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West Ham United could sell Mohammed Kudus this summer and are already making strides in the hunt for his replacement.

West Ham and Mohammed Kudus could go their seperate ways

The Hammers expect plenty of movement in both directions over the next few months and could be set to part ways with one of their best players if reports are to be believed.

Recently, Chelsea have made contact over a potential move for Kudus, and he is also said to be on the radar of Premier League rivals Manchester United and Newcastle United.

Intriguingly, the Ghana international has a release clause of £85 million that is open to top-flight clubs in England across the first ten days of July. However, it remains to be seen whether a saga involving the former Ajax man will develop at the London Stadium.

In the case of Newcastle, former scout Mick Brown believes they would try and land Kudus at a fee below his exit clause due to the premium involved in a prospective transfer.

“At £85million or whatever his release clause is, there’s no way Newcastle would do that deal. They’ll consider it if they can cut down that price tag, but they’re not sure about him. They’ve got other targets as well, so I think they’re more likely to go for them before Kudus.”

West Ham now racing to sign 24 G/A midfielder who's "out of this world"

The Hammers are now in a straight shoot-out with a rival Premier League club for the signature of a goal-scoring midfielder.

ByDominic Lund Jun 3, 2025

If Kudus were to depart, the Hammers would need to act decisively on the market to secure an appropriate replacement, and they could well now be closing in on a smart acquisition if that turn of events were to occur.

West Ham 'well positioned' to sign Nicolas Gonzalez

According to journalist Sebastien Vidal, West Ham are ‘well positioned’ to sign Juventus winger Nicolas Gonzalez and the Argentina international is likely to be on the move for £22 million this summer.

Seen as an ideal replacement for Kudus, the 23-year-old registered five goals and four assists in 36 appearances across all competitions last season. While he was not part of his country’s World Cup winning squad he is highly decorated at international level, winning two Copa Americas.

Capable of playing on either flank, as an attacking midfielder or through the middle, he is a versatile presence that could help to allieviate the burden on the likes of Jarrod Bowen when it comes to chance creation.

Nevertheless, it remains to be seen whether Kudus will need to leave first in order for a move to go through or if the finance would be available already in terms of being able to meet both his transfer fee and wages.

Either way, West Ham appear to be stepping up their hunt for attacking reinforcements and there will be plenty of excitement in East London if this one materialises.

Liverpool have now made contact over a summer deal for a “ridiculous” forward, who is also a target for Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain, according to a report.

Reds ramping up summer transfer plans

With deals to sign Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong and AFC Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez seemingly progressing nicely, the next task at hand for FSG may be to strengthen in attacking areas, given that Mohamed Salah has largely carried the goalscoring burden this season.

Salah’s attacking numbers this term are off the charts, but Jamie Carragher has admitted that he’s had some concerns about whether the Reds’ other forward options, such as Luis Diaz, are at the required level.

Diaz’s ability to play through the middle may tempt Arne Slot to keep hold of the Colombian, considering Darwin Nunez is looking increasingly likely to be heading for the exit door, but there may also be a temptation to bring in a new winger.

According to a report from L’Equipe (via Get French Football News), Liverpool have now made contact over a deal for AS Monaco forward Maghnes Akliouche, who has also emerged as a target for French champions PSG.

The Champions League finalists are only willing to spend €50m (£42m) on the winger, however, and with Monaco looking to hold out for a fee of €60m (£51m), the deal is currently at a standstill, which could allow one of the other potential suitors to swoop.

Manchester City, Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur are also keen on Akliouche, with the latter club recently opening talks over a deal, so there may be competition for his signature from the Reds’ Premier League rivals.

Liverpool now also working to sign young Italian left-back with Kerkez

Michael Edwards isn’t messing around this summer.

ByHenry Jackson May 20, 2025 "Ridiculous" Akliouche starring in Ligue 1

PSG have re-asserted themselves as a dominant force in Ligue 1 under Luis Enrique, but Monaco are also likely to be pleased with their campaign, having secured a third-placed finish, and the right-winger was one of their most important players.

The 23-year-old picked up five goals and 10 assists in 32 Ligue 1 outings, while also catching the eye of football scout Ben Mattinson, who described the Frenchman as “ridiculous”.

Not only are Liverpool looking at signing a new winger, this summer, but they have also set their sights on an attacking midfielder, with Florian Wirtz recently speaking to Slot about a move to Anfield, although a deal is likely to be on the expensive side.

Akliouche’s main position is right-wing, but the Monaco star has also featured in attacking midfield on a number of occasions, and he may be better suited to playing in that area for the Reds as an alternative to Wirtz, considering it will be very difficult to dislodge Salah.

Aston Villa have now held talks to sign an in-demand attacker who has been likened to boyhood Villa fan Jack Grealish.

Aston Villa looking for more Champions League football after PSG exit

The Villans nearly produced a memorable Champions League comeback in the week against Paris Saint-Germain after finding themselves 5-1 down on aggregate early in the second leg.

Goals from Youri Tielemans, John McGinn and Ezri Konsa meant that Villa would win the second leg 3-2 in front of their fans, but they fell agonisingly short of progressing to the semi-finals.

Talking after the game, Unai Emery challenged his Villa side to qualify for the Champions League again next season in the Premier League run in. “It is now most important to get Europe again. The most important competition is the Champions League. The challenge we have for the last six matches is to try and get Europe and the Champions League.

“The players showed their capacity to compete at this level. Hopefully we can come back quickly to play in the Champions League. This is our objective and to play in the FA Cup as well for a trophy.”

Aston Villa’s Premier League run-in	Date
Aston Villa vs Newcastle United	April 19
Man City vs Aston Villa	April 22
Aston Villa vs Fulham	May 3
Bournemouth vs Aston Villa	May 10
Aston Villa vs Tottenham	May 18
Man Utd vs Aston Villa	May 25

With six games to go, Villa go into this weekend’s crucial top flight clash against Newcastle United a point off Manchester City in fifth. A win would see them go level on points with the Magpies who currently sit third, and they also have an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley to prepare for later this month against Crystal Palace.

It is promising to be an eventful end to the campaign on the pitch, and behind the scenes, NSWE and Monchi appear to be working on potential new signings.

Aston Villa racing to sign "complete" £39m defender with shades of Rudiger

The Villans are set to battle it out for a centre-back…

By
Dominic Lund

Apr 18, 2025

Recently, it has been reported that Aston Villa are looking to close a deal to sign Rosenborg star Sverre Nypan, with the 18-year-old also wanted by Arsenal. Now, Villa have made their move for another in-demand teenager.

Aston Villa hold talks to sign Crystal Palace youngster Derry

According to TBR Football, Aston Villa are in talks to sign Crystal Palace gem Jesse Derry. Son of former Crystal Palace and QPR midfielder Shaun Derry, the 17-year-old has been catching the eye coming through the Eagles’ academy.

Derry, called a “talented ball carrier”, has even been likened to Grealish due to his hair and having low socks when playing, and he has rejected the chance to sign professional terms with Crystal Palace.

As a result, Villa are looking to take advantage, alongside Manchester City, whereas other huge European clubs such as Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, Juventus and PSG have also made contact.

Capable of playing anywhere across a front three or even as an attacking midfielder, Derry looks set to be one to watch over the coming months.

Tottenham Hotspur are in the midst of a transitionary period.

We might be nearing the end of Ange Postecoglou’s second season in charge of the North Londoners, but it would be disingenuous to suggest the squad is anywhere near where he’d like it to be.

Now, the Australian has been backed in the market thus far, with the likes of Micky van de Ven, Dominic Solanke, and Brennan Johnson all important first-teamers, but the reality is that to take the club to the next level, he needs even more attacking firepower.

Fortunately, recent reports suggest Daniel Levy and Co are trying to sort that out for him, although the player touted for a move to N17 could spell trouble for club captain Son Heung-min.

Spurs' attacking targets

They say the best defence is a good offence, and based on the reports we’ve seen in recent weeks, that seems to be something Spurs have taken to heart.

Transfer Focus

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

For example, despite the North Londoners’ apparent problems at the back, they have been linked with a whole host of sensational forwards, such as former Everton flop and current Fiorentina star Moise Kean, who’s racked up a sensational haul of 24 goal involvements this term.

Closer to home, the Lilywhites are also said to be incredibly keen on Wolverhampton Wanderers and Premier League star Matheus Cunha, who has a release clause of £62.5m in his contract.

However, Levy and Co are not just trying to lure centre-forwards to the capital.

According to a recent report from journalist Graeme Bailey, they are incredibly interested in Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sané.

In fact, the report goes a step further, revealing that, alongside fierce rivals Arsenal, the Lilywhites have already held talks with the player’s camp, while Liverpool, Manchester United, Aston Villa and Newcastle United have also been approached.

While the level of competition is far from ideal, the good news is that, due to his £321k-per-week contract coming to an end this summer, he’ll be available on a free transfer.

It could be a complicated deal to get over the line, but given Sane’s immense ability and experience, it is worth pursuing, even if it could be bad news for Son’s game time.

How Sane compares to Son

Now, while Sane has an impressive ability to play on either wing, he’d likely get most of his game time off the left at Spurs, as that remains his primary position and with Postecoglou spending £47.5m on Brennan Johnson in his first summer at the club, we can’t see him taking him out of the first team already.

Moreover, with Mikey Moore still too young to start regularly, Mathys Tel potentially not staying, and Wilson Odobert being relatively unproven, there is a lack of competition for an ageing Son off the left.

With all that said, though, how do the pair stack up against one another? Well, when it comes down to their raw output from this season, it’s the Bayern ace who just about comes out ahead when broken down by goal involvements per minute of action.

Appearances

36

40

Starts

19

33

Minutes

1827′

2834′

Goals

11

11

Assists

4

12

Goal Involvements per Match

0.41

0.57

Minutes per Goal Involvements

121.8′

123.21′

In 36 appearances, totalling just 1827 minutes, the “world-class” German, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has scored 11 goals and provided four assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.4 games, or more importantly, every 121.8 minutes.

In contrast, the South Korean superstar has scored 11 goals and provided 12 assists in 40 appearances, totalling 2834 minutes, which comes out to an average of one every 1.73 games, but crucially, only every 123.21 minutes.

What about their underlying number, then? Who comes out ahead when we take a look under the hood?

Well, once again, it is reasonably close, but in the majority of relevant metrics, it’s the former Manchester City ace who comes out on top, including, but not limited to, expected and actual non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive passes received, passing accuracy, successful take-ons, shots and shots on target, aerial duels won and more, all per 90.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.88

0.63

Non-Penalty G+As

0.95

0.73

Progressive Passes

3.09

4.61

Progressive Passes Received

14.3

11.3

Progressive Carries

3.60

3.93

Shots

3.45

2.42

Shots on Target

1.32

1.11

Passing Accuracy

82.4%

79.2%

Key Passes

1.91

2.38

Live Passes

47.2

37.0

Shot-Creating Actions

4.18

5.28

Successful Take-Ons

1.91

1.36

Carries

42.4

32.9

Carries into the Final Third

2.43

2.09

Ball Recoveries

4.71

3.64

Aerial Duels Won

0.44

0.29

Ultimately, Son is a Spurs and Premier League icon, but he’ll be 33 years old at the start of next season, so Postecoglou will need a more dynamic winger to rely on, and it looks like Sane could be the perfect option.

Spurs' award-winning CF was ahead of Kane, then Poch sold him for £208k

The promising forward wasn’t able to reach his potential at Spurs.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Mar 28, 2025

Ashwin leaking runs in the powerplay and Jadeja failing to pick up wickets have added to CSK’s woes

Deivarayan Muthu10-Apr-20252:44

Can Ashwin and Jadeja get back among the wickets?

R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja claimed 55 wickets each in 67 IPL matches together for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) between 2012 and 2015. Ashwin’s creative genius dovetailed beautifully with Jadeja’s metronomic accuracy, turning Chepauk into a fortress. Between 2012 and 2015, CSK won 18 of their 25 games at home, boasting a win-loss ratio of 2.57.In their quest to recreate that winning formula several years later, CSK splurged INR 9.75 crore on Ashwin and reunited him with Jadeja and his beloved Chepauk. But the grand reunion hasn’t produced the kind of output CSK and their fans might have hoped for. CSK have already lost two in a row at home and another defeat in Chennai will leave them in unfamiliar territory.Ashwin has conceded almost ten an over for five wickets this season and has completed his quota in only three out of five games. While Jadeja’s economy rate (8.07) is better than Ashwin’s, the left-arm spinner has got just two wickets in five matches and has not completed his quota in any of those.Related

• CSK turn to Dhoni to avoid a hat-trick of defeats at fortress Chepauk

• Why isn't Russell batting higher for KKR in IPL 2025?

• MS Dhoni to lead CSK after Ruturaj Gaikwad is ruled out of IPL with injury

Ashwin came into this IPL as a retired international cricketer and started it looking like someone who hadn’t played professional cricket for three months. His first ball to Suryakumar Yadav, in the powerplay against Mumbai Indians (MI), was right in the slot and was pumped over the covers.That foretold Ashwin’s powerplay run this season: 78 runs off 30 balls for just one wicket at an economy rate of 15.60. Between 2012 and 2015, his powerplay economy rate was 6.25.The entire landscape of T20 has changed since then. It has become a different sport, with batters trying to launch every ball into orbit. Mitchell Marsh, who is among the top run-getters this season, recently described going at a run-a-ball in the powerplay as “panic stations”. Specialist offspinners are a dying breed and Ashwin, arguably, is the last of that breed.6:50

Chawla: Dhoni as captain will help struggling Ashwin and Jadeja

He has dipped into the carrom ball and turned it the other way, but batters just keep coming at him. There are also other factors that have hampered Ashwin. Chepauk no longer offers the sharp turn that it used to in the past, with CSK going on the record to express their dissatisfaction with the pitches at home. In Guwahati, CSK perhaps made a tactical error by throwing Ashwin at Nitish Rana, who was promoted to No. 3, to take advantage of his match-up with the spinner.Ashwin hasn’t had luck going his way either. In his final over against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Mullanpur, Ashwin looped up a carrom ball wide of Priyansh Arya’s swinging arc and drew a mis-hit, but Mukesh Choudhary misjudged the catch and ended up stepping on the boundary cushion.Ashwin isn’t the only spinner who is going for runs in the powerplay. Even a mystery spinner and a modern superspecialist like Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) Maheesh Theekshana is going at over ten an over during this phase. The powerplay has become such a hostile environment for bowlers, especially spinners.

“We’ve actually restricted teams to below-par scores, and it’s been the batting that has held us up on this occasion”CSK head coach Stephen Fleming

CSK coach Stephen Fleming lauded Ashwin for fronting up to do a difficult job for them.”That sixth over is a tough over, so don’t underestimate that role that he’s playing,” Fleming said in the lead-up to CSK’s game against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). “And after that, he came back really well. I think the last couple of overs went for single figures. So we’re asking him to do a tough role, but what we are doing is taking wickets, and that’s been the positive thing. We felt we’ve actually restricted teams to below-par scores, and it’s been the batting that has held us up on this occasion.”Unlike Ashwin, Jadeja doesn’t bowl in the powerplay; he usually bowls in the middle overs. Jadeja, who has retired from T20Is, has always had excellent defensive skills, but the arrival of Noor Ahmad has given CSK’s attack a point of difference. So they have preferred Noor’s left-arm wristspin over Jadeja’s fingerspin during the middle overs this season. Noor is currently the Purple Cap holder, with 11 strikes in five games at an economy rate of 8.33 and an average of 13.63.”I think we’ve got some good options with the spin department,” Fleming said when asked if CSK were under-utilising Jadeja the bowler. “Ruturaj [Gaikwad] has been able to use the appropriate bowlers for the batsmen that are in. Jadeja bowled really well in the last game. Noor Ahmad has been the key wicket-taker, so he’s dominated to this point. We’ve sort of got six bowlers that can provide good options throughout. Batting-wise, he’s moving up and down the order, depending on what we need. We really like his partnership with MS [Dhoni] at the back end. That appeals to us. There are other players in the squad that we’ve highlighted to be up the order, but he’s been up to No. 5, I think.Noor Ahmad’s addition has given CSK another spin option•AFP/Getty Images”He’s been in early and throughout, so just trying to get a gauge on who’s to bowl death, who’s in the middle, and work it around that way. It’s not a set stage that Jaddu has to come in. We’re quite flexible with it.”Sure, Ashwin and Jadeja haven’t produced the kind of impact they did back in the day, but don’t count them out. On either side of two expensive overs in Mullanpur, Ashwin threatened to shut PBKS down with the wickets of Nehal Wadhera and Glenn Maxwell in successive overs. Had Choudhary held onto Arya’s catch, it would have been a completely different story. In the same game, Jadeja bowled three tight overs and kept even the left-hand batters in check.On the eve of the match against KKR, when Devon Conway tried to line Ashwin up in the nets, the bowler cleverly dangled the ball away from his reach and made him look silly. It tore open a portal to his heyday when he used to make left-hand batters look silly.But of all the things that have taken CSK by surprise this season, their world-class spinners struggling at their fortress might be the biggest.

He is the poster boy for all formats of cricket. If only we could have watched him turn out for the WTC final at The Oval

Mark Nicholas05-Jun-2023Last Monday night, when Ravi Jadeja turned the ball off his toes to win the IPL, one door closed for a while and another opened. Nothing quite consumes the game like the ten-team, two-month IPL marathon. A 41-year old wicketkeeper-batter out of Ranchi, dressed in yellow and flying the flag not of India but of Super Kings from Chennai, lifted the trophy for the fifth time to an ecstatic reception – testament, surely, to a game that has a bit of everything for everyone and a whole lot of love.Of all the cricketers who sparkle, to this onlooker at least, MS Dhoni has led the way. The sum of his parts has been greater than the whole. At once aesthetically thrilling and grittily effective, he has won many a game from nowhere, and lost a few too; he shells the catches that don’t much matter and snaffles most that do; he inspires the young and backs the old; always he answers the inevitable questions but somehow keeps his counsel. Have you ever really known what MS was thinking? Imagine the poker player he might have been.Dhoni captures the essence of cricket without ever becoming its slave. One minute he is an unpredictable ride, the next a sure-footed compadre. He is cool, classy and at times crazy; he is creative and yet practical; he can bat hectic and keep wicket messy, but hands down, he is the go-to guy. Once a ticket collector on the railways and now among the most admired cricketers in a land teeming with them, I’ve spent hours watching him and rarely focused on much else. Of late, only Tiger Woods and Roger Federer have made me do that.Related

• Why Australia could have the advantage in the World Test Championship final

• Winners of WTC final between Australia and India to take home US$ 1.6 million

• WTC final: Ponting wants India to play Kishan and Suryakumar for 'a little bit of X-factor'

• Dhoni vows to return for another IPL season if his body allows it

• Nathan Lyon: 'I've never conquered this game of cricket and never will'

Cricket is for young and old; slim and less so; athletic and not so; myriad backgrounds, abilities and ambitions. Cricket comes in all shapes and sizes, formats and interpretations. It is no better or worse over five days at the Sydney Cricket Ground than 15 minutes in the schoolyard: it is just cricket, the game of bat and ball that appeals variously to those fortunate souls who have let it into their lives.Cricket is frequently difficult and mainly frustrating but pleasure can come when least expected, from a single or sudden moment that changes a game. It requires instinctive skills every bit as much as method and relies on eye and commitment. It is fragile. One minute you have it, the next it is gone. Cricket is played out on the edge of nerves, examining character like no other. No one has known this and applied it so well – over a 20-year-career, we should add – than the winning captain of Chennai Super Kings.

Dhoni captures the essence of cricket without ever becoming its slave. One minute he is an unpredictable ride, the next a sure-footed compadre. He is cool, classy and at times crazy; he is creative and yet practical

To take this a tad further and explain where it is going, Dhoni averaged 38 with the bat across 90 Test matches, in which he has also caught batters 256 times and stumped 38 . In one-day internationals – 350 of them – these figures are 50, 321 and 123 – wondrously symmetrical for a man who was anything but symmetrical.It is an amazing career portfolio. In everything, which includes captaincy, he amazes and delights. I think back to him marching to the wicket in Test cricket – shoulders back, big strides, long hair flowing – to “helicopter” fours and sixes to all parts. How we marvelled at the unbridled joy he brought to a format of the game more often identified with the long grind.Like Adam Gilchrist, the one wicketkeeper-batter who stands clearly above them all in the stats ratings, Dhoni has been a forebear to the style of cricket England now play – the game without fear. For if you discard fear, you have the perfect launchpad, no? Fancy hitting the ball like it doesn’t matter, because in the end, there’s the truth: it doesn’t really matter. That’s MSD, the man with no apparent fear; the man who transcends the formats, sticks with the rough and ready origins of his god-given talent and looks his opponent in the eye in search of the first to blink.This past week the England players began their summer of six Test matches with a one-off against Ireland. It was an important occasion for both the aspirational and improving Irish team – if in the end a rather dispiriting one – and for Ben Stokes, who has the Ashes to fill his dreams but Ireland to see where it’s at.Cricket matches between England and Australia were first played in 1877 and have long had a visceral quality that affects the supporters of both sides every bit as much as they do the players. India-Pakistan matches would still have the same feel, but sadly, they remain at the gate.Virat Kohli vs Australia: a contest you can’t look away from•Getty ImagesPretty much the whole of India has been gripped by the progress of their IPL teams since the start of April; now England will spend seven weeks in thrall as five matches are played between old enemies who give no quarter in their quest for a little urn. It was ever thus and is more so when the rivalry appears balanced and the outcome impossible to predict. In 2005 the England captain, Michael Vaughan, said that he didn’t sleep for six weeks. Arguably it was the greatest series ever and held the country alive to the tune of this strange old game that sleeps for a while and then bursts into life with a kind of magic.Good judges, at least most of those outside India, are worried about losing this magic. The extraordinary advance made by the franchised short formats threatens the longer forms, and now that Saudi Arabia seems to be in the mix, terrifies traditional thinkers. If the Saudis buy up all the good players, the question is how can Test cricket survive the exodus forced upon the game by a free market? And, of course, LIV golf is the way in which the question points.Strong leadership is essential to chart the course ahead; protection and regulation are required to ensure that the game retains its appeal within the principle of a broad church. Regions such as the Caribbean, South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and New Zealand need money (which is not to mention the Associate nations, who feed from crumbs). Without it, their players are ripe for picking. Down the track, there won’t be many countries left to play Test cricket against India, England and Australia – the Big Three – because, elsewhere, the cash will have run out and the players gone.Equally, the governing bodies and subsidiary associations of those outside the IPL need compensation. Not legally, because that’s close to impossible to apply, but morally. If you keep producing and then sustaining players at club, county, provincial and state level, who are traded around the world for millions of dollars and occupied abroad for nine months of the year, you will eventually shout “Enough!” It should be a given that the game takes care of its own.

I’ve been knocking on the door that holds the throne
I’ve been looking for the map that leads me home
I’ve been stumbling on good hearts turned to stone
The road of good intentions has gone dry as a bone
– Bruce Springsteen, “We Take of Care of Our Own”, 2012

India’s contribution to cricket’s modern progress is without compare. The Test team is all-in, the IPL is genius, and the power of television and streaming platforms quite incredible. But is it right to say that the three powerhouses of the world game deserve, respectively, more than 50% of revenue without adding that they receive it at the expense of many others who struggle to survive? The ICC should be on a mission to level up, reduce inequality and work with India to nourish cricket’s global reach. Right now the ICC operates as an event-management company, eager to keep its head down and nose clean. The game needs empathy, which can only be found from within.

Cricket is frequently difficult and mainly frustrating but pleasure can come when least expected, from a single or sudden moment that changes a game. It requires instinctive skills every bit as much as method

Meanwhile, Test cricket takes centre stage, which does not yet mean the Ashes. The final of the World Test Championship begins at The Oval on Wednesday, where it all began in 1882. The “Demon” Fred Spofforth bowled out the Poms cheaply and the English game was pronounced dead by the Sporting Times of London before being buried by the rest. A lot has happened since. Cricket is mainly unrecognisable from those early days and the riches now on offer beggar belief.Thankfully the battle between bat and ball remains much as it ever was; so too the private duels between players who know each other well but beaver away in search of an advantage. Virat Kohli versus Australia is a show of its own; Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill against the Australia new ball will demand close attention. Without Jasprit Bumrah, the Indian fast bowling looks one-dimensional. It is unlikely the Ravis, Ashwin and Jadeja, will both play, especially as there is a nip forecast in the London air. Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne take some shifting; Usman Khawaja and Travis Head some containing. Cameron Green lit up a few IPL nights and from such glory comes confidence amongst the big boys.Shorn of Bumrah and the recovering Rishabh Pant, India look a little less compelling and this makes the Australians marginal favourites. One imagines The Oval will hum to the sound of thousands of Indian fans who come to the altar and pay their respects in the only way they know how, through the worship of their cricketers. If only Dhoni was playing!What we know is that were he playing, he would adapt from the needs of last Monday to the demands of this Wednesday morning and the days that follow. Dhoni has played all formats of cricket with his mind running smoothly though the gears. After months of T20 where the game dictates almost every move, we now return to the five-day version, where the player has to think for himself. In Test cricket you make the play, in T20 you react to it. It is the reason we become absorbed: that patient wait to see who breaks from the pack and who is left treading water.Only the strong survive this examination. It is the unique selling proposition of Test match cricket and not to be underestimated in the growth of a talented player. Without it, a part of the DNA is missing.Dhoni has been a perfect example, a man for all seasons with a fast and flexible mind. He is a poster boy for all forms of cricket as entertainment and well illustrates that the lessons learned in one will always enhance the adventure in another. A proper hero.

Lots of people seem to think he should, but they’re wrong to mix success in international cricket with success in league T20

Aakash Chopra26-Nov-2020Rohit Sharma is the most successful IPL captain in history, with five trophies to his name. Anyone who follows his captaincy closely – outsiders like me and players who play under him – vouches that he is tactically astute and that there are few who read the game better than he does. He remains calm under pressure, marshals his troops with a sense of control, and makes the most radical changes to the flow of the game without making them look radical at all.Captaincy consists of two equally important parts: one, the ability to read the game so that you are at least a couple of overs ahead of it (in white-ball cricket), and two, acknowledging your instincts and sticking with them when you’re convinced. A good captain has no ego and is happy to take his leadership group on board for a lot of the decision-making but has the confidence to overrule them if he thinks otherwise.Sharma ticks all these boxes, and while the Mumbai Indians’ success is a lot about their auction strategy and talent-scouting, it is equally about his leadership both on and off the field.ALSO READ: ‘India’s loss if Rohit Sharma isn’t made white-ball captain’ – Gautam GambhirIf he is such a successful IPL captain, wouldn’t it be natural to make him the captain of the Indian T20I team too? If players get picked for India in the shortest format on the basis of their performances in the IPL, why should it be different for the captain?Just that it isn’t the same thing – ever. And to be fair, it shouldn’t be either, unless there’s a captain who’s failing with his playing skills in the format while leading the Indian T20I team.After Mumbai’s fifth IPL title, there was a clamour among some former cricketers to replace Virat Kohli with Sharma as captain in the shortest format. Their argument is that Kohli’s record as a captain leading the Royal Challengers Bangalore is quite poor and that that should be enough to make the change for India too.Sharma has won five titles and has won 60% of all his games as captain of the Mumbai Indians. On the other hand, Kohli’s team has never won the IPL; and RCB have won just about 47% of their matches under his captaincy. The argument against Kohli is that since Sharma not only wins more games but also knows how to win knockout matches, he should be leading India into the next T20 World Cup.Let’s look more closely at Kohli’s returns as captain and then at the merits of possibly making a change.Kohli as an India captain in ODIs has won 72% of his games; in T20Is this figure is about 65%. If we were to further narrow it down in the shortest format, his win percentage goes up to 75% since the start of 2019 – 12 wins from 16 games.To put things a little more in perspective, MS Dhoni is arguably India’s most successful limited-overs captain, with a T20 World Cup, 50-over World Cup and a Champions Trophy title to his name – the only captain in the world to have all three. Dhoni’s win percentage in T20Is and ODIs is about 60%. When you set Kohli’s returns as an India captain alongside Dhoni’s performance, you can’t possibly punch holes in it.

Would you drop proven international performers like Jasprit Bumrah or KL Rahul from the Indian T20I team if they had a poor IPL? The answer is an overwhelming no

While some argue that bilateral cricket doesn’t matter, others say Kohli’s numbers are as good as they are only because India is such a strong team that captaincy does not have much impact on their win percentage. To answer both these reservations: since Kohli hasn’t led in an ICC event in T20Is, we ought to look at his records in bilateral series only. And beating both New Zealand and England in their backyards must count for something. Also, the two ICC events in which he has led India, they have got to the final once and to the semi-final the other time. Those aren’t poor results by any stretch of the imagination. As for the second point, if Kohli is a good captain with a good team under him when he leads India, perhaps it’s the team at RCB that needs changing and not the captain.Of course, winning the trophy is all that matters for a team of India’s calibre, but let’s remind ourselves that that is not easy for even the best captains. While Dhoni won the inaugural Word T20, he led in many more World Cups in the format but couldn’t win the trophy again. Is that a slight on his captaincy skills? Not at all, for that is how it is at the highest level.Going back to the argument about Kohli having a good team under him when he leads India, it’s understandable if some of the blame for RCB’s poor results is directed at him, but what does that have to do with his performance as India captain? Given his win percentage of 47, RCB might not want to continue with him as captain, but maybe they will have him stay on as captain anyway.ALSO WATCH: Kohli or Rohit: Chopra and Gambhir on India’s T20I captaincy (Hindi)It’s important that we understand that we aren’t stakeholders in franchise teams, which will always be run the way their bosses want them to be. They have every right to take the direction that suits their cause, and they are not obliged to share the reasons for their decisions with the public at large. If you don’t like their ideas, stop following them. The India team is different, though. We are stakeholders when we follow India.We, the fans of the sport and former cricketers and experts, ought to learn to separate the two – international and franchise cricket. Indian players must be judged on their performances — whether captaincy or otherwise – for India alone. For example, would you drop proven international performers like Jasprit Bumrah or KL Rahul from the Indian T20I team if they had a poor IPL? The answer is an overwhelming no, because they have been outstanding for India in the T20I format, and that will supersede all franchise cricket.Given that the captaincy role went to Kohli when Dhoni moved on, it’s only fair that he get as long a run as his performances as India captain merit; his lack of IPL success must not come in the way of his chances of leading in his maiden ICC T20I event. The fact that when Kohli took over from Dhoni there was no ruckus about the appointment tells you that Sharma wasn’t really in the contest for the job back then.If Kohli goes on to win the next World T20 and more ICC trophies, it is possible that Sharma might never get a crack at the captaincy at the highest level. While that will be unfortunate, it will be a case of him being born in the wrong era. Amol Muzumdar scored tons of runs, and Rajinder Goel and Padmakar Shivalkar took truckloads of wickets, but all three never got a chance to play for India, unfortunately. And that was because India was blessed with the Fab Four batsmen in Muzumdar’s time and Bishan Singh Bedi and other fine spinners in Goel’s and Shivalkar’s time.As much as it’s about being fair to Kohli (who has won 12 of his last 16 T20Is in charge), it’s equally about being fair to Sharma. If and when the selectors decide to turn towards him to lead India in T20Is, they must give him enough time to build the team he wants to build. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and nor were the Mumbai Indians, and the same will be true for Sharma’s India team.

Chase DeLauter is making some history on Wednesday.

The Guardians have decided to call up their No. 2 prospect to make his first MLB start in Game 2 of their wild-card round matchup with the Detroit Tigers. Trailing 1-0 in the series, Cleveland has added DeLauter to the lineup for a do-or-die game.

DeLauter will start in center field and bat seventh in the lineup. The 23-year-old will become the sixth player in MLB history to make his debut in the postseason. It's a huge move in a big spot for the franchise, but after losing Tuesday's series opener 2-1, the team is looking for a spark. Maybe the rookie can provide it.

Everything you should know about Chase DeLauter

The Guardians selected the 6'3" 235-pound DeLauter with the 16th pick in the first round of the 2022 MLB draft. He was not a highly recruited prep player, but he crushed pitching at James Madison for three years, including posting a 1.404 OPS as a junior. In that season, he slashed .437/.576/.828 with eight home runs and 35 RBIs.

While his college numbers were huge, DeLauter made a name for himself during the 2021 Cape Cod League, where he led the circuit with nine home runs and a .589 slugging percentage. That boosted his stock entering his draft year and led to his selection. He broke his foot midway through the 2022 season, but it didn't hurt his stock. Cleveland inked him to a $3.75 million signing bonus, but he reinjured his foot, stunting his rise.

After making his minor league debut in 2023, DeLauter absolutely raked, which helped him jump three levels in one season. He slashed .355/.417/.528 with five home runs, 22 doubles, and 39 RBIs, reaching Double-A by the end of the campaign. He re-broke his foot in April 2024, and his hitting fell off, but he did reach Triple-A by the end of the season.

In 2025, he opened the season in Triple-A, but underwent surgery for a right hamate fracture and hasn't played since July 11. So far in 2025, he's hitting .264 with a .379 on-base percentage and a .473 slugging percentage, with seven home runs and 24 RBIs in 42 games.

During his three-year career, DeLauter has played only 138 minor league games due to his multiple injuries. Over that time, he's slashing .302/.384/.504 with 20 home runs and 87 RBIs.

MLB Pipeline currently has him ranked as the 54th-best prospect in all of baseball.

It will be quite a jump for DeLauter to go from the injured list to starting an MLB playoff game. The Guardians clearly have faith in him.

Ahead of a crucial week for Celtic, the last thing the Hoops needed was some disruption.

There was an argument to be made that Martin O’Neill should have remained in charge for the game against Hearts and the League Cup final next week.

The other argument, however, suggested that new manager, Wilfried Nancy, needed to get his feet under the table as soon as possible in a bid to assess the squad ahead of the January transfer window.

Well, his tenure got off to the worst possible start, losing to Hearts 2-1 and surrendering ground on the league leaders.

What made things worse was Nancy’s behaviour on the touchline. We aren’t ones to judge too hard, but the fact that he was clipped moving little magnets around on a whiteboard in the dugout with his team losing sent alarm bells ringing.

Nancy discusses his Celtic tactics

Celtic have traditionally played in a classic 4-3-3 in recent years but the Frenchman tweaked things against the Jambos, starting with Kieran Tierney in a back three, with Sebastian Tounekti and Yang Hyun-jun playing at wing-backs and a four-man box midfield.

Evidently, it did not work and rightfully, Nancy was quizzed about his tactics post-game.

The new Celtic boss said: “To be honest, in the first half we changed the system. I would say in the second half it was the same system. After that, when we wanted to push, it was not the system that we started with.

“So for me this is more about how we can deal when teams are really low. The centre-backs for example, when they had the ball, recognise the moment to play a little bit quicker, recognised the moment to play in between. The intention was here. These are now the nuances that we need to improve.”

Nancy continued: “This is more about how we can connect a little bit more. When we connected, we had opportunities to break them. But second half, we didn’t connect. When we conceded the second goal, we started to put in cross and cross and cross. We needed to combine a little bit more, to attack the box with numbers because they are really good defensively with big tall guys.”

McInnes reveals how Hearts beat Celtic

What should be really concerning for the Bhoys is just how easily Hearts were able to pinpoint the way in which Celtic would play under Nancy.

Usually when a new manager arrives, things are a tad unpredictable for the opposition but that was not the case for Derek McInnes and his side on Sunday.

Speaking at the conclusion of the match, he said: “We have studied the last two or three days, watching a lot of Columbus Crew and what they want to do and expect from their players.

McInnes continued: “We felt well prepared for that and it meant we needed to fill the middle of the pitch with bodies. Celtic have got a lot of good players in that central area, so we needed to make sure we were nice and solid through that part of it.

“We tried to play in the spaces between the outside centre-back and the winger because it’s quite a big distance at times,” the Hearts boss said.

This was a crucial game for Nancy, not just because it was his first in charge, but because the Edinburgh side moved three points clear at the top of the Premiership.

Worse than Maeda: Nancy must drop Celtic flop who lost the ball 23 times

Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy must drop this flop who was even worse than Daizen Maeda against Hearts.

ByDan Emery Dec 8, 2025

Shohei Ohtani took a lead in MLB's home run race on Monday, and he didn't need much time to do it.

The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar got the Memorial Day game off to an exciting start, as he launched a 378-foot solo home run on the very first pitch of the game against the Cleveland Guardians. Ohtani swung on the first pitch he saw from Guardians pitcher Gavin Williams and blasted the 97mph fastball over the right field wall to give the Dodgers an early 1–0 lead.

It was Ohtani's 19th home run of the season, which puts the league lead back in his possession after previously being tied with New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge and Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber, both of whom have 18.

According to MLB.com's Sarah Langs, Ohtani's home run left the park at a speed of 115 mph. It's the 26th home run he's hit at 115+ mph since 2021, which is more than any other hitter in baseball.

In addition to pacing MLB in home runs, Ohtani has also been working towards a return to the mound as a pitcher. He threw a live bullpen on Sunday as he continues to work his way back to pitching following the Tommy John surgery he underwent in September of 2023.

After the first-inning blast, Ohtani is now batting .297 with 19 home runs and 33 RBIs on the season as he looks to repeat as National League MVP and help L.A. contend for another World Series title.