Category Uncategorized

He always had explosive potential and shots all around the ground. Now he knows when to sit back and when to pull the trigger

Deivarayan Muthu29-Apr-20252:39

Cricinformed: PBKS’ opening fireworks

It certainly takes something special to outdo Glenn Maxwell at his own game. On Sunday, Maxwell pulled off the switch-hit against Varun Chakravarthy, but it was Prabhsimran Singh’s switch-hit off Sunil Narine that left our collective jaws on the floor.Prabhsimran is usually an intent machine in the powerplay, but on an Eden Gardens pitch that was described as “very, very slow”, he tempered his natural instincts and didn’t overhit the ball. He was on 34 off 32 balls. He was up against one of the best bowlers in T20 cricket.Narine darted a good-length delivery on middle and leg. It’s the kind of ball that has tied batters down for years. Prabhsimran, though, played a sensational switch-hit and launched the ball over the cover boundary, well away from the reach of deep point. When Prabhsimran attempted another switch-hit, off a no-ball, he miscued it to cover, but the choice of the shot had already messed with the line, length and plans of Narine.Related

• IPL 2025 showed the might of the uncapped Indian batter

• Unstoppable and unsatisfied: how Punjab Kings marched into their first IPL playoffs in 11 years

• A loss for CSK against PBKS will knock them out of the playoffs

• Prabhsimran and Arya, more than just a bold experiment

The free-hit ball was on a hard length and wide of off, but Prabhsimran reached out and flat-batted it over Narine’s head for six. He ran away with the momentum and finished with 83 off 49 balls.Prabhsimran has always had explosive ability. Punjab Kings (PBKS) were so excited by his raw potential that they outlaid INR 4.8 crore for him at the IPL 2019 auction. At the time, Prabhsimran had not played a T20 match in senior representative cricket, but his ability to bash the ball interested the scouts. PBKS’ management kept cycling through coaches and captains, but they held onto Prabhsimran. Six years on, he has come of age as a T20 batter.He isn’t just a hard hitter in the powerplay. He has evolved into a versatile disruptor of bowlers and fields. He now has the nous to sit back and accumulate when conditions are difficult for batting. He also knows when to pull the trigger.When PBKS’ net bowler, an offspinner, tried to attack Prabhsimran’s pads during the nets at Chepauk on Tuesday, much like Narine had done at Eden Gardens, Prabhsimran swapped his hands on the bat handle and swatted him over cover. The crack off Prabhsimran’s bat reverberated around the empty stands, taking some of Chennai Super Kings’ net bowlers and reserve players by surprise. PBKS’ team management, however, were probably not one bit surprised.Prabhsimran Singh enjoys playing unorthodox shots•Associated Press”We are all waiting for him to play it,” James Hopes, PBKS’ fast-bowling coach, said on the eve of their match against CSK in Chennai. “[Against KKR], we thought it was going to come a lot earlier than it actually did. I think the way they [KKR] were moving the field at that time, especially that guy at deep point and they were all waiting for it as well.”Yes, he got his first one away and as soon as it happens, you are never going to put two guys out there [on the boundary]. So, there’s a big part of the field that’s left unprotected and Sunny is a world-class bowler. It’s a different game that some of these boys play right now. No surprise from my end and my team’s end because every training session we see him 50 times batting left-handed.”Prabhsimran’s T20 invention and power-hitting has also wowed his head coach Ricky Ponting when PBKS’ new head coach saw Prashmiran, one of the team’s retained players, before the start of the season. Matthew Hayden said as much on commentary.”A very excited Ricky Ponting came up to me at the Kings’ first match in Ahmedabad and said, ‘Haydos, I’ve found myself a beauty’. Now Ricky Ponting rarely gets excited about too much, but he went, ‘this kid, he is just magic – he’s got dust, and it’s covered in gold… just such talent and class.'”In that match against Gujarat Titans, Prabhsimran got twitchy after a slow start and went too hard at Kagiso Rabada, holing out to short third for five off eight balls. Fast-forward to Eden Gardens: another slow start for Prabhsimran, but this time he was prepared to absorb good balls on a tricky surface; once he got a measure of the conditions, he even lined up Narine.3:26

Ganga: New generation of Indian batters think about how to hit every ball for six

Wasim Jaffer, who has worked with Prabhsimran at both PBKS and Punjab in domestic cricket, is also impressed with his charge’s growth into a more rounded T20 batter.”I think he must have worked out who are the bowlers that he can target,” Jaffer said on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut show. “He generally takes a few deliveries before he starts getting into that ultra-aggressive mode. But yeah, he’s been a little smarter. Obviously, playing in this league for a few seasons also has helped. He’s one of the integral parts of that Punjab batting. That responsibility has shown the way he’s approached in games and that is a very good thing to see a different change in Prabhsimran.”He’s got shots all around the ground, whether square, whether straight. It’s just him picking the right balls to hit. And once he gets that big boundary or big sixes, just for him to rotate the strike and take it to the next over.”In the lead-up to the IPL, Prabhsimran had cracked three successive hundreds in the 50-overs Vijay Hazare Trophy, including an unbeaten 150 against Mumbai. But not too many fans follow cricket outside of internationals and the IPL. To them, Prabhsimran was perhaps just another uncapped player until IPL 2025.On Wednesday, he could be the top attraction among four uncapped openers who will be on show at Chepauk. If he continues to level up, he could well become a capped player by the next IPL. Only time will tell.

Lamine Yamal has been told that relentless comparisons with Lionel Messi are “not helping” his development, with “unnecessary pressure” being lumped onto the teenager’s shoulders. The Barcelona wonderkid has cleared every hurdle put in front of him so far, but he is only 18 years of age and could do without being asked to follow in the footsteps of an all-time great.

• Next Messi: Yamal treading similar path to Argentine icon

  Yamal has, however, had to get used to that discussion. Ever since he stepped out of the same La Masia academy system as Argentine GOAT Messi, similarities have been drawn between two exciting left-footed forwards.

  A fearless approach to his game has allowed Yamal to turn a deaf ear to any detractors, with the record books being rewritten, and he has stated on a regular basis that he does not consider himself to be the ‘next Messi’. He intends to build his own legacy, but that will only be possible if distractions on and off the field can be avoided.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  GOAT comparison: Why Yamal vs Messi debate helps nobody

  Ex-Barcelona midfielder Gaizka Mendieta has told : “Comparisons to Lionel Messi are not helping Lamine Yamal. It doesn't help anyone. It doesn't help mainly and mostly the player. You know, 'the number 10, there's the new Messi. He does things that Messi used to do at his age.' When I hear these conversations, it's about, 'name me how many Messis are in football history.' How many players like Messi have you seen in football history? I can maybe count three. Okay, and then how often have you seen these players? Huge gaps in between, I don't know, 20, 30, 40 years, 50 years. It's very rare that you see players like Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.

  “Messi and Ronaldo, I think it's quite unique that you see two players like that playing at the same time and era. So one is very difficult. And second, to put that pressure on a player of 18 years old that is going to play in the next 20 years at that level, I wish and I hope he will do it, but I think it's so difficult. It's very difficult. Not only the level of football, but also injuries and so many things. He’s 18, he's still growing. He's still developing muscle and bones. So there are so many factors there that we have to be careful about these comparisons. It’s unnecessary pressure on a player. Look, let's enjoy it. He is an amazing talent, let's enjoy what is there game by game. Let’s hope he will make it to 40 and be the next Messi. But there's no pressure. We've seen many others including Ansu Fati and Munir El Haddadi being called the next Messi and so many in Argentina, but it’s not that simple.”

• Transfer trigger: Will Barcelona sign Rashford?

  Yamal can call on the support of those around him at Camp Nou, with England international Marcus Rashford among those currently on hand to help shoulder the responsibility of providing goals and assists. He has impressed during a loan spell from Manchester United, but it remains to be seen whether a permanent transfer option will be triggered.

  Mendieta added of the 28-year-old forward: “Marcus Rashford has been excellent. He's been fantastic for the team. Seven assists, I think with three goals. But, most importantly, he's an addition to the team. I think a deal will come down to finance. As a player, the way Marcus Rashford is playing, there will surely be interest, but it's about where Barca will be with their finances at that moment in time. And of course, what Rashford wants for his contract, how much he's prepared to negotiate, because we know Barca cannot afford to pay those contracts. On the sports side, for sure, 100%. The question is, can both sides come down to a financial agreement?

  “It's sad to say, but I think the fact that Raphinha has been injured is helping. If Raphinha was fit, I'm sure they would be rotated. There would have been changes between them two. But the fact that he's been injured has allowed him to play regularly every game, which is helping to settle better. I think him being away from England and the Premier League has helped, he was always in the spotlight, not always for the right reasons.

  “I think he's enjoying that life in Barcelona. It's great knowing he can go to restaurants, people will not bother you. He can go to the beach, he can get on with his lifestyle in Barcelona. And that's helping him to settle in the team. The style, I think, suits him. He doesn't need to run as much as he thought he had to do in the past and it's more about tactics and understanding when to make those runs and those passes or crosses or actions. I think all these factors are helping him to be the player he wants to be and the fans are enjoying it.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty/GOAL
  

  Barcelona fixtures: Next up for Yamal & Rashford

  Yamal and Rashford have helped Barcelona to the top of the Liga table, in their ongoing title defence, with the Blaugrana taking advantage of the dip in form being endured by Clasico rivals Real Madrid. Hansi Flick’s side will be back in action on Tuesday when taking in a testing home date with Atletico Madrid.

Iran have announced they will skip the FIFA World Cup 2026 final draw in Washington, D.C. after several members of their delegation were denied U.S. visas, according to state news agency IRNA. The federation said the decision is connected to issues beyond football and has asked FIFA to intervene. The draw is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 5, 2025.

Getty Images SportBoycott reason explained.

The Iranian Football Federation’s spokesman said the delegation encountered visa issues and informed FIFA it would not attend the Dec. 5 ceremony at the Kennedy Center, according to ESPN. Tehran said only partial approvals were granted and that the decision was based on the federation’s stated principles.

The delegation was expected to be led by federation president Mehdi Taj, who is also a vice president of the Asian Football Confederation and serves on two FIFA committees involved in World Cup operations.

AdvertisementGetty Images NewsWhite house travel restrictions

The visa denials come in the context of President Donald Trump’s June 2025 executive order establishing travel restrictions for citizens of 12 countries, including Iran. The order includes exemptions for “any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives, traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event as determined by the Secretary of State.”

FIFA President Gianni Infantino recently addressed questions about access to the United States for upcoming tournaments. Speaking at the FIFA Congress, he said the U.S. government has assured FIFA that international visitors, including fans, will be welcomed at the 2026 World Cup. Infantino said these assurances followed meetings between FIFA and U.S. officials as part of the White House Task Force on FIFA World Cups.

Infantino has made similar remarks in recent months, emphasizing continued coordination with U.S. government agencies to ensure security, travel, and transportation logistics for international attendees. Human Rights Watch has separately urged FIFA to monitor developments closely and be prepared to reassess planning if required.

Boycott's impact

Iran’s decision comes as organizers prepare for the largest World Cup to date, with 48 teams set to participate in the June 11-July 19 tournament. The expanded format increases the number of participating nations and the logistical considerations involved for FIFA.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

AFPDraw ceremony proceeds amid uncertainty

The World Cup draw ceremony will take place as scheduled on Dec. 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., determining the group assignments for the 48 participating nations. The White House has not yet commented on Iran's boycott announcement. 

At one point during the international break, it appeared as if both Napoli and Atalanta would have new coaches in place for this weekend's meeting between the two sides at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. However, while the Bergamaschi inevitably sacked Ivan Juric the day after their shocking 3-0 defeat at home to Sassuolo, Antonio Conte remains in charge of the Partenopei – which is actually something of a surprise.

Conte may have led Napoli to just their fourth Serie A title six months ago, but his relationship with his players appears to be even worse than their results right now, with the coach comparing his team to a corpse after exhibiting zero signs of life in their latest loss at Bologna.

So, what on earth is going on with the Italian champions? Has Conte really lost the dressing room? Or is he simply trying to provoke a reaction out of his underperforming team by casting doubt on his future?

Getty Images Sport'Great knowledge of what football really means'

Conte is obviously no stranger to controversy. The notoriously combustible coach has repeatedly fallen out with his employers – and usually over perceived parsimony in the transfer market. His legendary lament at Juventus that "You cannot eat at a €100 restaurant with €10 in your pocket" has become a part of the lexicon of Italian football. Even by Conte's standards, though, it was jarring to hear him bemoaning a lack of investment before he'd even taken charge of his first match as Napoli coach last year.

In that particular instance, though, Conte did have some cause for complaint, as the horribly handled Victor Osimhen affair held up the club's summer recruitment for far longer than it should have done. The equally-outspoken Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis also acknowledged that last season's Scudetto success was made all the more remarkable for the fact that Conte had had to deal with the sale of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia for financial reasons midway through their title challenge.

"He managed through incidents and injuries to make do with what he had, using not one, but four or five different tactical systems," De Laurentiis enthused at the trophy parade in May. "Conte showed the whole world that systems are useless and that all you need is a great knowledge of what football really means. So, for him who took us all the way to win the second Scudetto in three years, I ask for an applause, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'There had been errors'

However, in the very same speech that De Laurentiis used to thank Conte, he also wished him "continuing success in his professional life" – which appeared to confirm rumours that the coach had already decided to part company with the Partenopei after just one season in charge – and return to Juventus.

Conte insisted all along, though, that he wouldn't make a decision on his future until after he had spoken to De Laurentiis and, after showdown talks with the president, he revealed that he would continue as coach because the club had acknowledged that certain mistakes had been made over the course of the campaign.

"I think everyone is aware of what happened in January," Conte told in June. "During the season, some things didn't really make me happy. New players arrived only in the last week [of the summer window]: (Scott) McTominay, (Billy) Gilmour, (David) Neres and (Romelu) Lukaku. Honestly, I didn’t like that.

"But I believe I was good at accepting the situation and not giving excuses to my players and myself. When you sign [a contract], there are honours and duties. But when we spoke, they admitted there had been errors. It happens, though, in the first year of marriage, so once I was reassured on certain things, we agreed to continue and now we must defend the Scudetto."

Getty Images Sport'Nine new players are too many'

Unfortunately, this particular marriage could very easily end in divorce – but not because of any fresh tension over transfers between Conte and the club.

Napoli pretty much gave Conte everything they wanted during the summer, signing eight players for a combined cost of roughly €200 million (when the obligatory fees are taken into account), while at the same time making free agent Kevin De Bruyne their second-highest earner after Lukaku. By Serie A standards, this constituted a colossal spending spree – and yet Conte has used Napoli's recruitment as an excuse for his side's patchy performances so far this season.

"Last year we won a championship where the players pushed themselves to the limit; we had unity in every way," Conte told after a shocking 6-2 Champions League loss at PSV. "In my opinion, nine new players are too many.

"We opened the transfer window because we were forced to do so. We tried to strengthen the squad but it takes time and patience. Bringing nine new players into the dressing room isn't easy. The old guys, myself and those from last year, need to step up our game and find unity again."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

AFPDe Bruyne blow

However, while Napoli looked like their old selves in beating Inter four days after being embarrassed in Eindhoven, they've struggled ever since to score goals due to a general lack of cohesion and creativity.

The loss of De Bruyne to a serious hamstring injury sustained while converting a penalty in the Inter game has understandably had a devastating impact on Napoli's attack, and partly explains why the goals have dried up for Rasmus Hojlund in recent weeks – which is a major problem given Lorenzo Lucca is looking like a poor signing and Lukaku is still not back to full fitness. Indeed, Napoli have now failed to score in their last three games in all competitions.

However, what's really troubling Conte is his team's work-rate, as the Partenopei are not playing with anything like the same dynamism as last season. The obvious explanation is that a team unburdened by European football last season is still getting used to the added stress and strain of competing in the Champions League. Some supporters and pundits are pointing the finger at Conte, though.

A remarkable ODI played out in Raipur when conditions, injuries and two teams who did not want to give up went head-to-head

Alagappan Muthu04-Dec-20254:31

Gaikwad: I decided I’d try to be consistent in any game this year

Arshdeep Singh didn’t look back. He had done his bit – secured a false shot from Quinton de Kock – and just kept on jogging through. Wake up babe, a new celebrappeal just dropped.A few hours later, the India left-arm quick coaxed another mis-hit. And this time he whipped right round to see if the catch would be taken. On his face was a rare kind of anxiety. On a scale of 1 to 10, it was just north of seeing three dots appearing and disappearing while texting your crush.Arshdeep was on his haunches when Ruturaj Gaikwad did his part and ended Marco Jansen’s stay at the wicket. This game was no longer fun.Signs of South Africa going on to complete the joint-highest chase by any team against India in India began to show up in the 28th over. Rohit Sharma spent more time in Harshit Rana’s ear than at mid-off where he was supposed to field. In the 30th over, he went up to Rohan Pandit, who was making a big step up on Wednesday, umpiring in an India ODI for the first time. Those other four matches in Dubai between USA, UAE and Nepal can’t have possibly prepared him to deal with one of the biggest names in cricket expressing abject displeasure about the condition of the ball.Related

Ruturaj Gaikwad: 'I was pretty much confident' of batting at No. 4

Belief surges for South Africa as Markram makes amends in style

Rahul: Toss plays a 'huge part' and 'making a huge difference' with dew

Markram ton trumps Kohli, Gaikwad centuries for nervy win

Stats – Kohli with back-to-back tons again; SA ace record chase

Pandit went to Rod Tucker, who officiated the 2019 World Cup final, for a little help and he had zero sympathy for India’s plight. Even when India did eventually get a drier Kookaburra, it was whacked straight out of the ground. This game was now just cruel. On a scale of 1 to 10, it was just short of doing a simple stretch at the gym and hearing a very loud rip.”Even scoring 350 is very difficult when batting first,” Gaikwad said at the post-match presentation. “There’s moisture in the wicket in the first ten overs and the ball doesn’t come onto the bat that well. After 34 overs, there’s only one ball and the wicket also slows down, so it’s not easy to hit.We scored 350 in the last match, 360 in this match, so there’s an improvement of ten runs. Any more improvement you probably cannot pre-decide. You can think you will score 380-400, but the opposition is also good, they have got good bowlers. So you cannot have that gameplan.”Conditions did change, as Gaikwad said. The toss did matter, as KL Rahul said. Dew made run-scoring easier, as Aiden Markram said. But through it all an Indian side without Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer and Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj kept fighting. A South African side also skewered by injury refused to go away. Tony de Zorzi actually thought he could get the last 31 runs off 31 balls on one functioning leg. One attempt, hopping between the wickets, showed that though he was brave he was being foolish. He ended up watching the rest of the chase from the dugout, still kitted from head to toe.”I feel at phases we bowled really well,” Gaikwad said. “I think first 10-15 overs we bowled really well but after that there was obviously huge amount of dew and because of that the spinners were slightly out of the game and I think after that I feel every South African batter who ever came in chipped really well, played really well. So I think lot of credit goes to them, they batted really well and hats off to them.” He left out the part where the match-winner who went on to make 110 was dropped on 53.Temba Bavuma and Aiden Markram were crucial in South Africa’s series-levelling win•BCCIUntil Wednesday, there had only been seven successful chases of even 300-plus scores against India in India. Keeping it there required an enormous effort from the hosts. Some of them came away a little worse for wear. Prasidh Krishna, whose role in the middle overs is to hit the deck, wasn’t getting any purchase. Still the team insisted that he keep trying and he would now hope they see his figures – 15.4 overs for 133 runs – with some leniency.South Africa running down 359 required a lot of composure. By the end, there were echoes of not one but two hall-of-fame finishes. The equation reading 27 off 30 took the mind back to Bridgetown. Keshav Maharaj’s appearance with the series on the line punched a hole straight through to Chennai 2023. The man still has ice in his veins. He was leaving balls in the 48th over, confident in his judgment that Rana’s bouncers were too high and would be called wide.In these situations, Indian cricket grounds become impossible engines. The silence in them turns deafening. This game – sandwiched between a seminal Test series result and T20 World Cup prep – had no business being this dramatic. On a scale of 1 to 10, it was everything.

Sudharsan spoke about Gambhir’s influence on him, his approach to Test cricket and wanting to be versatile like KL Rahul

Shashank Kishore29-Oct-2025

B Sai Sudharsan has hailed India head coach Gautam Gambhir for backing him unconditionally through a challenging initiation into Test cricket.Sai Sudharsan scored 140 runs at an average of 23.33 in his debut Test series on the tour of England, and was out for 7 in his only innings in the first Test against West Indies in Ahmedabad earlier this month. He felt under some pressure coming into the second Test in Delhi until a chat with Gambhir put him at ease.”The support has been impeccable,” Sai Sudharsan said in Bengaluru where he will be India A’s vice-captain in the first unofficial Test against South Africa A, which begins on Thursday. “After the first game in Ahmedabad, we were practicing at the Feroz Shah Kotla nets. As always, I was the last to come out of the nets.Related

What did India gain by playing Reddy in the West Indies series?

Temba Bavuma named in South Africa A squad for India tour

Pant to lead India A in prelude to Test series vs South Africa

“GG [Gambhir] sir called me and said, ‘You are not getting desperate. You are one of the best players in the country. So do not think about any of the other things. Don’t think that you have to score runs in this game or what will happen if you don’t.'”He told me, ‘You will play.’ The way he said that gave me so much confidence and freedom. I was trying to be more free and not think about external factors or the magnitude of things. But when you hear it from the head coach himself, the perspective and environment change drastically.”That helped me express myself better as well. Even in that game [2nd Test], I wasn’t in a mindset just to get runs, I was in a mindset to fight and win for the team, to dominate for the team.”Sai Sudharsan hit a composed 87 in his last Test outing•AFP/Getty Images

Sai Sudharsan made 87 and 39 in Delhi as India won by seven wickets to clinch the series 2-0. While those knocks have given him confidence, he doesn’t want to put himself under the pressure of having to live up to some of India’s past No. 3s.”I take it game by game, inning by inning, look at the situation, and react as best as I can,” he said. “Playing for India, there’s so much competition. So many great cricketers who have done well, are doing well, and will continue to do well. I’m not looking at a spot to cement or thinking about securing a place. I’m playing for a reason and that is to win games and fight for my team. That’s my mindset when I walk in.”When I think about sealing a spot or playing for safety, I tend to go defensive and play for myself, which I definitely don’t want to do. I look at it from a different perspective – to win one session at a time and make a difference there. Runs will be a byproduct of that process.”That said, Sai Sudharsan acknowledges the challenges that will come with batting at No. 3, having come through domestic cricket primarily as an opener for Tamil Nadu.”It’s a great responsibility, and I’m grateful for the opportunity,” he said. “No. 3 is also like an opening spot. There’s not a big difference, to be honest. But playing for India, wherever we get an opportunity, we have to be on point, not just fill a place but be really ready for whichever spot we play.”We have great examples. Like KL [Rahul] , who has played in almost all positions and is so versatile. We can learn from him. We have to be ready for all those challenges. I wouldn’t say I prefer one or the other. I’ve played quite a lot at No. 3, even in the IPL, and when I was younger in the Under-14s and Under-16s also I’ve batted at No. 3. So I enjoy both. It’s not a big difference”

The Philadelphia Phillies pulled off a major trade on Wednesday night ahead of MLB's deadline, sending two prospects to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for closer Jhoan Duran. He has a 6-4 record this season with 16 saves and a 2.01 ERA. He was ranked No. 4 on list of trade candidates ahead of Thursday.

About an hour prior to being shipped to Philly, Duran spoke about the possibility of being traded, and relayed a heartfelt message about his team and the city of Minnesota.

"That’d be hard," he said, via Dan Hayes. "Got a couple years here and I feel like here is my family so if that happens, that’s maybe breaking my heart a little bit."

After signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks organization in 2014, Duran was traded to Minnesota in '18, made his MLB debut in '22, and has been in the Twin Cities every since.

While it'll seemingly be an adjustment, the 27-year-old is heading from a 51-57 Twins team to a Phillies team tied for first place in the National League East—and desperate for an everyday closer.

Chelsea are now believed to be at the front of the queue to sign a Liverpool transfer target in January, and one who Man United have also rated very highly in the past.

Chelsea prepare for Leeds United battle after 1-1 Arsenal draw

Chelsea travel to Elland Road on Wednesday evening seeking to build momentum after their hard-fought 1-1 draw against Premier League leaders Arsenal at Stamford Bridge, where Enzo Maresca’s side demonstrated remarkable resilience despite playing almost an hour with 10 men.

The Blues dominated proceedings during the opening half-hour before Moises Caicedo’s reckless studs-up challenge on Mikel Merino resulted in a straight red card following VAR intervention.

The Ecuadorian midfielder’s dismissal represented Chelsea’s fourth sending-off across just thirteen league fixtures this season – twice as many as any other Premier League side.

Chelsea responded defiantly, though.

Trevoh Chalobah glanced home Reece James’ near-post corner to open the scoring just after halftime, rewarding the hosts’ dogged display, but Arsenal eventually equalised through Merino’s header before the hour mark.

It was a promising display overall from Chelsea, who are still firmly in the title race and must now come away from Yorkshire with all three points to keep pressure on Mikel Arteta’s side.

Daniel Farke’s relegation-threatened side have endured difficult recent form, collecting just three points from their last five league games.

Chelsea, meanwhile, are having to watch their injury situation closely, with Dario Essugo suffering a setback and Maresca carefully easing Cole Palmer back into the team following his return from a groin problem.

Away from the pitch, Chelsea have been tipped to potentially sign a new centre-back in January, and RB Leipzig’s Castello Lukeba is emerging as a prime contender.

Chelsea favourites to sign Castello Lukeba in January

That is according to CaughtOffside, who report that Chelsea are leading the winter chase to sign him next month, ahead of Liverpool, who are also keen on a move for the Frenchman.

Lukeba, who’s started nearly every game as a mainstay for Leipzig this season, is currently their best-performing player in the Bundesliga behind David Raum, going by average match rating per 90 (WhoScored).

The 22-year-old’s deal includes a release clause which will drop to around £70 million in the summer, but CaughtOffside state that Leipzig could be willing to sell Lukeba to Chelsea for much less at £53 million.

Lukeba, interestingly, was highly recommended to Man United by an unnamed recruitment chief in 2023, according to Football Insider, who told the Red Devils that he’s a ‘generational’ talent.

Chelsea will be without Levi Colwill until midway through next year after the Cobham graduate’s ACL injury in pre-season, but Chalobah and Wesley Fofana seriously impressed against Arsenal.

Some believe the pair might be one of England’s best centre-back pairings right now, so the need for another defender is nowhere near as critical as it was back in October.

In any case, Maresca publicly demanded another centre-half in the summer, so it could still be one worth monitoring.

Leeds 2019 and Brisbane 2021 made strong claims to the crown, but Kolkata 2001 still prevailed among the fans as the greatest Test match of the 21st century

Karthik Krishnaswamy21-Jun-20259:15

The Greatest Test: India roar back to victory in Kolkata, 2001

What defines a great Test match? Comebacks? Close finishes? Underdog triumphs? The platonic ideal of the final session of the final day starting with all four results still in play?Yes, all that, sure, but the collective wisdom in our shortlist to find the Greatest Test of the 21st century, and the collective wisdom of our readers, have given us another answer. Eighteen of the 32 Tests that lined up at the start of this exercise involved Australia, and 12 of them ended in Australian defeat. The three that reached the final round of voting, ended, in chronological order, with Australia losing by 171 runs, Australia losing by one wicket, and Australia losing by three wickets.Sorry, Australia. Cricket fans (as events at Lord’s last week no doubt showed you) love to see you lose. In times of despair and ennui, we seek solace in your heartbreaks, streaming them play by play on our devices or minds’ eyes.It is, of course, the ultimate backhanded compliment. Australia have lost fewer Tests in this century than any of the other teams that compete in the World Test Championship – this despite playing more Tests than anyone other than England. It’s precisely because Australia have been so hard to beat that their defeats have featured some of the most stirring individual and team performances of our time. This is why 12 of Australia’s 66 Test defeats in the 21st century – that’s more than one in six – are ESPNcricinfo-certified classics.VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid relax after their 376-run partnership in March 2001•Getty ImagesWhile other candidates were unlucky to miss out on a spot in the final round – Birmingham 2005, for instance, received a surprisingly small share of your votes despite its place in Ashes folklore – the three Tests that made it – Kolkata 2001, Leeds 2019, Brisbane 2021 – fully deserved their places. They weren’t just great Test matches; they all had that transcendent quality that puts them among the greatest sporting contests of their time. Even as they unfolded before our eyes, they gave the feeling that they existed outside reality, that the field of play was inhabited by beings governed by physical laws different to those that constrain the rest of us.Any of the three finalists could have won, and the chances are that you might have chosen a different winner if the poll was designed a little differently, or conducted it a week earlier or later, or if the gods of internet algorithms had brought it to your notice in a different way, or if the demographics of our audience were a little different, or if cricket’s political economy had a different look. While voters on ESPNcricinfo – who made up nearly 68% of the total count – overwhelmingly backed the winner, Kolkata, results went differently elsewhere: voters on our X and YouTube handles put Leeds in first place, for instance, and those on our WhatsApp channel plumped for Brisbane.All three Tests made equally strong cases, so it’s apt to wonder how one of them ended up with over 49% of the votes and the other two with roughly 25% each. What did Eden Gardens have that Headingley and Gabba did not?The answer, of course, is that it’s all subjective. So let’s talk about the subjective. I was a class IX student in March 2001, and my consumption of that Test match and that series was often indirect, restricted during school hours to terse dispatches from classmates sent to the audio-visual room at intervals proportional to the teacher’s interest in cricket and generosity of spirit.”Laxman and Dravid still batting. 398 for 4.” Cheering in the classroom. Half an hour later: “431 for 4, Laxman 196.” Pandemonium. Until I got home to catch the last half hour or so, and then the highlights, it was up to my imagination to fill in the gaps.Part of the beauty of Test cricket comes from how much of it lives in our imaginations, how intensely we feel even the bits that we aren’t in a position to watch, and while this is still true today, it was truer in 2001 than in 2019 or 2021. So much of Kolkata 2001 took place in our imaginations, and so much of it, in the aftermath, has existed in the reliving, the retelling, the little tricks of memory. The drama contained in the highlights packages – Harbhajan Singh’s offbreaks spitting like cobras from a length, VVS Laxman’s feet dancing one way to whip against the turn and another to drive inside-out, Rahul Dravid gesturing angrily to the press box, the look on Shane Warne’s face when he’s duped by Sachin Tendulkar’s wrong’un – ennoble the bits that got left out. How well must Glenn McGrath have bowled, ball after ball, to finish with 14-8-18-4 in India’s first innings? Even ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball can’t help – it’s all scoring and no commentary.Leeds and Brisbane contained cricket just as breathtaking as Kolkata, but mystique? If you ask on X and reach the right eyes, someone with access to ball-tracking data might DM you the line and length co-ordinates of the Mohammed Siraj ball that Steven Smith fended to gully.Final day, fading light, and India triumph to end Australia’s 16-Test streak•Hamish Blair/Getty ImagesBut mystique isn’t the only reason Kolkata got your vote. Mystique can only get you so far when you’re up against epics that everyone, including kids who weren’t even around in 2001, followed breathlessly, like, yesterday. Mystique can only do so much when it’s up against recency bias. And it’s perfectly okay to be biased towards India’s dismantling of the Gabba’s , with an attack that had bowled all of 10 balls in Test cricket before that series taking 20 wickets and paving the way for an unforgettable fourth-innings chase. It’s perfectly okay to be biased towards England winning after being bowled out for 67, towards Ben Stokes going from 3* off 73 balls to 135* off 219, and the drama of a last-wicket stand that survived, off successive balls, a fluffed run-out chance and an lbw that would have been dead if the bowling team hadn’t run out of reviews.It’s some achievement, then, to beat Leeds 2019 and Brisbane 2021 in a poll in the year 2025 – an achievement, you might say, not unlike following on and beating an Australia team with 16 successive wins under its belt.There have been other Tests with hat-tricks, and other Tests featuring partnerships that batted through a full day’s play. There have been other Tests won by injury-ravaged underdogs, other spectacular takedowns of all-timer XIs, other Tests won from hopeless positions, and other results that snapped formidable winning streaks. Other teams have found ways to win with time running out, and other teams have won Tests with startling interventions from part-timers. Other Tests have been played on true pitches that encouraged strokeplay, other Tests on pitches with something in them for fast spin bowlers, and other Tests on lightning outfields that rewarded wristy artistry. Other great, twisty Test matches have sat in the middle of great, twisty series. Crowds of 90,000 and more have lent an electric air to other Tests at other stadiums.Kolkata 2001 contained all those ingredients. Which other Test match – from the 21st or any other century – can make the same claim?

Manchester United have managed to get a more consistent run of form together under Ruben Amorim. It took a long time, a year into the Portuguese manager’s reign at Old Trafford, but results have improved in recent weeks, even if consistent performances are yet to follow.

However, one issue United continue to have this season is the fact that they can’t stop conceding goals. The 18 they have let in so far in the Premier League this term are better than just five sides, all of whom occupy 16th to 20th in the top flight.

Despite the defensive frailties, one of the men at the back, Matthijs de Ligt, has been a standout player.

The numbers behind De Ligt's form for Man Utd

It has been a superb second season in red so far for Netherlands international De Ligt. The 26-year-old has been a key man in Amorim’s back three, showing versatility as a central centre-back and a right-sided centre-back.

The Ajax academy graduate has been ever-present in the Premier League. He’s played 90 minutes in all 11 of the Red Devils’ top-flight games, and has surely cemented himself as Amorim’s most trusted defender.

Not only has De Ligt been a colossus at the back, winning 3.55 aerial duels per 90 minutes in the Premier League, but he came up clutch at the weekend. The Dutch defender headed home a stoppage-time equaliser to secure United a late point away to Tottenham Hotspur.

His exceptional performances have not gone unnoticed. Rio Ferdinand, who knows a thing or two about being a top defender for United, was full of praise for the Dutchman recently.

He said De Ligt has been “magnificent” and is “probably the first name on the teamsheet” under Amoirm at the moment.

The defender has been excellent in 2025/26, but it is one of his teammates who could actually be seen as United’s new Nemanja Vidic.

Man United's new version of Vidic

When you think of United’s former captain Vidic, there are a few different things which might spring to mind. He was a colossal defender, and, of course, formed half of that legendary duo with Ferdinand at the heart of United’s defence.

Well, the modern-day version of Vidic under Amorim could be Brazilian legend Casemiro. Of course, he is a midfielder, whereas the former Red Devils number 15 was a centre-back, but there are plenty of similar traits shared by the pair.

Casmeiro, for example, brings a wealth of experience to the United side, which is something Amorim has leaned heavily on this season.

He’s played ten times in the Premier League this season, only missing one game due to suspension after getting sent off against Chelsea.

Casemiro game stats in 2024/25

Stat

Number

Games

10

Games started

9

Minutes

620

Minutes per game

62

Goals and assists

4

Stats from Transfermarkt

The former Real Madrid star is also a leader. Of course, he isn’t the club captain, with that title belonging to Bruno Fernandes. Yet, the 33-year-old is a five-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid, and has played under great managers and alongside great managers.

He certainly brings bags of leadership to United’s squad, just as Vidic did all those years ago.

One of the dangers Vidic brought was his set-piece threat. He scored 21 times for United, with many of those bullet headers from a corner or free kick. Casemiro brings the same threat, and even scored from a corner two weeks ago away to Nottingham Forest.

It is easy to see how there are similarities between Vidic and United’s current number 18. The pair are warriors on the pitch, who bring years of experience and a brilliant and important sense of leadership, too.

Casemiro, described as a “monster” player by Statman Dave, has been crucial at Old Trafford under Amorim. Having a player of his calibre in the squad has certainly been vital to their good run of form in recent weeks.

Related Man Utd star who was "awful" last season is now more important than Mbeumo

Manchester United continue to reap the rewards of this fantastic signing, who could go on to be a future Red Devils captain.

Posts ByKelan Sarson Nov 9, 2025