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Ollie Pope will keep wicket as tourists deal with fallout from Jordan Cox injury

Vithushan Ehantharajah25-Nov-2024

Jacob Bethell is set to bat No. 3 on Test debut•Getty Images

Jacob Bethell will make his Test debut for England at No. 3 against New Zealand in the first Test at Hagley Oval on Thursday, despite never having fulfilled the role in first-class cricket.As part of a reshuffled batting line-up following Jordan Cox’s broken thumb – who was initially set to debut with Jamie Smith missing the tour on paternity leave – the Warwickshire middle order batter will come in at first-drop to allow Ollie Pope to keep wicket with a more withdrawn role at six. Joe Root will remain at No.4 for his 150th cap.The selection of Bethell in a position of such responsibility is a reflection of the selectors’ regard for his talent. He made his T20I and ODI debuts against Australia at the end of the home summer, and impressed out in the Caribbean with three half-centuries across both formats on that white ball tour. He subsequently earned a maiden IPL gig with a £245,000 deal with Royal Challengers Bangalore on Monday.England XI for first Test against New Zealand•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Nevertheless, the 21-year-old remains an unknown quantity in first-class cricket. He averages 25.44 from 30 innings, with just five half-centuries, none of which have come higher than No. 5. A career-best score of 93 came against Nottinghamshire in April. He will be come the first specialist batter to play Test cricket for England without a first-class century since Mike Gatting in 1978.Bethell only arrived in New Zealand on Sunday after time off at home following the West Indies series. As a result, he did not play any part in the two-day tour match against the New Zealand Prime Minister’s XI.In a year of left-field selections from England, this might rank as one on the outer reaches of that spectrum. Particularly given Root, with his wealth of experience, could have performed the role. While Ben Stokes has been keen to allow England’s leading Test run-scorer the comfort of batting No. 4 throughout his tenure as captain, it is worth noting Root’s 262 against Pakistan last month came at three.Speaking on Tuesday, Root revealed he had not been approached about batting three, but backed Bethell to take this fast-tracked promotion in his stride. Despite having never played together, the pair know each other well as their fathers played together at Sheffield Collegiate Cricket Club.”I love the look of him as a player,” said Root. “I’ve known Jacob and his family a long time and it’s been lovely to watch him grow up as a player coming through in Barbados then at Warwickshire. What he’s done in the white-ball stuff more recently has been exceptional.”He’s full of confidence, he’s got great ability and a really well rounded game. He’s a mature head on young shoulders and I think he has all the components to set him up nicely to be successful in this format and at this level. I’m sure he’ll enjoy every aspect of the week, I’m really looking forward to watching him do his stuff.”If you look at the way he sets up I think it suits that (batting at three), especially here with the little bit of extra bounce and carry. He plays very well square of the wicket and if he gets in on a wicket like that he could be very destructive. It’s a really exciting opportunity and prospect for us to see a young player coming in hopefully doing something really special at the start of his career.”This particular gamble has been forced, to a point. Cox’s injury in the nets on Sunday morning ahead of play in Queenstown threw their initial plans into disarray. There has been a further complication as Durham’s Ollie Robinson – due to be confirmed as the injury replacement – is currently getting his passport renewed. However it was unlikely he would have featured in the opening Test given the travel involved and the time needed to overcome jet lag.Despite a green seamer expected at Hagley Oval, England have chosen to persist with Shoaib Bashir as their spinner, with Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse the out-and-out seamers, and Stokes as the all-round option.England XI for first Test: 1 ⁠Zak Crawley, 2⁠ ⁠Ben Duckett, 3⁠ ⁠Jacob Bethell, 4⁠ ⁠Joe Root, 5 ⁠Harry Brook, 6⁠ ⁠Ollie Pope (wk), 7⁠ ⁠Ben Stokes (capt), 8⁠ ⁠Chris Woakes, 9⁠ ⁠Gus Atkinson, 10⁠ ⁠Brydon Carse, 11⁠ ⁠Shoaib Bashir

Sobhana Mostary hits 44 but England spinners shackle chase in low-scorer

Alan Gardner05-Oct-2024

Linsey Smith picked up two wickets as England closed out the game•ICC/Getty Images

England’s four-spinner attack shackled Bangladesh in a low-scorer at Sharjah to get their T20 World Cup campaign off to a winning start. Danni Wyatt-Hodge made 41 off 40 before England fell away with the bat but, on a slow, gripping surface, Bangladesh were kept in check throughout despite Sobhana Mostary’s career-best 44.With dew having played a limited role in the tournament so far, Heather Knight had opted to get a score on the board. Linsey Smith, the slow left-armer who spent six years out of the side, was selected in preference to Lauren Bell, alongside the formidable trio of Sophie Ecclestone, Charlie Dean and Sarah Glenn. Smith bowled two in the powerplay, as England had hinted in the build-up, and finished with constricting figures of 2 for 11, as well as playing a part in the run-out of Nigar Sultana.Bangladesh had defended a similar score at this ground in their opening game against Scotland, but while Fahima Khatun and Ritu Moni were again impressive with the ball, they paid for allowing England to get away in the powerplay. Wyatt-Hodge and Maia Bouchier rode their luck at times – Bouchier was badly missed on 16 – but an opening stand of 48 in 6.4 overs opened up a chasm between the sides.The chase rarely got out of second gear, with only Mostary and Nigar reaching double-figures. Mostary should have been stumped on nought and would have been out lbw on 8 had England reviewed but she prevented the innings from flatlining even as Bangladesh struggled to build partnerships.Mostary anchors, Bangladesh groundedIn contrast to the start made by England, Bangladesh managed just one boundary during the powerplay, losing both openers to be off the pace on 20 for 2. Dilara Akter, into the XI in place of Murshida Khatun, missed a sweep at Dean to be lbw in the fourth over, before Shathi Rani took on Smith only to be taken by the leaping Ecclestone at mid-off.The rebuilding job fell to Mostary, who had top-scored in victory over Scotland, and the captain, Nigar. The latter signalled that Bangladesh weren’t out of it, despite the climbing run rate, as she twice danced out to hit Glenn for fours in the ninth over.Bangladesh reached 42 for 2 at halfway, with Mostary picking up her first boundary shortly after as the third-wicket pair looked to push on. But Nigar was run out taking on Smith’s arm for a second that wasn’t there and Glenn bowled Shorna Akter to pile the pressure on Mostary. She responded by thrashing Dean over deep midwicket for six, leaving the requirement 40 from the last four overs. In the end, it was too much of an ask – although keeping Ecclestone wicketless for only the second time in 36 T20Is was a small victory.Early runningThe opening exchanges were watchful, as England attempted to size up a pitch they had never previously played on. It wasn’t until the fourth over that Wyatt-Hodge hit the first boundary – by which point she and opening partner Bouchier had been involved in three near-mishaps with their running.Bouchier survived a direct hit in the first over, via a well-judged tip-and-run to mid-off. Wyatt-Hodge was then left sprawling face first for the line as she attempted an even tighter single, only saved by the time it took Nahida Akter to return the ball to the non-striker’s stumps. And Wyatt-Hodge should have gone in the next over, picking out Moni in the covers and then sent back by Bouchier – only for the fielder to make a complete hash of throwing the ball in.The pair soon decided that boundaries were preferable to risky singles. Wyatt-Hodge swiped Fahima over square leg and then drilled four more through cover; Bouchier climbed into Marufa Akter as the swing began to wear off, striking back-to-back fours – although she should have gone next ball when prodding to point, where Rabeya Khan put down a straightforward chance. Another brace of fours off Nahida in the sixth over and England were up and running, 47 without loss from the powerplay.England progress stalledFrom that point on, Sharjah’s slow-and-low surface began to exert its influence on proceedings. England scored 29 runs and lost four wickets over the course of the next 6.1 overs as Bangladesh’s plethora of pace-off options came to the fore. Bouchier was first to go, plinking Rabeya to mid-on, and Nat Sciver-Brunt did not last long, playing around Fahima’s legbreak to be plumb lbw.Wyatt-Hodge and Knight steadied things but Moni’s peach did for the England captain, nipping the ball through the gate to hit middle and leg. When Wyatt-Hodge walked past one from Nahida to be stumped miles from safety, England were 76 for 4 and wondering how to resuscitate the innings in suffocating conditions.Alice Capsey became the first batter outside of the top two to find the boundary with a sweep off Nahida in the same over, but she became Fahima’s second victim when reversing straight to point. Danielle Gibson huffed and puffed, striking one four before edging behind for 7 off 11, while Amy Jones tried to make the most of being dropped on 3. From the penultimate ball, Ecclestone finally managed a clean hit, lofting the only six of the innings straight back down the ground.

Manchester United have identified a “terrific” Premier League player as a top target this summer, according to a promising new transfer claim.

Man Utd continue to eye attacking stars with Cunha

The Red Devils are expecting an exodus of attacking players before the new season gets underway, with the likes of Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Antony and Alejandro Garnacho all moving on.

While Matheus Cunha has joined from Wolves, and Bryan Mbeumo remains a strong target from Brentford, United know the importance of bringing in a new centre forward, amid Rasmus Hojlund’s struggles. Juventus star Dusan Vlahovic has been linked with a summer move to Old Trafford, and would be an exciting addition who has proven himself at the top level. A swap deal involving the out-of-favour Sancho has also been mooted.

Eintracht Frankfurt ace Hugo Ekitike has been talked about as an option for many top Premier League clubs this summer, including Liverpool, and he could be an alternative option to Vlahovic for the Red Devils.

United are also said to have made contact over the signing of highly-rated Southampton youngster Tyler Dibling, who is arguably seen as one of the brightest young English attacking talents around. Now, another name has been thrown into the mix.

Man Utd make Premier League striker top target

According to Caught Offside, Manchester United are “considering” making a move for Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins in the summer window, with the forward also in Arsenal’s thinking ahead of the new campaign, however, ‘United consider him more of a top target’.

The 29-year-old is described as a “key target” for Ruben Amorim, who is no doubt desperate to bolster the attacking options at his disposal and has Watkins, Cunha and Mbeumo at the heart of his vision.

The report itself further goes on to state: “Amorim wants to reshape the squad by focusing on players with Premier League experience. Watkins is at the heart of this vision, along with names like Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo. Amorim’s target is clear: Ready-made stars who will contribute immediately.”

The £130,000-a-week Watkins has the potential to be an excellent signing for United, having been such a consistent performer for Villa down the years.

He has scored 87 goals in 223 appearances for the Midlands outfit, not to mention netting a memorable winner for England against the Netherlands in the semi-finals of Euro 2024 last summer, and he has also been lauded by Danny Murphy.

“He just looks like a player that is completely comfortable in his own skin and what he is good at. Every aspect of his game has improved under Unai Emery and he is also being pushed for a place by Jhon Duran, so that always helps you raise your game. He is a terrific player.”

The one negative that jumps out with Watkins is that he turns 30 later this year, however, so there is a risk that United could spend big on a player whose peak is about to drift by.

Ollie Watkins’ career goalscoring stats	Appearances	Goals
England	18	5
Aston Villa	223	87
Brentford	143	49
Exeter City	78	26

For that reason, Amorim would arguably be wise to look at a younger option to come in and lead the line, even though United signing him likely wouldn’t be a bad thing over the next two or three years.

Aston Villa haven’t got the ball rolling just yet on adding some memorable signings to Unai Emery’s camp.

Marco Bizot has entered the building as another goalkeeper option, but it’s hardly a signing to get overly excited by, whilst the likes of Tottenham Hotspur splash the big bucks to land Mohammed Kudus, alongside Arsenal suddenly sparking into life in the chaotic transfer window.

Unfortunately, the main conversations surrounding the Villans this window continue to be the amount of outgoings that could take place, with Jacob Ramsey looking at an exit, with a move away from the West Midlands to nearby Nottingham Forest potentially in the works.

Still, there’s sufficient time for Villa to make waves in the market with some standout additions, as a £40m winger now comes onto their radar.

Aston Villa register interest in brand new attacker

Of course, whilst selling Ramsey would be a blow to the Villa system, he didn’t cost the Premier League side a single penny, owing to his homegrown status. Therefore, any sale would represent profit, something that could be vital as far as PSR is concerned.

Transfer Focus

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

Still, if they can keep him around, he would be seen as a valued member of Emery’s squad heading into next season, even as bold attacking additions are rumoured to be on the Villans’ shopping list.

Nicolas Jackson is one name floating about as a striker target, but a fresh report by the Daily Mail Online might well trouble Ramsey’s long-term future at Villa Park as Alejandro Garnacho is eyed up by Emery and Co. as a brand-new left winger option.

The report states that both Chelsea and Spurs have been keeping tabs on the South American’s fractured situation at Old Trafford for some time, but it’s Villa who have now registered their interest in the attacker.

It’s stated that the Red Devils do not expect to get anywhere near £70m for Garnacho, which is what their previous price-tag had been, with £40m perhaps a more realistic suggestion based on more recent reports.

How Garnacho compares to Ramsey

This might well go down as a worthwhile risk to take on Villa’s end if they do pursue his signature further, with Garnacho at his Theatre of Dreams peak arguably a better talent than Ramsey back at his boyhood employers.

Even when his relationship with Ruben Amorim last season was strained, Garnacho showed more than enough flashes of quality for his beleaguered side.

Indeed, in all competitions across the 24/25 campaign, the 21-year-old fired home a mightily impressive 11 strikes, on top of collecting ten assists, which is a hefty tally Ramsey very much struggled to get to at Villa Park.

Games played

58

46

Minutes played

3569

2326

Goals scored

11

4

Assists

10

5

The Forest-linked attacker would fall short of Garnacho’s total by a worrying 12 goal contributions, with his offering the season before not any better at just one goal and two assists.

On the flip side, the £40m “superstar” – as he was once labelled by football content creator Liam Canning – again reached double digits with 15 combined goals and assists, as one of those strikes even came about on the biggest stage of them all in the Champions League.

Therefore, losing Ramsey might not be the most disorientating development if Garnacho is purchased as his immediate replacement, with the South American also capable of playing in a number ten role like his English counterpart.

That’s not to forget he’s also capable of the spectacular. Remember that ​​​​​​overhead kick at Goodison Park? Of course, you do.

Moreover, if Emery puts his full trust into Garnacho and his confidence becomes sky-high, much like the Marcus Rashford loan situation last season, even more could soon come from the “generational” attacker, as he was once glowingly labelled by football analyst Statman Dave.

Villa have endured a testing summer to date with all their PSR issues, but it doesn’t have to be the end of the world if Ramsey soon departs the building, if Emery and Co. have a reinvigorated Garnacho up their sleeve.

Aston Villa step up pursuit of £6m "warrior" who starred at Club World Cup

The Villans are battling Manchester United for the signature of a player who caught the eye in the USA.

ByDominic Lund Jul 15, 2025

Liverpool have now submitted a “concrete offer” to sign a teenage centre-back from Ligue 1, say reports in the player’s homeland of Morocco.

Liverpool expected to complete Wirtz and Kerkez deals

Liverpool appear to be close to capturing not one but two new players in the coming days. Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen and Milos Kerkez from AFC Bournemouth are expected to follow Jeremie Frimpong through the Anfield door to become Arne Slot’s second and third signings of the summer.

Liverpool in talks for another club-record signing who's as exciting as Wirtz

Liverpool may need to replace Luis Diaz in the transfer market this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Jun 4, 2025

The Athletic’s David Ornstein revealed on Tuesday that Liverpool’s latest Wirtz bid, which was worth £109 million, was turned down by Leverkusen, as they hold out for a British-record fee of £126 million, but a deal is still expected to go through.

And Wirtz appears to have implied things are progressing on his own social media accounts too, posting on Instagram to deny reports he has demanded Alexis Mac Allister’s number ten shirt in order to join.

As Liverpool work on finding an agreement with Leverkusen, club chiefs are also closing in on a deal for a new left-back. According to Sky Sports, the Reds are growing increasingly confident that they will sign Kerkez from Bournemouth.

The Hungary star is keen on the move to Anfield and personal terms are not said to be an issue.

Liverpool submit official bid for teenage centre-back

The Reds don’t plan on stopping there, as according to Morocco’s LE360 Sport, relayed by Sport Witness, Liverpool have now made a concrete offer to sign defender Abdelhamid Aït Boudlal from Stade Rennais.

The 19-year-old, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Amiens in Ligue 2, has yet to make his senior debut for Stade Rennais, but that hasn’t stopped Liverpool and Newcastle United from showing significant interest. The Magpies have met with the player already, but the Reds have gone one step further and have already made an offer, though it is unclear what the offer is worth.

OGC Nice and two teams from La Liga are also in the ‘picture’ when it comes to signing Aït Boudlal. The Moroccan is under contract until 2028, but given the significant interest from Europe, it appears his time in Rennes is coming to an end.

Apps

9

Starts

8

Assists

1

Big chances created

1

Interceptions per game

0.7

Tackles per game

1.6

Balls recovered per game

3.6

Clearances per game

7.9

Liverpool’s interest in Aït Boudlal isn’t new, as club scout Kyle Wallbanks was in attendance for the AFCON U20 tournament, where Aït Boudlal helped Morocco reach the final. The Reds have obviously been keeping a close eye on the defender and are now ready to bring him to Anfield.

This summer, Glasgow Rangers will be looking for a very particular type of player to help strengthen the first-team squad at Ibrox.

The new manager might have some money to spend thanks to the 49ers Entreprises investment, but he should be wary of shelling out inflated transfer fees for those players on the continent.

Indeed, Michael Beale wasted nearly £13m on Sam Lammers, Danilo and Cyriel Dessers in the summer of 2023. Before him, Giovanni van Bronckhorst splashed money on the likes of Rabbi Matondo and Antonio Colak.

Looking a bit closer to home might be the best strategy for the Light Blues, especially with regard to hopefully generating a future profit.

Therefore, taking a look at players from England who are out of contract this summer might be a healthy approach to take.

In 2023, Dujon Sterling moved to Ibrox on a free transfer and has been a solid addition to the squad. Going back further, Steven Gerrard signed young defender Calvin Bassey, paying a compensation fee of just £230k in 2020.

He went on to make 65 appearances for the Gers across his two-year spell, but when Ajax came calling with an offer worth just under £23m, it meant Rangers secured a lavish profit on the youngster.

Perhaps the finest signing from England in recent years is that of Joe Aribo. The Nigeria international moved to Glasgow in 2019 and enjoyed an excellent three-year stint north of the border.

Joe Aribo's time at Rangers

Following a trophyless 2018/19 season, Gerrard sought improvement during the summer transfer window in a bid to challenge Celtic.

There was plenty of movement, as Ryan Kent, Filip Helander and Ianis Hagi all completed permanent moves to the club.

One of the most shrewd pieces of business was signing Aribo from the English side, Charlton Athletic. Rangers only paid £300k for the midfielder due to cross-border compensation rules, and Gerrard heaped praise on him, saying: “He’s mobile, dynamic, can burst past a player and create and score goals. There is room for him to develop but he’ll give us something we’ve not got in the midfield department.”

The club may have ended the 2019/20 season without a trophy once again, but progress had been made and Aribo demonstrated his class. Across 49 matches, he registered 17 goal contributions, setting him up nicely for the following campaign.

While his goal involvement output dropped from 17 to 15 during 2020/21, Aribo was clearly a more all-round player as the Ibrox side won their first title in a decade.

Joe Aribo’s Rangers statistics
Season	Games	Goals	Assists
2021/22	57	9	10
2020/21	43	8	7
2019/20	49	9	8
Via Transfermarkt

He created seven big chances in 31 games, while averaging 1.2 key passes and succeeding with 1.9 dribbles – a success rate of 59% – per game in the top flight.

These dynamic performances bolstered Aribo’s reputation as someone who might attract a big transfer fee in the near future.

The club didn’t have long to wait. The midfielder helped the Light Blues win the Scottish Cup in 2022, while he also became just the fourth player to score for Rangers in a major European final following his opener in the Europa League showpiece.

That summer, Southampton secured his signature in a deal worth up to £10m, representing an excellent piece of business by the Glasgow side.

With the transfer window close to opening for the summer, could the club make a similar sort of signing? One Championship player has been linked with a move north.

Rangers eye move for Aribo 2.0

The 49ers first port of call is to announce a new permanent manager as soon as possible, but that hasn’t stopped the club from being linked with various players.

One name that stands out is Blackburn Rovers winger Tyrhys Dolan, who is set to leave the club once his contract expires.

Reports earlier this month claimed that Rangers are monitoring the Englishman ahead of the transfer window, and he could move to Scotland on the cheap due to cross-border regulations. Similar to the moves for Bassey and Aribo.

If a move does go through, Dolan could be Rangers’ next Aribo, no doubt about that.

Why Rangers must sign Tyrhys Dolan this summer

Having seen Vaclav Cerny return to his parent club after the end of the season, the only registered senior winger in the first-team squad is Ross McCausland.

Given that the Northern Irishman registered just four goal contributions all season, this area is a problematic one.

Therefore, signing Dolan for a minimal fee makes perfect sense. He is just 23, meaning the winger has yet to hit his peak and, similar to Aribo, he has enjoyed a solid start to his career in England.

Across 47 games for Blackburn, the youngster scored seven goals and chipped in with six assists, missing out on the playoffs by just two points.

When compared to his positional peers in the Championship, Dolan ranks in the top 11% for shots on target percentage (44%) and goal-creating actions (0.48) per 90, along with ranking in the top 17% for carries into the final third (2.04) and take-ons attempted (4.31) per 90.

A solid set of statistics show that Dolan is keen to take on his man whenever possible, while he also demonstrates a keen eye for goal.

He was praised following a performance during the 2023/24 season, with journalist Elliott Jackson saying: “I thought Tyrhys Dolan was absolutely terrific today. Not just for the goals but the way he worked off the ball.”

During his time at Rangers, Aribo could always make something happen when he was on the ball, creating individual moments of joy. He didn’t shy away from the defensive side of the game, however and is work rate was excellent.

Dolan operates in a similar manner and could be a fine signing indeed should the new manager wish to bring him to Ibrox.

Considering the compensation fee would be small, the English winger could become a shrewd signing indeed. Who knows, he might just generate millions in profit after a couple of successful seasons in Scotland.

Rangers hold talks with new 3-4-3 manager who is a 3-time league champion

Is he the strongest possible choice for the Gers?

By
Henry Jackson

May 25, 2025

An “unbelievable” manager, who has won two promotions to the Premier League, is now on Leicester City’s “list” of targets to replace Ruud van Nistelrooy, according to former scout Mick Brown.

Ruud's time at Leicester coming to an end

Leicester have hardly put up a fight in their bid to avoid relegation, having collected just 18 points all season, and they have taken a significant turn for the worse since appointing Van Nistelrooy, whose record as manager is extremely poor.

The Dutchman has averaged just 0.48 points per match since taking the reins at the King Power Stadium, and it is now looking increasingly likely he will be replaced at the end of the season, with several potential replacements being identified.

Former Southampton manager Russell Martin is the Foxes’ first choice to replace Ruud, and the 39-year-old is believed to be keen on taking over, should an approach be made, while Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl is also on the shortlist.

Leicester City eye move for new 40 y/o manager who has same agent as Vardy

He’s been in the Championship before.

ByCharlie Smith Apr 9, 2025

Having led the Saints to promotion last season, Martin could be a sensible appointment for Leicester, but ex-scout Brown has now revealed a manager with two promotions to the Premier League under his belt is also on the shortlist.

Brown told Football Insider: “Ruud is going to be sacked, there’s no doubt about that.

“I wasn’t impressed by Russell Martin in the Premier League, but he was a big reason why they got promoted in the first place. That’s what Leicester are looking for – a manager to guide them back up straight away.”

“There are a few names on their list, Sean Dyche is one I’ve heard, for example. But it sounds like Martin is the leading candidate for it at the moment, based on what I hear.”

"Unbelievable" Dyche could lead Foxes to promotion

David Moyes’ success since replacing Dyche in the Everton dugout suggests the Englishman may not be the right man to lead Leicester’s long-term project, but there is every indication he could be capable of leading them to promotion next season.

The former Burnley boss took the Clarets up in 2013-14 and 2015-16, winning the title the second time around, while he has also received very high praise from former player Kieran Trippier, who lauded the 53-year-old as an “unbelievable manager”.

One thing that is clear is that Ruud will need to be replaced this summer, with former winger Matt Piper recently criticising the manager, while also insinuating some changes may need to be made to the playing squad, given their lack of effort this season.

“This season they are not good enough, there is no fight, there is no determination, there is no want to wear the shirt, there is no confidence.

“Then there is a manager that goes missing in the dugout. There are major things wrong at this football club and it’s been like this for some time. It’s just not good enough.”

Mayank Agarawal led from the front, seasoned pros were discarded, and a bunch of new faces made their presence felt in the winning run

Shashank Kishore20-Jan-2025Mayank Agarawal leads from the frontOver the past two seasons, the selectors had moved on from a number of seasoned players, who have had to find new teams or wait for answers on their future – R Samarth and Karun Nair have shifted to Uttarakhand and Vidarbha, respectively, while Manish Pandey and K Gowtham are out.Related

TN's young star Siddarth eager to carry forward legacy of uncle Sharath

'I'm amazed myself' – Karun Nair reflects on record-breaking run

The long-winding rise of Krishnan Shrijith

Karnataka hadn’t come close to winning the title in any of the formats last season, and in this one, 2024-25, they exited in the quarter-finals of the T20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and have had a tough time during the first half of the Ranji Trophy season. Against this backdrop, Mayank Agarawal’s four centuries and 651 runs at an average of 93 in a title-winning campaign came at a time when there was a growing sense that the selectors were looking towards youngsters.”I thought I had a great tournament,” Agarawal told ESPNcricinfo. “To be overshadowed by somebody who had a record-breaking run like Karun – it was absolutely stunning for him to achieve what he did and I’m delighted for him – but, at a personal level, those four hundreds made a massive difference personally and for the team.”A slight shift in technique was the starting point. “I made subtle changes in my setup and backlift,” Agarawal explained. “It was also more about breaking down different phases in the game and making plans for those phases and executing those. When you execute it once, you get the confidence and a rhythm and hunger to keep going it again and again.”Agarawal’s upturn in form came after not finding any takers at the IPL mega auction ahead of the 2025 season.”To be honest, I gave myself six-eight hours to soak in what had happened and then said to myself, ‘listen, this is what has happened, this is where I’m at – what do I do next?’ I didn’t want to sit and brood over why it didn’t happen.”It was a knock on the chin and instead of getting upset, I tried to figure out what I need to do, what my immediate focus should be and how I get back on track. So the hundreds and runs was the coming together of all these processes I set for myself in rediscovering myself.”[File photo] Krishnan Shrijith is one of the bright new finds in the batting department•KSCARevamped middle order: KV Aneesh, R Smaran and K ShrijithAgarawal picked out Karnataka’s ability to win key moments regularly as a major reason for their success. It started from the go, with Karnataka chasing 381 against Mumbai in their tournament opener. “That instilled a lot of belief, because this is after all a team in transition,” Agarawal said.K Shrijith scored 150, and Praveen Dubey bounced back from an expensive spell with the ball (2 for 89) with an unbeaten 65. “You suddenly saw fearlessness that the younger group carried forward from there – it was as if that chase unlocked something within the youngsters.”In the second game against Puducherry, R Smaran got his first List A hundred in his maiden season. Smaran had been a standout player in the Under-23s last season for Karnataka. His temperament and ability to soak in pressure was evident again in the final. With Karnataka in choppy waters at 67 for 3, he put together a remarkable partnership with Shrijith to set up the finish for Abhinav Manohar.Smaran finished as Karnataka’s second-highest run-getter, hitting 433 runs in seven innings at an average of 72.16 with two hundreds and two half-centuries. Shrijith made 303 runs, 228 of those in two innings alone – against Mumbai and in the final against Vidarbha – which points to some thought in team selection, since they persisted with him despite a dip in the middle of the tournament.Like Smaran, KV Aneesh is a product of the Under-23s, and he flourished to play a crucial role in the middle order in Pandey’s absence. Aneesh, who grew up in the UAE but returned home to be able to give his cricket career the best shot possible, broke through into the state side on the back of 922 runs, including a double-century in the final, in the CK Nayudu Trophy last season. At the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Aneesh hit a crucial 83 against Saurashtra and 52 in the quarter-final against Baroda.It also helped that Devdutt Padikkal, who was available for the knockouts after the Australia Test series, hit 102 and 86 in their quarter-final and semi-final wins over Baroda and Haryana.”I thought I had a great tournament”•Mayank Agarawal Abhilash Shetty, the new left-arm pacer on the blockIt’s a dimension to Karnataka’s bowling attack that has been missing since S Aravind exited in 2017-18. While there have been a few left-armers, like Prateek Jain, who have played sporadically, they hadn’t found that one seamer capable of playing across formats. Until the Vijay Hazare Trophy.Abhilash Shetty arrived in style, taking a five-for against Punjab on his List A debut, and carrying on that form to finish with 17 wickets in seven games, the joint-third-highest in the tournament. Seven of those wickets came in the semi-final and final.”In the game against Punjab, Abhilash picked up two wickets in an over [Anmol Malhotra and Ramandeep Singh] as he came back for his second spell – which was the turning point I’d say between us having to chase 290 and chasing 248,” Agarawal said. “He’s a very talented bowler, who understood what he needed to do whenever he was brought on to bowl.”Shetty’s arrival coincided with Karnataka’s bowling stocks having been depleted. Vidwath Kaverappa and Vyshak Vijaykumar were both out injured, while Prasidh Krishna was away with the Test squad in Australia, though he rejoined the team on his return.This made Shetty the partner to the consistent V Koushik, who not only contributed 18 wickets (just two short of Arshdeep Singh’s chart-topping 20) but also made a crucial 7 not out at No. 11 in an unbroken 47-run stand with Agarawal to seal a tense win against Punjab, which was massive in the overall context of their qualification to the knockouts.Shreyas Gopal delivers on his returnThere had been a debate within the state circles over the decision to go back to legspinning allrounder Shreyas Gopal, who returned after a season with Kerala. But Shreyas showed that his rich experience counted for a lot, finishing as the joint-second-highest wicket-taker, his 18 wickets coming at an economy of 4.98. This included two thrifty spells of 2 for 36 and 2 for 38 in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively. He also contributed a useful 29 with the bat in the low-scoring one-wicket win over Punjab.

The mid-season trades didn’t work, pace bowling was a problem, and their most successful spinner had a tournament to forget

Sreshth Shah21-May-20235:04

Moody: KKR’s issue was juggling of top order and uncertainty around XI

Where they finished

Position on table: Seventh, with 12 points
Wins: Six
Losses: Eight
By the time they produced complete team performances in the last fortnight of the league stage, Kolkata Knight Riders were all but eliminated. Their expensive mid-season trades did not provide a positive payoff, they identified their best openers very late and their most successful spinner in IPL history had an ordinary season. Pace bowling continued to be a problem and if it wasn’t for a couple of brilliant individual performances from their domestic talent, KKR could’ve finished even lower.Related

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• The legbreak does the trick as Chennai's Varun trumps CSK at Chepauk

The good – Domestic talent impress

Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana and Rinku Singh (alongside Andre Russell) provided a robust and attacking middle order that was dangerous both against pace and spin. Rinku and Rana were the most consistent among the four, and both batters are among the top five run-getters between Nos. 4 and 7 this season.Fast bowlers Vaibhav Arora and Harshit Rana showed promise even if their inexperience proved to be expensive in some games. Both showed signs that they can be regular new-ball bowlers in the future with their impeccable seam positions and stepped up when a lackluster Umesh Yadav was injured.Varun Chakravarthy, too, returned to his mysterious ways, taking 20 wickets this season. He was one level above the other KKR bowlers that also includes Sunil Narine. In fact, young Suyash Sharma on his debut IPL season impressed more than Narine with his 10 scalps in 11 games.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The bad – Unsettled at the top and trades underutilised

There were a lot of things that went wrong for KKR. Shreyas Iyer’s injury at the start of the season did not help, but neither did their choice of trying nine different opening pairs in 14 games. N Jagadeesan, Mandeep Singh, Venkatesh, Litton Das and Rahmanullah Gurbaz were all tried without each of them getting long runs, and till Jason Roy’s late arrival and subsequent boost, their first-wicket partnership always felt like a walking wicket.Shardul Thakur and Lockie Ferguson – two expensive trades between seasons – were not used enough in comparison to how much of their budget was spent on the pair. Ferguson had three ordinary outings, taking only three wickets with an economy north of 12.50 while Shardul averaged less than two overs per innings.Overseas player availability was also a problem. Their two Bangladesh overseas players had limited availability in the first place, and that problem was compounded when Shakib Al Hasan didn’t even travel to India. Roy, their best overseas player alongside Russell, was not even in their original squad and was drafted into the squad as a mid-season replacement.

Top performer: Rinku Singh

IPL 2023 has been a season of finishers across all teams but no story has quite been like Rinku’s. Backed by KKR since IPL 2018 through poor form and season-ending injuries, Rinku was the man who consistently saved KKR the blushes while also making his own case for an India cap.Rinku racked up 474 runs in one season – the most in IPL history by a batter coming in at No. 5 or below – while maintaining an average of 59.25 and a strike-rate of almost 150. Each of his four 50-plus scores came while chasing and while he was out there, other teams felt the pressure. Rinku hitting five sixes in the 20th over to seal a win over Gujarat Titans is one of the IPL’s most memorable moments, but he also closed out an important game against Punjab Kings with a last-ball four. He very nearly left LSG on the mat too in his last game with an unbeaten 67.

The highlights

Shardul’s 29-ball 68 in a come-from-behind win against Royal Challengers Bangalore. The Rinku special in Ahmedabad where KKR chased down 31 in the final over. The season double over RCB. And the win against Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk after 11 long years.

Poll

They are panicking and trying to attack from the crease rather than stepping out to get the bowler to change length

Ian Chappell27-Feb-20216:11

Rohit Sharma: ‘Intent wasn’t to survive, but to score’

Virat Kohli described the day-night third Test, in Ahmedabad, as “bizarre”, a word that aptly describes the England batsmen’s attempts to cope with India’s spinners.India’s decision to select three spinners for the Test was prompted by England’s batting on a tricky Chennai pitch, where their batsmen – Joe Root excepted – displayed a distinct ineptitude against spin. India correctly calculated that would result in mental scarring and used it to their advantage.From the moment Axar Patel conjured up the ultimate thimble-and-pea trick to dismiss Jonny Bairstow with a straight delivery, England were in a spin. Is the ball over there? No, it’s here.When faced with a serious spin challenge, the England batsmen didn’t trust their defence, which eventually resulted in panicked attempts to attack the Indian spinners. Their choice to reverse-sweep rather than to leave their crease to change the bowler’s length is a classic example.Related

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• How a spinner can break the rhythm of the batsman

• The science of deception

How can a risky premeditated shot be less dangerous than what was previously a trusted technique to unsettle good spinners?One of the first principles of batting – especially on a pitch assisting spinners – is to keep the odds slightly in your favour.Following the memorable 2000-01 series in India where VVS Laxman made a magnificent 281 on a testing surface, I asked Shane Warne how he thought he had performed. “I didn’t think I bowled badly,” he replied. “You didn’t,” was my response. “When a batsman alters your length drastically by coming out three paces and then is quickly onto the back foot when you toss the next delivery a little higher and shorter, that’s not bad bowling, that’s excellent footwork.”Shrewd use of footwork not only helps negate the spin but also puts a batsman in a position to direct the ball where he wants, rather than where the bowler would prefer it to be hit.To be fair, this is a skill to be learned at a young age. Which prompts the question: why is it not widely taught in England, where sweeping is misguidedly touted as the secret to playing spin bowling successfully?Another prominent theory is to take block on off stump when the ball is spinning back in to the batsman.Ollie Pope was looking to attack India’s spinners but at the same time was worried about getting stumped•Saikat Das/BCCIThis flawed theory closes off scoring opportunities through the on side. It’s designed to reduce the chances of being dismissed rather than to create scoring opportunities, which is always a bad option. It also causes batsmen to play balls towards leg slip. Why deliberately hit the ball where there’s a catching fielder?I asked former Australia batsman Doug Walters: “How do you get caught at leg slip when an offspinner is bowling?””You can’t,” he replied.Walters is the best batsman I’ve seen against top-class offspin bowling. He scored a century in a session on a tricky Queen’s Park Oval pitch against Lance Gibbs and crafted a brilliant hundred against Erapalli Prasanna on a Chepauk pitch that was every bit as difficult as the one in the recent Test there between India and England. On both occasions he used lightning quick footwork to both negate the spin and manipulate the field placings against two champion offspin bowlers.Back in Ahmedabad, Ollie Pope decided to use his feet against the Indian spinners. He had the right idea but the wrong execution. Firstly, he jumped rather than glided out of the crease. Secondly, his front foot pressed forward but the back one lingered, as if searching for the safety of the crease.I was told two crucial things about footwork when I was very young: “Get stumped by three yards not three inches,” my coach said, “and never think about the keeper when you leave the crease.”Pope was conscious of the keeper as he tentatively ventured out of his crease, which meant he was worried he would miss the delivery. That results in footwork that hinders rather than helps.It’s never easy against good spinners on a challenging surface, but it is possible to play well; just not the way England are going about it.