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Reliable journalist David Ornstein has shared an update on Chelsea and their transfer plans for the summer window, involving a marquee forward who is very much under consideration at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea targeting new centre-back and striker this summer

Reports in the last fortnight have made it pretty clear that manager Enzo Maresca and BlueCo are in the market for a central defender and striker ahead of the 2025/2026 season.

Chelsea in talks with striker they were secretly close to signing in January

They nearly got a winter deal done “behind closed doors”.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Apr 11, 2025

Champions League qualification is firmly on the cards for Chelsea now that five spots are now up for grabs, but it will be an extremely tight race from now till the end of this Premier League campaign.

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April 13th

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April 26th

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May 4th

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May 10th

Just two points separate fourth and seventh in the table, with Newcastle United, Man City, Aston Villa and the Blues all tussling for spots in Europe’s most prestigious competition next term.

It is set up to be a very intriguing race, and many twists are anticipated in the coming weeks, but qualification for the Champions League is a non-negotiable for Maresca, which also could be crucial in attracting their desired transfer targets this summer.

Chelsea have earmarked the signing of a striker as one of their key aims, according to Sky Sports, with RB Leipzig ace Benjamin Sesko, Lille’s Jonathan David, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitiké and “long-term target” Victor Osimhen all on their radar.

Chelsea have also reopened contact with Ipswich Town star Liam Delap’s representatives, following the Englishman’s impressive campaign at Portman Road, and it is believed his deal will include a tempting £30 million release clause if his side are relegated.

Ornstein reported earlier this week that Chelsea have also held talks with Dean Huijsen’s camp in the last week, so a new central defender to cover the likes of Wesley Fofana is also on the club’s agenda.

However, the wide area may also be reinforced, with uncertainty surrounding the long-term futures of Jadon Sancho, Mykhailo Mudryk and Noni Madueke.

Mudryk is facing a lengthy ban after failing a recent drug test, while there is apparently no guarantee that Chelsea will sign Sancho on a permanent deal from Man United, as they possess the option not to trigger his obligation clause if they pay a penalty fee (Sky Sports).

Meanwhile, it is believed Chelsea are becoming more open to selling Madueke amid interest from Aston Villa and Newcastle.

Chelsea considering deal for Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens

Taking all of this into account, BlueCo are also planning to sign a winger this summer, with Ornstein sharing in a Q&A that Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens remains a target after previous links.

“We’ve reported about Gittens and Garnacho since January and there will be other names under consideration, too,” said Ornstein.

“Equally, Chelsea won’t be the only club looking at the players they are. So let’s see — but I am fascinated to watch what happens with Gittens, as he’s a fantastic player and looks to have a very bright future.”

The England Under-21 international boasts 12 goals and five assists from 41 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring in big games against the likes of Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen.

He’s justifiably attracting attention from his homeland as a result, but Chelsea will need to pay a premium for the 20-year-old. Gittens reportedly commands a price tag of around £80 million, and while Maresca wants to strengthen other areas of the squad, they’ll most likely need to whittle this figure down – potentially by offering players in exchange.

He could have taken being sacked as ODI captain poorly but didn’t, and went on to make major contributions in Galle

Mohammad Isam21-Jun-2025Bangladesh walking off with big smiles on their faces at the end of the Galle Test said a lot about what they made of their draw against Sri Lanka. Coming on the back of exactly two wins in 11 international matches this year, this was worth the happiness.Bangladesh’s captain Najmul Hossain Shanto scoring twin centuries, both guiding the team from a tough spot to one of comfort, was their biggest gain. Shanto averaged 29.14 in Tests the year leading into this series and said he had made technical adjustments to overturn his lean patch.”I am very happy,” he said. “The preparation was good. I did some technical things in my batting before coming on this tour. I know the conditions and opponents’ threat as well. I had a plan. I still have one match left so I don’t want to reveal too much. I was clear what I wanted to do, so I am really happy. There will always be criticism and discussion but the main thing is how I can contribute to the team.Related

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“Whether my work ethic and intention is right or not, it is pleasing that I tried to contribute to the best of my ability. I look to improve myself every day, rather than focusing on what anyone is saying. It is more important whether I am enjoying my cricket, or whether I am able to contribute to the team. I have no expectations of what people are saying about me.”Was any of that meant for anyone in particular?Shanto was sacked as Bangladesh’s ODI captain mere hours before departing for Sri Lanka. He had led the side in just 13 matches. It seemed like he had expected to continue. Earlier this month, he had spent a press conference talking about the advantages of having a long-term captain for both Tests and ODIs.The BCB must have felt differently because, not long after that, they announced Mehidy Hasan Miraz as the new 50-over captain.Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim deflated Sri Lanka’s bowling in both innings•Associated PressThe board’s cricket operations chairman Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, reportedly, sacked Shanto after a Zoom meeting with the rest of the BCB directors. It is, however, unclear whether the decision was taken before or after that press conference. Regardless, the BCB should have handled the captaincy handover better.Shanto’s 273 runs is now the highest aggregate for a Bangladesh captain in a Test match. The key ingredients that made it all possible were his confidence in defending the ball and always being on the lookout for singles. Shanto also made sure he was hitting well straight down the ground before launching into his horizontal-bat shots. Even so, he got into a little trouble. He was dropped on 66 and 90 on the reverse and conventional sweep in Bangladesh’s second innings.The overall unstable climate in Bangladesh cricket makes the captain’s job harder. Changing board presidents means a change of the political dynamic. The Bangladesh team’s captaincy and its general affairs are deeply connected with the way the winds blow in the BCB offices and currently, there is little clarity about the direction they want to take the team in. The next board elections are coming up later this year, which means that there is no scope for long-term planning. A lot of decisions made now can change depending on who becomes the next BCB president.The situation has left key positions in the Bangladesh team with not enough job security, as Shanto found out last week. He hasn’t hit back at the BCB for their decision to remove him from the ODI captaincy. He hasn’t made any noise before the Galle Test, nor did he display any anger with his century celebrations. He just proved that he could focus on just the cricket in front of him, despite the storm brewing around him.

The India opener took part in every training session leading up to the Super Four game against Pakistan, and batted long hours

S Sudarshanan09-Sep-20231:44

Gill on the challenge of facing Pakistan’s bowlers

It is like the process you followed for your math exam. Prepare hard, solve a few problems – the more complex the better – to ready yourself for the toughest questions.In Colombo, Shubman Gill has been that guy. India had two optional nets and one full session under lights in the days leading up to their Asia Cup Super Four game against Pakistan. Gill took part in every one of them – even the optional training on Thursday and Saturday – and batted long hours. After all, he will be keen to perform better than the last time he faced Pakistan, which was in the group stage where he made 10 off 32 balls.Face left-arm throwdowns, work consciously on the forward stride, look at footage, chat with the batting coach, and repeat. Gill had his nets routine pretty much set on each of the first two days. Last week was the first time he had played against Pakistan in senior men’s cricket. Given India could play them at least three times – if both teams make the Asia Cup final – in the next couple of months, he left no stone unturned to be ready.Related

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So much has Gill faced Nuwan Seneviratne, India’s left-arm throwdown specialist, throughout the tournament that it wouldn’t be a surprise if he had the Sri Lankan on speed dial. The indoor nets on Thursday was all about getting his footwork right against left-arm over-the-wicket angle and, importantly, not falling over while playing deliveries straightening into him.”[Seneviratne] has been with us for the past seven-eight years,” Gill said before training. “We have two right-arm throwdown side-arm specialists, and as a variation, we also have a left-arm side-arm specialist. It helps in various conditions.”On Saturday, it was a tad different. His training on the eve of the India-Pakistan match was about the hard lengths. It was perhaps the shortest batting stint he had had in the nets all Asia Cup.Shubman Gill made 10 off 32 in the opening match of the Asia Cup•Getty ImagesHaving survived probing spells from Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah, Gill fell to first-change Haris Rauf in the last meeting against Pakistan. It was an in-between length that he inside-edged onto his stumps.He worked on picking lengths early and putting them away. He received a good mix of full and hard-length deliveries, and a few bumpers along the way. It was not the prettiest Gill net to watch: he was beaten on both edges, edged a few balls, and lost his off stump once. He had a short chat with batting coach Vikram Rathour and continued for about 15 minutes more.”Shaheen swings the ball more. Naseem relies more on pace,” Gill said. “If he gets help from the surface, he hits good areas. Both are different bowlers and pose different challenges.”Before getting to [international] level, every batter would have faced left-arm bowling at some stage. Whenever you play a new bowler it makes a difference, [more so] because we don’t play Pakistan as often as we do some other teams. Coming up against a quality bowling attack like Pakistan’s, [not having played them that often before] makes a difference.”Sometimes there’s no technical flaw as such. Bowlers are also there to bowl, and you might get some good deliveries. You might get some unfortunate dismissals. When you are playing well there might be a few things going your way. You have to trust your game, back yourself and get those quick runs.”The prep’s done, and Gill will hope it translates into runs as he faces Sunday’s big test.

The young India batter is confident she’s ready for a busy year of international and franchise cricket

Annesha Ghosh31-May-20215:22

‘Looking back, there was a lot of struggle, but I’m happy with where I am today’

Shafali Verma laughs shyly when asked if selfie-hunters come calling when she’s at home in Rohtak, Haryana. “Sometimes,” she says, her nod indicating a young athlete’s growing ease with new-found fame.In the 21 months since her international debut, Verma, 17, has hit more sixes in T20Is than any other female cricketer, helped take India to their maiden T20 World Cup final, and twice topped the women’s T20I batting rankings.Her distinctive power game has helped fetch her deals in the Hundred in the UK, and the WBBL in Australia. She has also been called up to India’s one-day and Test sides for the upcoming tour of England.”My target has been to take lessons from every series and keep improving as a cricketer,” Verma, currently the No. 1-ranked T20I batter, says. “After the T20 World Cup I worked on my skills, fitness, and choosing the right deliveries to play. I felt I did better there in the South Africa series. I could sense some improvement in my fielding as I had focused on working out and strengthening my body during last year’s lockdown.”Verma’s scores of 23, 47, and 60 in the T20Is were one of the few highlights of India’s series against South Africa in March, their first since the T20 World Cup a year ago. They lost the T20Is 2-1 and the ODIs 4-1.”After the T20 World Cup I worked on my skills, fitness, and choosing the right deliveries to play. I felt I did better there in the South Africa series”•Mike Owen/Getty ImagesVerma looked far more at ease against the bouncer in those games than she had previously. She says it was down to the work she put in. “If you try to get better at something and get complacent after trying just once, it never works out. I chalked out a plan and played 150 balls [bouncers] at a time, then rested for a bit and faced more bouncers. I focused on practising the same thing over and over again.”Verma had an opportunity to crank her game up a gear when the Haryana men’s team set up camp ahead of their Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign earlier this year.”I feel that I benefited a great deal from that Ranji camp,” she says of the preparatory period ahead of the South Africa series. “My back-foot game was a bit weak earlier, but facing the Ranji bowlers, who would come in at around 140kph, has helped better my technique and confidence on that front.”I interacted with Harshal [Patel], who recently played in the IPL, Mohit [Sharma] , Rahul Tewatia, and picked their brains about dealing with the bouncer. They shared their inputs with me and so did their coach. He gave me his feedback on my batting. I’m very grateful to everyone at the Haryana Cricket Association for the opportunity.”To get around pandemic-related difficulties like lack of access to facilities, Verma’s long-time coach, Ashwini Kumar, a former Haryana first-class player, set up nets and a bowling machine in his backyard for additional batting sessions to supplement her training at Rohtak’s Shri Ram Narain Cricket Club.In the national set-up, too, Verma says, there has been no want of encouragement since she earned her maiden call-up in September 2019.From left: Deepti Sharma, Poonam Yadav and Verma at the BCCI Awards in January 2020. Verma was named the best woman cricketer (junior domestic) of 2018-19 and won the best international debut award•Vipin Pawar/BCCI”All of my team-mates, coaches and support staff encourage me to bat in my natural style,” she says. “Whenever I don’t play a shot well, Smriti [Mandhana, her opening partner] points out the mistake and suggests how I could have approached the ball better, say, by timing it better or something else. She gives me sound feedback. We discuss a lot about what we think of each other’s batting.” The two put on a 96-run stand inside nine overs in India’s only win in the T20I series against South Africa.The series against South Africa was also head coach WV Raman’s last assignment with India. He has been replaced by Ramesh Powar, who has returned to take charge of the side after being let go from the job in 2018.The T20 World Cup in Australia last year was Verma’s first major tournament and the teenager was the object of a lot of media interest and buzz. If she didn’t blink in the spotlight, it was partly due to Raman and the management, who made sure she didn’t look much beyond the task at hand.”I worked with him [Raman] for two years,” Verma says. “He would back me to the hilt to bat the way I bat. ‘Ball game ,’ [Focus on the ball, focus on your own game] he would say. He motivated me since my debut. Whether or not I did something correctly or did it well, he would encourage me. I will miss him and I want to thank him. It was great playing under him.”The England tour, Verma’s first trip to that country, will kick off a busy season overseas for India, and she has been preparing to embrace the new experiences and challenges that will come along.Verma was among India’s top run scorers in the 2020 T20 World Cup and hit 15 sixes in five innings in the tournament•Paul Kane/Getty Images”I want to remain fit. That’s my primary goal, because if I’m fit, I can carve out a long career for myself. And to simulate skiddy conditions [overseas], I have been training with wet synthetic balls, to allow them to skid more.”I watched the IPL as well. One gets to learn a lot observing and watching the IPL players, their shot selection, especially.”Verma is excited at the prospect of playing a Test. The last time India played one, at Mysore in 2014, she was ten years old. She hasn’t ever had a taste of multi-day cricket at any level, and though she likes watching Steven Smith in Tests, most of her idols in the sport, she says, smiling, are from the shortest format.Already one of the most compelling T20 batters around, Verma will have a shot at learning from some of the best in the business when she teams up with multiple World Cup winner Alyssa Healy at the Sydney Sixers in the WBBL this year soon after India’s bilateral series against Australia.”Healy is a good batter,” Verma says. “I watched her bat in the [T20] World Cup. “If I get to open with her or bat with her in any other position, I would like to pick her brains, speak to her about what it’s like playing at this level and learn from her experience.”A promotion in the central-contracts tiers has also boosted her salary by an additional 20 lakh [US$27,500 approx] this year. The raise is welcome. She grew up in a family with a modest income; her father, Sanjeev, runs a small jewellery shop.”I sense that everyone who has been part of my journey is happy to see that I have found an aim in life. When I look back, I think of my younger self cycling 15km to school and then cycling back [home] and then to my cricket academy…. [Growing up], I would try motivating myself by reminding myself that if I work hard, my name might come up for selection.”There has been some struggle in my journey, but [I’m happy to see how things are going]. As Papa says, if I stay diligent, keep learning and work on my mistakes, I can do better and support the Indian team in every way I can.”

As Brandon Woodruff took the mound for the Brewers on Wednesday, he faced a different kind of pressure than on a typical start. Not the heat of building on the league's best record or their division lead over the Cubs, but the opportunity to win hundreds of thousands of free burgers for the people of Wisconsin from the chain George Webb.

George Webb, the founder of the beloved Wisconsin restaurant chain, would famously predict back when Milwaukee only had a minor league team that it would win 12 straight games, and was believed to have declared that if the local team won 12 consecutive games, they would give away free burgers. His son, Jim Webb, would later make the deal official in 1970.

The Brewers came to close to winning free burgers earlier this season when they had an 11-game winning streak from July 6 to July 21, but lost the 12th game 1–0 to the Mariners. They have won free burgers for fans twice, in 1987 and 2018.

With a third opportunity to win free burgers on the line, Woodruff delivered. The two-time All-Star pitched four scoreless innings as Milwaukee got off to a 6–0 lead. The Pirates made things interesting after Woodruff exited, putting up five runs in the fifth and sixth innings, but the Brewers offense responded with six more runs and won 12–5.

“It's awesome. I was telling my wife last night I was more nervous, I wanted to win the burgers for everybody in the stands, including myself," Woodruff told reporters after the game. "It was fun, it's a cool thing. You could tell the energy around today on a day game was a little bit more than usual. Seriously, I wanted to win those burgers bad.”

The Brewers and the fans can celebrate with their free burgers, which will be given out on a date the restaurant plans to announce on Thursday. They can also celebrate a team that not just came through on the free burgers, but holds a league-best 76–44 record as the final month of the season approaches. No team is playing better than the Brewers, who can set their sights on going after their first World Series title.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been on fire for the Blue Jays throughout the postseason.

While he was quiet during the first two games of the American League Championship Series against the Mariners, Vladdy has since gone 9-of-16 from the plate, and homered in all three of Toronto’s wins to help force Game 7 on Monday night.

Ahead of Monday’s first pitch, Guerrero made quite a bold fashion choice—one that has some Toronto sports fans extremely worried.

As Guerrero made his way to the locker room at the Rogers Centre, he was wearing an Auston Matthews Toronto Maple Leafs jersey.

While it’s hardly uncommon for sports stars to represent the heroes of other local teams in their tunnel walk, invoking the Maple Leafs ahead of a Game 7 in Toronto feels a bit like tempting fate.

Beyond their long wait for a championship in general, the Leafs have notoriously struggled with Game 7s in recent years, having lost eight straight winner-take-all playoff games.

On one hand, Guerrero’s look could be seen as a bold declaration that he is ready to take the burden of an entire city’s sports heartbreak on his shoulders and turn the ship around. On the other, it just seems like tempting fate. Sports fans voiced their concern with Vladdy’s provocative fashion choice, while others credited him for looking the pressure straight in the eye and showing no fear.

Guerrero and the Blue Jays will have their chance to reset the sports vibes across Toronto when they face off against the Mariners on Monday with a spot in the World Series on the line. First pitch is set for 8:10 p.m. ET.

It’s been a longer wait than most for Sri Lanka between their first and second games this World Cup. Since playing the tournament opener on September 30, a wash-out against Australia means their match against England on Saturday comes after a near two-week gap. So unsurprisingly, they are a side that’s itching to get back out in the middle.Against England though they’ll be up against a side they’ve beaten just once in WODIs in 18 attempts. But for coach Rumesh Ratnayake, dwelling on such records makes little sense.”The last meeting will be tomorrow,” said Ratnayake on the eve of the game. “So those are the things which we will encourage them with just before the match. But in our preparation we talk of the present, and we talk of the present team and where they are and what we can do.”What our strengths will be against them, and where we are going to bowl – if it is bowling – at a particular batter at what stage. So we have broken it into three stages, that’s just an example. And even in our batting, I think what we want most is patience and discipline.””That’s what we lacked maybe against India, not deliberate, but it needs more focus so that it could be established.”Coming into this game, Sri Lanka have had a fair bit of time to ponder on that defeat to India. Having had the hosts reeling on 124 for 6, they let the game slip. But even so, a chase of a target a shade under 250 should not have been beyond them.After that game skipper Chamari Athapaththu had not held back in her assessment of her side’s shortcomings, calling on her batters to shoulder more responsibility going forward. And in the build-up to this game, plans surrounding their batting have featured heavily.Related

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“In our batting, the girls are really up to it and wanting to do well,” Ratnayake said. “That’s a huge plus because they know it’s a big stage. Sometimes we need to bring it down and say it’s just another match. But they are excited about this big stage. To capitalise on that, to maximise on that, they need to have runs on the scoreboard. They are aware of that. They are also aware that somebody, at least one or two, should bat till the end.”One of the more prevalent themes across this tournament, particularly for matches played in Colombo, has been a tendency for batting to get easier as the innings has gone on. This has left a lopsided run-scoring burden on lower order batters towards the end of an innings. For Sri Lanka, who lack any real batting prowess beyond the top seven, Ratnayake feels they will need at least one batter to take it deep to ensure they effectively exploit conditions at the tail-end of the innings.”We actually spoke about this in detail, about how those coming lower down the order – even below number seven – need to score more. Our main responsibility, is that top seven needs to score the most runs. We’re addressing it differently, because even in the last game no one scored even 50 – not that 50 would have been enough.”We’ve spoken about how you need to bat deep – at least one of the top six needs to hang around. It’s because none of those batters hung around that we were unable to chase down India’s score.”What we have learned from the spinning wickets is about those who have scored runs. Like [Beth] Mooney. Her batting discipline, her focus, and the ability to do what was needed in those situations. So we need to learn from that.”The extra preparation time leading up to this game has also allowed the Sri Lankans to extensively analyse this England side, weaning through their strengths and weaknesses and how exactly to make use of any advantages they might have over such an experienced outfit.”England is a very experienced side, even though they don’t have left-handers they are quite well equipped, so we understand their strengths, we know what they’re strong at and we’ve seen them do it all so to speak, and we believe that we are ready to sort of counter-attack that and do the best we can in the best way we could.”With our coaches, we scrutinised every batter of the English team – not just their top seven, we analysed their top nine. But the time for observing is over, now we need to take ownership of the situation, and go out there and perform.”

Leeds United’s stance on recalling Joe Gelhardt from Hull City in January has now been revealed.

Gelhardt starring at Hull on loan from Leeds

The Whites have been struggling in front of goal in the Premier League this season, with only bottom of the table Wolves scoring fewer than Daniel Farke’s side.

The 49ers Enterprises arguably failed to bolster the final third as well as they should’ve, with free transfers Lukas Nmecha and Dominic Calvert-Lewin joined by Noah Okafor as Leeds’ only attacking additions.

They did decide to loan out Gelhardt to Hull once again, and the 23-year-old has been in fine form for the Tigers in the second tier.

In 15 Championship games, Gelhardt has already scored seven goals and provided two assists, coming in for praise from manager Sergej Jakirovic.

“When I watched him in last season’s games, I begged Mr Chairman (Acun Ilicali) to bring him back here.

“He likes playing here and he wanted to come back here. He has a completely different profile to the players we have. He has the quality to play in a number of positions and is able to pass, shoot and has speed, which is special.

“He’s 23 years old and maybe he can reach the Premier League. But, right now, he’s made the difference.”

As a result of Gelhardt’s form, there has been speculation over a potential recall in the New Year to help Leeds in their Premier League survival push.

The forward played his part in the 2021/22 season as a teenager to help the Whites remain in the top flight, scoring a memorable winner against Norwich City and providing a late equaliser for Pascal Struijk against Brighton in the penultimate league fixture.

Hull want Harry Gray

However, according to TEAMtalk, ‘Leeds have no plans to bring Gelhardt back to Elland Road’ in the New Year.

The Whites are happy for the forward to remain with Hull until the end of the season and Gelhardt’s form could help the 49ers sell him for £4m, which would result in a 300% profit following his move from Wigan in 2020.

As well as keeping hold of Gelhardt, Hull also have their eyes on a potential loan move for Harry Gray after the Leeds teenager penned his first professional contract in Yorkshire.

Gray, 17, is yet to feature under Farke in 25/26 after being handed his debut on the same day Leeds won promotion to the Premier League. He’s also being eyed by Charlton Athletic, Derby County and Swansea City.

Leeds are considering allowing Gray to leave for the second half of the season so he can get regular senior game time, but when it comes to Gelhardt, don’t expect to see him in a Leeds shirt in the New Year.

Academy star who's never played a senior minute for Leeds could replace Bijol

Christian Pulisic broke the deadlock in the 54th minute of the Derby della Madonnina, finishing from close range after Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer could only parry Alexis Saelemaekers’ long-range effort. The chance came from a swift counterattack, with Milan recycling the break before Pulisic reacted quickest in the box to slot home the opener.

Getty Images SportSecuring Milan advantage

Pulisic delivered the decisive moment in the Derby della Madonnina, scoring in the 54th minute to send AC Milan to a 1–0 win over Inter Milan. The goal capped a blistering counterattack orchestrated by Massimiliano Allegri’s side, beginning with a crucial midfield interception from Youssouf Fofana. The Frenchman released Alexis Saelemaekers on the right, and the Belgian’s powerful strike forced Yann Sommer into a save he couldn’t push clear, allowing the alert Pulisic to finish from close range.

The goal marks Pulisic’s seventh in all competitions this season and his fifth in Serie A, continuing his excellent form since returning from injury.

AdvertisementWatch the goalAFPAllegri's tactical approach pays dividends

Allegri's decision to deploy a 3-5-2 formation with Pulisic and Leão as a front two has proven effective thus far despite Internazionale dominating the opening minutes of the second half. The home side for the derby, the Rossoneri were under the cosh prior to Pulisic’s goal. The match itself leaned in favour of the Nerazzurri, with Inter hitting the woodwork twice in the first half through Francesco Acerbi and Lautaro Martínez, the latter denied by an exceptional save from Mike Maignan.

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AFPMilan rivals set for season-long battle

Sunday’s result could have significant implications for the Serie A title race. The victory lifts AC Milan to 25 points, putting them just two behind league leaders Napoli and level with Roma. Inter, meanwhile, remain on 24 points and drop to fourth place – only their third league defeat of the season.

With the table so tight, the derby result could prove pivotal in what is shaping up to be one of the most competitive title races in recent years.

Fakhar Zaman, who suffered a hamstring injury in the first week of August, has recovered and is part of the squad

Danyal Rasool17-Aug-2025

Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have fallen out of favour with Pakistan’s T20I plans•AFP/Getty Images

Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have not been selected in Pakistan’s T20I squad for the upcoming Asia Cup in the UAE. Fakhar Zaman, who suffered a hamstring injury in the first week of August, has recovered and is part of the side.Salman Agha will lead the 17-member squad, which will also participate in the tri-series against UAE and Afghanistan in the lead-up to the Asia Cup.Babar last played a T20I in December 2024. In PSL 2025, he scored 288 runs in ten innings for Peshawar Zalmi. It included knocks of 56*, 53* and 94 but his overall strike rate was 128.57. He was part of the recent ODI series against West Indies where he had scores of 47, 0 and 9.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Rizwan, like Babar, has not been part of Pakistan’s recent T20I squads for the home and subsequent away series against Bangladesh, followed by the T20Is in the West Indies. He made 53 in the opening game of the ODI series against West Indies, followed by scores of 16 and 0.Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson said Babar had been challenged with improving his T20 game. I think it’s really harsh to challenge a player on their form on three games,” he said at a press conference. “Babar played nicely in the first ODI but missed out on the next two. There’s no doubt Babar’s been asked to improve in some areas around taking on spin and in terms of his strike rate. Those are things he’s working really hard on.”But at the moment, the players we have have done exceptionally well. Sahibzada Farhan has played six games and won three Player of the Match awards. A player like Babar has an opportunity to play in the BBL and show he’s improving in those areas in T20s. He’s too good a player not to consider.”Shaheen Afridi, who had also found himself out of favour in T20 cricket of late, retained his place for the tri-series and the Asia Cup, though Naseem Shah missed out once again. Naseem is currently in action in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).Lahore Qalandars fast bowler Salman Mirza, who was Pakistan’s leading wicket-taker with eight against Bangladesh in the away T20I series, was included in the side. Ahmed Daniyal, who also impressed briefly, though was not part of the squad. Both specialist wristspinners – Abrar Ahmed and Sufiyan Muqeem, kept their place.The squad is something of an amalgamation of the sides that have played T20I cricket under Hesson in the three T20I series over the summer. The recent ODI series – which Pakistan lost 2-1 in the Caribbean – appears not to have influenced decision making either way. Hesson said he intended to stick to the aggressive top-heavy approach he has championed in the format, and repeated that Pakistan’s game was suited to such a style.”We were challenged with three different surfaces [in each of the three series]” Hesson said. “In Lahore, the surfaces were flat and the batting excelled. We went to Bangladesh where they were incredibly challenging and low-scoring games. Our top order sets the game up. All the games we won the top order performed really well. The third game in the West Indies, our openers put on 140 [138]. We need that at a run rate that gets us ahead of the game. T20 is all about setting the game up and being ahead of the game all the time in case you get yourself out. From a batting point of view we’ve got a line-up that can continue to do that.”The tri-series in the UAE between the hosts, Afghanistan and Pakistan will serve as a warm-up to the T20 Asia Cup, which will begin on September 9. Pakistan have never won the T20 version of that tournament; they reached the final when it was last played in 2022.Pakistan squad for the UAE tri-series and Asia CupSalman Agha (capt), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem