Afghanistan allrounder Mohammad Nabi has said he wants to retire from the ODI format after the Champions Trophy 2025. Nabi revealed his plans at the end of the ODI series against Bangladesh in the UAE, while claiming his Player-of-the-Series award in Afghanistan’s 2-1 series victory.”In my mind, from the last World Cup, I was retired but then we qualified for the Champions Trophy and I felt if I could play that, it would be great,” Nabi told the host broadcaster after the third ODI.It is understood he has communicated the decision to the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) and will continue playing T20Is. To the ACB media team, he said: “We will see, but no, I will not play for long. God willing, after the Champions Trophy, we will say goodbye to the ODIs.”With 167 appearances in the format, Nabi is Afghanistan’s highest-capped ODI cricketer and the current World No. 1 ODI allrounder according to the ICC rankings.He has represented Afghanistan ever since their debut ODI against Scotland in 2009. With the bat, his 3600 ODI runs puts him at second on the list of Afghanistan’s highest run-getters. He has also hit 17 fifties and two centuries at 27.48. As an offspinner, he has 172 wickets, the second-highest for Afghanistan, at an average of 32.47.The 2025 Champions Trophy will be Afghanistan’s maiden appearance at the event. They made the cut by virtue of finishing sixth at the 2023 ODI World Cup in India. The eight-team Champions Trophy features the top seven teams from the latest ODI World Cup, along with hosts Pakistan.In both T20Is and ODIs, Nabi has been a constant in Afghanistan’s rise up the ranks that culminated in ODI, T20I and Test recognition. He was ODI captain in Afghanistan’s maiden 50-over World Cup appearance in 2015, and featured in the 2019 and 2023 editions too. He retired from Tests in 2019.
Warwickshire strike early but captain’s innings keeps rivals at bay
ECB Reporters Network09-Sep-2024
Another Brett D’Oliveira half-century led the Worcestershire fightback•Getty Images
Club captain Brett D’Oliveira struck his fourth successive half-century since returning from injury to inspire another Worcestershire recovery on the opening day of the Vitality County Championship derby with Warwickshire at Visit Worcestershire New Road.D’Oliveira had come to the wicket just over a week ago with Worcestershire 10 for 4 on the opening morning versus Essex at Chelmsford and his 68 helped his side rally to 266 all out on their way to a 43-run success. That followed his 97 during the home win over Kent and for good measure he hit another 51 in the second innings against Essex.Here, his side were struggling at 67 for 4 in testing conditions when he walked out to the middle and was again the cornerstone of a fightback with the top score of 76.D’Oliveira received excellent support from Adam Hose, fit again Matthew Waite and Logan van Beek in partnerships of 49, 76 and 43.He had missed the entire Metro Bank One-Day Cup campaign whilst having extensive rehab to a shoulder problem which has troubled him for the past year. But the treatment seems to have paid handsome dividends for the 32-year-old who has been in prime form since the Championship programme recommenced.Waite also made his mark with a fluent half-century on his return to action after nearly two months on the sidelines with a side strain.Oliver Hannon-Dalby, the leading wicket-taker in Division One, added three more scalps to take his tally for the season to 46 and again bowled impressively.Worcestershire gave a Championship debut to young Academy pace bowler Jack Home who last week signed a three-year contract after taking 16 wickets in five games in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup.Warwickshire made one change from the side which had defeated Kent with spinner Danny Briggs replacing Jacob Bethell.Warwickshire skipper Alex Davies put the home side into bat on a wicket where the bounce was variable, particularly when bowling from the New Road End, and Hannon-Dalby made the first breakthrough when Jake Libby pushed forward to a delivery which nipped away and was caught behind.Kashif Ali, who had scored two centuries in the corresponding game at Edgbaston, provided keeper Michael Burgess with another catch off former Worcestershire allrounder Ed BarnardGareth Roderick had his middle stump knocked back by Michael Rae and then Ethan Brookes, promoted to No. 4, was lbw to Hannon-Dalby on his return to the attack with a delivery which swung back in. Hose and D’Oliveira battled through to lunch at 77 for 4 from 30 overs.D’Oliveira pulled Rushworth for four to bring up the 100 in 39.3 overs. The fifth wicket pair extended their partnership to 49 but Hose, having battled for nearly two hours for 33, drove at Barnard and was pouched at second slipWaite was full of positive intent from the start and collected four boundaries at Barnard’s expense in two overs.He was the dominate figure in a half-century partnership with D’Oliveira and completed his own fifty from 71 balls with nine fours.The afternoon session produced 111 runs from 34 overs for the loss of one wicket. But Waite added only one more run before he was lbw to Rae after he switched ends to end a stand of 76.D’Oliveira reached another excellent half century from 115 balls when he late cut Briggs for his seventh boundary. He found another staunch ally in van Beek in adding 43 for the seventh wicket but on 76 was finally caught low down at first slip by Yates off Will Rhodes.The second new ball accounted for van Beek with a third scalp for Hannon-Dalby thanks to Yates again showing a safe pair of hands, this time at second slip.But Home, who hit Barnard for the first six of the game backward of square, and Tom Taylor earned Worcestershire a precious batting point before the close during an unbroken stand of 52.
Leeds United are now set to sign another defender and this time for a fee of under £500,000, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed.
Leeds announce Gudmundsson on four-year deal
With Junior Firpo exiting Elland Road, Leeds needed to bring in a new left-back, and they have wasted no time in their pursuit of Lille’s Gabriel Gudmundsson, with the defender signing a four-year contract on Tuesday.
The fee is thought to be in the region of €12m (£10m) although the club’s announcement does not disclose the true figure, after the 26-year-old completed his medical checks on Monday.
Gudmundsson is not the only left-back set to make a move to Elland Road, however, with Romano recently taking to X to reveal the Whites are on the verge of signing a defender from a rival Premier League club.
The transfer expert states that Manchester City’s Jayden Lienou “will join Leeds United” for a package amounting to under £500k, with the 17-year-old set to link up with the U21 team to begin with.
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Andrew Taylor and Adam Underwood are said to have been “key” to securing a deal for Lienou, and the deal now appears to be completely agreed, suggesting that an official announcement could be imminent.
Leeds’ opening Premier League fixtures
Date
Everton (h)
August 18th
Arsenal (a)
August 23rd
Newcastle United (h)
August 30th
Fulham (a)
September 13th
Wolverhampton Wanderers (a)
September 20th
Gudmundsson and Lienou are savvy signings for Leeds
Lienou has been showing some promising signs at youth level, most notably scoring a remarkable solo goal for Wales a little over a year ago, showcasing his quality on the front foot.
However, at 17-years-old, the Welshman is clearly one for the future, and Gudmundsson is more likely to make more of an instant impact at Elland Road, given that the Sweden international is vastly experienced.
The Malmo-born defender made nine appearances in the Champions League last season, and his performances across the campaign clearly impressed journalist Joe Donnohue, who described the full-back as a “fun” player and a “risk-taker”.
The former FC Groningen man also caught the eye in an attacking sense during his time with the Dutch club.
Given that Firpo was well-known for his attacking contributions, Gudmundsson could be an ideal replacement for the Dominican Republic international, while Lienou’s performances at youth level indicate he could also be a savvy signing with the potential to become a prototype modern day attacking full-back.
Arsenal’s biggest strength this season, and arguably last season as well, was their defence.
Mikel Arteta’s side may have scored 17 goals fewer than Liverpool in the Premier League, but then, even though they finished ten points off top spot, they managed to concede seven goals fewer than the Reds.
While this genuinely impressive solidity is partly thanks to the entire team, it wouldn’t be inaccurate to describe William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes as the chief architects of the Gunners’ almost impenetrable backline.
Arsenal'sGabrielMagalhaes and WilliamSaliba
So, fans should be delighted about recent reports linking the club with an international defender compared to both of them.
Arsenal searching for another defender
Before getting to the star in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other defensive titans linked with Arsenal in recent weeks and months, such as Jorrel Hato and Marc Guehi.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The former seems to be on the radar for a lot of big teams this summer, at a price of around £42m, and it’s not hard to see why, as at just 19 years old, he’s already established himself as a crucial member of Ajax’s defensive setup.
Likewise, Guehi is just as, if not more important, for Crystal Palace, making 44 appearances across all competitions and winning the FA Cup with them this season, which makes his supposed £50m valuation seem more than reasonable.
Crystal Palace's MarcGuehireacts after the match
However, while both of these players are brilliantly talented, another defender who could be an even more exciting acquisition has now entered the frame: Ousmane Diomande.
According to a recent report from Portuguese newspaper O Jogo, as relayed by Caught Offside, Arsenal are now in the race for the Sporting CP star.
Alongside the Gunners, the report has revealed that London rivals Chelsea are also keen to bring the Ivorian to the Premier League this summer.
While the report makes no mention of how much the centre-back might cost, reports from last month reaffirm claims that he has a €80m release clause in his current deal, which amounts to about £68m.
It would, therefore, be a costly and likely complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Diomande’s ability and the comparisons to Saliba and Gabriel, it’s one Arsenal should fight for.
How Diomande compares to Saliba and Gabriel
So then, given just how sensationally well Arsenal’s defensive duo have played in recent campaigns, it is undoubtedly a bold claim to suggest that Diomande is not just similar to one of them but both.
However, that is just the claim respected analyst Ben Mattinson made when he described the Ivorian international as “a hybrid between Gabriel and Saliba” just last season.
Now, when it comes to his similarity to the former, you can look at things from the fact that the Brazilian is just an inch taller at 6 foot 3 to their goalscoring ability, with the Sporting star finding the back of the net twice in 32 league games to the Gunners’ titan getting one more in 28 games.
How about the Frenchman, then?
Well, interestingly, the most convincing argument for how similar the Abidjan-born star is to the former Saint-Etienne ace comes from FBref, which compared players in similar positions in the Champions League this season.
Sporting centre-back Ousmane Diomande.
It then created a list of the ten most comparable players for everyone who participated in the competition and concluded that the Bondy-born titan was the number one most similar centre-back to the Sporting ace.
The best way to understand how this conclusion was reached is by examining some of the underlying numbers in which the pair ranked closely, such as non-penalty expected goals plus assists, progressive carries, passing accuracy, expected assists, live passes, interceptions and more, all per 90.
Non-Penalty Expected G+As
0.01
0.03
Progressive Carries
0.36
0.36
Passing Accuracy
93.2%
92.2%
Expected Assists
0.01
0.01
Live Passes
58.8
56.5
Interceptions
0.96
0.91
Finally, while Saliba is now three years older, he was also being spoken about as one of the most exciting emerging defensive talents at 21, so there will be some shared experiences between him and the Sporting gem should he move to the Emirates this summer.
Ultimately, it’s a lot of money, but with how highly rated he is and the fact he’s been compared to two of their very best players, Arsenal should do what they can to sign Diomande this summer.
He's a dream for Rice: Arsenal are about to submit bid for £84m "magician"
The outrageously talented international would be game-changing for Arsenal.
With the summer transfer window fast approaching, Nottingham Forest have now reportedly made contact with a £20m target who used to play for Paris Saint-Germain.
AS Roma eye Espirito Santo move
After a season full of success, Nottingham Forest could be set to become the victims of that success when the summer transfer window arrives. The Midlands club, as is often the case when clubs enjoy an unexpected rise, have already seen the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White linked with moves away and could yet lose manager Nuno Espirito Santo on top.
With reports suggesting that Italian outfit AS Roma are interested in Nuno, the Nottingham Forest boss could leave the City Ground and cause a major shock this summer. It’s a departure that Evangelos Marinakis should hope to avoid at all costs above any potential star players.
Since the boss’ arrival, Forest have simply been a side transformed from a side battling relegation into a side who will be disappointed that Champions League qualification is out of their hands.
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He could replace Gibbs-White.
ByTom Cunningham May 21, 2025
The Portuguese manager may just be getting started, too. With Europa League football, at the very least, now confirmed for next season, Forest should be in their strongest position for quite some time to welcome some of Europe’s impressive talents.
It goes without saying that adding depth in preparation for European football will be crucial to any success next season, and the rumours have already been coming thick and fast over just who could complete a move to the City Ground to add exactly that to Nuno’s squad.
Nottingham Forest make contact with Bulka
According to Polish outlet Meczyki, Nottingham Forest have now made contact with Marcin Bulka over a summer move to the City Ground, with Marinakis now eyeing a £20m move to sign the shot-stopper.
Fresh from a solid campaign in Ligue 1 for OGC Nice, Bulka has earned the interest of Forest and may well find himself on his way back towards Europe’s elite for the first time since leaving Paris Saint-Germain in 2022.
Starts
34
37
Clean Sheets
8
13
Saves per 90
4.74
4.41
Save Percentage
75.8%
74.2%
When compared to Forest No.1 Sels, who has enjoyed an excellent season in his own right, Bulka’s numbers certainly make for interesting reading. The Nice shot-stopper has just about outperformed Sels for save percentage as well as saves per 90, albeit whilst keeping fewer clean sheets.
If Forest are to strengthen, then they could do far worse than welcoming the former PSG man this summer. With plenty of football to share around next season too, having two options so similar in quality would be no bad thing.
With Forest reportedly in contact with his representatives, Bulka could certainly be one to watch in the coming months.
Fulham are now set to open talks over a deal for a “beautiful footballer” this summer, who is set to be available on a free transfer, according to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth.
Cottagers stepping up summer transfer plans
The Cottagers have been showing signs of year-on-year development under the helm of Marco Silva, and they are in a good position to record a top-half finish in the Premier League, which should put them in a good position to attract some quality players this summer.
Silva’s side have managed to progress despite losing some key figures in recent windows, with Joao Palhinha among them, but the midfielder’s move to Bayern Munich hasn’t gone exactly to plan, which means a return to Craven Cottage could now be on the cards.
The west Londoners are keen on strengthening in the middle of the park, and they are also looking to upgrade their defence, with contact being made to discuss a deal for versatile Juventus defender Nicolo Savona, who has impressed in the Serie A this season.
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Savona’s main position is right-back, but the Italian is not the only target in that area of the pitch, with Sky Sports reporter Sheth recently taking to X to reveal Fulham are now interested in signing Southampton defender Kyle Walker-Peters.
Walker-Peters’ contract is set to expire at the end of the season, which means he will be available on a free transfer this summer, and the Cottagers are expected to open talks with his representatives when the campaign comes to a close.
Southampton'sKyleWalker-Petersapplauds their fans after the match
Sheth states there will be “competition” for the defender, with London rivals West Ham United being named as potential suitors last month.
"Beautiful footballer" Walker-Peters could thrive in better side
It has been a season to forget for Southampton, who have recorded just two victories in the Premier League all season, which indicates it could be a gamble for Fulham to sign a player who has been a key part of such a poor side.
However, the 28-year-old has impressed in the Premier League in the past, chalking up 147 appearances in the competition, while also earning two caps for his national side.
Not only that, but the London-born defender has also received very high praise from former manager Russell Martin in the past, with the ex-Saints boss lauding him as a “beautiful footballer” after scoring in a 1-0 victory against Bristol City, before adding: “He can score more and assist more. It’s a brilliant, brilliant goal.”
As such, there are signs that Walker-Peters could thrive in a better side, and his availability on a free transfer is an added bonus for Fulham, making him a low-risk addition to Silva’s squad.
Former players and coaches weigh in on the changes ahead of India’s new domestic season
Daya Sagar26-Aug-2024Is this the best format for the Duleep Trophy?Wasim Jaffer, former India opener: Having many international players participating in the Duleep Trophy is a positive step. You want these players to be part of domestic cricket when international cricket is not happening. Moreover, the national selectors picking these teams is a better move. The cream of promising talent get a chance to strengthen their case under the selectors’ watch.Related
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Faiz Fazal, former Vidarbha captain: Previously, there used to be dominance of a particular team from a zone. Take my example: I’ve been among the top scorers from my zone in the Ranji Trophy, but across the last eight-nine seasons, I was only picked in three zonal Duleep Trophy games. Central Zone was dominated by UP (Uttar Pradesh). The managers, coaches, and captain were all from that state. With the national selectors’ involvement, it’s a fairer process, greatly reducing the dominance and bias of a single state. I believe the selectors would have told the coaches and captains about the new players they want to see and those who should be given opportunities. Additionally, this will be good practice for Indian Test cricketers to start the new Test season with red-ball practice.Piyush Chawla, India legspinner: The current format with a number of top India players participating will make the tournament more competitive and attractive. Several new domestic players will be able to learn a lot from experienced Indian players.Will the splitting of the Ranji Trophy foster better competition?Jaffer: I had tweeted a long time ago that the season should start with red-ball cricket. When I played, the Ranji Trophy matches were held first, followed by the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) and Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s (SMAT). Before the season, there used to be KSCA and Buchi Babu tournaments, which helped in our pre-season preparation. Additionally, the Irani Trophy and Duleep Trophy matches used to be held at the beginning of the season. This gave players ample practice with the red ball before starting the Ranji Trophy. I think this is a better step and will also protect players against the harsh weather conditions in North India because if a match is cancelled or gets disrupted due to bad weather, it affects the team’s qualification.Punjab beat Baroda to clinch their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title last season•Mandeep Singh.Jaffer: There is only a six-day gap between the fifth round of the Ranji Trophy and the start of SMAT. During this time, players have to travel, rest, and then prepare for T20 cricket, which is completely different from first-class cricket. Since performance in SMAT also affects players’ IPL auction values and opportunities, I think this gap should have been eight to ten days to allow players to transition smoothly from one format to another. However, this will also test the professional attitude of players and coaches in adapting to this change in a short time.Returning to red-ball cricket for the final two matches and knockout stages after playing SMAT and VHT will be a new challenge. It may also happen that some teams or players do not maintain their form from the first phase. But that’s cricket, and you have to adapt professionally to every situation. Adaptability is the biggest challenge and demand in modern cricket.Chawla: No team should be deprived by weather, so this is an excellent step. Also, at the senior level, players need to be professional enough to handle such challenges of quick turnaround. This is an exciting and challenging move.Fazal: When I was playing the Ranji Trophy last year, I also felt that a three-day gap was very difficult not only for fast bowlers but also for batters. Suppose I am a batter scoring a hundred or double hundred on the final day to save or win the match, and then travel the next day, your entire recovery is hampered. It’s good that players like Shardul Thakur and Umesh Yadav raised this issue and Rahul Dravid too supported it.Having the Ranji Trophy in two phases is also a good decision. However, some teams might complain at the end of the season that their momentum was broken, and after winning the last two matches of the first phase, the break affected their consistency, and they could not win the next two rounds. This is likely to happen. But it is better to take a break and play other formats less affected by the weather than to have matches cancelled or abandoned due to bad weather. It happens in county cricket too, where different rounds of the one-day cup and County Championship matches run together. Therefore, this experiment should be welcomed and let’s see how it works in the Indian context.
“Having many international players participating in the Duleep Trophy is a positive step. You want these players to be part of domestic cricket when international cricket is not happening.”Wasim Jaffer
Is the doing away of the toss in the Under-23 competition a positive move?Chawla: Additionally, teams will receive batting and bowling points, unlike earlier where only the team taking a lead, winning outright or drawing a game would be awarded points. If these experiments prove successful, there is a possibility of it being implemented in senior cricket. The no-toss rule isn’t a novelty, though. It was introduced county cricket was in effect from 2016 to 2019, but was discontinued from the 2020 season.Shukla: This is an attempt to remove the advantage given to the home team, and such efforts should be appreciated. Only after one season of the experiment can players, coaches, and others involved in Under-23 cricket comment on how appropriate this rule is and what benefits or drawbacks it has. Previously, when the impact player rule was introduced, I had said it should be tried out rather than discarded outright.Now, the impact rule’s effects, benefits, and drawbacks are clear. Similarly, the super sub rule was tried, and it was found not suitable for cricket. This rule should also be viewed as an experiment before pointing out its shortcomings. But I also feel that the less interference with cricket, the better it remains. Cricket should be left as it is.Jaffer: This rule was in place for a few years in county cricket, and I played there at that time. But what happened was that home teams started preparing flat wickets, and there were fewer pitches favouring seam and spin, leading to more drawn matches. This rule eliminates the uncertainty of the toss. If we want to reduce the impact of the pitch, BCCI already sends neutral curators. So, this rule was not necessary here.
The defending champions need some crucial replacements after trading out a couple of players
Abhimanyu Bose21-Dec-20225:12
Who should replace Lockie Ferguson at Gujarat Titans?
Who they’ve got
Gujarat Titans, the defending IPL champions, released only six players ahead of this mini-auction and, rather unsurprisingly, have kept the majority of their title-winning squad intact.
Follow the 2023 IPL auction LIVE
You can watch the auction live in India on Star Sports, and follow live analysis with Tom Moody, Ian Bishop, Wasim Jaffer and Stuart Binny right here on ESPNcricinfo.
Current squad: Hardik Pandya (capt), Abhinav Manohar, David Miller, Shubman Gill, Matthew Wade, Wriddhiman Saha, B Sai Sudharshan, Darshan Nalkande, Jayant Yadav, Pradeep Sangwan, Rahul Tewatia, Vijay Shankar, Rashid Khan, Alzarri Joseph, Mohammed Shami, Noor Ahmad, R Sai Kishore, Yash DayalWhat they have to play with
The Titans have a total purse of INR 19.25 crore (USD 2.3 million approx.), and seven slots to fill, including three overseas slots.What they need
A fast bowler. They traded Lockie Ferguson to Kolkata Knight Riders and will need a replacement, as head coach Ashish Nehra said earlier this month.
Another Indian quick will also help, because they would want a back-up for Yash Dayal. Not to forget Hardik Pandya’s workload management.
Having released Jason Roy and traded Rahmanullah Gurbaz to Knight Riders, Gujarat would also want to bring in a top-order batter, who can either open or come in at No. 3.
And a fast-bowling allrounder, but with only Rajasthan Royals (INR 13.2 crore), Royal Challengers Bangalore (INR 8.75 crore) and Knight Riders (INR 7.05 crore) left with smaller purses than them, they may end up being out-bidded for the big names (think Sam Curran, Cameron Green, Ben Stokes) in that category.
The likely targets Sam Curran would be a perfect fit, adding batting depth while also replacing Ferguson as a frontline quick. However, he will be in high demand and teams like Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings have plenty left in their purse and could break the bank for him.Reece Topley, a tall left-arm quick with a deadly yorker, will add to the team’s arsenal and might be easier to get than some others. Titans could target him as a like-for-like replacement for Ferguson.Jaydev Unadkat has a history of being expensive, but he brings with him a wealth of experience as well as form and confidence. He led his domestic side Saurashtra to the domestic 50-overs Vijay Hazare Trophy title this month, and also got a Test recall for India’s ongoing tour of Bangladesh.Mayank Agarwal is likely to be the most sought-after Indian batter in the auction. He would fit into the Titans top order, but they will face stiff competition from several teams.And why not Kane Williamson? He was released by Sunrisers and could become Titans’ glue at the top of the order. He can open the innings or play at No. 3.
Key players, squads, schedule and salaries – all your questions answered in one place
Sruthi Ravindranath03-Nov-20208:20
Women’s T20 Challenge: A stage for young Indian talent to shine
When and where will the Women’s T20 challenge take place?This tournament, like previous editions, will take place during the IPL playoffs. The three teams – Supernovas, Velocity and Trailblazers – are set to play three matches between November 4 and 9 in Sharjah, with the final scheduled on November 9 at the same venue. Three matches start at 7.30 IST (6pm local time). The only day game will be the second one, which will begin at 3.30pm IST (2pm local time), on November 5. Like the eight IPL franchises, the women’s contingent also underwent a mandatory six-day quarantine at the team hotel in addition to being tested at regular intervals. They were allowed to train only after that.Why is this year’s edition important?Though short, this tournament is significant for women’s cricket. The T20 World Cup earlier this year was a huge success and was expected to have a knock-on effect for the women’s game around the globe. Last year’s T20 Challenge was in Jaipur and had a good crowd turnout. However, the coronavirus pandemic meant everything came to a standstill. The India Women’s team hasn’t played any competitive cricket since the T20 World Cup final against Australia on March 8, and it increasingly began to look like the players wouldn’t have any top-flight cricket for the remainder of the year. This tournament, then, could be one of the few competitive games they play.For the longest time, it was also unclear if the tournament was on until the BCCI confirmed the squads in October. This could have probably been a bigger event – the BCCI said in February it would involve four teams – had it not been for the pandemic. Mithali Raj, one of the three captains, welcomed the tournament, despite its clash with Australia’s WBBL, calling it a “relief”.The T20 Challenge is a platform for talented players to make a mark and spend time with non-India internationals. Teenager Shafali Verma was among the brightest players in last year’s tournament; it got her a maiden T20I call-up for the series against South Africa later that year and she has continued to impress since.Smriti Mandhana goes for the big one•BCCIA title sponsorFor the first time ever, the tournament will have an exclusive sponsor, with Jio bagging the rights. Getting a title sponsor could hint at the BCCI possibly exploring the branding potential of the tournament. If successful, it could mean bigger things to come.How does the clash with the WBBL affect the T20 Challenge?The WBBL, which began on October 25, features several of the game’s top players from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa; all of them will miss the WT20 Challenger. Players from Australia – the largest overseas contingent in the one-off exhibition match in 2018 – and South Africa had missed the 2019 edition too. However, Bangladesh, West Indies, Sri Lanka and England players will feature this season. Seven of the 12 overseas players will feature in the tournament for the first time.What are the three teams like, how do they stack up against each other? Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur and Mithali Raj will once again lead the three teams – Trailblazers, Supernovas and Velocity.Two-time champions Supernovas have a strong Indian batting line-up led by Kaur, with Jemimah Rodrigues, who was Player of the Series in 2019, offspinner Anuja Patil and wicketkeeper-batter Taniya Bhatia. Their spinners Poonam Yadav and Radha Yadav are among the top 10 in the T20 bowling charts. Their overseas contingent has Sri Lankan captain Chamari Atapattu and former captain Shashikala Siriwardene, experienced West Indies seam bowler Shekera Selman and the South Africa quick Ayabonga Khaka.Supernovas squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Jemimah Rodrigues (vice-capt), Chamari Atapattu, Priya Punia, Anuja Patil, Radha Yadav, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Shashikala Siriwardene, Poonam Yadav, Shakera Selman, Arundhati Reddy, Pooja Vastrakar, Ayushi Soni, Ayabonga Khaka, Muskan Malik Coach: Mamatha MabenLast year’s runners-up Velocity are a mix of youth and experience. Captain Raj aside, they have the likes of middle-order batter Veda Krishnamurthy, wicketkeeper-batter Sushma Verma and pace-bowling allrounder Shikha Pandey, all India caps. They will team up with South Africa’s Sune Luus, New Zealand’s Leigh Kasperek, England’s Danni Wyatt and Bangladesh’s Jahanara Alam. The uncapped Meghna Joshi has been named a replacement for India pacer Mansi Joshi, who had tested positive for Covid-19. They also have Verma and 21-year-old uncapped offspinner Sushree Dibyadarshini.Velocity squad: Mithali Raj (capt), Veda Krishnamurthy (vice-capt), Shafali Verma, Sushma Verma (wk), Ekta Bisht, Shikha Pandey, Devika Vaidya, Sushree Dibyadarshini, Manali Dakshini, Leigh Kasperek, Danielle Wyatt, Sune Luus, Jahanara Alam, M Anagha, Meghna Singh Coach: Suman SharmaMandhana’s Trailblazers have England’s Sophie Ecclestone, the No. 1-ranked T20I bowler, West Indies allrounder Deandra Dottin, Bangladesh captain Salma Khatun, and India fast bowler Jhulan Goswami in their ranks. They also have Thailand batter Nattakan Chantam, who made an impression with her strokeplay during her team’s maiden T20 World Cup appearance in Australia earlier this year. The Indian contingent includes allrounder Deepti Sharma, opener Punam Raut and youngsters Harleen Deol and Richa Ghosh.Trailblazers squad: Smriti Mandhana (capt), Deepti Sharma (vice-capt), Punam Raut, Richa Ghosh, D Hemalatha, Nuzhat Parween (wk), Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Harleen Deol, Jhulan Goswami, Simran Bahadur, Salma Khatun, Sophie Ecclestone, Nattakan Chantam, Deandra Dottin, Kashvee Gautam Coach: Nandita AdhiyaShafali Verma clubs one to the off side•BCCIWhat is the schedule of matches?Supernovas vs Velocity, November 4 Velocity vs Trailblazers, November 5 Trailblazers vs Supernovas, November 7 Final, November 9The second game is the only one which takes place on an IPL match day, with the first Qualifier set to take place on November 5 between the Mumbai Indians and the Delhi Capitals. That is why this will be the only day game in the Women’s T20 Challenge.Who are the uncapped India players to look out for?Kashvee Gautam (Trailblazers): The 17-year-old Chandigarh pacer made headlines after she picked up all ten wickets – including a hat-trick – in an innings in the Women’s U-19 One-Day Trophy earlier this year. Having done well in U-19 and U-23 tournaments before, this is her first appearance in the T20 Challenge.Ayushi Soni (Supernovas): The 20-year-old Delhi allrounder captained a successful India B side at the U-23 Challenger Trophy last year.Sushree Dibyadarshini (Velocity): The offspinner made a mark on her T20 Challenge debut last year when she snuffed out West Indies’ Stafanie Taylor in her second over and finished with figures of 3-1-14-1. The 23-year-old features regularly for India A.Can we expect big scores?The Sharjah pitch was a batting paradise for teams in the first half of IPL 2020, which saw totals in excess of 200. However, there was a marked slowing down of the surface as the tournament went on.How much are the players being paid?ESPNcricinfo understands that the match fee of a section of overseas players is estimated to be around USD 2500 per player per game, and a daily allowance of around INR 5000 INR (USD 67 approx.). All Indians, uncapped or otherwise, were understood to have been paid a base amount of at least INR 1 lakh last year as match fee, but the numbers for this year are not known.
Chelsea could sell Axel Disasi to make room in the squad for a “monstrous” new centre-back, who is highly-rated by manager Enzo Maresca.
Blues looking to sign new defender amid injury crisis
Injuries have plagued the Blues at the beginning of the Premier League season, and they are currently particularly light on options at centre-back, with Wesley Fofana and long-term absentee Levi Colwill still sidelined.
Against Liverpool, both Josh Acheampong and Benoit Badiashile were withdrawn due to injury, but Maresca’s side miraculously managed to come out on top in a 2-1 victory, with Estevao bagging a stoppage-time winner.
Disasi technically remains an option for the west Londoners too, but the 27-year-old is part of the ‘bomb squad’, and Maresca has previously made it clear he has no plans to reintroduce the Frenchman.
The Italian said: “Since the season started, I haven’t seen either of them. I haven’t seen Axel or Raheem. They train at a different time and on a different pitch. I haven’t seen them since the start of the season.”
As a result, it would make sense for Chelsea to cash in on the defender, and a report from Spain has now revealed they could sell Disasi to make room in the squad for Nottingham Forest defender Murillo, who is also being targeted by Bayern Munich.
The centre-back is highly-rated by Maresca, given his ability to play the ball out from the back, but a deal could be on the expensive side, with a price tag of £80m being touted back in the summer.
There is a belief the Brazilian would be the perfect fit in Maresca’s squad, and the Blues are confident they will be able to convince him to move to Stamford Bridge, despite the interest from elsewhere.
"Monstrous" Murillo could be ideal addition for Chelsea
Under BlueCo ownership, Chelsea have set out to sign young, high-potential players, and the 23-year-old certainly fits the bill in that regard, having already made a name for himself in the Premier League.
Chelsea join race to sign £17m German forward who Bayern Munich also want
The Blues have set their sights on a new target, who is also of interest to the reigning Bundesliga champions.
By
Dominic Lund
Oct 12, 2025
Journalist Ryan Taylor has been left particularly impressed by the Forest star’s performances, lauding him as “monstrous” earlier this year, and the former Corinthians man has caught the eye across a number of key metrics over the past year.
Statistic
Average per 90
Blocks
1.90 (94th percentile)
Clearances
6.97 (92nd percentile)
Successful take-ons
0.68 (95th percentile)
The only real doubt over the signing of the Brazil international is the fact he isn’t accustomed to playing in a side where keeping possession is a priority, as evidenced by the fact he places in just the seventh percentile for his pass-completion rate over the past year, compared to other centre-backs.
That said, Murillo is still young, and clearly has the talent to succeed at Stamford Bridge, having already made 72 Premier League appearances at Forest, and a January approach would make perfect sense, amid Chelsea’s injury troubles.