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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

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• 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.

Former Arsenal defender Gael Clichy has proposed a new points-based plan to bring an end to the Premier League’s reliance on set pieces and encourage more attractive football. The ex-France international is frustrated with the direction English football has taken but he has stopped short of criticising his old club, who lead the way when it comes to corners.

• Free kicks, long throws and corners back in vogue in 2025-26

  Free kicks, long throws and corners have all surged in popularity in the 2025-26 Premier League season. Once seen as a sign of weakness for a team to put so much emphasis on being proficient at set pieces, often due to a lack of quality from open play, those very tactics are now widespread across the division, with all 20 clubs getting in on the act.

  However, with free kicks, long throws and corners now back in vogue, football fans have become split on whether the new-found dependency is good for the game or a terrible habit which needs to be banished. While some see the set-piece craze as a breath of fresh air, others feel the game has become uglier as a result.

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  Ex-Gunners ace Clichy proposes plan for more attacking football

  Clichy, who spent eight years with Arsenal between 2003 and 2011, is very much a believer that English football has gone backwards, but he reckons he has now come up with a solution which will inspire more teams to play attacking football.

  In an interview with he said: “Unless we change the rules to encourage teams to play offensive football (that could become a problem). Say you are losing 4-2 but scoring a third goal in a game counts as 0.5 points. It means you can still get something out of it rather than a team defending, which is counterproductive to the love of the game.

  “Every time there is something in place, it is hard to make changes. When you talk about what I just said about 0.5 points or a throw-in becoming a kick-in, people are going to laugh but remember a few decades ago when you could pass the ball back and forth with the goalkeeper (picking the ball up)? The person who proposed (changing that) that probably got laughed at too, because change is uncomfortable.”

• Former left-back refuses to criticise Arteta for changing Arsenal's style

  Leading the way when it comes to corners are Clichy’s old club Arsenal, who – under the guidance of manager Mikel Arteta and led by the aerial skill of defender Gabriel Magalhaes – strike fear into their opponents every time the ball goes out of play. However, while Clichy believes Arteta has made Arsenal far more physical than they were under former manager Arsene Wenger, he has refused to criticise the Spaniard for changing the club’s style of play.

  “Mikel has changed how people see Arsenal,” Clichy continued. “In the Premier League, if you are disrespecting the physicality of the game and the set-play moments, you have a big problem. Mikel has done what he felt was needed for Arsenal to win.

  “They are first and you still have people arguing that they don’t play the Arsenal way. It doesn’t make any sense. The Arsenal way is to win trophies. Pretty or not, the fans will be happy.

  “We keep on talking about Wenger’s Arsenal playing really good football 20 years later. This is not the same game. It is not the same league. It is not the same generation of players. People who still think Man United need to play with the same DNA of (Sir Alex) Ferguson and are comparing that side to the current one. It is not the coach who is wrong. It is the people who are still comparing these teams.

  “If Arsenal win 1-0 with a set piece, then that is all we need to know. We need to accept the coach has a different vision. In the end, you need to win because then pretty much everyone will say it is good enough.”

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  Arsenal's next match: Arteta's men face Tottenham in north London derby

  Arsenal will be hoping to continue their set-piece prowess when the Premier League returns this weekend following the conclusion of the international break. Arteta’s men – who are currently top of the table – play host to Tottenham in the north London derby at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. Thomas Frank’s Spurs are currently fifth in the standings and eight points (18) behind their fierce rivals (26).

Lionel Messi was reportedly left feeling “deceived and betrayed” by Barcelona after seeing his dreams of making an emotional return to Camp Nou as a player cruelly dashed. The Argentine superstar was forced out of Catalunya in 2021, as he headed to Paris Saint-Germain, but saw an agreement lined up two years later that would have allowed professional steps to be retraced.

Messi reached out to Barcelona after winning 2022 World Cup

Having seen Messi – alongside his wife Antonela and their three children – endure a tough time in France, with the South American icon struggling to settle when stepping off his career-long comfort zone, Barca explored the option of re-signing a fan favourite.

Having left as a free agent, he dropped back into that pool when reaching the end of his contract at Parc des Princes in the summer of 2023. Messi had become a World Cup winner by that point and was on course to collect a record-extending eighth Ballon d’Or.

Shortly after capturing a global title in Qatar, Messi is reported to have reached out to close friend and former team-mate Xavi – who was Barcelona’s head coach at the time. Contact was made on January 6, 2023. A day later, the Liga giants are said to have “got to work”.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMessi left stunned as deal never materialised

With Messi expressing a desire to head back to his spiritual home, the Blaugrana were confident that a deal could be lined up. Both sides of those discussions were said to be “excited” about a possible reunion. Over the course of six months, Barca were able to gain approval for Messi’s return – with the all-time great prepared to take a sizable wage cut.

According to , the day after Barcelona won the Liga title at the end of the 2022-23 campaign, the Messi family “received a call from the highest levels” at Camp Nou. They were informed that a “transfer couldn’t be done”. That led to “total devastation” in the Messi camp, with the Argentine GOAT left “deceived and betrayed” for the second time – having previously believed that an extension could be agreed at Barca prior to his tearful departure for PSG.

Messi return to Barcelona as a player ruled out

Messi is said to have accepted that he “would never play for the club of his life again”. That remains the case in 2025, with the 38-year-old now on the books of MLS side Inter Miami. He has agreed fresh terms there through 2028.

Barca president Joan Laporta has said of the club’s all-time leading scorer – who has 672 goals to his name – returning in a playing capacity: “Out of respect to Messi, all the club staff and the club members, it's not right for me to speculate on something that would not be realistic, and it's not the moment to do it.”

Spanish journalist has reiterated that stance, posting on social media: “Leo Messi, under no circumstances is considering a return to Barcelona as a footballer. That chapter is closed. He has a long-term contract in Miami. He goes season by season. If he returns, it would be more for the offices, in the sports area. He is Barcelona's heritage and hopefully he returns someday.”

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Getty ImagesMLS star Messi will move back to Barcelona in retirement

Messi has admitted as much, telling of his plans to move back to Catalunya once he has finished chasing the American dream: “I really want to go back there, we miss Barcelona a lot. My wife and I, the kids, are constantly talking about Barcelona and the idea of moving back. We have our house there, everything, so that's what we want. I'm really looking forward to going back to the stadium when it's finished because since I left for Paris, I haven't been back to Camp Nou, and then they moved to Montjuic.”

Messi recently took in a secret visit to Camp Nou, as that iconic venue undergoes a serious redevelopment project. Even Laporta claims to have been unaware that the mercurial No.10 was back in familiar territory, with it still being suggested that a friendly or exhibition game could be lined up that allows Messi to grace the field in Barcelona one last time.

Batter takes over from Roland-Jones and Eskinazi as club continues to undergo mid-season upheaval

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jul-2025Leus du Plooy has been named as Middlesex’s captain for their County Championship and T20 Blast campaigns, in a continuation of the club’s mid-season upheaval that has also involved the departure of head coach Richard Johnson and batting consultant Mark Ramprakash.Du Plooy, 30, joined Middlesex from Derbyshire ahead of the 2024 season and has since made 1,601 runs in 36 appearances across both formats.He will take over as T20 captain from Stevie Eskinazi, who has stepped down for personal reasons, and his first match in charge will come against Hampshire at Merchant Taylors’ School on Wednesday.Du Plooy will also take over from Toby Roland-Jones as Middlesex’s red-ball captain, with the club currently second-from-bottom in Division Two, and a long way adrift of their pre-season hopes of an immediate return to the top flight. Though his own form has been decent, with 28 wickets at 27.92 and a best of 5 for 33, Roland-Jones has left the role by mutual consent.”I am extremely proud to have been asked to captain Middlesex in both formats and am very much looking forward to a strong finish to this season and to working with the leadership group ahead of 2026,” Du Plooy said in a statement on the club website.”I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of the Middlesex playing squad since the start of last season and have high hopes for what this talented group of players can achieve.”Alan Coleman, Middlesex’s director of cricket, thanked Eskinazi and Roland-Jones for their efforts in leading the club through a difficult period that has included tight constraints in light of the club’s well-documented financial issues.He also welcomed du Plooy as captain, saying he had been a been a key voice in the senior playing group, a natural leader, and a “terrific influence on the young members in our squad”.”Appointing Leus as captain allows us to build for the long-term, as we look to develop this group of players and continue to build a successful and winning team in all formats.”

Manchester United are looking for consistency on the pitch and Ruben Amorim is at the centre of plenty of debate as INEOS aim to build for the future at Old Trafford.

Ruben Amorim firm on his future as United cruise past Sunderland

The Red Devils are hoping to climb their way up the Premier League table despite suffering an inconsistent start to the campaign, moving into the top half courtesy of a smooth day despite the blustery conditions against Sunderland.

Benjamin Sesko scored his second goal of the season and first at Old Trafford after a fine finish, after Mason Mount had given the hosts the lead on a windy Saturday afternoon.

As expected, the former Sporting boss is adamant that he is the man to take the club forward and won’t leave of his own accord, claiming that he will give ‘everything’ to succeed under the pressure of the job.

He stated before his side took on Sunderland: “No, that is a decision of the board. I cannot do that (resign). Sometimes I have that feeling and losing is hard, not to create the momentum. It’s so frustrating when you create the momentum, go to the next game, something happens. That feeling sometimes hurts me a lot. Also the players and especially the staff here.”

Later, he added: “It’s a dream to be here and I want to continue here and I want to fight for this. But the problem is now what makes me suffer is to lose games, not to lose my job. You fear to lose your job when you have to pay the bills and I don’t have that feeling.”

On the pitch, calls for Kobbie Mainoo to be a regular Manchester United starter moving forward are amplifying, and it remains to be seen if other changes are made to build momentum once the international break concludes.

Nevertheless, contingency planning is an important part of football, and the Red Devils could turn to an internal face who is a renowned name at Old Trafford.

Darren Fletcher could take over at Man Utd

According to The Sun, Manchester United Under-18 coach Darren Fletcher could succeed Amorim on an interim basis after his impressive start to life with the academy outfit.

Making a positive impact with his dynamic style of play, the former Scotland international has internally wowed Old Trafford chiefs and could make a surprise return to the Old Trafford scene, this time in the dugout.

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Of course, that will only happen if Amorim were to move on. It would cost the Red Devils £12 million to make a change, which isn’t the type of capital they would throw around lightly as they aim to bring in reinforcements once the New Year comes around.

Either way, there appears to be a plan in place if option A is scrapped, albeit it remains to be seen how the situation plays out at Manchester United.

Celtic dropped down to second in the Scottish Premiership table on Saturday afternoon as they were held to a drab 0-0 draw by Hibernian at Parkhead.

The Hoops have dropped points in two of their six matches in the top-flight so far this season, and they now sit two points behind Hearts in the table.

Brendan Rodgers made a few changes to the starting line-up to freshen things up after the 1-1 draw with Red Star Belgrade in the Europa League on Thursday night, but the players coming in did not push their case forward to keep a starting berth. Arne Engels was one of those players who did not take their chance.

Why Arne Engels should be dropped by Celtic

The Belgium international was brought into the central midfield mix to replace Benjamin Nygren, who dropped to the bench, but produced an underwhelming performance in the middle of the park.

Engels, who was signed for £11m from Augsburg last summer, was substituted in the 68th minute of the match after failing to register a shot on target or a ‘big chance’ created, per Sofascore.

The 22-year-old flop lost possession of the ball 18 times and only created two chances, neither of which were ‘big chances’, before Rodgers decided to haul him off for the last 20 minutes.

Chalkboard

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

Engels should, therefore, be dropped from the starting line-up after he failed to take his chance to impress. However, the Belgian was not the only underperformer for the Hoops, as Kelechi Iheanacho was even worse than him.

Why Celtic should drop Kelechi Iheanacho

The Nigeria international was brought into the starting line-up to replace Daizen Maeda in the number nine position after he came off the bench to score in the draw with Red Star Belgrade.

As you can see in the clip above, the former Sevilla striker did brilliantly to take the ball under control and find the top corner between two defenders to put the Hoops ahead in that match.

Unfortunately, the left-footed attacker was unable to follow that up with an impressive performance from the start against Hibernian, as he wasted several chances to find the back of the net.

Minutes

67

Shots

4

Shots on target

1

Big chances missed

2

Passes completed

9/10

Key passes

1

Big chances created

0

As you can see in the table above, Iheanacho spurned the two big chances that he had, one of which was a tap in that he struck the crossbar with from close range.

The worst part of his performance was that the one chance that he did take, finding the back of the net with a nice finish, was offside because he mistimed his run across the front post.

Along with his poor play in front of goal, Iheanacho also lost 100% of his duels (1/1), per Sofascore, which shows that he did not compete with and make it hard for the Hibs defenders.

This is why he was even worse than Engels, who won more duels (two), created more chances (two), and missed fewer ‘big chances’ (one) than the striker, per Sofascore.

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Both of Iheanacho’s goals for Celtic so far have come as a substitute. This, perhaps, suggests that coming off the bench to make an impact should be his role for now, which is why he must be ditched from the starting XI against Braga.