a season-long loan from Tottenham, he did so with sky-high expectations, with then-manager Russell Martin labelling him an “outstanding young player” upon his arrival.

However, he really struggled to make an impact under Martin, but in fairness, so did everyone, although he has become more of a regular under Röhl.

Well, he rewarded the new manager with a sparkling display against Dundee, attempting six dribbles, mustering two shots, registering two key passes and putting in a generally impressive display, as per Sofascore.

Speaking during Sky Sports’ Coverage, James McFadden believes that Moore is enjoying a lot more freedom under Röhl, expecting that he’ll get even better in the coming weeks, while Chris Sutton added that he has “flourished” more than any other player since the change of manager.

Thus, the teenager appears set to remain a key figure for Rangers, but which other key member of their squad shone during Sunday’s win?

Rangers star was as impressive as Moore

Martin made many mistakes during his ill-fated and historically short Rangers reign, but falling out with Raskin was arguably his most egregious misstep.

Raskin’s exclusion for home games against Celtic and Hearts, failing to win or score in either, was when supporters began to turn against Martin, a baffling decision considering he was the club’s player of the year last time round, as voted for both by fellow players and fans alike.

Röhl on the other hand has made him a central figure, and Raskin underlined why with a dominant display at Dens, not just scoring but proving dogged, winning 100% of his tackles and winning plenty of duels.

As the table documents, Raskin put in a dominant display on Sunday.

He ranked in the top two for a whole host of statistics, including accurate passes, key passes, interceptions and duels contested, heading home his second goal of the season and he very easily could have scored another, denied by Jon McCracken who made seven saves all told.

During Sky Sports’ coverage, Kris Boyd asserted that Raskin is at his best when allowed to be “on the front foot”, believing he can rediscover his “outstanding” form from last season, with Sutton agreeing that he remains “Rangers’ best player”.

John Walker meantime labelled his performances “utterly sensational” earlier this year, expecting that when he does depart, is could well be for a club-record fee.

So, if Rangers harbour any hopes of salvaging this season, both domestically and in the Europa League, Raskin will certainly be a key figure.

Thelwell said he'd "flourish": Rangers flop is on borrowed time under Rohl

Following Rangers’ 2-0 Europa League home defeat to Roma, a summer signing backed to “flourish” by Kevin Thelwell is on borrowed time under Danny Röhl

By
Ben Gray

Nov 8, 2025

Although they have yet to win the Premier League since leaving Highbury, Arsenal have had some sensational players represent them at the Emirates Stadium.

The likes of Mesut Özil, Cesc Fàbregas, and more recently Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice were, or are, world-class internationals, but perhaps the best of them all was Alexis Sanchez.

The former Barcelona star might have sullied his reputation among the fans by joining Manchester United in 2018, but during his time in North London, he was practically unplayable and racked up a monster tally of 124 goal involvements in 166 games.

So, fans should be seriously excited about reports linking Arsenal with another international superstar who could be their new Sanchez.

Arsenal target another Sanchez

Unlike last season, Arsenal aren’t finding it too difficult to score goals this year, with four players on four or more goals across all competitions this season.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

However, injuries have once again become a problem, and while Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli have stepped up this year, it would be unwise for Arteta and Co to solely rely on them to hold down the left flank for the rest of the campaign.

It seems that the club share this opinion, as they now appear ready to go all in for a potentially game-changing Sanchez-esque winger in the winter window.

At least that is according to reports from Spain, which claim Arsenal have maintained a significant interest in Rodrygo.

In fact, the report goes further than that, revealing that as things stand, the Gunners are ready to spend €90m on the Real Madrid star, which is about £80m.

It won’t be an easy deal to get over the line, particularly with Liverpool and Chelsea supposedly interested, but it’s one worth pursuing, especially as Rodrygo could be another Sanchez-type signing for Arsenal.

Why Rodrygo would be another Sanchez

Now there are more than a handful of apparent similarities between Rodrygo and Sanchez, with one of the biggest being where they’d be coming from were the former to join Arsenal.

Like the Chilean superstar, the Brazilian international would be coming from one of Spain’s big two, and more than that, he would be leaving a side where he’s a bit-part player to become a leading figure at the Emirates.

Furthermore, while he has spent a lot of time on the right, he, like the former Barça star, is primarily a left-sided attacker, and that’s where he’d play in North London.

And finally, if Arteta can get the best out of him, the 24-year-old could have a similar game-changing effect on the Gunners’ attack.

After all, while he’s not having the best of seasons this year, he has been incredible for Real in the past, and were he platformed correctly out on the left, he could elevate Arteta’s attack.

Appearances

283

Starts

181

Minutes

16512′

Goals

68

Assists

53

Goal Involvements per Match

0.42

Minutes per Goal Involvement

136.46′

For example, even though he has been forced onto the right for much of the last two years or so, the “world-class superstar,” as dubbed by Luka Modrić, has amassed a tally of 68 goals and 53 assists in 283 appearances, totalling 16512 minutes.

In other words, the former Santos gem has averaged a goal involvement every 2.33 games, or every 136.46 minutes for Los Blancos.

Moreover, he has scored 25 goals and provided 16 assists in 67 Champions League games, with eight of those goals coming in the knockouts.

Ultimately, while he is not having a great season, Rodrygo’s immense talent and ability to turn games around are undeniable.

Therefore, Arsenal should do what they can to sign him in the winter window, as he could be another Sanchez-type signing.

Afghanistan made two changes: Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Darwish Rasooli replace AM Ghazanfar Gulbadin and Naib

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Sep-2025

Toss Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bat first in a must-win game against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi. Rashid Khan said he was keen to get runs on the board in what looked to be a good batting track. Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka said he would have batted first as well, and emphasised the need to improve their middle-order batting.Afghanistan made two changes with Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Darwish Rasooli coming in for AM Ghazanfar and Gulbadin Naib. Sri Lanka brought in Dunith Wellalage for Maheesh Theekshana, presumably influenced by Afghanistan’s struggles with left-arm spin in their previous game against Bangladesh.The pitch might have something for the seamers early on, but it also might be a little two-paced. “Make sure you’re busy against spin,” advised Ravi Shastri during the pitch report.Afghanistan: 1 Sediqullah Atal, 2 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 3 Ibrahim Zadran, 4 Darwish Rasooli, 5 Karim Janat, 6 Mohammad Nabi, 7 Azmatullah Omarzai, 8 Rashid Khan (capt), 9 Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 10 Noor Ahmad, 11 Fazalhaq FarooqiSri Lanka: 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Mendis (wk), 3 Kamil Mishara, 4 Kusal Perera, 5 Charith Asalanka (capt), 6 Dasun Shanaka, 7 Kamindu Mendis, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Dunith Wellalage, 10 Dushmantha Chameera, 11 Nuwan Thushara