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The wicketkeeper-batter shows his full range during a maiden Test hundred of uninterrupted poise

Karthik Krishnaswamy03-Oct-20251:39

Jurel: The idea is to score ‘risk-free runs’

In the course of going from 36 to 60 on Friday afternoon in Ahmedabad, Dhruv Jurel hit three fours off West Indies’ seamers. He hit all three off the back foot, all three in the arc behind square on the off side, and each was subtly different from the other.The first came off a Jayden Seales delivery that was short but not necessarily wide, rising to just below shoulder height. Jurel rose with the ball, leaning slightly backwards to create room, and met it below his chin with his bat face open, using all of Seales’ pace to guide the ball wide of gully.The second and third came off Justin Greaves, and while there was a little more width to work with on these occasions, there wasn’t as much pace, so Jurel manufactured the power himself, with two distinct kinds of wristwork. First, the conventional back-cut with wrists imparting topspin; here the emphasis was on getting on top of the bounce and keeping the ball down. The next one didn’t bounce quite as much, so Jurel was able to employ the slice – with the point fielder having been pushed back, this way of playing the shot ensured he had no chance of saving the boundary, with the ball curving further and further away to his left as it scudded over the outfield.Related

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These weren’t particularly difficult shots for a Test batter to execute in excellent batting conditions, particularly against a bowler of Greaves’ pace limitations. They made for gorgeous watching, though, particularly for viewers invested in Indian cricket’s vast talent pool. We have watched Jurel bat and score runs before, and we’ve watched him do it in Test cricket, but we hadn’t really had the chance of seeing this facet of his game, this deft, square-of-the-wicket artistry.The innings that made everyone sit up and take notice of Jurel, the match-turning 90 against England in Ranchi last year, had come on a pitch of treacherous low bounce that all but took square-of-the-wicket runs out of the equation. That innings had been all about the full face of the bat and the opportunism of pouncing on scoring opportunities down the ground.This innings, a maiden Test hundred of uninterrupted poise in straightforward batting conditions, allowed Jurel to show off his full square-of-the-wicket range. You could admire the fleetness of his footwork when he pulled Roston Chase for six when the offspinner dropped marginally short. From watching him do it again and again, you could marvel at his ability to place his leg-side clips exactly where he wanted, square or even behind square, without needing to close the face of his bat, just by meeting the ball a little closer to his body or a little further away.2:02

Chopra: Jurel making a strong case for No. 6 spot

It all looked so calm and organised that you began to forget this was a man playing just the sixth Test match of an understudy’s career, all but one of his chances having arrived thanks to injury to one of the game’s great wicketkeeper-batters. You began to forget that he had never before batted as high as No. 5.But Jurel has always had this effect on the viewer, with that confident strut to the crease, that compact technique – with his hands never seeming to stray too far from his body, from backlift to follow-through – and those light feet that never seem to move all that much but usually seem to be in the right place. “Relax,” all of that tells you. “I know what I’m doing.”He makes this look effortless, but it could be the outcome of the rigorous mental preparation he does before matches, visualising all the scenarios he’s likely to come up against – the bowlers, the fields they are likely to set, the gaps he can target, the areas where he can score risk-free runs. And he does all this even when he knows he’s not playing.”I visualise a lot, whether I’m playing or not – I visualise what I would be doing I was playing,” he said at the end of the second day’s play in Ahmedabad. “When I do play a match, nothing feels new to me. It feels like I’ve already experienced it, and I know what the feeling is.”Everything I visualise – walking in, taking stance, taking leg [stump] guard, everything I visualise, so nothing feels different. I’m always prepared, whether I’m playing or not playing, I make that effort to keep myself ready.”So far, Jurel has had to keep himself ready for opportunities that could come without warning, but the assurance he radiates every time he keeps wicket and bat will surely lead India’s team management to consider playing him regardless of Rishabh Pant’s availability, with one of them keeping and the other playing as a specialist batter.That discussion is gaining volume, but Jurel isn’t about to get drawn into it.”I feel you control what’s in your control. It’s not my decision whether I’m played as a batter or as a keeper. Wherever I get to play a match, whether it’s [international or] domestic, my job is to score runs.”For the moment, he’s doing that as well as he possibly can.

The Perth Scorchers quick missed graduation because she was making her WBBL debut

Tristan Lavalette27-Nov-2023Returning home from a pre-season trip, Chloe Ainsworth in an impromptu move decided to show off her self-taught skills on the piano at Brisbane Airport.She held court and played a couple of pieces much to the initial amusement of her team-mates and those listening in, who were left impressed by her hidden talent and confidence in expressing it.”I was involved in music growing up and was pretty good at it,” Ainsworth, who turned 18 in September, told ESPNcricinfo. “My team-mates thought it was all pretty funny. It was good to make them laugh.”Related

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The softly-spoken Ainsworth has injected youthful exuberance in Perth Scorchers, who are built around a veteran core and have enjoyed a bounce back season. After failing to make finals last season in a disappointing title defence, Scorchers finished with an 8-6 regular season record to qualify for the finals. They will face either Brisbane Heat or Sydney Thunder in Wednesday’s Eliminator final in a bid to play Adelaide Strikers for the title.Ainsworth has played a big role in her debut WBBL season to spearhead the attack with 15 wickets at an average of 18.00, enough to get her named in the official team of the tournament announced on Monday. She might be mild-mannered off the field, but Ainsworth follows a lineage of quick bowlers.”I have white-line fever,” she laughed, citing former Australia quick Mitchell Johnson as a childhood hero. “I can be very competitive and it just helps me out there being fired up.”She has been able to back up her snarls at batters. Ainsworth has been clocked around 115kph and is poised to eventually hit the 120s. “I think I can get quicker. That’s the aim…to bowl quicker,” she said.

This Chloe Ainsworth is a seriously talented young cricketer#WBBL09 pic.twitter.com/YjoDhtyEg6

— Weber Women's Big Bash League (@WBBL) November 22, 2023

Ainsworth started off as a wicketkeeper in junior cricket before realising she could bowl faster than anyone else. She rose quickly through the ranks and played one match in Australia’s Under-19 World Cup campaign earlier in the year before breaking her thumb.Even though she’s been well down the order for Scorchers and faced only 20 deliveries, Ainsworth can bat and particularly enjoys hitting the ball hard and long. She has the capabilities of being a genuine allrounder, but right now it’s all about her pace bowling.Bustling into the crease, powered by a burly frame, Ainsworth unleashes rockets and she’s already armed with a deadly yorker. She concentrates on pitching the ball up, but has utilised hostile short-pitched bowling to good effect at the traditionally pace friendly WACA ground.Ainsworth can move the ball around making her a tough proposition and an acceptable economy of 7.29 suggests an ability to maintain control. There is work needed to become a more rounded pace bowler, but the foundations have been built.

It would have been nice to celebrate with friends, but I’m committed to cricket. It will be amazing to play in the finals. I’ll be doing everything I can because I’m competitive. I want to win.The WBBL has come before end of school fun for Chloe Ainsworth

“I will need more variations, especially in T20 cricket,” she said. “You need different deliveries to pull out in different situations. I also want to keep learning how to control swing.”But I try to keep things simple. Cricket is cricket. I’m there to take wickets and I’m backed in to do that.”The team’s confidence in Ainsworth was underlined when Scorchers captain Sophie Devine entrusted her to bowl the final over of a nerve-jangling match against defending champions Adelaide Strikers at the WACA.”When there were a few overs left, I looked at the scoreboard and realised that I was going to bowl [the final over]. I was excited,” she said.With Strikers needing 12 runs to chase down a total of 166, Ainsworth was denied a heroic finish by England allrounder Dani Gibson who hit a last ball boundary to win the match. Ainsworth relied on bowling on a length, but it proved predictable for Gibson who clubbed 15 runs in the final over.”It was disappointing to not get the job done. Everyone got around me after the match to make sure I wasn’t upset,” she said. “It’s a learning experience. It’s about being really clear over the plans and how to execute.”Ainsworth burst onto the scene with an impressive WBBL debut against Hobart Hurricanes in Launceston on the same day as her Year 12 graduation.”I had to miss the graduation, but I checked in with my mates on FaceTime after the game so that was at least something,” she said.The WBBL has been a steep learning curve for Chloe Ainsworth•Getty ImagesHer subsequent debut at the WACA netted a three-wicket haul against Hurricanes, including clean bowling star batter Heather Graham with a pearler that knocked out middle stump.Ainsworth’s starring role saw her thrusted in front of the cameras for a post game media engagement along the boundary of the Lillee-Marsh stand, while giddy family and friends over the fence chanted her name with gusto.”My mates were taking the mickey out of me,” she laughed. “It feels weird having attention. I’m not the most out there person, but it’s all part of being a cricketer at this level.”The spotlight still feels rather surreal for Ainsworth, who last week was supposed to be celebrating the end of schooling with friends in a rite of passage for high school graduates in Australia.Instead, as temperatures soared in Perth amid a pre-summer heatwave, she’s been putting in the hard yards in a determined bid to help Scorchers push for a second title in three seasons.”It would have been nice to celebrate with friends, but I’m committed to cricket,” Ainsworth said. “It will be amazing to play in the finals. I’ll be doing everything I can because I’m competitive. I want to win.”That should be music to the ears of Scorchers fans.

Raw power meets technique and instinct in a shot the batter has made uniquely her own

Valkerie Baynes01-Mar-2022She’s been called “Harmanpreet Thor” and when she’s raining hammer blows on the opposition, it’s rather apt. And yet to put the word “slog” in front of Harmanpreet’s glorious sweep sounds so unrefined, and not entirely accurate, for her version is more nuanced. Sure, the aggression, power – and result – are there, but the effortlessness of her action makes it a thing of beauty as well as brutality. Dropping to her back knee, head over the front one to form a perfectly balanced base as she brings her bat down and lets her levers do their devastating work – pow!Slog, conventional, paddle, reverse. Watch Harmanpreet and you forget momentarily that her way is not the only way. Her action looks infinitely repeatable, from the set-up through the swing to the sight of the ball sailing over the fence, often several times in an innings. Brisbane Heat witnessed it during her 23-ball fifty for Sydney Thunder. And again as she slugged their attack for six sixes en route to 65 off 32 for Melbourne Renegades last November.India are no strangers to Harmanpreet’s impressive array of strokes, in which that sublime sweep features heavily, like during her unbeaten 171 in the 2017 World Cup semi-final.Biju George was India Women’s fielding coach at the time before going on to join Sunrisers Hyderabad and now the Sports Authority of India, and he reckons Harmanpreet’s sweep is as much about instinct as technique. “Normally, what the batter will hear taught right from the beginning is, if the spinner flights the ball, you come out and play the ball. The sweep is like a secondary shot, not your main shot,” he says. “But for Harmanpreet it’s an expression of her identity, her individuality.”While many players sweep late and fine, Harmanpreet takes the ball early and hits it square of the wicket or ahead of square – and hard. Once set, she’s not afraid to play the shot against medium-pacers either. A combination of coordination and bat speed enable her to generate huge power.”She hits it like a rocket,” says George. “She is there to dominate, make no mistake about that. When she goes out to bat, in my mind I see a big flag waving over her: ‘Here I am.'”She has thought out her game really well. People might think she’s an impulsive player [but] she’s an instinctive player. She reacts to the ball, she reacts to the situation.”Like Harmanpreet, England captain Heather Knight has a wonderful collection of strokes, her reverse sweep particularly effective. And while her vice-captain, Nat Sciver, has the inventive “Natmeg” in her bag – threading a full delivery between her feet and fine to the leg side – she can also produce a powerful conventional sweep.Sophie Devine admits there’s little more satisfying as a batter than punching a straight drive back past the bowler, but she values the rewards the sweep – or slog sweep as she is quick to clarify – has brought her. It is a shot players often learn later, after coaches teach the “safer” strokes, but Devine has advice for those wanting to add it to their game: “I just say, hit the ball hard. That’s the great thing about cricket, you’ve got to commit fully, whatever shot it is.”Who Does it Best?: The cutter | The pull | The googly | The cover drive | The yorker | The cut | The bouncer | The sweep

Rob Edwards will be under no illusions about the size of the job ahead of him after his first Premier League match in the dugout for Wolverhampton Wanderers ended in a defeat last weekend.

The Old Gold were beaten 2-0 by Crystal Palace at the Molineux, thanks to goals from Daniel Munoz and Yeremy Pino, and that leaves them bottom of the table with two points after 12 matches.

Edwards needs to find a way to turn results around in the short term, no doubt, but he also has the upcoming January transfer window to make some changes to the squad. One player, of many, who should be replaced is central midfielder Marshall Munetsi.

Why Wolves need to replace Marshall Munetsi

He started in the middle of the park against Crystal Palace on Saturday and won three of his 14 duels in 66 minutes on the pitch, per Sofascore, which shows how lightweight the midfield flop was.

The 29-year-old dud has failed to impress in the Premier League since his move from Stade Reims in February, with poor form in the second half of last season and in the current campaign.

Munetsi lost 51% of his duels and only completed 74% of his passes in the 2024/25 campaign, and has lost 54% of his duels with a dismal 62% pass accuracy this season in the top-flight, per Sofascore.

Transfer Focus

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These statistics show that the £70k-per-week midfielder has not been reliable enough in or out of possession, which is why Edwards should replace him by swooping for one of his former Middlesbrough stars, Hayden Hackney.

Why Wolves need to sign Hayden Hackney

During Vitor Pereira’s time in charge during the summer transfer window, it was reported that Wolves were willing to pay a fee of around £30m to sign the Boro ace, but a move never materialised.

Now, Edwards must reignite that interest in the January transfer window because the England U21 international could arrive at the club as a big upgrade on Munetsi in the middle of the park, allowing the manager to finally ditch him.

Hackney, who was hailed as a “fearless” talent by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has caught the eye with his performances in the second tier this season and could arrive with a positive mentality that could inject some energy into the currently dull Wolves squad.

Appearances

12

16

Pass accuracy

62%

85%

Goals

1

3

xA

0.38

3.24

Assists

1

2

Completed dribbles per game

0.4

1.3

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.4

2.4

As you can see in the table above, the English talent has shown a lot of quality in possession in the middle of the park for Middlesbrough, whilst Munetsi has struggled to make much of an impact with the ball at his feet.

Whilst Hackney has played in the division below the Premier League, the Boro star’s statistics suggest that he does have the potential to come in as an upgrade on the former Ligue 1 midfielder.

The 23-year-old star, who scored five goals for Middlesbrough in the 2024/25 campaign, is also six years younger than Munetsi, 29, which means that he has far more time left ahead of him to develop and improve as a player.

Wolves fans may not want to read this, but Hackney would also be a signing who could be incredibly useful for the club if they do get relegated, because he is a proven Championship star, whilst Munetsi has never played at that level.

Before Gomes: Edwards must sell Wolves star who's made them a "worse side"

This Wolves player has been disappointing this season

ByJoe Nuttall Nov 24, 2025

Therefore, Edwards should push for a reunion with the English gem in January in order to finally ditch Munetsi from the starting line-up, hopefully improving the team in the process.

West Indies and Afghanistan will face each other over three T20Is in Sharjah next year as both teams build up towards the World Cup. The bilateral series is scheduled to begin on January 19 just days before the ICC event kicks off in India and Sri Lanka in February.CWI’s Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe, said: “This series provides an ideal platform for our preparation. Facing strong opposition in subcontinental conditions will help us sharpen our combinations and approach, and it also gives our players a chance to build confidence on surfaces similar to those we’ll encounter in India and Sri Lanka.”West Indies co-hosted the last T20 World Cup, where they went through to the Super Eight stage but couldn’t make the knockouts. Afghanistan did make it to the semi-finals of that event, which was a first for them. The two teams have played eight T20Is against each other with West Indies leading the head-to-head 5-3.All three T20Is of this bilateral series will take place in Sharjah on January 19, 21 and 22.Naseeb Khan, CEO of the Afghanistan Cricket Board, said: “Competing against the West Indies on the brink of a global event presents an excellent opportunity for our team to finalize their lineup and enhance their preparations for the upcoming mega event in India and Sri Lanka.”West Indies are currently playing a five-match T20I series in New Zealand, which they trail 2-1. Afghanistan’s last T20I assignment was against Zimbabwe in October, which they won 3-0.

Usman Khawaja will have his sixth opener partner since the retirement of David Warner

Tristan Lavalette20-Nov-2025Jake Weatherald and Brendan Doggett will debut for Australia in the first Ashes Test at Perth Stadium, with Beau Webster losing his place in the XI.Cameron Green’s successful return to bowling had been a key final piece to the jigsaw. There had been a thought that the absence of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood could still make the selectors consider additional bowling resources, but they have backed four frontline options supported by Green who got through 16 overs in the last Sheffield Shield round.The latest batting reshuffle sees Green drop back down to No. 6 where he began his Test career, having batted No. 3 in West Indies and at No. 4 before the back injury that ruled him out of last season.Related

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“I think we’re pretty versatile with our order and the way we can go about it,” Smith told reporters. “And Greeny obviously played exceptionally well at three in some tough conditions in the West Indies.”But with him bowling and taking that load, we feel that six is a good position for him right now. It doesn’t mean in the future that he’s not going to slide up the order but, for right now, number six suits this team.”Marnus Labuschagne will return to the side in his favoured No. 3 position after a prolific start to the season with Queensland while Nathan Lyon is also recalled having been left out in Jamaica when Australia fielded an all-pace attack in the day-night Test.”Marnus, when he’s batting at his best at No. 3, makes us a very, very good cricket side,” Smith said of Labuschagne, who has hit five hundreds for Queensland across formats so far this domestic season.Jake Weatherald prepares himself for his Test debut•Getty Images

“We couldn’t really leave him out after he came back and did exactly what was told of him. The way he’s batted in Shield and one-day cricket for Queensland in the last couple of weeks has been amazing.”When he’s batting well it’s tough to leave him out and hopefully he can bring that to the Test arena now.”It will mark the first time since 2019, when Kurtis Patterson and Jhye Richardson made their debuts against Sri Lanka at the Gabba, that Australia will hand out two new caps in the same Test and the first time in an Ashes encounter since Usman Khawaja and Michael Beer debuted at the SCG in the 2010-11 series.Doggett’s debut, as a replacement for the injured Hazlewood, means that Australia will field two Indigenous players in a Test XI for the first time. Doggett, 31, has been in excellent form for South Australia since returning from a hamstring injury earlier in the season with 13 wickets at 14.69Smith vaguely recalled batting against Doggett in a Shield match some time ago, but has faced him in the fast and bouncy Perth Stadium nets in recent days. He did not reveal whether Doggett or Scott Boland would share the new ball with Mitchell Starc.”He gets the ball down at nice pace, stands the seam up,” Smith said. “His lengths are really good, everything you need for a surface like that out there. Hopefully he can get the ball in the areas we know that he can and if he does that then I’m sure he’s going to create plenty of chances.”Weatherald, meanwhile, becomes Khawaja’s sixth opening partner since the retirement of David Warner in early 2024. On Thursday morning, Weatherald did some visualisation and shadow batting in the middle of Perth Stadium then had another hit during Australia’s final optional training session.”I watched him batting in the nets pretty closely the last few days,” Smith said of Weatherald. “They were pretty tricky nets, fast, bouncy and a lot of seam. He’s got a lot of courage, he just goes in there. I don’t think he faces any of the sidearms or anything. He wants to face bowlers the entire time.Cameron Green slips back down to No. 6 as the allrounder•Getty Images

“The guys were charging in bowling fast, he took it on. He was getting in really good positions and he goes about it a certain way. He’s been selected for his performances over the last 18 months, hopefully he can bring that to the Test arena. I think he’s going to compliment Uzi [Khawaja] pretty well up top.”Weatherald has never played international cricket in any format before, ensuring plenty of scouting for England’s hierarchy. “When you’ve not played against someone before, you’ve got a vague idea of strengths, maybe potential areas you can expose them,” captain Ben Stokes said.”We’ve got all the info on Weatherald so we’ll just have to see how it goes and hopefully he’s another Australian batter we can keep quiet throughout the tour.”Webster, a team-mate of Weatherald with Tasmania, can count himself unlucky to lose his spot after making four half-centuries in seven Tests since his debut against India at the SCG earlier this year, all coming in tricky batting conditions. He had two lean outings in the Sheffield Shield but claimed eight wickets against South Australia last week.”Very tricky,” Smith said of the decision to leave out Webster. “I think he’s come into international cricket and lit it up immediately. It’s a really tough one on him.”Josh Inglis, will play for the CA XI against England Lions while the first Test is taking place, and Michael Neser are the other two players left out from Australia’s 14-player squad.Australia XI for first Ashes TestUsman Khawaja, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith (capt), Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland, Brendan Doggett

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis is set to demand north of £53 million for one of Sean Dyche’s star players as Barcelona eye up a move, according to a new report.

Nottingham Forest turn corner under Sean Dyche

It’s been 42 days since Ange Postecoglou became the shortest reigning manager in Premier League history after a nightmare stint at the City Ground, with Forest since appointing Dyche to steady the ship.

Ange Postecoglou’s tenure at Nottingham Forest

Competition

Arsenal 3-0 Forest

Premier League

Swansea 3-2 Forest

Carabao Cup

Burnley 1-1 Forest

Premier League

Real Betis 2-2 Forest

Europa League

Forest 0-1 Sunderland

Premier League

Forest 2-3 FC Midtjylland

Europa League

Newcastle 2-0 Forest

Premier League

Forest 0-3 Chelsea

Premier League

The Englishman arrived at Forest with skepticism surrounding his controversial appointment, but so far, Dyche has seriously impressed.

His debut in the dugout saw Forest secure a 2-0 Europa League victory over FC Porto, their first in Europe, establishing early momentum before Forest defeated fellow strugglers Leeds United 3-1 at the City Ground — ending a nine-match winless domestic streak that went all the way back to the opening weekend under Nuno Espírito Santo.

Ibrahim Sangare’s first Forest goal kickstarted the comeback after Lukas Nmecha’s early strike, before Morgan Gibbs-White’s header and Elliot Anderson’s stoppage-time penalty completed the turnaround.

Even more impressive came Forest’s stunning 3-0 triumph over Liverpool at Anfield.

Murillo, Nicolo Savona, and Gibbs-White scored as Dyche put on a tactical masterclass against the Merseysiders, who are in catastrophic form right now amid reports that Arne Slot could lose his job.

The Tricky Trees have also shut up shop, conceding just once in their last four games across all competitions, and that is testament to the performances of Murillo, who also put in a Man of the Match display against Liverpool last weekend.

The Brazilian is attracting serious interest from elite clubs, including Arsenal, and we can now add the La Liga champions to his growing list of admirers.

Barcelona identify top target Murillo as Nottingham Forest demand £53 million

According to reports from Spain, Murillo has now ‘become Barcelona’s top target’ to reinforce Hansi Flick’s defence.

Forest are clear, they want north of £53 million for the centre-back and are in a very strong position to demand good money considering he’s contracted until 2029.

Good news for Dyche is that Barça are currently unable to meet this price tag due to their constraints around the La Liga salary cap and well-documented financial difficulties.

The prospect of Murillo leaving in January is unlikely at best as well, despite the admiration from top clubs, with journalist Pete O’Rourke telling Football Insider that Forest will block any winter move.

The 23-year-old finished last campaign as Forest’s best performer by average match rating, according to WhoScored, in what was a fairytale campaign where they nearly qualified for the Champions League under Nuno.

Forest have scope to demand even more money for their prized asset, and we could even see a potential bidding war next summer.

Manchester City are now closely monitoring AC Milan forward Rafael Leao, with Pep Guardiola personally a fan, and the Italian club’s asking price has been revealed.

Man City made a real statement by defeating reigning Premier League champions Liverpool 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, and Guardiola was left particularly impressed by Jeremy Doku’s performance, describing the winger as “outstanding.”

Doku completed a remarkable seven dribbles throughout the match, six more than any other player, in what was a top performance, but the 23-year-old was not the only City forward that caught the eye.

Indeed, Erling Haaland once again found the back of the net, with the Norwegian putting his first-half penalty miss behind him and bagging his 14th Premier League goal of the season, which puts the 25-year-old six clear of nearest-rival Igor Thiago in the goalscoring charts.

Guardiola is clearly blessed with a number of top-quality attacking options, but the manager remains keen on strengthening his forward line even further…

Man City closely monitoring Rafael Leao

According to a report from Caught Offside, Man City are now closely monitoring AC Milan forward Leao, who has a €150m (£131m) release clause included in his contract, although the Serie A club have set a more affordable asking price of €80m – €85m (£70m – £75m).

Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal are also in the race for the Portugal international, with Mikel Arteta personally an admirer, but City could rival their Premier League title rivals for his signature, given that Guardiola is a fan.

Indeed, the Spaniard admires the 26-year-old’s versatility, given that he is capable of playing out wide, in attacking midfield or even at striker.

At the moment, Milan are hopeful they will be able to keep hold of their star forward, but a January exit could be on the cards if talks over a new deal do not progress.

There are signs the Portuguese forward could be capable of taking City’s attack to the next level, having been lauded as “world-class” by journalist Carlo Garganese, while also proving himself as a reliable goalscorer over a number of years at AC Milan.

The Milan star has amassed a whopping 75 goals and 63 assists in 268 games for the Serie A giants, scoring a brace in what was a fantastic display against Fiorentina earlier this season.

The former Lille man clearly has the ability to succeed at the Etihad Stadium, but Doku’s recent performances suggest the Belgian winger could now be entering his prime, with his all-round display against Liverpool particularly eye-catching.

Jeremy Doku’s statistics vs Liverpool	Number completed
Dribbles (successful)	8 (7)
Duels (won)	14 (11)
Key passes	3
Shots on target	3

As such, Leao would perhaps be a luxury signing, rather than a necessary addition to Guardiola’s squad.

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There's a real possibility star third baseman Alex Bregman has played his last game for the Houston Astros. He appeared to acknowledge as much on Wednesday following the team's exit from the postseason after their wild-card round loss to the Detroit Tigers.

Bregman is set to hit the open market as a free agent for the first time in his career this offseason, having failed to agree to a new contract with the team. He sent a brief message to Astros fans on social media after the team's season-ending loss.

"Thank you Houston," wrote Bregman, keeping his message short but sweet.

It's not certain that Bregman will leave Houston in the offseason. After the loss, he admitted he was hopeful he'd be back in an Astros uniform in 2025 and beyond.

"I hope so, but we'll see what happens," Bregman told reporters. "I’m gonna let (agent Scott Boras) and the team handle that. Obviously, it's free agency, and I've never experienced that before. I'll let him and all the teams handle that."

Longtime teammate Jose Altuve was more direct with his assessment of Bregman's future.

"I don't want to get to the idea thinking about last game with Breggy," said Altuve. "I'm pretty confident that he's going to be our third baseman next year. We have to. We're not going to be the same organization without him."

Bregman, a two-time All-Star, has been the Astros' third baseman since he debuted in 2016. He's won two World Series' with the organization, serving as a franchise cornerstone during his tenure.

In 2024, he slashed .260/.315/.453 with 26 home runs, 75 RBIs and 151 hits while recording a 4.1 WAR. His future is uncertain, though it's clear that those within the organization would be overjoyed to see him return, as would the fans.

Mahedi bagged 4 for 11 in the third T20I, as Bangladesh won their first T20I series against Sri Lanka

Mohammad Isam17-Jul-2025

Mahedi Hasan now has the most wickets by a spinner in powerplays in T20Is since January 2021•Associated Press

Bangladesh captain Litton Das had earmarked offspinner Mahedi Hasan for the third T20I at the R Premadasa Stadium when he first saw their tour schedule for Sri Lanka. Mahedi repaid the faith by picking up career-best figures of 4 for 11 in Bangladesh’s eight-wicket win, which also gave them their first series win – by 2-1 – against Sri Lanka.Two of Mahedi’s wickets came in the powerplay, taking his tally to 30 in that phase since January 2021, the most for any spinner on that list. Litton said that Mahedi’s skillset suited the pitch, where spinners have generally done well. Mahedi got into the act straightaway on Wednesday night, removing Kusal Perera in his first over before having Dinesh Chandimal mistime a slog in the fifth.”We felt that Mahedi’s skills would be a perfect fit for the Colombo wicket,” Litton said after Bangladesh’s victory. “It doesn’t mean he doesn’t bowl well on other wickets. I had planned it as soon as I saw the schedule that Mahedi will be my first name in the line-up at this venue. It also doesn’t mean that Mehidy [Hasan Miraz] is not a good bowler or batter. As a team leader, I will think deeply about the surface before choosing a team. A bowling-friendly surface will always make me pick Mahedi. If it is batting-friendly, Miraz will come back into the team.”Related

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The occasion was further special for Mahedi, as he was returning to the side after missing Bangladesh’s last five T20Is. He wasn’t picked in the first two matches of this series after he went for plenty of runs in three games against UAE and Pakistan in May. It may have been harsh for Mahedi, who was adjudged Player of the Series in the West Indies in December, having powered Bangladesh to a 3-0 series win.Litton said he never had a shortage of belief, which helped them clinch the series, making it only the second time Bangladesh won a T20I series after going down 1-0 in a three-match affair.”It is a proud moment for me as a captain. I am happy that the fans are also happy seeing us win a T20I series in Sri Lanka,” he said. “We always try to give our 100% in the middle. We train in the way that we can give 100% in the middle. I always had the belief. I never had a shortage of belief in my ten years at this level.”Litton further said that other than the batting collapses – 94 all out in the second T20I, 186 all out in the third ODI and 167 all out in the first ODI – Bangladesh had a decent tour of Sri Lanka. He felt that the batting unit must take more responsibility across formats.Litton Das scored 76 in the second T20I, while his 32 in the third helped Bangladesh out of an early setback•Associated Press

“We didn’t play bad cricket in all the formats. It looks different as we had some batting collapses,” he said. “All the batters fell for 30-35 runs in the second Test, which had a good batting track. Someone had to play a big knock. It was the same in the first ODI: we lost plenty of wickets in a collapse. We need to be more focused as a batting unit, and take responsibility with our choices of shots, [and] we will do better.”Litton himself showed a bit of form, with his 76 off 50 in Bangladesh’s 83-run win in the second T20I. It was a pivotal knock as Litton added half-century stands with Towhid Hridoy and Shamim Hossain in critical phases. It was also a break from his long white-ball slump. Litton also scored 32 in the third T20I, helping Bangladesh out of an early setback. He said he was getting hungry to score runs and looking for an opportunity.”I think hunger was a factor, I wasn’t scoring runs for a long time,” he said. “I was looking for an opportunity to grab. It was a plus point in the second T20I. I think winning changes the face of the team. We also won the second game by 83 runs, which is a huge achievement. The whole team had the confidence of winning if we played our best cricket.”All I can do is try hard. I don’t sit in the hotel room. I don’t miss training sessions. You have to keep trying as a player. You also need blessing from God. I think luck smiled at me in the second T20I. But I keep trying hard on and off the field. I worked on my own mostly. There are some people who helped me. It can be motivating too.”