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The offspinner has put her career in veterinary science on hold to live her cricket dream

Shashank Kishore16-Oct-2024Eden Carson, 23, imagined being a reel sensation for things more serious than just a sheepish grin. But when she woke up on Monday, her Instagram blew up with “tons of stories” that she had been tagged in for being tongue-tied and grinning away when asked of New Zealand’s semi-final entry at the T20 World Cup.”When that interview [to TV presenter Laura McGoldrick] first happened, I don’t think it really set in that we’d made the semis,” Carson tells ESPNcricinfo. “I was just so proud and overwhelmed with joy that we’ve got this far, because I know a lot of people probably didn’t think we would get here.”Quickly realising the light-heartedness of the question, Carson breaks the seriousness and continues. “I’ve seen that reel a few times. The morning after, one of the girls was like, ‘oh you’ve been in my feed a lot’ and I was like ‘one reel of me giggling in that interview is all over the internet and stories’, so yeah, it’s just been there haunting me [laughs] at the moment.”Related

• 'I want to bowl it' – Bates' final over leaves resurgent New Zealand one step from glory

• Australia to give Healy as much time as possible to be fit for semi-final

• Grounding, poems and bird videos – how Paul Adams is inspiring South Africa

• The Soph and Suze show – New Zealand's hit sitcom seeks one last high

• October 17 at T20 World Cup: Unbeaten Australia take on SA in 2023 final rematch

Carson probably doesn’t realise she isn’t the only one haunted. India were, too, when she damaged them big time in the opening game by picking up the wickets of Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana with her offspin. It helped break New Zealand’s 10-match losing streak, while also throwing India’s tournament hopes into jeopardy.That performance set the tone for Carson, who has been Sophie Devine’s go-to powerplay bowler. Four of her five wickets in the tournament have come in this phase, her economy a miserly 5.44. And of the wickets she has picked up far, Mandhana’s has been her favourite.”I went into that game really wanting her wicket, especially because I was a match-up to her,” Carson says. “I was nervous in that first game because I hadn’t played India before. We knew a lot was riding on that game and if we could beat them, it’d help us big time. One of the girls actually told me ‘hey, you need to remember they haven’t faced you either’, and then I was like, that’s fair. So it’s kind of a two-way street really.”Carson feels like “I belong a lot more” now than she did when she first earned a New Zealand call-up ahead of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022. She celebrated her initiation with a bronze medal finish. Carson now has a chance of better that in UAE, at the T20 World Cup.”I have a lot more of a bowling routine now,” she says. “Like taking deep breaths when I’m at the top of my mark. I know what ball I’m going to be bowling. The outcome I want and the ball that I can’t bowl to my field and things like that.”Through the weight of her performances over time, Carson has been able to justify to herself the decision to put “everything else on hold.” She is a qualified veterinary nurse who also until recently worked at a dairy farm at home in Ranfurly, a town in New Zealand’s south island.Carson’s family runs a sheep and beef farm, but a desire to “prove” to her dad she can be “more than handy” at a farm got her to milk cows and work at a dairy farm owned by a family friend. That gig helped Carson earn extra income while studying and coming through the ranks playing domestic cricket in Otago.”My days would begin really early – I’d milk the cows early, and some days when I had morning training, I’d be like ‘so sorry, can’t get the cows in’ and head off to Dunedin, which is like an hour-and-a-half away from home. Our family friends were really adjusting; even now whenever I’m off cricket I often drop by to meet them.”Eden Carson played a key role in detailing India’s campaign early on•ICC/Getty ImagesIt’s at the farm that Carson’s love for animals grew. It had a massive influence on her choosing to pursue a degree in veterinary science, which she completed recently.”I think being on a farm has really driven that as well,” she says. “Just having lots of pets at the farm is fun. I always say I’m going home to see my parents, but it’s mainly to see my cats [laughs]. I was happy to be able to finish my studying just to have a back-up after cricket as well because you know cricket’s not going to be forever as well.”Carson, who has an annual retainer from New Zealand Cricket, now lives in Dunedin with her aunt to focus on the game. While cricket remains her primary focus, she has also branched out to learn the Māori language to keep up with her roots and culture – her mother is Māori.”I’ve loved it so much and I’ve had a lot of motivation to be able to learn it, even though it is quite hard,” she says. “Also being on tour makes things busy, but I’ve been staying on top of things which is good. But I’m really enjoying it at the moment.”Carson dreams of being the “world’s best offspinner”. Having gone through some technique changes “like getting more body into the ball, because my back was failing me a little bit earlier”, she is confident of ticking off her boxes.”I like Ash Gardner, she’s one of the best allrounders, but recently I follow Charlie Dean as well,” Carson says. “She’s one of the better off spinners as well; some people might not agree but I do. Just like watching her action and the variations she has. She’s also a great fielder and batter, so yeah.”For now, there’s just one thing on her mind. A World Cup trophy.

Dambulla will play host to all three matches, with the fixtures acting as preparation ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup

Danyal Rasool02-Dec-2025Pakistan will begin their build-up to the 2026 T20 World Cup with a three-match T20I series in Sri Lanka next year, during early January. The Salman Agha-led side will travel to Dambulla in Sri Lanka, where all three matches will be played on January 7, 9 and 11.The short tour is Pakistan’s first white-ball assignment of the new year, and the PCB said it “will provide the side with valuable match practice ahead of next year’s global event”. Pakistan are playing all their World Cup games in Sri Lanka.Over the past six months, the PCB has heavily prioritised fielding the national team for as much T20I cricket as possible. Since the end of the PSL in May 2025, Pakistan have played home and away series against Bangladesh, a series in West Indies, two tri-series, the Asia Cup, and a home series against South Africa. They were victorious in all but the away series in Bangladesh and the Asia Cup, where they lost the final to India.Related

• T20 World Cup: India grouped with Pakistan, England with West Indies

Sri Lanka have just concluded a three-week tour of Pakistan too, which saw them play three ODIs and a tri-series, with the latter also featuring Zimbabwe.Aside from the T20Is in Sri Lanka, Pakistan also have a three-match home series against Australia in the final week of January, before they return to Sri Lanka for the World Cup, which begins on February 7. Pakistan have been placed in Group A for the World Cup and their group fixtures, played in Colombo, will be against India, Namibia, Netherlands and United States.

Borussia Dortmund skipper Nico Schlotterbeck is confident of his team reaching the Champions League last-16 after they thrashed Spanish side Villarreal in the continental competition on Tuesday. The German side ran out 4-0 winners on home soil to keep them fourth in the European table, boosting their hopes of avoiding a knockout play-off tie.

• Dortmund dismantle Villarreal

  Dortmund thrashed Villarreal at home in their fifth Champions League game of the season. Striker Serhou Guirassy found the net twice, while Karim Adeyemi and Daniel Svensson found the net to help their side cruise past a 10-man Villarreal side. The victory keeps them high in the Champions League table and level on points with Chelsea and Manchester City after five matches, with Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Inter just two points above heading into their matches on Wednesday evening. 

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  Schlotterbeck happy for the goal difference

  The victory not only injected confidence into the side, but also provided a significant boost to their goal difference after keeping a clean sheet for the first time this month. With three games to go of the League phase of the competition, Schlotterbeck feels they have a good chance of staying in the top eight.

  "It's not easy, because I think you need 16 to 17 points," he said. "There are now three games left, two of them at home. I think if you win both at home, you're through. We have now also scored four goals. I think such a goal difference can also do good in the end. And for the first time we have now kept a clean sheet, we have already allowed a lot in the Champions League, so today is an all-round successful day."

  Striker Guirassy, who scored on the stroke of half-time and again in the 54th minute, was praised by the skipper. 

  "We came out of half-time better, that was important. In general, we hardly allowed anything and in the second half it was really good. Serhou didn't have an easy time either. He gets the trust from us and you have to stand there as a striker," Schlotterbeck commented.

• Guirassy and Svensson share their thoughts

  Guirassy was the man of the hour for Dortmund, as he piloted them to a crucial continental victory. The Guinea striker said: "It was an important win against a good Villarreal side. We are very happy with this result because it was important to win after the defeat against City. But Villarreal are a strong team. Some situations in the game went in our favour and we are satisfied tonight. It’s always nice to score goals. I’m happy that I can help the team. You can’t always score goals. We have to keep working hard."

  Svensson, who arrived this summer from Nordsjaelland after spending the second half of last season on loan at Dortmund, scored his second goal of the tournament. Delighted, he said: "We had planned to go into the game with a lot of energy. It was still a tough first half, but then we kept up the pressure. In the second half, we were a bit lucky with the penalty and the red card, of course, but overall it was a solid performance. It’s always nice to score a goal."

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  Two successive Bayer games await Dortmund

  Niko Kovac's Dortmund will turn their focus to the Bundesliga for the time being. They have a double-header against Bayer Leverkusen coming up, visiting Kasper Hjulmand's side for a Bundesliga clash on Saturday before hosting them in the DFB-Pokal on December 2. 

  A win would see Schlotterbeck & Co. leapfrog Leverkusen in the table into third place, though they could even end up second if RB Leipzig's result against Borussia Monchengladbach goes their way. Three points will be no easy task, however, given Leverkusen head into the game off the back of the Champions League win against Manchester City this week.

Naman Dhir is Jitesh Sharma’s deputy, while the squad also includes Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Priyansh Arya, Ramandeep Singh, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Suryansh Shedge, Abishek Porel and others

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Nov-2025Jitesh Sharma has been named captain of the India A squad for the upcoming Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Rising Stars Asia Cup, earlier the Emerging Teams tournament, to be played in Doha from November 14 to 23. Naman Dhir has been appointed his deputyThe selectors have also included 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi in the squad, which explains his absence from the four-team Under-19 Challenger Trophy. Over the years, that tournament has been used as a key marker by the junior national selection panel to finalise their squad for next year’s Under-19 World Cup – for which Suryavanshi appears to be a certainty.The 15-member squad, picked by Ajit Agarkar and his senior men’s selection panel, comprises some stellar IPL performers, most notably Punjab Kings and Delhi Premier League (DPL) star Priyansh Arya.

ACC Rising Stars tournament schedule

Nov 14 – Oman vs Pak; Ind vs UAE
Nov 15 – Ban vs HK; Afg vs SL
Nov 16 – Oman vs UAE; Ind vs Pak
Nov 17 – HK vs SL; Afg vs Ban
Nov 18 – Pak vs UAE; Ind vs Oman
Nov 19 – Afg vs HK; Ban vs SL
Nov 21 – Semi-finals: A1 vs B2; B1 vs A2
Nov 23 – Final

In his maiden IPL campaign in 2025, Arya struck 475 runs at a strike rate of 179.24 – the third-best in terms of runs for the franchise behind Shreyas Iyer and Prabhsimran Singh. Last week, Arya was handed a first-class debut by Delhi in the Ranji Trophy.The other key state and IPL performers include Abishek Porel, currently captaining Bengal in Abhimanyu Easwaran’s absence, and Harsh Dubey, who has been a regular feature across various India A squads over the past few months.The fast bowlers include Gurjapneet Singh, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Yudhvir Singh and Yash Thakur – all of whom are part of BCCI’s targeted pool of fast bowlers. Ramandeep Singh and Suryansh Shedge are the seam-bowling allrounders.Pakistan A and Oman will kick off the tournament, with the showpiece India A vs Pakistan A match slotted for November 16. The teams are divided into two groups: Group A has Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka, while Group B has India, Oman, Pakistan and UAE.This will be the first cricketing exchange between the men’s teams of India and Pakistan since the senior Asia Cup in September, though the senior women’s teams faced off at the ODI World Cup earlier this month.When the men played the Asia Cup, there were no handshakes or any other form of greetings between the players of the two countries, and it ended with India, the tournament champions, leaving Dubai without the trophy.It emerged that they had decided not to receive the trophy from the ACC chief, Mohsin Naqvi, who also happens to be PCB chairman and the country’s interior minister.

India A squad for Rising Stars Asia Cup T20 tournament

Priyansh Arya, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Nehal Wadhera, Naman Dhir (vice-capt), Suryansh Shedge, Jitesh Sharma (capt, wk), Ramandeep Singh, Harsh Dubey, Ashutosh Sharma, Yash Thakur, Gurjapneet Singh, Vijay Kumar Vyshak, Yudhvir Singh, Abishek Porel (wk), Suyash Sharma

Stats highlights from the third day’s play in Hamilton

Sampath Bandarupalli16-Dec-20245 Consecutive Test matches with a century for Kane Williamson at Hamilton’s Seddon Park. He is the first batter to score hundreds in five consecutive Tests at a venue. Fourteen players have hundreds in four successive Tests at a venue, including Don Bradman at two different grounds – Melbourne and Leeds.186 Innings Williamson took to score 33 hundreds in Test cricket. Only two batters got there in fewer innings – Ricky Ponting in 178 and Sachin Tendulkar in 181.ESPNcricinfo Ltd5142 Test Runs for Williamson in New Zealand – the first batter to achieve this feat. His batting average of 66.77 in New Zealand is the highest by any batter with 5000-plus Test runs in a country.4 Number of 150-plus scores for Williamson in Hamilton Tests. Only Mahela Jayawardene (six at SSC, Colombo and five in Galle) and Kumar Sangakkara (five at SSC) have more 150-plus scores at a venue. Bradman at the MCG, Len Hutton at The Oval and Joe Root at Lord’s also have four 150-plus scores at a ground.657 New Zealand’s lead in Hamilton is their second-highest in Test cricket. Their highest lead is 659 against Sri Lanka in the 2018 Christchurch Test.52 Test wickets for Gus Atkinson, who debuted in July this year. He’s taken the second most wickets by a bowler in his debut year, behind Terry Alderman’s 54 in 1981. Shoaib Bashir, who also made his Test debut in 2024, is third with 49 wickets, the same as Curtly Ambrose (49 wickets in 1988).ESPNcricinfo Ltd3 Batters dismissed by a bowler in all six innings of a three-match men’s Test series, including Zak Crawley against Matt Henry in this series. Richard Hadlee dismissed Greg Matthews in 1985, and Matthew Hayden faced a similar fate against Makhaya Ntini in 2006.3.62 Crawley’s batting average against Henry in Tests – eight dismissals in nine innings for 29 runs. Since 2002, only one batter has a lower average against a bowler in Tests – 2.00 by James Anderson off R Ashwin (min: 8 dismissals).

أضاع أحد لاعبي برشلونة السابقين فرصة على النادي الإسباني بجني ثمار رحيله عن صفوف الفريق، بعد خسارته لقب كوبا ليبرتادورس.

وكان فيتور روكي قد تألق مع بالميراس منذ انتقاله من برشلونة واستطاع أن يحجز مكانه بشكل أساسي، وقد التقى فريقه مع فلامنجو في نهائي المسابقة وشارك المهاجم بشكل أساسي في المباراة.

وكان روكي يأمل في قيادة بالميراس للقب القاري، ومع ذلك لم ينجح في مساعدة فريقه بهز شباك فلامنجو والذي حصد اللقب بعد تسجيل دانيلو هدف في الدقيقة 67 وخسر المباراة.

ووفقًا لصحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية، فإن هزيمة روكي وبالميراس أدت لعواقب وخيمة على برشلونة، حيث حرمته من متغيرات بقيمة مليون يورو كان سيحصل عليها لو سارت الأمور عكس ذلك.

اقرأ أيضًا.. برشلونة يستهدف ضم موهبة الدوري الألماني

وكان هذا الشرط واجب الدفع في حالة واحدة وهي تتويج بالميراس بكوبا ليبرتادورس، وهذا ما لم يحدث، بعد أن حصل برشلونة على 25.5 مليون ثابتة مع إمكانية الزيادة عند تحقيق شروط معينة.

ومع ذلك، فإن برشلونة ما زال أمامه الفرصة من شروط أخرى تم الاتفاق عليها في فبراير الماضي، للحصول على أربع ملايين خلال السنوات الأربع القادمة، حيث يملك فيتور روكي عقداً مع بالميراس حتى 2029.

وتتمثل هذه الشروط بأن يكون فيتور روكي ضمن أفضل ثلاث لاعبين في كأس العالم، أو أن يشارك بشكل أساسي في تشكيل منتخب بلاده البرازيل في 60% على الأقل من مباريات وكذلك الألقاب التي يحققها مع ناديه.

Wolvaardt’s century off just 52 balls, the fastest for South Africa, helped them to their highest score in the format

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Dec-2025

Laura Wolvaardt’s 56-ball 115 and an all-round show from Sune Luus helped South Africa beat Ireland in the first women’s T20I by 105 runs, their joint third-biggest win by runs, at Newlands.Batting at No. 3, Wolvaardt scored a 52-ball century, the fastest for South Africa and the joint sixth-quickest in T20Is, and was involved in a 176-run second-wicket partnership with Luus as the hosts posted their highest T20I total of 220 for 2. Having opened the batting, Luus also took the new ball and struck twice in the first over to dismiss Amy Hunter and allrounder Orla Prendergast. That effectively derailed Ireland early from what would have been an unlikely chase..Luus and Wolvaardt got together after South Africa opted to bat and lost Faye Tunnicliffe in the second over. They started steadily before stepping on the pedal in the last two overs of the powerplay, taking 32 including a 20-run over from Lara McBride. Wolvaardt was the aggressor and she romped past fifty in just 24 balls, beating Lizelle Lee’s mark of 26 balls for the fastest T20I half-century for South Africa.Aided by plenty of misfields from Ireland, South Africa raced past 100 in the tenth over, thanks to another 20-run over, this time from Louise Little in which Wolvaardt went 6, 4, 4, 4. South Africa’s best second-wicket stand ended when Luus, on her career-best 81, tried an ungainly reverse hit against seamer Ava Canning, Ireland’s best bowler on the day, and was bowled.That brought Dane van Niekerk, playing her first international since September 2021, to the middle. She saw Wolvaardt complete her second T20I hundred before unleashing an array of strokes to finish 21 not out of just eight balls, a strike rate of 262.50.Only captain Gaby Lewis and Leah Paul offered a semblance of resistance for the tourists with a 42-run partnership off 39 balls. Once both of them fell in the space of 22 balls, Ireland folded quickly, losing nine wickets to spin. Luus returned as the pick of the bowlers with 4 for 22 while both left-arm spinners Nonkululeko Mlaba and Chloe Tryon took two apiece.

Head coach says team is not dwelling on the past, and backs captain Sciver-Brunt to play full part with ball

Valkerie Baynes01-Oct-20252:05

Edwards: Just as excited in 2025 as I was in 1997

England have touched upon some strong form heading into their World Cup campaign, now head coach Charlotte Edwards wants to see them translate it onto the big stage.Edwards took over ahead of the English summer, which consisted of 14 games – six of them ODIs – in a dominant performance against West Indies before twin white-ball series defeats at the hands of India.But a training camp in Abu Dhabi combined with four wins from as many warm-up games – against New Zealand, India and Australia – has Edwards’ team right where she wants them heading into their World Cup opener against South Africa on Friday.”The players are really responding well, certainly to a slight change of style,” Edwards said on Wednesday. “Hopefully we’ve seen the results over the last four games, which have been really positive. We’re not getting carried away, don’t worry, but we know that we’re on the right track and we’re tracking really well moving into the first game.”England followed two tight wins against New Zealand by beating co-hosts India by 153 runs and Australia, the defending champions, by four wickets.Among the most notable performances for England were Heather Knight scoring runs in her first match since tearing her hamstring in May. Knight made 41 off 48 in the first warm-up with New Zealand and Edwards described her as “vital to our success out here”.Middle-order batters Sophia Dunkley, Alice Capsey and Emma Lamb all made runs, Lamb particularly impressive with three half-centuries in four outings.England head coach Charlotte Edwards and Alice Capsey spare time during training•ECB via Getty Images

Nat Sciver-Brunt, who took over the captaincy from Knight this year following the Ashes defeat that also cost then-head coach Jon Lewis his job, proved she would be key for England by retiring out on 120 as her side amassed 340 for 9 in their win against India.Legspinner Sarah Glenn shone with 5 for 32 from seven overs to help reduce Australia to 247 all out from 34.4 overs. Prior to that, she had played just twice for England during their home summer, in one ODI and one T20I against West Indies before being overlooked for India’s tour.”There’s never a friendly against an international opposition, so I think we’ve taken a lot of confidence, not necessarily around the result, but the way we’ve played,” Edwards said. “I feel we’re really nicely placed.”England’s struggles in the field and their ability to cope under pressure had been talking points since their group-stage exit at last year’s T20 World Cup and the Ashes, where they lost all seven matches contested in the multi-format series. But Edwards insisted there were no lingering scars from those experiences.”You’ll be pleased to hear we’ve been fielding really well, that’s something that we obviously wanted to work on,” she said. “So I’m really pleased with how the four games have gone and we’ve been put in some pretty tough situations at times as well. Under pressure, the players have responded really well.Related

Devine lauds NZ's fighting spirit on 'physically and mentally draining' day

Gardner upstages Devine as Australia kick off with a win

Nat Sciver-Brunt: 'We are a very different team since the Ashes'

Whisper it, but this could be India's best chance of winning a World Cup

Kate Cross questions future after losing England contract

“I’ve not spoken about anything about the past,” she added. “It’s all about looking forward with this group now. We’ve created an environment where it’s about taking accountability now and we’ve got real clarity on how we want to play the game.”Hopefully that clarity is going to help this team under pressure, because I don’t think we’ll leave a stone unturned in terms of our prep. The signs have been really strong so far in terms of the development I’ve seen in the last six months. I’m just hoping we can take that now onto the big stage.”Edwards has vast World Cup experience in India, having made her first and last appearances at the tournament there, in 1997 and 2013. More recently in Indian conditions, she has coached WPL side Mumbai Indians to two titles in three years of the competition.And while Sciver-Brunt has been her standout self with the bat, it is her ability to bowl that remains under the spotlight. Because of a long-standing Achilles injury, Sciver-Brunt has bowled just 9.3 overs since the WPL final in mid-March, in which she took 3 for 30 in an eight-run victory over Delhi Capitals.She took 2 for 23 in 5.3 overs during the second warm-up with New Zealand on September 20 and conceded 22 off four wicketless overs against India five days later.The luxury of a four-pronged spin attack reduces England’s reliance on the seam bowling of Sciver-Brunt, whom Edwards expected to be able to bowl a full match allocation of ten overs if required.”We are very lucky, we’ve got four of the best [spinners] in world cricket in my opinion,” Edwards said. “We knew that they were going to play a big part when we selected this squad. That comes from my experience of coaching out here, that spin’s played a massive factor even in T20 cricket and WPL cricket.”Nat’s ready to go. She’s bowling. She hasn’t bowled in every warm-up game, but she’s doing lots of training overs as well. She’s in a really good place physically, so we are hoping to get ten overs out of Nat.”We’re going to have to really monitor her workloads throughout this tournament clearly, like any of the fast bowlers, depending on how hot it gets,” Edwards added. “Nat loves bowling and I think it helps her batting. She’s been probably one of the most successful bowlers in the WPL over the last few years. So we’re hoping to continue that form into ODI cricket.”

Jamie Carragher has named the one team that can stop Arsenal from ending their Premier League title drought this season. The Gunners thrashed Tottenham 4-1 on Sunday to extend their lead at the top of the table. They have finished second in the English top-flight for three straight campaigns but this term represents a golden opportunity to finally top the pile for the first time since 2004.

• Arsenal put Tottenham to the sword

  An Eberechi Eze hat-trick inspired Arsenal to a resounding victory at Emirates Stadium on Sunday over their bitter rivals. The result took them six points clear of second-placed Chelsea and seven ahead of Manchester City, following their shock loss to Newcastle United. It was not just that Mikel Arteta's side claimed all three points it was the manner of their victory that will make the rest of the division sit up and take notice. They have the best defence in the league and the joint-best attack with City. If they keep this up, they may finally end their league title hoodoo.

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  Arsenal's title to lose

  Liverpool legend Carragher believes that the side most likely to stop Arsenal from winning the league this season is themselves. In previous years, they seemed primed to end their barren run, only to fall short at the last. But with Liverpool languishing down in mid-table and City being a bit inconsistent, Arsenal are the big favourites for this race. 

  He said on Sky Sports: "The only team that can stop Arsenal winning the league is Arsenal; they are the best team. They are the best squad. The only thing that can stop them is their own heads, their own mentality. Maybe this crowd getting nervous in March and April, if the league is still up for grabs by then. This would be the one. If they didn't win it, I think we'd all point the finger at them and say, 'You threw this away’. I don't think that's ever been the case before. I always think the case has been that there has been a team slightly better than them in the Premier League, but that is definitely not the case this season."

• Henry sends Arsenal rallying cry

  Arsenal icon Thierry Henry believes his old team needs to "embrace" their status as favourites for the title. He also wants the Gunners to put together displays that make other teams "scared of us".

  The Frenchman added: "At some point, you have to embrace it. People are talking about the process. It's not believing in the process anymore. It's happening. We put ourselves in the situation where we believe we have the best squad. So you need to make sure that you can win the league. I'm not saying they are going to win it but you need to act like you are the favourite. Embrace it. It's not me trying to put pressure. If I were coming back in the summer, I would have said, 'It's time to stop messing around'. We now need a performance this year where people are scared of us."

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  Arteta wants more from Arsenal

  Arteta was delighted with his team's victory, and, in particular, how they dismissed Tottenham with ease. Ahead of a crunch Champions League encounter with Bayern Munich in midweek, followed by a trip to Chelsea next weekend, the Spaniard says they cannot rest on their laurels.

  He told BBC's Match of the Day: "It's a very special day for us. We knew the importance of the match and what it means to our fans. To be able to give them that joy, it's a beautiful day. We dominated every part of the game. We created massive chances and had a lot of actions that we were very close to scoring. We stayed patient. Whoever we put in there they do the jobs for us. This squad has the belief and quality to deliver consistently. We have really good momentum but you can see how difficult every game in the Premier League is. It's a long run, let's go game by game. Let's enjoy tonight, then we have Bayern here and Chelsea away. We have a tough week."

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The headline is that Afghanistan absolutely to win in order to make the Super Four, or else Bangladesh get in ahead of them. Sri Lanka merely have to avoid being handed an all-time thrashing.If Sri Lanka bat first and make 150, for example, Afghanistan would have to chase that target down in 11.4 overs in order to knock Sri Lanka out and have Bangladesh accompany them to the Super Four. If Afghanistan bat first and make 150, Sri Lanka would have to score 84 or fewer for Bangladesh to qualify.Essentially, Afghanistan need to win. Bangladesh would ideally like Sri Lanka to win. But if Sri Lanka lose, Bangladesh need them to lose by a gargantuan margin.Related

• Naveen-ul-Haq ruled out of Asia Cup, Abdollah Ahmadzai named replacement

• Pathum Nissanka is raising his bar one notch at a time

This is what cricket is like midway through the third decade of the 21st century. India and Pakistan won’t shake hands after a match, but organisers insist on them playing each other at every major tournament nevertheless. This Asia Cup is structured to give them the best chance of having at least two meetings. Everyone else has little choice but to accept that competitive equilibrium must now be laid on the altar of capitalism.Sri Lanka, for the record, are very capable of collapsing. They almost lost against Hong Kong on Monday, their middle order entering a familiar nosedive following another Pathum Nissanka fifty. You only have to look back to about three weeks for an occasion in which they were all out in double figures – Zimbabwe rolling them for 80 in Harare. Afghanistan are also a team they have lost to three times in their eight T20I meetings.Both teams’ strengths over the last several years, however, have been their bowlers. Afghanistan have Rashid Khan, and Sri Lanka Wanindu Hasaranga – both excellent legspinners who add plenty with the bat. Both teams also tend to rely on allrounders and have flexibility built into their T20 play. There is also fragility to both batting orders and suspicions over whether their lower middle orders are up to scratch against the best teams in the world.Rashid Khan has been one of Afghanistan’s biggest strengths•Asian Cricket Council

The pressure to win, though, is on Afghanistan. Sri Lanka will be fine just muddling through. If they get through to the Super Four, they will back themselves to regroup as they did in 2022, when they won this tournament. Afghanistan scrambled mighty tournament charges even more recently, though, when they got to the semi-finals of last year’s T20 World Cup.

Form guide

Sri Lanka: WWWLW (last five T20Is, most recent first)
Afghanistan: LWLWW

In the spotlight

Rahmanullah Gurbaz has hit 248 runs at a strike rate of 172 against Sri Lanka in six T20I matches. These are outstanding numbers, but perhaps unsurprising ones when you consider that he has been a regular player in the Lanka Premier League, often playing in the more successful teams. He has played alongside the likes of Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, and Binura Fernando, so he has a better idea than most about the challenges Sri Lanka’s bowling unit will present. Given his stats against Sri Lanka, his team-mates will probably pay attention.Dushmantha Chameera has been Sri Lanka’s most dependable fast bowler•Sajjad Hussain/AFP/Getty Images

Dushmantha Chameera has, in his most recent run in international cricket, begun to carve out a niche as Sri Lanka’s most dependable fast bowler. He still pushes 145kph when in good rhythm, but importantly, he has learned to combine that pace with excellent control. The yorkers at the end of the innings are in especially good shape at the moment, and there are death overs when he bowls full and wide, almost exclusively, and has found success with that method. Sri Lanka’s strategy, generally, is to use him to take wickets with two overs in the powerplay, then have him shut out scoring options with two overs at the death.

Pitch and conditions

Abu Dhabi tends to be one of the higher-scoring venues in the UAE, although slower bowlers have still got purchase there in this tournament.

Team news

Although licking their wounds after the loss to Bangladesh, Afghanistan may keep the same XI.Afghanistan (probable): 1 Saqidullah Ataq, 2 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 3 Ibrahim Zadran, 4 Gulbadin Naib, 5 Mohammad Nabi, 6 Azmatullah Omarzai, 7 Karim Janat, 8 Rashid Khan (capt.), 9 Noor Ahmad, 10 AM Ghazanfar, 11 Fazalhaq FarooqiSri Lanka will also likely ride with the same crew. Theekshana went wicketless against Hong Kong, but maintained a good economy rate. Matheesha Pathirana and Fernando may have to sit out.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Mendis (wk), 3 Kamil Mishara, 4 Kusal Perera, 5 Charith Asalanka (capt.), 6 Kamindu Mendis, 7 Dasun Shanaka, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Dushmantha Chameera, 10 Maheesh Theekshana, 11 Nuwan Thushara

Stats and trivia

• Gurbaz’s strike rate of 172.22 against Sri Lanka is his highest against any opposition.
• In 2025, Chameera has taken 11 wickets in five innings, and maintained an economy rate of 6.40, although he is frequently called upon to bowl in the powerplay and the death.
• Since 2020, these teams have played seven T20Is. Sri Lanka has won four of those matches, and Afghanistan three.