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Rangers may have to brace for the departure of one of their key players, as two clubs could soon table serious bids for his services, according to a report.

Summer of change on the horizon at Ibrox

It is set to be a summer of major change at Ibrox, with the 49ers on course to complete their takeover of the Scottish club, and the prospective new owners are also tasked with installing a new manager to replace interim boss Barry Ferguson.

Not only that, but with the Gers currently 17 points behind Celtic in the Scottish Premiership table, there are clear signs the new manager will need to make major changes to his squad in the summer window, and potential targets have already been identified.

The 49ers are plotting the statement signing of a new midfielder, with Troyes’ Metinho in their sights, amid concerns over the future of Nicolas Raskin, who the Light Blues are determined to keep hold of despite growing interest in his signature.

£3m Rangers flop must be first player Ancelotti axes & it's not Tavernier

Davide Ancelotti should instantly axe this Rangers flop before James Tavernier this summer.

2

By
Dan Emery

May 15, 2025

There has now been a new update on Raskin’s Rangers future, with a report from TEAMtalk revealing they have been rocked by major interest in the midfielder, having attracted the attention of soon-to-be Premier League side Leeds United.

Aston Villa, who made it to the Champions League quarter-finals this season, have also registered their interest in the Gers star, and there is now a feeling that a serious bid could be made for his services over the next few weeks.

The Belgian’s current £19k-a-week contract is set to run until 2027, and the Ibrox outfit are now ready to offer him a new deal, in an attempt to ward off the interest from elsewhere, and to make sure his market value is protected.

Rangers must keep hold of "phenomenal" Raskin

Having barely managed to even compete in the Scottish Premiership title race this season, the Gers may be looking to re-shape their squad this summer, but the Belgian maestro is undoubtedly one of the players they should be looking to keep hold of.

Scottish football analyst John Walker has been particularly impressed by the 24-yerar-old’s performances, having lauded him as “phenomenal” earlier in the campaign, while also claiming the central midfielder improved the entire team after returning from injury.

The Liege-born maestro has four goals and ten assists to his name in all competitions this season, most notably scoring in his side’s 3-2 victory against bitter rivals Celtic back in March.

That said, while Rangers should be looking to tie Raskin down to a new deal, he may be unwilling to commit to fresh terms, which means it could make sense to cash-in at the end of the campaign, as they should be able to command a good fee for his services this summer.

After turning their season around in excellent fashion, Wolverhampton Wanderers have reportedly turned their attention towards keeping hold of one of Vitor Pereira’s star men.

Wolves' resurgent run under Pereira

When Wolves sacked Gary O’Neil before replacing him with a manager who had never stepped foot in the Premier League, there were plenty of concerns over their ability to avoid relegation. Five months on, however, Pereira has silenced doubters and even shared a few drinks with his fans following a recent run of six-straight Premier League victories. The Midlands club haven’t just survived under their new manager, they’ve thrived.

Vitor Pereira at Wolves

Premier Legaue record (via Transfermarkt)

Games

19

Wins

10

Draws

2

Defeats

7

Goals Scored

27

Goals Conceded

22

What makes that record even more impressive is the fact that star man Matheus Cunha has missed four of those 19 games, including three of Wolves’ six-consecutive wins between March and April.

It’s an absence that Wolves fans would have feared, but one that they now know Wolves can perform with. And that’s something that Pereira’s side will likely have to get used to amid rumours that Cunha will be on the move this summer.

The Brazilian has a release clause worth around £63m and has attracted interest from Manchester United and others as a result. Following an excellent campaign, there’s no doubt that the forward deserves a big move. Whether that big move will be to Old Trafford and a side who are on course to finish below Wolves remains to be seen, however.

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If the former Atletico Madrid man does depart, meanwhile, then those at Molineux will be in for an important summer. With money to spend, they would have to instantly replace Cunha whilst also keeping hold of their other star men amid similar interest.

Ait-Nouri set for new contract talks

According to the Express and Star, Wolves are now set to offer Rayan Ait-Nouri a fresh deal in an attempt to keep hold of their versatile left-back just over a year before his current deal expires.

Although the Algerian has gone under the radar at times this season thanks to Wolves’ early struggles, there’s no denying that it’s been another fantastic season. With three Premier League games to go, the defender has scored five goals and assisted another seven in all competitions to significantly improve on last season’s numbers.

As important to Pereira as he was O’Neil, Ait-Nouri found himself at the centre of the latter’s praise last season when his former manager told reporters: “It’s very important being able to use him in a few different positions out of necessity.

“He could roll inside and play in midfield from left back, he played as a 10 in the second half. He’s a great lad. He’s come on professionalism-wise and asks loads of questions now.”

Whilst reports suggest that Wolves value their full-back at £40m this summer, Ait-Nouri’s time at the club may not be coming to an end any time soon with a new contract seemingly set to be on the table.

He had gone for more than a run-a-ball in the first innings but found his length second time around

Alex Malcolm23-Nov-2025There were fears for Scott Boland after the opening day of the Ashes series.The pre-series assertion of former England captain Michael Atherton that England did not fear him proved prophetic as they clattered him for 62 from 10 overs on a surface where 19 wickets fell in a day and Mitchell Starc took a career-best seven-wicket haul.With Pat Cummins still a 50-50 proposition to play in Brisbane, as well as doubts over his ability to play in consecutive Tests, and fears over Josh Hazlewood’s involvement in the series at all, their would have been genuine questions about where Australia’s selectors could turn if Boland was Bazballed out of the series inside two days.Related

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But all fears were quelled with a match-turning spell on day two, taking 3 for 3 in 11 deliveries including the prized scalps of Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope and Harry Brook, on his way to figures of 4 for 33 that silenced the doubters and restored his astounding home average to 13.47.”I thought Scotty got his line and lengths and movement right today,” Steven Smith said post-match on Saturday. “That’s the Scotty Boland that we’re used to. And he took some really key wickets.”There was a sense, which was backed up by Ben Stokes in the aftermath, that England had let Boland back into the series via timid batting that was the complete antithesis of what their approach stood for, and what had kept Boland under the thumb previously.That may be true. But England hardly needed to whack Boland off his length on the opening day because he never found it.Bowling for the first time at Perth Stadium, Boland had strayed way too full and straight in his first spell with the new ball. Duckett hadn’t needed to charge at him. He merely stood still and drilled half-volley after half-volley down the ground. It was only later when the ball was softer, and had turned into a “hockey puck” according to Starc, that Brook charged at him to launch him over wide mid-off.It could well have been nerves for Boland. He had admitted to a large media gathering in the build-up that he had been thinking about this series for two years, having ruminated on what happened in 2023 for a long time. Boland is an introvert. It is easy to see how he may have overthought the moment.He also hadn’t been bowling quite at his best in Sheffield Shield cricket in the lead-up. He did take five wickets in a victory over New South Wales, but that had come after he was clattered at a run-a-ball in his first couple of spells, with discarded Test opener Sam Konstas reverse ramping him for six and Ollie Davies thumping him repeatedly through cover. Boland admitted he had struggled for rhythm that day, explaining that he can occasionally get out of sync in his run-up which can then get in his head.Scott Boland removed Ben Duckett straight after lunch to spark a collapse•Getty ImagesBut like he did at the Junction Oval, he made the adjustment on the second day in Perth. England did try to unsettle him but Boland unsettled them.His first ball of the second innings to Duckett reared from a length and thudded into his gloves. Duckett charged at the second and edged it along the ground to third slip. Duckett charged at the fifth at very nearly chopped on.Against the last ball over Boland’s second over, Duckett charged again and swung wildly with the thick edge flying safely over gully. Boland could claim a “moral victory”.A switch of ends brought more close calls but no wickets before lunch. Duckett charged again and got hit on the bottom glove by one that nipped and bounced at him. Pope played and missed trying to drive on the up. It would be the first of six such drives from Pope at Boland, all of which beat the edge.England were hardly timid to him. Boland had adjusted his lengths and lines to ask them to hit more difficult deliveries. The pitch, the overheads, and potentially a better ball all helped to make that task a challenge.Boland thought he had Duckett on the stroke of lunch, pinning him on the crease to see umpire Adrian Holdstock raise the finger. But Duckett was rightly reprieved by the DRS as it had pitched outside leg.Boland was finally rewarded post lunch. Duckett was stunned when he nicked a ball that pitched well outside his leg stump and nipped across him. The floodgates opened.Pope finally nicked one two overs later. Brook did not get six play and misses before he nicked his second ball attempting another booming drive on the up. The game swung wildly in the space of 11 balls. Boland returned to hero status in the eyes of the home fans.”Scotty started getting one of his rolls again,” Jake Weatherald said on Sunday. “[He] obviously gets it right very often in first-class cricket, and he got it right in that second innings for sure. And he understood what he need to do. He bowled more of a back of a length and a bit wider and really challenged their ability to drive the ball and make good decisions outside off stump.”England might blame themselves for letting Boland into the series, but take nothing away from a spell that added to his extraordinary record on home soil.

A five-for on his first appearance of the tournament might encourage India to rethink their team balance

Shashank Kishore22-Oct-20231:29

Pujara: Shami is ‘always mentally ready’ for games

Mohammed Shami’s numbers at the 50-overs World Cup make for impressive reading: 12 matches, 36 wickets at an average of 15.02 and an economy of 5.09. They’re the kind of big-tournament numbers teams yearn for. Teams go any lengths to wrap such performers in cottonwool for the fear of injury.There’s little doubt that Shami is one of India’s main fast bowlers. But so far at the 2023 World Cup, he hadn’t quite been one. Until Sunday, of course, in Dharamsala, when he left an indelible mark against New Zealand: immaculate control up front bookended by death-overs mastery. Not even a sublime Virat Kohli innings couldn’t quite shade Shami’s second World Cup five-for under the Himalayan mist.From being an out-and-out strike bowler across phases, Shami has had to watch much of the early parts of the campaign from the sidelines, not because he’s less skilled than those preferred above him, but because the team management has drawn comfort from having some batting insurance at No. 8, provided by Shardul Thakur.Related

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Last month, in the run-up to the World Cup, India were forced to abandon a chase of 352 against Australia in Rajkot because of the lack of batting depth. Rohit Sharma turbocharged to 81 off 57, Kohli made a near run-a-ball 56 and Shreyas Iyer 48. They only needed one other batter to go big. Eventually, Ravindra Jadeja was forced to treat the end game as an extended net because their lower-order batting was too thin.For Sunday’s match, an injury to Hardik Pandya forced the team management to make one change at the very least; but they made two. While Suryakumar Yadav for Hardik seemed straightforward, playing Shami for Shardul was a bolder call because they were sacrificing this batting depth, which has been a bugbear, against a gun line-up that had the wood over India in ICC events.But as New Zealand’s innings progressed, it became clear why they’d preferred Shami, even if they wouldn’t have perhaps realised immediately the potential this move can unlock for the rest of their campaign. After all, there was a target to chase – 273 no less – under lights against Trent Boult, Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson, protagonists of their biggest heartbreak in recent memory.India could’ve so easily have been chasing 320, but for Shami reining in an innings that seemed set to go into overdrive; they were gasping in the end. The trigger was the dismissal of a set Rachin Ravindra for 75.With Kuldeep Yadav having been taken for 48 off his five overs, India may have been yearning for a sixth bowling option. But an over into his second spell, Shami’s subtle variation – a cutter into the pitch that seemed to hold up a fraction more than we’ve seen in the previous games – proved devious as Ravindra picked out long-on.Mohammed Shami picked his second World Cup five-wicket haul•Associated PressIt wasn’t a typical fast bowler’s wicket, but in the set-up lay Shami’s understanding of the surface and the adjustment he made. The end result wasn’t so subtle. That Shami wicket, which broke a threatening 159-run stand, had a trickledown effect on the rest of the bowlers, most definitely Kuldeep, who bounced back to end strongly with 2 for 25 off his next five overs. In all, India picked up New Zealand’s last six wickets for 30, Shami claiming three of them.How did he do it? Mostly by staying true to his virtues of trying to hit the stumps. In the death, going cross-seam appeared a prudent call on a two-paced deck. But there’s more than an element of skill involved in executing deliveries you plan in your head at the top of your mark, as Shami showed. Mitch Santner is a big hitter, and a six here or a four there in the 48th could’ve potentially added a few more to New Zealand’s total.But Shami bounded in to deliver the prefect yorker from around the stumps, one that kept curving back, cutting through thin air at 140 clicks to crash into the furniture before Santner could bring his bat down. Simply facing bowlers with skillsets such as Shami’s can be pressure enough. You know what’s coming, like Santner did, but it truly crushes you when you can’t do anything about it.Henry found that out next ball. He was perhaps watching for his toes and hanging back, until he realised just how quickly a length ball had angled in and decked back further to beat his swing. This was proper fast-bowling royalty, delivering the kind of visceral thrill we knew Shami can deliver but didn’t know if he would at this World Cup.All the hoopla around Shami’s magic may have yet vanished into thin air had India stumbled in their chase. They did have their fair share of nervy moments, like when KL Rahul and Suryakumar were dismissed in quick succession with the target still 83 away. But Jadeja’s composure backed India’s rip-roaring top order and could yet mean Shami may have a bigger role to play as the World Cup veers past the halfway mark.Yes, it may cost them lower-order potential. But what if the lower order isn’t needed at all, like it wasn’t against New Zealand? It’ll be a big call either way, and Shami hasn’t made it easier.

The left-arm spinner mainly bowled the one that spun and the one that didn’t, the latter with a little underspin. In Galle, that’s often enough

Andrew Fidel Fernando30-Nov-2021Bowling his eighth delivery of the second day, Veerasammy Permaul comes around the wicket to the right-handed Pathum Nissanka. Oshada Fernando had been out just before, but Nissanka is set, on 73, and Sri Lanka have plenty of batting to come. It could be a slow morning. It could be a slow Tuesday.Permaul’s first over of the day, bowled exclusively to Angelo Mathews, had largely been populated by darters – balls that kept Mathews pinned to the crease, but were unlikely to bring a dismissal. Maybe Permaul was nervous. This was his first Test in more than six years, and on day one, Nissanka had hit him for six early in his five-over spell. This is Galle, on whose bone-dry dust spinners are expected to be magic. But in his first foray to the bowling crease, Permaul had barely created a chance.Related

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But this ball, delivered with a little underspin, misses the seam as it pitches, and shimmies into Nissanka’s front pad – the batter having expected the ball to turn. And wow! It’s plumb. Nissanka doesn’t bother with a review. Permaul hasn’t played Tests since going for runs against Australia in August 2015, so this is his first Test wicket in six years. But he doesn’t celebrate like a dam has burst.Something does give way, though. Sri Lanka had been 106 for 0, then 139 for 1. Nissanka played a chancy, but brave, innings for his 73. Now, there are two new men at the crease, on a track that is famously unkind to new batters. Perhaps it’s the confidence of that first wicket, but two balls later, Permaul slows one up outside off stump, gets it to bite, and draws a mistake – Dhananjaya de Silva following the ball with his hands, to give an edge to the wicketkeeper.Next over, suddenly, Permaul is floating everything up. He dares debutant Charith Asalanka to try something fancy, like the reverse sweep for four he had played to get his first Test runs. Asalanka refuses to be tempted, but on a Galle track such as this, you don’t always have to make a mistake against the spinners to be dismissed. Last ball of that over, Asalanka pushes out at one, and the surface does its thing. There’s a puff of dust as the ball pitches, and there is drastic turn. The inside edge hits the pad and pops up to short leg. In Permaul’s last match, in Kingston, way back, he’d conceded 207 runs and taken only two wickets. Here, he’s got three in the space of 11 balls.

Although this was Sri Lankan soil he was bowling on, not Guyanese, and the Indian Ocean glittered from the distance, not the Atlantic, if you’re a spinner, and you’re willing to be brave, playing at Galle can be a little like coming home

Now there’s some hollering. Some vigour in that celebration. He’s not a fringe player battling to justify selection and keep his place in the team. He’s a lead spinner turning a match, yanking his side into the series. At the other end, Jomel Warrican is ripping it up too – more body into his action than has been seen through much of the series.Late on day one, when Nissanka and Dimuth Karunaratne were putting on their 100-run stand, Sri Lanka seemed headed for another 300-plus total. Yet, midway through the first session on day two, West Indies’ spinners are making it seem like there are landmines just under the surface. Warrican gets a couple in quick succession – Dinesh Chandimal trapped in front with one that dips under the batter’s sweep, before a hard-spun full delivery takes Ramesh Mendis’ leading edge and floats out to cover.Where once Permaul ambled to the crease, he is stomping to his mark now. The batters are fearful of the surface, but Permaul is suddenly bowling so well, he doesn’t need the track’s help – he’s beating his opponents in the air. Suranga Lakmal is early through a hoick to the leg side, and the edge floats directly to point, the fielder not having to move, as if he and the ball were keeping an appointment. Lasith Embuldeniya tries to play Permaul to the off side, but is defeated completely in the flight. He’s bowled. Permaul has the first five-wicket haul of his career, and is jubilant. When Warrican wraps up the innings with a superbly flighting, dipping, turning ball that tickles the top of Mathews’ stumps, the broadcast cameras sprint on the field and veer off towards deep midwicket; that’s where Permaul is.There was nothing extraordinary in Permaul’s bowling on Tuesday. He used largely two variations – the one that spun, and the one that didn’t, the latter delivered with a little underspin. But when Galle’s surface gave him something, he shot up by two feet, and as much as such a thing is possible for a slow left armer, grew a barrel chest.Over the past six years, in which he only had sporadic opportunities in the white-ball teams, Permaul must have had his share of frustrations. But although this was Sri Lankan soil he was bowling on, not Guyanese, and the Indian Ocean glittered from the distance, not the Atlantic, if you’re a spinner, and you’re willing to be brave, playing at Galle can be a little like coming home.

This weekend is arguably the biggest in Thomas Frank’s tenure as Tottenham Hotspur manager, when he leads his side out against Arsenal on Sunday afternoon.

The Dane has yet to get his first taste of the North London Derby, but he will be looking to get one over Mikel Arteta and secure bragging rights for the Lilywhites faithful.

Such a fixture is huge for supporters, with the meeting between the two clubs one of the first dates they look for upon fixture release day, before a ball is kicked.

However, it’s been a game that the white side of North London have often come out on the losing side away from home – subsequently winning just one of their last 32 encounters.

If Frank’s side are to write themselves into the history books, they will desperately need to keep one player quiet throughout the clash at the Emirates.

The threat Bukayo Saka poses to Spurs this weekend

Bukayo Saka may ply his trade for Arsenal, but he’s cemented himself as one of the Premier League’s most threatening attackers over the last couple of years.

The Englishman has managed to register over 20 combined goals and assists in all competitions in each of the last three years – often providing the difference in such a fixture.

He’s often popped up with the goods in attacking areas, as seen by his record against the Lilywhites since his senior debut back in the 2020/21 campaign.

Saka has featured on ten occasions against Spurs throughout his professional career, racking up a total of five goals – subsequently finding the net in 50% of his outings in such a clash.

He’s also popped up with various assists in the North London Derby, with his corner to Gabriel securing the Gunners all three points at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last campaign.

It’s evident that the winger possesses serious quality, often coming alive on Derby Day, with Frank and his squad desperately needing to silence him on Sunday afternoon.

However, he too could unleash his own version of the Englishman at the Emirates, with the Lilywhites star potentially able to inflict serious trouble on Arteta’s men.

The Spurs star who’s becoming their answer to Saka

Players such as Saka don’t come around very often, and when they do, they cost a pretty penny – many of which undoubtedly cost a small fortune in the modern-day.

Whilst Spurs are unlikely to pay over the odds for top-level talents, they have invested heavily into the frontline over recent years – as seen by their deal to land Brennan Johnson.

The hierarchy forked out a reported £47.5m for the Welshman’s signature back in the summer of 2023, with the attacker showcasing his talents in North London last campaign.

He registered a total of 18 goals across all competitions last season, the highest of any player in the squad, often starring off the right-hand side of the club’s attack.

However, he’s fallen down the pecking order in recent months, which has resulted in various options being considered within the forward line in the capital.

Mathys Tel joined the Lilywhites on a permanent basis during the summer window, with the Frenchman costing a total of £27m from German side Bayern Munich.

The 20-year-old is capable of operating off the left-hand side or even as a centre-forward, with Frank able to rely upon the youngster in a variety of different positions.

When operating on the left, he’s able to cut inside and onto his favoured foot – something which Saka has made a name for himself for in England’s top-flight.

His similarities to the Englishman are also reflected in his shot on target accuracy, with Tel matching the winger with his tally of placing 33% of his efforts between the posts.

The Frenchman has previously impressed in his professional career, but has transferred his skills over to the Premier League, as seen by his tally of two goals in the league this season.

Games played

8

Goals scored

2

Shot on target accuracy

33%

Pass accuracy

73%

Dribble success

50%

Long ball success

83%

Aerials won

1.2

Mins per goal

124.5

Tel’s efforts in attacking areas have led to huge praise from numerous outlets, with Bayern Chairman Herbert Hainer labelling him “one of the biggest talents in Europe”.

However, he will need consistent first-team minutes to reach the heights many have touted him to, with Frank needing to trust him in the near future to reap the rewards.

He’s shown that he’s capable of producing the goods in attacking areas, potentially able to provide the difference in the clash against the Gunners on Sunday.

Tel has proven he’s able to be the club’s answer to Saka, but it remains to be seen if the manager will show faith in him to allow the youngster to continue on his upward trajectory.

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“It doesn’t matter where they bowl, once it’s in that arc, I’m just going to smack it”

Srinidhi Ramanujam23-Feb-2025″When he hits it, it stays hit. So, you know, it’s just, something that I do.”Chinelle Henry looks up to her fellow countryman Andre Russell. Her wild innings of 62 against Delhi Capitals that propelled UP Warriorz to their first win of WPL 2025 did remind many of his power-hitting and the ability to snatch the momentum and turn the team’s fortune around.Henry, though new to WPL, isn’t new to T20 cricket. The West Indies allrounder has been playing international cricket for more than a decade now and is a regular in the WCPL. As a senior player in the Warriorz set-up, Henry has eased into the WPL, thanks to her role clarity which stemmed from conversations she had with the head coach Jon Lewis.”I knew the task, I knew what I had to do,” Henry said after Saturday’s match. She went on to elaborate that it’s “the freedom to go out there and bat” from Lewis that “put her in a better space”. This power of her uncluttered mind was visible in tangible terms, in her performances so far: an unbeaten 33 off 15 and a 23-ball 62, both against Delhi Capitals, in Vadodara and Bengaluru, respectively.Related

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Henry's onslaught, Harris and Goud's dream spells get Warriorz off the mark

The latest knock had an even better impact with Henry coming in at No.8 when Warriorz were reeling at 89 for 6 in 14.4 overs, and lifting them to a match-winning score of 177 for 9. Until she arrived, the atmosphere at the Chinnaswamy Stadium was somber. Though it was a Saturday evening, the neutral game did not witness a sell-out crowd. A quick look at the stands also revealed there were many people in Capitals jerseys, cheering for the likes of Indian superstars Jemimah Rodrigues and Shafali Verma. Yellow and violet jerseys? One could count them.But it took only four deliveries for Henry to make the Chinnaswamy roar in joy and disbelief. She first smashed a slower, short ball from Arundhati Reddy with ferocious power over deep midwicket for an 81-metre six to start the proceedings. Reddy changed her length and bowled full on the stumps, but Henry still deposited this one over the same region. The crowd, which had not seen Henry until then in the flesh, was now well and truly alive with people up on their feet, clapping joyously to each of her sixes.”Obviously, I went to bat with my team in a little bit of trouble,” she said. “I knew the task, I knew what I had to do. You know, before I went to bat, John just said to me, just do what you do and have fun. And, you know, the freedom that I get to just go out there and bat, regardless of the situation the team is in, just put me in a better space to perform. And I think, you know, that’s what happened tonight.”In the next over, she got a life when Marizanne Kapp dropped a chance at deep midwicket, and Henry made sure Kapp would not forget that costly mistake.Though the ball was doing a bit off the seam whenever Capitals bowled slower balls, Henry “didn’t really pay attention to any of that.” Shikha Pandey, bowling the 17th over, was not spared either. Length balls outside off stumps were slashed towards extra cover and short third as if Henry was waiting for it. When Pandey bowled in the slot, Henry launched one six over long-on and another over the bowler’s head. Pandey ended up conceding 24 runs in six balls.Henry was not done yet.Meg Lanning brought in Annabel Sutherland, who is usually effective with her variations, but it didn’t work against the West Indian. A full ball bowled wide of off and a slower back of a length ball on her pads were both sent to boundaries. Henry would later reveal that a lot of “range-hitting at the nets” helped to straightaway swing her bat at the death.”Obviously, most of the time they were bowling to my strengths, and it was just about backing my ability, backing my strengths,” she said. “And tonight it paid off. And that’s just something that I will continue to do throughout the tournament.”When we go to training, you know, the head coach, the first thing he asks is what you want to do, obviously, is what you’re going to do in the game. So make sure you get what you want out of training that you’re going to do in the game. And obviously, when we go in the nets, for me, basically, it’s just about throwdowns. Range hitting, I do that a lot.Chinelle Henry went on a six-hitting rampage at the death•BCCI”Because most of the times when I go into bat, it’s probably like five overs to go. That’s the time that I have to go. So when I’m in the nets training, that’s basically what I do.”Reddy came back for the penultimate over with a bag full of variations and still perished against Henry. A full toss was followed by a slower delivery, and even though Henry was beaten by pace, she somehow managed to put both these deliveries to the fence. Henry then swiveled and pulled a short ball to equal the record for the fastest fifty.”That’s just what I practice in training all day, every day, once I have a T20 cricket,” Henry explained her role as a finisher at Warriorz.”You know, some of the times they would obviously test, the weakness, which is obviously bowling into the pads, because that’s obviously something that I need to work on. But most of the times, it’s just my strengths, which obviously, for the past two games, is what I’ve been doing well.”And it doesn’t matter where they bowl, whatever the ball is doing, once it’s in that arc, I’m going to back my strengths, I’m going to back my ability, and I’m just going to smack it.”On Saturday, she smacked eight sixes and two fours overall.Russell may not be around in India yet but surely, we can get used to Henry trying to emulate her idol with her own explosive and inspiring knocks.

Shohei Ohtani, now in his second year with the Los Angeles Dodgers, still has yet to pitch for the team. He's recovering from a UCL repair that kept him from the mound all of 2024. Despite that, he's still been incredibly worth-it, winning an MVP en route to a World Series win in 2025, but part of the reason he was given such a high-value contract from Los Angeles is he can play both sides of the ball at an elite level.

All signs are pointing toward Ohtani pitching this season, with him taking his second session of live batting practice on Saturday afternoon. Manager Dave Roberts was pleased with the overall direction of the simulated pitching, but did admit that his control is still coming along.

Longtime player Alex Rodriguez thinks returning to pitching this year would be a mistake, though.

"If Ohtani gets hurt and makes it 15 pitchers on the IL, the season's over. So for me, the risk and reward is not there.

"Something else to think about, he's not a finesse pitcher, he's a power pitcher. Fastball, tight slider and split. He's already had two Tommy John injury [sic], he had a separate shoulder injury in the World Series. I would let that lie. I would have a whole offseason and spring training to set this up physically, emotionally and mentally," Rodriguez said.

It's an interesting thought, but detractors of the idea might not see a world in which the Dodgers can win it all risking a bit, especially after their injuries to the pitching staff already this season. Another point to make is that Ohtani's second UCL repair was slightly different than his first: Dr. Neal ElAttrache utilized InternalBrace augmentation along with the Tommy John repair. The modern technology is thought to be better for aiding recovery and healthspan.

Plus, it's hard to imagine the Dodgers putting him out on the mound if they genuinely think he's at serious risk of reinjury.

That said, we've seen pitchers who miss out on the spring training process struggle to get in a groove, so Rodriguez might have a point to just waiting a year and giving Ohtani even more time to rest, recover, and return to dominance on that side of the field.

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As diretorias de Atlético-MG e Cruzeiro teriam chegado a um acordo para que o primeiro jogo entre as duas equipes em 2024, pela terceira rodada do Campeonato Mineiro, no dia 03/02 (sábado), seja realizado com torcida única. A informação foi divulgada pelo repórter Thiago Reis, da Rádio Itatiaia.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFutebol NacionalAntes do Atlético-MG, Cruzeiro já havia criticado gramado do estádio do PatrocinenseFutebol Nacional26/01/2024

Caso a decisão seja confirmada, o primeiro clássico dos gigantes mineiro neste ano será acompanhado apenas por torcedores do Galo, já que o palco deste duelo será a Arena MRV, casa do time alvinegro.

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Na última partida entre as duas equipes, ambas torcidas estavam presentes na Arena MRV. Neste duelo, válido pela 28ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro de 2023, os cruzeirenses venceram por 1 a 0.

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Neste fim de semana, as duas equipes voltam a campo pelo Mineiro, com o Cruzeiro encarando o Athletic, na Arena do Jacaré, no sábado (27), às 16h30 (de Brasília). Já o Atlético-MG recebe o Democrata de Governador Valadares, no domingo (28), às 16h, na Arena MRV.

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The fate of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy will be sealed at The Oval on Sunday. England need another 324 runs to pull off the second-biggest chase in their history and win 3-1; India need eight wickets – or nine, in the improbable event that Chris Woakes walks out to bat one-handed – to square the series. The draw is no longer on the table.India are the favourites, and owe that status to four men: Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored his sixth century, and second of the series; Akash Deep, the nightwatcher whose maiden Test fifty wore England’s seamers down; Ravindra Jadeja, who passed 500 runs for the series; and Washington Sundar, whose late blitz took the target from 335 to 374 inside five overs.Related

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

England have been here before. They chased 371 in the first Test of this series with five wickets in hand, and cruised to 378 against India at Edgbaston three years ago without breaking a sweat. A punchy opening stand between Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett shaved 50 runs off the target as the shadows lengthened, and England will not be overawed by scoreboard pressure.But Crawley’s dismissal in the final over of the day swung the pendulum firmly in India’s favour. It was Mohammed Siraj, the last seamer standing in this series, who delivered a moment of high skill and high drama. With two balls remaining, Siraj pushed Jaiswal back to deep square leg, a bluff to mask the searing 84mph/135kph yorker which followed, and crashed into off stump.It will be a huge test of both teams’ character, skill and resilience as the series heads into its 24th – and surely final – day. A draw would be a superb achievement for India under new leadership, not least from 2-1 down and on the ropes in Manchester; for England, a series win would be their first against a ‘Big Three’ opponent under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum.3:25

‘Root’s wicket will be most important for India’

In Woakes’ absence, this was a brutally tough day for their three greenhorn seamers Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue and Jamie Overton, who bowled 79 out of 88 overs between them in India’s second innings. Ollie Pope did his best to rotate them but the workload was immense, particularly without a specialist spinner. Their cause was not helped by six dropped catches, and India profited from their profligacy.Akash Deep was the unlikely protagonist of the morning session, seizing an opportunity to chance his arm after seeing out two balls as nightwatcher on Friday evening. He popped the third ball of the day over mid-on for four and decided to keep on swinging, punching the air and thumping his chest when he reached 50 for only the second time in his professional career.England could have had him twice in two balls: they were convinced that Tongue had trapped him lbw, only for the DRS to uphold umpire Ahsan Raza’s not-out call, and Crawley dropped Tongue’s follow-up at third slip. By the time his leading edge was pouched by Atkinson at point off Overton, Akash Deep had added 107 in partnership with Jaiswal.Akash Deep’s gleeful hitting cast Jaiswal in an unfamiliar role, playing in his partner’s slipstream. But he continued to inflict death by a thousand cuts on England’s seamers, scoring heavily behind square on the off side and seizing on any width offered. He reached his hundred after lunch by pinching a single into that very same region, bookending his first tour of England with centuries.By that stage, he had lost another partner. Shubman Gill’s fine series ended with the first ball after lunch, which nipped back off the seam and thumped into his knee roll to give Atkinson his seventh of the match. His overall aggregate – 754 – was second only to Sunil Gavaskar among Indian batters in a Test series, but his highest score in four innings in London was just 21.2:58

Bangar: ‘Akash Deep could be India’s No. 8’

Karun Nair soon became Atkinson’s eighth victim of the Test, edging behind for 17. Nair was struck on the glove first ball, and dropped by Harry Brook – whose view was obscured by Crawley diving across him – on 12 before failing to account for Atkinson’s extra bounce. After a top score of 57 in eight innings, it seems Nair’s comeback series may also prove to be his farewell.Dropped twice on Friday evening, Jaiswal got a third life from Duckett at leg gully, but holed out to deep point for 118 soon after. But India’s lead continued to swell: Jadeja successfully overturned an lbw decision after being struck flush on the right boot and added exactly 50 for the seventh wicket with Dhruv Jurel, as England finally resorted to their occasional spinners.The pitch had clearly flattened out from the first two days but still offered something to work with. Overton managed to get a 76-over-old ball to swing away and trap Jurel lbw, and Tongue threatened to end the innings quickly: Brook finally held on to one when Jadeja steered to him on 53, and Siraj was distraught when given out lbw off the inside edge, with India out of reviews.But Washington went down swinging, as though Brook’s advice in Manchester to “get on with it” was ringing in his ears. He hauled four leg-side sixes in 12 balls, the last of which brought up a 39-ball fifty. By the time he miscued to Crawley at midwicket to give Tongue his fifth wicket, he and Prasidh Krishna (0 off 2) had put on 39 vital runs for the 10th wicket.Duckett and Crawley were left with 14 overs to lay a foundation for England, and Gill was clearly desperate to avoid a repeat of their freewheeling stand in the first innings, posting a deep point from the outset to stem the flow of runs. If it initially seemed curious that Siraj was held back to first change, then his crucial strike vindicated Gill’s decision to give him a single, late burst.