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Fresh from his hat-trick to send the Republic of Ireland into the World Cup playoffs, Everton have now reportedly set their sights on signing Troy Parrott from AZ Alkmaar.

The Toffees are reportedly looking to address their striker problem in the January transfer window after Thierno Barry has failed to hit the ground running. The £27m forward, who became one of Everton’s most expensive signings in the summer, is yet to score a goal for the club and initially struggled for starts in the Premier League this season.

Barry’s disappointing form has coincided with Beto’s own struggles. The towering striker has bettered his teammate’s goal tally, but has still scored just twice in 13 games so far this season.

With two goals between their two forwards, Everton have set their sights on the likes of Daizen Maeda ahead of the winter window. The Celtic forward reportedly wants to leave the Scottish club in January and the Toffees are among the clubs eyeing his signature for just £15m.

At his best, Maeda scored 33 goals in all competitions for Celtic last season and although he is yet to reach those levels in the current campaign, a move away could quickly rediscover his golden touch.

However, he’s not the only name on Everton’s shortlist. Those at the Hill Dickinson Stadium have also reportedly set their sights on Napoli’s Scott McTominay, who’d help their goal problem from midfield. The Scotland star recently scored a stunning overhead kick for his country as they secured World Cup qualification in dramatic fashion.

Everton certainly had an eye on the international drama too, given that they’re now also reportedly targeting a move to sign Parrrott.

Everton plotting Troy Parrott move

As reported by TeamTalk, Friedkin are now plotting a move to sign Parrott, who is a boyhood Everton fan. The Irishman has been in scintillating form so far this season, scoring 13 goals in 14 games for AZ Alkmaar and then scoring five goals in two games for Ireland over the November international break.

Three of those five goals came against Hungary as Ireland secured their playoff place at the death, courtesy of their rising star. It’s a performance that will live on in Irish history and one that could help Parrott make his return to the Premier League.

The former Tottenham Hotspur striker was rightly at the centre of praise, with former Ireland star Ray Houghton saying: “I understood it, that Troy was a young lad who came through and was going to be a sensational talent, went to Spurs as a kid, made his debut when he was 17 and had so much ahead of him, but it didn’t quite go the way everyone anticipated.

Everton's stance on selling Tim Iroegbunam in January amid David Moyes decision

Moyes has made a key decision on the future of the midfielder.

ByDominic Lund Nov 18, 2025

“He had to reinvent himself as a player, so to see the joy he had playing for his country and doing what he did, hopefully it will inspire the next generation of players.”

Everton applying "strong pressure" to sign £17m+ star who rejected Wolves

Many Rangers supporters want to see sporting director Kevin Thelwell replaced, and now a big claim has emerged regarding his position of power at Ibrox.

Thelwell feeling the heat at Rangers

The Gers’ 3-0 defeat away to Brann in the Europa League on Thursday has done little to silence the dissenting voices, with Danny Rohl experiencing a sobering life in charge at Ibrox. It is hard to blame the German, but this will only increase the magnitude of the job being asked of him.

There are high-profile characters galore at Rangers who are under huge pressure, including sporting director Thelwell, with former defender David Weir mentioned as an option to replace him by Heart & Hand.

There is no doubt that Thelwell hasn’t hit the ground running in his role, having arrived from Everton at the end of last season, and unless something drastic changes, it is hard to see him remaining in the job for too long.

The same applies to chairman Andrew Cavenegh and CEO Patrick Stewart, and now a big claim has dropped that highlights the level of power Thelwell has at Rangers at the moment.

Thelwell influencing team decisions at Ibrox

Speaking on Hotline Live [Ibrox News], journalist Keith Jackson claimed that Thelwell actually helped pick Rangers’ starting XI against Dundee United last weekend, and may have also influenced the line-up vs Brann.

“What I’ve heard, whether it’s right or wrong, but I suspect it’s correct – I think Thelwell had a hand in picking the team at the weekend when Steven Smith was in charge. Would it surprise me if there was a little bit of influence from the sporting director in that lineup (vs Brann)? Not in the slightest.”

This update perfectly illustrates the control Thelwell has at Rangers, and many will feel that him picking the team at home to Dundee United only undermined the job that Smith was doing. Not only that, but the Gers failed to win the game, falling further behind Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts in the process.

The 51-year-old Englishman has a huge amount to do if he is to win round the masses, and despite only being sporting director for a matter of months, the writing is arguably already on the wall for him, having blown a huge amount of money on the struggling

Youssef Chermiti and decimated the defensive ranks in the transfer window.

Related Rangers now told to replace Kevin Thelwell with "recruitment mastermind"

Would this be an upgrade for the Gers?

Posts 1 ByHenry Jackson Oct 24, 2025

Thelwell’s biggest hope of staying on at Rangers is enjoying a strong working relationship with Rohl, and helping oversee massive improvements on and off the pitch, but even then, his critics are unlikely to go away any time soon.

The movers and shakers are in Orlando, Fla., as MLB's winter meetings began on Monday. Questions and rumors are in the air, and with a star-studded free agent class, as well as some big names potentially available on the trade market, there's the opportunity for some groundbreaking deals to be made.

It wouldn't be unusual territory for the winter meetings, which historically have produced some big moves (Miguel Cabrera to the Tigers, Juan Soto to the Yankees). And we've already seen a couple of big moves, with slugger Kyle Schwarber returning to the Phillies and the back-to-back defending-champion Dodgers landing the best closer available in Edwin Diaz. So, let's get bold and crank up baseball's hot stove with some predictions as the market heats up.

Tarik Skubal is traded to the Mets

Mets receive: SP Tarik Skubal
Tigers receive: SS/OF/2B Jett Williams, SP Jonah Tong, SP Brandon Sproat, RHP Jack Wenninger

Tigers president Scott Harris on Monday said there were “no untouchables” on Detroit's roster, an understandable position given Skubal, the back-to-back Cy Young Award winner, is a free agent in 2026 and could command a deal the Tigers simply can't afford to pay him. The Mets, coming off of a collapse that saw them improbably miss the postseason, are in need of starting pitching, particularly an ace. Landing Skubal, even if it's just for one season, is the kind of move that, coupled with a free agent starter, could transform the Mets rotation overnight into one of the best in MLB. Skubal won't be cheap though. New York would likely have to part with at least three top-10 prospects and another highly touted young arm. In this deal, the Tigers, starving for young pitching prospects in their farm system, land two MLB-ready arms in Tong and Sprout, as well as a promising youngster in Wenninger. Williams, who may not have a clear path to the majors after the Marcus Semien deal, could find an easier lane to the majors in Detroit.

Pete Alonso to the Red Sox

The contract: 4 years, $120 million

Mets fans would very likely be happy with the blockbuster trade above. But they won't be happy with this one. Alonso, a fan favorite who has come up with some clutch hits and made five All-Star teams during his tenure in New York, lands with the Red Sox in a bold swing by the American League East club, adding to an already-fearsome lineup. Boston, after seeing Triston Casas go down to a season-ending injury and infamously—and unsuccessfully—attempting to coax former third baseman and DH Rafael Devers to first base, brings in the slugging Alonso in what could amount to one of the biggest upgrades this winter. Boston first basemen ranked just 21st in Wins Above Replacement in 2025.

Framber Valdez to the Orioles

The contract: 5 years, $140 million

No club had a worse starting pitching situation than the Orioles in 2025. Baltimore starters posted the 26th-worst ERA in the majors, helping to dig an AL East hole the club ultimately could not pull itself out of. The trade of Grayson Rodriguez, arguably Baltimore's best starter when healthy, imported outfield talent but left the rotation starving for an impact arm. Enter Valdez, one of the most durable and reliable starters in the game. He has pitched to a sub-3.50 ERA with at least 190 innings pitched in three of the past four seasons. That's the kind of reliability that would make even the Orioles, who have been reluctant to spend money on free agents in past years, open up their wallets.

Kyle Tucker does not agree to a deal at the winter meetings

Tucker is the best free agent available on the board. While lacking the star power of a Shohei Ohtani or Aaron Judge, Tucker does darn near everything very well, combining a low-strikeout rate with a good eye at the plate while also having the power to hit 30 homers, the wheels to steal 30 bases and the defensive capabilities to win a Gold Glove. Thus far, Tucker has met with the reigning AL champion Blue Jays, who seem to be positioning themselves at the front of the line for the talented outfielder. But there will likely be other suitors, perhaps the Yankees, Dodgers, Giants, Orioles and maybe several surprise clubs as well. Tucker's market seems like one that will take more time to develop, more time than the winter meetings, which end on Wednesday, will allow.

Home conditions typically translate to home advantage in cricket. And teams sometimes take different, even extreme, measures to ensure their strength gets support from the pitches. There is often a tacit association between the home team’s decision-makers and the curators too. But the relationship cannot be too obvious. Visiting teams are aware of what awaits them.Bangladesh are no different as hosts. On Saturday, they beat West Indies in the first ODI by 74 runs. It is a bit of a turnaround after their 3-0 bashing at the hands of Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi last week. The win also came on the back of abuse and harassment when the team returned from the UAE on Wednesday.The first ODI was played on a rather dark-looking pitch at the Shere Bangla National Stadium. Usually, a dark surface in this part of the world suggests the ball is most likely to stick on the surface, which allows spinners to get the ball to break more. It has been a few years since this colour has been seen here – a layer of cut grass usually gives it a grey-green look.Related

• Rage against the pitch – it's Bangladesh vs West Indies vs the surface in series decider

• Bangladesh target 2-0 while West Indies look for batting lift

• Rishad's six-for wrecks WI as Bangladesh take 1-0 lead

Bangladesh nowadays have a strong pace-bowling unit, but the team management often resorts to spin-favouring pitches. In this case, not unusual if you have just lost 3-0 to Afghanistan. It has been Bangladesh’s go-to home strategy particularly since 2016. It is a bit of a shortcut to success, though visiting spinners like Rashid Khan, Nathan Lyon, Sajid Khan and Rahkeem Cornwall have also been match-winners here.On Saturday, spin accounted for 11 of the 20 wickets to fall. Rishad Hossain picked up career-best figures of 6 for 35, becoming only the second legspinner to take the opposition’s first five wickets in an ODI. The fast bowlers took eight wickets.But what does winning with this sort of tailored home advantage mean?Among the plethora of pitch-related questions at the post-match press conference, one seemed to bother Rishad, the Player of the Match. He was asked if he preferred a six-for on a pitch that helped him, or fewer wickets on a “sporting track”. In this case, only 340 runs were scored across two innings.Rishad referred to “a Guyana pitch”, which he said was worse than the one in Dhaka on Saturday. He was probably referreing to the surfaces used during the West Indies-Bangladesh ODI series in 2022. “The [Dhaka] wicket was same for both teams,” he said, meaning it didn’t change character during the course of the match. “We have encountered an even worse pitch in Guyana. We adjusted to those conditions. It was the same condition for both sides.”To an earlier query on the pitch, Rishad had said the Bangladesh batters had had a better plan to tackle the conditions than their West Indian counterparts. “Our batters could read the wicket better. They figured out that if they start slowly, they can finish well with wickets in hand,” he said. “I think they were just carrying out their plans to the best of their ability.”The pitch debate overshadowed Rishad’s impressive all-round show. He struck a breezy 13-ball 26 with two sixes, which took Bangladesh close to the 200-run mark before he fell in the 49th over. Those were two of only three sixes in the innings. Then, with the ball, he sparked a collapse from 79 for 1 to 133 all out.Rishad Hossain finished with career-best figures of 6 for 35•AFP/Getty Images

“I stuck to my process. I had to adjust in the first couple of overs, but then I could make up quickly,” he said. “I always try to contribute in all three departments. I believe that Allah will always find me a way to do always something for the team.”I always try to contribute something extra with the bat for the team. I think if my contribution takes the team from 180 to 210 or 215, that’s great. I am aware of what the team is looking from me as a batter.”Bangladesh are trying to get back on track in ODIs after an impressive recovery in T20Is in 2025. Good results in ODIs are necessary to ensure automatic qualification to the 2027 ODI World Cup. For that, on this evidence, home pitches in bilateral series will be prepared according to their strengths.True, Bangladesh’s fast bowlers are also match-winners. Truer surfaces will also help the batters stay in touch with playing on livelier pitches for series elsewhere. For now, though, this is an ODI series at the Shere Bangla National Stadium that Bangladesh need to win. The batters have to rein themselves in, and the fast bowlers may feel redundant. The spinners will be licking their lips.

The demand from Naqvi, also the Asian Cricket Council president, came a day after the PCB had alleged that Pycroft had “requested the captains not to shake hands at the toss”

Danyal Rasool15-Sep-2025

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi has demanded the “immediate removal” of Andy Pycroft, the match referee for the India vs Pakistan game on Sunday evening in Dubai, from the remainder of the Asia Cup.The demand from Naqvi, who is also the current president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), came a day after the PCB had alleged that Pycroft had “requested the captains not to shake hands at the toss” as is customary.On Monday, the PCB sought to escalate the matter. “The PCB has lodged a complaint with the ICC regarding violations by the Match Referee of the ICC Code of Conduct and the MCC Laws pertaining to the Spirit of Cricket,” Naqvi said in a tweet (reproduced below). “The PCB has demanded an immediate removal of the Match Referee from the Asia Cup.”ESPNcricinfo understands that the PCB has conveyed this demand via a letter addressed to ICC general manager Wasim Khan. The letter says that Pycroft, at the time of the toss, took Pakistan captain Salman Agha aside and told him there would be no handshakes at the toss. It goes on to say that Pycroft then spoke separately to India captain Suryakumar Yadav.Pakistan team manager Naveed Akram Cheema subsequently spoke to tournament director Andrew Russell asking for an explanation, and was told, the PCB says, that it was down to the line the BCCI had taken on the matter following discussions with the Indian government. When contacted by ESPNcricinfo, Russell offered no comment on the subject.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The PCB says that Pycroft’s action had violated the MCC Laws and was against the spirit of cricket, and accused the match referee of violating the ICC’s code of conduct. While there is speculation that Pakistan have threatened to withdraw from the tournament if Pycroft was not removed, ESPNcricinfo understands that the PCB has not yet adopted that position.ESPNcricinfo has sent a query to the ICC, which is the ultimate authority, to check whether Pycroft did indeed instruct the captains not to greet each other at the toss.At the conclusion of the game, which India won by seven wickets, the Indian players and support staff chose not to meet the Pakistan side, an unwritten custom after a contest, with Suryakumar Yadav, the India captain, saying afterwards that the Indian “government and the BCCI were aligned” on the matter.Pakistan captain Salman Agha subsequently skipped the post-match presentation, and coach Mike Hesson called India’s decision “disappointing” when he spoke at a press interaction.Shivam Dube and Suryakumar Yadav went straight back to the Indian dressing room after completing the win•Associated Press

While this is an ACC tournament where the ICC has no organisational role, the match officials are allocated by the ICC. Withdrawing a match referee and appointing a replacement would require the ICC to get involved. The BCCI, meanwhile, are the official hosts of this Asia Cup, and might be required to play a part in the matter too.This is the second statement Naqvi has issued since tensions between India and Pakistan spilled over following the game. Shortly after the defeat, he accused India of “dragging politics into the game” and lacking “sportsmanship”. Suryakumar, meanwhile, said at the press conference that a “few things in life were ahead of sportsman’s spirit”.Pycroft is one of two match referees at the Asia Cup, Richie Richardson being the other, and has two more games to officiate in during the group stage of the tournament: Hong Kong vs Sri Lanka in Dubai on Monday and Pakistan vs UAE, also in Dubai, on Wednesday.This was the first meeting between the two teams since India and Pakistan exchanged cross-border hostilities in May, and uncertainty had surrounded the match in the intervening months, with several calls for India to boycott it. Clarity only emerged when the Indian government made public its official policy for sporting engagements with Pakistan, greenlighting meetings in multilateral events while refusing to engage in bilateral contests.As such, this might only have been the first part of an issue that could well come up again next Sunday: Pakistan need to beat the UAE to secure progression to the Super Four, where they will face India in Dubai again on September 21.

Columbus Crew manager Wilfried Nancy is reportedly being considered for the vacant Celtic FC job following Brendan Rodgers’ departure last month. The Scottish club has appointed Martin O’Neill as interim boss but is expected to move quickly to secure a permanent head coach. Nancy, who has led Columbus since 2023, is among the names on their shortlist.

USA Today ImagesNancy to Glasgow?

There would seem to be serious momentum towards Nancy moving to Celtic, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that the Crew manager is among the leading candidates to take the job at the SPL club. The Frenchman has been repeatedly linked with a European move, and was thought to be likely to leave at the end of the 2024 season. But he stuck around for the 2025 campaign. The manager has mentioned in the past he's open to a move in the future. 

"I've been in situations when nobody knew me, nobody was talking about me, and [now they do]," Nancy said to GOAL at MLS Media Day in January. "Now so with my staff, everything for a moment, works well. So I'm happy in Columbus, and after that, we'll see."

AdvertisementGetty ImagesA solid resume

Nancy has been among the best coaches in MLS since he arrived in 2023. He has led the Crew, a small market team, to a MLS Cup win in 2023, and Leagues Cup the year after. He was named the 2024 MLS Coach of the Year. Before that, he was a narrow second place to the coach of the year award after overperforming with a struggling Montreal side in 2022. 

Columbus Crew left back Max Arfsten admitted Nancy might be ready for a European move. 

 "Yeah, I mean obviously it would be tough if he left just because he's a good coach, but he has to do what he wants for his career, and if he wants to go to Europe and test himself out there, I feel like you've got to respect that," he said at Tuesday's USMNT availability. "It would definitely be tough for us at Columbus, but it's one of those things where at the same time, if he decides to go, you've got to be happy for him because that's what he wants to do."

ImagnA disappointing 2025

For all of his success in years prior, 2025 has been slightly underwhelming for the Frenchman. Before the season, the Crew were considered among the favorites for MLS Cup, but rather struggled as the season went on. They turned in a spirited performance against local rivals FC Cincinnati in the playoffs, but were bounced after a 2-1 Game 3 loss in the first round of the MLS Playoffs. 

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Nancy may be among the frontrunners, but he is by no means the only name in the mix. Celtic are also reportedly considering Bodo/Glimt head coach Kjetil Knutsen for the vacant position. O'Neill has won three straight in his return to the helm at the club. 

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has shared what’s impressed him most about teenager Andre Harriman-Annous after the Hale End graduate’s senior debut against Brighton on Wednesday.

The Gunners extended their unbeaten run to 11 in all competitions whilst booking a place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals after their victory over Brighton.

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Goals from fellow youngster Ethan Nwaneri and star winger Bukayo Saka handed Arsenal a routine win at the Emirates Stadium, despite summer signing Kepa Arrizabalaga being forced into a string of early saves to deny the Seagulls, who threatened to break through first.

The headlines initially belonged to Max Dowman, after the 15-year-old became Arsenal’s youngest ever starter.

Dowman showed flashes of brilliance on the right-hand side in place of Saka and the injured Noni Madueke, who’s believed to be making “faster-than-expected” progress in his recovery from a knee injury.

However, once the teenager was hauled off Saka, and Harriman-Annouss replaced Declan Rice, attention turned towards the latest in a long queue of star-studded talents from the Hale End production line.

Harriman-Annous, who bagged 18 goals in 37 games for the Under-21s last season, has been a regular in first-team training at London Colney with Arteta taking note.

The England Under-18 international can feel hard done by that he didn’t mark his first senior appearance for the club with a goal too, having watched Jason Steele save his one-v-one effort before Saka dispatched the rebound.

Arteta shares what's impressed him about Harriman-Annous after Arsenal debut

It was a night to remember for Harriman-Annous, with Arteta explaining in a post-match press conference why he finally gave the youngster a chance to shine at N5.

Arsenal’s boss explains that Harriman-Annous has impressed him with a fierce mentality and work ethic behind-the-scenes, with the versatile centre-forward desperate to make an impact.

Arsenal supporters have plenty of reasons to feel excited about Harriman-Annous after his debut against Brighton.

Stepping onto the pitch in a high-stakes cup match is no small feat, and the teen showed glimpses of the potential that has impressed coaches throughout his development.

His composure and confidence stood out. He demonstrated good technical skills and an understanding of the game that belies his age. For a young player making his first senior appearance, showing such calmness under pressure is a promising sign of future growth.

Harriman-Annous made the bench against Liverpool in August, and if he continues to seize his opportunities like he did against Brighton, it’s only a matter of time before he makes his first Premier League outing.

East Zone captain Riyan Parag’s focus at the season-opening 2025-26 Duleep Trophy was on easing himself back into the grind of competitive cricket and getting some game-time after he had spent most of last season managing a shoulder injury.Parag last turned out for India in a T20I against Bangladesh in October 2024. He had to undergo surgery for his shoulder injury, after which he played in the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 for Assam in January. Before the Duleep Trophy, Parag had last played competitive cricket in IPL 2025 for Rajasthan Royals (RR). He was their second-highest run-scorer during the season, but was “managing a lot of stress” due to the shoulder injury.”It was good,” Parag said after the final day of the Duleep Trophy game against North Zone. “I mean, that was the main goal when I came here to play the game. Performances, I didn’t really focus on that much. I just wanted to have some fun.”I haven’t played competitive cricket in a long time. Since the IPL, I haven’t really played. [In the] IPL also, I was managing a lot of stress and stuff like that. But it was nice, was a good outing. Not in a good way with the amount of overs we fielded. But then still, rolled my arm for a few overs, batted for a while. Could have converted it for a bigger score, but then I’m happy. The shoulder feels much better now.”Related

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Leading the side in the absence of Abhimanyu Easwaran, who was ruled out due to fever on the opening day, Parag was dismissed for 39 in the only innings East Zone batted. He didn’t bowl in the first innings, but bowled 22 overs in the second as North Zone made 658 for 4, building on their first-innings lead of 175.While the game ended in a draw, North Zone qualified for the semi-finals on the basis of their first-innings lead.”They played better cricket, I got to give credit to that,” Parag said on North Zone’s performance. “I feel we could have done better in the first innings while bowling but then we should have got at least close to like 350 and then try to restrict it.”But once we did not do that, they had the lead of around 200 runs. Then, just the batters batted really well and just took the game away from us and the last day was just formality, I think, for them to get their milestones.”East Zone were without Mukesh Kumar on day three and four after the fast bowler picked up a thigh strain on the opening day. Mohammed Shami also did not take the field on the final day after he cut his toe, which meant East Zone had to rely on their part-time options.”That was one of the tough things to manage,” Parag said. “Shami didn’t bowl today, Mukesh got injured in the first innings, I’m coming back from an injury so I had to bowl 20 overs. Utkarsh [Singh], our non-bowler, he had to bowl around 30 overs so that did play a part for us in fielding a lot of overs but then nothing we can do about it. We just take it as a loss.”Parag says it’s “back to basics” now as he readies himself for the upcoming season. He has been named as one of the stand-bys for the Asia Cup, and is hopeful to get a chance when India travel to Australia for a white-ball series in October-November.”I was in the T20 set-up, then took a break for the shoulder [injury], and stuff like that happened,” he said. “Ranji [Trophy] is coming in, then the Australia tour is coming in; if I get selected there, I do that. Otherwise, I go back to domestic and do what I’ve been doing for the last two to three years. Be top-scoring every single game. Have a good IPL and play for the country again.”

Ankit Kumar: ‘Everyone did their job’

North Zone captain Ankit Kumar was delighted by his team’s performance as they racked up the runs on the last two days. Ankit fell two short of his maiden first-class double-century in the second innings, but Ayush Badoni recorded an unbeaten 204, while Yash Dhull scored 133 on the third day.Ankit Kumar made 198 in the second innings•PTI

Ankit, who replaced Shubman Gill as North Zone captain after Gill pulled out due to illness, said there was “a little pressure” captaining in a big game but was glad he found a way to score runs and lead the team efficiently.”I am captaining at this level for the first time,” Ankit said. “There weren’t a lot of changes from the Ranji Trophy; we followed the same process: bowl well, bat well. That’s worked for us.”We had a well-rounded batting and bowling attack. No one could play a big innings in the first innings, but everyone contributed and that mattered. It was a proper teamwork, so we didn’t face many challenges. Everyone did their jobs.”The basic plan was to take a first-innings lead. When that happened, we knew we could qualify. We wanted our bowlers to stay fresh. Arshdeep [Singh] and Harshit [Rana] have to go and play for India, so we wanted them to go fresh [for the Asia Cup].”

After Bumrah had bowled three in the powerplay, the spinners put the squeeze almost immediately

Shashank Kishore15-Sep-20251:13

Wahab: Kuldeep always one step ahead of batters

Years later, when round one of India vs Pakistan at Asia Cup 2025 is discussed, it’s likely the no-handshake gesture and the simmering tension will be remembered first. But peel through the layers, and you will uncover India’s spin masterclass that left Pakistan’s young batting line-up searching for answers.At one point, 15 overs into their innings, it seemed as if Pakistan were simply picking through the wreckage. The moment that captured it all came in the 13th when Suryakumar Yadav placed a short midwicket, a silly mid-on, a short cover, a slip and a leg slip as Faheem Ashraf faced a hat-trick ball from Kuldeep Yadav.In the end, Pakistan left with barely a little more than just a few consolatory blows from Shaheen Afridi, as they now walk into a potential must-win against UAE to ensure there will be round two against India next Sunday, a contest that will need them to soul search.Related

Fun and banter but no drop in intensity at India training

Hesson: We were a bit frenzied at the start with the bat and then got squeezed

Suryakumar: Spinners come well prepared so things move 'on autopilot'

Agha skips presentation after India refuse handshakes

Kuldeep makes it worth the wait

Pakistan only need to analyse the match scorecard and India’s robust approach as compared to their diffidence, especially after the powerplay. They didn’t challenge India’s spinners enough for them to think out of the box. From 42 for 2 at the end of the powerplay, they went into their shell, only to eventually collapse.”With the bat we were a bit frenzied at the start,” Pakistan coach Mike Hesson observed. “The ball held on the surface, as we expected. But we didn’t respond as well as we would’ve liked. We got to the end of the powerplay and we were in the game, and we got squeezed.”That built up a lot of pressure during the middle overs. The more big games you play, the more trust you have in your own game. We’ve certainly got players who are finding their feet, but they certainly want to be in the battle, and we’ll come back stronger in a few days.”Between overs 5.3 to 11, Pakistan didn’t hit a single boundary while losing two wickets. ESPNcricinfo pegged their aggressive responses to just eight deliveries (24.24%) in this period. And it didn’t help that India were buzzing through their overs with spin before the dew got heavier, as evidenced by the ground staff trying to mop up the outer pockets at the halfway mark.This was the phase where Axar Patel broke Pakistan’s back. He struck first by beating Fakhar Zaman in flight, tempting him into a big shot that he dragged to Tilak Varma at long-on. Two overs later, he landed the knockout blow of Salman Agha.2:20

How big is the gulf between India and Pakistan?

Stuck on 3 off 11 and increasingly desperate to break free, Agha tried to slog sweep his way out of trouble but top-edged tamely to deep square leg. Those two strikes in quick succession drained the innings of any momentum and left Pakistan tottering at 49 for 4 at the halfway mark.The slowdown, Hesson reflected, was down to their inability to rotate the strike and not because of their inability to read India’s spinners, especially Axar. “I don’t think there was any issue in picking spinners, it’s what you do with it when you pick it,” he said. “Axar’s – there’s no mystery there.”He slides the ball, occasionally turns one. It’s more the accuracy and pressure that they build up, when you build up a lot of dots, sometimes your mind plays tricks and you play big shots. It’s certainly not that they can’t pick it, the fact is we struggled to rotate strike to take pressure off ourselves.”Suryakumar observed there was more to Axar’s success than just picking wickets. He pointed to a focused-training method that has made a difference.”His plans are very clear. Whenever I see him at practice, he bowls a lot to left-handers because that’s a proper match-up,” he said. “You feel if a left-hander is walking in, you can’t bowl a left-arm spinner, but he practices more to the left-hand batters. And when he bowls to the right-handers, he has his own plans. I’m really happy with his clear plans.”Axar’s damage happened to be the prelude to Kuldeep’s a few overs later. In the 13th over, Kuldeep struck off consecutive deliveries, one off a loopy legbreak that bounced extra, and another off a wrong’un to left-hand batter Mohammad Nawaz.Kuldeep’s double-strike underlined how well India had managed their resources through the innings. Having burned through three of Bumrah’s overs inside the powerplay, a tactic Suryakumar has now employed in back-to-back games, India effectively left their spinners with a cushion and attacking fields to work with in the middle overs.And they couldn’t have done it better, with Kuldeep and Axar slamming the door shut.

Delhi Capitals (DC) are set to release their overseas opening pair of Faf du Plessis and Jake Fraser-McGurk, along with former India fast bowler Mohit Sharma. After a lot of deliberation, the owners has decided to retain T Natarajan, a capped India pacer and yorker specialist who was signed for INR 10.75 crore at last year’s mega auction.Signed in 2024 for his base price of INR 2 crore, du Plessis, 41, had underwhelming returns in IPL 2025, hitting 202 runs in nine games at a strike rate of 123.92. These numbers were in stark contrast to his impact for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), for whom he made 438 runs in 15 innings at 161.62 as they rose from the bottom to the playoffs the previous season.Mohit too was below par, picking two wickets in eight games while going at 10.28.Fraser Mc-Gurk, however, will be the most high-profile release, considering hat the franchise had labelled him a player for the future when they signed him in 2024. His intent-laden batting that yielded 222 runs off just 81 deliveries were the highlight for DC during the fag end of their campaign that season.He was subsequently bought back via the right-to-match card ahead of IPL 2025, where he returned five single-digit scores in six matches. His overall tally of 55 runs included a best of 38 before he was benched.Having returned home when the IPL season was paused owing to cross-border tensions with Pakistan, Fraser-McGurk opted to stay back when the season resumed, with the franchise signing Bangladesh left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman as a temporary replacement. At the time, the IPL had stated temporary replacements would not be retained, which means Mustafizur, too, will need to go to the auction.Fraser-McGurk’s recent form has been poor across formats. He had a highest of 36 in three List A games against India A, and has managed scores of 34, 27 and 4 in the three list A games for South Australia since. Post the IPL, Fraser-McGurk also had a lukewarm Major League Cricket stint with San Francisco Unicorns.