He said he wanted to take India’s existing culture forward with a bit of ‘love and care’

Sidharth Monga18-Jun-20251:38

What to expect from a young India side in England?

That Rishabh Pant and Sunil Gavaskar could turn the “stupid, stupid, stupid” bit into a commercial is as big a sign as any that what might at first appear stupid – Gavaskar’s words, not ours – from Pant can turn out to be beneficial for all concerned after all.It is the usual tight rope that maverick batters such as Pant must walk: pundits tend to comment on the results, not the process. When audacious batting comes off and spreads fields, the same pundits appear in awe. When it doesn’t come off, it can look silly – or stupid. Pant responded to the criticism with his slowest innings of 10 or more but it ended when he pulled a long hop straight to deep midwicket.India could have drawn that MCG Test but Pant would have seen with horror the next six wickets falling for just 34 runs. He was still good enough to top-score for India in both the innings of the next Test, played on a brutish SCG pitch. In the 43 Tests that Pant has played, all top-six batters have averaged 31.33. His average is 42.11.Related

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Pant has an exceptional record over as long as 43 Tests, and part of it is down to his individualistic methods. His audacity is what wins India the Gabba Test and the series even as the coaches are being driven up the wall, hoping he plays for the draw. Difficult as it might be given the scrutiny around India’s cricket, Pant has managed to retain that lightness absolutely necessary for his style of play. He comes back to England not just as the only visiting wicketkeeper to have scored two hundreds, but a tag that might challenge that lightness: that of a senior batter.2:41

Pant doesn’t want to ‘focus on the senior part too much’

There is time to go but Pant wore that tag with characteristic lightness. “It feels good, boss. Finally,” Pant said at the press conference how it felt to be called a “senior” batter. As the laughter subsided, he said: “It feels good but at the same time, you know it’s a responsibility also to share your knowledge, your experience with our new players, new youngsters coming to the team. But at the same time, not focusing on that senior part too much, you still have to play the game, you still have to learn the game as an individual and keep helping people around you. That’s how I look at it.”Pant doesn’t see the seniority – he is the most experienced batter after KL Rahul – affecting his batting when he is in the middle. “See it’s extracted responsibility, but at the same time when you are in the middle of the ground, you are not thinking, ‘Oh, I’m the vice-captain. I’m the senior player.’ You’re just a batsman in the middle. You’ve got to do the best you can from your side, and eventually the game will take care of itself.”It is when he is not batting that Pant wants to take on the weight of the leadership role. “A new start for us,” Pant said as he prepares to be the deputy to Shubman Gill. “Definitely big people have left, yes there will be a gap, but at the same time it’s an opportunity for us to build a new culture or take the existing culture forward, just adding to it.”Being in a great frame of mind, helping the new players to learn and improve themselves in overseas conditions. That is something we look forward to, and sharing knowledge with each other, having that care and love in their dressing room for each other. And that is something we’re looking forward to do.”It is astonishing how much some of the young Indian cricketers go through. Pant is the only visiting wicketkeeper to have scored hundreds in Australia, England and South Africa, something a few acknowledged batting greats haven’t managed. He has done all this in a bowling era. He is a World T20 champion. He has missed an ODI World Cup because of a life-threatening accident. He has been called “stupid, stupid, stupid” on live broadcast by a legend of the game. Now he is the elder statesman. All of this at just 27.You can’t manage all this without the love and care Pant spoke of. It’s his time now to give it.

Freed from the burden of expectations, the Hyderabad opener is eager to continue his excellent form in the upcoming domestic season

Deivarayan Muthu31-Aug-2025No opener has scored more runs than Tanmay Agarwal’s 1699, at an average of nearly 85, across the previous two Ranji Trophy seasons. However, when Hyderabad were part of the Plate Group in 2023-24, his numbers, which included a record triple-century, were often seen with an asterisk next to them.Then, in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy, he showed that he could dominate attacks in the Elite Group as well, tallying 934 runs in 12 innings. It culminated in a maiden Duleep Trophy call-up for Agarwal.”I just want to make plans and be relentless and stick to my plans for my first Duleep Trophy,” Agarwal said on the sidelines of the pre-season Buchi Babu tournament in Chennai. “If things go my way, good. If it doesn’t go my way, he [points skywards, suggesting God] has better plans for me.”Related

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Agarwal, 30, is a diminutive left-handed batter who is strong against both spin and pace. He has established himself as one of the mainstays in Hyderabad’s batting line-up along with Tilak Varma. Agarwal attributed his recent run spree to avoiding overthinking and going easy on himself.”A bit of luck and a change in my mindset – the way I approach the game, I feel, has made a difference,” he said. “I feel the approach and the mindset played a major role in the way I see things on the field. Before, I used to be very serious, as in if I was not getting the desired result, I would be very harsh on myself.”But nowadays I have started taking it easy because cricket is a game ultimately. It is not life and death for me. I used to take it as life and death. But now it is eased out and [understand] it’s just a game. [If] I make a mistake, I try not to repeat it. I go to the next game with better planning and better understanding of what cricket is. It has helped me in the last two years, and it has worked for me.”Tanmay Agarwal came away as the top run-getter in the league phase of the Buchi Babu tournament•Deivarayan Muthu/ESPNcricinfoAgarwal was particularly dejected when he had gone unsold in the IPL 2022 auction despite scoring a chart-topping 334 runs in seven innings at an average of 55.66 and strike rate of 148.44 in the 2021-22 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He has not made an IPL appearance yet. A conversation with VVS Laxman helped him stay motivated.”VVS Laxman helped me a lot and gave me clarity,” Agarwal recalled. “After that, I figured out what to do and what not to do. What works for me and what does not work for me. When I told him what I was going through, he said it was pretty normal.”[At the time], I was 27 and a half, I think. He gave me confidence and gave me a [road]map and even suggested [to] me a book by Tony Robbins [an author and motivational speaker]. After that, I haven’t thought about the IPL. If it has to come, it will come.”Agarwal has built a strong body of work in red-ball cricket, especially over the past two seasons, and developed the endurance to bat for long periods. Five of his last six first-class hundreds have been scores of 150 or more.”[Earlier], all my hundreds were 120s and 130s,” Agarwal said. “I had it in mind to make it into big hundreds. I worked on my fitness really hard for the last two years so that I don’t get tired after just scoring a hundred. That played a good part in the reason for me scoring big hundreds.!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data[“datawrapper-height”][t]+”px”;r.style.height=d}}})}();

In a year unlike any other for RCB, Jitesh has now played perhaps their most sparkling innings of the year, smashing an unbeaten 85 off just 33 balls

Sidharth Monga28-May-20252:04

Moody: Jitesh’s 85* the innings of this season

Once the euphoria settles, Jitesh Sharma will perhaps tell himself good things happen if you keep putting in the good work. Something he might have doubted before this game.Jitesh is not your typical Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) player. He is not a superstar, he doesn’t speak English, he didn’t even have a single IPL fifty when brought to RCB. Then again, this is not your typical RCB season. They named a non-superstar captain, Rajat Patidar, and threw their weight behind him. At the auction, they took Jitesh’s price to INR 11 crore from the base price of just a crore. Then they made Jitesh the vice-captain.After the break in the IPL, it has been a bit of a dogfight. Teams have scrambled for player availability, and RCB have had the added headache of injuries to their available players, including Tim David, upon resumption. In a way, the break only helped RCB, letting Patidar heal enough to play even if as just a batter. Josh Hazlewood could be available again. Only because we are still playing the IPL.Related

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Still it just seemed things were happening too quickly. Against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), RCB had a chance to seal a top-two spot. Their chase got off to a great start, but Patidar and Jitesh were part of a demoralising collapse.Then Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) handed them a lifeline by beating Gujarat Titans (GT). Another shot at the top two. Then came another big chase. Another excellent start. Another collapse. Here we go again. Jitesh in the spotlight again. Headlines about “top-heavy RCB” getting ready again.In the last match, Jitesh was involved in the run-out of Patidar that started their collapse of 7 for 16. Jitesh himself mis-hit a slot ball from Jaydev Unadkat. In Lucknow on Tuesday, though, luck turned for Jitesh. He hit the ball sweetly, but when he was about to be run-out because he was ball-watching and not looking at the non-striker, Will O’Rourke fumbled the take.Mayank Agarwal (R) congratulates Jitesh Sharma•BCCIThat was the one moment when he forgot his own survival kit. “I was only trying to stay in the moment, keep breathing and focusing on the ball,” Jitesh said later. Or perhaps he was focusing too hard. Looking too intently at the ball.The hitting was clean. In no time, he was on 49, and the two-run-a-ball chase had turned into 39 off 24. Had he got out there, RCB would likely have still won with two recognised batters still to follow, but Jitesh wouldn’t have got rid of this enormous weight on his shoulders. This night, though, was meant to be. Caught on 49, he was reprieved by the no-ball. Distraught one moment, he was swinging himself off his feet to slog the free hit into the stands and bring up his maiden IPL fifty. You could almost see the weight being lifted.”I was getting cramps because the whole load was on me because this is such a big franchise,” Jitesh said. “But I am enjoying the pressure. I have Virat [Kohli] with me, Krunal [Pandya] with me, Bhuvi [Bhuvneshwar Kumar] with me. When I look at them, I feel pressure. And also excitement that I am playing with these people. Then I enjoy that pressure.”2:31

An 18-year wait to end this season?

In a year unlike any other for RCB, Jitesh has now played perhaps their most sparkling innings of the year. This is sweet payoff for putting their faith in unheralded but promising players. And backing them knowing they haven’t necessarily got time in the middle because their top order has been scoring a majority of the runs.Jitesh himself now sits with elite lower-middle order players. His 85 not out off just 33 balls is the third-highest IPL score from No. 6 or lower. Above him are Hardik Pandya and Andre Russell. Below him are MS Dhoni and his “guru, mentor, Dinesh Karthik “. This is the highest score from No. 6 or below in a successful chase. That’s T20. You do all the range hitting, all the fitness work, get limited chances to bat, and then one day, in 33 balls, you are among the legends of the game.”I won’t be able to express my thoughts,” Jitesh said. “Really, I can’t believe such an innings has come.”The choice of words there is instructive. He didn’t say he couldn’t believe he had played such an innings. He said he couldn’t believe such an innings “has come”. That you always keep trying, but it “comes” only rarely. Especially if you bat where Jitesh does. Then again they do come if you keep putting in the work.

Rather than the pace of Jofra Archer, it was Chris Woakes with the keeper up to the stumps that did for India’s captain

Matt Roller11-Jul-20251:23

Manjrekar: Can’t find fault with Gill for his dismissal

“He’s out,” read the banner headline in the London evening newspaper , such was the sense of relief in England when Don Bradman was finally dismissed for 230 at The Oval in the final Test of the 1930 Ashes. In the absence of a modern equivalent, it was Chris Woakes’ face that evoked the same sentiment when he had Shubman Gill caught behind at Lord’s.Gill arrived in England averaging 35 and with plenty to prove away from home but his name has been mentioned in the same breath as Bradman’s ever since his 430-run match at Edgbaston. With 585 runs in the first two Tests of this tour, Gill could put Bradman’s record tally for a five-match series – 974 – under genuine threat before he heads home in August.While Gill was out in both innings in Birmingham, his dismissals hardly felt repeatable: his tired pull to square leg on 269, and skying a caught-and-bowled to Shoaib Bashir on 161 were simply the results of mental and physical exhaustion. Ben Stokes would not be drawn on England’s plans for the Lord’s Test, beyond saying: “We’ve got plans for all the Indian batters.”Related

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Stokes and England would not admit as much, but the timing of Jofra Archer’s comeback seemed like a direct response to Gill’s dominance. There remains a suspicion that Gill’s main vulnerability is genuine, express pace; within four balls of his first Test spell in four-and-a-half years, Archer had bowled the fastest delivery of this series.As soon as Gill walked in at No. 4, Archer returned for a second spell. His first ball to him was right on the money, at 88mph/141kph, and he had Gill flinching and dropping his hands to avoid his short deliveries. Archer has an excellent record against Gill – two dismissals in 28 balls in Tests, three in 19 in the IPL – and was desperate to extend it.With the ball becoming gradually softer, Stokes turned to his familiar short-ball ploy and set an extraordinary six-three leg-side field for Archer: long leg, backward square leg, deep square leg, square leg, forward square leg and midwicket. Gill was untroubled, even shimmying outside leg stump to forehand-swat a short ball into the covers.But Stokes had another plan up his sleeve. As soon as Gill walked in, a helmet came out so that Jamie Smith could stand up to the stumps with Woakes bowling. When Gill whipped his first ball from Woakes into the leg side for one, Smith took it straight back off and stood back when KL Rahul took strike.

“On a wicket where you’re working with a slope, if you can put someone further back in the crease, there’s more time for the ball to deviate one way or the other. You feel like you’re bringing more modes of dismissal into the game”Joe Root on the shubman Gill dismissal

Gill batted well out of his crease at both Headingley and Edgbaston, where he made Woakes look like a medium pacer: their head-to-head for the series read 153 balls, 102 runs, zero dismissals. But Smith’s proximity forced Gill back, giving the ball a greater chance to move off-straight – his average interception point against Woakes was half-a-metre deeper than it had been at Edgbaston.Woakes drew a false shot three balls into the plan, Gill pressing forward and edging him through past second slip for four. He looked comfortable enough when pushing a half-volley down the ground with a pristine straight drive, but when Woakes went a fraction wider on the crease, he caught the outside edge and Smith gleefully gobbled up a tough chance.England’s celebrations told the story of a plan coming together even if, at 80mph, the wicket ball was significantly slower than one Stokes might have imagined when calling on Archer. Woakes beamed as he ran away with arms outstretched, aeroplane-style. “I’ve seen a lot of him bat already – as we all have – so it was nice to take that wicket,” Joe Root said later, with a relieved grin.2:19

Manjrekar: Day two a learning curve for Gill

The long-term implications of England’s attack leader bowling with the keeper up were less than ideal, but with the series level and the match in the balance, it was the here and now that mattered. “It was a good bit of bowling – clever, as well,” Root added. “Sometimes as a bowler, you’ve got to take your ego out of it, and I think it was smart.”On a wicket where you’re working with a slope, if you can put someone further back in the crease, there’s more time for the ball to deviate one way or the other. You feel like you’re bringing more modes of dismissal into the game, and it stops them batting out of the crease and cuts the angles down… It was good thinking, good skill to be able to execute it as well.”Root seemed to have finished his answer when he realised that he should mention Smith’s “unbelievable catch” too, and this was an important moment for England’s wicketkeeper. Smith may not be as natural with the gloves as his predecessor and Surrey team-mate Ben Foakes, but this dismissal would not have been possible without his ability to stand up to a seamer. Added to another counterattacking half-century, Smith’s catch completed a fine day for him.It left Gill trudging off having scored 16, only his second failure of a sparkling maiden series as captain. If he can add another 373 runs in his five remaining innings of the tour to go clear of Bradman’s benchmark, then England will be buoyed that after a week of chasing leather in Birmingham, a ploy to get him out finally worked.

From 1985 to 2017, India and Pakistan have met in five major tournament finals. They play their first ever Asia Cup final on Sunday

Sreshth Shah27-Sep-20252:02

‘India shouldn’t let complacency creep in for the final’

The India and Pakistan men’s teams have played each other in 210 matches across formats, but meetings in tournament finals are rare. In the last 40 years, it’s happened only five times in tournaments with five or more teams. In the lead up to the first ever Asia Cup final between the sides, here’s a look back at those iconic matches.Srikkanth, Shastri conquer the MCGWorld Championship of Cricket, 1985, MelbourneThe hype was massive: Melbourne the stage, India versus Pakistan in front of 50,000 fans, but the final was one-sided. Pakistan batted first and never broke free. Kapil Dev and Laxman Sivaramakrishnan took three wickets each, with Javed Miandad’s 48 and Imran Khan’s 35 the only resistance as Pakistan crawled to 176 for 9.India’s reply was comprehensive. Kris Srikkanth, the player of the match, hammered 67 with six fours and two sixes, while Ravi Shastri scored an unbeaten 63. Their 103-run stand deflated Pakistan and India won by eight wickets. Shastri took home the “Champion of Champions” title and an iconic Audi. Two years after winning the 1983 World Cup, India were undisputedly the best ODI team in the world.Javed Miandad celebrates•Palani Mohan/Fairfax Media/Getty ImagesMiandad, and that last-ball sixAustral-Asia Cup, 1986, SharjahIf Melbourne ’85 was a smooth Indian victory, the Austral-Asia Cup final in Sharjah the following year was its polar opposite. Srikkanth again troubled Pakistan, blazing 75 off 80, while Sunil Gavaskar (92) and Dilip Vengsarkar (50) put India on course for a huge total. But Wasim Akram ran through the middle order with 3 for 42 and India eventually ended up with 245 for 7, an extremely competitive total for that era. Pakistan’s innings swung back and forth. Wickets fell regularly, but one man remained resolute – Javed Miandad, dazzling with a century in hot, sapping conditions, cajoled for singles and twos and his occasional boundaries brought the game down to the last ball.The climax that followed dominated the India-Pakistan narrative for years to come. With Pakistan nine down, needing four off the final delivery, Chetan Sharma missed his attempted yorker and Miandad clubbed the low full toss over midwicket for six to finish unbeaten on 116. The image of Miandad punching the air remains one of cricket’s most replayed moments. Beyond the result, it shaped the psychology of future India-Pakistan contests. For much of the next decade, Pakistan had mental edge, and for Indian fans, it was a scar that lingered for years.Wasim Akram took two wickets in the 1994 Austral-Asia final•PA PhotosIndia undone by Sohail and AnwarAustral-Asia Cup, 1994, SharjahBy 1994, Pakistan had an even more formidable batting line-up. Opener Saeed Anwar had become India’s nemesis, and he set the tone with a fluent 47. His partner, Aamer Sohail crunched 69. Their 96-run partnership set such a strong base that offspinner Rajesh Chauhan’s three-wicket haul, which included the dismissals of Inzamam-ul-Haq and Saleem Malik in one over, couldn’t stop Pakistan’s momentum. Basit Ali’s 57-ball 58 gave the finishing touches and Pakistan posted 250.India started the chase poorly. Ajay Jadeja was dismissed in Wasim Akram’s first over, and despite 59 in 11 overs from Sachin Tendulkar and Navjot Sidhu, they slumped to 83 for 4. Vinod Kambli found an ally in Atul Bedade, who overcame a nervous start in his fourth international match to score 44 from 45 balls, with four sixes. But he was caught attempting another six and the last five wickets could add only 48. Sohail claimed the player-of-the-match award for his 69, two wickets, and two catches, one of them in the covers to cut off Tendulkar in full flight.India’s win against Pakistan in the 2007 World T20 final changed cricket forever•Getty ImagesHeartbreak for Misbah, joy for DhoniICC World T20, 2007, JohannesburgThe Wanderers was buzzing. The first ever T20 World Cup had a dream finale. India batted first and Gautam Gambhir top scored with 75 off 54 balls, while at the death, a 20-year-old Rohit Sharma proved why he was rated so highly, blasting 30 not out from just 16 deliveries. India could have had more than their 157 for 5 but Umar Gul, Pakistan’s go-to death bowler, kept the runs in check with his spell of 3 for 28.Pakistan were jolted early in the chase but Imran Nazir countered with 33 runs off his first 13 balls. However, Robin Uthappa ran out Nazir with a direct-hit to bring India back. RP Singh picked up 3 for 26, Irfan Pathan ripped out the middle order with 3 for 16, but as long as Misbah-Ul-Haq was batting, the game was not over.He expertly brought the equation down to 13 off six balls, and that’s when MS Dhoni gave the ball to little-known Joginder Sharma. The first ball was a wide and the second was launched for six. With nerves jangling, Misbah, on 43, chose to scoop the third delivery. He miscued and Sreesanth held the catch at short fine leg. India won by five runs, kickstarting a T20 revolution, but Joginder never played for his country again.Pakistan hit peak unpredictability to win the 2017 Champions Trophy•PA PhotosFakhar, Amir own The OvalICC Champions Trophy, 2017, LondonPakistan had barely scraped into the Champions Trophy. They were the lowest-ranked side and had already been comprehensively beaten by India earlier in the competition, and yet on June 18 they collectively came together under the captaincy of Sarfaraz Ahmed and played a perfect day of cricket.Sent in to bat, they piled up 338 for 4. Fakhar Zaman, reprieved early by a Jasprit Bumrah no-ball, cashed in with a fearless 114 off 106 balls. Azhar Ali added 59, Babar Azam 46, and Mohammad Hafeez’s unbeaten 57 off 37 provided the finishing kick.India had the batters to chase that kind of target but Mohammad Amir bowled an opening spell to remember. In a fiery six-over burst, he ripped out Rohit Sharma for a duck, Virat Kohli for 5, and Shikhar Dhawan for 21. At 33 for 3, the final was almost done though Hardik Pandya tried to fight back by battering 76 from 43 balls.Hardik was eventually run-out and the rest of the Indian innings folded quickly. Hasan Ali, with his three wickets, and Shadab Khan took two as India were bowled out for 158 in the 31st over. Pakistan’s 180-run victory was the biggest margin ever in a ICC men’s tournament final.

A 46-ball 90 against India restored his touch and confidence, as he reignited interest ahead of the IPL auction

Firdose Moonda11-Dec-2025Timing, as we say in cricket, is everything, and Quinton de Kock’s best T20I score in 19 innings could not have come at a more opportune moment.De Kock made his comeback for South Africa exactly two months ago but his returns in this format: 1, 23, 7, 0 and 0, were cause for concern. The question hung in the air: did he still have it to contribute at the highest level in this format? There is also the not-so-small matter of next week’s IPL auction, and he was added to the shortlist earlier this week after initially being left off, which suggests one or more franchises are interested in him. Another question: had he done anything recently enough to suggest he’d be an obvious choice?Throw in a 46-ball 90 against an attack that includes Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya into the mix and both of those have been answered with the same yes. De Kock is back, and back properly.His first big shot signalled it. Arshdeep went slightly short, got his line a little wrong as the delivery was directed down leg stump and de Kock barely had to move towards offstump to pick up and flick it over backward square for the game’s first six. He would hit five more in that area and two in the ‘V,’ for a total of seven sixes in an innings also punctuated by five fours.Related

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What stood out was the clean ball-striking, his ability to pick up the short or slower ball early and decide where he wanted to hit it and the nonchalance with which he went about the innings. Too much, maybe, as he was run out on 90 and the chance for a second century in this format was squandered, but to see de Kock show the shades of old will be reassuring, to both South Africa and the IPL franchises.So far, his trip to India has been all or nothing with a duck and 8 in the first two ODIs before a 106 in the third, which was his seventh against India. Then, he got a duck in the first T20I, to a wonderful Arshdeep ball that swung away from him as he edged behind. He grinned and bore it but inside had the same thoughts we all did. “I didn’t know what’s going on, it was all just happening,” de Kock told the host broadcasters afterwards. “I guess it’s just when I do get going, I have to just try and make it count.”Arshdeep was the first bowler he faced again in this match and with much less swing on offer in New Chandigarh than Cuttack, he was able to get his own back. As Arshdeep struggled for consistency – he bowled nine wides all told – de Kock took 27 runs off the 14 balls he faced against him, and three of those were big sixes. Was he claiming any bragging rights? Doesn’t sound like it. “The guy’s got me out plenty of times, that I know for sure,” he said.

“I just let the instincts take over and kept making sure I was in good positions. That was all it was.”Quinton de Kock

In T20Is, de Kock is the batter Arshdeep has dismissed the joint-most number of times so de Kock’s memory serves him well. It’s also against a bowler like Arshdeep that he measures himself. “I judge myself and how good my technique is under moving balls because that’s how I think I get the best out of myself,” de Kock said at the post-match press conference. “Against guys like Arshdeep and Booms (Jasprit Bumrah), you have to be strong in your positions. Otherwise, they are going to find you out. You can’t be loose.”De Kock’s footwork, use of the crease and the way he accesses the legside were all on display in this innings and it came because he didn’t think too hard about it. “I just let the instincts take over and kept making sure I was in good positions. That was all it was.”It was also about who he was up against. India is the country de Kock has enjoyed most of his white-ball success. While he puts that down to the frequency with which South Africa play them, it’s also about the desire to step up against the best. “Before my retirement, it would be hard to wake up and go play for the team again, especially when you play a series over and over where you’ve played India multiple times, home and away. Over time, I was getting sick of it. I was looking for a new challenge and I wasn’t getting it,” he said. ‘Coming back, I feel like this is actually what I missed. As everyone knows, you never know what you have until you’ve lost it. That’s kind of now coming back. I feel I can play much longer than what I thought previously.”Against India and in India, which also bodes well for next week’s auction. De Kock may well have caught the eye of the franchise that let him go, Kolkata Knight Riders, as they have retained neither him nor their other wicket-keeper opening batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz but they wouldn’t be the only ones looking. Mumbai Indians, whose South African wicketkeeper-opener Ryan Rickelton is not even in this South African squad and Delhi Capitals, where Faf du Plessis has opted out, may also consider de Kock for next season.

Cristiano Ronaldo put out a message on social media after attending a White House dinner with Donald Trump. The event was attended by influential figures from global business, technology and sport, and it marked Ronaldo’s first public appearance in the United States since 2016. The black-tie gathering was arranged as part of efforts to strengthen the expanding political and economic relationship between Washington and Riyadh. Ronaldo’s presence alongside the Saudi delegation once again highlighted how prominently the Al-Nassr forward now features in the kingdom’s soft-power and sporting strategies.

• Trump opens the evening with a star-studded roll call

  Trump began the night by acknowledging the array of high-profile attendees, including major CEOs and football’s most powerful figures, such as FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Tech heavyweights, including Elon Musk, were also present, adding to the sense that this was a meeting of global influence. Although Ronaldo did not feature in Portugal’s final qualifying match earlier in the week, having been suspended due to the first red card of his international career, earned against the Republic of Ireland, Trump singled him out with a personal tribute.

  President Trump said: "You know, my son is a big fan of Ronaldo, wherever Ronaldo is here. And Barron got to meet him, and I think he respects his father a little bit more now, just the fact that I introduced you. So I just want to thank you both for being here. Really an honour."

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  Ronaldo responds with a heartfelt online message

  Soon after the event, Ronaldo shared his own thoughts on Instagram, posting a strikingly warm message of appreciation directed at Trump and the First Lady.

  "Thank you Mr. President for your invitation and for the warm welcome you and the First Lady gave me and my future wife, @georginagio," he wrote. "Each of us has something meaningful to give, and I stand ready to do my part as we inspire new generations to build a future defined by courage, responsibility and lasting peace."

• Portugal seal World Cup spot without their superstar

  Ronaldo’s absence from the pitch did not derail Portugal’s World Cup qualification campaign. His teammates cruised to a dominant nine-goal victory over Armenia, prompting him to congratulate the squad from afar as they confirmed their ticket to next year’s tournament. Yet his disciplinary situation remains unresolved. Ronaldo still has two matches left to serve from his suspension, raising the possibility that he could miss Portugal’s opening game when the World Cup begins in June 2026. The Portuguese federation are expected to lodge an appeal in hopes of reducing the punishment.

  National team manager Roberto Martinez expressed frustration at the red card, insisting it was an excessive sanction for what he described as a reaction to persistent harassment.

  Martinez said: "After the game it’s a difficult time because emotions can be unclear. I saw his reaction to a provocation. It started at the beginning of the game, in every play in the penalty area. It even started the day before in the press conference. And it was a reaction of trying to continue playing. Others might fall to the ground and look for a penalty. It’s not a violent action, it’s not a red card for violence, but a reaction to a provocation. We need to try to show the case and prepare well. I would say it would be very unfair to impose a long suspension." 

  Ronaldo’s financial influence remains unparalleled in the sport. His initial contract with Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr was worth an estimated $200 million (£153m) per year. In June, he signed a two-year extension worth a reported $400m (£306m), cementing his status as football’s first billionaire player. Bloomberg now estimates his personal fortune at roughly $1.4 billion.

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  One final World Cup ahead

  Ronaldo has long maintained that the 2026 World Cup, when he will be 41, will be the final chapter of his storied international career. With Portugal now officially qualified, the countdown begins for what promises to be his last bow on football’s grandest stage. Whether he begins that tournament on the pitch or in the stands may depend on the outcome of Portugal’s appeal. But his determination to compete at one more World Cup remains unwavering. 

Manchester United certainly raised eyebrows during the summer transfer window, especially after dropping over £200m on new additions to bolster their first-team ranks.

Such spending may have come as a surprise to many, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe previously stating before the summer that no massive deals would be conducted.

The vast majority of their efforts were directed to the final third, as Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko were all added to Ruben Amorim’s attacking department.

However, the trio have all made an immediate impact at Old Trafford, scoring seven times between them in the first nine Premier League outings of 2025/26.

As a result of their shopping spree, it would be a surprise to no one that other players will need to be offloaded during the January window to try and balance the books.

The United players who could leave the club in January

Over the last couple of days, United forward Joshua Zirkzee has been strongly touted with an exit from Old Trafford – no doubt due to the form of the aforementioned trio.

It was reported earlier this week that the Dutch international is keen on a temporary or permanent move away from the Red Devils in January, with Aston Villa interested in his signature.

Manuel Ugarte is another first-team member who could be shown the exit door in the next few months, with his move to the Premier League failing to deliver at present.

The Uruguayan international cost a staggering £50m from Ligue 1 outfit PSG last summer, but his move has failed to hit the heights – as seen by his lack of game time under Amorim in 2025/26.

He’s only made two starts in England’s top-flight this season, even dropping behind 33-year-old Casemiro in the club’s pecking order during the early stages of the campaign.

One other first-team member in the form of Diogo Dalot could also find himself one step closer to the exit door after failing to impress over the last couple of months.

Despite making six league appearances under Amorim this season, the Portuguese international has fallen way below the standards expected of him – as seen by his tallies compared to the other options at the manager’s disposal.

The 26-year-old has only completed 75% of the passes he’s attempted in the Premier League, the lowest of any defender in the Red Devils squad – showcasing his lack of impact in recent weeks.

The United star now on borrowed time

The Erik ten Hag era at United was a period largely full of disappointment, with the Dutchman unable to take the club back to their former glory during his tenure in charge.

The 55-year-old spent a little over two years in the role at Old Trafford, achieving a 56% win record and also winning the Carabao Cup and FA Cup during such a period.

However, the eighth-place finish in 2023/24 was disappointing to many fans, with the start to last season ultimately spelling the end of his time in England.

Ten Hag was responsible for bringing Zirkzee and Ugarte both to the Theatre of Dreams, further highlighting how disappointing his work in the transfer market at the helm.

Despite the failures in the window, the Dutchman deserves huge credit for his work in the development of midfielder Kobbie Mainoo – subsequently handing the youngster the chance to cement his place in the first team.

He would have been an unknown quantity to many supporters, but the 20-year-old amassed a total of 32 appearances in 2023/24, even scoring on five separate occasions.

Many of his efforts were crucial ones, from last-minute winners against Wolverhampton Wanderers and efforts against Manchester City in the FA Cup final – it truly was a season to remember for the academy graduate.

Such performances led to journalist Liam Canning labelling Mainoo as United’s “best player” in March 2024, but it’s safe to say it’s not been plain sailing for the youngster since Amorim’s arrival.

In the Premier League in 2025/26, the Englishman has failed to start a single outing, subsequently being restricted to just seven substitute appearances – totalling just 138 minutes in the process.

Kobbie Mainoo – PL stats (2024/25)

Statistics (per 90)

Tally

Games played

25

Minutes played

1656

Pass accuracy

87%

Chances created

1.7

Successful dribbles

1.3

Tackles won

63%

Duels won

5.9

Interceptions made

1.2

Recoveries made

4.8

Stats via FotMob

Mainoo has previously voiced his displeasure at the lack of action since the 40-year-old’s appointment – even requesting a temporary loan move away this summer to gain valuable game time.

However, such a request was swiftly rejected by the manager and the board, but he still remains behind the likes of Ugarte and Casemiro in the current pecking order.

Given the lack of faith shown in him by the manager, it’s safe to say the youngster will be on borrowed time at Old Trafford, and the club could look to cash in on him – with a £70m price tag previously mooted.

Ten Hag may have struggled in the role, but one of the best things he did in Manchester was show the needed faith in Mainoo to allow him to flourish in the professional game.

Amorim could learn a thing or two from the Dutchman, as the Red Devils potentially risk offloading yet another top talent far too prematurely.

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Manchester United look set to make a huge move for a new midfielder in January.

Posts ByEthan Lamb Oct 29, 2025