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Three cricketers from Pakistan and one from England represent the overseas contingent

Mohammad Isam08-Feb-20251. Mohammad Naim, 511 runs, 143.94 SR, 1×100, 3x50sNaim is arguably Bangladesh’s most in-form T20 batter this season. He got going with 316 runs, the highest in the NCL T20s, before topping the BPL batting charts. Naim looked comfortable clearing the circle during the powerplays, almost against all attacks. Naim showed more awareness around the wicket and became the second Bangladeshi to score 500 runs in a BPL season. His 511 runs is just short of Najmul Hossain Shanto’s 516 runs in the 2022-23 season.2. Tamim Iqbal, 413 runs, 129.06 SR, 4x50s (capt)Tamim got into his stride in Fortune Barishal’s third game with an unbeaten 86. It was the first of his four fifties, and although he batted with less risk than most of his innings last year, his team earned regular good starts. Tamim saved his best of the tournament for the final, bashing a 24-ball fifty and paved the way for a big chase. This is the sixth time that Tamim has been selected in ESPNcricinfo’s BPL XI.3. Zakir Hasan, 389 runs, 140.43 SR, 3x50sZakir was Sylhet Strikers’ only shining light this season. The left-hand batter went after Rangpur Riders in their second game, hitting four sixes in a 38-ball half-century. Zakir then struck back-to-back fifties in Sylhet, against Khulna and Dhaka. His unbeaten 75 against Khulna had half a dozen sixes. Zakir couldn’t finish the BPL on a high note with little support from the other Sylhet batters.4. Graham Clark, 431 runs, 153.38 SR, 1×100, 1x50The Durham batter joined Chittagong slightly late, but he hit the ground running immediately. He struck 40 and 39 in his first two innings, following it up with 60 (against Dhaka Capitals) and 101 (against Khulna Tigers). It was only Clark’s second T20 century, striking seven fours and six sixes in 50 balls. Clark didn’t hit any more fifties, but often gave Chittagong good starts. He got struck on the face during the second qualifier, but finished the tournament with 44 off 23 in the final.Graham Clark is the non-Asian in the BPL XI of the season•Chittagong Kings5. Khushdil Shah, 298 runs and 17 wicketsKhushdil was Rangpur Riders’ fulcrum during the league phase, hitting two fifties and scoring at 175.29 in ten innings. He also took 17 wickets at a 9.94 average, the most wickets for a spinner in this season’s BPL. He started the campaign with a 23-ball unbeaten 46 against Dhaka, before slamming quickfire knocks against Barishal, Khulna and Chittagong. His unbeaten 73 against Khulna was his highest, while he struck seven sixes in his 59 off 28 balls against Chittagong. His run coincided with his return to the Pakistan ODI side after three years, when he was picked for the Champions Trophy.Related

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6. Mahidul Islam Ankon (wk), 316 runs and seven dismissalsBatting down the order meant fewer opportunities, but Ankon made the best use of his liminted chances. He opened Khulna Tigers’ campaign with a superb unbeaten 59 off 22 balls, including six sixes against Chittagong. He had 200-plus strike-rate in two other innings, generally batting in the high 150s for the rest of the tournament. His wicketkeeping was steady and gave Khulna all-round stability in the season.7. Faheem Ashraf, 20 wickets at 13.90, best 5/7Ashraf last played ODIs in September 2023, and now returns to the Pakistan Champions Trophy squad after a productive BPL season. He took 20 wickets including a five-wicket haul against Sylhet. He also had three-wicket hauls against Chittagong and Dhaka. Faheem was also fairly miserly, conceding at just 7.12 per over throughout the campaign. Champions Barishal didn’t have Faheem for the back-end of their campaign.8. Aliss Al Islam, 15 wickets at 21.06 avg, best 3/17Regarded as the only mystery bowler in Bangladesh’s domestic cricket, Aliss was in top form. He conceded runs at 6.32 per over throughout the tournament, picking up 15 wickets. He took 3 for 17 against Rajshahi to get Chittagong their first win. He continued to bowl very well in the powerplay. Aliss also had a great role with the bat in the second qualifier, hitting the match-winning boundary to take Chittagong to the final. He missed out on the big game due to an ACL injury.Taskin Ahmed returned 7 for 19, a BPL record, in a game this season•Durbar Rajshahi9. Taskin Ahmed, 25 wickets at 12.04, best 7/19Taskin finished the BPL by picking up the most wickets in a season. His 25 scalps beat Shakib Al Hasan’s record of 23 wickets in the 2018-19 season. He started off with a seven-wicket haul, only the third such figure in T20 history. He had only two wicketless matches, and later led the troubled Durbar Rajshahi side when they changed the captain. Taskin showed great leadership on and off the field. It was also his bowling that kept Rajshahi in the hunt in most contests.10. Khaled Ahmed, 20 wickets at 20.10, best 4/31Khaled was Chittagong’s best bowler during the competition, taking 20 wickets. He was tied in second place with Aakif Javed and Faheem Ashraf. He started expensively, but then imbibed coach Shaun Tait’s simple messages as he started to bowl with more control. He took 3 for 21 against Dhaka, before his four-wicket haul against Sylhet. He went wicketless in the BPL final, but Khaled gave a wholehearted effort.11. Akif Javed, 20 wickets at 14.30, best 4/32It was Javed’s second BPL season, but this time he really entered the limelight. The left-arm fast bowler hailing from Kohat hasn’t played for Pakistan, but Javed looks close to a national call-up. This time in the BPL, he came into his own in three matches that got him ten wickets. He took 3-29, 4-32 and 3-23 against Khulna, Chittagong and Rajshahi in the middle of the tournament. When Rangpur rang in the changes in the Eliminator match, Javed survived among the existing overseas contingent.

Should Celtic re-appoint Ange Postecoglou to replace Brendan Rodgers?

Well, the Australian did enjoy great success during his two seasons in Glasgow, winning five trophies, meaning he may remain the club’s most universally popular manager of the modern era.

However, following an ill-fated 39 days stint in charge of Nottingham Forest, reports suggest that Postecoglou is not looking to jump straight back into management, while his record at Tottenham and the City Ground, Europa League triumph aside, would be causes for concern, suggesting he may not be the dream candidate some supporters believe him to be.

Instead, should they target “one of the best coaches” around in a move reminiscent of what occurred in the year 2000?

Martin O'Neill's Celtic career

On Monday evening, when news of Rodgers’ resignation was announced, Celtic also confirmed that Martin O’Neill would be placed in interim charge, working alongside Shaun Maloney.

This is the 73 year old’s first managerial position since an Ange-esque 19 game stint at Nottingham Forest in 2019 and, having been in charge of the Republic of Ireland for five years before that, he hasn’t truly been a club manager since leaving Sunderland in 2013.

He did make a winning start to life back in the dugout, overseeing a 4-0 demolition of Falkirk in the Premiership on Wednesday night, with Johnny Kenny bagging a brace, while Benjamin Nygren and Sebastian Tounekti were also on target.

Sunday’s League Cup semi-final against fierce rivals Rangers at Hampden should be a significantly tougher assignment, but O’Neill certainly has pedigree when it comes to winning Old Firm games.

The Irishman began his managerial career in the ’90s with very impressive stints in charge of Wycombe Wanderers and Leicester City, gaining promotion in charge of both, before winning two League Cups with the Foxes.

This earned him the Celtic job in 2000, viewed very much as a left-field choice at the time, but this proved to be a masterstroke.

Prior to his arrival, Rangers had won 11 of the last 12 Scottish titles, but O’Neill won the league in three of his first four seasons as well as leading Celtic to the UEFA Cup Final in 2003, ultimately defeated by José Mourinho’s Porto at the Cartuja in Seville.

Not since Jock Stein has a Celtic manager been so successful in Europe, with O’Neill also winning 13 of his 24 Old Firm games, while he also boasts the best win percentage of any permanent Hoops boss in history, before even including Wednesday’s win.

Martin O’Neill

283

75.6%

Ange Postecoglou

113

73.5%

Neil Lennon

335

70.7%

Jock Stein

761

69.6%

Brendan Rodgers

292

68.8%

Gordon Strachen

195

64.6%

Willie Maley

1,617

64.4%

Ronny Deila

118

63.6%

Billy McNeill

455

60%

David Hay

209

56.9%

Tommy Burns

140

55.7%

Liam Brady

126

54%

Jimmy McGrory

843

49.7%

Note: minimum 100 matches in charge.

O’Neill will be hoping to improve that win ratio further, for however long he remains in the dugout, although that won’t be easy, with games against Rangers and then Midtjylland in Herning next on the agenda.

So, should Celtic appoint someone who is reminiscent of when O’Neill first arrived a quarter of a century ago?

Celtic could appoint 'one of the best coaches' in England

Of all the people reportedly in contention to become Celtic manager, Nicky Hayen, Craig Bellamy, Robbie Keane, Kjetil Knutsen and others, would Kieran McKenna represent the biggest coup?

Manager Focus

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Sky Sports has reported that the Ipswich Town boss is a name whom the Celtic hierarchy are ‘very keen on’, although it remains to be seen if he would leave mid-season – while a reported £5m get-out clause could also prove prohibitive.

Just 39 years old, the Northern Irishman has been in coaching since 2009, employed by Tottenham and Manchester United as a youth coach and scout, before working alongside José Mourinho and then Ole Gunnar Solskjær as an assistant at Old Trafford.

Solskjær spoke glowingly about McKenna, describing him as “the most thorough and analytical… process-driven coach that I’ve worked with”, while fellow ex-Man United great Nicky Butt agrees, labelling him “one of the best coaches I’ve ever seen on the grass”.

His reputation earned him his first head coach role at Ipswich, enjoying unparalleled success in Suffolk, guiding the Tractor Boys to back-to-back promotions, leading them back into the Premier League for the first time since 2002, even if they were relegated straight away.

A mixed start to this EFL Championship campaign has the Blues 12th, but there is still firm belief that, with McKenna in charge, the East Anglian-based outfit will be promotion contenders.

In fact, despite taking a battering pretty much every week in the Premier League last season, only Mick O’Brien in the ’30s and Sir Alf Ramsey have a better win percentage of any Ipswich boss in history.

As outlined by the Coaches Voice, McKenna favours a ‘short-passing style’ with width provided by attacking full-backs, allowing wingers to drift inside, concluding that this approach should take him ‘ to the top of the game as a coach’, something that would suit how Celtic have played in the past and their current squad.

Also, as documents, McKenna’s history working with youth teams means he is more than willing to bring through younger players, helping Omari Hutchinson and others realise their true potential at Portman Road.

So, while his lack of experience, and poor Premier League record, with an admittedly weak squad, are causes for concern, the Celtic board must be bold, rather than churning through the same three of four faces.

If Neil Lennon wasn’t currently Dunfermline Athletic manager, he’d almost certainly be in the dugout; the Pars face Scott Brown’s Ayr United on Friday, winner gets the Celtic job anyone?

On a serious note, when O’Neill arrived in 2000, this was off the back of work with Wycombe and Leicester largely in the EFL, so who is to say McKenna could not do something similar, as he would certainly bring a freshness and new ideas to a club going a bit stale.

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As good as Kenny: Celtic star who won 10 duels is already undroppable

This Celtic star who was as good as Johnny Kenny is now undroppable for Martin O’Neill.

ByDan Emery Oct 30, 2025

In one of the most high-profile releases in IPL history, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have decided to let go of their star allrounder Andre Russell ahead of the auction for IPL 2026.Russell has been a constant for the franchise since IPL 2014 and was among five players retained by the franchise ahead of the 2025 mega auction. Though Russell had cost KKR INR 12 crore, releasing him has given the franchise an additional INR 18 crore for the auction, since he was Player 1 in KKR’s list of retainees last year, worth INR 18 crore, and that amount gets credited to the team’s purse now.A bona fide T20 great, Russell is also an IPL GOAT. Only two players in IPL history have scored over 2000 runs and picked 100 wickets. One of them – Russell – has been released, and the other – Ravindra Jadeja – has been traded, making the 2026 retention window among the most headline-making ones.Related

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While the development will surprise many, including KKR fans, the franchise had deliberated releasing Russell ahead of the 2025 mega auction before deciding to stall that call. Russell, who is 37, had retired from international cricket in July, having only played the T20 format after the 2019 World Cup.Russell, who was the Player of the Tournament in IPL 2019, was part of the KKR’s title-winning teams in 2014 and 2024. Russell also won 16 Player-of-the-Match awards at KKR and is only behind the other KKR great Sunil Narine. A powerful batter who is known to take bowlers apart, especially in death overs, Russell has hit the joint-seventh most sixes (223) in the IPL.It is understood that more than one franchise sought out Russell in trade. KKR, though, will have the biggest purse, INR 64.30 crore, at the auction and could look to even buy him back. The teams will also pay attention to Russell’s form in the 2025 season. With the bat in ten innings, Russell hit 167 runs at a strike rate of 163.72, including a 50. His bowling numbers, though, were under par: eight wickets in nine innings at an average of 27.12 and an economy of 11.94.

Though a top-tenner for the best part of the last decade, Rohit has never been the top-ranked batter in the 50-over format before

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Oct-2025Rohit Sharma has become the No. 1-ranked ODI batter following his innings of 73 and 121 not out in the second and third games in the series in Australia, which India lost 2-1.The two knocks took Rohit up from third spot to the top for the first time in his career after being in the top ten for large periods over the past decade. The century, in particular, boosted Rohit’s points and took him past Ibrahim Zadran and Shubman Gill.Rohit wasn’t the only India cricketer to gain after the three-ODI series in Australia, with Axar Patel rewarded for a strong all-round performance. He took a wicket in each of the three ODIs and chipped in with scores of 31 and 44 in the first and second games. That took him up six places on the bowlers’ table to No. 31, and up four spots to No. 8 on the allrounders’ table.Full rankings tables

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Within the respective top tens, Mitchell Santner moved up three rungs to fourth place following the first two ODIs against England, and Josh Hazlewood moved up two spots to eighth among the bowlers.Elsewhere, following the shared two-Test series between Pakistan and South Africa, Keshav Maharaj gained nine places to a career-high rating, and the 13th place, on the bowlers’ list. While Maharaj picked up nine wickets in the only Test he played, his team-mate Simon Harmer had 13 wickets from the two Tests and moved up 26 spots to No. 45.For South Africa, Aiden Markram (up two spots to 15th) and Tony de Zorzi (up seven places to joint 47th) also gained on the Test batters’ table.

His batting suffered after he became the all-format captain. But now he once again has the freedom to express himself as a batter

Mohammad Isam29-Jun-2025Najmul Hossain Shanto was asked to steer the Bangladesh team away from a high-profile feud. He ended up leading the cricket team amid a political upheaval, where he saw both sides of the coin. He tried to quit the captaincy once, but was talked out of it. Eight months later, when he finally stepped down as Test captain following the Sri Lanka series, Bangladesh lost out on a good leader on and off the field. Still, one can’t help but say that Shanto’s exit as captain is a blessing for him and the team. After a 19-month tumult, he can now focus solely on his batting and try to reprise his 2023 form.Bangladesh need arguably their best batter of this generation to get them runs regularly. Shanto spent much of his captaincy dealing with a lot of things out of his control. He is much better off playing drives down the ground and through covers.As captain, Shanto was caught up in an intriguing world, one that was thankless. The last straw was the BCB sacking him as the ODI captain when he had big plans about leading the team for the next few years. Shanto’s captaincy was a breath of fresh air but it is he who now needs to breathe freely as a batter.Related

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• Settled SL meet a Bangladesh in transition for ODI series opener

• Shanto steps down as Test captain after series loss against SL

• Shanto wants to step down as captain after South Africa Tests

• Shakib absence 'unfortunate', but Shanto wants Bangladesh to focus on cricket

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Although the BCB bosses said Shanto’s decision caught them off guard, Shanto had followed the correct procedure. He informed the necessary personnel about his decision some time ago, before announcing at the end of the Test series. It was the natural endpoint for such an announcement.Shanto didn’t want to wait too long to tell the public after making up his mind about the captaincy. This was a rational decision with an ODI series, under new captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz, less than a week away. Shanto also could have waited till the end of the Sri Lanka tour but things change fast in Bangladesh cricket.Mehidy Hasan Miraz has replaced Shanto has ODI captain•BCBHad Shanto waited till then, his resignation could have had many more interpretations. Had he resigned after the first Test in Galle, his twin centuries could have been seen as a fitting reply to the BCB, given the way the board’s treatment regarding his ODI captaincy. But he waited till the end of the series.Shanto, like every Bangladeshi cricketer, is aware of the climate in which he operates. The BCB has a long history of sacking captains. On most occasions, it is done without informing the captain. It is preceded or followed by a media trial. It takes a mental toll on the cricketer, as many would vouch.Shanto experienced the sacking just a couple of weeks ago. The following day, when Mehidy was at his first press conference as the new ODI captain, there was a question about the BCB’s treatment of Shanto, and whether he is also prepared for such a fate.”We always work with that sort of thing at the back of our mind,” Mehidy said.

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Shanto, though, showed that BCB’s mismanagement wasn’t going to be a distraction, with his twin centuries. Rain prevented Bangladesh’s push for victory on the final day, but Shanto walked away with his head held high. It was a display of his wide-ranging ability and overall quality.Mushfiqur Rahim and Najmul Hossain Shanto has a long partnership in the first innings in Galle•Getty ImagesShanto dominated the 264-run fourth-wicket stand with Mushfiqur Rahim in the first innings. It was a counterattack after Bangladesh had lost three early wickets. He drove the ball, at times uppishly early on, before switching to horizontal bat shots, particularly the sweep, against the Sri Lanka spinners.Shanto’s strike rotation was just as impressive as his ability to find boundaries, something he has done in many innings during the last 18 months. His partnership with Mushfiqur was an example for the dressing room of how senior batters should stand up in the hour of need. With his unbeaten 125 in the second innings, he became the second fastest from Bangladesh to reach seven Test hundreds, in 68 innings.

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Shortly before the 2023 ODI World Cup, with then-incumbent captain Shakib Al Hasan rested, Shanto captained Bangladesh in a one-off match against New Zealand. It was a volatile time in the Bangladesh team with Shakib and Tamim Iqbal at loggerheads. There was so much bitterness that the BCB decided it was time to start with a clean break in the leadership group.Coach Chandika Hathurusinghe had backed Shanto for full-time captaincy•BCBShakib’s finger injury in the World Cup made it easier for the board to pivot towards Shanto as the Test captain for the New Zealand series in November 2023. Shanto started with a century and led Bangladesh to their first home Test win against New Zealand. He also impressed in the following white-ball series in New Zealand, where Chandika Hathurusingha said he would back Shanto as the full-time captain.Bangladesh, though, had a bit of a nightmare when the USA beat them 2-1 in a T20I series before the 2024 T20 World Cup. They managed to reach the Super Eights, but performances were unconvincing. Their exit, when they dithered in a shortened chase against Afghanistan, left fans irate. Shanto scored 112 runs in seven games at a strike rate of 95.72, with many calling for his sacking.Bangladesh, however, bounced back in August last year when they beat Pakistan 2-0 in the Test series. Shanto made only 58 runs but was widely praised for the way he handled the team on and off the field, particularly in the immediate aftermath of a regime change back home. Shanto strived to keep the team’s focus on cricket.The prevailing volatility, though, caught up with the cricket team. Shanto was found himself in the middle of the Shakib selection dilemma shortly before the home Tests against South Africa in October. Shakib ultimately couldn’t reach Bangladesh to play the series, which left Shanto disappointed.Shanto led Bangladesh to a 2-0 Test series win in Pakistan•Associated PressShanto’s frustration reached a point when he mulled leaving the Bangladesh captaincy during the South Africa series. The BCB president Faruque Ahmed talked him out of it after a long meeting.When Shanto had a hamstring injury a couple of weeks later, there was a first glimpse of the new leaders in Mehidy (Tests and ODIs) and Litton Das (T20Is). Bangladesh won a Test in the West Indies under Mehidy, and Litton led them to a 3-0 win in the T20Is. The BCB duly noted the two captaincy candidates.

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Shanto didn’t bat particularly badly as the Bangladesh captain, but not having to think about the captaincy henceforth should allow him to fulfil his batting potential. His main reference point will be the 12 months prior to his first match as Bangladesh captain.He was averaging 40-plus in Tests and ODIs and had played several match-winning knocks in T20Is. It began with the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, where he was Bangladesh’s top run-getter. It was followed by four match-winning knocks against England at home. Then came centuries against Ireland and Afghanistan, followed by a superb ton against Afghanistan in the 2023 Asia Cup.Neither Shanto nor Bangladesh had a great time at the 2024 T20 World Cup•ICC/Getty ImagesAfter he took over the captaincy in all three formats by early 2024, his batting also suffered. But now he once again has the freedom to express himself fully as a batter.Apart from looking at his own performances in the 2022-23 period, Shanto can also take advice from Mushfiqur, who has had a productive post-captaincy career. Since his Test captaincy, Mushfiqur has averaged 42.60 in 40 Tests, with five of his seven 150-plus scores coming in this period. He had similar success in ODIs as well after his captaincy period was over.This is Shanto’s chance to step up his game and join the likes of Aiden Markram, Rishabh Pant and Ben Duckett, who are all from the same Under-19 batch as Shanto. More importantly, an unburdened Shanto will be hugely beneficial to the Bangladesh team. They have lost some big names in the last 12 months, and don’t have any other young batter who has been consistent.Shanto could be the lynchpin of Bangladesh’s batting for the next ten years. Hope the BCB realises that and lets him do his job.

Chelsea star Keira Walsh claimed that she loves to set up goals more than scoring them but she has changed her 'mindset' under pressure from team-mates and manager Sonia Bompastor. After spending two-and-a-half seasons at European giants Barcelona, the English midfielder returned to her home in February 2025 as the Women's Super League winners signed her.

Shift in Walsh's position in new season

Walsh, who is one of the best defensive midfielders in the world at the moment, operated in a deep role after signing for the Blues earlier this year. However, since the start of the 2025-26 campaign, Walsh has been deployed in a more advanced position, which is allowing her to contribute more to the team's attack. The change in position also helped her score her first-ever Chelsea goal last month as Walsh's solitary strike helped her club beat Tottenham Hotspur 1-0.

In the seven Women's Super League matches Walsh played last season, she had only one shot on goal. Compared to that, in the eight matches she has played this season, the midfielder already has 14 shots to her name. 

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'I've always preferred playing the assist'

Speaking to , Walsh opened up on her change of role, revealing that her team-mates and coaches have played a role in her development. 

"It's maybe not position and playing further forward, but Sonia and Cami [Abily, Chelsea's assistant manager] are always telling me to shoot, and it was the same when I played at Barca," she said. "The girls were always encouraging me. For myself, I've always preferred playing the assist or the assist before the assist. That's something that I've always liked doing.

"It was about me changing my mindset a little bit and still trying to help the team in that respect – maybe it is taking a shot more, and sometimes I was probably overplaying a little bit. It's feeling more confident, and Sonia and Cami really encouraged me to do that. Not a lot of central defensive midfielders do, apart from [Moises] Caicedo. The way I play defensive midfield it is more about breaking lines and trying to break presses, and contributing a little bit more in attack. I'm not known for my big tackles, although I am working on that. When it opens up, Sonia's encouraged me to take the ball forward, and if I feel like a shot is on, then it's being free to do that."

Walsh aiming 'to be in the right place at the right time'

Walsh added: "In the position I play, a lot of it will be on the second phase or drop-downs, and maybe from set-pieces with the drop-downs there as well. It's trying to be in the right place at the right time. I'm not as good as Sam Kerr at that, but recently, I feel like I've been lucky with where the ball has landed and opened up for a shot. Previously, I would have tried to make a pass in the box, and with a lot of bodies around, it's not ideal. Cami is always going on at me to shoot, whether it's right foot or left foot. The left foot's not so great, so I try not to do that too much."

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Getty Images SportInjury blow for Chelsea ahead of Liverpool

Blues boss Bompastor has confirmed that star goalkeeper Hannah Hampton has been ruled out of action for a few weeks due to a quad injury. Speaking ahead of Chelsea's clash against Liverpool on Sunday, the manager said: "Hannah won't be here. She picked up a quad injury. She will be out for a few weeks. We'll see if we see her before the end of the year but I'm not sure. It could be the case, yes."

He is understood to have hurt his hand during a first-division club game in Chennai last Sunday

Deivarayan Muthu15-Aug-2025Tamil Nadu captain R Sai Kishore will miss the pre-season Buchi Babu tournament with injury but is hopeful of recovering in time for the Duleep Trophy, which is set to begin in Bengaluru on August 28.It’s understood that Sai Kishore had hurt his hand while intercepting a drive from M Shahrukh Khan in his follow-through during a first-division club game at the Guru Nanak college ground in Chennai last Sunday.Related

Prithvi Shaw set for Maharashtra debut in Buchi Babu Tournament

Tilak Varma to lead South Zone in Duleep Trophy

Sai Kishore, 28, is part of the South Zone squad that will start its campaign on September 4 at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.In the absence of Sai Kishore, Pradosh Ranjan Paul will take over as captain of the TNCA President’s XI in the Buchi Babu tournament, with C Andre Siddarth as his deputy. Paul had initially been named captain of the TNCA XI, but Shahrukh will now take charge of that side after the reshuffle.Sai Kishore’s injury has depleted Tamil Nadu’s spin stocks in the build-up to their domestic season. Fellow left-arm spinner S Ajith Ram, who was the third-highest wicket-taker in the 2023-24 Ranji season, is also injured while M Siddarth has been moved from the TNCA President’s XI to the TNCA XI due to personal commitments.Sai Kishore had tuned up for the red-ball domestic season by playing county cricket for Surrey and one match for his club team upon returning to Chennai. Last month, he took 11 wickets across two matches for Surrey, including a five-wicket haul against Durham, which helped his side take a key step towards their retention of the Rothesay County Championship.Seam-bowling allrounder RS Ambrish and fast bowler D Deepesh, who had played for India Under-19s in England, have also been named in the two Tamil Nadu Buchi Babu squads.The TNCA XI will face a Mumbai side featuring Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan and his brother Musheer from August 18 at the Gojan ground in the outskirts of Chennai.SquadsTNCA President’s XI: Pradosh Ranjan Paul (capt), C Andre Siddarth (vice-capt), B Indrajith, Vijay Shankar, R Vimal Khumar, S Radhakrishnan, S Lokeshwar, G Ajitesh, J Hemchudeshan, RS Ambrish, CV Achyuth, H Trilok Nag, P Saravana Kumar, P Vidyuth and K Abhinav.TNCA XI: M Shahrukh Khan (capt), Boopathi Vaishna Kumar (vice-capt), B Sachin, M Siddharth, Tushar Raheja, Kiran Karthikeyan, S Mohamed Ali, S Rithik Easwaran, SR Athish, S Lakshay Jain, DT Chandrasekar, P Vignesh, R Sonu Yadav, D Deepesh, J Prem Kumar, A Esakkimuthu and TD Lokesh Raj

Out-of-favour Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo has picked his favourite destination after as many as 12 clubs made transfer enquiries for the young English star. Mainoo is desperate for an escape route from Old Trafford after failing to accumulate enough game time under Ruben Amorim this season as the Portuguese coach prefers Bruno Fernandes in the central midfield role alongside Casemiro.

Mainoo picks favourite destination

According to the, a dozen top European clubs have shown interest in signing Mainoo on loan in the January transfer market, however, the midfielder has picked Serie A champions Napoli as his preferred next destination. The England international's move to Italy is now dependent on whether the Red Devils give the green light to the transfer in the upcoming winter window.

AdvertisementAFPNapoli a perfect destination for Mainoo to revive career

Napoli, who are currently fighting to retain their Serie A crown, have seen their midfield dismantled by a cruel run of injuries. The latest blow was the high-grade lesion to Frank Anguissa's thigh, sustained on international duty, which will keep him out for the foreseeable future. This fresh setback comes on top of the long-term absence of Manchester City legend De Bruyne, who suffered a serious muscle tear in October. 

With Stanislav Lobotka also working on his fitness issues, manager Antonio Conte is left with a skeleton crew in the middle of the park. The Italian coach is aware that relying solely on Scott McTominay and fringe players like Michael Folorunsho is not sustainable if the club are to compete on multiple fronts, making a January reinforcement an absolute necessity.

With the scarcity of quality midfielders, Mainoo will surely enjoy a lot of game time in Italy and will also benefit from playing under a seasoned head coach like Conte, which could prove to be a huge learning opportunity for the youngster.

Scholes feels Mainoo getting ruined at United

With Mainoo growing 'deeply frustrated' with his lack of game time, Amorim recently addressed the media to speaking about the 20-year-old's situation at Old Trafford as he said: "I see him as a starter like the other players. I just have to make a choice and then in the end, it's not been Kobbie. In the future, I don't know. Again, I always think the same thing with Casemiro. (He) was not playing and then he plays. I just want to win games. I don't care who is playing.

"I see it. I just want to win, I try to put the players, I don't look who it is, I don't care about that, I'm just trying to put the best players on the pitch. You have Manuel Ugarte that played two games. One of them, Casemiro, was out, Bruno Fernandes, he's always fit, he's the guy that is doing his position, so maybe it has to do with that."

In response, though, club legend Paul Scholes slammed the Portuguese as he came to Mainoo's defence and said: "Bullsh*t. The kid is being ruined, not being played in a team that can't control a game of football. Hate seeing homegrown players leave but it's probably best for him now, enough is enough."

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Getty Images SportWhat next for Mainoo?

The Africa Cup of Nations this winter will see several top African players leave to play for their respective national teams. This could be the perfect time for Mainoo to get as much game time as possible and win back Amorim's trust, but the coach has offered no guarantee of minutes.

"I don't know, I don't know," he said. "It's the same question, I don't know what is going to happen. It depends. I've seen the training. If it's the best thing for the team, I will put (him in), that is the only way I know how to respond to that. Of course, I understand, and my job is to answer, but I'm trying to answer always the same thing, and you ask me always the same thing. I understand what you are saying. You love Kobbie, he starts for England. But that doesn't mean that I need to put Kobbie in when I feel that I shouldn't put Kobbie in, so it's my decision."

Surrey and Reliance intend to finalise Oval Invincibles deal imminently after lengthy process

Matt Roller07-Oct-2025An influential administrator in Australian cricket has been appointed to the Trent Rockets board, with the Nottingham-based team becoming the seventh of eight deals to be finalised in the Hundred’s private investment process.John Knox, the chair of Cricket New South Wales, is also a partner and head of Australia/New Zealand at Ares Management, one of two private equity firms who agreed a £40 million deal to buy a 49% stake in Rockets earlier this year. Their deal to run the franchise as a joint venture with majority partners Nottinghamshire was formalised last week.It means that Surrey’s partnership with Reliance – the owners of Mumbai Indians – to run Oval Invincibles is the only deal that remains to be finalised. ESPNcricinfo understands that the involvement of over a dozen lawyers in the process has slowed progress, but that both parties hope to sign contracts later this week.Related

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The ECB said in July that the remaining two deals were “set for formal completion at a later date” after investors were “offered the option of completing later” than initially planned. The process of finalising arrangements has dragged on far longer than first anticipated, when the board set an eight-week ‘exclusivity period’ at the end of the auction process in early February.ESPNcricinfo understands that Knox’s new role on the Rockets board is independent from his role at Cricket NSW, which he has held since 2018. Knox was considered influential in the removal of Earl Eddings as Cricket Australia chair in 2021, and successfully pushed for the Cricket NSW board to assume gender diversity targets last year.Knox’s involvement at the Rockets comes at a time when Cricket Australia are actively exploring private investment in the Big Bash League. He told the earlier this year that he considers cricket to be his “life’s passion” and that he views T20 cricket as a “tremendous… growth opportunity”.John Knox has served as Cricket New South Wales chairman since 2018•Cricket New South Wales

He will serve as one of three directors on the Rockets board from the new investors’ side. Knox will be joined by Jonathan Goldstein and Joe Stelzer, who are Cain’s chief executive and senior managing director respectively. Nottinghamshire’s four board seats will be filled by senior figures at the club including director of cricket Mick Newell, who doubles as Rockets’ general manager.Rockets suffered a blow last week when Andy Flower, who has coached their men’s team throughout the Hundred’s first five seasons, signed a multi-year deal to take over from Justin Langer at London Spirit. They have not yet lined up a successor, and identifying the right replacement will be an early priority for the new board.The sale of stakes in the eight Hundred franchises raised over £500 million which will be split across the English game and help to ensure the survival of all 18 first-class counties. Gloucestershire announced last week that they had cleared all debts after “more than 20 years” of borrowing, which treasurer Nick Bryan said was a “seminal moment” for the club.

The best teams in football have always been built on at least a few brilliant partnerships, and this Arsenal side are no different.

Mikel Arteta’s side is full of duos who complement and perfectly understand one another, with the most obvious example being the partnership of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães.

The two centre-backs have played a massive part in making the Gunners the best defensive side in the Premier League, if not Europe, and have appeared in 129 competitive matches together, averaging 2.16 points per game.

However, as exceptional a pairing as they are, Arsenal’s Champions League win over Bayern Munich on Wednesday night made it clear that Arteta might have already created an even better one.

Arsenal's standout performers vs Bayern

It wouldn’t be an overreaction to say that, given the opponent and competition, Wednesday night was one of Arsenal’s most impressive performances under Arteta’s reign.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

In other words, there were sensational displays from practically everyone donning the red and white, but someone who really stood out was Jurrien Timber.

The former Ajax gem was the one who opened the scoring, heading home from a corner, but he did far more than that.

Minutes

81′

Expected Goals

0.52

Goals

1

Tackles (Won)

2 (2)

Interceptions

1

Recoveries

4

Ground Duels (Won)

5 (4)

Aerial Duels (Won)

3 (3)

Long Balls

1/1

Dribbles

1/1

For example, in addition to providing a constant threat down the right-hand side and linking up nicely with Bukayo Saka, the Dutch international was almost perfect from a defensive point of view.

In his 81 minutes of action, he won 100% of his tackles and aerial duels, made one interception, recovered the ball four times, and more than justified The Athletic’s Aaron Catterson-Reid claim that he’s “the best right-back in the world at the minute.”

Another starter who deserves praise is Eberechi Eze, as while he was quieter than on the weekend, he still provided the assist for Gabriel Martinelli.

Moreover, he had some real moments of quality in and around the Germans’ penalty area.

Finally, Riccardo Calafiori and Noni Madueke made quite the impact coming off the bench, with the former setting up the latter to score his first goal for the club.

With all that said, one of the reasons these players were able to shine is the efforts of a partnership within the side that might just be better than Gabriel and Saliba’s.

Arsenal's new best partnership

While Saliba and Cristhian Mosquera looked great on Wednesday, as did Eze and Mikel Merino, neither of those pairings is shaping up to be Arsenal’s best new duo.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Instead, that title goes to the brewing partnership between Martin Zubimendi and Declan Rice.

Yes, while the Englishman was already performing at a world-class level for the Gunners over the last two years, the arrival of the Spaniard has helped him to further improve.

The former West Ham United captain has even said as much after Wednesday’s game, telling TNT Sports that the side “all trust him with the ball.”

The addition of the former Real Sociedad star has allowed the 26-year-old to maraud forward more freely, which is precisely what he did on multiple occasions against the Baverians.

However, he also still drops deeper on occasion and continues to do plenty of the dirty work, which is one of the reasons they’re such an incredible pairing, and why content creator Jamie Kent has dubbed the Englishman “the best midfielder in Europe.”

The watching press were unsurprisingly impressed with the two midfielders on Wednesday, with the Express’ Tom Parsons awarding both 9/10 match ratings.

That might sound slightly over the top, but it’s really not, and their statistics prove as much.

For example, in his 94 minutes, the Spaniard took 50 touches, completed 40 passes, was accurate with 100% of his long balls, recovered the ball three times, blocked one shot, and didn’t get dribbled past once.

In his 94 minutes, the £105m man produced a combined expected goal and assists figure of 0.61, played three key passes, took one shot on target, won 100% of his tackles, made one interception, took 66 touches, completed 39 passes, blocked one shot and recovered the ball five times.

Ultimately, while it was just the 16th competitive game Rice and Zubimendi have played together, Arsenal’s win over Bayern Munich was just more evidence that they could well be the Gunners’ new most important duo.

A dream for Eze: Arsenal enter race to sign "one of the best STs in Europe"

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 26, 2025