Rahane, Sarfaraz and Suryakumar’s efforts go in vain; Shami picks up 4 for 13 against Services

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Dec-2025Samson, Sharafuddeen and Asif propel KeralaSanju Samson, Sharafuddeen and KM Asif were the stars as Kerala handed Mumbai their first loss of the season, beating them by 15 runs in Lucknow.Samson, who is back to opening the innings this season, laid the platform with 46 off 28 balls. Vishnu Vinod struggled in the middle and managed only 43 not out off 40 balls, but Sharafuddeen’s unbeaten 35 off 15 took the side to 178 for 5.Sharafuddeen then removed Ayush Mhatre in the first over of the chase but Ajinkya Rahane (32 off 18) and Sarfaraz Khan (52 off 40) kept Mumbai going. By the time Sarfaraz got out, Mumbai needed 80 from eight overs. Suryakumar Yadav brought it down to 31 required from three. But Asif’s three wickets – including Suryakumar’s for 32 off 25 – in the 18th over derailed Mumbai. They needed 18 from the final over with two wickets in hand. Asif took only four balls to wrap up the innings and complete his five-for.File photo: Ayush Badoni had a solid outing with both bat and ball•PTI Badoni seals Delhi’s win over KarnatakaAyush Badoni’s 35-ball 53 and 4 for 12, backed up by Priyansh Arya and Tejasvi Dahiya’s fifties, helped Delhi get the better of Karnataka by 45 runs in a high-scoring Group D contest in Ahmedabad. Batting first, Delhi thumped 232 for 3 in their 20 overs. Devdutt Padikkal then hit a 38-ball 62 while R Smaran struck 72 off 38 balls, but with little support from the others, Karnataka were bowled out for 187 in 19.3 overs.Delhi lost opener Yash Dhull in the second over to Vidyadhar Patil but Arya and Badoni forged a 110-run stand in 9.2 overs for the second wicket. Arya struck six sixes and two fours in his 33-ball 62 while Badoni hit four fours and two sixes.When both batters fell within two overs of each other, Karnataka may have sniffed a chance of a comeback, but Dahiya and Nitish Rana gave them none. They added 105 runs for the fifth wicket in just 41 balls. Dahiya hit five sixes and three fours in an unbeaten 19-ball 53 while Rana remained 46 not out.Karnataka lost wickets regularly in the chase. BR Sharath fell in the opening over to Ishant Sharma, while Mayank Agarwal was removed by Digvesh Rathi inside the powerplay. Rathi also picked up Karun Nair as Karnataka slipped to 48 for 3 in seven overs. Smaran and Padikkal gave Karnataka hope with a 76-run stand for the fourth wicket, but once Padikkal fell to Ishant, the end was nigh.Badoni then wrecked the Karnataka middle order, picking up four wickets in two overs. Prince Yadav closed the innings with two wickets, giving Delhi crucial points after their loss against Tripura.File photo: Raj Limbani picked up 3 for 5 in 2.1 overs•ICC/Getty ImagesLimbani, Sheth star as Baroda crush GujaratFast bowler Raj Limbani picked up 3 for 5 in 2.1 overs and allrounder Atit Sheth 2 for 14 in three as Baroda crushed Gujarat by eight wickets in Hyderabad. Hardik Pandya also had a decent outing a day after being named in India’s T20I squad to face South Africa, picking up 1 for 16 in four overs, which included a maiden, and scoring 10 off six from No. 3 in the small chase.The match, originally scheduled to take place at the Gymkhana Ground, was relocated to the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium. “Fan turnout, enquiries, and crowd movement exceeded our projections by a huge margin, “a senior organising official told PTI. “To ensure safety and smooth match operations, we decided to shift the match to the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium.”Sent in, Urvil Patel and Aarya Desai added 29 runs for the opening wicket, but it all went downhill thereafter for Gujarat. Hardik removed Urvil for 7 with Desai falling the very next ball to Limbani. Dhrushant Soni was run out, Rasikh Salam removed Saurav Chauhan, and Krunal Pandya too picked up a wicket. Sheth then picked up two lower-order wickets before Limbani had Hemang Patel caught and bowled as Gujarat were bowled out in 14.1 overs.Shashwat Rawat and Vishnu Solanki were quick in the chase, adding 55 runs in just five overs. Hardik struck two fours in his innings, while Rawat remained unbeaten on 30 off 19 to seal Baroda’s chase in 6.4 overs. Legspinner Ravi Bishnoi was the only Gujarat bowler to take a wicket, returning 2 for 26 in 1.4 overs.File photo: Mohammed Shami was named the Player of the Match•Garima Agarwal/CABShami, Akash Deep headline Bengal’s winMohammed Shami picked up his second-best T20 haul of 4 for 13 in 3.2 overs, while Akash Deep returned 3 for 27 as Bengal defeated Services by seven wickets in Hyderabad. Sent in, Services were bowled out for 165 in 18.2 overs. Abishek Porel and Abhimanyu Easwaran then struck quick fifties as Bengal got over the line in 15.1 overs.Shami got Gaurav Kochar with the first ball of the game before dismissing Ravi Chauhan for a nine-ball 26 in the third. Akash Deep then got into the act, removing Nitin Tanwar inside the powerplay. Mohit Ahlawat and Vineet Dhankhar added 67 for the fourth wicket but both fell in back-to-back overs. Akash Deep then picked up Pulkit Narang and Sandeep Nishad before Shami ended the innings, adding two more wickets to his tally.Bengal lost opener Karan Lal in the second over, but Porel and Easwaran kept the chase going with a 93-run stand in 50 balls. Porel struck eight fours and two sixes in his 56 off 29 balls, while Easwaran scored 58 off 37. Yuvraj Keswani (36* off 19) and Akash Deep (14* off five) ensured Bengal got over the line with 29 balls to spare.R Sai Kishore steered TN’s innings with a half-century•TNPL/TNCASai Kishore, Jagadeesan wipe Tripura outNarayan Jagadeesan and R Sai Kishore dug Tamil Nadu out of a deep hole to eventually help them beat Tripura comfortably by 61 runs in a Group D game in Ahmedabad.Sent in, TN slipped to 26 for 4 in the sixth over, which included B Sai Sudharsan falling for just 5. But Jagadeesan and Sai Kishore added a 119-run stand for the fifth wicket in 11.1 overs to take them to safety. Jagadeesan smashed six fours and four sixes in his 49-ball 83 while Sai Kishore hit an unbeaten 39-ball 87 with three fours and eight sixes. He also added 59 runs in 20 balls with R Rajkumar as TN zoomed to 204 for 5.In reply, Tripura were never really in the chase, losing wickets at regular intervals. Vijay Shankar, playing against his former side, top-scored with 39, while Manisankar Murasingh struck a 23-ball 33 as Tripura were bowled out for 143 in 18.5 overs.

The Blue Jays were so close to winning their first World Series title since 1993 on Saturday night but then the Dodgers tied Game 7 in the bottom of the ninth with a solo home run by Miguel Rojas and won it in the 11th inning after a home run by Will Smith and some more clutch pitching by Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

It was a devastating loss for the everyone involved with the franchise and all of the fans at Rogers Centre who were so close to having one heck of a celebration, only to see it all fall away in stunning fashion.

It must have been especially rough for Don Mattingly, who finally made it to the World Series for the first time in his legendary career. The former Yankees great has served as the Blue Jays bench coach since 2022 and he was just three outs away from earning a championship ring, only to have it ripped away from a franchise he once managed.

Moments after the final out Mattingly was seen having a heartbreaking moment as he sat in the Toronto dugout and watched the Dodgers celebrate their second straight title. Blue Jays star Bo Bichette, who had a huge three-run homer in Game 7, was seen giving Mattingly a hug before the two headed to the clubhouse.

Here's that sad exchange:

Brutal.

Mattingly never made it to the World Series as a player and fell just short a few times during his stint as the manager of the Dodgers. It would have been pretty cool to see him celebrate finally earning a ring but that sadly didn't happen as the Blue Jays lost both Game 6 and 7 at home to the Dodgers.

Fans had some emotional reactions to that moment between Mattingly and Bichette.

Tom Abell says South Group table-toppers “desperate” to land first T20 title since 2005

Alan Gardner14-Jul-2023Somerset topped the South Group (which provided all four semi-finalists in this year’s Blast) with a record 12 wins from 14. Somerset have the leading wicket-taker in the competition and the most consistently destructive top three going around. Somerset are at Finals Day for the third year running and just two more wins from securing their second T20 title.At which point, if you are a Somerset fan, you’re already beginning to fear the worst.Since winning the third edition of the Twenty20 Cup back in 2005, Somerset have been to Finals Day and had their hopes dashed seven times. Throw in the six County Championship runners-up finishes since the turn of the century and you can see why they might be wary of ending up on bridesmaid duty once again.Tom Abell has been involved in the three most-recent episodes of Edgbaston heartbreak, in 2018, 2021 and 2022, and captained the side in last year’s semi-final defeat to eventual winners Hampshire. He has since handed the reins back to Lewis Gregory (skipper when losing to Kent in the final two years ago) and conceded that the hurdles Somerset must overcome are mental as much as those presented by the opposition.Related

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• Liam Dawson: 'You still get nervous watching the 2022 final'

“We’ve been here the last few years and we’re obviously desperate to try and get over the line,” Abell said. “Of course, when you’ve had a couple of experiences, I think you probably you want it that little bit more and you care so much about it, that you almost forget the most important things, which is to try and trust what’s been working for us.”We’ve obviously been playing so well through the group stages. But we know that counts for very little, all that matters is how you play and how you turn up on Finals Day.”Abell was also refusing to set much store by Somerset’s form to this point, which has seen them win 13 games overall while picking up 131 wickets – another competition record. They finished six points clear at the top of the South Group, although one of their two defeats did come against semi-final opponents Surrey.”I don’t really think that [topping the group] counts for too much tomorrow,” Abell said. “As I say it’s all about who turns up and plays the best cricket on the day. Obviously, every team has got to know each other pretty well. We play each other both home and away in the group stages and yeah, four very dangerous teams. There’s matchwinners in each team. I guess that’s what we love about T20, anyone on their day can beat anyone.”But we’re in pretty confident mood. I think the way we’ve been playing, we’ve had some really strong performances and so probably the most pleasing thing for us has been some of those games where maybe we haven’t been at our best, still finding a way to win. So I think there’s a lot to be said for that as well.”Somerset did come through a significant test in their quarter-final against Nottinghamshire, when they recovered from 62 for 5 at the halfway stage chasing 158 to win. With the big guns at the top of the order having failed, it was left to Gregory and Ben Green to get them over the line with an unbroken 96-run stand. “We certainly feel like we’ve got match-winners [from] one to 11 and we’re pretty clear with our roles within the team,” Abell said.Tom Banton gets a fist bump from Tom Abell•Getty Images”We know we’re capable of beating any team if we play to our abilities. So we like to believe that the last few years will put us in good stead. But of course, you know, what’s gone before and what’s gone this season counts for very little. It’s all about who deals with those pressure moments the best and as I say, there’s been times when we’ve been really tested this year, and I think we’ve come out the other side. We’re pretty happy with where we’re at as a side and I’m just excited for tomorrow.”Somerset look to have all the tools needed to end their hoodoo. Green’s medium-pace has reaped a competition-leading 27 wickets, with New Zealand quick Matt Henry not far behind on 24, while the signing of Henry’s compatriot Ish Sodhi as a late injury replacement gives them a wristspin option to go alongside Roelof van der Merwe’s left-arm darts.Then at the top of the order is the unholy trinity of Tom Banton, Will Smeed and Tom Kohler-Cadmore – all of whom have scored 400-plus runs at strike-rates north of 150 this season.”TKC has been an absolutely phenomenal signing for us across formats, and obviously having Smeedy and Bants at the top as well, both on their day they’ll win the game on their own,” Abell said.”For us in the middle order, those top three, the way they’ve been playing, it make our lives a lot easier. But yeah, I saw something TKC said the other day, ‘I think everybody’s contributed at some point through the competition’. And if you want to go all the way, we’re going to need that tomorrow as well. So, we pride ourselves on being a team. And we’ve certainly shown that through the competition and I think we’ve built belief and trust in each other. So we’re going into tomorrow in really confident mood.”

Michael Olise trolled Harry Kane when he signed his Bayern Munich team-mate's match ball after his stunning display against Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday.

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Article continues below

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Kane bagged another Bayern hat-trickTeam-mate left hilarious message for himStriker identified Olise as the culpritWHAT HAPPENED?

Kane scored four times as the German side started their Champions League campaign with a 9-2 win in Munich, ensuring he went home with the match ball for the second game in a row, after netting a hat-trick against Holstein Kiel at the weekend.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The 31-year-old has made a habit of scoring trebles since joining the Bundesliga team from Tottenham, and it seems his team-mates are growing tired of having to sign balls for him. Kane posed alongside his trophy after Tuesday's game, but a message reading: "Bro not again" caught the attention of many.

WHAT KANE SAID

Kane was asked on social media who left the message on his ball, he replied: "It was my guy Michael Olise".

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR KANE?

The England star has scored nine goals in just five matches so far this season and will hope to add to that record when his side meet Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

Debut century and keeper’s highest score put Sri Lanka in control of first Test in Antigua

Madushka Balasuriya24-Mar-2021

Pathum Nissanka is congratulated by Niroshan Dickwella after reaching his debut hundred•RANDY BROOKS/AFP/Getty Images

Pathum Nissanka’s century on debut – the fourth Sri Lankan to achieve the feat, the first since Thilan Samaraweera in 2001, and the first to do so overseas – and an equally vital 96 from Niroshan Dickwella, crowned a dominant day for Sri Lanka, in which they seized command of the first Test, and put themselves in prime position to secure a first win in the format in over a year.The pair’s 179-run stand for the sixth wicket, compiled over two sessions, helped set the West Indies a 375-run target, 34 of which the hosts had knocked off by stumps for the loss of just John Campbell. Kraigg Brathwaite and Nkrumah Bonner were at the crease on 8 and 15 respectively.The day though belonged unequivocally to Nissanka, whose low-risk, high-impact innings, together with an unusually measured effort from Dickwella, had taken Sri Lanka from a precarious position at the start of the day – following Alzari Joseph’s early removal of Dhananjaya de Silva – to one of complete control.That eventuality though would hardly have been at the forefront of the pair’s minds when they came together in the first over of the morning, with Sri Lanka’s lead still a fledgling 157. As the last two recognised batsmen, they would have known any misstep by either would expose a very long tail – the swiftness with which the innings folded following Nissanka’s dismissal more than justifying those concerns.But if patience and application was the need of the hour, the duo produced that in spades. Nissanka’s 103 came off 252 deliveries, more or less encapsulating the safety-first approach he had woven into the very fabric of his innings; in fact, less than a fifth of his runs came in boundaries, while West Indies must be sick of the sight of his unwavering forward defence.Indeed, rarely has a Test century contained such few noteworthy moments – though this is by no means a criticism. Sure, there was a fairly dismissive pull off Kyle Mayers, and then, earlier, a lovely punch through the covers off Kemar Roach, but for the most part this was an innings of dabs, prods, glides and drives (though none that reached the fence) – and crucially, almost no risk.But after a first-innings capitulation that had seen many of Sri Lanka’s batsman fall, as much down to a lack of application as it was to probing lines employed by the West Indian bowlers, Nissanka’s innings was a refreshing change of pace.At 22 years of age, and in foreign conditions, there is hardly likely to have been a more pleasing sight to Mickey Arthur and Grant Flower than the solidity showcased during his knock. In a way it was fitting that when he eventually did fall, it was on his own terms, going for a slog sweep in an attempt to up the scoring rate.Arguably even more pleasing to the Lankan coaches might have been Dickwella’s innings. While his dismissal four runs short of maiden Test century will have undoubtedly been a mood-killer, the maturity and control up until then was definitely a side many thought they might never see of the man.Now obviously his innings was not one without peril (what Dickwella innings is?) – he was dropped at gully, chopped the ball back onto his stumps without the bails being dislodged, and also survived a caught-behind appeal after West Indies had burned their reviews – but for the most part it was restrained.He would only truly free his arms once the lead had ballooned beyond 300, though his innings was cut short before he could to do too much more damage, edging a slower ball from Roach back onto his stumps. By that point though it was already likely too late.But the fact that the final five Sri Lankan wickets fell for just 38 runs will certainly leave the hosts wondering what might have been had a few pivotal moments gone their way. There’s also bound to be introspection surrounding the wisdom of some of their reviews – their last in particular, after Nissanka had got a clear edge on an lbw call, the most poorly conceived, and ultimately serving to reprieve Dickwella.If any of those had gone the way of the hosts, we would likely be looking at a very different equation, but as it stands staving off defeat on the final day will be West Indies’ primary concern.

MatériaMais Notícias

da realbet： Vasco e Vila Nova empataram em 2 a 2 nesta segunda-feira, em Goiânia, pela 36ª rodada da Série B. Foi o 6º jogo seguido sem vitória da equipe carioca na competição. O 9º consecutivo em que sofreu gols. O time agora tem a 3ª defesa mais vazada do campeonato, tendo ido pegar a bola nas redes 47 vezes. Apenas Brusque, com 54, e Náutico, com 48, tiveram um desempenho pior até o momento

O Vila era a única equipe que ainda não havia marcado sobre os vascaínos nesta Série B – foi derrotado em São Januário por 1 a 0 no 1º turno. Na ida ou na volta, todos os 19 adversários estufaram as redes cruz-maltinas ao menos uma vez na competição. Uma tônica, aliás, da temporada.

Nas 57 partidas que disputou, em 47 teve suas redes balançadas pelos adversários. Batido em 82,4% dos confrontos, o Vasco de 2021 ostenta a sua pior marca do século nesta estatística, tendo sofrido gols de todos os times que enfrentou, incluindo no Carioca e na Copa do Brasil.

O Cruz-Maltino já sofreu 72 gols em 57 jogos disputados, uma média de 1,26 por partida. Mesmo disputando a 2ª divisão, a marca é pior do que nos últimos dois anos, quando esteve na Série A. Em 2019, foram 67 tentos sofridos em 65 atuações (1,03 g/j). Na última, 69 em 60 (1,15 g/j).

Números que dizem muito sobre a permanência do time na Série B.

DESEMPENHO DEFENSIVO DO VASCO NA TEMPORADA

57 jogos
47 jogos sofrendo gols (82,4% – pior marca do século)
72 gols sofridos (1,26 g/j – pior marca dos últimos três anos)
Sofreu gol dos 19 times (100%) que enfrentou na Série B
Sofreu gol dos 33 times (100%) que enfrentou no ano

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da 888： Celtic booked their place in the final of the League Cup on Sunday after they beat their Glasgow rivals 3-1 after extra time at Hampden Park.

da spicy bet： Martin O’Neill was in the dugout for the second time as he continues to manage the side until the club can find a permanent replacement for Brendan Rodgers, who resigned last week.

The Northern Irish head coach moved on from Parkhead after winning four trophies in just over two seasons in his second spell with the Scottish Premiership giants.

Rodgers decided to tender his resignation after successive league losses to Dundee and Hearts, which left Celtic eight points adrift of first place in the league at the time.

It is hard to deny that the former Leicester City boss had a successful return to Parkhead on the whole, given that he won four trophies in two full seasons, but it was far from a perfect spell.

In fact, there are several players within the current first-team squad, and possibly out on loan, who may benefit from his departure from Celtic.

The players who may benefit most from Rodgers leaving Celtic

Luis Palma and Maik Nawrocki were both sent out on loan this summer, having been signed in Rodgers’ first transfer window in the summer of 2023, after rarely featuring last season.

The duo combined for four starts in the Premiership in the 2024/25 campaign, per WhoScored, and may wonder if they now have a future at Parkhead when they return from their loan moves.

Palma, for example, has four goals and three assists in ten league games for Lech Poznan on loan, per Sofascore, and could provide Celtic’s attack with an injection of quality next year.

Meanwhile, in the current squad, Paulo Bernardo is one player who may benefit from a clean slate under the next head coach, after falling out of favour under Rodgers.

Paulo Bernardo (Premiership)

24/25

25/26

Appearances

28

2

Starts

13

1

Goals

2

0

Big chances created

5

0

Key passes

31

0

Ground duel success rate

58%

33%

Aerial duel success rate

54%

0%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Portugal U21 international has barely featured after showing promise last term, which is why the change in management may benefit him.

The Celtic player who has benefitted the most from Rodgers’ departure, though, appears to be Callum Osmand, who did not play a single minute under the Northern Irishman.

O’Neill has brought him off the bench in the last two games, against Falkirk and Rangers, and he scored his first goal for the club in the League Cup semi-final.

The 19-year-old centre-forward may also be pleased to hear who the Scottish giants are looking to appoint, as they are keen on a boss who could be perfect for him.

Celtic considering move for £5m manager

According to Football Insider, Celtic are considering a move to appoint Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna as their replacement for Rodgers.

The report claims that the Northern Irish head coach has emerged as one of the club’s key targets, alongside the likes of Kjetil Knutsen and Craig Bellamy.

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However, he has a £5m release clause in his contract with the Tractor Boys, which has left the Hoops to consider their options for now.

Speaking to Football Insider about the prospect of Celtic landing McKenna, reporter Pete O’Rourke said: “He is one of the most highly regarded young managers in the country as well.

“He would fit all of the criteria that Celtic are looking for in that respect. It’d be a huge coup if Celtic were to land Kieran McKenna.”

Why Kieran McKenna would be perfect for Callum Osmand

Swooping for the Ipswich manager to replace Rodgers in the coming days or weeks could be great news for emerging Celtic star Osmand, for several reasons.

McKenna has an impressive history in youth coaching. Per Transfermarkt, he worked as a youth coach for Nottingham Forest, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur before stepping into first-team management with the Tractor Boys.

This suggests that he wants to develop and work with young players, which is great news for a 19-year-old prospect like Osmand, who could be identified as a player with big potential by the boss.

As you can see in the clip above, Osmand grabbed his first senior goal for the Hoops on Sunday with brilliant movement to get ahead of the defenders to slide a cross from Kieran Tierney into the back of the net.

McKenna’s style of play at Ipswich has revolved around left-back Leif Davis providing creativity with his deliveries into the box from the left flank, which would provide Osmand with plenty of similar opportunities to score.

McKenna’s two promotion-winning seasons

Leif Davis

22/23 League One

23/24 Championship

Appearances

43

43

Big chances created

12

15

xA

N/A

10.54

Key passes per game

3.1

2.9

Assists

14

18

Stats via Sofascore

Davis, as shown in the statistics above, was an incredibly creative force down the left flank for Ipswich in their two promotion-winning seasons under McKenna, assisting an eye-catching 32 goals in 86 matches.

This suggests that the Northern Irish head coach would build his attack around Marcelo Saracchi or Kieran Tierney’s creativity, which may not be a bad way to go, given Tierney has already delivered four assists in all competitions this season, per Sofascore.

That would ensure that Celtic have a constant supply of creativity down that side, with crosses coming into the box for strikers to attack, which could provide Osmand or Johnny Kenny with chances to score more goals.

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Therefore, McKenna could be the perfect appointment for a player like Osmand, after his breakthrough goal, because of his coaching background and the way his team creates chances to score goals.

Saurashtra’s veteran coach Debu Mitra, who has been crucial in the team’s rise in the domestic circuit, remains unassuming but proud

Amol Karhadkar24-Jan-2013Saurashtra have had four men constantly overlooking their progress during the last decade or so: Niranjan Shah at the helm the administration, Jaydev Shah as the captain, Shitanshu Kotak as the batting mainstay and Debu Mitra as the coach.Niranjan Shah has been hailed for his administrative qualities, his son Jaydev has been scrutinised for his patchy batting form, and Kotak, who plays his 129th first-class game on Saturday, is the most senior cricketer on the domestic circuit. They get their share of the limelight.Mitra, however, hasn’t received much attention, after converting Saurashtra from no-hopers to title contenders in nine seasons. He doesn’t mind others taking the recognition; he’s been on the domestic circuit for almost five decades now.Coaches increasingly make their presence known during the course of the game these days, but Mitra is old school and refrains from it. Ever since he was seen with the Saurashtra team for the first time, during the 2005-06 Plate Group semi-final against Madhya Pradesh, his second season with the then West Zone minnows, Mitra hasn’t changed.Once the captain takes the field with his team Mitra, dressed in a tracksuit with his customary floppy hat, would sit either just outside the dressing room or yards away from the boundary line. Though he wouldn’t mind discussing the game and team tactics during the day, he never shouts at the captain or passes on any instruction. However, if the captain walks up to him, advice is as fluent as Cheteshwar Pujara’s cover drive.”Cricket is a game that’s to be run by the captain, so my job is to make the team ready for the game and then let the captain run the show,” Mitra, a former Bengal batsman and coach, said. “I am always available for advice but I will never impose myself on the captain or the team. That is not my style.”The latest example of his method was in Saurashtra’s Ranji Trophy semi-final against Punjab at the Khandheri stadium in Rajkot last week. With Punjab pursuing Saurashtra’s first-innings score of 477, at tea on the third day, Jaydev walked up to Mitra and said, “I think we should take the new ball.””We must, I told him. And it worked,” Mitra said. “Once he was also on the same page, I stressed on it, but otherwise I would have waited for him to think about it.”And unlike most of the modern-day coaches, Mitra doesn’t believe much in technology. Though he has hired a video analyst for Saurashtra, he lets the assistant coach Hitesh Goswami work without a laptop. “Have you ever seen me with a laptop?” he asks, with a wink. “My brain is my laptop. As long it is working, I don’t need [one].”During his nine seasons with Saurashtra, Mitra has taken giant strides towards making them a potent force. It started with them qualifying for the Elite League from the lower tier by winning the Plate title in 2005-06. In 2007-08, not only did Saurashtra make it to the Ranji semis, they were also the national one-day champions. And the next year proved 2007-08 wasn’t a fluke, as Saurashtra made it to the Ranji semis once again.Last week, they played the semi-finals for the third time. Despite the absence of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravindra Jadeja, Saurashtra surprised Punjab to qualify for their maiden final since the erstwhile princely team of Nawanagar was merged into Kathiawar.The journey has not been easy for Mitra. It took him five years to accept the job to coach a side that was one of the worst in terms of performance and infrastructure back then. “Niranjan had been after me since 1999, but I was quite hesitant. I used to wonder ‘what will I do in Saurashtra, with such limited talent pool and lack of basic cricketing facilities’. Finally in 2004, I thought I would give it a shot.”

It was my wife who convinced me to stay on. She told me, ‘If you’ve accepted a job, give it your best.’ I thought I would stay on for another season and take a call. And once we qualified for the Elite in 2005-06, Saurashtra cricket and I haven’t looked back since.Debu Mitra was hesitant to stay on after his first season with Saurashtra

The first year proved to be a nightmare for the man who had coached the likes of Sourav Ganguly and Devang Gandhi during their formative years with Bengal. “Believe me, when I went back home [to Kolkata], I had decided not to return to Saurashtra,” Mitra said. “The cricket here had no system in place. The Ranji players were so raw, primarily due to lack of coaching and lack of match practice. All they used to play was some two or three 50-over matches at district level.”But then, it was my wife who convinced me to stay on. She told me, ‘If you’ve accepted a job, give it your best.’ I thought I would stay on for another season and take a call. And once we qualified for the Elite in 2005-06, Saurashtra cricket and I haven’t looked back since.”How did he manage the turnaround? “First, we had to have a basic tournament structure in place,” Mitra said. As a result, he suggested changes to the existing inter-district tournament, and the Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) immediately implemented them. The knockout 50-over tournament between the 14 district teams was tweaked to a league-and-knockout tournament and a three-day inter-district championship was introduced. Fourteen teams were split into Elite and Plate divisions with eight and six teams, respectively. Both the divisions were split in two groups, resulting in every team getting at least four matches of “days cricket” every year.”If you don’t play ‘days cricket’ at all till you are selected for Ranji, you need to learn all the skills of succeeding at first-class level when you’re playing it. And it becomes difficult,” Mitra said. “Even now, I get players who are raw. They have to be taught things like how to bowl around the wicket or how to field close in, but I don’t mind doing it. And I must say that Niranjan has given me a free hand. Not even once has he questioned me on anything on the cricket aspect. And everything that I have asked for has been implemented right away.”All this means that at the age of 64, Mitra has to be on the run for more than eight months a year. His season starts in August, when he conducts a camp for the probables for the preparatory tournaments like the Buchi Babu invitational meet and the Moin-ud-Dowla Gold Cup. From mid-August until March, Room No. 209 at Hotel Suryakant in Rajkot is his home.”It is,” Mitra said, when asked whether it was difficult to be away from home for so long. “But once you’ve made a choice, you’ve got to do it. It’s been 11 weeks since I have been to Kolkata. But I got a refreshing break just before the semi-final when I spent a couple of nights at my son’s house in Mumbai. When I see the team performing like this, all that sacrifice is worth it.”And once Saurashtra completed the win against Punjab in the semi-final, Mitra celebrated like a youngster. When you see him merged into the huddle, giving high-fives to his friends, you realise, “I am their friend” is not merely a statement.Mitra featured in Bengal’s loss to Bombay in 1968-69 Ranji Trophy final – his maiden first-class season – and hoped he wouldn’t be unlucky again, this time as a coach. “I was fortunate to have played in a Ranji final in my first season. I am so happy for Shitanshu that he will eventually get a feel of being in the Ranji final. I just hope that Saurashtra does against Bombay what Bengal couldn’t 44 years ago. If they do, that would be the happiest moment of my cricketing sojourn.”

يلاقي فريق برشلونة الإسباني خصمه آينتراخت فرانكفورت الألماني، مساء اليوم الثلاثاء، ضمن مباريات بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا للموسم الجاري.

ويستقبل برشلونة خصمه آينتراخت فرانكفورت، في إطار مباريات الجولة السادسة لمرحلة الدوري لدوري أبطال أوروبا موسم 2025-2026.

كان برشلونة قد تعرض لهزيمة قاسية من تشيلسي الإنجليزي في الجولة الماضية بدوري أبطال أوروبا، بثلاثة أهداف دون مقابل على ملعب “ستامفورد بريدج”.

ويملك برشلونة في رصيده بـ دوري أبطال أوروبا، 7 نقاط ويحتل المركز الثامن عشر في جدول الترتيب، أما آينتراخت فرانكفورت يتواجد بالمركز 28 ولديه 4 نقاط.

وتعرض برشلونة لهزيمتين خلال مرحلة الدوري، وتعادل في مباراة وحقق الفوز في مواجهتين، وفرانكفورت تعرض للهزيمة في 3 مبارايات بنفس المرحلة، وحقق الفوز في واحدة وتعادل بأخرى. موعد مباراة برشلونة وآينتراخت فرانكفورت اليوم

تنطلق المباراة في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت مصر، الحادية عشر مساءً بتوقيت السعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة برشلونة وآينتراخت فرانكفورت اليوم

تذاع المباراة عبر قناة beIN sports HD 2. معلق مباراة برشلونة وآينتراخت فرانكفورت اليوم

يعلق على المباراة، علي محمد علي.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.

Everton are building something under David Moyes’ wing – again.

Having shaped the Merseysiders into a force of consistency and resilience over a decade of tireless service, the 63-year-old has been back at the helm throughout 2025, with the summer transfer window packaging exciting new talent into the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

However, with Idrissa Gueye set to leave at the end of his contract next year and Tim Iroegbunam yet to prove he has the minerals for a sustained starting role in Moyes’ system, Moyes may look to strengthen his central fold in 2026.

He does boast one of the most dynamic centre-midfielders in the Premier League, though, with this profile something that proved successful for the Scottish manager all those years ago at Goodison Park.

Moyes' best-ever Everton midfielders

Moyes enforces a principled and organised playing style, and energy and industriousness is at its heart. This was true 20 years ago, and it remains a core element of the make-up now.

But pragmatic though Moyes has been tagged at times, he has always pushed for creativity, an attacking dimension coming from the centre and with the capacity to defend strongly.

Tim Cahill embodied this. Not quite a forward, he scored lots of goals. Not quite a central midfielder, the Australian was combative and aggressive.

No player has ever featured more often in a Moyes side than Leon Osman. Not the flashiest, the versatile Englishman played his entire career on the blue half of Merseyside, save for two early-career loan spells as he was making his way.

1.

Leon Osman

345

2.

Tim Cahill

278

3.

Mikel Arteta

209

4.

Lee Carsley

194

5.

Marouane Fellaini

173

Another of Moyes’ mainstays was Mikel Arteta. Look closely and you may trace elements of Moyes’ influence in the Arsenal manager’s drilled and oiled style, merged with the technical genius of Pep Guardiola to shape the Gunners into bona fide contenders at the highest level.

As a player, the 43-year-old was dynamic and intelligent, adding a dimension otherwise unavailable to the Blues team. He is creative on the ball and tenacious against the run of play, once saying he would “go through a brick wall” for Moyes.

Arteta was arguably Moyes’ most trusted lieutenant, the man who helped make it all tick.

Now, the tactician has refashioned his former favourite in the shape of a new Everton star.

Moyes' new version of Arteta

Like Arteta during his Everton prime, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is a versatile midfielder.

The opening months of the 2025/26 campaign have shown the 27-year-old to be a talented and effective midfielder, situated in the centre of the park and tasked with connecting play.

Yet he arrived from Chelsea, for a £28m fee, having played second-fiddle in Enzo Maresca’s team. He was part of last term’s Club World Cup and Conference League-winning squads, but featured only 13 times in the Premier League, starting twice.

But moving to Everton was the perfect thing for a man in the prime of his career. His performances since arriving at the Hill Dickinson prove this, and he is showing too that he can be a “revelation” for multiple clubs, having been hailed as such for his efforts at Leicester by former boss Brendan Rodgers.

Averaging 1.9 key passes and winning 5.3 duels per game this term, as per Sofascore, it’s hard to argue against the success of the signing; Dewsbury-Hall may even be one of the Premier League’s most underrated signings.

Arteta’s clever and imaginative passing was a staple of his game. In this, Dewsbury-Hall could emulate him. Data from FBref shows us that the Englishman ranks among the top 8% of midfielders in the Premier League for passes into the penalty area and the top 8% for progressive passes per 90.

Starting all but one of Everton’s Premier League matches thus far, missing out against Crystal Palace due to suspension, the £90k-per-week talent has shown he has the personality and presence to become Moyes’ next Arteta, instrumental in progressing play and steering Everton away from their pragmatic reputation.

The likes of Jack Grealish and Iliman Ndiaye will more often than not take the headlines, but in Dewsbury-Hall, Moyes has recycled a tried and tested playing style, and it’s already beginning to bear dividends.

Everton's "revelation" could become the biggest loser from Grealish's rise

Jack Grealish’s form at Everton could nudge another star out of Moyes’ best team

ByWill Miller Oct 16, 2025