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Chelsea could potentially strike an exchange of players pretty soon, as one club open talks over signing a “clinical” Blues ace who’s not thought to be in Enzo Maresca’s long-term plans.

Bayern believe they can sign Chelsea star who Maresca 'loves' for just £35m

The Bavarians sense an opportunity.

ByEmilio Galantini Jul 23, 2025

Given Maresca’s desire to continue reinforcing the squad in key areas, combined with Chelsea’s need to sell surplus squad members, there are credible reports that exchanges could be a key transfer method at Stamford Bridge over the coming weeks.

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

Chelsea are under pressure from UEFA to balance out the squad with exits after they were fined for breaking FFP rules recently (Kaveh Solhekol), but Maresca is believed to want another major attacking signing following his side’s struggles against teams in the low block last season (Simon Phillips).

Therefore, ‘unofficial swap deals’ are something to watch out for, as it would allow Chelsea to accomplish both of those feats simultaneously.

“Unofficial swap deals are something Chelsea and other clubs have done a lot of lately to help balance the books of both clubs and keep within PSR rules,” wrote journalist Simon Phillips, vis his Substack, recently.

“They make sense, really, and help both clubs get deals done. They aren’t swap deals as such, more like favour for a favour separate deals. Chelsea are still weighing up some opportunities for this.”

Earlier in the window, it was believed that this could happen with Christopher Nkunku heading to Man United and Alejandro Garnacho going the other way (Daily Telegraph), but it is now much more likely that another exchange materialises.

Chelsea are in active pursuit of RB Leipzig playmaker Xavi Simons, and it is believed that talks have been held with all sides as BlueCo attempt to make the Dutchman their fourth major signing of the summer after Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro.

Now, as per Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, Leipzig’s serious emerging interest in midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka could present an opportunity for Maresca’s side to add Simons whilst trimming their bloated books.

RB Leipzig pushing to sign Carney Chukwuemeka with Chelsea talks opened

Plettenberg, taking to X, states that Leipzig are now “pushing” to sign Chukwuemeka and have opened talks with Chelsea, so it could soon be a case of one in, one out at Cobham.

The former Aston Villa gem spent the second half of 2024/2025 impressing on loan at Borussia Dortmund, with their sporting director, Sebastien Kehl, recently confirming their intention to bring him back for next season.

However, Dortmund now face being hijacked by their Bundesliga rivals, and dealing with Leipzig over Chukwuemeka instead will suit Chelsea down to the ground, especially amid the Premier League side’s attempts to sign their highty-rated forward.

Carney Chukwuemeka

Called a “clinical” player by Marcel Desailly, Chukwuemeka appears destined for a return to the German top flight either way.

Reports have suggested that Chelsea want as much as £40 million for the Englishman, but there’s plenty of reason for BlueCo to ease up on their financial demands in an attempt to sweeten ‘separate’ talks for Simons.

تتواصل الأنباء حول اهتمام النادي الأهلي بالتعاقد مع المدرب البرتغالي المخضرم، فرناندو سانتوس، لتولي منصب المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم.

ويأتي ذلك في ظل سعي الأهلي للتعاقد مع مدرب صاحب خبرة بعد رحيل الإسباني خوسيه ريبيرو، ومواصلة البحث عن قيادة قادرة على إعادة الفريق إلى منصات التتويج القارية والمحلية.

اقرأ أيضًا.. خاص | بعد اهتمام الأهلي.. موقف مارك أوفرمارس من الرحيل عن أنتويرب البلجيكي

وأكد أونوفري كوستا، مدير الإعلام للبرتغالي فرناندو سانتوس، في تصريحات خاصة لـ بطولات أنه كان هناك بالفعل اجتماعًا عبر “زووم” بين الطرفين، لكنه لم يوضح أي تفاصيل إضافية حول المفاوضات.

وتابع كوستا: “سانتوس يكن كل التقدير والاحترام للنادي الأهلي، ويعتبره واحدًا من أكبر الأندية في العالم”.

وقال كوستا: “قرار المدرب بشأن خطوته المقبلة سيكون على أسس محددة وعوامل كثيرة”.

وبالتالي، يظل اسم فرناندو سانتوس مرتبطًا بالعديد من التكهنات حول الأهلي، وسط ترقب جماهيري واسع لأي أخبار رسمية قد تظهر في الفترة المقبلة.

Jordan became the first England player to take a men’s T20I hat-trick, as USA slipped from 115 for 5 to 115 all out

Vithushan Ehantharajah23-Jun-20241:17

What makes Adil Rashid so hard to get away at his best?

England have booked their place in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2024 with a commanding 10-wicket win over USA in their final Super Eight match. Using just 9.4 overs to chase down 116, thanks to Jos Buttler’s 83 not out from 38 deliveries, the defending champions have boosted their net run rate (NRR) to 1.992 for good measure.Such a dominant win was set-up by Chris Jordan, who became the first England player to take a men’s T20I hat-trick. Jordan, brought back into the XI for Mark Wood, took four wickets from his final five deliveries – joining Ireland’s Curtis Campher as the only other bowler to achieve that feat at a T20 World Cup – as the USA collapsed from 115 for 5 to 115 all out.The co-hosts had started well enough in Bridgetown, reaching 48 for 2 in their first six overs. But Adil Rashid continued a stellar campaign with a miserly 2 for 13 from his four overs. Aaron Jones, one of the USA’s stronger players of spin, and top-scorer Nitish Kumar were bowled by Rashid, who equalled Stuart Broad’s tally of 30 dismissals in T20 World Cups. Both Rashid and Livingstone ensured only 25 runs were scored in the six overs after the powerplay.The target of 116 needed to be chased down in 18.4 overs to ensure England’s NRR would go ahead of South Africa’s and ensure they had a firm grasp on second-place in the group. Buttler, however, was aiming higher.After a quiet start, Buttler raced to 44 from 26 deliveries at the end of the powerplay – in which England scored 60 – which included cracking a solar panel with the first of two consecutive sixes off Saurabh Netravalkar.He saved his most brutal assault for Harmeet Singh’s second over – the ninth – getting the strike for the second ball and striking five sixes. The first took him to his first half-century of the tournament, from 32 deliveries. An over later, Buttler’s late cut took England over the line with 62 balls to spare.It means England will finish top of the group if West Indies beat South Africa in Group 2’s final fixture by a margin fewer than 52 runs. A South Africa win, taking them to six points, will see England finish second.Jordan gets his momentChris Jordan did not expect to be at this World Cup. A back injury to Jamie Overton handed him what is probably one last shot on the biggest stage. Today in Barbados, he seized it with both hands with that hat-trick and overall figures of 4 for 10 that took him to 105 T20I wickets.The crescendo of the hat-trick was dripping with emotion. Jordan is not exactly the biggest celebrator, but who could begrudge him this moment? The Bajan-born cricketer grew up watching plenty of cricket at the Kensington Oval before making the move to the UK on a scholarship to Dulwich College. The locals in the stadium cheered him as one of their own.Chris Jordan is welcomed back into the dressing room after his four-wicket 19th over•ICC/Getty ImagesJordan was actually at home in Barbados when he heard of his call-up to the provisional squad at the end of April. Later that day, he was training in the nets with Jofra Archer, who initially put the session live on Instagram before taking it down.Having started in the XI for the washout against Scotland and loss to Australia – both in Bridgetown – Jordan returned for the final Group B match against Namibia before sitting back on the bench for the start of the Super Eights.Even after this display, he may find himself sidelined once more if Buttler opts for Mark Wood’s extra pace, depending on England’s opponents and semi-final venue. Either way, Jordan’s place in history has been secured.Rashid’s wrong ‘un so rightLike Lionel Messi shifting onto his left foot and Steph Curry pulling up from long range, everyone knows Adil Rashid has a googly. The problem with all three is doing something about it.Aaron Jones and Nitish Kumar were both felled by the legspinner’s delivery that goes the other way. The former tried to combat it with his trusty slog sweep. The latter opted to blaze up and over extra cover. Both had their stumps rearranged.That’s now five of Rashid’s nine wickets that have come from googlies at this World Cup. Their menace is disguised by full lengths and outside-off-stump lines, similar to where he looks to land his leggies.Rashid has been England’s standout white-ball bowler for some time, and, aged 36, has been at his best throughout this tournament despite coming into the summer with little competitive cricket.Here in Bridgetown, he was unplayable, with just 10 runs conceded from his four boundary-less overs. It was hard not to feel sorry for USA’s batting line-up as he tied them in knots. If it’s any comfort, more seasoned batters, with plenty more exposure to Rashid, have been made to look just as clueless.Underwhelming Corey AndersonA lot was expected from Corey Anderson. Having made his debut for the USA in April, the former New Zealand international was meant to bring nous and X-factor to the team after 93 caps and three World Cups as a Blackcap. Things have not panned out as such.It is as much a credit to the rest of the squad that their highest-profile cricketer coming into this tournament has been a footnote on a valiant campaign.Anderson was averaging 13 coming into this final fixture. With six overs to go, he looked relatively set on 24, especially after breaking a boundary-less run of 34 deliveries in the previous by heaving Liam Livingstone for six over gully with a reverse-sweep. Now was his time to show why he was once one of the most sort-after allrounders on the circuit.While there was a hurry-up, it came at the end other end as Harmeet Singh struck 21 in a 27-run stand between them, with a couple of fours and a six of his own.Corey Anderson could not find his rhythm on the day•Getty ImagesSingh would fall at the end of the 18th over, leaving Anderson on strike for the penultimate over. Jordan bowled a full toss, and Anderson swung for the hills. Alas, he could only find Harry Brook, who did not have to move an inch from his position a good 10 yards in front of the sponge at long-on.Off he walked for 29, his highest score of the competition, taking his overall tally to 66 from 72 deliveries. A tournament to remember for the USA is perhaps one to forget for Anderson.Buttler peaking at the right time for England?It has been an odd tournament for the England captain. Barring one or two tactical errors – the costliest being his gut decision to bowl Will Jacks in the second over against Australia – his captaincy has been sound. Behind the stumps, he has been immaculate. In front of them, however, he hadn’t quite launched.A 28-ball 42 in the defeat to Australia and 24 off eight deliveries in the shellacking of Oman was tempered by a duck against Namibia. Across the first Super Eight matches against West Indies and South Africa, he managed just 42 from as many balls.1:18

Buttler’s innings will give England faith in this team combination – Dasgupta

As such, you could attribute this unbeaten 83 – Buttler’s second-highest score in T20 World Cups – to a release of frustration. That’s certainly how it seemed by the end, even if Buttler attributed the boundary bloodlust as merely the pursuit of a surer path to the knockout stages. His takedown of Harmeet Singh saw him become the second player in a T20I World Cup to strike five sixes in an over after Yuvraj Singh lit up the Durban skies against Stuart Broad in 2007.Having started the month in a foul mood, fed up of addressing the 50-over shambles in India last winter, Buttler looks far more at ease. And why not – after a few bumps, this title defence remains on track.

The close relative of a “great” Liverpool transfer target has claimed that his move to Anfield this summer is now “basically a done deal”, in an exciting new update.

Florian Wirtz week at Liverpool

The Reds have already brought in Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen since the end of last season, but this week has the potential to be a particularly memorable one at Anfield.

Liverpool appear to be edging closer to the stunning signing of Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz all the time, with fresh reports claiming that he will be in England on Thursday, with his medical and official unveiling taking place on Friday.

While much focus is on Wirtz currently, which is no surprise considering he is seen as one of Europe’s best players currently, a move for Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth is also close to happening.

The 21-year-old has emerged as the perfect left-back to come in and be Andy Robertson’s long-term successor at Liverpool, and now a new update suggests that the transfer is closer to happening than ever.

Liverpool signing Kerkez "basically a done deal"

Speaking to Super Indirektno [via The Mirror], Kerkez’s father, Sebastijan Kerkez, claimed that his son’s move to Liverpool is “basically a done deal”, also discussing the huge influence of sporting director Richard Hughes.

“It’s only Liverpool for us and we’re not going anywhere else and we won’t talk to other clubs. Everything is done between us (personal terms) we just need to sort out some details but it’s basically a done deal. Richard Hughes brought us to Bournemouth, if he said we go to India, then we go to India, everything is agreed, just some little things.”

This is fantastic news for anyone of a Liverpool persuasion, with Kerkez looking tailor-made to thrive in this Premier League-winning team under Arne Slot.

Appearances

38

Starts

38

Minutes played

3341

Goals

2

Assists

5

Clearances per game

2.6

Tackles per game

1.4

Interceptions per game

1.2

The Hungarian caught the eye so often with his performances for Bournemouth in 2024/25, standing out as one of the best left-backs in the country and being hailed by manager Andoni Iraola.

“Milos has improved a lot from past season. He has done a great job defensively. I think he’s a player that because of his physical condition arrives so many times to the last third with the ball under control to put good crosses that the number of assists, of good balls he was having, was quite low past season, but this season I think he’s deciding much better. He’s adding quality to his deliveries.”

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2 ByAngus Sinclair Jun 17, 2025

There is always a risk that any move won’t work out, but assuming he avoids serious injury, the £40m-rated Kerkez looks primed to be a massive player for Liverpool for many years to come.

Chelsea lost 2-0 to Newcastle United at St. James’ Park in the Premier League on Sunday, but they could still have a successful end to the 2024/25 campaign.

The Blues are fifth in the league, on course to qualify for the Champions League, and are in the final of the Conference League after their semi-final success over Djurgarden.

Enzo Maresca and the board, however, already have one eye on the upcoming summer transfer window, as the club have reportedly held talks to sign a LaLiga star.

Chelsea at the front of the queue to sign LaLiga star

According to The Boot Room, Chelsea are one of the teams eyeing up a deal to sign Athletic Club forward Nico Williams, and they have already held talks with his representatives over a move to Stamford Bridge.

Transfer Focus

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

The report claims that the Blues have had meetings with the player’s camp to convince him to make the move to England, but he is unwilling to make a final decision until the end of the season.

It also reveals that Arsenal and Chelsea are the two teams at the ‘front of the queue’ to land the Spain international, who is also of interest to Newcastle United, Manchester City, and Liverpool.

Possessing a reported release clause of £48m, it’s not a move that would totally break the bank, which is certainly good news.

If Williams does decide to move on from Athletic Club this summer, Maresca’s side appear to be well-positioned to swoop in, which should come as great news for Cole Palmer.

Why Nico Williams would be amazing with Cole Palmer

The Chelsea superstar would surely love it if the club signed the Spanish winger because they could be amazing together at the top end of the pitch next season and beyond.

Palmer, as evidenced by the 38 ‘big chances’ he has created in the Premier League since the start of last season, is an attacking midfielder who is constantly looking for a defence-splitting pass to create chances for his teammates.

Williams is a winger who has shown that he can finish chances effectively in LaLiga and in the Europa League this term, which suggests that he could make the most of the high-quality opportunities that the England international consistently creates.

Starts

21

12

xG

3.84

2.85

Goals

5

5

Big chances missed

2

2

Assists

5

2

As you can see in the table above, the Spanish sensation has outperformed his xG in both competitions, whilst only missing four ‘big chances’ in 33 matches.

These statistics suggest that he has the finishing quality to find the back of the net on a consistent basis if provided with the constant stream of ‘big chances’ that Palmer has proven he can create at Premier League level.

Williams, who was dubbed a “relentless” dribbler by analyst Ben Mattinson, would also come in as another young talent with room to improve at the age of 22, which means that the Spaniard and Palmer, 23, could be an exciting pairing for Chelsea for many, many, more year to come.

It is now down to the Blues to win the race for his signature in the summer transfer window because his electric pace and lethal finishing could make him an amazing partner for their creative maestro in the Premier League next season.

Bigger talent than George: Chelsea in talks to sign £42m "wonderkid"

Chelsea could be edging closer to signing a Bundesliga starlet

ByRoss Kilvington May 11, 2025

It’s set to be a massive summer of transfer activity for Arsenal this year; Mikel Arteta even told the media as much.

The main point of focus will undoubtedly be the frontline, with a new leftwinger and striker near the top of most fans’ wishlists following a season in which Mikel Merino has taken up the latter role due to injuries.

However, old habits die hard, and based on reports from earlier this month, it looks as if the manager wants to add yet another defender to his squad in the shape of Dean Huijsen.

The Bournemouth star has a £50m release clause in his current deal and would certainly improve the Gunners’ defensive options, but he’d have to really impress to see his valuation get anywhere close to one of Unai Emery’s best signings from his time at the club.

Why Arsenal want to sign Dean Huijsen

So, before we get to the player in question, why would Arsenal want to spend so much money on Huijsen in the first place?

Well, the first reason is that, despite just turning 20 years old, the Spanish centre-back is already proving himself to be an incredible defender and someone mature beyond his years.

For example, he’s already made 30 appearances for the Cherries this term, in which he’s found the back of the net twice and provided one assist, and then, on top of that, he has also won two senior caps for Spain and started their second leg of the Nations League quarter-final against the Netherlands last month.

Moreover, when compared to other defenders in the Premier League, his underlying metrics are simply sensational.

For example, FBref places him in the top 3% of centre-backs for interceptions and clearances, the top 5% for key passes, the top 4% for non-penalty expected goals plus assists, the top 7% for expected assists and shot-creating actions and more, all per 90.

Interceptions

2.11

Top 3%

Clearances

7.15

Top 3%

Key Passes

0.60

Top 5%

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.17

Top 6%

Expected Assists

0.07

Top 7%

Shot-Creating Actions

1.60

Top 7%

In short, the Amsterdam-born gem looks set to be a superstar defender in the coming years, and with that in mind, his release clause starts to look much more reasonable.

However, it still pales compared to the valuation of a signing made under Emery’s Arsenal tenure.

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Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

The Arsenal star worth millions more than Huijsen

So, when it comes to Arsenal’s defence, you could argue that any one of their players is their most important, but when it comes down to the most valuable, only one player comes out on top: William Saliba.

Yes, according to the CIES Football Observatory, the French international is now worth up to €101.8m, which converts to about £87m, or around £37m more than Huijsen’s release clause and a whopping £60m more than the £27m fee paid by the Gunners under Emery’s leadership in the summer of 2019.

Now, that is a tremendous amount of money, but with how well he has played over the last few years and just how important he has become to the North Londoners, it would be hard to argue it’s not fair.

Premier League

95

FA Cup

3

League Cup

5

Champions League

19

Europa League

4

Community Shield

1

For example, since making his competitive debut for the side away to Crystal Palace on the opening day of the 22/23 season, a game he was the man of the match in, the Bondy-born “monster,” as dubbed by content creator Connor Humm, has made 127 appearances, in which he’s scored seven goals, provided two assists and averaged 2.11 points per game.

On top of that, FBref places the “phenomenal” titan, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, in the top 1% of Premier League centre-backs for long pass completion, the top 3% for overall pass completion, the top 7% for passes blocked and the top 9% for live passes, all per 90.

Ultimately, while it may be a good idea for Arsenal to sign Huijsen this summer, he’d have to smash all expectations to see his valuation get anywhere close to Saliba’s in the coming years; he is just that good.

He's like Isak & Mbappe: Arsenal chasing Europe's "most inform player"

The incredible international would make Arsenal far more dangerous.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 18, 2025

The new captain was at the heart of a hard-fought victory over rivals Mumbai Indians

Alagappan Muthu15-Apr-20242:54

Was Hardik Pandya’s decision to bowl the final over sound?

MS Dhoni knows sixes. So, when his eyes widened, and he pushed his lips up and out, as he watched the ball sail over the boundary with an appreciative nod, it’s proof that something special has happened.Akash Madhwal was bowling. He had seen the batter charge at him. Making room outside leg stump. So he corrected his course. And dragged his line wide. Ruturaj Gaikwad was mid-move when he realised he was out of position.Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings is the biggest rivalry in the IPL. And that’s not just for the fans. The teams soak in it too. It showed in their tactics on Sunday night; in how much work had gone into outdoing each other. Of course, there are times when even the best laid-plans are busted by individual brilliance.Like Gaikwad – out of shape – managing to reach a ball he wasn’t meant to and striking it for six over point.Related

Dhoni dazzles Wankhede with six, six, six

Pathirana's four-for overshadows Rohit's ton as Mumbai go down

Hardik says MI undone by CSK bowlers' 'smart approach'

Pathirana the point of difference against Malinga's Mumbai

Pollard 'sick and fed up' of people picking on Hardik Pandya

Mumbai made similar moves and their opener was at the centre of it all too. Rohit Sharma vs left-arm pace is love story made in hell. CSK would have hoped to exploit that with Mustafizur Rahman, who has been in form this tournament. Except as soon as he came on, he was hit for four. Rohit kept doing this. Attacking the first ball of the over. It got to the point where he was toying with CSK.Once, he hurtled out of his crease, making room for himself to lift Mustafizur over cover. Next, he shuffled across his stumps, because he knew the bowler would pull his length back and bring his line tighter, and as reward for all of that quick thinking, he found himself in the perfect place to do a little redecoration of the Wankhede. His six crashed into the roof.This was cricket on the cutting edge of the cutting edge. And it was so much fun.Ravindra Jadeja had the biggest smile on his face as he finished his spell. He had been hit for a reverse-swept boundary but still gave away only six runs in the over. Mumbai had tried to smash him almost every ball. Rohit even tried to reverse sweep him, twice. And he doesn’t do reverse sweeps. He’d played only seven of those in his entire IPL career coming into this game. Once again, those were attempts to get a boundary off the first ball of the over.Ruturaj Gaikwad scored 69 off 40 balls even after dropping himself down the order•BCCIAccording to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data, Mumbai brought out a big shot to 14 of Jadeja’s deliveries and he turned seven of them into dots or singles. CSK’s left-arm bowling machine had to do something he hates in order to succeed like that. He gave up the stumps. He bowled wide. Returns of 4-0-37-0 doesn’t do justice to his effort. The corresponding figures for Matheesha Pathirana (12 and 8) Tushar Deshpande (11 and 7) and Shardul Thakur (13 and 7) showcase just how good the whole team had to be to defend a total at the Wankhede.CSK’s win in the end owed as much to the fact that there wasn’t a lot of dew on the ground as there has been previously in Mumbai. Their slower balls into the pitch were sticking, so much so that they were able to drag a rampaging Rohit back. He had raced to 66 in 39. Then, he took 12 deliveries to score 12 runs. That kind of deceleration, especially in the back ten, is usually telling. He did go on to bring up a century. He did not celebrate it.”In the middle, when Rohit was going strong, we felt game is sliding a little,” Thakur told the host broadcaster. “And when I came on to bowl, I felt let’s be brave here and make him play to the bigger side [they weren’t playing on the centre wicket], challenge him to hit me on the bigger side, if he can clear the boundary, well give him full marks but if he can’t, then [that] might be turning point of the game.”2:45

‘Dhoni may be surprising even himself’

The night ended with Gaikwad raising his fist in the air, his head ever so slightly bowed. He was taking a moment for himself. This was the game that he finally became CSK’s captain. took the decision to give up his spot as opener – which is crucial to the way he bats because he is a touch player – to Ajinkya Rahane in order to give him the best chance of success because he was playing with a niggle. This little shift also enabled CSK to have their best pace-hitter out in the middle at all the times Jasprit Bumrah came on to bowl. That head-to-head only lasted four balls and yielded three runs but check out what Gaikwad did against the other two specialist quicks: 47 runs in 21 balls with four fours and four sixes, one of which, a picture perfect, straight bat, simple extension of defence against Gerald Coetzee, who is in the running for the fastest bowler of IPL 2024, had him literally licking his lips.Cricket on the cutting edge. So much fun.CSK might have been slow to start. They even allowed a powerplay over to sneak by without a single boundary, and were 48 for 1 at the end of six, but this is all by design. They conserve wickets and leverage their batting depth unlike any other side in the IPL. The numbers bear it out. Since 2021, CSK are the quickest-scoring team in the last ten overs (9.79 rpo), with the most fours (316) and the most sixes (254).On Sunday night, they made sure eight of the back ten went for double-digits, peaking with Dhoni smashing three sixes in three balls off the opposition captain. Then, they prevented it from happening to them by taking the pace off – CSK bowled 27 slower balls that cost them just eight runs an over as opposed to MI’s 13 slower balls that were smashed for nearly 12 an over. The difference might well have been in how Gaikwad’s men kept exhorting the Mumbai line-up to see if they can clear the longer side of the ground. They did that by digging it into the surface instead of floating it up on a length.1:35

Gavaskar on Hardik: ‘Ordinary bowling, ordinary captaincy’

“This was a repeated [used] pitch today,” Thakur added, “On the 11th, MI played on the same pitch and I think in Wankhede whenever the pitch is repeated, slower ones work better the next game and we felt apart from Pathirana I think we felt we should keep bowling slower ones into the pitch and at some point we’ll be able to get them out.”When Tim David was at the crease, Mustafizur wanted to target him from around the wicket. But realising that it was vital to keep away from the Australian’s hitting arc, the CSK captain overruled his strike bowler and made him come over the wicket. At the cost of a wide and a six, they dismissed MI’s final hope of victory.In their last game, after failing spectacularly in the effort to make sure Dhoni hit the winning runs, Gaikwad thought he might make up by letting take the lead as the players came together to shake hands. Dhoni would have none of it. He hung back. He knows new history is being written at CSK. And now after beating Mumbai in Mumbai, everybody does as well.

Is Prasidh Krishna’s hit-the-deck style the way to go? Talking points ahead of India’s three-match ODI series against England

Shashank Kishore11-Jul-2022It is entirely possible the 2019 ODI World Cup final still feels recent, but the fact is that there is another 50-over World Cup upon us next year. While the build-up to it may still be muted, India, like many others, have some work to do. The three-match series against England beginning on Tuesday at The Oval will provide an opportunity for a few players to set things right, while at the same time being an audition for the others.Can Kohli banish talks of a decline?
The numbers are out in the open. It is likely that even the most disconnected fan of the game knows a century has been loading for close to three years. But it hasn’t entirely been doom and gloom for Virat Kohli the batter.Adelaide 2020, Chennai 2021, The Oval 2021, and Cape Town 2022 are a few shining examples. Ever since he gave up the captaincy last year, every innings has brought with it that much more scrutiny.Related

• Where Shreyas Iyer falls short

• Throwback Thursday provides thrilling peek into Hardik 2.0

• Suryakumar Yadav's pyrotechnics leave Trent Bridge in awe

• Virat Kohli's nine-ball buy-in shows India's new way is here to stay

Even for someone as zoned out as Kohli from external chatter, he is unlikely to forget that the count of century-less innings in international cricket now stands at 77. His struggles have been analysed threadbare, and mindset scrutinised to the extent that there has been a chorus from former players and coaches for him to take a break, which he has received in plenty; fair call to the BCCI there.But the men who matter – Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid – have continued to back Kohli.All said, the upcoming ODIs may be his best chance to shred talks of being on the decline and bring back that air of inevitability to his batting and hundreds, something that was commonplace when Kohli was at his peak between 2015 to 2019. For the record, he has six half-centuries in his last 11 ODI innings.Shreyas Iyer will need a big score to keep someone like Suryakumar Yadav out of the ODI side•AFP/Getty ImagesSuryakumar vs Iyer
Such stifling competition for places isn’t new to Shreyas Iyer. He wasn’t even a first-choice player in India’s Under-19 World Cup squad in 2014. But the reality is that while he hasn’t done much wrong in the opportunities he has got, his methods of handling the short ball have come under scrutiny.Iyer was in the form of his life last year before a shoulder injury sidelined him for six months. But in the time since, he has lost his IPL captaincy, was released by a franchise that he led to their first-ever IPL final a year earlier, and then saw Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson and Deepak Hooda catch up with him as far as the middle-order stakes go.An average of 41 and a strike rate of 97 across 24 ODI innings means he should be an automatic pick, but the competition for places is such that he will need a big score to keep someone of Suryakumar’s calibre out. Suryakumar’s most recent knock was an unreal T20I century on Sunday. Like Iyer, he too has cashed in on every opportunity so far in the 50-over format. This middle-order jostle is a healthy one, though.Hardik Pandya last bowled ten overs in an ODI innings during the 2019 World Cup semi-final•PA Photos/Getty ImagesPandya’s return to 50-overs cricket
He has returned to bowling, and has done quite well so far in T20s, but can his body tune up to the rigours of the longer format? Can he deliver ten overs if required? How will the change in format affect his workload? There are a few questions which Hardik Pandya could potentially answer in this series. He has only featured in nine ODIs since July 2019, the last of which was in Sri Lanka last year when he was part of a second-string squad led by Shikhar Dhawan.In fact, Pandya last bowled ten overs in an ODI innings during the 2019 World Cup semi-final. So clearly, there is plenty to look forward to because the bowler in him lends India a new dimension and squad balance.Prasidh’s hit-the-deck style the way to go?
With Jasprit Bumrah being the pace spearhead and Mohammed Shami clearly still in the ODI plans, the third-seamer spot could be a juicy toss-up with a number of claimants in the ring.There is Prasidh Krishna, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj and now Arshdeep Singh. Among them, Prasidh has so far had an impressive initiation. Even on the most docile surfaces, his height and release allow him to get deliveries to rear up awkwardly on batters. Moreover, Prasidh does this at a fair clip too, at above 140 clicks. These, combined with a perfect seam that gets the ball moving both ways, make him an even more dangerous prospect on surfaces with some assistance.Prasidh had a breakthrough ODI series earlier this year against West Indies, and is being groomed to be the kind of bowler India saw in Ishant Sharma in his early days. Of course, the 50-over format wasn’t one that Ishant always favoured, but Prasidh has shown there is enough to work with if persisted.He is just seven ODIs old but has already picked up 18 wickets at an average of 16.42, and an economy of 4.84. But England’s destructive batting line-up could offer a stern test.

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.

Part of the India side at the Under-19 World Cup in 2016, Zeeshan Ansari has had to fight for opportunities, till he got the platform he had been waiting for at IPL 2025

Daya Sagar25-Apr-2025This Eid, the at Mohammad Naeem Ansari’s house tasted sweeter than usual – just the evening before, his son Zeeshan Ansari played his first IPL match after waiting for long. He didn’t just make his IPL debut, he made it an occasion, with the wickets of three international batters: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Faf du Plessis and KL Rahul.Soon, people from the neighbourhood started gathering outside Naeem’s small, half-built house in Chaudhary Tola in Lucknow. Even the ones that had taunted Naeem for Zeeshan “wasting his time” and “dreaming big”.The idea had struck Naeem in the early 2000s. Naeem was married, had children, and didn’t want them to do the same work – of running their tailor shop – his brothers and he did. He felt that if a child from the family did well in a sport, a government job could come with it, and that would help the family.Related

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In the late-2000s, Naeem got four children from his joint family enrolled in the Government Sports Academy not far from their house. That’s where Zeeshan learnt the basics of cricket and now, almost two decades on, has been Sunrisers Hyderabad’s primary spinner at IPL 2025, though not with the kind of success that debut had promised: he has picked up just two more wickets in five subsequent matches.Zeeshan started playing cricket at the age of four or five, like many kids in India do, on the streets around his house, but unlike most others, he was more interested in bowling than batting. Apparently, even at that early stage, Zeeshan tried to give the ball a rip.Gopal Singh, Zeeshan’s coach at the academy, tells ESPNcricinfo, “He came to me when he was 11 or 12 years old. Before that, he had gone to another academy in Chowk [an area in Lucknow] for a year, but that was a little far from his house. Even though his deliveries didn’t quite reach the batters, he used to bowl legspin from the very beginning.”Some children have a body language that suggests that they can become good players in the future. When Zeeshan used to train, run, and play cricket with a tennis ball, that quality was visible. However, it was only after two or three years of training that I was convinced he could become a good legspinner.”Zeeshan would wake up early and go to the academy, where he would catch hold of whichever batters he could and bowl at them throughout the day. When one batter got tired, another would be summoned, and this continued. It didn’t stop when he got home either. His uncle Gayas Ansari would bat for him in the lane adjacent to the house. Gayas had been given the responsibility of ferrying Zeeshan to and from the academy and playing with him at home. In exchange, Gayas – who played his share of tennis-ball cricket in his youth – didn’t have to spend as much time at the tailor’s shop as his brothers did.Naeem Ansari (extreme left) poses with members of the family in front of the old house Zeeshan is helping repair•Daya SagarIn 2014, when Zeeshan was 15 and had performed well at the club and district level, he was called for the Under-16 state (Uttar Pradesh) trials. He was not selected but, remarkably, got into the Under-19 and Under-23 teams the same season.At the Under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy in 2014-15, Zeeshan took 40 wickets – the highest – and at the Colonel CK Nayudu Under-23 tournament, he got 18 wickets, including three five-fors, at an average of 13.44.Zeeshan was rewarded immediately by being named in India’s 2016 Under-19 World Cup squad, led by Ishan Kishan. But, with spin-bowling allrounders like Washington Sundar, Mayank Dagar and Mahipal Lomror in the squad, Zeeshan got a chance to play only two matches.He got paid, though, and used it to repair the leaks in his house.After the World Cup, Zeeshan took 30 wickets, the most for Uttar Pradesh, in the CK Nayudu Trophy in 2016-17, and was selected for the Ranji Trophy the following year. Making his debut under Suresh Raina’s captaincy against Railways, Zeeshan returned twin three-fors, but his name was missing from the playing XI for the next match. He has only played five first-class matches so far for 17 wickets to go with one wicketless outing in T20s at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in February 2019.

“No matter how disappointed he was, he would be found at the ground the next morning for training. He is a fighter, and had no option. What would he have done if he had left cricket?”Gopal Singh, Zeeshan’s childhood coach, on the latter’s difficult times from 2017-20

“That was a bad phase. After playing for India in the World Cup, we thought that our good days had arrived; but it was not so,” Naeem tells ESPNcricinfo. “He was getting very few opportunities, while his team-mates like Rishabh Pant, Ishan Kishan, Khaleel Ahmed, Washington Sundar and Sarfaraz Khan have all played for India and also in the IPL. Along with him, we also felt dejected. However, we never asked him to quit cricket and he never gave up. He always said that the ones who were getting opportunities were better than him and that his chance would come.”Gopal adds, “He would cry at times. We would also get sad, but we motivated him. One of the best things about him was that no matter how disappointed he was, he would be found at the ground the next morning for training. He is a fighter, and had no option. What would he do if he had left cricket? His father also wanted him to play.”Zeeshan continued to play elsewhere, though, at the district and state level, in the corporate circuit with Indian Oil Corporation, and in Lucknow’s local A-division tournaments, where players like Akshdeep Nath, Vipraj Nigam and Mohammad Saif played with him. Apart from this, he also went to play in the Kolkata club circuit in 2023. Last year, Zeeshan also got an offer from Mizoram to play for them as a professional, but turned it down.Zeeshan Ansari hasn’t had much success after a three-wicket haul in his first match•BCCIThe turning point in Zeeshan’s life came when he won the Purple Cap with 24 wickets in the Uttar Pradesh Premier League in 2024, and his team Meerut Mavericks won the title. Multiple IPL franchises called him for trials. Eventually, Zeeshan was bought by SRH for INR 40 lakh in the big auction in late 2024, which Zeeshan’s father called “God’s miracle” – “Nobody gets anything before it’s time for it.”In IPL 2025, after Adam Zampa picked up an injury – and was later ruled out – Zeeshan became SRH’s frontline spinner despite the presence of Rahul Chahar in the squad and has continued to play despite not being among the wickets much.Zeeshan is on TV every other day and that pleases his 90-year-old grandmother, who does not know what her grandson is doing but smiles when she sees him in action.As for Naeem and his family, the ambitions aren’t too big, They don’t want to leave their old house and live in some upmarket colony. They just want Zeeshan to help get the rest of the house repaired, which he had started doing after the Under-19 World Cup.