The action starts with a rematch of last year’s final on June 12

Deivarayan Muthu12-Jun-2025First things first. When does it start?MLC 2025 kicks off on June 12, with defending champions Washington Freedom taking on San Francisco Unicorns in a rematch of last season’s final at the Oakland Coliseum, which has hosted baseball and American football matches. The stadium was a prominent feature in the 2011 film , based on Michael Lewis’ book which documented the Athletics’ success following data-driven strategies in the early 2000s.Unicorns will play three home games at the Coliseum. The league will run until July 13, when the final will be played at Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas. Central Broward Stadium in Lauderhill will host matches for the first time this season, including a double-header on July 4. The Grand Prairie Stadium, which had staged games in 2023 and 2024, will host 16 of the 34 games this season, including the knockouts.So, who are the teams in action?The six teams are Washington Freedom, San Francisco Unicorns, MI New York, Los Angeles Knight Riders, Texas Super Kings and Seattle Orcas. Four of these teams are owned by IPL franchises. Apart from the three obvious ones, Orcas are owned by the GMR group, who co-own Delhi Capitals.Freedom, owned by Indian-American entrepreneur Sanjay Govil, have Cricket New South Wales as their high-performance partner. Unicorns, owned by Anand Rajaraman and Venky Harinarayan, have a strategic partnership with Cricket Victoria. The league is soon to expand with New Zealand Cricket coming on board as investors and set to part-own one of the new teams in 2027.ESPNcricinfo LtdWhat else is new?Four of the six teams have new captains in MLC 2025. Nicholas Pooran, who had recently retired from international cricket at the age of 29, has been named MINY’s new captain while his former West Indies team-mate Jason Holder will lead LA Knight Riders. With Holder set to miss LAKR’s first two games because of international commitments, Sunil Narine will stand in as the franchise’s captain. Holder will join the LAKR side ahead of their third match against Freedom.Related

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Freedom will also have a new captain, with Glenn Maxwell taking over from Steven Smith, who will only make a brief appearance this season. Having also retired from international cricket, Heinrich Klaasen will take charge of Orcas while Unicorns have retained Corey Anderson as their captain. Super Kings, who are big on continuity and consistency across leagues, have retained Faf du Plessis as their captain.The league also has a new CEO, with Johnny Grave replacing Vijay Srinivasan ahead of the new season, as it prepares for its expansion. Grave is a key figure in cricket administration, having most recently served as CEO at CWI for seven years. He was previously the commercial director at the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) in England.Any other exciting new additions?David Warner is set for his maiden MLC stint, having signed with Orcas. Warner, however, is a familiar face for the franchise, having played for them in other leagues: IPL (Delhi Capitals) and ILT20 (Dubai Capitals).David Warner will play in the MLC for the first time•Getty ImagesAustralia’s Mitchell Owen, among the most sought-after names in T20 cricket right now following his barnstorming century in the BBL final in January earlier this year, will reunite with coach Ricky Ponting at Freedom, having already worked with him at Hobart Hurricanes and Punjab Kings. Also watch out for Sherfane Rutherford, who is gearing up for his MLC debut with LAKR after impressing in franchise leagues around the world, including the IPL.Then there is New Zealand tearaway Ben Sears, who will join Owen at Freedom. Sears was also on Ponting’s radar at one point as a potential replacement for Lockie Ferguson at PBKS in the IPL. This will be Sears’ chance to announce himself to the franchise world.Are Afghanistan players available?While Rashid Khan and Azmatullah Omarzai (both MINY) have opted out of the tournament, Naveen-ul-Haq (MINY), Noor Ahmad (TSK) and Waqar Salamkheil (Orcas) have joined their respective teams after doubts emerged over the participation of Afghanistan players owing to the travel ban imposed by the US government.Two other Afghanistan players – Gulbadin Naib and Fazalhaq Farooqi, who play for Orcas – are understood to be awaiting visas to travel to play in MLC.USA’s Saurabh Netravalkar is the MLC’s second-highest wicket-taker•MLCTell me about some domestic players to keep an eye onIt’s hard to look past Saurabh Netravalkar, the left-arm seamer who even made it to the IPL 2024 auction shortlist after his out-of-office spells for USA and Freedom. He is the highest wicket-taker among USA players in the MLC, with 25 strikes in 13 matches at an economy rate of 7.49, and the second highest overall.Among the young batters, Saiteja Mukkamalla (TSK) could make his MLC bow this season after producing outstanding numbers for USA in T20Is: the 21-year-old averages over 40 and has a strike rate of nearly 153 after 18 T20Is. Sanjay Krishnamurthi, who turned 22 earlier this month, is another serious talent in the Unicorns side with a wide array of shots in his repertoire.Don’t forget Agni Chopra, who became the first batter to score centuries in his first four first-class games. Agni has since ended his Indian domestic career with Mizoram and has moved to the USA, attracting the attention of MINY. Agni, 26, is the son of film critic Anupama Chopra and filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra, who made the popular movie .What is the format of the league?Like most franchise leagues, the MLC will first have a round-robin league stage. The top two teams will meet in the Qualifier, with the winners of that match advancing to the final.The third and fourth-placed teams will meet in the Eliminator. The winner of the Eliminator will face the team that loses the Qualifier in the Challenger, where the second finalist will be decided.Is there a clash with any other league?Of course, the MLC overlaps with the T20 Blast in England and some international fixtures, including the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord’s. The MLC, though, has avoided a clash with the Hundred this season after the two leagues had overlapped by six days in 2024.

Marizanne Kapp is heading into her fifth ODI World Cup. She and Annerie Dercksen, her young successor, talk role models, work ethic, and more

Firdose Moonda01-Oct-2025Nobody wants to be reminded of one of their worst moment but perhaps Marizanne Kapp won’t mind this one:”It was the 2017 World Cup semi-final and – I don’t know if I should say this – there was a picture of Marizanne crying on the floor. I still see that vividly in my head,” Annerie Dercksen says. “That’s probably the first women’s game I’ve ever watched. And after that, I realised there’s women’s cricket in South Africa and thought maybe I could also play.”Six years later Dercksen was in the same squad as Kapp and had to pinch herself when she was at breakfast and Kapp was there in the flesh. “In an interview, I said that I could now take water to her on the field and it was just the moment of my life. I’m still like that daily,” Dercksen says.The hero worship brings out Kapp’s sterner side. “Dercky is young. She makes me tired,” she says, only half-joking, on the same call. “She is a very playful, busy person. I have to warn her and the other young ones every second night not to have their tea parties or coffee parties close to my room. They must go to the [room of the] person that’s furthest away from my room. They like to walk up and down in the corridor at night and make a noise. I’m asleep by then.”Before the casual observation that Kapp, all of 35 years old, is starting to sound like a senior citizen can be made, Dercksen says she would like to jump in and defend herself.Related

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“I’m a little socially awkward,” she says. “And obviously with Kappie being my hero, I’ve got to think when I have to ask her a question. I’ve got to prepare it, play it in my head first, and then I’ve got to go up to her. In the last couple of years, it’s been getting a bit easier to speak to her.”I really like her. She wants to pretend that she’s more serious than she actually is. There’s a little playful side of her that we’re going to get out of her. She started taking part in our soccer warm-ups now, which is cool. We’ve been told off quite a bit for being too loud, but if maybe she can go to bed a bit later, we can invite her to the tea parties.”Is it really tea that’s being drunk? “Yes, I had to bring 200 Rooibos bags from South Africa because we can’t find them anywhere else,” Dercksen says.Will Kapp consider joining? Probably not, because the badass image she gives off on the field is not a persona; it’s who she really is when she’s in work mode.”I get so annoyed with people when they judge me on how I am on the field,” she says. “This is my job. I’m not going to smile and laugh when people hit me for six or four. I want to do well. I want to win. So if you are judging me because I’m not smiling on the field, just know that this is competition.Kapp copes with the disappointment of losing the 2017 World Cup semi-final to England by two wickets•ICC”I’m just very focused, even at training. If we’re playing around, or it’s not structured, I immediately get so annoyed because I feel like I need to get something out of this training session. I’m not just here to spend time at the field. There has to be a purpose for me, otherwise I’d rather just leave it. I’m just that way in life as well. If I can’t do something, I’d rather just leave it. But if I am good at something and I can do something, then I give it 200%.”The tears Dercksen saw in that World Cup semi-final eight years ago serve to illustrate. They came when South Africa, playing on television screens for the first time, pushed hosts and eventual champions England so hard that they came within two balls of winning the match.They ought to have scored more than 218 for 6 in 50 overs but defended those runs with tenacity. Their last-over defeat left them devastated. Kapp sat alone in the outfield and then used her hands and her shirt to cover her face as she walked off. Though no one expected South Africa, then a relatively unknown force in the women’s game and only newly professionalised at international level, to get that far, the team had a quiet belief about them.”That was probably one of the best teams we ever had,” Kapp says. Dercksen could say that she and Kapp played in one of the others: the outfit that reached the T20 World Cup final last year.In six ODI innings in the subcontinent, Dercksen has scored 280 runs at 56, with one hundred and two fifties, but she’s now trying to focus more on her bowling with Kapp as her mentor•Matthew Lewis/ICC/Getty ImagesThat they were favourites to win that match is testament to their growth since Dercksen first watched them; that they didn’t win asks questions of both their ability to perform under pressure and their depth. In Dercksen, Kapp sees an opportunity for the side to start to address the latter, especially as her own career enters its twilight phase.”In South Africa, years ago we never had someone coming in to fill a spot,” she says. “If someone left, you almost had to start again, and then you ended up further behind Australia, India and England. Now it’s getting easier. Experience is something you can’t buy, but it’s such a good thing that we have youngsters coming in and they take the field with some of the seniors, and it just speeds up the learning for them. When we started back then, there was none of that.”Kapp has played in eight of Dercksen’s 13 ODIs and 16 of her 24 T20Is. She was rested from South Africa’s tri-series in Sri Lanka, where Dercksen scored two fifties and her first ODI hundred in six matches (but only bowled 14.5 overs and took two wickets). As someone who came up as a bowling allrounder, Kapp’s concern has been with Dercksen’s progress in that second department, and it was the focus of their pre-World Cup training camp.”Kappie gave me a good talking to – not a telling off, she was nice to me and she told me the truth, which is that I haven’t been working really hard on my bowling and I need to try and contribute a bit more there,” Dercksen says. “My stats probably show that my bowling has been going through a bit of a rough patch lately. Kappie’s been telling me that I cannot bowl a different ball every ball, which is probably what I’m trying to do. She said to just try to keep it simple and to understand that I should train in that way and be hard on myself, which I wasn’t being.”No Kapp: she ain’t comin’ to your tea parties, kids•Alex Davidson/ICC/Getty ImagesSince Shabnim Ismail’s retirement, South Africa have lacked a certain aggression with ball in hand, and a lot of pace. Dercksen, with her natural athleticism and height, could look to fill that gap but it will take work.”She’s so talented and I don’t want to see that go to waste,” Kapp says. “So I just told her what I do when I structure my overs when I’m at training: nail your top-of-off-stump ball first, and then move towards working slower balls, yorkers and death bowling. I gave her a bit of advice on how to structure overs in her training so she’s a bit more focused.”Whether the results of that will show at this year’s World Cup remains to be seen. Dercksen is one of six seam options in a squad that includes Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Tumi Sekhukhune, Nadine de Klerk and Masabata Klaas, and she is the least experienced of them. She will also be needed to do a job with the bat in a middle order that can sometimes seem brittle.Let’s not forget that she is only 24 years old, made her debut a little over a year ago, and is playing in her first ODI World Cup. Despite having received recognition – she was the ICC’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year in 2024 – Dercksen is still learning her trade. If South Africa are to go far in this tournament, it will likely be because of those who have already travelled the distance, like Kapp.The 2025 tournament will be Kapp’s fifth ODI World Cup. Her first ODI, in 2009, was also her first World Cup match, and she has since seen South Africa go from no-hopers to two-time semi-finalists.One of Kapp’s best performances in the ODI World Cup came against England in 2022: she took 5 for 45 and then scored 32 off 42 balls in a three-wicket win, but England went on to beat South Africa in the semi-final yet again•Fiona Goodall/Getty Images”I am a bit sad that I’m this age now because these kids are so blessed with where women’s cricket is at the moment,” she says. “They can just get better and better and it’s just going to get bigger and bigger. The few of us that started way back in 2009 had nothing and played for the love of the sport. It’s been hard. I’m not going to lie, it’s been tough over the years but I’m extremely blessed to still be sitting here and still playing for South Africa.”Dercksen does not take that history for granted. “We’ve got it better than they have,” she says. “The amount of work they’ve put in from when they started, and there weren’t even contracts… They stayed in places we probably would never stay now. They flew economy. So they did the hard yards for us.”As a thank you, Dercksen and many of her younger tea-party team-mates like Sinalo Jafta would like to give their seniors what they couldn’t a year ago. “At the last World Cup, I was more sad for the senior players like Kappie and Chloe [Tryon] and Aya [Khaka] than I was for myself,” Dercksen says. “They thoroughly deserve to win a World Cup. If this is Kappie’s last one, I’m hoping we can give a little bit of an extra effort to sort of make it special for them. And for the whole of South Africa.”Will it be Kapp’s last World Cup? “I don’t know. At the next one I’ll be 39, so that’s a bit far away.”Dercksen, of course, has to have the last word. “I think Kappie still has one more left in her.”

Against South Africa in the second T20I, Suryakumar Yadav perhaps missed a trick by going down to No. 4, and promoting Axar Patel to No. 3 for the first time

Deivarayan Muthu12-Dec-2025Since November 2024, Suryakumar Yadav has scored only 227 runs in 20 innings at an average of 13.35 and strike rate of 120.10 in T20Is. He hasn’t scored a fifty – and only two of his innings have lasted beyond 20 balls – in this period. Marco Jansen prolonged that lean run on Thursday, when he dismissed Suryakumar for 5 in four balls.India were eventually bowled out for 162 in pursuit of 214 in the second T20I against South Africa in New Chandigarh. It was only their fourth defeat in 21 completed T20Is since November 2024. That record is down to India’s depth, which allowed them to win without substantial contributions from Suryakumar.But, on Thursday, another bad day for Suryakumar coincided with a rare bad day for most of the other batters. Bad turned to worse when India tumbled to a 51-run loss, their second-biggest in terms of runs in the format, putting the spotlight on the SKYfall – both as a batter and captain.Related

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Suryakumar had walked out to bat at No. 4, and nicked his fourth ball from Jansen behind in a Test-match-style dismissal. There was a brief window of early movement available, and South Africa’s attack made the most of it, taking three wickets in the powerplay – including that of Suryakumar’s. Though the dew, which was also present during the first innings, threatened to hamper the bowlers even more during the second, South Africa were never really tested by the elements.Suryakumar perhaps missed a trick by not staying at No. 3 after Shubman Gill was also swung out, for a duck. He didn’t send Tilak Varma in at No. 3 either. India instead bumped Axar Patel up to No. 3 for the first time in 52 T20I innings, and exposed him to that swing and seam movement. Axar laboured to a run-a-ball 21 in an unfamiliar role – he is used to being promoted, but as a spin disruptor. Neither Axar nor Shivam Dube, who is also a spin hitter, ended up facing a ball from left-arm spinner George Linde in a tactical mis-step. Linde got away with figures of 3-0-23-0.ESPNcricinfo Ltd”We just thought in the last game [in Cuttack]… we’ve seen Axar bat really well in the longer format, and we wanted him to bat the same way today as well, but [it was] unfortunate,” Suryakumar told the host broadcaster at the post-match presentation. “He did bat well, but we’ll see what works out for us going on in the next games.”Suryakumar said that he should have fared better with the bat, and taken “that responsibility” in the chase.”I think myself, [and] Shubman, we could have given a good start because we can’t rely on Abhishek [Sharma] all the time – the way he’s been batting, he might have an off day,” Suryakumar said. “Me, Shubman and a few other batters, we should have taken [the responsibility], I think it would have been a smart chase. But then it’s okay, Shubman got out on the first ball, but yeah, I should have taken that responsibility, batted a little deeper. But as I said, we learn, we try and do better in the next game to come.”Only two of Suryakumar Yadav’s 20 innings since November 2024 have lasted beyond 20 balls•Getty ImagesWhile Suryakumar’s low output is a concern, there are no real set patterns to his dismissal. From November 2024, he has been dismissed 17 times to pace – in various ways ranging from caught in the deep to caught behind to chopping on – and just once to spin.Such a low output can happen to any batter, and especially to someone who plays high-risk cricket in T20s. It’s easy to forget that Suryakumar has been in this position before, and broken out of the funk.Suryakumar had entered IPL 2025 on the back of two ducks in five innings against England at home, but turned his form around in spectacular style, cracking 717 runs in 16 innings at an average of 65.18 and a strike rate of 167.91. He won the MVP award that year, and propelled Mumbai Indians into the knockouts.Big runs have been sparse either side of the IPL, but India’s team management will be hoping that Suryakumar can turn his form around, again, this time in the lead-up to a home World Cup.

If he makes his debut, Brendan Doggett will become just the third Indigenous man after Jason Gillespie and Scott Boland to play Test cricket for Australia

AAP16-Nov-2025Seven years after Brendan Doggett was first picked in an Australia squad, the ultimate late-bloomer is poised to become the country’s 472nd Test cricketer.After the untimely hamstring injury to in-form quick Josh Hazlewood, Doggett is set to make his debut when the Ashes gets underway at Optus Stadium in Perth on Friday. The 31-year-old will slot into Australia’s fast-bowling attack alongside Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland, a man with many similarities to his journey.Just two Indigenous men – Boland and Jason Gillespie – have represented Australia in almost 150 years of Test cricket. But Doggett is set to become the third, learning more about his Aboriginal heritage in his 20s after first earning a contract with Queensland Bulls.Related

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Proudly from Toowoomba, the man with 190 first-class wickets has spent the last four seasons helping South Australia rise from perennial battlers to Sheffield Shield champions.Doggett first received a call-up to an Australia squad in 2018, just months after the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa. Injuries slowed him down, but a move to South Australia in 2021 to become the leader of their attack has paid off.He has been consistently named in Australian squads over the past 18 months, stuck behind Starc, Hazlewood and captain Pat Cummins. But with Cummins and Hazlewood both injured for the start of the Ashes defence, the three-time Shield winner should get his shot.”He’s one of the quicker bowlers in Australia,” Gillespie, who coached Doggett for South Australia, told ABC Radio on Sunday. “Got a good motor, he’s a greyhound and is as fit as a fiddle. He’s ready to go.

“His path to a potential Baggy Green is not a common one in the modern game. It just shows the value of our local competitions, plying away and working on your craft”Jason Gillespie on Brendan Doggett

“England will sniff an opportunity [without Cummins and Hazlewood], but I’m confident the Australian seam attack is good enough to get the job done.”Doggett’s selection will only prompt further “Dad’s Army” jibes from England.Like Tasmania allrounder Beau Webster did in January, Doggett will join a small club to have made their Test debuts for Australia without having played a white-ball international in their 20s. Before Webster was brought in for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy decider, Bryce McGain was the only member of that group. If Jake Weatherald is selected to open the batting with Usman Khawaja in Perth, he will also be making his international debut at 31.If Jake Weatherald plays the Perth Test, Australia will have two 30-plus debutants in the same game•Getty ImagesDoggett never made any representative team until he was in his 20s, eventually making his domestic debut for the former Cricket Australia XI that played in the One-Day Cup in October 2016.He was plucked out of local cricket in his 20s, after dominating for Toowoomba Souths.”His path to a potential Baggy Green is not a common one in the modern game,” Gillespie said. “It just shows the value of our local competitions, plying away and working on your craft.”Doggett’s former Queensland team-mate Michael Neser was added to the squad on Saturday when Hazlewood was ruled out. If Hazlewood and Cummins still aren’t fit for the second Test at the Gabba, Neser could join Doggett in the XI.The only two Tests of Neser’s career were with the pink ball, with Australia preferring to play four quicks instead of veteran spinner Nathan Lyon when they last played a day-nighter.

They have had issues handling high-pressure situations and the improvements they’ve made via the WPL will be put to the test against New Zealand

S Sudarshanan20-Oct-20253:53

‘India’s botched chases feel like déjà vu’

When India fell agonisingly short of a world title twice in three years – the ODI World Cup 2017 and the T20 World Cup in 2020 – the failure to cross the line was attributed to an inability to handle pressure. Specifically, the kind that comes with a trophy on the line.The Women’s Premier League (WPL) came in to help the players do better in that regard. It is three seasons old, and the fourth is just months away, yet India’s old habits of stumbling with victory in sight have continued.Mumbai 2023. Perth 2024. Even Delhi 2025 though they were up against a target of 412. And most gallingly, Indore 2025.This is the list of ODI chases that India, in the Amol Muzumdar-Harmanpreet Kaur regime, were in full control of and then let go. Their latest one, the four-run defeat against England on Sunday, has left them facing a difficult path forward in the Women’s World Cup 2025. There is only one semi-final spot left and four teams are vying for it.Harmanpreet Kaur reacts as things just don’t go to plan•ICC/Getty ImagesIt is no surprise that Australia were India’s opponents in three of these four occasions. Each of them followed a pattern of India losing wickets in a heap and losing from a fairly comfortable position. Take the Perth ODI, for example. India were 184 for 3 after 35 overs in their chase of 299. Smriti Mandhana had just completed her century, Jemimah Rodrigues was off to a fluent start and India needed 115 off 90 balls. Mandhana fell in the next over, a collapse of 7 for 26 ensued, and India were bowled out for 215.Two years ago, at Wankhede Stadium, India squandered an ask of 41 off 38 balls with a target only 259. Once Richa Ghosh was dismissed for 96, India lost 4 for 25 and did not get the final kick, falling short by three runs.In Delhi, India gave an almighty go at a world-record target. Mandhana hit the second-fastest ODI hundred and kept the challenge alive. Deepti Sharma and Sneh Rana’s eighth-wicket partnership raised unlikely hopes. Then India lost 3 for 15 to end on 369. No team should be pulled up for being unable to chase 413 but the significance of that chase is that, just like on Sunday, they were without Rodrigues. They were a batter short, having to paper over other concerns.5:13

‘Fans need to temper expectations with India’

In cases like this – when resources have run dry – experience matters more than training. The BCCI Centre of Excellence (COE, earlier the National Cricket Academy) has world-class facilities, which has helped a lot of players work on particular aspects of the game. India’s domestic system is also vast and robust. All of their players have come up through the ranks showing a great deal of ability. But a domestic game – or upskilling sessions – cannot be compared to a stage as big as a World Cup. Here, nerves can get the better of even the most hardened people.Related

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So, clearly there is work to do but some of it is already done. The WPL’s emergence has, to an extent, helped condition players to the spotlight, and increased stakes. It is held at major Indian venues, and matches are often played in front of packed houses and for prime-time television audiences. Crucially, it has even yielded two key players who are part of this World Cup – fast bowler Kranti Gaud and left-arm spinner N Shree Charani.Gaud has been rising steadily over the years in domestic cricket and picked up 4 for 25 in last year’s Senior Women’s T20 Trophy final against Bengal. Charani impressed with her defensive skills during the Senior Women’s T20 Challenger Trophy in 2022. These performances were noticed thanks to the scouts from various WPL teams being present at tournaments that often go largely unnoticed. Both of them got picked for WPL 2025 by UP Warriorz and Delhi Capitals respectively, and now have played all of India’s five World Cup matches. This, from not being in the national radar until six-seven months ago.Kranti Gaud is proof of how the WPL is helping bring more players to the Indian team•ICC via Getty ImagesIn the not-so-distant past, Gaud and Charani might have been toiling away at the lower levels, waiting for their big break like many others. Like Kashvee Gautam, who has been grabbing headlines since 2020 when she picked up all 10 wickets in an innings in an Under-19 one-day game. She finally got to play for India this year after a stint with Gujarat Giants helped boost her profile. Domestic performances have visibility now because of the WPL.Despite all of this, India have been found wanting under pressure, which means other areas need to be explored.Just before the T20 World Cup in the UAE last year, the Indian players had sessions with sports psychologist Mughda Bavare, who had also worked with the team during the 2022 ODI World Cup. At the time Harmanpreet spoke glowingly of the impact these sessions had on her.In an interview with ESPNcricinfo earlier this year, Pratika Rawal, a psychology student, also touched upon the powers of the mind: “Studying psychology helped me understand myself. It taught me why a certain human behaves in a certain way in a certain situation. How you think will show in how you walk. If someone is nervous, other teams can know that and will use it against you. If they can take advantage, why can’t you?”4:09

‘Losses will raise questions about India’s mindset’

Rodrigues also toed a similar line in a chat with : “When you’re playing sport at such a high level, the pressure is immense. Many can’t understand what we go through. And sometimes we ourselves don’t understand why we feel the way we feel. But it’s so nice that we get professional help where we can talk these things out. It’s like you can train your mind also. If you can retrain your mind to think in the right direction, maybe that will change your performance, the way you are, [bring about] the outcomes you desire also.”Skills wise, India have been challenging the likes of Australia and England like no other team ever has. But when it comes to the battle of the mind and the nerves, they still have a bit of work to do. That was the case in Indore on Sunday, when they moved away from a trusted combination of six batters and five bowlers. They could once again tweak personnel in order to rebalance the XI ahead of next high-profile clash against New Zealand.The only positive for them is that they will play all the remaining games at the World Cup, including the knockouts if they qualify, at the DY Patil Stadium, a venue they are very familiar with. If they do that, Navi Mumbai 2025 may not need to be added to the list.

India overturned a sequence of three straight losses to beat New Zealand in style to seal the fourth semi-final spot in Navi Mumbai on Thursday. India qualified for the knockouts by virtue of having more wins than New Zealand. The winner of Saturday’s game between South Africa and Australia will determine their last-four opponents.Harmanpreet Kaur lost the toss, but India bettered their previous World Cup best of 330 – achieved earlier in the tournament against Australia in Visakhapatnam – courtesy centuries from Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal, and an excellent unbeaten 76 from Jemimah Rodrigues, who returned to the XI, replacing allrounder Amanjot Kaur.India’s 340 for 3 in 49 overs was then DLS-adjusted to a target of 325 in 44 overs for New Zealand, asking them to achieve the highest-ever chase in women’s ODIs, after over two hours were lost due to rain. While there were no weather interruptions for the rest of the evening, New Zealand’s timid approach left them too many to get (168) in the last 15 overs.Brooke Halliday constructed an 81-ball 84, but New Zealand couldn’t flex their muscle at any point. This was partly down to losing wickets at regular intervals, and partly to India’s spinners making it difficult for their batters after Renuka Singh took the early wickets of Georgia Plimmer and Sophie Devine, both bowled off devious in-duckers.Halliday put on 72 for the sixth wicket with Isabella Gaze, who brought up a career best, unbeaten 76, but they merely delayed the inevitable as New Zealand’s innings petered to a predictable close; they eventually finished at 271 for 8.Pratika Rawal hit 13 fours and two sixes•AFP/Getty Images

The good work by Renuka and Kranti Gaud in the first powerplay – they didn’t concede a single boundary in the first six overs of New Zealand’s chase – allowed India a little bit of leeway, considering they were playing with just five specialist bowlers. Rawal, who top-scored with 122, her second ODI century, played the role of sixth bowler, and even picked up a maiden World Cup wicket when she dismissed Maddy Green off a miscue.But all that paled in comparison to what Rawal did with the bat. She and Mandhana overcame a slow start – India only scored 18 in their first six overs – to put together their seventh century stand, the joint-most by an Indian pair in Women’s ODIs. They shifted gears effortlessly to raise the century stand in 17.4 overs, with Mandhana and Rawal bringing up their half-centuries off 49 and 75 balls respectively.Mandhana wasn’t up and running until the seventh over when she brought out the sweep at the first sight of spin, against Eden Carson. Seemingly keen on dominating the slow bowlers, she was quick to step out and deposit Carson over wide long-off in her second over.Rawal was superb square of the wicket with the cut and pull, taking on Lea Tahuhu as the seamer began expensively after coming on after 10 overs. Rawal took her down for two statement fours — a short-arm jab over midwicket followed by a lofted straight hit that she enjoyed so much that she held the pose for the cameras.Mandhana enjoyed a huge slice of luck on 77 when she reluctantly reviewed an lbw, only because Rawal had coaxed her into it. And when the giant screen replayed her missed slog, Mandhana began to walk off, only to see UltraEdge showing the tiniest of spikes as ball passed bat. She soon brought up her 14th ODI century, which put her just one short of Meg Lanning’s all-time record, off just 88 deliveries.Renuka Singh took the early wickets of Georgia Plimmer and Sophie Devine•Getty Images

By then, Mandhana was tiring and cramping, and she was ready to throw her bat at everything. She nailed one such hit, a perfectly-timed slog for six off Amelia Kerr, and fell attempting a similar stroke when she was caught by substitute fielder Hannah Rowe at long-on off Suzie Bates, which ended the opening stand at 212.Rawal brought up her second ODI century, off 122 balls, and was helped along in her quest to accelerate as Rodrigues picked her spots and executed her strokes with precision. Rawal followed suit by hitting her first six soon after raising her century, and was then put down on 108 by Maddy Green coming in from the long-off fence. Rawal eventually perished for 122 when she miscued Bates to Rowe once again at long-off.Rodrigues then dominated her fourth-wicket stand with Harmanpreet, before rain forced the covers to come on at the 48-over mark. The match was initially reduced to 49 overs a side, endured another interruption after India ended their innings, cutting five more overs out of the chase.Rodrigues was at her cheeky best. She swept, reverse-swept, opened up the off side to play pristine inside-out drives, and scythed full deliveries behind square when the bowlers went full. She exhibited her full range in an innings loaded with intent, hitting 11 fours in 55 balls.On a day when most things went right for India, including the decision to play Rodrigues and give her the No. 3 spot, she may have yet given the team management some food for thought ahead of the semi-finals.

Australia’s captain suffers “acute right foot injury” after seeing Tayla Vlaeminck go down with dislocated shoulder

Valkerie Baynes11-Oct-20243:56

Takeaways: Australia win big, but at what cost?

Alyssa Healy looked shaken and an air of concern descended on her Australia side as Tayla Vlaeminck lay in a crumpled heap on the boundary’s edge, clutching her shoulder. Surely this wasn’t happening.Right-arm quick Vlaeminck had just come into the side to add “impact” to the bowling attack for their first outing in Dubai, Australia having begun their T20 World Cup campaign with two wins on a spin-friendly Sharjah pitch that swing bowler Megan Schutt had managed to master. Now, just four balls into the game, Vlaeminck was out with a right-shoulder dislocation to add to a long list of serious injuries.They clearly felt for her. Two ACL injuries, a twice-dislocated left shoulder and stress fractures to her foot had severely curtailed Vlaeminck’s career and still she’d kept fighting back. But as she received treatment, Australia entered a huddle, Ellyse Perry gave them a pep talk and they picked themselves up – then picked Pakistan apart.Bowled out for 82, the lowest total at this tournament, Pakistan – without captain Fatima Sana, who had flown home to Karachi following the death of her father on Thursday – could mount no resistance agaisnt a side whose depth is the envy of the world and would be tested further…

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Alyssa Healy grimaced and pulled up sharply as she came back for a second run and an air of concern descended on her Australian side. Surely this wasn’t happening.She and Perry were cruising through Australia’s pursuit of 83 after Beth Mooney fell for a run-a-ball 15 and now the captain was hobbling from the field.Healy had to hop up a set of stairs leading to the changeroom and Cricket Australia later confirmed that she had suffered “an acute right foot injury”. She was set to undergo scans on Saturday after which her availability for the rest of the tournament was expected to become clearer.What is clear is Australia’s ability to overcome such setbacks.Schutt, Australia’s standout performer with the ball so far, took 1 for 7 from three miserly overs to overtake Pakistan’s Nida Dar as the leading wicket-taker in women’s T20Is with 144.Then Ashleigh Gardner claimed 4 for 21 – including three in the penultimate over – with her offspin to record her best T20I figures since taking 5 for 12 at the previous edition of the tournament last year in Paarl.

“There were people that were obviously emotional. I think that just shows the care that we have for our team-mates. Tay has worked so hard to get back here and she’s earned it. To see her go down like that, we had to regroup really quickly”Ashleigh Gardner on Tayla Vlaeminck’s injury

Vlaeminck’s injury had hit the team particularly hard given that this was her first World Cup match since 2018 and just the second of her career.”It’s obviously horrible seeing one of your mates go down and knowing Tay’s road to get back to here,” Gardner said. “She’s someone that probably works harder than anyone else I know so to see someone like that go down with another injury, we all really felt for her.”There were people that were obviously emotional and things like that and I think that just shows the care that we have for our team-mates and especially Tay. She’s worked so hard to get back here and she’s earned it, so to see her go down like that, we had to regroup really quickly.”Pez [Perry] just brought us all in and she reverted back to the Mackay incident, where that kind of erupted pretty quickly and just to make sure that everyone was okay and to get on with it. That’s the nature of sport, unlucky things happen and then you’ve just got to get on with it and then wait until after the game to make sure that Tay was okay. She’s in good spirits which is nice to see.”The “Mackay incident” refers to when Gardner herself was withdrawn from Australia’s starting XI right before the toss in last month’s first T20I against New Zealand in Mackay when she collided with team-mate Georgia Wareham during the warm-up and suffered a knock to the jaw.Megan Schutt became the leading wicket-taker in T20Is•ICC/Getty ImagesOn Friday, Gardner conceded seven runs in the second over of the match but in the 19th, she had Tuba Hassan stumped by Healy, then took two wickets in as many deliveries when Syeda Aroob Shah spooned a catch straight to Mooney at midwicket and she pinned Nashra Sandhu lbw with one that spun back in and ripped past the outside edge.It was also Gardner who came in to bat when Healy retired hurt, scoring an unbeaten 7 off five balls while Perry remained not out 22. In mowing down their 83-run target in just 11 overs, Australia’s net run rate now sits at a healthy 2.786. But Gardner expects to face a sterner test in their final group game against India on Sunday.”I wasn’t overly happy with how I bowled that over in the powerplay,” she said. “But then to come back and change that, the bowlers that bowled before me laid a fantastic platform for me to take wickets at the back end and mop up the tail, as some would say, but it was nice to be able to get some wickets.”Certainly going to the next game I know I’m going to be challenged. I’m going to have to bowl two overs probably in the powerplay against someone like Smriti Mandana so the challenge is always there and I relish those environments. Hopefully I’m on the upper end against her.”

After missing out on an extra forward in the summer, BlueCo have now reportedly made their first approach to sign a Bundesliga attacker for Chelsea in 2026.

Maresca reveals Marc Guiu warning

Following a strong start on the transfer front in the summer, Liam Delap’s injury threw Chelsea’s final week into chaos. Nicolas Jackson’s move to Bayern Munich was off then back on again, Marc Guiu was recalled from his Sunderland loan before he could truly get going and a number of rumours emerged. Ultimately, however, Enzo Maresca was forced to settle for his current attacking options.

Guiu’s recall caused particular debate. From a likely starter at Sunderland, the young striker has since found himself forced to watch on from the bench at Chelsea in frustrating fashion. What’s more, it’s only in recent weeks that he’s had the chance to impress for the Blues again.

Having his say, Maresca revealed earlier this week that the forward simply was not training well enough to earn the game time that he desires at Stamford Bridge.

There have been rumours that Sunderland could yet return for Guiu in January, but that may depend on Chelsea’s own movements. Ahead of the winter window, a number of names have already been linked with a move to West London.

That includes both Guela Doue and Porto’s Samu Omorodion, who would certainly add more firepower to Maresca’s side. Whether BlueCo will be willing to spend big or look to hijack Barcelona’s move to sign a Bundesliga alternative is the big question ahead of 2026.

Chelsea launch approach to sign Asllani

According to reports in Spain, BlueCo have now launched their first approach to sign Fisnik Asllani for Chelsea in 2026. The deal would see them beat Barcelona to one of the most in-form forwards that the Bundesliga has to offer.

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In a formal move, the Blues have turned their focus towards the Kosovo international in an attempt to add further depth to their frontline behind one of their most expensive signings, Joao Pedro. After scoring five goals in eight games in all competitions for Hoffenheim so far this season, there’s little doubt that the 23-year-old has the quality to seal a big move.

Dubbed “clinical” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, Asllani is certainly one to watch. Whilst his name is not as well-known as Omorodion, his numbers speak for themselves and Chelsea have the chance to get one over on Barcelona by securing his signature. Whether they choose to do so as soon as January remains to be seen, however.

Leeds United are “keeping tabs” on two first team reinforcements for the January transfer window, including a midfield target who’s been likened to Sergio Busquets.

Farke "very, very pleased" with impressive Leeds win

The Whites picked up three vital points in the Premier League on Friday night, winning 2-0 at home to West Ham after racing into an early lead. Leeds manager Daniel Farke was delighted with what he saw from his team at Elland Road, as their encouraging start to life back in the top flight continues.

“We started very aggressively, very bravely, with passion. We wanted to win this game. Very spirited, deserved to be in the lead for 2-0. But also there, you could feel a little bit that it was a bit wild sometimes against the ball and with the ball. I think we had games where we had a way better structure and way more control and way more dominance during the season.

“But it was just the reason, it was just this difficult training week for us. Yes, in the second half, I think we started way better in terms of control and our organisation against the ball. Had much control, missed a bit to score the third goal and the last 20 minutes you could then really see again what a difficult week we had.

“Of course, a nervous last four minutes to bring it over the line this time but nevertheless, the prize is three points.“It is always like you have to dig in to win the momentum back. This is what we did today and for that, I am very, very pleased.”

The Whites look like they will be in a comfortable albeit not totally secure position come January, allowing the 49ers and Farke to plan for the furture with two long-term additions to the squad in mind.

Leeds eyeing two signings including Europa League midfielder

Speaking to Football Insider, journalist Pete O’Rourke claimed that Leeds are “keeping tabs” on Maccabi Tel Aviv midfielder Issouf Sissokho ahead of a possible move in Januay, and they will also look to bring in an exciting addition to their forward ranks by signing a new winger.

“It’s an interesting link this one, I don’t think there’s a lot that know about Sissokho really. He’s been playing in Israel with Maccabi Tel Aviv. He’s played in Champions League qualifiers, the Europa League as well. So he’s got a decent European pedigree.

“I think obviously, like you’ve said, maybe people are surprised that Leeds are in the market for midfielders because I think their midfielder has been okay this season. They’ve got [Ethan] Ampadu in there, and summer signing Anton Stach and Sean Longstaff who have definitely made a big impact in that midfield.

“Maybe Sissokho is an option that’s come up to Leeds and could be good value for money in that respect. He’s got 18 months left on his contract. As I said, Leeds are obviously keeping tabs on him. So let’s see if they follow up and firm up their interest.”

Sissokho could be a shrewd addition for Leeds midway through the season, despite not being a household name fans will know.

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The 23-year-old has an incredible 96.2% pass completion rate in the Europa League this season, showing his brilliance on the ball, and he has also averaged 2.3 tackles per game, highlighting his effectiveness out of possession, too.

Sissokho has even been compared to Busquets in the way he reads game and gets his team on the front foot, which is about as big a compliment as any midfielder can be paid, and Leeds should be looking at him as an excellent option to bring in.

O’Rourke suggests the arrival of a winger will also be “key to their chances of Premier League survival”, with Daniel James suffering a stop-start campaign so far due to injuries.

Martin O’Neill has confirmed that Celtic’s clash with Dundee at Parkhead in the Scottish Premiership on Wednesday night will be his final game as the interim manager.

The experienced Northern Irish coach has revealed that Wilfried Nancy will take charge for the clash with Hearts at the weekend, ending his time in the dugout.

Speaking after the 2-1 win over Hibernian, O’Neill said: “He (Nancy) is the man that will be coming in. I thought it was over on Sunday, but there’s some paperwork still to be dealt with. Wednesday will definitely be my final game.

The interim boss has won six of his seven matches in his second spell with the Hoops, winning all four of his league games, and there have been several players who have been big winners from the change in manager.

The biggest winners from Martin O'Neill's time as interim Celtic manager

Callum Osmand, who is currently out with a hamstring injury, was one of the early winners from Brendan Rodgers’ departure, after he scored one goal in three games for O’Neill, having not played a single minute under the previous boss.

On the topic of strikers, Johnny Kenny was another winner of O’Neill’s tenure because the Ireland international scored four goals in the manager’s first four matches in charge, per Sofascore, which has shown that he can deliver quality at first-team level for the Hoops.

Reo Hatate has also improved under the interim boss. He has provided two goals and three assists in seven games for the Northern Irishman, per Sofascore, after a return of one goal and no assists in 13 games for Rodgers.

The biggest winner of O’Neill’s tenure, however, has been centre-back Auston Trusty, who has played every single minute of the seven games, having only made two appearances as a substitute in the league for the last manager this season.

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Despite playing every single minute of the last seven Celtic games, the USA international is one of the players who could be on the chopping block when Nancy finally comes through the door.

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Trusty has been playing as a right-sided centre-back because of the injury to Cameron Carter-Vickers, and the French tactician may want a naturally right-footed option in that position.

If Nancy wants that natural balance at the back, whether that is by signing a centre-back in January or giving a chance to another player in the squad, then Trusty could have to compete with Liam Scales for a starting berth as the left-sided centre-back.

As you can see in the table above, the Ireland international has been the more reliable performer for the Scottish giants at the heart of the defence in the Premiership since the start of the 2024/25 campaign.

Trusty, who was hailed as a “powerful” player by Rodgers, made an error leading to a shot with a loose pass on Sunday, and that was his fifth in just 28 league games for the club.

He has also been dribbled past three more times than Scales, despite the Irishman playing 11 more games, which shows that opposition players find it easier to play against him than his fellow left-footed defender.

Trusty, to his credit, has been solid in his duels in the Premiership this season, winning 62% of his physical battles, per Sofascore, but his errors over the past 18 months or so and the fact that he is currently a left-footer playing on the right may come into consideration ahead of the January transfer window.

Nancy may want to bring in a naturally right-footed player to start games in that role, leaving Trusty and Scales to compete for one place. That is why he may end up dropping the American, who has been the biggest winner from O’Neill’s tenure, once he has a right-footed defender available to select.

His performances at Premiership level since his £6m move from Sheffield United suggest that Scales would be the better option for the new boss at left-centre-back, but we will have to wait and see how it plays out in reality.

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