All posts by h716a5.icu

Mason Greenwood continues to thrive for Marseille in France, leading to growing speculation over whether a return to the Premier League could be possible for the former Manchester United outcast. Links with a move to La Liga have also gathered pace, while tentative links with both Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United have led to questions after the highly controversial circumstances which led to his exile from Old Trafford in 2022.

Greenwood's chances of Premier League return revealed

Reports by TEAMtalk state that sources reveal a Premier League return for Greenwood is still believed to be 'off limits', despite his strong goalscoring record with French giants Marseille.

Greenwood is still just 24 years-old and netted 21 Ligue 1 goals in his debut campaign in the competition, following that on with another 13 in all competitions this term, 10 in the league to lead the division’s top scorer charts at present.

Marseille are currently third in Ligue 1, four points behind PSG and five behind leaders Lens, while Roberto De Zerbi’s men have won successive Champions League games to reach nine points in the competition and rise comfortably into the play-off places.

Greenwood’s form has led to ‘hope’ that he can ‘step up to a bigger stage’, with La Liga giants Barcelona and Atletico Madrid reported to hold an interest in the former Carrington academy graduate. However, reports of a return to the Premier League are not believed to be viable for the forward.

AdvertisementGettyLa Liga or Saudi moves a possibility for Greenwood

TEAMtalk’s report continues that major stumbling blocks between Greenwood and a return to England include ‘his controversial history from his time at Manchester United and any backlash to his signing’.

Following serious accusations made towards Greenwood back in January 2022 and his subsequent arrest, fans almost unanimously rejected the prospect of the young forward returning to the Red Devils set-up when the charges were ultimately dropped the following year.

The situation is unlikely to change less than three years on – or at any stage in his career – and reports continue that sources close to both Tottenham and West Ham confirm that it is unlikely either club step up a pursuit for Greenwood at this stage. Though some, such as manager De Zerbi, have come to the defence of Greenwood's character.

The report continues that Greenwood is likely to ‘put himself in the shop window’, though, and a return to La Liga is possible. The Marseille forward hit double figures on loan at Spanish top-flight outfit Getafe in 2023/24, following a near 18-month break from competitive football.

Reports have also suggested that a bid of €100million (£87m/$116m) has been tabled for Greenwood from the Saudi Pro League, with United set to pocket 50% of Marseille’s profits on their former wonderkid.

'He helps me improve' – Greenwood praises De Zerbi in rare interview

Greenwood recently spoke to Téléfoot about the positive impacts which De Zerbi has had on him in his time at Marseille thus far, in what was reportedly his first interview since departing United.

“I’m in a really good place thanks to the coach and my teammates,” said Greenwood

“I feel good and I hope to improve, to win more awards this season. Roberto De Zerbi? He’s the brains of the team, the architect of our game. He helps me understand football much better, he helps me improve every day.

“We’ve signed quite a few players, very, very strong players,” he added. “We’ve improved in certain areas. I feel like we’re a bit more of a team this season; we’re all on the same wavelength, you can see it. We’re [third] and I hope we can keep fighting to be number one.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesWhat next for Greenwood?

If his strong form in France continues, it is an increasing possibility that we could see Greenwood at the centre of a major transfer story in 2026. It is highly unlikely that will involve a Premier League club, though, as it appears that his bridges in England have been burnt for the foreseeable future.

The 24-year-old has evidently been accepted in Europe, however, and may yet forge a successful career for himself outside of his country of birth. He might also return to the international stage, after successfully switching his allegiance to Jamaica earlier this year.

Jacob deGrom's accomplished quite a lot in his MLB career, and he added another historic feat to his ever growing résumé on Sunday.

During Sunday's matchup with the Mariners, the Rangers ace logged his 1,800th career strikeout. deGrom became the fastest MLB pitcher in history to reach this milestone as he did so in 240 games and 1,493.1 innings.

The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner's historic strikeout was thrown against Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford in the second inning of Sunday's game. The three strikes thrown to Crawford were all 98 mph fastballs. It was deGrom's fourth strikeout of the game, too.

After deGrom's past two seasons were riddled with injuries, the ace is having a great comeback season this year. Ahead of Sunday's game, deGrom had a 2.55 ERA with a 10–3 record. He'd thrown 130 strikeouts this season—a solid 9.5 per nine innings pitched

The Rangers star now sits at No. 128 on the MLB's all-time list of strikeouts thrown by pitchers. Nolan Ryan holds a very strong lead for the record with 5,714 strikeouts thrown in his career.

All the numbers and records from a series where the Indian batters made merry

Sampath Bandarupalli02-Aug-2025

Ravindra Jadeja finished with 516 runs for the series•Getty Images

3809 – Runs aggregated by India across the five matches of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. It is the second-most runs recorded by a team in a Test series, behind only Australia’s 3877 during the six-match Ashes series in 1989. The series aggregate is also the second-highest behind the 1993 Ashes, where England and Australia collectively scored 7221 runs.8 – Number of 300-plus totals for India, the joint-most by any team in a Test series. India also breached the 350-mark on eight occasions, two more than any other team in a Test series.516 – Ravindra Jadeja’s tally is the fifth-highest for a batter coming in at No. 6 or lower in a Test series. These are also the most runs recorded by an India batter coming in at No. 6 or lower in a Test series, going past VVS Laxman’s 474 runs against West Indies in 2002.Related

Gill shows he is ready for the grind of India's Test captaincy

Butter-fingered England spill six chances at The Oval

Oval and out: Jaiswal's series comes a full circle with statement hundred

Jaiswal hundred, Siraj's late strike make India favourites

Jadeja’s six fifty-plus scores are the joint-most while batting at No. 6 or lower in a Test series. Four of Jadeja’s six fifty-plus scores came in the second innings, the joint-most for a batter in a Test series.1131 – Jadeja’s run tally in Test cricket in England while batting at No. 6 or lower. These are the most runs in that position for a visiting player in any country in Test cricket, surpassing Clive Lloyd’s 1126 in Australia.Jadeja’s ten fifty-plus scores at No. 6 or lower in England are also the joint-most for a visiting player in a country, alongside Lloyd’s ten in Australia. Among Indian batters, only Sachin Tendulkar (12) has more fifty-plus scores in Tests in England.ESPNcricinfo Ltd754 – Shubman Gill’s series aggregate is the second-highest for a captain behind Don Bradman’s 810 against England in the 1936-37 Ashes. No other batter has scored more runs in a series between England and India, going past Graham Gooch’s 752 runs in 1990.470 – Boundaries hit by India (422 fours and 48 sixes), the most by any team in a Test series, going past 460 by Australia (451 fours and nine sixes) in the 1993 Ashes.12 – Number of individual hundreds for India, the joint-most for any team in a Test series. These are also the most for India in a Test series, going past the 11 they recorded against West Indies at home in 1978-79.5 – Five Indian batters scored 400-plus runs in this series, Yashasvi Jaiswal being the latest addition. Only three times has a team had five (or more) batters scoring 400-plus runs in a Test series previously – six for Australia in the 1993 Ashes, while five each for South Africa against England in 1964-65 and Australia in the 1989 Ashes.Eight batters have aggregated 400-plus runs across England and India in this series so far, the joint-most for a Test series, alongside the Frank Worrell Trophy in 1975-76 and the 1993 Ashes.Three India batters have gone past the 500-run mark in this series – Gill, KL Rahul and Jadeja, the joint-most for a team in a Test series.Akash Deep celebrates his fifty•Getty Images66 – Akash Deep’s score is the third-highest by a nightwatcher for India in men’s Tests. Syed Kirmani scored 101* against Australia at the Wankhede Stadium in 1979, while Amit Mishra scored 84 against England in 2011, also at The Oval.79.66 – Percentage of runs scored by Jaiswal behind square on the offside during his 118. In all, he recorded 94 runs in that region – 11 fours and two sixes. As per ESPNCricinfo’s ball-by-ball logs, it is the highest percentage of runs scored behind square by any batter while scoring a century in men’s Tests since 2003.6 – Catches dropped by England in India’s second innings, the most by them in an innings since 2018. They dropped six catches in India’s first innings at Edgbaston in 2022 and New Zealand’s second innings at Wellington in 2023.

The Colorado Rockies are trading right-handed reliever Tyler Kinley to the Atlanta Braves, according to a report from Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.

The trade will send a prospect back to the Rockies.

The 34-year-old Kinley has accumulated a 5.66 ERA this season, but advanced analytics suggest he's been a better pitcher than his ERA shows. The Braves are hoping that he can be a reliable righty out of the bullpen for the second half of the season, while also giving the franchise the option to add another year of team control. Kinley is earning $3 million this year in the final year of his contract, but has a $5 million club option that Atlanta could exercise for 2026.

The Braves are a disappointing 45–61 this season, and sit in fourth-place in the NL East.

For months now, Cubs fans have been wondering who No. 30 is and what he's done with right fielder and designated hitter Kyle Tucker.

Tucker, whose gaudy early-season numbers helped turn Chicago into one of the most exciting teams in baseball, slashed just .218/.380/.295 in July. He has been even worse in August, posting a .148/.233/.148 slashline in 15 games. His last extra-base hit came on July 30.

On Wednesday, Cubs fans received a reported explanation for Tucker's struggles. According to a report from ESPN's Jesse Rogers, Tucker has been playing through a hairline fracture in his right hand suffered June 1 against the Reds.

"Tucker, 28, wanted to keep playing for the then-first-place Cubs, choosing against an (injured-list) stint as he compiled a .982 OPS that month. But his numbers have tanked since the beginning of July, leading to him getting several days off this week for a reset," Rogers wrote.

Even with the reported injury, Tucker is 10th in the National League among position players with a bWAR of 4.1. If Chicago can get him remotely healthy by the end of the season, its prize offseason acquisition could turn into a dangerous October wild card.

Cubs second baseman Nico Hoener wasn't expecting to hit a low slider by Reds relief pitcher Yosver Zulueta in the eighth inning of Wednesday afternoon's game. He attempted a check swing, but ended up hitting the ball instead of avoiding contact.

Luckily for Hoerner, his swing had enough power behind it for him to hit a single to left field. As he eyed the ball to make sure it dropped, Hoerner got extremely excited when he realized his mistaken hit was turning into an RBI for him and a run for the Cubs. He was able to bring in his teammate Matt Shaw from second base to home.

Marquee Network caught the perfect shot of Hoerner's reaction once he realized his hit was a happy accident.

Hoerner's RBI single brought in the sixth and final run of the day for the Cubs. Chicago beat Cincinnati 6-1, pushing the Cubs to a 66-48 record to secure a stronger second-place hold in the NL Central behind the MLB-best Brewers.

The Phillies were able to keep their season alive with an 8–2 win over the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Wednesday night and leading the way once again was the man who put the team on his back so often during the regular season—Kyle Schwarber.

The lefty slugger hit two home runs in the must-win game, including an absolute Schwarberbomb in the fourth inning that tied the game at 1–1 and gave the rest of his team new life.

Schwarber's solo shot almost left Dodger Stadium, landing just over the back row of seats in the right field bleachers.

Aftter the game Schwarber had the coolest comment about his titanic blast, saying, via :

“I didn’t even see where it landed. I was looking in the dugout trying to get the guys going. Get back in the dugout, everyone is high-fiving. And I knew I hit it good. I didn’t know where it went. Eventually, somebody tells me. You watch it on video to see where it goes."

Imagine hitting a baseball that far in a playoff game and not even caring about where it landed but instead thinking about your teammates and trying to lift them up? That's a true leader right there.

Here's that 455-foot moonshot:

Schwarber had some other great things to say about it:

“I was just more focused on our guys there," he said. "I don’t care. It could go in the first row, it could hit the freakin’—that board right there. I don’t care. But hits are great, homers are great, walks are great. Anything positive for our offense is going to be great. But, yeah, it was a cool moment.”

Schwarber and the Phillies will have their season on the line again Thursday night in Game 4. The Dodgers might want to think about not giving him anything to hit, or this series could very well end up going back in Philadelphia for a winner-take-all Game 5.

Several noteworthy performances for South Africa as new-look ODI side finds a template for success

Firdose Moonda at Newlands04-Feb-2020This was exactly what South African cricket needed. Ordinarily, one isolated ODI win, even against the world champions, would not mean much. But after three successive Test series defeats and ahead of an important month of white-ball cricket with a new-look squad this victory will, even if only briefly, pause the panic that South African cricket is on the verge of collapse. It may even ignite the smallest spark of hope that in the distance a strong South Africa lurks again.That may sound like an overly dramatic summation of the first ODI both these teams have played in more than six months, since the 2019 World Cup, and by the end of the week, it may be proved exactly that. After all, we’ve seen this kind of false dawn before. Just five weeks ago, when South Africa won the first Test against England, it seemed the involvement of former greats and the overhaul in the CSA offices was bringing swift and sweeping rewards. It was not to be. And it may not be this time either.England are resting two match-winners (Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler) and have a second-choice seam attack at their disposal, so perhaps South Africa cannot read too much into their record chase at Newlands. What the hosts can take from this is the renewed energy, evident in the 74 singles and 11 twos new captain Quinton de Kock and recalled batsman Temba Bavuma put on in their 173-run partnership, as well as the 20 overs Tabraiz Shamsi and Jon-Jon Smuts shared between them, which cost 81 runs and brought four wickets.ALSO READ: All-formats star van der Dussen shines for SAIn those two passages of play, South Africa caught a glimpse of what could become the foundation of their new-look 50-over side and it offers them something on which to build.Let’s start with de Kock, who began his captaincy tenure in the best way possible, by batting his team to a win, despite what history warned about chasing at Newlands. Only nine out of the 33 teams batting second in day-night games have been victorious but de Kock is not one to work with the past. Even that small part of de Kock’s character is noteworthy because South Africa have a habit of dwelling on what has been and it is partly to blame for their many major tournament blowouts. The next one is eight months’ time, and though de Kock is not the designated T20 captain, a replication of his attitude would not go amiss and could easily rub off on the many players in this squad who are likely to make the trip to Australia.Bavuma is bound to be one of them. Even when he was dropped from the Test side, there were hints that he would be considered in shorter formats, where he had not really been given enough opportunity before. Bavuma’s reputation as a player on the go-slow (not helped by a Test strike rate under 50) belies his natural aggression, which was on full display in 98 from 103 balls, including everything from the cute paddle sweep over his left shoulder to the uppercut pull into the stands. He was particularly strong against the short ball and his stability at the crease and command of the situation are all good signs for his white-ball future.In the praise that will come for de Kock and Bavuma, it must be remembered that they would have had a more daunting task if not for the work of Smuts, and especially Shamsi, with the ball. Smuts was brought on at first change in the eighth over after England got off to a solid start. In his second over, he had Jason Roy caught at long-on and his first spell off 1 for 15 in four overs pulled England back.

Imran Tahir’s retirement after the World Cup has set the stage for Shamsi to step-up, and in the first opportunity he got, he took it

Seeing the success pace off the ball was having, de Kock brought Shamsi on from the other end. He had Eoin Morgan sharply caught by Bavuma at the end of his first over and England had slipped to 83 for 4. In nine overs, the momentum of England’s innings shifted and then Shamsi seized it for South Africa. In a spell of eight overs, he showed good skill with his flight, line and consistency, rather than his variations. He was rewarded with two more wickets and ended as the standout bowler of the South Africa pack, a fine accomplishment for someone who was, just last week, attracting fitness concerns.Shamsi, along with Smuts, Lungi Ngidi and Sisanda Magala, was pulled from active cricket duty and deployed to a strength-and-conditioning camp. Over the course of three weeks, the quartet were put through intense drills, given nutrition advice and expected to lose weight and improve their bleep-test results. All of them did, Magala not enough to be considered for selection yet, but the other three showed the results in this game.Ngidi was slightly expensive in his seven overs but adapted well with cutters and slower balls. Smuts, who is diabetic and has struggled with his fitness in the past, played a sterling supporting role, the kind Shamsi had to get used to in the past, when Imran Tahir was first-choice. Tahir’s retirement from ODIs after the World Cup has set the stage for Shamsi to step-up, and in the first opportunity he got, he took it.That’s what South Africa want to see from the players they open the door to in this transition phase. Not all of them will win matches all of the time, which is to be expected, but their attitude and their intent will be what they are judged on. There’s no better person to look at than de Kock for a yardstick. Before this match, he bullishly said that he wants to embrace the treble responsibility of opening the batting, keeping wicket and captaining because it could bring out the best in him. It’s early days, yet, but de Kock may just be right. And if he is, that will really be exactly what South African cricket needs.

Frank Worrell came to the West Indies captaincy late and died young but left an indelible mark on the game

Paul Edwards30-Jun-2020Some cricketers change the games in which they play. In the early 1960s, Frank Worrell changed the game everybody played. It took him 15 matches to do it although some would say that simply walking out to toss up with Richie Benaud before the famous tied Test at Brisbane was enough. And that fine historian Hilary Beckles argues that his appointment as the first black West Indies skipper was the “grand historic moment”. George Headley led the team against England at Bridgetown in 1948 but Worrell had been made captain with tenure. Thousands of people across the Caribbean wondered what he would make of the job.Weaker men would have been weighed down by the expectation but the 36-year-old Worrell had both long experience in the game and a natural capacity for leadership. He fully understood that the significance of that Australian summer extended far beyond five games of Test cricket, albeit the 60-61 series, which Australia won 2-1, is still seen as one of the finest ever played. “Had Frank failed on that tour it would have set back West Indies cricket, and especially the black cricketer, by twenty years”, wrote his opposing skipper, Richie Benaud. As it turned out Worrell triumphed so spectacularly that when a note was placed in the on the eve of the team’s departure stating West Indies would be driving round the city the following day on their way to a civic reception, over half a million people turned up to bid them farewell. There was tickertape and there were tears. Every subsequent series between Australia and West Indies has been played for the Frank Worrell Trophy.Worrell’s team won eight of their next ten Tests under his leadership. It might be suggested that a team containing Conrad Hunte, Rohan Kanhai, Garry Sobers, Wes Hall and Lance Gibbs would have done quite well with anyone in charge but that would be to underestimate West Indies’ previous capacity to splinter into island cliques. Worrell would have none of that and, as so often with him, there were incidents which transcended the to-and-fro of each series. India were beaten 5-0 in the Caribbean but when Nari Contractor ducked into a short ball from Charlie Griffiths in the game against Barbados, Worrell was the first to give the blood that helped save the batsman’s life.ALSO READ: Odd Men In – George CoxBarely a year after that home series Worrell led West Indies in England in what would be his farewell to top-level international cricket. Test matches in that era were sometimes rather dull affairs, characterised by attritional batting and cautious captaincy. Yet as in Australia, West Indies sought to attack whenever they could and their 3-1 series victory was welcomed. “No more popular side has ever toured in the old country,” said the team’s scorer, George Duckworth, whose memory stretched back over 40 years to his playing days with Lancashire and England. And the series again produced one classic when the Lord’s Test was drawn with England needing six runs to win but having only one wicket in hand.Film survives of the final day of that game and participants recall how Worrell was almost the only man on the ground who retained his composure. Indeed, it was said his leadership was so undemonstrative that those watching his teams play could not tell who was captain. Perhaps so – few skippers have been less given to flamboyant gestures – yet it is also true that no member of a team captained by Worrell had any doubt who was in charge. He rarely sought to suppress the natural volatility of players like Kanhai and Hall but he always sought to harness it. For every rule there was a reason.Jack Fingleton’s book had described the game at the Gabba in the detail it deserved. Now Alan Ross’s accorded comparable honour to the drama in St John’s Wood. Ross also considered the next three Tests before ending with his own tribute to the tourists: “No one applauds in the Press Box, but if words can carry feelings as well as facts, then Worrell’s West Indians, back now in their Caribbean islands, must know of them. Images, after all, mean more than statistics and with these they were lavish. Enriching the common idiom of the game, they restored to it not only spontaneity, but style.”

Having disposed forever of the argument that a black man might not be worthy to lead the countries of the West Indies in unity, he seemed set for other honours, both in international cricket and in the wider political ferment of Caribbean politics

Worrell retired from Test cricket immediately after the England tour and played only ten more first-class matches. He was 39 and had long known that his powers were declining. It was nearly 20 years since he had shared in two first-class stands of over 500, the first with John Goddard, the second with Clyde Walcott. Those stands for Barbados against Trinidad were followed by a first Test cap in 1948. Some glorious seasons followed, summers at home and abroad in which West Indian cricket was dominated by Worrell, Weekes and Walcott, by the spin bowling of Sonny Ramadhin and Alf Valentine, by the first flowering of Sobers and Kanhai.There seems little dispute that Worrell was a cricketer of world class during many of those post-war seasons. Yet each of the game’s eras produces players worthy of such an accolade and the back pages of the newspapers make much of their exploits. Worrell, rather by contrast, did things in the last years of his career which attracted the interests of the news editors and political columnists. As ever, cricket became a lens through which social change could be assessed. Writing for in May 1967, CLR James moved with typical ease from Worrell’s cricketing achievements to a wider impact.”Worrell made the tremendous decision to restore to Tests the spirit of the game he had learnt in Barbados… Having rapidly created his instrument, Worrell initiated a regeneration. Benaud, the Australian captain, met him halfway and the result was the most exciting Test series in living memory.”He has shown the West Indian mastery of what Western civilisation had to teach. His wide experience, reputation, his audacity of perspective and the years which seemed to stretch before him fitted him to be one of those destined to help the West Indies to make their own West Indian way.”Yes, . James was writing an obituary for a dear friend who had died of leukaemia less than two months earlier at the brutally early age of 42. In the months after the England tour Worrell had been showered with honours, some from the West Indies, others from the English league clubs he had represented when not required for a tour. He was knighted in the 1964 New Year’s honours list and had become Warden of Irvine Hall at the University of the West Indies, as well as being appointed to the Jamaican Senate. Counterfactuals are pretty tedious exercises but historians still ponder the contribution Worrell might have made to public life in the Caribbean and beyond had he been granted a full lifespan. Having disposed forever of the argument that a black man might not be worthy to lead the countries of the West Indies in unity, he seemed set for other honours, both in international cricket and in the wider political ferment of Caribbean politics.West Indies team manager Gerry Gomez and captain Frank Worrell are cheered by a huge crowd in a parade through the streets of Melbourne•Getty ImagesWorrell was also the first sportsman to be honoured with a memorial service at Westminster Abbey and EW Swanton gave the address before a congregation of 1500 that included the great, the good and the humble. “He was essentially a bringer together by the sincerity and friendliness of his personality,” Swanton said. “In the television age men famous in the world of games have a formidable influence and strange figures are sometimes magnified into heroes. Frank Worrell was the absolute antithesis of the strident and bumptious… He was a federalist, nearest whose heart was the unity of the West Indian peoples in all their diversity… Under the subtle knack of his personality, differences of colour and island prejudices seemed to melt away.”Over fifty years later one does not have to search hard for tributes and memorials to Frank Worrell. Banknotes and stamps have featured his image; sports centres, streets and halls of residence have been named in his memory. A monument to Worrell, Weekes and Walcott, all three of whom were knighted, can be found surrounded by tropical flora in the park opposite the 3Ws Oval at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill campus in Barbados. Both Worrell and Walcott are buried in the grounds of the campus on a hill overlooking the square.And next week West Indian cricketers will begin another Test series against England. It cannot be called a tour since it appears Jason Holder’s players will be visiting just two cricket grounds and one airport. And it is probably overstraining the metaphor to describe them as Frank Worrell’s grandchildren; too much has changed in fifty years. But were they to be reminded of their former leader’s contribution, Holder’s cricketers might be honoured to be thought of in such terms. The great West Indian teams that followed Worrell certainly knew what they owed him but so did some people in the Caribbean who would never pick up a bat. And Beckles links that historic appointment in 1960 to both nation-building and anticolonialism:”The cricket hero… became a demigod, a role model, placed socially above community, and invested with popular expectations that suggest iconographic worship and idealisation. Frank Worrell was the epitome of it all: graceful, sincere, smart, mature, sound, visionary, morally correct and successful – all the things that a young nation state should be. Within this paradigm, Worrell was the symbol of nationalist pride, anticolonial achievement, and sociopsychological liberation. He represented West Indians at home and abroad as a statesman and ambassador.”Worrell, himself, might be a little amazed by all that. Humility often goes with greatness. Yet his was a black life that mattered, not simply for its own sake, as all do, but for the impact he made on thousands of other black lives in the Caribbean. Revolutions are rarely so gentle.

Their death-overs economy of 16 is the worst among the eight sides. Here’s a look at the options they have to address this issue

Deivarayan Muthu02-Oct-20202:59

How do Kings XI solve their death-bowling woes?

The Kings XI Punjab Punjab have played four matches so far in IPL 2020, with just one win to show for. In their Super-Over defeat to the Delhi Capitals in their opener, Chris Jordan leaked 30 runs in the last over of the first innings in regulation time. In their defeat to the Rajasthan Royals on Sunday, Sheldon Cottrell went for 30 in the 18th over as Rahul Tewatia pulled off a jailbreak for the ages.In their most recent defeat to the Mumbai Indians on Thursday, it appeared like the Kings XI didn’t even have a death-bowling plan. Seam-bowing allrounder James Neesham gave away 40 off the 16th and 18th over of the innings while offspinner K Gowtham, who was left to bowl the 20th over against Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya, conceded 25.These are still early days in the season, but their death-overs economy of 16, the worst among the eight sides, is a worry for the Kings XI. Here’s a rundown of the options available for the Kings XI to address this issue.Replace Neesham with Chris Jordan or Mujeeb Ur Rahman
Sure, Chris Jordan repeatedly missed his lengths against the Capitals, but he is the only bona fide death bowler in the Kings XI side. It’s for his death bowling the Kings XI bought him for INR 1 crore in the 2019 auction. The yorker is probably the most difficult delivery to execute: you overpitch, it comes out as a full-toss. You underpitch, it becomes a half-volley. Other factors like dew and shorter boundaries could thwart your best-laid plans as well. Jordan brings with him that ability to nail yorkers. According to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data, since the 2016 T20 World Cup, he has hit the blockhole 77 times, giving away 56 runs and taking eight wickets. Only Dwayne Bravo and Jasprit Bumrah have bowled more yorkers than Jordan in this period in T20 cricket. And only Bumrah (nine) has captured more wickets with the yorker than him in this period.Jordan is also an excellent fielder – off his own bowling, in the infield, and even in the outfield. Plus, he can also hit big lower down the order. If the Kings XI are to recall Jordan, then they might have to leave out Neesham, who can be effective with his back-of-a-length legcutters in the middle overs but has travelled in the slog overs this IPL as well as in the recent CPL.Kings XI’s bowlers have struggled during the final overs•ESPNcricinfo LtdJordan also has the experience of having delivered at the death in the subcontinent although it was more than four years ago, in the T20 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand in Delhi. He darted swerving yorkers and conceded just 12 runs in two overs at the death while also dismissing Ross Taylor. More recently in November 2019, he defended 17 in the Super Over with his variations to take England to victory against the same opponents. Seventeen runs would be easy to defend on most other grounds, but it’s not that easy at Eden Park.The Kings XI could also consider replacing Neesham with Mujeeb Ur Rahman. The Afghanistan spinner, who can turn the ball both ways, was the second-highest wicket-taker in CPL 2020 and is second on the ICC T20I rankings. He bowled in the powerplay for the Jamaica Tallawahs in the CPL but can bowl in the middle overs and also do the job at the death.In all, Mujeeb has bowled 36 overs at the death in T20 cricket, claiming 21 wickets at an economy of 8.11. However, that economy at the death in the IPL shoots up to 12.42 but the sample size is smaller (seven overs).Picking Mujeeb over or Neesham could leave Kings XI thin on the batting front. Or are they bold enough to punt on Mujeeb’s X-factor and back their openers, Nicholas Pooran, Glenn Maxwell, and Sarfaraz Khan to carry the batting? If they need more power in the middle order to accommodate Mujeeb, Deepak Hooda or Mandeep Singh could be given a go instead of Karun Nair, whose batting is more suited to anchoring an innings at the top than finishing it.Bring in Ishan Porel or Arshdeep Singh
The uncapped Ishan Porel and Arshdeep Singh are left-field choices for the Kings XI. If they want to pick Mujeeb over Neesham and add an extra seamer to the attack at the expense of Gowtham or M Ashwin, Porel or Singh could be brought in.Porel, who was part of the Under-19 World Cup-winning team in 2018, has now increased his pace to 140kph. The right-arm quick opened the attack for India A in the one-dayers in New Zealand but is unproven in T20 cricket. Will Kings XI make the tough choice of asking him to bowl at the death on IPL debut?Singh isn’t as quick as Porel but offers left-arm variety. Do Kings XI really need another left-arm seamer when they already have Cottrell in the XI? Moreover, Singh hasn’t played top-flight T20 cricket since IPL 2019.Take a punt on Hardus Viljoen
Another left-field overseas option is South African quick Hardus Viljoen who is a T20 – and T10 – globetrotter. On his day, Viljoen can execute his yorkers and also has a slower dipper that has been mastered by the likes of Bravo and Lasith Malinga. In the Abu Dhabi T10 league in 2018-19, Viljoen had topped the wickets charts with 18 strikes at an economy of 7.77.