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Gambhir also said he was not thinking about the team’s “transition and that kind of stuff”

S Sudarshanan11-Nov-20241:32

Gambhir: Rohit and Kohli ‘are still very hungry’

Gautam Gambhir has backed the senior batting duo of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the lead up to the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia, which has gained a lot more significance for the WTC final qualification after India’s 3-0 loss to New Zealand at home. Questions around their form gained momentum after both batters scored only one half-century each in ten innings combined against New Zealand and Bangladesh in the current home season.While Rohit tallied 133 runs in those ten innings with only one score of over 25 to average a mere 13.30, Kohli fared marginally better with 192 runs in as many outings, for an average of 21.33. The fact that India lost a Test series at home for the first time in 12 years, and were whitewashed 3-0 for the first time at home, added to the chatter.”Not at all,” Gambhir shot back at the press conference when asked if there were any concerns around the form of the duo. “I have got no concerns whatever over Virat and Rohit. I think they are incredibly tough men. They’ve achieved a lot for Indian cricket, and they will continue to achieve a lot in future as well. I think for me at the most important thing is that they still working really hard, they are still passionate, they still want to achieve a lot more and that is something which is very important. The hunger in that dressing room is incredibly important for me and for the entire group as well. I feel there’s a lot of hunger, especially after what has happened in the last series.”Related

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Questions around Kohli have been a lot louder compared to those around Rohit, who started the year with two Test centuries, against England in Rajkot and Dharamsala. Kohli had missed that entire series against England and scored his last Test century 16 months ago, in the West Indies. In the last five years, Kohli’s batting graph has seen a significant dip with only two hundreds to his name from 60 innings, at an average of under 32, which has taken his overall Test average down from nearly 55 in November 2019 to 47.83.Since Kohli is 36 and Rohit 37, there have also been raised questions around the inevitable transition of the India Test team. With R Ashwin 38 and Ravindra Jadeja turning 36 next month, Gambhir was asked how he was looking at this phase as the coach, especially since he was part of the earlier cycle of change as a player when the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and others retired.”Look, honestly I’m not even thinking that the team is in transition and that kind of stuff,” Gambhir said. “The only thing that is there at the moment in my mind is we go to Australia to play five Test matches. And I’ve said it that there are some incredibly tough people in that dressing room who have to achieve a lot of good things in the future as well. So you guys can keep talking about the transition and all that stuff. For me, I think they’re still very hungry and till the time they’re very hungry, I’m sure that they’ve got a lot of fire to achieve a lot of success for the nation.1:48

Gambhir: ‘I knew it was going to be a highly difficult job’

“And you should never doubt their passion for the country. So I feel that transition or no transition, those things can happen, and those things will keep happening in Indian cricket, but at the moment it’s the five Test matches that are important.”Looking back, Gambhir accepted India were “outplayed” by New Zealand but were not looking at the WTC scenarios, and banking on the experience in the squad to tackle the challenges of winning a series in Australia.”I am not going to sit here and defend [the loss against New Zealand]; I think we were outplayed in all the three departments,” Gambhir said. “They were more professional and we accept that. And I think the criticism what we are receiving, we take it with both hands and we keep moving forward, keep getting better every day. Three Test matches before, we had an incredible Test match in Kanpur [against Bangladesh]. So I know that we haven’t played our best cricket, but it doesn’t change that Australia is a new series and we go out there thinking that we’re going to definitely try and win that series.”The first and foremost challenge is obviously the conditions. In these ten days, if we can get good, proper preparation before the start of the series, I think we are going to be in a really good shape. And we’ve got a lot of experienced players who’ve been to Australia a lot many times. Their experience will come in handy for the young players as well. These ten days are going to be very crucial but come 22nd morning, I think we should be absolutely ready to fire from ball one.”

Manchester United have now made contact with the agents of a £34m star, who’s “the best in his role in the world”, journalist Orazio Accomando has revealed.

Man Utd lacking cutting edge in attack

Man United’s 2024-25 campaign was one of their worst in modern history, but they still managed to create 400 chances in the Premier League, the sixth-highest total in the top flight.

Those figures suggest that a lack of cutting edge in attack is the real issue, with Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee scoring just seven goals between them, so it is little wonder the Red Devils are now stepping up their pursuit of a new striker.

However, Ruben Amorim may also be keen to relieve the burden of creating chances which currently rests on Bruno Fernandes, with the Portugal international directly involved in just under half of the 44 Premier League goals United scored last season.

As such, an approach has now been made for a new creative midfielder, with Accomando taking to X to reveal Man United have now made contact with the agents of Inter Milan star Hakan Çalhanoğlu, who is looking to leave the Italian club this summer.

The maestro is eager to return to his home country and sign for Galatasaray, but the Turkish champions are unable to offer more than €15m (£13m), with Inter looking to hold out for a figure close to €40m (£34m).

Man Utd now willing to trigger £8m release clause for Casemiro replacement

The Red Devils are prepared to make an offer for a midfielder, who could be brought in to replace Casemiro.

1

By
Dominic Lund

Jul 1, 2025

Fulham have also made contact over a deal for Çalhanoğlu, and if a bidding war breaks out, Galatasaray could find it very difficult to get a deal over the line.

Çalhanoğlu impressing in Serie A for Inter Milan

The 31-year-old has been a regular source of goals and assists for Inter over a number of years, picking up 70 goal contributions in 182 appearances for the Italian club, indicating he could provide support to Fernandes in attack.

However, the Inter and Turkey star has most commonly featured in a deep-lying playmaker role, where he has flourished, according to Turkey manager Vincenzo Montella, who said: “Hakan has been the best in his role in the world in recent years.”

The 2025 Champions League finalist is in doubt over his ability, having also ranked himself alongside some of the world’s best midfielders, saying: “I’m not far from De Bruyne or Modric. Maybe in this period, those who play in the Premier League have more visibility.”

Having never played in the Premier League before, a move to Old Trafford would provide Çalhanoğlu with the opportunity to prove himself as one of the best in the world, although United should be cautious about paying £34m for a 31-year-old.

He said the experience he gained travelling with the squad helped him perform better when he made it to the team

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Aug-2024

Kamindu Mendis’ second-innings 113 for Sri Lanka in their defeat to England in Manchester left him with a batting average of 92.16. It is the second-highest in Test history among players with more than 500 runs, and he explained at Lord’s ahead of Thursday’s second Test that it owes to a simple mantra: “Do basic things, and try to keep calm.”Kamindu made his debut against Australia two years ago, deputising for Dhananjaya de Silva on account of a positive Covid test. He made 61 in an innings win but had to bide his time for another opportunity, eventually returning to the side earlier this year and making twin hundreds against Bangladesh in Sylhet.”I knew that the batting was packed, but what I tried to do was to do as best as I could in the chance that I had,” Kamindu said on Tuesday. “I had to exit the team after that, but I don’t see that as a mistake. You have to take various decisions to balance a team, and I came into that side only because Dhananjaya had Covid. When he returned, I had to make way. That’s fair.”Related

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During his two-year absence, he remained part of the set-up as a squad player and said he had benefited hugely from that experience. “Even though I didn’t get to play, I was in the squad and travelling with the team, pretty much every tour,” he said. “Going on so many tours with experienced players on those tours also helped me play well in my first few innings.”Kamindu edged Chris Woakes behind for 12 in the first innings in Manchester, but made 113 in the second and enjoyed partnerships of 78 and 117 with Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal respectively. “In the first innings, I wasn’t able to score runs. The conditions were challenging,” he said. “It was colder than we expected. We did as well as we could as a team.”I had a lot of support from the others when I went to bat, both Angie and Chandi aiya. I have to mention Chandi in particular, because him playing through that finger injury and putting up runs was vital for the team. He was a big support to me too, to get to 100, and their experience really helped me. They shared what they knew with me in the middle.”He revealed that he has a simple philosophy underpinning his batting – “I do basic things, and try to keep calm in the middle” – and brushed off questions about his average. “What I wanted was to do what I could on the day for the team. That’s really my only goal: to give as much to my team as possible, whether on the batting front, bowling front, or via fielding.”Kamindu had never been to England before this tour, and said that he will fulfil a dream this week: “From when I was little, I had a dream to play a Test at Lord’s,” he said. “It’s not just my dream, I think every player has that target. I’ve been able to get there. If we can win this match, it’ll be even more valuable to us.”

Arsenal have many different transfer plates spinning behind-the-scenes right now, according to reports, with sporting director Andrea Berta attempting to make progress on key summer deals.

Arsenal poised to sign Kepa and Zubimendi amid new striker talks

While there were some concerns that Real Madrid would hijack Arsenal’s move for Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, The Athletic’s David Ornstein moved to reassure supporters this week that the Spain international is firmly on track to join Mikel Arteta’s side.

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He’s pretty keen on a move to north London.

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Emilio Galantini

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The delay in announcing Zubimendi’s capture is apparently down to financial reasons, with Sociedad keen to register the 26-year-old’s sale as part of the next financial year, which commences in July (AS).

Arsenal are poised to sign Zubimendi after months of talks, and barring a late unmitigated disaster, Gunners chiefs consider the deal for him as “done” (David Ornstein).

Berta is also closing in on the signing of Chelsea outcast Kepa Arrizabalaga as their second-choice keeper after missing out on widely reported top target Joan Garcia to Barcelona.

The Spaniard, who was deemed surplus to requirements by Enzo Maresca, is set to finalise a £5 million move from Stamford Bridge, following a productive loan spell at Bournemouth last season.

Kepa’s imminent arrival has been praised by critics too, who call him an “absolute steal”.

“Arsenal have acted really quickly after it became clear that Joan Garcia would not be arriving from Espanyol this summer and have all but wrapped up a really smart piece of business,” said journalist Charles Watts to CaughtOffside.

“Landing a keeper like Kepa for just £5 million is an absolute steal. I’m honestly baffled at how there seems to be some who are questioning it.

“You are talking about a keeper approaching his best years who has plenty of experience and is a senior international. He had a very good season on loan at Bournemouth last season and the season before he helped Real Madrid win the Champions League while he was there.”

Amid these two moves, Arsenal continue working on signing a new striker.

Two names have dominated the headlines – RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres.

Arsenal have been in negotiations with Leipzig over Sesko, but are yet to find an agreement on price, which has perhaps led them to try their hand at an offer for Gyokeres instead.

Arsenal submit "concrete offer" for Viktor Gyokeres

According to Portuguese newspaper Record, Sporting and the Sweden international have received Berta’s opening bid.

The Italian held a summit with Sporting’s general director of football, Bernardo Palmeiro, in Spain earlier this week. During these talks, Arsenal submitted their “first concrete offer” for Gyokeres, which came in at around £55 million including add-ons.

Unfortunately, this is very unlikely to be anywhere near enough, as Sporting president Frederico Varandas confirmed to the media this week that the 27-year-old star striker would not be leaving for nearly £60m.

Gyokeres’ situation in the Primeira Liga is becoming very toxic, with the player uploading a cryptic Instagram post after Varandas’ comments that he would not be blackmailed into selling him.

In his post, Gyokeres addressed the “false” talk regarding his future, potentially aimed at Varandas’ statements to the media.

Having scored 54 goals in all competitions last term, guiding Sporting to their first domestic double in decades, the centre-forward’s future has now turned into a soap opera, and Arsenal could look to take full advantage.

If the north Londoners do make progress in negotiation, it is believed by some media sources that Gyokeres is demanding around £250,000-per-week to join any suitor (The Mirror).

A “superstar” striker, who’s reportedly held talks with Arsenal, has now announced that he’s set to leave his club this summer in an emotional statement.

Andrea Berta set for competitive Arsenal summer transfer window

While the Gunners’ move for Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi appears done and dusted, with the Spain international looking set to become Andrea Berta’s first major signing as sporting director (Fabrizio Romano), Arsenal face stiff competition to sign other players at the top of their transfer wishlist.

Arsenal hold initial talks over signing £202k-a-week Real Madrid star

The Gunners have reached out and made contact.

By
Emilio Galantini

May 14, 2025

Arsenal were believed to be lead contenders to sign Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth, but a plethora of Wednesday evening reports from credible media sources now indicate that Real Madrid are set to pip all Premier League clubs to his signature.

The 20-year-old decided to give priority to Bernabeu switch, with Real moving in and agreeing a deal with Bournemouth to pay his £50 million release clause. Huijsen’s representatives are now in the Spanish capital negotiating with Los Blancos over the defender’s contract, and Xabi Alonso’s side are thought to be on the verge of sealing a full agreement.

This dramatic late swoop from Real, which eventually doomed Arsenal’s chances of signing Huijsen, emphasises why there is a need for Arsenal to show no hesitation in the market and, ideally, strike deals for their most desired targets as soon as possible.

Arsenal are prioritising the signing of a striker, and Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres appears to be a serious target for Berta. However, with Enzo Maresca also on the hunt for a prolific marksman, there are reported fears within Arsenal that Chelsea could hijack their deal for Gyokeres.

Jonathan David announces Lille exit after rumoured Arsenal talks

Another centre-forward who is likely to be courted by a host of top sides, and one who will definitely leave his club, is Lille star Jonathan David.

The “superstar” Canada international has been free-scoring in Ligue 1 since joining them from Gent in a £23 million deal five years ago, bagging 25 strikes in 48 appearances this season, adding to his all-time Lille total of 109.

However, his contract is set to expire this summer, and David’s representatives have reportedly held talks with Arsenal, among other clubs.

The 25-year-old is set to be one of the most coveted free agents of 2025, with David now confirming that he’s set to leave Lille in a statement this week.

“I wanted to tell you myself that after so many years at the club, it’s time to say goodbye,” said the striker on social media, as translated by LW.

“I’ve had five wonderful seasons here. I know that it hasn’t always been easy but I hope that with my goals and celebrations, that I’ve managed to bring you some joy. Notably the Ligue 1 title and the Trophee des Champions and I think that with these two trophies together, we have brought a lot of pleasure and joy.

“I would like to thank all of my teammates, all the coaches, staff, technical and medical teams, the managers and everyone that I have met over the months at the club. Thank you very much for everything you have brought me over these years, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

With David readily available, this could be a very intriguing opportunity for Arsenal, but they’ll have to move in quickly. Even though he can join on a Bosman, journalist Sacha Tavolieri recently claimed the overall cost of a deal could still reach £28 million due to his yearly salary, additional commission fees and signing bonus.

After a week of anxious waiting, today is the day Arsenal could book themselves a place in the Champions League final for only the second time in the club’s history.

However, Mikel Arteta’s men will need to put in the best performance of the season and make amends for their incredibly underwhelming display in the first leg.

In particular, club captain Martin Odegaard will have to show the fans just why he was handed the armband in 2022, as to describe his personal campaign this year as disappointing would be quite an understatement.

The Norwegian has looked like a different, far less effective player for much of it, and there is a chance the club are already looking at their options, with recent reports linking them to a Premier League star who’d be a massive but costly upgrade.

Arsenal transfer news

Given Odegaard’s lacklustre form this year, it’s hardly surprising that, in recent weeks, Arsenal have been linked to a plethora of midfield talents, such as Brahim Diaz and Desire Doue.

Transfer Focus

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

The former is reportedly available for around £51m and has enjoyed a decent enough campaign with Real Madrid, racking up a haul of six goals and seven assists in just 2058 minutes of first-team action.

On the other hand, Doue could cost as much as £86m, but with a staggering tally of 13 goals and 12 assists in 49 appearances for Paris Saint-Germain this season, it would be hard to say he wouldn’t be worth it.

However, given the Gunners’ desperation to win the Premier League next season, they may want someone who already knows the league, which is where Morgan Rogers comes into play.

According to a recent report from Football Transfers, Arsenal are ‘firmly in the race’ to secure the Aston Villa star’s signature in the summer, with Sporting Director Andrea Berta said to be ‘a huge admirer.’

However, the report also claims that Manchester United and Chelsea are interested in the Englishman, while another story from March valued him at a whopping £100m.

It would be an incredibly complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Rogers’ immense ability and potential, it is one well worth fighting for, especially as he’d be a massive Odegaard upgrade.

How Rogers compares to Odegaard

The first thing to say is that while Unai Emery has been playing Rogers on the wing at points this season, his most played and undoubtedly preferred position this season has been attacking midfield.

Therefore, were he to join Arsenal for the fees being banded around, then he’d most certainly do so with the intention of starting every game, in turn putting him up against Odegaard – but who comes out on top?

Well, when it comes down to their raw output this season, it’s Villa’s “machine,” as dubbed by The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell, who comes out on top and quite comfortably at that.

Appearances

51

41

Minutes

4233′

3162′

Goals

14

5

Assists

13

11

Goal Involvements per Match

0.52

0.39

Minutes per Goal Involvement

156.77′

197.62′

For example, in 51 appearances, totalling 4233 minutes, he’s scored 14 goals and provided 13 assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.88 games, or every 156.77 minutes.

In contrast, the Gunners’ captain has scored five goals and provided 11 assists in 41 appearances, totalling 3162 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.56 games, or every 197.62 minutes.

On top of that, the former Manchester City prospect comes out far better when we take a look at some of the other important attacking metrics, such as conversion rate, chances created, and take-ons completed.

Finally, while this isn’t massively important today, the Halesowen-born maestro is four years younger than the former Real Madrid wonderkid, so if Arteta were to bring him in, he might not need to worry about replacing him for the best part of a decade, which could allow the club to focus on other areas of need.

Ultimately, while Odegaard is a talented footballer, Rogers appears to be far superior in most ways, and if Arsenal can sign him this summer, they should do all they can to do it.

Drop him: Arteta must axe £50m Arsenal "warrior" who's as bad as Odegaard

Martin Odegaard isn’t the only underperformer in Arsenal colours.

ByJack Salveson Holmes May 7, 2025

Allrounder is carving his own niche away from attention that comes with Ashes-winning father

Valkerie Baynes26-Mar-2025Archie Vaughan is enjoying the freedom to be his “own man” at Somerset.Vaughan, who turned 19 in December, produced a match-winning performance against Surrey last year in just his second first-class game.Though he doesn’t consider that to be the moment that established him as a player in his own right, independent of his famous father, Michael, he does see an upside to carving out the beginnings of a promising career in a place where his surname carries less weight of expectation.”It’s something that I’ve probably not really thought about before,” Vaughan tells ESPNcricinfo during Somerset’s pre-season media day. “Coming to Somerset where my dad’s not known, I think that’s really helped me just be my own man.”It’s nice obviously putting in a performance like that in a big game, but I think Somerset’s a club where everyone’s treated the same, so it doesn’t matter if you’ve played 200 games or you’ve played four.”We’ve got great friendships and it’s not really about proving yourself. Everyone knows the pressures of cricket and, when you go into the changeroom, it’s trying to be as inclusive and welcoming as possible. That’s what we do.”Vaughan’s connection with Somerset came about, not from any desire to put distance between himself and his father’s Yorkshire roots, but through attending Millfield School, near Glastonbury. From there, he entered the Somerset Academy system and worked his way up.”Before then I wasn’t involved in any major county, it was just Cheshire,” he said. “If I was to stay at home and progress, it probably would’ve gone down the Lancashire route, which is obviously not where my dad went.”It’s definitely not been a conscious thought, but I think I’ve probably recognised some benefits, just him not knowing anyone, I think that’s helped just me get on with my own game.”Vaughan captained England Under-19 in South Africa this winter•Gallo Images/Getty ImagesHe made his Championship debut against Durham last August, having signed his first professional contract in May and already played for Somerset in the One-Day Cup. He ended up playing four first-class matches and seven List A games, averaging 33.71 with the bat in the Championship and taking 15 wickets at 20.13.But it was his 11 wickets against Surrey that drew the most attention. Partnering left-arm spinner Jack Leach to keep Somerset’s title hopes alive, the duo took 20 wickets between them for the match, Vaughan ending with 6 for 102 and 5 for 38 after scoring a first-innings 44 in his primary role as a top-order batter.The England Under-19 captaincy followed at the start of this year in South Africa, where England lost a 50-over series 2-1 before winning the two-match four-day series 1-0.But he remains humble and eager to learn.”I’m very proud of what I’ve done, but trying to manage my expectations for the start of the season to try and get in the team for starters,” Vaughan says. “Then if I do get in the team, trying to stay in and just put performances in to win games of cricket.Related

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“It’s easy to put pressure on myself after having a few good games, but I’m still 19, I’m still young, so trying to manage my expectations is probably going to be the challenge and realising I’m not going to bowl that well every game or even bat – I batted a few nice innings.”So it’s just going to be a challenge, but trying to get in the first team for the first game of the season will be my first goal.”Vaughan only started bowling off-spin during lockdown, in 2020, so Leach is a key source of knowledge that he is keen to keep drawing on.Leach, who took two wickets in three balls to seal victory in the Surrey match, understandably has fond memories of that game too.”It was really special,” Leach recalls. “That game will always live with me and just that last moment, to take that last wicket and then the boys and Archie all running towards me, and to win it right at the end like that, there’s no real better feeling in cricket.”What he did and the temperament he showed as a young player, and someone who was renowned as a batter and then bowled some off-spin, he has shown that he’s much more than that.”His temperament on those wickets, to not put too much pressure on himself, but deliver, was awesome and made my job a lot easier as well. I really enjoyed that partnership.”Vaughan has made an impression in white-ball cricket too•Getty ImagesIt may not be until later in the season that they combine again with the ball. Shoaib Bashir – another mentor for Vaughan – has gone to Glamorgan on loan to increase his opportunities given that Leach remains Somerset’s No.1 spinner, if not England’s, at the moment.And while Vaughan is happy in his batting with just over a week until the start of the Championship season, he says “a few teething problems” in his bowling indicate more volume might be required.But that doesn’t deter him from wanting to do it all. Quite the opposite.”When it comes to training, I do definitely treat myself as an allrounder,” Vaughan says. “I spend probably the same amount on both in terms of skillset. At the minute I think I’m probably a slightly better batter than a bowler but I think that’s just due to my inexperience with the ball.”In terms of length of time, I’m a few years back on my bowling than I am on my batting, so again, it’s managing my expectations. I had a good game here. It’s about realising that it’s not going to be like that every game, it’s not going to come out as I want every game.”Chatting to Leechy and Bash, having these people at the club, it’s definitely a great asset to my bowling.”England Lions host India A in two four-day matches this summer, which could prove another step in Vaughan’s development, although he’s not looking that far ahead.”My main aims and goals are definitely the start of the season here, getting in the team, putting in performances, and if I do well and that comes along then great, but definitely no thoughts, trying to just keep focus here.”

On Tuesday, in a match India had to win, he seemingly batted without any burden of pressure to script a fairly comprehensive win

Deivarayan Muthu09-Aug-20231:53

‘When on song, Suryakumar Yadav a nightmare for bowlers’ – Wasim Jaffer

Suryakumar Yadav cycled through two shots when he faced Akeal Hosein in the second over of India’s chase on Tuesday. He had originally got down low to sweep Hosein, but the left-arm fingerspinner spotted it, shortened his length and hid it wide of off stump. Despite one knee on the floor, Suryakumar manufactured enough strength from his upper body to scythe the ball flat and hard over point.It was a portent for the carnage that was to follow.Suryakumar went on to smash 83 off 44 balls on a slow, two-paced Providence pitch that was designed to negate most batters. But Suryakumar is not most batters. West Indies’ bowling wasn’t particularly bad, and the pitch kept getting slower, but he made the attack look pedestrian, and made Providence look like Wankhede.Related

Suryakumar and Tilak do the chase in a canter to keep the series alive for India

After Suryakumar had manufactured a boundary on the off side from him, Hosein adjusted his line and attacked the stumps. But Suryakumar was ready with the flat sweep, and picked him away – both in front of and behind square. Just like that, Suryakumar broke Hosein’s rhythm.He then went about dismantling the best-laid plans of the seamers too. Obed McCoy had drawn a mis-hit from Yashasvi Jaiswal when he banged the ball into the pitch, but when he tried to dig one into the pitch against Suryakumar, the batter swivelled back, held his shape for long enough, and hooked the ball over midwicket for four. This forced McCoy to dart an on-pace full one on the stumps, which was launched over his head for six.But the most extraordinary shot came off Romario Shepherd in the tenth over of the innings. When Shepherd floated a slower offcutter wide of off, Suryakumar walked across off and played a half-scoop and half-sweep to hit the ball over short fine-leg, despite falling on the floor in the process. shot brought back memories of Rohan Kanhai for Ian Bishop, who was on commentary at the time. Suryakumar’s ball-striking in front of square – and gum-chewing swagger – was more Viv Richards than Kanhai, though.After India kept the series alive with their first win in the T20I series, Suryakumar refused to pinpoint the aspect of the game that pleased him more, and simply put down his 360-degree range to practice.”I think it was really important to be myself when I went into bat in the powerplay,” he said after collecting the Player-of-the-Match award. “That’s what the team and the team management demanded from me – to bat as much as possible. I’m very happy with the way things went. I’ve practiced these strokes a lot when I used to practice back home. I’ve loved doing that, and I just stick to my game and just express myself whenever I get an opportunity.”ESPNcricinfo LtdWith Tilak Varma being a stable presence at the other end, Suryakumar continued to do his thing in an 87-run third-wicket partnership off 50 balls. He eventually holed out in the 13th over, but Tilak ushered India home in their chase of 160 with an unbeaten 49 off 37 balls. Suryakumar, who has also worked closely with Tilak at Mumbai Indians in the IPL, was enthused about Tilak’s knock.”I think we’ve batted together for a long time now,” Suryakumar said. “We both understand how we bat together. It was his day to bat with maturity, and the way he batted gave me a lot of confidence. I told him straightaway, ‘Just because you’re batting, it’s giving me an opportunity to express myself’. So it was a great innings from him at the other end, and a great learning as well.”Having lost back-to-back T20Is, and with the series on the line, Suryakumar conceded that India did feel some pressure in the lead-up to the third game. Perhaps, there was some pressure on him too, considering he wasn’t particularly fluent on sluggish pitches away from home in IPL 2023, and on similar tracks during the ODI leg of the West Indies tour.”It [the pressure] was running in the back of the mind – it’s human tendency – but at the same time, we spoke [about it] in the team meeting yesterday,” Suryakumar said. “Our captain said it was really important for someone to put their hand up and show some character, and it was the perfect game.”But Suryakumar batted without that burden of pressure on Tuesday. He batted as if the world was at his feet.

We look at the reasons behind the selections of Kishan, Chahar, Ashwin, Axar, Varun and Shami

Saurabh Somani09-Sep-20218:24

Chopra: Chahal’s exclusion is shocking

The following nine names were certainties in India’s T20 World Cup squad: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The other six – or nine, counting the reserves – in the final squad had to beat stiff competition, understandably. The pitches in UAE are expected to have a fair bit of wear and tear, so the quality of spin bowling, as well as batting against spin, were deemed crucial. That probably played a part in the selection of Ishan Kishan, Rahul Chahar, R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy and Mohammed Shami.R Ashwin
India have played 63 T20Is since Ashwin last appeared in white-ball cricket at the international level – he played in a T20I against West Indies in July 2017 – but he has been a force in the IPL. With Washington Sundar injured, Ashwin was the foremost offspin option available. Ashwin is a fantastic bowler in powerplays – since IPL 2020, no spinner has taken more wickets than Ashwin’s seven in the powerplay in the competition, and he’s done that while conceding runs at 7.34. He’s been a particular threat against left-hand batters, bowling 70 balls to them in the powerplay since IPL 2020 and conceding runs at just 6.77 against them while averaging 26.33. Finding the right match-ups is key to winning T20 games, and India may decide to play Ashwin against teams with multiple left-handers in the top order.Ashwin’s inclusion means India have five spinners and just three frontline seamers in their squad. Chetan Sharma, the chairman of selectors, explained that was because the pitches were expected to heavily favour spinners. “If the wickets are such that you can only play two fast men, there is no point then to bench (the extra fast bowlers),” he said. “Instead you have utility players who will come in handy at some point in the match and that is why you have spinners and allrounders.”Related

• Shardul Thakur replaces Axar Patel in India's T20 World Cup squad

• India's T20 World Cup squad: R Ashwin picked, MS Dhoni named mentor

• Varun's checklist: IPL playoffs, T20 World Cup

• Men's T20WC: India vs Pakistan on October 24

Ishan Kishan
Kishan became a contender after an impressive international debut against England earlier in the year, in which he smashed a 32-ball 56, and has been picked as a sixth batter ahead of other contenders such as Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Shreyas Iyer [in the reserves] and Sanju Samson because of his versatility. “Kishan can bat as an opener as well as he can fit into the middle order anytime,” Sharma pointed out, while mentioning that Iyer missing the first half of IPL 2021 with injury counted against him.Another thing that went in Kishan’s favour is that he is a left-hander – only the second, along with Pant, among the batters – which means he matches up well against legspinners and left-arm spinners. In picking Kishan, India have got a back-up keeper, a back-up opener, someone who can rotate well against spin in the middle overs (IPL middle-overs strike rate against spinners: 124.45) and can blast off at the death (IPL death overs strike rate against pace: 213.15).Rahul Chahar has impressed with his recent performances•Ishara S.Kodikara/AFP/Getty ImagesRahul Chahar
In terms of numbers, there’s little to separate Chahar from Yuzvendra Chahal, the other leggie who would have been in contention. They are neck-and-neck for wickets, averages and economy rates in the middle overs since IPL 2020. Where Chahal lost out is possibly his recent form: since the start of 2020, he’s played 13 games and taken 11 wickets at 41.36 and an economy rate of 8.92. Chahar has played just four T20Is in that time, but his average (18.33) and economy (7.33) have been markedly better. Sharma pointed to the greater rip and speed Chahar imparts on the ball as reasons for his inclusion. “You want a spinner who can deliver with more speed,” Sharma said. “Recently we have seen Rahul Chahar bowling with speed. The selectors’ view was we need a spinner who can find the grip off the surface on the wickets and deliver with slightly more speed, and while we had a lot of discussion on Chahal, we eventually went with Rahul Chahar.”Axar Patel
While he’s a natural back-up for Ravindra Jadeja, Patel is not just there as cover for one player. His all-round skills and bowling nous mean he can fit a variety of roles. His overall economy rate since IPL 2020 has been 6.55, with only two spinners going better than him, Rashid Khan and Washington, and Patel’s wicket-taking ability has been much better than Washington’s, with 15 wickets at 29.26. Left-arm spinners are traditionally more vulnerable to left-hand batters, but Patel’s economy against them is 6.83, far superior to any other left-arm spinner since IPL 2020. His batting is also potent. He’s hit at a strike rate of 190.47 from Nos. 8 to 11 since IPL 2020, clear of the other lower-order candidates India had to choose from.Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy could be an X-factor•Sri Lanka CricketVarun Chakravarthy
Varun’s variations and unorthodox grips and releases set him apart from the other spinners in the pack. With India picking Chahar as the legspinner, two left-arm spinners and Ashwin, he could be the X-factor. Varun has made himself a contender through the IPL, in which he is among the top five wicket-taking spinners since 2020 in the powerplay as well as the middle overs. He can bowl to right or left-hand batters comfortably and maintains a good economy rate too. Most of the sides in India’s group don’t have too many batters in the IPL, so they would not have had a chance to work out Varun. As Sharma put it, “The world doesn’t know what Varun Chakravarthy is. If we ourselves cannot understand (how to read him) what will the batsman know?”Mohammed Shami
Shami fits the bill as a back-up pacer to either Bumrah or Bhuvneshwar because, like both of them, he can bowl in the powerplay as well as at the death. Bowling at the death is probably what gave him an edge over Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur [both in the reserves], who have had greater success up top. Shami has got 14 death-over wickets since IPL 2020, which is the same as Deepak Chahar, Thakur and Mohammed Siraj combined. He can move the ball both ways, as he’s shown ample times in the past, and as a bonus, he has the undefinable ability to be unplayable regardless of format when he gets into his rhythm.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Vasco tem sido salvo por um herói improvável nos dois últimos jogos. Trata-se de Lucas Piton. O lateral-esquerdo marcou os gols para evitar as derrotas para o Água Santa e para o Nova Iguaçu.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFutebol NacionalConsórcio Maracanã critica comportamento do Vasco: ‘Vitimização’Futebol Nacional14/03/2024Fora de CampoNova Iguaçu x Vasco: Eric Faria rebate argumento de torcedores sobre o MaracanãFora de Campo14/03/2024VascoClayton exalta o tamanho da torcida do Vasco: “Um dos maiores desafios da minha carreira”Vasco14/03/2024

➡️ Tudo sobre o Gigante agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Vasco

No entanto, Piton rejeita este rótulo de herói e prefere atribuir os resultados ao conjunto do Vasco. Foi neste sentido que o lateral-esquerdo falou após o empate com o Nova Iguaçu.

No próximo jogo a gente vai buscar a classificação para a final. Não me vejo herói porque é o time todo. Nosso time trabalha para vencer todos os jogos

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pontou Lucas Piton

Lucas Piton não é um jogador alto, já que só tem 1,75cm. Só que o adversário não conta com que o jogador cruz-maltino vá aparecer como elemento surpresa dentro da zaga. Os dois últimos gols do lateral-esquedo foram marcados de cabeça.

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As grandes atuações de Piton com a camisa do Vasco geram até mesmo brincadeiras nas redes sociais. Os vascaínos costumam dizer que o lateral-esquerdo “não cruza, faz amor”.

Em termos numéricos, além de ser o vice-artilheiro do Vasco, Lucas Piton é o lateral-esquerdo da Série A com mais gols em 2024.

🗒️ VEJA MAIS NÚMEROS DE LUCAS PITON EM 2024:
⚔️ 11 jogos
⚽ 3 gols (2 de cabeça)
🅰️ 1 assistência
✅ 35% de acerto no cruzamento
🔑 22 passes decisivos
💨 19 dribles certos

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O Vasco volta a entrar em campo neste domingo (17). O Cruz-Maltino faz o segundo jogo da semifinal do Campeonato Carioca e precisa vencer o Nova Iguaçu para avançar à final. A bola rola às 16h, no Maracanã.

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Lucas PitonVasco