Plays of the day from the game between Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians in Cuttack
Siddarth Ravindran14-May-2014The jaw-breaker Few IPL innings go by without a sitter being put down. When Mumbai Indians were batting today, it was Yusuf Pathan’s turn to be butter-fingered. Mumbai Indians were struggling for runs on a tricky surface where the ball kept low at times, and when Rohit Sharma was 11 off 23, he swung hard. The ball soared a mile up, but didn’t get far enough and Yusuf settled under it, preparing to take it Australian reverse-cup style. Not only did the ball slip through his fingers, it also hit him on the chin – an instant rebuke to his shoddy fielding.The grubber With two decent scores in his past two innings, Lendl Simmons was promising to be the opener Mumbai had been searching for all season. There was not another substantial score today, though, as Simmons was undone by a Shakib Al Hasan arm ball that refused to rise above shin height. Simmons was down the track looking for a big hit, but the ball scooted well under his cross-batted effort to knock over legstump.The variation Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa had just posted their fourth consecutive half-century partnership, putting Knight Riders on course for a victory. Harbhajan Singh started the seventh over, and got the first delivery to rip a long way outside off. Gambhir smiled ruefully seeing that the umpire hadn’t called it a wide. Perhaps expecting the next delivery to fizz away as well, Gambhir went for the cut, but this time the ball didn’t turn much and a cramped Gambhir could only inside-edge onto the stumps.The free-hit Morne Morkel was closing in on the 150kmph mark in the early overs. One of the rare chances the batsmen got to swing at the ball was when there was a free-hit in the third over. Morkel responded with a quick bouncer, but the umpire deemed it too high and ruled it a wide. Morkel’s answer this time was the perfect yorker, which Ambati Rayudu could only tuck away for a single.
Acting Ireland captain says bubble life leaves players feeling like they’re being “manoeuvred on a chessboard”
Matt Roller12-Jan-2022Paul Stirling has said there is “no doubt” that large numbers of players will pull out of tours and tournaments if they continue to operate in tight biosecure conditions, suggesting that Covid bubbles no longer feel like they are about “our health and safety” and instead are only in place for “financial reasons for companies, organisations and franchises”.Stirling has played overseas in the Hundred, T20 Blast, PSL, LPL and Abu Dhabi T10 in the last two years as well as touring regularly with Ireland. He contracted Covid-19 in Florida at the end of December following their T20I series, and has now joined up with the rest of Ireland’s squad – minus four Covid-positive team-mates and their interim coach David Ripley – in Jamaica ahead of Thursday’s second ODI against West Indies.With Andy Balbirnie among the positive players – along with Lorcan Tucker, Simi Singh and Ben White – Stirling will stand in as captain for the rest of the series. Speaking during his pre-match press conference on Wednesday, he said that while his introverted character meant he had coped with bubbles, there is “not too much rope left” for many players around the world.Related
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Stirling, Getkate to join Ireland squad in Jamaica after testing negative for Covid-19
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“Will players pull out? One hundred percent,” he said. “There’s no doubt about that. I think the restrictions are now no longer as much to do with our health and safety as they are to do with making sure that competitions go ahead and financial reasons for companies, organisations, franchises and making it work from that point of view.”When that starts happening and that transition is so apparent, and you feel as a player that you’re just being manoeuvred on a chessboard, that’s I think when people are going to be pulling out, fairly swiftly. That’s probably not far away, or else rules will be broken as you go.”As a whole, we’ve done pretty well. Not that you can blame anyone else but it would seem like we’ve had our camp in a good way, our discipline was good, we were sticking to the rules which is easier said than done sometimes.”We had a pretty good record and I think whenever cases came out, we nipped it in the bud. This is the first time where it’s lingered. I don’t know any teams that have completely avoided it, so it’s maybe time to start moving on in that direction a bit quicker.”Ireland’s players are in a strict bubble in Jamaica but were not at the start of their tour in Florida, where they had to abide by Covid protocols as part of a “managed environment”. It was not enough to keep the virus out of their camp, with their ODI series against the USA abandoned at short notice after players’ family members tested positive, but Stirling denied that the decision to avoid draconian protocols had been a mistake.”I don’t think the tour would have gone ahead [in a strict bubble],” he said. “Going away over Christmas in a different country – if you’re going to propose that with a full bubble like we’re in now, who’s going to say yes to that? It could only be relaxed.”And I say relaxed: it’s being allowed outdoors, it’s eating outdoors, it’s 15 minutes in places to get your essentials. I wouldn’t say it was extremely enjoyable. It was certainly the way that we see it going forward – that as an absolute bare minimum as to what we’re allowed to do.”Everyone reacts differently to news of positive tests. Even if you’re negative, you’ve got that anxiety of ‘will it be me next?’ This just seems to be one of those ones where it feels like our turn. It is tough if you’re not used to it. You’re away from home, you’re not sure if you’re going to get home.”Hopefully this is going to ease out with time this year. I don’t think there’s too much rope left with the players with having these bubbles as we go forward. The next three-four months, an easing of these sort of protocols would be pretty high on our list.”Stirling said that he was fit to play on Thursday despite suffering from “two dodgy days” while self-isolating in Miami, and feeling like he was “in the Highlands in South Africa” while jogging at his first training session in Jamaica.”From a health point of view, I’m feeling good,” he said. “I’m glad it’s over – the people who have had it are so glad they’ve already had it because that takes you off for six months [due to natural immunity] where we can focus on cricket. We’ve got [T20 World Cup] qualifiers coming up [in Oman in February] and the last thing we want is this sort of environment where people are unsure.”Andy McBrine (concussion) and Mark Adair (foot) are both expected to be available for Thursday’s game, while Singh and White could be available for Sunday’s third ODI if cleared by medical staff.
AC Milan have reportedly abandoned their bid to sign Manchester United's Marcus Rashford as the Serie A side prioritise Kyle Walker transfer.
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Milan linked to both Walker & RashfordCould sign only one British playerGoing ahead with Man City star's signingFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
According to Serie A rules, which allow clubs to register only one British player per season, have forced the Milan giants to choose between the two high-profile English stars. While Milan had expressed significant interest in both players, recent reports suggest that Walker is now the primary target for the Italian side.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Pep Guardiola had earlier revealed that the veteran right-back had expressed a desire to leave the club in favour of a move abroad. However, Walker, whose contract with City runs until June 2026, will not be available on a free transfer, making negotiations for either a permanent move or a loan deal essential.
DID YOU KNOW?
Rashford’s future remains uncertain following Milan's decision. Last month, the Manchester United star openly stated his readiness to seek a new challenge away from Old Trafford. Reports from indicate that Napoli manager Antonio Conte is a strong admirer of Rashford. The Italian club view the forward as a potential marquee signing to win back fans disillusioned by the sale of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to Paris Saint-Germain. Rashford, 27, is reportedly open to a move to Serie A and has expressed interest in joining Napoli.
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?
The transfer speculation surrounding both players comes at a crucial time, with both United and City set for important league fixtures. Rashford’s participation in United’s clash against Brighton remains doubtful amid ongoing uncertainty about his future. Similarly, Walker is unlikely to feature in City’s match against Ipswich as his move to Italy edges closer.
Wolverhampton Wanderers have made some impressive signings over the past few seasons. Since they returned to the Premier League in 2018/19, they have not spent heavily, but have signed some quality players and managed to sell them on for a superb profit. The likes of Pedro Neto spring to mind, whom they sold to Chelsea for £51m.
This has certainly been a consistent transfer policy for the Midlands club, and other players who fit that include the likes of Ruben Neves and Matheus Nunes, who now play their trade for Al Hilal and Manchester City, respectively. Their current squad certainly has players who fit such a mould, too.
Wolves’ recent major signings
Over the course of the past few seasons, the Old Gold have brought in several enterprising players to Molineux, who have put in some important contributions to their survival in the Premier League.
One of those players is Matheus Cunha. He cost £43m from Atletico Madrid, a deal that went through in the summer of 2023, after moving to Molineux on an initial loan deal in the previous winter transfer window. He has been superb for the club so far, last season scoring 12 goals and registering seven assists.
The Brazilian attacker was the Old Gold’s leading scorer and leading assist-maker last campaign, finishing with 19 goals and assists in the Premier League in total, as per Sofascore. Finishing slightly behind him was South Korean attacker Hwang Hee-chan.
The 28-year-old cost the Old Gold £14m from RB Leipzig, also joining the club on an initial loan deal, as Cunha did. He was also impressive last season, scoring 12 goals and registering three assists in 29 Premier League games.
Player
Number of G/A
Matheus Cunha
19
Hwang Hee-chan
15
Pablo Sarabia
11
Pedro Neto
11
Mario Lemina
5
Other notable additions for Wolves over the past few seasons include the likes of midfielder Joao Gomes and experienced attacker Pablo Sarabia. However, one player who has not lived up to expectations since joining the Old Gold is Sasa Kalajdzic.
Sasa Kalajdzic’s Wolves career so far
It has been an incredibly tough career at Molineux so far for 27-year-old striker Kalajdzic. He has been sadly plagued by injuries and has not really been able to show the form he did at his former club, VFB Stuttgart.
Wolves strikerSasa Kalajdzic.
The Old Gold signed the attacker from the German club in 2022, for a fee in the region of £15m. This deal came off the back of 24 goals and 12 assists in 60 games for Stuttgart, including 16 Bundesliga goals in 33 games in 2020/21.
He was previously linked with Borussia Dortmund, and the German giants believed that he could be their long-term replacement for Manchester City star Erling Haaland. Standing at 6 foot 7, the similarities between the deadly City marksman and the Austrian centre-forward are clear to see.
Eventually, it was Wolves who managed to bring the striker to the club. However, almost immediately he suffered a terrible anterior cruciate ligament injury which saw him out for the remainder of the season.
The 27-year-old returned the following campaign but struggled to find form so was loaned out back to the Bundesliga, to Eintracht Frankfurt the following season. Sadly, he managed just six games before suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury once again. It is an injury he is still sidelined with, and is now back at Molineux to undergo rehab.
It is incredibly frustrating for both Kalajdzic and Wolves that he has not been able to live up to the hype he came with, and has struggled so much with injury issues.
So far, the Austrian has played just 14 games for the Midlands outfit scoring three goals and registering one assist. In that same time frame, Haaland has scored 97 goals in 102 games for City.
There is no doubt that Wolves will hope their number 18 can overcome his recurring injury issues and rediscover his best form, with the aim of getting him back to the type of player who was once touted to fill the shoes of Haaland.
Their new Jota: Wolves' "Henry-esque" star has seen his value rise by £20m
An "unbelievable" Newcastle United player has a "willingness" to come to an agreement over a new contract at St James' Park, in a deal that would be worth more than £3.1m per year.
Newcastle eyeing future signings
The Magpies continue to be linked with new signings in the future, following a summer transfer window that many supporters weren't overly enamoured with. There is a feeling that Eddie Howe's squad wasn't strengthened sufficiently enough, with the manager himself even hinting at his own frustration surrounding the situation.
One report has claimed that Adam Wharton is being looked at as a potential target for Newcastle ahead of next summer, with the Crystal Palace midfielder impressing so much last season that he received a call-up to England's squad for Euro 2024. Liverpool and Manchester City are also keen on snapping him up, though.
Adam Wharton for Crystal Palace.
Rumours linking the Magpies with a move for Barcelona winger Raphinha are also refusing to go away, with a fresh update stating that the Premier League side are happy to match the La Liga giants' £52m valuation of him. The Brazilian could be an ideal improvement on Miguel Almiron and his impressive spell at Leeds United showed that he is capable of thriving in English football.
While new faces are vital for Newcastle moving forward, retaining the services of the most important players at St James' Park is just as key. Now, a fresh update has emerged regarding the future of one such figure.
Newcastle plan contract talks with "unbelievable" ace
According to a fresh update from Football Insider, Newcastle are planning talks with Antony Gordon over a contract extension at St James' Park, which would earn him more than his current £3.1m-a-year wages.
The report states that "despite links with a move to Liverpool in the summer, Gordon remains focused" on playing for the Magpies currently, adding that "there is a willingness to reach an agreement over a new contract".
Tieing Gordon down to an extension would feel significant for Newcastle, following strong reported interest from his boyhood club Liverpool during the summer window. Even if he does decide he wants to leave soon, it would also put the Magpies in a strong bargaining position, in terms of demanding huge money for him.
The hope is that the 23-year-old now sees his long-term future at St James', however, having become a popular player in a short space of time, not least with Bruno Guimaraes: "He has been unbelievable, always scoring and giving some assists.
"He is a lovely guy as well, I am very happy for him and hope he can get some minutes for England. For me to play against him will be massive for both of us and the club as well."
Newcastle make first approach to sign "magical" new £15m star for Howe
The Magpies could already have their first signing of 2025 lined up.
ByTom Cunningham Sep 6, 2024
Gordon hasn't yet found his top form this season – he is still waiting for his first assist of the campaign – but he is a massive player for Newcastle and should only get better as his prime approaches.
Captains can decide XIs after the toss from the 13 named before it, but Joburg Super Kings and Pretoria Capitals are yet to make use of the provision
Firdose Moonda25-Jan-2023Four of the six SA20 teams have changed their XIs after the toss in line with the playing conditions that allows a captain to name 13 available players before the toss and whittle that down to 11 afterwards. That means teams were tinkered with in fewer than one-fifth of the 22 matches played so far, with the organisers conceding that the number is a little less than they anticipated, and team managements still trying to come up with ways to use this tactic to their advantage.Allowing teams to change their combinations after the toss is a unique feature of the SA20, and was put in place to create a more even playing field. “One of the major reasons we did it was to try and lessen the impact of the toss on the outcome of the game, and create an opportunity for deliberation depending on whether teams are batting or bowling,” Graeme Smith, SA20 league commissioner, told ESPNcricinfo.Three of the four teams who have made changes to their teams have done so for exactly those reasons. Durban’s Super Giants opted to include an extra spinner when they were asked to bowl first in their tournament opener against Joburg Super Kings, MI Cape Town did the same in their match against Super Kings at Newlands three days later, and Paarl Royals did it to swap out Ferisco Adams for Codi Yusuf against Sunrisers Eastern Cape.Related
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Captains can select teams after toss in SA20 tournament
In the same match, Sunrisers also changed their XI, but because of an injury to Tom Abell, who was replaced by Jordan Cox.Super Kings and Pretoria Capitals are the two teams who have not made use of the provision yet, with both sides considering the move once the tournament resumes after the break due to three ODIs between South Africa and England, as more matches will be played on their home turfs. So far, these teams have played just two of their five home matches on the Highveld, with the bulk of the tournament having taken place in the Western and Eastern Cape at venues that host the Women’s T20 World Cup next month.In Cape Town, teams bowling first in day-night T20Is have won seven out of 11 games, which speaks to the ease of batting under lights and the need to strangle with the ball upfront. That is why when MI won the toss there against Super Kings and chose to bowl on a used strip, they also decided to include Afghan spinner Waqar Salamkheil in place of Duan Jansen, and it worked a treat. Salamkheil finished with 1 for 19 in four overs, and bowled Super Kings’ senior batter Faf du Plessis out.”It was the third game on that same wicket, so once we won the toss, we knew we wanted to bowl first and we knew we wanted to bowl in the day time,” Simon Katich, the MI coach explained. “We felt with the difference between batting first and chasing, and [with] the way conditions have been a little bit uneven here in Cape Town, there was a chance to use it [the rule]. It gives you that flexibility around what happens with the toss.”When the tournament resumes, there will be nine matches between Centurion and Johannesburg, so teams may make more changes after the toss•SA20His opposite number Stephen Fleming would have done the same thing if he could have, but their Sri Lankan offspinner Maheesh Theekshana had not yet arrived at the tournament. “If we had Theekshana, who arrives tomorrow, then we would have had the same idea,” Fleming said at the time.Since then, Theekshana has played in three of Super Kings’ four matches, but they have yet to use the ability to change their XI. “We think there is minimal advantage,” Albie Morkel, Super Kings assistant coach, said.But that could change once matches are played up country, where the difference in day and night times temperatures is likely to cause dew. Then, the risk of spinners not being able to grip the ball as well as they would like to may encourage the team bowling second to include a seamer instead. When the tournament resumes on February 2, there will be nine matches staged between Centurion and Johannesburg, including both the semi-finals and the final, so teams may make more changes after the toss in those fixtures.Overall, the jury is still out about this particular playing condition, with some most coaches feeling it offers a “tactical advantage”, as Fleming put it. But some, like Capitals assistant coach Dale Benkenstein, think that could come more into play in the longer versions of the game. Others, like Super Giants’ Lance Klusener, feel it “takes away some of the skill of team selection”.
Defending champions keep pace at top of table as Storm stumble again
ECB Reporters Network30-Jun-2024Southern Vipers completed a comprehensive bonus point victory at the 1st Central County Ground to keep them well in the running for the semi-final places in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.Captain Georgia Adams claimed 3 for 17 from six overs, with seamer Mary Taylor also picking up three wickets, as Storm were bowled out for just 156 having been put into bat.A masterful 65 not out from Georgia Elwiss along with 49 from Ella McCaughan helped see the home side over the line within 30 overs.The visitors started slowly thanks to tidy bowling from Freyas Davies and Kemp, the former returning to bowl after building up her strength having suffered successive stress fractures, with the left-armer claiming her first wicket back in the fifth over.Storm skipper Sophie Luff steadied the ship with Emma Corney as they put on 40 runs before Taylor cleaned up the opener for 20 with a heatseeking top-of-off delivery.That brought Fran Wilson to the crease who kept the scoreboard ticking over but chipped a simple catch straight to Elwiss, with Luff trapped lbw by Charli Knott three overs later.Nat Wraith then looked to take the attack to Vipers, but couldn’t find anyone to stay with her as wickets tumbled at the other end.Amanda-Jade Wellington lasted just nine ball before she was rapped on the pads by Adams, with two wickets falling in the 32nd over as Niamh Holland was bowled for 8 and Alex Griffiths was involved in a horrible mix up in the middle which saw her run out without troubling the scorers.Wraith then chipped a catch to Linsey Smith for 31 and the Storm found themselves 148 for 8 at the end of the 34th over.The final two wickets fell in successive balls, as Chloe Skelton edged a wide delivery to Rhianna Southby before Mollie Robbins was castled by a pitch perfect yorker from Taylor – Storm all out for 156.Vipers started their reply positively, with 33 runs coming off the opening five overs, McCaughan and Knott ticking along at the same pace. But the Australian feathered an edge behind to Wraith off Wellington which saw her walk back to the pavilion in the eighth over.This brought Elwiss to the crease who, along with McCaughan, batted calmly in their 73-run stand for the second wicket.McCaughan pounced on anything wide and short, with five of her boundaries coming behind square of the wicket, while Elwiss in particular favoured the off side.With the score on 112 and Vipers needing just 45 for victory, McCaughan was trapped lbw by Wellington on 49, playing her first game in three weeks.Elwiss then upped the ante taking three boundaries off Griffiths and followed it up with another trio of fours off Wellington to take the home side within 15 runs of the win.Adams skied a catch straight to Griffiths to give Skelton her wicket, but a boundary from Kemp took the Vipers to single figures required with a single off the fourth ball of the 30th over sealing a bonus point win for the reigning champions.
Celtic’s pre-season plans are starting to take shape, but will they get any new signings over the line before then?
On Monday, the club announced a green and white hoops Clásico, facing Portuguese champions Sporting at Estádio Algarve on 16 July, before confirming they’ll also take on Queen’s Park at Lesser Hampden 12 days earlier.
Celticmanager BrendanRodgerscelebrates with the trophy after winning the League Cup
With trips to Cork, Como and now the Algarve already in the calendar for July, from a destination perspective, this is poised to be an exciting pre-season schedule for the Celtic support, but will they have a new midfielder to assess by then?
Celtic's continued interest in Lennon Miller
As has been widely reported, Celtic remain interested in midfielder Lennon Miller, with French outlet L’Équipe reporting that the 18 year old is valued at around £7.5m by Motherwell, amid interest from Ligue 1 side Strasbourg.
On Monday evening, Miller made his full-senior debut for Scotland, assisting Ché Adams’ second goal during the 4-0 demolition of Liechtenstein at Rheinpark Stadion, with his performance earning rave reviews.
Thomas Duncan of BBC Sport noted how the teenager exuded calmness while, speaking during the BBC’s coverage, Celtic legend Scott Brown said that “Lennon is really special…nothing fazes him”, adding that he undoubtedly has the quality to break into the Celts’ first team.
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However, with countless other clubs courting Miller this summer, should Celtic turn their attention to another midfield target instead?
Celtic's dream Miller alternative
As previously reported last week, Celtic have ‘already initiated’ talks to sign midfielder Demir Ege Tıknaz.
Demir Ege Tıknaz (Tiknaz)Demir Ege Tıknaz (Tiknaz)
As Mustafa Akgün of Karabük Postası outlines, Tıknaz spent last season on loan at Rio Ave from Beşiktaş, but the Portuguese club have an obligation to buy for around £4.2m, planning to do just that before selling him for roughly double that amount.
The 20-year-old, who is currently with the Türkiye national team squad in America for friendlies against the United States and Mexico, is reportedly being courted by many big European clubs, including Celtic and Sporting CP, so the Scottish champions will need to act fast.
In an interview with the Athletic, Tıknaz compared himself stylistically to Sergio Busquets, stating “I always want to have possession… I’m kind of a playmaker”.
Meantime, Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout compares him to another Spaniard, namely Rodri, labelling him a midfield “anchor”, praising his “passing, vision and football IQ”.
Analyst Ben Mattinson agrees, stating that Tıknaz ‘reads the game well’, praising his ‘timing of tackles’ and ability to ‘steal the ball’.
As a result, according to Aryan Suraj Chadha of Goal, he has become one of the most ‘sought-after talents across Europe’, making 33 appearances for Rio Ave of the Primeira Liga this season, scoring four goals and registering two assists.
Nevertheless, the key question remains. How does he compare to Miller? Well, let’s find out.
Appearances
33
39
Minutes
2,340
3,398
Goals
4
4
Assists
2
8
Big chances created
2
12
Tackles won (per 90)
2.1
1.8
Interceptions (per 90)
1.7
1.3
% of ground duels won
51.1%
57.9%
% of aerial diels won
53.1%
41.2%
Possession lost (per 90)
7.3
17.4
As the table outlines, while Miller is more of an all-rounder and an attacking threat, Tıknaz does come out on top for the vast majority of defensive metrics, namely tackles, interceptions and aerial duels, giving away possession significantly less frequently too.
So, while Miller is unquestionably a big talent, possibly to such an extent that Celtic will ultimately miss out on him, the Hoops should therefore make signing Tıknaz a priority.
Celtic set to sign 14-goal star who'd be Moussa Dembele 2.0 for Rodgers
Celtic are set to complete a deal for a young star who could be a repeat of Moussa Dembele.
Forget the rules, just enjoy watching athletes smash balls out of the park, soar and dive to take catches, and live out some of the most dramatic stories in all of sport
Text by Dustin Silgardo and Illustrations by Ishita Mazumder29-May-2019The game is more explosive than ever beforeHave you heard cricket is slow? That a bunch of guys stand around on a field not doing much and then break for tea? Well, this is the new age of cricket, and the game is now all about sixes. That’s when the batsman hits the ball out of the field, like a home run, except you get six runs instead of one. Take that, baseball!ESPNcricinfo LtdSixes used to be a bit of a rarity in cricket, but these days, thanks to a bunch of changes in the game, they’re flying all over the place. And this World Cup is expected to be the World Cup of sixes.The best part about sixes: you can hit them anywhere and in all sorts of ways. You can switch from right-handed to left-handed mid-shot and hit one. You can play something called the ramp shot. You can get down on your knees and hit a six straight over your head, like this guy…Getty ImagesYou can even hit a six while falling over, like this…2:08
WATCH – What happened after Najibullah Zadran lost his footing?
There’s even something called a helicopter shot, which is when the batsman hires a private helicopter to swoop down as the bowler releases the ball and suck it into its vortex. Okay, it’s not. But it’s pretty bloody exciting. So tune in. You don’t even need to know the rules. It’s just fun watching players whack balls into the stands repeatedly.ESPNcricinfo LtdAfghanistanAfghanistan, that’s right, Afghanistan, a team from a country that hasn’t seen anything resembling peace in forty years, are playing at this World Cup. Get this, they’ve only had an official team since 2008, and it was born out of men seeking asylum from war, in Pakistan. And now they’re in the World Cup, for the second time.It’s not like they’ve got in on a sympathy ticket either. Just ten teams have qualified for this World Cup, so Afghanistan have had to beat much more established teams to get in. Have you heard a more romantic story in all of sport? Leicester City, meh. Jamie Vardy never fixed any toilets in refugee camps. So the Chicago Cubs won a World Series after 108 years. Just 30 years ago, the Taliban were insisting no one in Afghanistan play any sport since it might involve breaking the regime’s dress code.Afghanistan have one of the best bowlers in the world, they’ve got big hitters, they play with passion, and, win or lose, they’ll probably perform their famous Attan dance.If you’re not a soulless ghoul, then find out more about Afghanistan’s incredible story through this illustrated story.ESPNcricinfo LtdIndia v PakistanEvery sport’s got rivalries. But there’s none quite like cricket’s India-Pakistan. The last time these two teams played in a World Cup, 500 million people tuned in to watch. The finale of Game of Thrones had just 19.3 million viewers. Do you really want to be 25 times less cool than people who don’t watch Game of Thrones?So why is this match such a big deal? These are two neighbouring countries that were basically one before 1947 but have since been in near-constant political conflict, and cricket is the biggest sport in both. Since 2013, tensions between the nations have increased, and the teams no longer play each other unless it’s at a world tournament. And the rarity of the derby match has only increased its popularity. The last two contests between these sides were at the Asia Cup last year in the UAE.Talk to any cricket fan about India-Pakistan and they’ll tell you about crazy matches that went all the way to the last ball, controversial moments that led to stadium riots, heated confrontations between players, ugly taunting by fans on both sides. But they’ll also tell you about touching moments involving fans from both sides of the border showing each other hospitality, and opposing fans putting aside the rivalry to show opposition players respect for incredible performances.ESPNcricinfo LtdCricketers actually look like athletes nowSo one of the things that might have put non-cricket fans off cricket in the past was that a lot of them looked like this:ESPNcricinfo LtdNot that there’s anything wrong with looking like that, and some of those guys were incredible players, by the way, but if you’re used to a sport in which muscles bulge out of jerseys and where players celebrate by baring their chiselled eight-packs, you might have found cricket a little lacking in testosterone.All that’s changed. The modern cricketer looks more like this:ESPNcricinfo LtdAnd it’s not just about the looks. These guys run, jump, slide and dive like real top-level athletes. Watch this World Cup and you’ll see players flinging themselves into the sky to take catches, bowling with javelin-thrower actions, taking catches while nearly falling over the rope but somehow chucking the ball to a team-mate, diving full-length despite wearing a helmet and padding on their legs. Just look at the guy in the photo above. Tell us he couldn’t hit home runs, or tackle running backs, or fight in a cage.ESPNcricinfo LtdEngland might actually win at a sport they inventedSo this cricket World Cup is being played in England. It’s an awesome country. Big Ben, London Bridge, One Direction. But when it comes to sport, England have sometimes been, how do we put this, a bit of a laughing stock. See, the country invented a lot of the sports that are played across the world today but have since proceeded to suck at quite a few of them. The last time they reached a big football final was more than 50 years ago, they’ve been overtaken in rugby by a country one-tenth their size, and, in tennis, they’ve been desperately trying to lay claim to a Scotsman just so they can say they have a Grand Slam winner in this century.In cricket, it’s been no different. England have never won a World Cup. They’ve lost three finals. And last time out, they didn’t even make it out of the group stage. But this time, England are actually the No.1 ranked team in the world and are favourites to win on home soil. Even more surprising, they’ve actually become the best by playing what some of them call a “F**k it” brand of cricket. No, seriously, one of their best players actually had that written on his bat during a game. Basically, they’re fearless. They try to hit sixes (remember how exciting those are?) and take risks. What a ride for the country, to watch a team go for the cup while actually playing attractively. They’ll probably mess it up in the end, but it should be a fun ride regardless.
Shreyas Iyer will be available for only the last two games
ESPNcricinfo staff20-Nov-2023With Hardik Pandya yet to recover from his ankle injury, Suryakumar Yadav will lead India in the five-match T20I series against Australia, starting November 23. Ruturaj Gaikwad will be the vice-captain for the first three games before handing over the responsibility to Shreyas Iyer who will join the squad for the last two matches.The series starts just four days after India lost to Australia in the ODI World Cup final in Ahmedabad. But with the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA roughly six months away, the focus will now shift to T20Is.From the ODI World Cup squad, Suryakumar, Ishan Kishan and Prasidh Krishna are the only ones named for the whole series, while Axar Patel, who was ruled out of the World Cup with quadriceps strain, is back.ESPNcricinfo LtdHowever, there was no room for Sanju Samson and Shahbaz Ahmed, who were part of the squad for the Ireland T20Is in August. Riyan Parag, who almost single-handedly carried Assam to the semi-final of the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and Abhishek Sharma, the Player of the Tournament, could not find a place either.Apart from Axar, Washington Sundar is the other allrounder. Shivam Dube, too, is in the mix, but he has bowled only sporadically of late, sending down just four overs in eight games in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Ravi Bishnoi is the only wristspinner in the squad.This is the first time Suryakumar will be leading India. Previously, he has led Mumbai in 36 matches across formats in domestic cricket. Earlier this year, he also captained Mumbai Indians against Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.Related
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VVS Laxman, who had coached the India men’s team to the gold medal at the Asian Games, will be in charge of the team for the five T20Is. The first match will be played in Visakhapatnam before the caravan moves to Thiruvananthapuram (November 26), Guwahati (November 28), Raipur (December 1), and Bengaluru (December 3).India’s squad for Australia T20Is: Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Ruturaj Gaikwad (vice-capt), Ishan Kishan (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar, Shreyas Iyer (vice-capt, available only for last two T20Is)