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Liverpool kicked off their pre-season with a 3-1 win over Preston North End. The result didn’t matter. This was an occasion for Diogo Jota, with the two clubs coming together to celebrate and commemorate a wonderful man who will forever be woven into Liverpool’s history, forever a part of Anfield.

The football was secondary, but it was a chance for fans to see the fruits of sporting director Richard Hughes’ labours in the transfer market, with wide duo Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong catching the eye.

Kerkez, signed from Bournemouth for £40m, looks an absolute menace, so lively and sharp. Replacing Andy Robertson, 31, should have been a daunting thing, but the Reds have hit the jackpot here.

Frimpong, too, shone, using his blistering speed and underrated intelligence to great effect, winning three of four duels and completing his one attempted dribble, as per Sofascore.

Giorgi Mamardashvili also exuded control between the sticks, but it wasn’t just the new boys who caught the eye, with Cody Gakpo looking good to continue his rise under Arne Slot’s wing.

Cody Gakpo's performance vs Preston

Last season, pundit Peter Crouch noted that Gakpo had “gone up a level” with Slot at the helm, going from strength to strength as he performed in a fixed attacking role off the left flank, as opposed to the shuffle-about role he had for Jurgen Klopp.

Against Preston, Gakpo continued that impressive role, seeing plenty of the ball and converting a well-taken goal that led to an emotional celebration.

The 25-year-old will be desperate to prove to his manager that he deserves another season in a prominent position at Anfield, having scored 18 goals and provided seven assists across 49 matches last year.

However, with Luis Diaz potentially being sold this summer, Bayern Munich reported to have agreed personal terms with the versatile Colombian forward, Slot is within his rights to want more depth out on the wing.

And the man the Dutch coach has in mind might just have the quality to supersede Gakpo.

Liverpool lining up new forward

According to reports from Spain, Liverpool are planning to make an offer for Real Madrid star Rodrygo this summer, potentially using the non-committal Ibrahima Konate as leverage in a potential one-in, one-out deal.

Rodrygo has been considered among the world’s leading forwards for several years, but he’s struggled of late with Real, having been pushed to the backbenches since Xabi Alonso replaced Carlo Ancelotti.

Another Spanish outlet, AS, have also chimed in, revealing that Rodrygo has a price tag of €100m (£86m). Los Blancos might be willing to sell their long-serving winger, but only on their terms.

Time will tell whether Hughes and Michael Edwards can engineer a deal that checks out for Liverpool. Arsenal are also keen, though, so swiftness is important here.

Why Liverpool want Rodrygo

Rodrygo would be the first to admit that he endured a frustrating 2024/25 campaign, but having chalked up 14 goals and 11 assists across all competitions, it’s clear he’s got a high bar, which leaves even poor seasons above that of many other forwards across Europe.

His former teammate, Luka Modric, actually called him a “world-class superstar” once, and with a longing for a permanent place on the left wing, Rodrygo could find that Liverpool would be the perfect new home for him, should Diaz be sold in the coming weeks.

Given that the Brazil international was fielded out on the right for the majority of the 2024/25 campaign in spite of his preference to play on the opposite flank, maximising his potency, he did well.

Moreover, he’s a big-game star, something Liverpool will need as they challenge for the biggest prizes once more.

Rodrygo’s arrival wouldn’t prove detrimental for Gakpo; Diaz and the Dutchman cohabited in the Reds first team last year.

But there’s a sense that Liverpool would be signing an upgrade on the former PSV Eindhoven talent, one who could dynamise and expand Slot’s vision as the Reds chase down more success.

Looking at how Gakpo in the Premier League and Rodrygo in La Liga compared last season, you’d have to say that the wide range of qualities leans toward the Brazilian’s favour, even though he flattered to deceive by his standards.

Moreover, he might have only scored six times, but the 24-year-old also missed only one big chance, underscoring his value as a prolific outlet.

Journalist Sam Tighe once backed this up when calling Rodrygo “terrifyingly good” in front of goal, so deadly when fit and on form.

The fact that Rodrygo managed to score six goals and supply six assists from the left side of Real Madrid’s frontline probably tells you all you need to know, for Ancelotti actually gave him just 12 appearances from that flank.

A duo of Gakpo and Rodrygo contesting for the ascendancy in Slot’s system would only be a good thing. But if Rodrygo is given the grounds to grow his confidence, he might just find himself eclipsing Gakpo, bringing athletic completeness to marry into a natural-born bent for goalscoring which has perhaps yet to even be fully realised on the professional stage.

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Liverpool are planning to sign a new striker in the summer transfer market.

By
Angus Sinclair

Jul 14, 2025

Celtic will be in the market to add to their options in the wide department after Nicolas Kuhn officially completed a permanent transfer to Como for a reported fee of £16.5m.

The German forward racked up 13 goals and nine assists from the right flank in the Scottish Premiership last season, which shows the kind of quality that Brendan Rodgers has lost.

On top of that, Portuguese winger Jota may be out until January or February with a knee injury that was sustained against Dundee United back in May.

This means that the Hoops are short out wide, even with the addition of Benjamin Nygren this summer, which is why they are reportedly keen on adding another winger to their squad.

Celtic place star at the top of their wishlist

The Scottish Premiership champions are looking to dip into a rarely-utilised market, for them, as they plot to repeat the masterclass they played with Victor Wanyama by signing another star from the Belgian Pro League.

Transfer Focus

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

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According to the Daily Record, Royal Antwerp forward Michel-Ange Balikwisha is at the very top of their wishlist to replace Kuhn during the summer window.

The report adds that the Belgian winger is out of contract at the end of next season and that Antwerp sporting director Marc Overmars has opened the door to sales for players in that situation.

It has previously been claimed that the Hoops have been in talks with the Pro League side to discuss a deal for £5m-rated attacker, and this latest update now suggests that he is a priority target for the Scottish giants.

Why Balikwisha could be a Wanyama repeat

As per the Daily Record, Rami Gershon from Standard Liege in 2013 was the last player the club signed from the Pro League, whilst the last notable signing was the deal to bring Wanyama to Parkhead from Beerschot in 2011.

The Kenya international went on to score 13 goals in 91 appearances for Celtic in all competitions as a central midfielder, before Southampton signed him for a reported fee of £12.5m in the summer of 2013.

Balikwisha could be the first player to become a star at Parkhead after moving from the Pro League since Wanyama made that successful transition between 2011 and 2013, based on his form for Antwerp over the past two seasons.

The 24-year-old forward, who was described as a “creative” talent by analyst Will Glavin, racked up 14 goals and nine assists in 59 games in all competitions between the 2023/24 and 2024/25 campaigns combined.

Balikwisha (Pro League)

23/24

24/25

Starts

27

12

xG

6.46

2.65

Goals

7

4

Big chances created

6

7

Key passes per game

1.5

1.6

Assists

5

3

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Balikwisha has delivered 11 goals and eight assists in his last 39 games in the Pro League, outperforming his xG as a finisher in both of those seasons.

These statistics show that he is an efficient finisher who could thrive in a dominant Celtic team, which has won the Premiership in each of the last four years, that creates plenty of chances for him from the wing.

His creative numbers, with at least 1.5 key passes per game, also show that he has the potential to create opportunities for his teammates on a regular basis on the flank, if the youngster can translate his form from Belgium over to Scotland, as Wanyama did over a decade ago.

It is fair to say that Celtic hit the jackpot when they signed Wanyama, who was a key player on the pitch and made the club a fortune, and Balikwisha appears to have the qualities to follow in his footsteps next season.

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Therefore, the Belgian whiz could be a shrewd addition from a market the club rarely looks to explore if they can wrap up a deal for him this summer.

He says Nepal will be on the right side of results if they get more exposure against the best sides in the world

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jun-20243:06

Morkel: Nepal’s bowling made life difficult for SA

After his team came agonisingly close to a historic win and what would have been their first against a Full-Member side, Nepal captain Rohit Paudel has asked for more exposure against top teams. Nepal were on top of their modest chase of 116 against South Africa until Tabraiz Shamsi returned to claim two wickets in the 18th over, which began with Nepal needing 18 from 18. Anrich Nortje then conceded eight off the 19th and Ottneil Baartman defended seven in the last over, which included the tense situation of Nepal needing two from the last ball, but they couldn’t get even one, which would have taken the game to a Super Over.”I am very proud of the unit, especially the way we bowled and batted, I’m very proud of that,” Paudel said at the presentation. “We were very close but a little far. In crunch moments we did well, but the way we fought was very good. If we get more exposure regularly then next games we will be on the other side [of the result].”Nepal’s stunning performance was scripted by spinners Dipendra Singh Airee and Kushal Bhurtel, who claimed seven wickets between them for just 40 runs in their eight overs. Sandeep Lamichhane, who was playing his first game of the T20 World Cup 2024 after missing the USA leg, bowled four frugal overs for just 18 runs, giving away only one boundary. In all, the Nepal spinners bowled 14 overs for 75 runs.Related

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When asked if Nepal had expected the spinners to get so much assistance from the pitch, Paudel said: “Yeah, when we saw the wicket yesterday, we thought it would be on the slower side. Eventually when we were bowling I thought the wicket was helping the spinners and then we introduced Bhurtel and we carried on with the spinners.” Bhurtel claimed 4 for 19, which included the big scalps of Aiden Markram and Henrich Klaasen as well as those of Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada.South Africa played just the one frontline spinner – Shamsi came into the XI for Keshav Maharaj – and bowled six overs of spin overall, with two from Markram. Shamsi came into the attack after seven overs, by which time Nepal were 34 for no loss. Markram later admitted South Africa should have picked another spinner on a track on which the ball was stopping, turning and bouncing. Markram brought himself on after the 13th over.2:22

Morkel: SA could play two spinners on slower pitches

“We have a good pace attack and you want to back that,” Markram said at the presentation. “I thought if we got the ball in the right areas, there could be something in the wicket and I felt like it was challenging for the batters. Looking back in hindsight, we should have probably picked an extra spinner on this wicket. I didn’t think it’d spin that much. But the pacers kept us in the game and a lot of credit has to go to them tonight.”South Africa’s start wasn’t promising either, after they were put in to bat. They managed just 38 for 1 in the powerplay and struck only two sixes in their innings. Only one batter – Tristan Stubbs – scored at over a run a ball and had it not been for his unbeaten 27 off 18, South Africa might have finished well below 115. While acknowledging the tough conditions, Markram also praised the Nepal bowlers.”I think it’s two things: first and foremost, the way [Nepal] bowled it made it really tough for us throughout the game,” he said. “You have to give them a lot of credit. They put us under a lot of pressure, and it shows the quality they have in their change room. If you mix that with maybe not enough conviction in our plans and a slight lack in intensity, you can get stuck, and that’s what happened tonight. Like I said, there’ll be a lot of learnings and we’d assume Caribbean conditions might be a little similar moving forward so it’s about backing plans that we develop and pretty much be at ease with whatever comes after having solid plans.”South Africa finished on top of Group D with four wins out of four and will be in Group 2 in the Super Eight, along with USA, West Indies and one out of England and Scotland from Group B.

Heading into their contest at the Emirates Stadium, Newcastle United were still riding high off beating Chelsea 2-0 in the ongoing race to finish inside the Premier League’s Champions League spots.

However, the Magpies swiftly returned to reality after losing 1-0 to Mikel Arteta’s Gunners, meaning only point now separates Eddie Howe’s Toon from seventh placed Nottingham Forest. Unfortunately, only the top five are allowed a seat around Europe’s elite table.

Therefore, Newcastle will have to get back to winning ways at home to David Moyes’ Everton to cement a spot, with a number of underperformers very much at risk of being dropped from this crucial tie.

37

19

14

4

71

37

20

6

11

66

37

19

9

9

66

37

19

9

9

66

36

19

8

9

65

37

19

8

10

65

Newcastle's biggest underperformers vs Arsenal

Newcastle just didn’t enter into this contest away from home with the same clinical edge they showed against Enzo Maresca’s Blues, as wasteful finishing ruined their day throughout. In short, it was obvious they missed Alexander Isak who was ruled out through injury,

Come the end of the finely poised clash, Newcastle actually bettered the hosts in terms of shots, but Arsenal just displayed more self-control in crunch moments, particularly when Declan Rice’s latest stunner proved to be the difference-maker between the two teams.

The visitors just didn’t have this same composure in their locker, with Anthony Gordon a real letdown throughout in the attacking areas, leading to the ex-Everton winger finishing the game with no efforts attempted on David Raya’s net. On top of this, a misjudged dribble from the Liverpool-born attacker would culminate in Rice firing home.

Moreover, Harvey Barnes would only muster up 14 touches of the ball down the opposing left channel on a quiet day at the office from the former Leicester City man, whilst Jacob Murphy would also fail to provide a spark down the wings when failed to register an accurate cross.

But, the most anonymous body perhaps just started for the final time donning the famous black and white stripes.

4/10 dud must never start for Newcastle again

Newcastle were, of course, hindered on their travels by 27-goal machine Isak being injured, but Howe would have hoped those in reserve would step up to the mark in the Swede’s costly absence.

Instead, Callum Wilson really struggled leading the line for the Magpies throughout, resulting in the 33-year-old being hooked by his manager just after the hour mark.

Minutes played

64

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

17

Shots

0

Accurate passes

8/8 (100%)

Successful dribbles

0/2

Total duels won

0/7

It hasn’t exactly been a standout season for Wilson away from his struggles in North London – with only one goal coming the former AFC Bournemouth striker’s way – but even this dire showing on the big stage against Arteta’s men felt like a low, especially as his St. James’ Park future hangs in the balance.

Across his forgettable 64-minute stint, Wilson failed to register a single shot on the Arsenal goal, failed to complete a single dribble to test the Gunners defence and further failed to win a solitary duel from seven attempts.

Just off this showing alone, Wilson is unlikely to be kept around past this season, particularly when there are promising young talents such as William Osula at Howe’s disposal in the striker department.

Osula came on in place of the 33-year-old veteran actually, and whilst he too didn’t test Raya, he did valiantly win two duels for the cause.

Therefore, the future may well lie with Osula now over persisting with a waning Wilson, with Chronicle Live journalist Lee Ryder equally displeased with the ageing forward’s performance when dishing out a low 4/10 rating his way.

Cursing his team’s careless finishing at the full-time whistle, Howe will pray he has Isak available again for the vital final day contest.

If he isn’t though, you would anticipate that Osula will be thrown into the deep-end, with Wilson now potentially exiting St James’ Park on a whimper.

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ByRoss Kilvington May 18, 2025

Rangers and the 49ers Enterprises’ “dream” manager target is now the “favourite” for the Ibrox job, according to a new update.

Rangers manager rumours as Ferguson vows to make club “better”

Barry Ferguson has been the man tasked with leading the Gers on an interim basis until the end of the season after Philippe Clement was dismissed back in February.

He has had some impressive wins away at Fenerbahce and Celtic, however, there have also been some disappointing Ibrox defeats in the Scottish Premiership to Motherwell and Hibernian.

Asked in recent weeks about taking the Rangers job on a permanent basis, Ferguson said he would “make my club a better club” if given the opportunity by the 49ers Enterprises.

“I enjoyed my role at Rangers before, and if that’s not going to be managing, then hopefully I’ll just go back to that and enjoy what I was doing. If I get the job, I will make my club a better club. If I don’t get the job I will still support the club.

“I know what this club needs. I want what’s best for Rangers Football Club. I got an opportunity I never thought I would get, and I’ve enjoyed every single second of it. Some of the results I’ve not enjoyed, they have hurt me. I enjoy the challenge of it, because it is a big challenge.

“I always will back myself. I might not be everybody’s cup of tea, but I know I can do the job alongside the staff that I’ve brought in, but we just need to wait and see.”

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However, the 49ers have a number of manager targets in mind, with Steven Gerrard, Marco Rose and Sean Dyche all heavily linked with moves to Glasgow.

Now, an update has emerged on one of the aforementioned trio regarding the Rangers job.

Steven Gerrard “favourite” to be next Rangers manger

According to Football Insider reporter Pete O’Rourke, Gerrard is now in pole position and the leading contender to take over at Rangers. The former Gers boss is “favourite” ahead of the likes of Rose to arrive in Glasgow this summer, with the 49ers making Gerrard their top target.

In fact, it was reported back in February that Gerrard was Rangers and the 49ers’ “dream appointment”, and the 44-year-old has been out of work since January after leaving Al-Ettifaq.

Should Gerrard return to Rangers, it will be a decision which former right-back Alan Hutton can get on board with. When recently asked if Gerrard coming back to Rangers would excite him, Hutton said: “Yeah, yeah, I think it does. “I mean, does a manager coming back for the second time, does it always work?

“Possibly not, but I think he knows the club, what it’s all about, what the fans are like, the expectation, he knows everything. He’s won the league there, and that’s the be-all and end-all, so he knows how to get it done.”

Gerrard’s first stint at Rangers

Games

192

Wins

124

Draws

41

Losses

27

Players used

65

Titles

1

A video of Gerrard declaring his love for Rangers has also gone viral recently, and by the looks of things, a return to Ibrox ahead of the 2025/26 season is well and truly on the cards.

“One of the best coaches ever” is now a front-runner to replace Ivan Juric at Southampton, who have already identified a number of managers as potential targets, according to a report.

Southampton part ways with Juric after relegation

The Saints’ relegation from the Premier League was finally confirmed on Sunday, following a 3-1 loss at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur, although in truth the writing has been on the wall for quite some time, after a disastrous campaign.

Juric inherited a difficult situation at St. Mary’s, with Russell Martin being sacked in December, at which point his side were already nine points from safety, but there were very few signs of improvement after the 49-year-old’s arrival.

With just seven games left to go, the soon-to-be Championship side need to collect two more points to avoid breaking an unwanted record, with Derby County’s 11 points in the 2007-08 campaign currently the lowest total in Premier League history.

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Next season, the aim will undoubtedly be to bounce back to the Premier League at the first attempt, and the board have now started to identify managers who could give them a very good chance of doing exactly that.

According to a report from The Boot Room, Southampton have a number of options in mind, including Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard, but Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior is believed to be one of the front-runners.

BlueCo may not make it easy for the Saints to snap Rosenior up, however, as they are determined to keep hold of the up-and-coming manager, with Strasbourg faring very well in their pursuit of qualification for the Champions League.

As such, Sheffield Wednesday’s Danny Rohl could be a more attainable target, given that the German coach has a relatively affordable £5m release clause included in his contract with the Owls.

Rosenior impressing in Ligue 1 with Strasbourg

It is little wonder Southampton are keen on appointing the Englishman, given the job he has done at Strasbourg this season, with his side currently in fourth place, just three points behind second-placed Marseille.

The 40-year-old has orchestrated a phenomenal turnaround, with Strasbourg finishing 13th under the helm of Patrick Vieira last season, and he has previously been hailed for his ability on the training ground.

Clinton Morrison praised the work the Strasbourg boss did during his time as Derby County’s caretaker manager, saying: “I actually think he’s a top manager,”

“I spoke to a few people at Derby. He was unlucky to lose his job, the players respected him. He’s one of the best coaches ever.”

Club

Matches

Points per match

Strasbourg

31

1.77

Hull City

78

1.40

Derby County

12

1.92

However, with Strasbourg on course to qualify for the Champions League, it seems unlikely that Rosenior would be willing to manage a Championship side next season, particularly with BlueCo so eager to keep hold of him, so Rohl could be a more realistic appointment for the Saints.

We look at some of the questions England will try to answer across ODI and T20I series against West Indies

Alan Gardner01-Dec-2023Will Jacks demonstrated his attacking instincts against Ireland in September•PA Photos/Getty ImagesIs Jacks the real deal?Who is the only man to have played all three formats for England in the last 12 months but not receive a central contract? Not yet a regular, at the same time you don’t have to think too far outside the box to come up with the name of Will Jacks. While David Willey’s snub took the headlines, it is the case of Jacks that could become much more pertinent in selection meetings. One of the most aggressive batters among England’s next generation – his commitment to attack was epitomised by his dismissal, caught on the boundary for 94 off 88 balls, with a maiden hundred in sight against Ireland in September – he will have a chance to stake his claim at the top of the order in both white-ball formats. His offspin is also good enough to have brought him a six-for on Test debut (just don’t mention the fact his lack of a central contract might yet mean he opts to fulfil an SA20 deal ahead of the chance to tour India early next year). The ECB’s decision “was disappointing but it does give me freedom,” he told the earlier this week, before adding: “The World Cup is a massive one so playing T20 cricket is really important to me at the moment. The way the game and the world is at the moment definitely suits me.”Who holds the keys to No. 3?While Jacks and Phil Salt will be looking to cement their status as a firestarting opening combo in the Hales-Roy mould, the identity of the ODI side’s No. 3 could be even more pivotal. Joe Root indicated during the World Cup that he hoped to still be in the team for the next edition in four years’ time, but a tournament haul of 312 runs at 30.66 raised the heretical notion that – as in the T20 format – England might be better off without their most classically adroit batter. Zak Crawley seems likely to get first bite at first drop in the new era, and there is every chance that one of the Test team’s purest Bazballers could thrive in conditions that are less likely to expose technical issues. Equally intriguing, though perhaps on the backburner, is the prospect of Ollie Pope being ported across from his berth in the Test side. As discussed on the latest Switch Hit podcast, Pope was seemingly preferred in the squad to Sam Hain on the basis of his range and versatility across formats. He has yet to play a limited-overs game for England but, with a run-a-ball Test double-hundred to his name, ought not to have any trouble setting the required tempo.Is Carse the new Plunkett?There were a multitude of missteps across England’s doomed World Cup defence, but one of their mistakes could perhaps be charted right back to July 14, 2019. That was the last time Liam Plunkett played international cricket, and his reputation as a middle-overs wrecking ball has grown with each passing year that England failed to find a suitable replacement. In India, their bowlers in the second powerplay (overs 11-40) averaged 43.59, putting them seventh out of the ten competing nations, one below Netherlands – and that despite a successful tournament for Adil Rashid, the legspinning foil to Plunkett’s hit-the-deck enforcer. Enter (belatedly): Brydon Carse. The Durham quick has had an injury-disrupted career and, at 28, has only played 21 List A matches; in 76 T20s, he has 40 wickets at 41.95. But during a handful of England outings spread across two-and-a-half years there have been glimpses of high pace and a Plunkett-esque modus operandi, while his career-bests in both white-ball formats have come in international fixtures. With David Willey retiring, Chris Woakes and Mark Wood unlikely to do another four-year cycle, and Jofra Archer still in injury-enforced limbo, this tour represents a chance for Carse, Gus Atkinson, Matt Potts and the uncapped John Turner to prove that England’s seam stocks still run deep.Rehan Ahmed has come a long way in a short space of time•AFP/Getty ImagesRehan ready to fill Rashid’s boots?The spin department, meanwhile, already has its coming man. It was in the Caribbean two winters ago that Rehan Ahmed first came to wider attention (beyond his role as a teenage nets bowler at Lord’s) when helping England to runners-up spot in the Under-19 World Cup. Since then he has made his mark in the history books by becoming the youngest man to win senior England caps in all three formats, which included taking a five-for on Test debut, and generally handled every challenge thrown his way while still being a teenager. In the Caribbean, Rehan will provide the main slow-bowling threat for the ODIs – remarkably, with 10 List A appearances, he has twice as much experience in the format as the other spinner on tour, Tom Hartley – before resuming his role as sorcerer’s apprentice when Rashid returns for the T20I leg. Having taken over, and impressed, as Southern Brave’s wristspin option during the Hundred, his continued progress in the shortest format will likely inform his chances of being involved in next year’s T20 World Cup.Will these three World Cup winners make it to the 2024 event?•Associated PressIs old still gold in T20?It is the looming defence (and England surely won’t shy away from that word again) of another world title that means the T20I series against West Indies will carry greater weight. England have stuck with the majority of their 2022 T20 World Cup-winning squad – Dawid Malan the only member who has been explicitly dropped – but there could still be significant jostling for position, with Jacks, Rehan, Atkinson and Ben Duckett foremost among those looking to make a mark in the absence of established names like Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Wood and Chris Jordan. Even those involved in the Caribbean, such as Rashid, Woakes and Moeen Ali, could be left looking over their shoulders. Moeen, who will turn 37 midway through the tournament next June, has hinted that the World Cup would be a logical end point for his international career but England will want to be clear they are picking him on merit rather than reputation. Getting the old gang back together failed disastrously at the ODI World Cup, although there are two clear differences here – a smaller gap between tournaments and the fact England’s players play a lot more T20 year round. With two-time champions West Indies also trying to rouse themselves after back-to-back blowouts at T20 World Cups, it should be all to play for in Barbados, Grenada and Trinidad.

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Pinning down Pollard
Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians, IPL 2010 finalMumbai Indians were 136 for 6, needing 33 from two overs, with the title on the line. Kieron Pollard had just clattered Doug Bollinger for 4, 6, 4, 6 in a 22-run over, which titled the title fight Mumbai’s way. Until Dhoni intervened, having Matthew Hayden at an unorthodox straight mid-off position, in addition to having a more conventional long-off.Dhoni’s plan was to have Albie Morkel bowl yorkers at Pollard and turn his strength of hitting down the ground into a weakness. Morkel’s first ball to Pollard was thwacked past him for four. He nailed the yorker second ball, which squeezed underneath Pollard’s bat. After a dot and the run-out of Ambati Rayudu, Morkel went full once again, and Pollard could only skew a low catch to Hayden at straight mid-off. The Super Kings pressed on to win their maiden IPL title.IPL 2010 – Chennai Super Kings’ first title in the tournament•Indian Premier LeagueAt the post-match presentation, Dhoni reasoned that it was worth whisking short fine-leg to straight mid-off, given Pollard’s propensity to hit in the ‘V’. He also revealed that he had deployed a similar field against Hayden himself at a practice match in the lead-up to IPL 2008.”If you see the big-hitters of the world or powerful hitters, they don’t sweep or reverse-sweep. So I said, ‘okay what’s the point of a short fine-leg’,” Dhoni told the host broadcaster after the game. “Pollard will anyway look to hit down the ground and Morkel will look to bowl yorkers outside off. If he miscues one, he may not get the elevation. I’ve tried it once with Matthew Hayden, though. It worked at the practice game we had right at the start of the tournament. No rocket science.”Many other IPL captains subsequently took a leaf out of Dhoni’s playbook, having a fielder straight to counter the likes of Pollard. M Vijay, for example, when he was captaining the Punjab franchise in 2016, stationed himself at ultra-straight mid-off against James Faulkner.Chaos theory
Chennai Super Kings vs Kings XI Punjab, IPL 2018Super Kings slipped to 27 for 3 within five overs in pursuit of 154 on a spicy pitch in Pune. Fast bowler Ankit Rajpoot was on a hat-trick, having taken out Faf du Plessis and Sam Billings. Dhoni unleashed his chaos theory – promoting Harbhajan and Deepak Chahar ahead of himself, DJ Bravo and Ravindra Jadeja.Chahar. Chaos!•BCCIWhile Harbhajan saw off the new ball and contributed 19 off 22 balls, Chahar made a more decisive 39 off 20 balls at a strike rate of 195. Dhoni and Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming had originally identified Chahar as a batting allrounder at Rising Pune Supergiant/s, but injury delayed his initiation into the IPL. Dhoni and Fleming reunited with Chahar at Super Kings, where he became their go-to bowler in the powerplay. In that game against Kings XI Punjab, he repaid the team management’s faith with the bat too, helping them seal the chase.”Sending in Bhajji [Harbhajan] and Chahar creates a bit of chaos,” Dhoni told the host broadcaster. “The bowlers all of a sudden bowl yorkers, offcutters, and bouncers. When [top-order] batsmen are batting, they stick to a good line and length, but against Bhajji and Chahar, they lose their line and lengths instead of sticking to the plan. Plus Bhajji and Chahar could come in handy during the playoffs.”Straightjacketing Sachin
Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians, IPL 2010 finalStopping Sachin. Not everyone could do it. Dhoni knew how•Indian Premier LeagueLet us revisit that game. Bollinger had struck early to dismiss Shikhar Dhawan, but Sachin Tendulkar stabilised Mumbai’s chase of 169, with the crowd behind him. Dhoni brought Shadab Jakati into the attack in the tenth over to give him a crack at Tendulkar. Jakati had apparently troubled Tendulkar when he was once a net bowler with the India side, so Dhoni was hoping for some control from the left-arm fingerspinner.The left-handed Abhishek Nayar, though, briefly foiled Dhoni’s plan, carting Jakati for back-to-back sixes in a 14-run over. Jakati then switched ends and eventually made the incision by hiding one away from Tendulkar’s swinging arc and having him chipping a catch to long-off.Two years later, in the 2012 Eliminator against Mumbai in Bengaluru, Dhoni tossed the new ball to Jakati, who kept Tendulkar to a run-a-ball 11. Something had to give and that something was Tendulkar running himself out. Super Kings went on to win that knockout game as well.Holding back Harbhajan
Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, IPL 2018 Qualifier 1Super Kings had picked Harbhajan in 2018 to exploit the spin-friendly Chepauk track, but after just one game there, they had to shift base to Pune because of protests surrounding the Cauvery river water issue. Harbhajan did a good job for Super Kings in Pune, too, but in the qualifier against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium, where Harbhajan had bowled across phases for Mumbai Indians, Dhoni didn’t use his offspin at all. Jadeja was in fine rhythm, giving up just 13 runs in his four overs for the wicket of Manish Pandey, so Dhoni didn’t need him on the day.Harbhajan Singh, not a car Dhoni needed to drive all the time•BCCI”You know, I have a lot of cars and bikes in my garage. And, I don’t ride all at a time,” Dhoni quipped. “When you have six to seven bowlers in your side, you want to see the conditions. You want to see who is batting and what is needed at that point of time.”Then, in the final against Sunrisers, Dhoni dropped Harbhajan altogether, fielding legspinner Karn Sharma, who brought with him the reputation of being a serial title-winner in the IPL and in domestic cricket. Karn came away with the prized scalp of Kane Williamson, drawing him out of the crease and having the Sunrisers captain stumped for 47 off 36 balls.Besting Chris Gayle
Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, IPL 2011 finalChris Gayle could have taken the 2011 final away from Super Kings; he was out for a three-ball duck•AFPAfter opting to bat, Super Kings racked up 205 for 5 on the back of an M Vijay special. A red-hot Chris Gayle, though, was standing between Super Kings and back-to-back IPL titles. Gayle was the leading run-getter during that IPL and single-handedly transformed Royal Challengers’ fortunes in the tournament. Dhoni matched up R Ashwin’s offspin with the left-handed Gayle at a time when match-ups were not even a thing. After setting up Gayle with two offbreaks, Ashwin darted one into the batter and had him nicking off for a three-ball duck. Game over!”I rely a lot on the bounce, therefore a good wicketkeeper is extremely crucial,” Ashwin told the . “With Dhoni, the caught-behinds and stumpings have gone up many notches in my bowling. He understands the trajectory, the variation, and the bounce that I get.”

Mookie Betts has been in one of the worst slumps of his MLB career as of late, going 0-for-22, that was until Tuesday night when the Dodgers star hit a leadoff double in the third inning against the Cardinals.

The Dodger crowd has remained on Betts's side throughout his slump, but Dodger Stadium erupted in cheers on Tuesday night as Betts ran to second base. The stadium was extremely loud, and Betts fed off the fans' energy by doing a little celebration dance when he stood on second base. The Dodgers' bullpen and dugout both cheered for their teammate. Phew, that slump is officially over.

Through three at-bats on Tuesday, Betts already logged two hits and brought one run home. That's more like the Betts MLB fans know and love.

Dodgers fans truly love Betts, even when he is struggling. On Monday night, the fans prepared a sweet gesture for the eight-time All-Star by giving him a standing ovation when he came to the plate. He unfortunately went 0-for-4 on Monday night despite the strong encouragement from the fanbase.

Heading into Tuesday, Betts posted a career-low .657 OPS through 103 games. He has never finished a season with an OPS lower than .800. His current batting average (.231), on-base percentage (.302) and slugging percentage (.355) are all career-low numbers, too. Those averages will all go up slightly after Tuesday's outing.

The opener backed himself to have different batting gears if needed and the versatility to move to the middle order

Andrew McGlashan13-Dec-20251:00

Clarke: Not sure I’d go back to Khawaja

Usman Khawaja has declared himself 100% fit ahead of the third Test in Adelaide but conceded whether he earns a recall is out of his hands.Khawaja missed the second Test in Brisbane after not recovering from the back spasms he suffered in Perth, saying that while he may have been able to push through had the game been later in the series it was too much of a risk early in the contest.Related

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“Obviously hope to play,” he told reporters in Adelaide, where Ashes resumes on December 17. “I don’t really know. Obviously, it’s not my decision. The older I’ve got, the more comfortable I’ve got with things that I can control and things that I haven’t. I feel really good in terms of I’m ready to go. The rest of it is not in my control. So, yeah, we’ll see what happens.”I’m feeling 100%. So unless something else [happens], but I felt 100% before Perth, too. It’s just one of those things. I’ve done everything. That’s why I was training all last week. I was just doing rehab, which sucks because when you get injured, you have to do more, right.”I’ve had a fair bit of load, but it’s obviously what I wanted to just get as much as possible and I’m running at 100% again and again. So everything’s feeling pretty good again.”Usman Khawaja: I can bat anywhere•AFP/Getty Images

Khawaja, who turns 39 next week, went through multiple gym, running and net sessions before, during and since the Gabba Test. He added that he was being extra careful about how much he does on the day he flies into venues, conceding he had felt sore after a delayed six-hour flight to Perth, although insisted the much-talked about rounds of golf had not been a factor. “I’ve always been a professional,” he said.In Khawaja’s absence, Travis Head and Jake Weatherald have combined to produce two impressive stands: the chase in Perth where they added 75 and the first innings in Brisbane where their 77-run partnership put England on the back foot on the second day.But Khawaja backed himself to have a game that could adjust to various tempos, citing his Sheffield Shield form where he had a strike-rate of 62.34 in three matches which puts him just outside the top 10 from those with 200 runs this season.”I’ve got gears when I want them,” he said. “You’ve got to find a way to be consistent for a long period of time, not just over a game or two. So I’ve always been conscious of that. I can go out there and play more shots and I think I’ve been scoring pretty [quickly]. So sometimes the game and the situation dictates that [and] the wickets dictate that. I think I just play the game, what’s in front of me.The option remains for Khawaja to return in the middle order where he batted on his Test comeback in 2022. “I’ve always done really well batting at four or five,” he said. “Normally people that open aren’t as attuned to No. 5 as opening because they’re not as good playing spin. But I’ve proven I’m one of the best players to spin in Australia. So, that’s never been the issue. So I can bat anywhere.”Usman Khawaja did pull up in time for Brisbane, but is ready for Adelaide•Getty Images

Khawaja also joked he was somewhat unconvinced by talk that Head, who flayed an astonishing century in Perth, had “lobbied” to open the batting. “I think Travis said he’d been quietly lobbying. It was more a case of Heady always said, ‘If you need me to open, I’ll open’,” he said.”I had a joke with [Andrew McDonald about it], I was like, ‘Quietly lobbying – that’s one of the quietest lobbyings I’ve heard’, and he had a giggle too and was like, ‘Yeah’. Heady’s a team player, he’ll always open if they need him to open, but it’s not like he was at the back knocking on doors saying, ‘I want to open’.”Khawaja, who has one hundred in his last 45 Test innings and averages 31.84 since the 2023 Ashes, said talk around his position “doesn’t really faze me” although when pressed on whether any of the commentary about him has an effect, he admitted it was impossible to be completely unaware.”Certain things probably do, certain things probably don’t,” he said. “I genuinely don’t read it. I probably get more from vibes and what other people tell me. It’s not like I’m going out and reading the actual thing, it’s the vibe. And some things sometimes just pop up, you can’t hide from it. But yes, certain things do, certain things don’t, but I just don’t see the relevance in talking about it. I just don’t see the point.”As much as people sometimes want to have a crack at me, I love playing for Australia. I’m still very committed. Every game I take the same way as I took 10 years ago. I train hard, I do everything right. For me, it’s more about just being a professional. People can have opinions, that’s absolutely no worries to me. I can’t really sit down and worry about what other people think, especially outside of the squad.”In terms of his future, Khawaja said that “I’m not here to hang around” but added the most important aspect to him was knowing he was still wanted in the team. “I could have retired two years ago,” he said. “I could have retired at any time. But I’m still valued by the team. I’m still asked to be here, to play. So I’m here.”I’m always mindful of the future, too. I always have been. I’m not here to hang around. I’m just here to enjoy my cricket. As long as I’m valued, I’m here. I’m doing my job. And I’ve done quite well over the last few years.”