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So far, this summer has been a rather frustrating one for Tottenham Hotspur.

As things stand, the only signings the club have made have been Kota Takai for around £5m and Mathys Tel, whose loan was made permanent for close to £30m.

Moreover, fans have seen several transfer targets slip through the cracks, with Antoine Semenyo agreeing a new deal with Bournemouth and Eberechi Eze now looking destined for Arsenal.

Worse yet, it is looking increasingly likely that Manchester United will be getting their hands on Bryan Mbeumo, who was heavily touted for a move to N17 following Thomas Frank’s appointment.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom, as Spurs are reportedly close to securing the services of someone who’d be their own version of the Brentford star.

Spurs target their own Mbeumo

With the club looking to massively improve on their dreadful 17th-placed finish in the Premier League next season, it’s hardly a surprise to see them linked with several impressive international stars, such as Xavi Simons and Ademola Lookman.

Transfer Focus

The former could cost around £60m this summer, and while that is undoubtedly a lot, he’d likely be worth it, as at just 22 years old, he amassed a haul of 11 goals and eight assists in just 33 appearances for RB Leipzig.

Likewise, while Lookman would cost in excess of £50m, his tally of 20 goals and seven assists in 40 games for Atalanta last season suggests he’d be more than worth the outlay.

However, as talented as both players are, neither one has been compared to Mbeumo, unlike Mohammed Kudus.

Yes, according to a recent report from Football Insider, Spurs remain incredibly interested in the West Ham United star, despite their initial £50m offer being rejected.

In fact, the report has revealed that the North Londoners have entered ‘fresh talks’ over the Irons star, and that they are now closing in on a deal, which will likely require a fee of around £65m.

It’s a transfer that would represent a significant financial investment from the club, but given Kudus’ immense ability, it’s one worth making, especially as he has been compared to Mbeumo.

How Kudus compares to Mbeumo

One of the most significant comparisons between Kudus and Mbeumo stems from FBref, which analysed players in the Premier League last season and concluded that the Brentford star was the sixth most similar forward to the Hammers ace in the competition.

The best way to understand how that conclusion was reached is by examining some of the underlying metrics in which the pair ranked closely.

These include things like non-penalty expected goals, progressive carries, shot-creating actions, successful take-on percentage and more, all per 90.

Non-Penalty xG

0.24

0.20

Progressive Carries

3.40

3.43

Passes into the Final Third

1.60

1.66

Crosses into the Penalty Area

0.52

0.50

Live Passes

29.1

30.7

Shot-Creating Actions

3.72

3.80

Successful Take-On %

44.2%

46.8%

These numbers help to show that, despite not scoring as many goals as he would have liked last season, the Ghanaian international could still have a similar attacking output to that of the Cameroonian ace.

Furthermore, away from the statistics, there are also some more straightforward similarities.

For example, both players are playing their trade for London-based teams, and they both seem destined to join another Premier League side this summer.

Finally, both players are positionally versatile, with the Bees’ star able to play off the right, up top, or as a second striker, and the former Ajax gem being capable of playing across the entire frontline, as well as in midfield.

Ultimately, while it won’t be cheap, Spurs should do all they can to complete the deal for Kudus, as he’d be an excellent addition to Frank’s squad and their own version of Mbeumo.

The dream squad Spurs could build: £283m stars sign alongside Kudus

Here’s what Spurs’ squad could look like after a dream summer.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 8, 2025

Newcastle United are keen on completing the loan signing of a player who has been described as “unplayable”, according to a new update from reliable journalist Sam Lee.

Newcastle prepare for final Champions League push

The Magpies have two games remaining in the Premier League this season, as they look to secure a place back in the Champions League, which would be huge for the club, allowing them to target top players in the summer transfer window.

Not only that, but victory away to Arsenal on Sunday afternoon would actually see Newcastle leapfrog the Gunners into second place in the table heading into the final round of fixtures of the campaign, which would be an amazing achievement.

Eddie Howe is well aware that nothing has been sealed yet, though, stressing the importance of his players remaining focused after last weekend’s crucial 2-0 win at home to Chelsea.

“The crowd were up for the game, the atmosphere was amazing. We’re on the road to what we want to do this season, but there’s still a lot of work to do and two tough fixtures to play. The size of the prize is huge, the players are aware of that. There was a worry when we won the trophy [League Cup] that there would be a negative consequence of that, but I think it actually gave us confidence.”

Newcastle keen on signing £100m ace on loan

Now, according to The Athletic‘s Lee, Newcastle United are among the clubs who are “interested” in signing Jack Grealish on loan this summer. The 29-year-old has struggled for playing time at Manchester City this season and a move away on a temporary basis is possible, with the report stating he “could leave” the Etihad before next season.

Grealish arguably hasn’t justified the £100m that City paid for his services back in 2021, even though he has won three Premier League titles and one Champions League crown, among other trophies. A tally of 17 goals in 156 appearances far from an impressive return for an attacking wide player.

That said, the England international’s maverick style has arguably been stifled a little by Pep Guardiola, who has made him a less entertaining player to watch, and he could be keen for a fresh challenge in order to express himself more, with Rio Ferdinand heaping praise on him in the past.

The fact that Newcastle would be signing Grealish on loan would take out some of the risk element, and he has the ability to provide great competition on the left flank, as well as being able to shine as a No.10.

Approach made: Newcastle now in contact to sign "incredible" £8m+ colossus

The Magpies have made a move for a new signing, who could be available on the cheap this summer.

1 ByDominic Lund May 15, 2025

Admittedly, he does turn 30 later this year, and some may argue that his peak has passed, but he is the type of footballer who Magpies supporters warm to, given his direct style of play and the way he could light up St James’ Park.

Manchester United are now preparing a cut-price offer to sign a £60 million striker who Arsenal are in the lead for, according to a new report.

Hojlund edges closer to Man Utd exit as Red Devils eye new attackers

There are expected to be a lot of changes at Old Trafford this summer, but none seem as important as strengthening the forward line. United have been one of the poorest teams in the Premier League this season for taking chances and scoring goals, and Ruben Amorim knows that this will need to change if he is going to be successful at the club.

Juventus take "concrete steps" to sign "top class" £85k-a-week Man Utd ace

Is it the right time for him to move on?

ByHenry Jackson May 5, 2025

Rasmus Hojlund has been a regular in the United team this season, but his lack of contribution in the final third means he could be on his way out the door this summer. According to a recent report, Serie A giants Juventus have taken “concrete steps” to sign Hojlund by making contact with the Denmark international. It doesn’t say how much United would want for Hojlund, but his departure would allow the club to bring in replacements, with two players already on their radar.

Wolves’ Matheus Cunha appears to be edging closer and closer to moving to Old Trafford this summer, as talks continue over personal terms and the structure of the transfer. Meanwhile, the Red Devils are also planning a bid to sign Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford, a player who could either play as a number nine or number 10.

This comes as United are also looking at possibly signing Liam Delap from Ipswich Town, who now has a release clause worth £30 million given the Tractor Boys’ relegation to the Championship.

Man Utd preparing cut-price offer to sign £55m+ striker Sesko

But the list of potential replacements for Hojlund does not stop there, as, according to Caught Offside, Man Utd are preparing to make an offer to sign Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig this summer.

The report states that Leipzig have placed a value on Sesko of around €80–90 million, which is roughly £68-76 million. But United are looking to bring that fee down and are planning to make an offer in the region of €65–70 million, which is roughly £55-59 million. However, United are not the only team interested in Sesko, as Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea are also preparing transfer offers.

It’s been reported that Arsenal are the team leading the race to sign Sesko, as they view the forward as the ideal addition to improve their forward line. However, it is not just English teams chasing the Leipzig striker, as teams such as Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are also very keen on Sesko.

Apps

85

Goals

39

Assists

8

Sesko, who has been dubbed a “quick” player, has been mightily impressive since joining Leipzig, and given how the campaign has gone for the German side this season, a move away for Sesko could be on the cards, given he will likely want to play at the highest level.

He could be a huge upgrade on Hojlund for Man Utd, as the 21-year-old has netted 43 goals in the last three Bundesliga seasons.

Arsenal have a long and incredibly proud track record of producing some of their best players from their own academy.

Arsène Wenger once said, “we don’t sign superstars, we make them,” and while the club do spend more money nowadays, that still rings true to a certain extent, with Bukayo Saka now being undoubtedly one of the best players in Europe, let alone the Premier League.

Moreover, this season has seen Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly burst onto the scene, with the latter even coming out on top when facing up against Jude Bellingham on Tuesday night.

There are no signs of the Hale End talent factory slowing down anytime soon either, and one of the club’s most exciting youngsters could even be their own Bellingham in the making.

The future of Lewis-Skelly & Nwaneri

Before we get to the youngster in question, it’s worth pondering the futures of their current young stars, Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

The latter didn’t feature on Tuesday night as Saka had made his first start since December, and by the time he was taken off, the hosts were already two goals up and moments away from scoring their third.

However, we’d be surprised if he doesn’t feature in the second-leg or semi-final – if Arsenal get there – as his haul of ten goal involvements from 31 games this year is spectacular.

Nwaneri’s breakthrough year
Appearances	31
Minutes	1198′
Goals	8
Assists	2
Goal Involvements per Match	0.32
Minutes per Goal Involvement	119.8′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

The Enfield-born dynamo has primarily played off the right this season, and while we imagine he’ll continue to be the first-choice backup for that role going forward, there is also a genuine chance he spends more time in the middle of the park in the future.

The reason for this is that even though he’s spent so much time on the wing this season, his most played position overall is attacking midfield, and should Martin Odegaard continue to underwhelm in his role as chief creator, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the teenager unleashed there in his place.

The future of Lewis-Skelly, on the other hand, is a little harder to predict, as even though he spent most of his youth career as a central midfielder and is even noted down as a midfielder on the Arsenal website, he has been nothing short of phenomenal at left-back.

The Islington-born ace also won his first two senior England caps in that position, and with Declan Rice one of the first names on the teamsheet and Martin Zubimendi’s transfer looking more and more likely, there is every chance he’ll simply become Arteta’s first choice left-back.

However, even then, the 18-year-old will continue to play an important role in the build-up and attacking phases of play, as against Real, he’d often push up to overload the midfield and use his incredible ball-carrying ability to create chances and chaos for his teammates to exploit.

In all, next season might be another in which Nwaneri slowly sees his game time increase before eventually becoming a regular starter in midfield, whereas Lewis-Skelly looks set to be a regular starter for as long as he remains fit or at the club.

Interestingly, there could be another Hale Ender who breaks into the team next season, a youngster who may well be Arsenal’s Bellingham.

Arsenal's future Bellingham

Arsenal are currently blessed with an abundance of promising youngsters at Hale End, from Dan Casey to Andre Harriman-Annous.

However, when it comes to the most exciting of them all, and the youngster who could be the club’s own Bellingham, there is only one player to talk about: Max Dowman.

Yes, despite still being just 15 years old, we reckon that even non-Arsenal fans will have heard about the young midfielder by now, as that is how highly thought of he is and the level of excitement that surrounds him.

For example, Rice, who has been assigned to mentor him, described him as “the best 15-year-old in the country,” while academy expert Will Balsam went even bigger than that, claiming he has “one of the greatest footballing brains that’s ever come through Hale End.”

While this might all sound over the top, it just reflects how special the teenager could be, and with a first-team debut feeling almost certain next year, this is one of the things that makes him so similar to Bellingham.

The Real Madrid superstar made his debut for Birmingham City at just 16 years old, and should the Hale Ender play early next season, there is a chance he’ll be even younger on debut.

Dowman’s 24/25
Appearances	18
Minutes	1495′
Goals	9
Assists	3
Goal Involvements per Match	0.66
Minutes per Goal Involvement	124.58′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

On top of that, both are central midfielders by trade but can play higher up when needed, with the Gunners ace already scoring nine goals and providing three assists in 18 appearances for the junior sides this year.

Ultimately, while describing a youngster as the next Bellingham could be seen as too much pressure or hyperbole, neither of those things seem true for Dowman, and if he comes anywhere close to fulfilling the potential that so many believe him to possess, Arsenal may just have a future Ballon d’Or winner on their hands.

Better than Nico Williams: Arsenal plotting to sign "unstoppable" £86m star

The sensational player would make Arsenal far more dangerous.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Apr 10, 2025

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has plenty of work to do in the window, though there are still question marks remaining over one of his most recognisable stars heading into the summer.

Celtic's summer transfer plans begin to accelerate

Plenty of movement is expected in both directions at Parkhead once the off-season comes around as the Bhoys look to build for next campaign’s Champions League qualifiers.

Currently, Celtic are a point off being crowned Scottish Premiership champions and still have a domestic treble in their sights, which, in turn, is bound to raise the stock of several assets who are already well-regarded in the football world.

Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate and Nicolas Kuhn are among those who may attract interest from elsewhere this summer, making it a priority for Brendan Rodgers to do his due diligence on potential replacements.

According to reports, Slovan Bratislava star David Strelec is a target at Parkhead and may be available for an overall package of £5.9 million, alleviating some of the strain on Celtic’s slim forward line.

Furthermore, Mathias Kvistgaarden is a long-term Hoops pursuit, even if his £13.5 million valuation could discourage the Parkhead hierarchy from pushing forward in their bid to sign the Denmark Under-21 international.

The next Liel Abada: Celtic plotting exciting move for £3m star

Celtic are reportedly interested in signing a star who could be Liel Abada 2.0 fo the club.

1 ByDan Emery Apr 14, 2025

Either way, there is an acknowledgment that a refresh will be needed to maintain hunger for silverware over the next few years. Several Celtic stars may consider their options this summer; it is just the nature of a squad cycle’s lifespan in Glasgow’s east end.

Nevertheless, there could now be a twist involving one of Rodgers’ disciples who has seemed destined to leave the club for a few months, per reports.

Celtic star Greg Taylor could u-turn and extend his contract

In recent times, Greg Taylor has become a prime candidate to leave Celtic as even with weeks until the end of the season, no news of a contract extension has emerged regarding the Scotland international and he is now set to become a free agent this summer.

Nevertheless, journalist Mark Guidi has made clear that Taylor could yet stay at the Bhoys, claiming that the gap between player and club in negotiations over a new deal isn’t ‘insurmountable’ despite suggestions to the contrary.

Greg Taylor’s successful spell at Celtic

Appearances

210

Goals

9

Assists

33

Trophies

10

Guidi stated on Go Radio: “Maybe having seen the reception he got from the Celtic supporters on Saturday, he’s clearly a very popular member of the squad.

“He’s a good guy around the dressing room, good guy around the training ground. He got his family, his young family, involved on Saturday.

“Maybe he’ll just think, do you know what? If Celtic can come up with a bit, by all accounts, they are a good bit apart in terms of what he’s been offered and what he’s looking for. It’s a good bit, by all accounts, but it’s not insurmountable.”

Kieran Tierney has been quietly announced ahead of the summer. Nevertheless, his frequent injury problems over recent years mean a reliable competitor in his position will be needed to handle another congested fixture schedule.

Taylor won’t have designs on playing second fiddle, but competition for your role is the nature of the beast at Celtic. Following months of speculation, could an unexpected stay still be on the cards?

There have been great batters in cricket history, but none of them have done at 14 what Suryavanshi did on Monday night against a bowling attack boasting 694 international caps

Karthik Krishnaswamy29-Apr-20255:27

‘Otherworldly’ Suryavanshi wows Bishop and Aaron

Speed is distance divided by time, and in that equation rests a partial answer to a question you may have asked yourself again and again on Monday night, when you watched Rajasthan Royals (RR) take on Gujarat Titans (GT) in Jaipur.How can a 14-year-old hit the ball that far?Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s bat traces remarkable distances in remarkably brief timespans. When he winds up, he lifts his bat so high that his gloves are at shoulder level behind him. By the time his bat completes its swing, it’s usually traced a full circle and come to rest above his other shoulder.Young batters are advised not to let their hands stray too far from their body in their backlift, lest they lose control of their bat-swing. Through cricket’s long and glorious history, however, several batters have disobeyed that maxim and thrilled the world. Suryavanshi belongs to a great lineage. Garfield Sobers. Brian Lara. Vinod Kambli. Yuvraj Singh. Victor Trumper in that immortal photograph. Harmanpreet Kaur in this one.Related

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• Sai Sudharsan says GT didn't 'react well' to Suryavanshi-Jaiswal onslaught

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• Sai Sudharsan takes back IPL 2025 Orange Cap from Kohli

• Stats – Vaibhav Suryavanshi rewrites men's T20 records

For all the remarkable things those other names have done on cricket fields, though, none of them did at 14 what Suryavanshi did on Monday night to a bowling attack boasting 694 international caps. At an age when most of us were still working out the finer details of the classic schoolchild dream – venue, opposition, shots played to reach various milestones, partner at the other end at those moments – Suryavanshi lived it.Ishant Sharma was once a teenage prodigy. He was 19 when he bowled his famous spell to Ricky Ponting at the WACA in 2008. That spell preceded Suryavanshi’s birth by three years and two months.The two came face to face on Monday, and their skirmish was just one ball old when it exploded to life.Suryavanshi had already hit a six by then – off Mohammed Siraj, the man who displaced Ishant from India’s Test-match pace attack four years ago – and that shot had come off a ball pitched on the fuller side of a good length. That six had been the classic six of the high-backlift, circular-swing type of batter, launched with a stable base over long-on, and that shot had perhaps led Ishant to think of testing Suryavanshi with the short ball.

WATCH – Highlights of Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s record-breaking hundred on JioHotstar (India only)

It was a good short ball too, slanted across the left-hand batter, finishing near his rear shoulder: a tricky angle to hook against, an awkward height to hook from. Suryavanshi picked a vacant space to the right of deep backward square leg, swiveled on his back leg, and hooked it for six.So quickly was Suryavanshi in position for this hook, back foot deep in his crease before the ball left Ishant’s hand, that it suggested he had been expecting the short ball. Perhaps this informed the length of Ishant’s next ball. Or perhaps it was just a bad ball, a half-volley bowled by a rattled 36-year-old to a batter less than half his age.Either way, Suryavanshi whipped it for another six, a 91m hit that landed on the pink canvas roof of the first tier of stands beyond the midwicket boundary.4:33

Bishop on Suryavanshi’s record: ‘That was mind-blowing’

This was the ninth ball Suryavanshi had faced. He had already played an extraordinary innings. He had shown incredible bat-speed, and he had shown the eye and control over that unusually expansive bat-swing to strike balls of different lengths, from fast bowlers of international quality, with pinpoint timing while holding his shape through shots off front and back foot. He had shown all this at the age of 14 years and 32 days.And Suryavanshi wasn’t even close to being done. There was so much more of his range still left to show off.This has been a terrible IPL season for the offspinner-to-LHB match-up. Before Monday’s game, it had produced a 140-plus batting strike rate for the first time in any IPL season. Even so, given everything Suryavanshi had done up to then, it was natural for GT to bring on Washington Sundar in the fifth over and try and see how Suryavanshi would handle him.He handled himself to the tune of 6, 0, 6, 4, and if the first six was a regulation pull, the second was a sensational example of length manipulation. This was the kind of ball with which Washington has tied down a series of left-hand batters: flat, quick, into the surface, not full enough to loft down the ground, not short enough for a genuine horizontal-bat shot, and angled into leg stump to minimise width. It’s not a ball you can hit for six over backward square leg; not unless you do what Suryavanshi did, dropping on to his back knee in a flash and swiveling through the hips like a breakdancer.We have watched Rishabh Pant play this shot numerous times, but our jaws continue to drop whenever he does it. It’s that difficult, and who else even plays it? Well, now there’s someone else, and he’s 14.5:13

What’s the best way to handle Suryavanshi?

The sixes took Suryavanshi to 47. The four – one-bounce, lofted neatly over the covers – brought up the half-century off 17 balls. The quickest of this season.And he wasn’t done even now. Having scored 52 off 20 in the powerplay, he still needed to show he could do 49 off 18 outside it. For all the gobsmacking shots he had already played, he still had to play the shot of his innings, a drive over long-off after going deep in his crease to manufacture elevation against Prasidh Krishna. For all the damage he had already done to GT’s individual bowling figures, he hadn’t yet gone 6, 4, 6, 4, 4, 6 and taken Karim Janat for 30 runs in an over.He had scored the fastest half-century of the season; he hadn’t yet scored the second-fastest hundred in the 18-year history of the tournament. It fell to Rashid Khan to bowl the ball that took Suryavanshi there, a long-hop that he dumped over the leg-side boundary with another violent hip-swivel.It was the 11th six of Suryavanshi’s innings. It was by no means the biggest one, and Siraj, flinging himself backwards at deep midwicket, made a doomed effort to catch it at the boundary, landing flat on his back and remaining there for a few more seconds, taking whatever rest this evening had to offer him, in whatever form it came.And that, perhaps, was all of us too – dazed, flat on our metaphorical backs, taking in the enormity of the moment as Suryavanshi, pulling his helmet off to reveal the full extent of his cherubic boyishness, soaked it in.1:47

When a young Tendulkar shocked Ian Bishop in his pomp

There was something poetic about Suryavanshi getting to his century off Rashid’s bowling. Rashid had been a teenage prodigy himself, an unimaginably precocious shatterer of records, but even he was 17 when he burst on to the big stage. When you are in school, the gap between 14 and 17 can seem impossibly vast.And Rashid is the great legspinner of his day. On December 16, 1989, that title had belonged to Abdul Qadir. On that day, Sachin Tendulkar had taken Qadir to the cleaners, hitting him for 27 runs in an over while scoring 53 off 18 balls in a proto-T20 game – an unofficial 20-overs-a-side match arranged after an ODI in Peshawar had been abandoned due to bad light.Tendulkar was 16 then, and Suryavanshi is younger still, an age both precocious and, to the viewer, precarious. You are old enough if you are good enough, yes, but it’s still legitimate to ask if a 14-year-old should even be playing professional sport, with all its pressures and pitfalls.But then you watch Suryavanshi’s bat trace that smooth, powerful circle and launch the ball into the night sky, and you still your doubts and fears. This boy was born to bat.

His two centuries in a Test in Australia left a lasting impression of his extraordinary skill

Ian Chappell27-Aug-2023Virat Kohli succeeded Sachin Tendulkar as India’s champion batter, which is appropriate: they are both generational talents.While they are Indian icons, both etched their names in the world’s consciousness by performing heroic deeds in Australia. Tendulkar did so with two marvellous centuries in Australia in 1992. The first, 148 not out at the SCG, was a brilliant knock in any terms but for a player of just 19 years, it was exceptional.When he followed it with a brilliant 114 on the bouncy Perth pitch against a talented Australian pace attack, it ensured the name Tendulkar was going to shine brightly for years to come. A short man at such a young age was not supposed to treat renowned pace bowlers with such ease and score so prolifically off the back foot.In 2012, with the evergreen Tendulkar still plying his trade, Kohli showed glimpses of his talent, also at the WACA ground, with a promising 44 and 75. His skilful batting against a good Australian pace attack hinted at his talent, and when he then followed it with an excellent century in Adelaide, while others around him failed, it was widely accepted he would be the next outstanding Indian batter.Appropriately, two years later at Adelaide Oval again, the newly appointed India captain scored two sublime centuries to almost snatch a memorable victory for his side. Kohli’s second-innings 141, in particular, on a pitch that encouraged spin, was a masterpiece and with a little more help from his team-mates would have resulted in a spectacular Indian victory.

Both Tendulkar and Kohli etched their names in the world’s consciousness by performing heroic deeds in Australia

Just as compelling was his refusal to play for a draw. When Kohli said after the match that he felt success was more likely if he continued to bat aggressively, he won acclaim for his positive approach. A few years later when he said in a radio interview that he didn’t play “fancy shots” in Test cricket because he didn’t want to adversely effect his technique, it was clear he was a master batter who understood his trade. The fact that Kohli in his prime achieved the incredible feat of averaging 50 in all three forms of the game validated his theory.While Kohli’s team lost that 2014-15 series 2-0, they returned four years later to clinch an unexpected 2 -1 victory. They then confirmed their class another two years on with a similar gutsy win, though Kohli himself returned home for the birth of his first child after India’s ignominious loss in the first Test of that series.Kohli proved to be a capable captain and with hard-fought victories in Australia and England, became known as a leader for all conditions. Despite his emotional approach he succeeded as captain because the team were fully behind him and wanted to perform for their leader. Kohli’s attitude in always pushing for victory from the opening delivery of a Test played a large part in engaging his team-mates.He also endeared himself by not asking the team to do anything he wouldn’t attempt himself. His fitness, shown by the intensity with which he ran between the wickets, was an example in this regard.Despite Kohli’s amazing record and his strong leadership, it was that second-innings century in Adelaide in 2014 that cemented his undoubted skill. He hit 16 fours and one six and scored at the superb rate of 80 runs per 100 balls on a pitch that suited Nathan Lyon’s sharp-turning offbreaks. Kohli’s ability to successfully play the cover drive – the toughest shot for a right-hander on a turning pitch – was exceptional and severely frustrated Australia’s charge for victory.Kohli will be remembered for many exceptional feats as both a batter and successful captain. However, for me it was those two innings at Adelaide Oval, especially the second one, that left a lasting impression of his extraordinary skill.

With the current lot of IPL games being played in these two cities, the ability to deal with the conditions there is to the fore

Aakash Chopra20-Apr-2021Strokemaking is one of the top attractions of T20 cricket and so curators usually look to prepare pitches that are a little skewed in favour of the batters. While some argue that there should always be a fair contest between bat and ball, the dynamics of a T20 game demand that bowlers need to look elsewhere than the pitch for allies.Scoreboard pressure is as real as the ball swinging in the air or turning off the surface, and must be used to your advantage. Of course, nobody wants a featherbed for a surface at a really small ground. A lot of people tell you that the watching public, at home or in the stadium, loves only big hits but the fact is that too much of anything isn’t good. In a bat versus bat contest, cricket often loses.This IPL has already produced some very interesting surfaces and the trend is likely to continue. With only six venues hosting the entire tournament and only two being used during any given block of about two weeks, the chances of pitches adding a new element to the contests are high. When there are back-to-back matches over two consecutive days at the same venue, the curator might try his best to have two similar pitches ready but it’s a lot easier said than done because he doesn’t really have the option to use the pitches that are off to one side or the other. And the ones close to the central playing surface attract heavy traffic and so are bound to have a lot of wear and tear.How do you counter challenging surfaces in a T20 game? Obviously the challenge is different on different surfaces. The pitch in Chennai has been slowing down radically as games progress, and that makes it toughest to bat during the last five overs there. On the contrary, the green and moist pitch at the Wankhede Stadium is toughest to bat on in the first six overs, while the ball is new.Since the challenges are different, they need to be countered differently too. In Chennai, you need to start the innings assuming that run-scoring is going to get tougher with every passing over, and that makes it important to play high-risk cricket up front.You must attack from the get-go, and while you should still choose the areas you want to target, there’s merit in stretching the envelope a little in the first six overs. After that, the focus must switch to rotating the strike as much possible, and perhaps, waiting for short-pitched deliveries for boundary shots. Once the ball gets old in Chennai, it’s very difficult to hit boundaries off the front foot without taking a significant amount of risk. Of course that risk must be taken once in a while but if you have gotten off to a flier and have managed to rotate the strike in the middle overs, you won’t be forced to manufacture these shots all the time.On a seaming Wankhede deck, batters must allow the ball to come to them•BCCI/IPLChepauk is a reasonably big ground and it may not be a bad idea to chip the ball over the fielders inside the circle to create opportunities for twos – that’s something we haven’t seen very often thus far in the tournament.It must be acknowledged that all of this is much easier said than done, for a game of cricket will invariably find a narrative of its own.As for the first six overs at the Wankhede Stadium, on a night when the ball is seaming around, you ought to dip into your Test batting repertoire and momentarily forget that it’s a T20 game and that Mumbai is a high-scoring ground. Our game demands that one must always respect the conditions, and if you don’t just because it’s a different format, you’re likely to fail.The swinging-seaming ball must be encountered with caution and care. Don’t play big, booming drives on the up. Instead, allow the ball to come to you.T20 cricket has changed the mindsets of a lot of bowlers and many feel obliged to try a couple of variations in any given over. Often it’s the change of pace on a surface good for batting, but even on a bowler-friendly surface, they tend to change the line and length a couple of times in an over, and that’s the opportunity you must wait for and seize.If there are no easy opportunities to score, you must bide your time and back yourself to make up for the lost time in the overs to follow. The toughest thing for a goalkeeper while saving a penalty shot is to stand still and hold his ground instead of anticipating and diving to one side, but there’s enough evidence to suggest that his best chance of pulling off a save is to not move till the ball has been kicked. A batter letting a couple of deliveries go to the wicketkeeper in a T20 game is akin to standing still for a goalkeeper, but on a seamer-friendly pitch that might be the best thing you as a batter could do to help yourself and the team.Once again, like it was the case for the strategy to succeed in Chennai, this too is easier said than done here.

تحدث الهولندي آرني سلوت، المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ليفربول عن مباراة فريقه أمام سندرلاند، ضمن منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ويواجه ليفربول نظيره سندرلاند مساء غدٍ، الأربعاء، في تمام الساعة العاشرة والربع بتوقيت القاهرة، الحادية عشرة والربع بتوقيت مكة المكرمة.

ويستضيف ملعب آنفيلد المباراة بين ليفربول وسندرلاند والتي تجمعهما ضمن منافسات الجولة الرابعة عشرة من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “بريميرليج”.

وقال سلوت في المؤتمر الصحفي الذي نقلته صحيفة “ليفربول إيكو” عن تدوير التشكيل: “لم أشعر بالكثير حيال ذلك، حيث كانت لدينا فترة تعافي بالأمس، ثم سنتدرب اليوم، لذلك دعونا نرى كيف يشعر اللاعبون”.

وأضاف: “لقد غاب فلوريان عن التدريب لمدة أسبوع ونصف أو أسبوعين، إن لعبه لعدة دقائق كان بالفعل أمرًا جيدًا، من المشجع لنا أن نراه يلعب بهذه الجودة على الرغم من أنها ليست المرة الأولى بالنسبة لنا، ربما المرة الأولى التي يلاحظ عدد كبير من الناس تلك الجودة”.

اقرأ أيضًا | ليفربول يأمل شيئًا ما بعد استدعاء محمد صلاح لقائمة منتخب مصر

وأكمل: “كما أن تسجيل أليكس (إيزاك) لهدفه الأول أمر إيجابي، فهو لم يتمكن من اللعب لمدة 5 إلى 10 دقائق أخرى لأنه كان يشعر بالفعل ببعض التقلصات العضلية، إنه لاعب آخر علينا أن نرى كيف سيتصرف”.

وعن غضب محمد صلاح بسبب عدم لعبه مباراة وست هام الماضية: “افتراض عادل ورد فعل طبيعي لشخص يمكنه اللعب معنا، بالطبع، اللاعب ليس سعيدًا لأنه لا يلعب وهو ليس الوحيد الذي أستطيع أن أخبرك بذلك”.

وأردف: “لقد كان سلوكه كما تتوقع من المحترف الذي هو عليه، لقد كان داعمًا جدًا لزملائه في الفريق وتعامل مع نفسه بشكل جيد حقًا”.

واستطرد: “لا يمكنك اللعب بهذه الجودة كل ثلاثة أيام إذا ذهبت وراء عواطفك لكن مو منضبط للغاية، سيظل دائمًا ذلك اللاعب المحترف المتميز كما كان في الأيام القليلة الماضية، إنه لاعب من الطراز الرفيع”.

وعن موعد مغادرة محمد صلاح لمعسكر منتخب مصر استعدادًا لكأس أمم إفريقيا أوضح سلوت: “سيغادر يوم 15 ديسمبر، الطريقة التي عملنا بها هي أن يكون هناك تواصل بين الأطراف الثلاثة، اللاعب والنادي والمنتخب، هذا ليس جديدًا لكن فيفا أعلنت أن 15 ديسمبر هو آخر يوم لترك اللاعبين”.

وحول كيفية اللعب بدون صلاح خلال فترة تواجده في كأس أمم إفريقيا تابع: “علينا التكيف وإيجاد طريقة لعب بدونه”.

وأتم: “لحسن الحظ، خلال الفترة التي قضيتها هنا، كان شخصًا خارقًا ولكن بالنسبة لجميع اللاعبين حول العالم، هناك أوقات في النادي يكون فيها المرء بشرًا، لقد سجل العديد من الأهداف لنا وأنا متأكد من أنه سيفعل ذلك في المستقبل”

Corbin Bosch replaced Kagiso Rabada in the South Africa XI, completing the seam trio alongside Marco Jansen and Wiaan Mulder

Firdose Moonda14-Nov-2025

Kagiso Rabada was ruled out on the morning of the Eden Gardens Test•Associated Press

Kagiso Rabada sustained a rib injury during South Africa’s first training session in India on Tuesday, which ended up ruling him out of the Eden Gardens Test on the morning of the match. No decision has been made on whether he will be available for the second Test, which starts in Guwahati next week.ESPNcricinfo has established that Rabada was taken for a scan the morning after injury occurred. However, he still attended Wednesday’s training session. The extent of his participation in that session is unclear, though. He did not take part in Thursday’s optional training – which is regular practice for many senior players – and underwent a fitness test before play began on Friday morning. After experiencing discomfort during the test, a late call was made, ruling Rabada out of the Test match.Corbin Bosch, who has played three Tests prior to this tour, was named in the XI in Rabada’s place. Bosch was also part of South Africa’s Test squad in Pakistan, but did not play in either of the matches on the tour. He is now one of three seamers in South Africa’s line-up for the first Test; the other two are Marco Jansen and Wiaan Mulder.South Africa do not have any other seamers in their squad, after Lungi Ngidi was left out of both the Pakistan and India series in a horses-for-courses approach to playing in the subcontinent. Despite Rabada’s injury, no replacement players have been called up to the squad yet.South Africa will play another Test, followed by three ODIs and five T20Is, over the next five weeks in India. The white-ball squads have not yet been announced, but it is expected that South Africa will select as close to a first-choice T20I squad as possible, with next year’s T20 World Cup in mind. Rabada is expected to be part of that T20I squad.