Sporting CP’s record signing Luis Suarez says he is living "a dream" after he scored four goals for Colombia against Venezuela.
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“The body has taken a lot of load at the same time. So we have to manage here and there and see to it that I strategise in terms of how I play”
Vishal Dikshit19-Oct-2024
Shreyas Iyer celebrates his hundred•PTI
The year 2024 has been like a box of chocolates for Shreyas Iyer. He wouldn’t have known 10 months ago what all he was going to get.He started the year playing Test cricket but was soon dropped from the side during the home England series. When he skipped Ranji Trophy briefly, he lost his BCCI central contract worth INR 3 crore.But he returned to win the Ranji Trophy for Mumbai with a knock of 95 in the final before ending KKR’s ten-year drought by leading them to the title as captain.Related
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With back issues bothering him at the start of the year, Iyer’s big challenge in this domestic season was to be patient, play long innings and stay fit by playing one red-ball game after another. And in five first-class matches that started with the Duleep Trophy in early September, Iyer began a stretch of four scores of 50 or more in 11 innings that culminated with a Ranji Trophy century against Maharashtra on Saturday – 142 off 190 balls studded with 12 fours and four sixes, including a couple off short balls. It was Iyer’s first century in first-class cricket in nearly three years, since his hundred on Test debut against New Zealand in Kanpur. Iyer says he is “absolutely keen for a comeback” with runs behind him and his back 100% fine.Calling the century “special,” Iyer said: “Coming back after a very long time, obviously I was feeling a bit down with my injuries, but now getting a century after a very long time, it’s a great feeling.”I am absolutely keen for a [Test] comeback but yeah, as we say, control the controllables and my job is to keep performing and keep participating as much as possible and also see with that my body is in best shape. So I’ll take the best decision possible according to that.”Iyer revealed that after his back surgery last year, he went through a phase where he had doubts that the injury might recur. He came back from an injury layoff in the Asia Cup last year that was followed by the ODI World Cup at home before he played the two Tests in South Africa at the turn of the year and then two more against England at home. Iyer had said at the end of IPL 2024 that he was “definitely struggling” with his back in the longer format but “no one was agreeing” when he raised the concern. Does he still feel such doubts about his back creep in sometimes?”Not anymore,” he said. “But there was this phase where I was feeling that it might occur again. But yeah, I trained a lot to see to it that I have optimum fitness and obviously it comes here and there, but now my capacity has improved a lot.”Shreyas Iyer: ‘I am absolutely keen for a [Test] comeback but yeah, as we say, control the controllables’•PTI
And how did he get his body there?”Training. Yeah, obviously I improved my long-distance running and that’s what I wanted to. You know, increase my patience as well in terms of the longer format and according to that I was training. [I did] intensive training like I was stressing up my body, like pushing my body 400-800 meters of running and I was trying to push my limits and seeing to it that I was at the best fitness possible.[Earlier], even when I would sit for long, stand for long, the back would get stiff automatically and yeah, basically that’s what I wanted to improve on.”Did the fitness issues and how he thought “nobody was agreeing,” create an inaccurate perception about him for Test cricket?”See, I had addressed my feeling during the longer format and things didn’t go my way,” he said, implying that he was willing to put it behind him. “But I’ve also addressed it in the previous interviews I’ve given and I’m in a good space right now. I’m doing what I’m meant to do, that is training and playing matches consistently and I feel that all the matches I’ve played right now in the past have helped me gain that fitness level as well, along with my training.”Playing his sixth first-class match in a row in the last six weeks, Iyer said, “The body has taken a lot of load at the same time. So we have to manage here and there and see to it that I strategise in terms of how I play. Now I have to be smart in terms of what decisions I take, I need to see to it that my body is in the best shape possible. As I mentioned previously as well, I have to decide according to that, no matter whatever people think outside. I have to listen to my body because I know the amount of threshold carried over the last few years and based on that, I’ll be taking the right decision, and I hope that my team will also back [that].”Iyer further said that coming back from injury for the longer format, he also had to change the way he approached the red-ball format. Iyer faced 190 deliveries during his knock spread across Friday and Saturday, and the last time he consumed as many deliveries in first-class cricket was back in December 2022 in Chattogram, scoring a patient 86 off 192 in the first innings of the first Test. Since then, there were only two occasions when Iyer faced over 100 deliveries in a first-class innings in 28 attempts.”Nowadays when the teams come up, they straightaway put a defensive field right from ball one,” he said. “So I was just trying to take some time, in between trying to play more balls than scoring shots, so that was my plan. Play session by session and try to see how much my body can take. When I said that I played a few matches in the past, that was the reason where I got to know that I can smash every ball, but at the same time I have to bat longer if I want my body to be ready for any situation provided by the opposition. And yeah, we faced many challenges in the past.”Like even in the previous match, Baroda gave us a rank-turner and they performed brilliantly and we were put under the pump. So you know, different occasions, different demands and we have to see to it that we are in the best mindset possible.”After the game against Maharashtra, Iyer will play three more league games Mumbai are slotted to play this year before the Ranji Trophy season will be paused for the 50-over and 20-over white-ball tournaments. It might be a little far-fetched to say that Iyer will be a strong contender for the Australia tour, having not been named in the India A squad for the two red-ball games starting October 31.Does Iyer feel he has had a mixed bag of chocolates this year?”You win three championships in a year, and what else can you ask for? All I see is the positive things over here and that is winning the trophy and that’s what I want.”
Kings were struggling at 51 for 4 in their chase of 139 before Chase and Jones silenced the home crowd
Deivarayan Muthu07-Oct-20242:08
Faf du Plessis: ‘We’ve been waiting for the trophy a long time’
Two months after sprinter Julien Alfred delivered St Lucia’s first Olympic medal, St Lucia’s very own Daren Sammy and his Kings gave the region its maiden CPL title, silencing a packed crowd at the Providence.The crowd had been at its loudest when Guyana Amazon Warriors reduced Kings to 51 for 4 in their chase of 139 on a slow, two-paced surface. Kings went nine overs without a single boundary. Roston Chase was battling illness. Aaron Jones was struggling so much that Sammy contemplated retiring him out. Amazon Warriors’ four-pronged spin attack had their side dreaming of back-to-back titles.Jones, however, turned the tables on them and crushed their dream. After being on 10 off 19 balls, Jones zoomed to 38 off his next 12 balls, forging an unbroken 88-run partnership with Chase, who has been with Kings for five seasons.Chase played the Marlon Samuels role, something he’s been doing for West Indies for a while, and capped a stellar week for him, in which he had also earned a CWI central contract.Amazon Warriors slow off the blocksAfter being asked to bat first on a sluggish pitch, Amazon Warriors could only manage 27 runs in the powerplay for the wicket of Rahmanullah Gurbaz (0) who had picked out mid-on in the very first over. This was the second fewest Amazon Warriors had scored in the first six overs in 13 games this season.Khary Pierre, who had spent much of his time at Trinbago Knight Riders in the shadows of Sunil Narine and Akeal Hosein, came away with 2-0-6-1 during this phase. As for Alzarri Joseph, he handcuffed Moeen Ali with wide lines before Afghanistan left-arm wristspinner Noor Ahmad had him miscuing a slog-sweep to midwicket for 14 off 20 balls. Then, in his next over, Noor also claimed the prized scalp of Shimron Hetmyer when he had him carving his stock ball to sweeper cover for 11 off nine balls.Shai Hope contributed 22 off 24 balls before Chase knocked him over with an offbreak that kept low. By the time, Noor finished his spell with figures of 4-0-19-3, Amazon Warriors were 102 for 7 in 18 overs.Noor ended the season with 22 wickets; only CPL legend Dwayne Bravo has bagged more wickets in a season (2015) in the league.Aaron Jones played a vital innings under pressure for St Lucia Kings•CPL T20 via Getty Images
Shepherd, Pretorius turn up the tempoThat Amazon Warriors eventually had a fairly competitive total on the board was down to the big-hitting of their finisher Romario Shepherd and Dwaine Pretorius, who was the Player of the Match in the CPL 2023 final. They combined for three sixes and two fours in the last two overs, which overall yielded 36 runs for Amazon Warriors.Amazon Warriors roar backShepherd then struck with the new ball when he had Johnson Charles, one of the heroes for Kings this season, chopping on for seven off ten balls. After bowling that wicket-taking delivery, Shepherd walked off the field with some discomfort.Amazon Warriors’ slower bowlers then tightened the screws on Kings as Faf du Plessis, Ackeem Auguste and their New Zealand recruit Tim Seifert all fell in a space of three overs. Chase and Jones then got together but they couldn’t get the boundaries away.Chase and Jones finish it off for KingsAfter the calm, came the storm. The pair lined Moeen’s offspin up for a sequence of 6,6,4,6,4 in a 27-run 16th over. Just like that, they snatched the game from Amazon Warriors’ grasp.Jones also went after Pretorius in the next over, taking 20 runs off the 17th over. Shepherd returned to bowl, but by then the game was over for Amazon Warriors.Jones provided a throwback to his unbeaten 94 off 40 balls in the opening game of the 2024 T20 World Cup with his six-hitting and celebrated those maximums with animated fist pumps. That world tournament paved the way for Jones’ return to the CPL (as a local player through his Barbados passport) and he made it a memorable night for himself and Kings. Coach Sammy wrapping Jones up in a bear hug will be one of the most lasting images for Kings in this triumphant campaign.
Continuing to steal the headlines, one of Liverpool’s top targets has now reportedly said “yes” to completing a summer move to Anfield, with the Reds now launching their opening offer.
How Liverpool are spending so big this summer
Even the most optimistic of Liverpool fans would not have expected the Reds to splash the cash to this extent this summer. After all, it was only one year ago that the only immediate arrival proved to be Federico Chiesa at a bargain price. It is simply not how Liverpool have ever truly operated.
Even when Jurgen Klopp’s side were at the peak of their powers, the tactic remained welcoming players who have the potential to become great, rather than already established stars. So, what’s changed?
Liverpool now contacted with fresh opportunity to sign "superb" UCL winner
They could steal in ahead of Premier League rivals.
ByTom Cunningham Jul 17, 2025
The return of Michael Edwards last summer on top of the arrival of Richard Hughes has seemingly seen Liverpool head in a more ruthless direction and a direction that has seen them spend like the Premier League champions that they are.
The question many will be asking is why now, and how do Liverpool now have the money to spend so big?
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire provided an answer to those questions, as rumours emerged that Liverpool had set their sights on the likes of Real Madrid’s Rodrygo. He told BBC Sport: “Liverpool are a super smart football club.
“They’re in an incredibly strong PSR position. Out of the traditional big six clubs, they’ve spent the least in this three-year cycle – only £325m – and that includes their signing of Florian Wirtz.
“They’ve still got plenty of wiggle room with their transfer budget. Plus, a move for a striker is likely to be paid in instalments, meaning the cost can be spread over multiple seasons.”
It is that “strong PSR” position which has helped them to steal in ahead of Newcastle United in the race to seal yet another impressive deal, too.
Ekitike agrees six-year Liverpool deal
Arne Slot’s search for a striker looks set to be coming to an end in blockbuster fashion this summer. According to Ben Jacobs, Liverpool have now agreed a six-year contract with Hugo Ekitike and are now working on an agreement worth £70m with Eintracht Frankfurt.
Spending big once again, the Reds have forced Newcastle out of the race to sign the Frenchman and are advancing towards yet another statement arrival.
Whilst there may be some relief around the Premier League that it’s not Alexander Isak making his way to Anfield, Ekitike could prove to be just as impressive.
Described as “superb” by scout Jacek Kulig last season, the Frankfurt star scored 22 goals and assisted another 12 in all competitions last season in a record that may only improve when surrounded by the likes of Mohamed Salah and Wirtz.
Once again, Liverpool have stolen the headlines and are pushing to spend big for the fourth time this summer ahead of their Premier League title defence.
Leicestershire Foxes shaded a close-run North Group contest with Worcestershire Rapids to pick up their second win from four matches in the Vitality Blast.England’s Rehan Ahmed took 2 for 27 and held a vital catch to and a potentially match-winning innings of 37 off 16 balls by Ethan Brookes, with Scott Currie taking two for 22 and debutant left-arm spinner Lewis Goldsworthy, on loan from Somerset, one for 17 after Matthew Waite had earlier hit 40 from 35 as the Rapids, needing 12 off the last over, fell five short of their target.That came after the Foxes had recovered from 119 for 5 in the 16th over to post 176 for 8, Ben Cox (29 off 21) and Ben Mike (24 off 11) building on Rishi Pate’sl 48 from 42 after Louis Kimber had hit 25 off 16 earlier, with the wickets shared between Nathan Smith (3 for 39), Adam Finch (3 for 43) and skipper D’Oliveira (2 for 24).On the same pitch used for a double-header on Friday, Worcestershire opted to bowl and were rewarded with wickets in the second and third overs as Sol Budinger, aiming for midwicket, was caught at short third man, and Peter Handscomb at deep third man off an uppercut as Adam Finch banged one in short and wide.Louis Kimber led an aggressive response with four boundaries in his 16-ball 25 but was caught at long-off as Brett D’Oliveira ended a stand of 48 in 33 balls. The Foxes were 78 for 3 from 10 but suffered another setback as D’Oliveira beat the advancing Wiaan Mulder and Gareth Roderick executed a stumping.Disciplined bowling by the Rapids made acceleration difficult and 114 for 4 from 15 overs was not promising, but the Foxes managed to up the tempo in the last five, adding 62 runs, a good return even at a cost of four wickets.The loss of Patel, holing out to wide long-on, looked a potentially serious blow but Cox struck 29 off 21 balls before he was caught behind and while Rehan Ahmed and Lewis Goldsworthy fell cheaply, the former failing to clear long-on and Goldsworthy grabbed one-handed in his follow-through by Smith, Mike’s two fours and a six off Finch’s last three deliveries in a 17-run 19th over, followed by 15 more off the last, ensured a competitive score.At 55 without loss from six from their batting powerplay, Worcestershire had their noses in front. Yet their progress was checked by spinners Goldsworthy and Rehan, who conceded only 27 in the next five, with the latter bowling D’Oliveira (32 from 25) on the reverse to end a stand of 70 in 55 balls.The Rapids surged when Josh Cobb twice cleared the legside boundary in thumping Ben Mike for 21 in an over but two wickets in three overs left them with a target of 57 from the last 30 balls after Waite had skied Scott Currie to square leg and Goldsworthy – making his debut on loan from Somerset – had Adam Hose stumped.Two big overs from Brookes, who hit sixes off Mulder and then Hull, brought it down to 28 from 18 but Rehan kept it in the balance by bowling Cobb (34 from 35) off an inside edge and after Rehan had taken a fine catch at deep cover to help Currie remove Brookes the requirement was 12 off the last six balls.Hull marred an otherwise fine last over with a no-ball but had Taylor well caught by Currie at mid-off before, with six needed, Ed Pollock swung in hope at the last delivery and missed.
Attention is already turning to the new 2025/26 Premier League season, with promoted sides Leeds United, Burnley and Sunderland looking to buck the recent trend and avoid relegation at the first time of asking.
Liverpool, under Arne Slot, will be the defending champions, whereas Pep Guardiola is leading a Manchester City rebuild. Arsenal and Mikel Arteta will finally be hoping that this is their year, while Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to improve on their terrible domestic campaigns last time around.
Grok, the AI tool on X, relayed by Birmingham World, has already predicted the 2025/26 Premier League table, looking at how many points each team will collect, including their goal difference.
AI 2025/26 Premier League table in pictures:
1
Liverpool
38
88
+42
2
Arsenal
38
80
+30
3
Man City
38
78
+28
4
Newcastle
38
72
+22
5
Chelsea
38
68
+18
6
Aston Villa
38
65
+12
7
Nottingham Forest
38
62
+10
8
Tottenham
38
60
+8
9
Brighton
38
58
+6
10
Fulham
38
55
+4
11
Man Utd
38
54
+2
12
Everton
38
52
0
13
West Ham
38
50
-2
14
Bournemouth
38
48
-5
15
Brentford
38
46
-8
16
Leeds Utd
38
42
-12
17
Crystal Palace
38
40
-15
18
Wolves
38
38
-20
19
Burnley
38
34
-25
20
Sunderland
38
30
-30
The next 10 Ballon d'Or winners predicted by AI
Who could win the Ballon d’Or across the next ten years?
ByMatt Dawson May 31, 2025 20 20th: Sunderland (30 points, -30 GD)
Starting the countdown at the bottom of the table, AI thinks Championship playoff winners Sunderland will finish in 20th place.
They believe Regis Le Bris’ side will accumulate 30 points, though, 18 more than Southampton, who were 20th in 24/25.
19 19th: Burnley (34 points, -25 GD)
Another newly promoted side, Burnley are believed to be the next side to go down. Scott Parker worked wonders at Turf Moor in his first campaign, conceding just 16 goals in 46 games and ending on 100 points.
However, potentially losing some of those defensive stars, including goalkeeper James Trafford, could see the Clarets struggle.
18 18th: Wolves (38 points, -20 GD)
Wolves have been flirting with the bottom three in the 23/24 and 24/25 seasons, and AI thinks 25/26 is the year they are going down.
After losing Matheus Cunha to Man Utd, the Old Gold will need to replace their top scorer and could struggle under Vitor Pereira.
17 17th: Crystal Palace (40 points, -15 GD)
Just avoiding the drop are the 24/25 FA Cup winners Crystal Palace. AI claims that the fixture congestion from Europe could see them struggle in the Premier League.
Another problem for the Eagles is player sales, with the likes of Eberechi Eze, Marc Guehi and Jean-Philippe Mateta all being linked with moves away from Selhurst Park.
16 16th: Leeds United (42 points, -12 GD)
AI feels that Leeds United, the Championship title winners, could buck the trend and avoid relegation by finishing on 42 points.
If they do, the Whites, who won the second tier title in stoppage time on the final day, will be the first side since the 2022/23 season to get promoted and remain in the Premier League.
15 15th: Brentford (46 points, -8 GD)
Despite a top 10 finish in 24/25, Brentford are next on the list, with AI believing Bryan Mbeumo’s potential departure could result in a drop-off for Thomas Frank’s side.
Mbeumo scored 20 of the Bees’ 66 goals last season but could be on his way to Man Utd, which may see them slide down the table.
14 14th: Bournemouth (48 points, -5 GD)
Another side who finished in the top 10 last season, Bournemouth, could also be in line to lose some of their star players.
Already selling Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid, Milos Kerkez and Antoine Semenyo are also in demand, with AI feeling that any sales will negatively impact the Cherries.
13 13th: West Ham (50 points, -2 GD)
One side that AI feels will slightly improve from 24/25 is West Ham, who finished 14th in the previous campaign on 43 points.
Graham Potter is preparing for his first full season in charge at the London Stadium and will be looking to make his mark in the transfer window.
12 12th: Everton (52 points, 0 GD)
Another team AI think will finish one place higher than 24/25 is Everton. David Moyes came in and steadied the ship for the Toffees and will be leading them at their new stadium in 25/26.
It is added that keeping hold of star defender Jarrad Branthwaite and adding depth to the side is key, though.
11 11th: Manchester United (54 points, +2 GD)
Things couldn’t have gone much worse for Man Utd in 24/25, so AI does have them finishing higher but still in the bottom half with 54 points.
‘Integrating new signings and addressing defensive frailties’ under Ruben Amorim in a 3-4-3 system could still see the Red Devils struggle, ending 12 points and four places better off.
Tottenham Hotspur are now willing to make an opening bid of £13m for a Premier League forward, according to a report.
Spurs set sights on new forward
As we approach the summer transfer window, Tottenham have stepped up their pursuit of a new winger, and they are particularly fond of AFC Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, with the Ghanaian catching the eye in the Premier League this season.
Daniel Levy is now readying a £50m+ bid to sign the Bournemouth star, which would be enough to convince the Cherries to cash-in, and there is a belief that he would be a perfect fit in Ange Postecoglou’s side.
With Son Heung-min now arguably in the twilight years of his career at 32-years-old, the need to bring in at least one new winger this summer is exacerbated, and Spurs are in the race to sign Celtic forward Daizen Maeda.
Levy places Tottenham among strongest suitors to sign Inter Milan star
He’s got plenty of admirers.
ByTom Cunningham May 2, 2025
According to a report from Spain, Tottenham are also looking at signing an up-and-coming Premier League talent, namely Leicester City’s Jake Evans, who has managed to force himself into first-team contention this season at just 16-years-old.
Such is their level of interest in the teenager, Spurs are willing to submit an opening offer of €15m (£13m), which is considered a significant fee, given his age, although there could be competition for his signature from Manchester United.
Leicester also have no desire to sanction a departure this summer, as they believe he could make an impact in the Championship next season, so it could be difficult to get a deal over the line.
Tottenham Hotspur’s upcoming fixtures
Date
Bodo / Glimt (a)
May 8th
Crystal Palace (h)
May 11th
Aston Villa (a)
May 18th
Brighton & Hove Albion (h)
May 25th
"Very exciting" Evans is one for the future
Despite only featuring briefly in both games, it is very impressive that the youngster has managed to make two appearances for Leicester this season at the age of just 16, and it indicates that he could have a very bright future ahead of him.
Those thoughts are echoed by football scout Ben Mattinson, who has praised the starlet for his finishing ability, while also claiming he could be capable of playing at striker.
The young Englishman has also been prolific in front of goal at youth level this season, netting ten goals in 14 Premier League 2 outings, which also demonstrates that he may be able to play in a central role.
£13m is a large fee for such a young player, but there are plenty of signs that Evans could go on to be a top player in the Premier League.
Everton are enjoying a relatively stress-free Premier League run-in, but they do now have an injury issue to contend with heading into their final matches of the season.
Everton set for big changes as new era dawns
Goodison Park will soon be given an emotional farewell as David Moyes prepares to lead the club into a new era at Bramley Moore Dock, which he will hope coincides with some exciting incomings once the window opens.
Internally, the Scot has several decisions to make on loanees and out-of-contract stars. Loanees Jesper Lindstrom, Jack Harrison, Armando Broja and Orel Mangala don’t know where they will play their football next season, while Carlos Alcaraz is set to sign permanently from Flamengo.
Casting an eye towards the market, Everton have joined the pursuit of Benfica striker Vangelis Pavlidis alongside several other clubs such as Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest.
Furthermore, the Blues are also in pursuit of Ipswich Town forward Liam Delap. However, Liverpool and Brighton & Hove Albion will provide stiff competition for the England Under-21 international.
Strengthening across the front four appears to be a priority for Moyes, given he has had numerous injury problems in the forward areas alongside Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s contract status.
Their answer to Salah: Everton want to sign "generational" Liverpool talent
Everton are targeting a summer move for a player who could upset a few should he join the Toffees.
ByEthan Lamb Apr 10, 2025
Coping with absences while managing a squad you have had little time to alter is a difficult task, so it is only fair that Moyes takes major credit for Everton’s stable footing in the Premier League standings.
Nevertheless, he has another fire to fight heading into upcoming fixtures following confirmation that one of his stars will now be sidelined.
Everton star set for spell on the sidelines after surgery
Speaking ahead of Everton’s trip to take on Nottingham Forest, Moyes confirmed that loanee Lindstrom has undergone a hernia operation and he will now be out for ‘most of the season’ as a result.
He stated: “Jesper has had a hernia operation yesterday so that will rule Jesper out for most of the season now. That’s disappointing for him and for us because he started to show some decent form in the last month or so and he was an important player for us.”
Jesper Lindstrom’s loan spell at Everton – has he done enough to earn a permanent stay?
Goals
0
Assists
1
Chances created – (Premier League)
19
Successful dribbles – (Premier League)
17
Duels won – (Premier League)
69
Despite his lack of goal contributions, Lindstrom, a £50,000 per week earner, has emerged as a valuable asset. It is perhaps a little unfortunate that he has not seen better numbers for his work at both ends of the field.
However, it remains to be seen if Everton opt to go in a different direction as they seek quality reinforcements on the flank. His impact has been curtailed due to injury, which may represent a natural opportunity for a clean break between all parties.
And who has taken the most wickets caught and bowled in Tests, and ODIs?
Steven Lynch05-Dec-2023Glenn Phillips took four wickets in his second Test, having not bowled in his first. Is this anywhere near the record? asked Kenneth Powell from New Zealand
New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips took 4 for 53 (and 1 for 47) in his second Test, against Bangladesh in Mirpur last week. Phillips hadn’t bowled on his debut, which came nearly four years ago against Australia in Sydney in January 2020.The best innings return by a player in his second Test, having not bowled in his first, is 6 for 65 by Simon Katich, for Australia against Zimbabwe in Sydney in 2003-04. No one else has taken a five-for, but two others apart from Phillips managed four. Nazir Ali took 4 for 83 for India against England in Madras in 1933-34; this was the only time he bowled in a Test. And Amir Elahi collected 4 for 134 for Pakistan against India in Delhi in 1952-53. He hadn’t bowled in his only previous Test, which was for India, in a rain-affected draw against Australia in Sydney in 1947-48. The Australian offspinner Ian Johnson took 6 for 42 in the first innings of his third Test, against England in Sydney in 1946-47, having not bowled in either of his first two.The best figures at any stage of a Test career by someone who didn’t bowl on their debut are 8 for 11, by England’s Johnny Briggs, against South Africa in Cape Town in 1889 (his 16th match). The Australian Frank Laver took 8 for 31 in the 14th of his 15 Tests, against England at Old Trafford in 1909.I read that Virat Kohli once scored 1000 runs in the course of 20 innings in T20Is. Has anyone bettered this sequence? asked Amrit Naik from India
Virat Kohli’s golden run in T20Is came between March 2014 and March 2016, when he scored 1018 runs in 20 innings, with 12 scores of 50 or more, and averaged 92. Suryakumar Yadav is next for India, after scoring 919 runs in 20 innings in T20Is between October 2022 and November 2023. Depending what he does in his next few matches, Suryakumar could improve this number.I rather expected Kohli to be top of this list – but actually there is someone above him. Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan collected 1061 runs – with ten scores of 50 or more, at an average of 88.50 – in a sequence of 20 innings between December 2020 and November 2021. And there’s a surprise in third place: UAE’s Muhammad Waseem collected 920 runs in 20 T20I innings (half of them against non-Test nations) between February 2022 and September 2023.Kane Williamson has scored centuries in each of his last four Tests – how many people have managed this? asked Michael Kirkpatrick from New Zealand
Kane Williamson’s 104 against Bangladesh in Sylhet made him the first New Zealander to score centuries in four successive Tests: he previously shared the national record of three with Mark Burgess (between 1969-70 and 1971-72) and Ross Taylor (2013-14).Williamson has a chance, in the second Test that starts later this week, of joining the three men from all countries who have reached three figures in five successive Tests – Jacques Kallis (2003-04), Gautam Gambhir (2008-09 to 2009-10) and Mohammad Yousuf, who actually crammed in six hundreds in a five-match run during 2006.But there is one man who once scored hundreds in six successive Tests. You won’t be too surprised to hear that it was Don Bradman, who did it over two Ashes series in 1936-37 and 1938. His sequence was ended by a match (at The Oval in 1938) in which he was unable to bat through injury; hundreds in the first two games of his next series, after the war in 1946-47, mean that Bradman scored centuries in eight successive Tests in which he actually batted. For the full list, click here.Muthiah Muralidaran has had 35 caught-and-bowled dismissals each in Tests and ODIs•AFPWho has taken the most wickets caught and bowled in Tests and in ODIs? asked Tim Morgan from England
Two bowlers collected 35 caught-and-bowleds in their Test careers: Anil Kumble and Muthiah Muralidaran. They are a long way clear at the top: Daniel Vettori and Shane Warne held on to 21 return catches, and Derek Underwood 20. Australia’s Nathan Lyon has 18 so far.Aggregate lists like this naturally favour players with long careers. If we look at percentages, then top among those with 50 or more Test wickets is the 19th-century Nottinghamshire and England seamer Billy Barnes, with eight out of 51, or 15.69% caught and bowled. The New Zealand slow left-armer Hedley Howarth’s 86 Test wickets included 12 c&bs, or 13.95%. The highest percentage among those with 100 or more wickets is 10.64, by the Australian Hugh Trumble (15 of 141).Murali leads the way in ODIs too with 35, ahead of the deceptive New Zealander medium-pacer Chris Harris (29) and the Pakistan pair of Shahid Afridi (24) and Saqlain Mushtaq (20). . Percentage-wise, 15 of Allan Border’s 73 ODI victims (20.55%) were caught and bowled, while the West Indian Roger Harper had exactly 100 wickets, 16 of them through return catches.In 1972, who played first-class cricket on the same ground where he played home games in the Football League? asked Hedley Dye from England
There were a few people from that time that could be the answer here: for a start, Chris Balderstone, who the following year played two Tests for England, played a County Championship match (for Leicestershire) and a Football League game (for Doncaster Rovers) on the same day in September 1975. Two other England cricketers of this approximate era also played League football – David Bairstow for Bradford City, and Ian Botham for Scunthorpe United, where a team-mate was the long-serving Worcestershire cricket captain Phil Neale.But it’s another Worcestershire player who’s the answer to this specific question. Ted Hemsley scored nearly 10,000 runs over a 20-year county career, and also played more than 500 Football League games for Shrewsbury Town (1961-68), Sheffield United (1968-77) and Doncaster Rovers (1977-79). And in 1972, Worcestershire’s Championship match against Yorkshire was played at Bramall Lane, Sheffield United’s home ground. Hemsley played four first-class games in all at Bramall Lane, but familiarity with the place didn’t help much: his highest score there was 38 in 1969. The ground had hosted an Ashes Test in 1902, but Yorkshire stopped playing there in 1973, when the ground was redeveloped to concentrate on football, with a new South Stand being built across the old cricket square.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions
IPL deals, Ranji debuts, and some day that India cap – the world is at their feet
Sreshth Shah23-Feb-2022In the two weeks since India won the 2022 Under-19 World Cup, many from the squad have earned maiden Ranji Trophy call-ups, five have collected IPL deals, and the rest don’t seem far away from higher-profile cricket. But you couldn’t have predicted this rosy future six months ago. As convincing as their six wins were at the World Cup, their off-field build-up and campaign was as chaotic.The BCCI’s National Cricket Academy organises age-group competitions, picks a pool of players to represent the India U-19 side in tours for six to nine months before finally selecting a squad for the World Cup. But this time round, because of the pandemic, the Asia Cup late last year was the only competition the India U-19 side played between the 2020 and 2022 World Cups.For the side’s head coach, Hrishikesh Kanitkar, who was appointed to the role in November 2021 after the incumbent, Paras Mhambrey, joined the India senior men’s side as their bowling coach, it meant finding a different approach.Related
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“We knew we had talented players, but we had to turn up as coaches to bring the best out of them,” Kanitkar says.”Unlike last time, where we had a few tours – to England, the Asia Cup, South Africa, series against Afghanistan, this time we didn’t have any of that. The players played for the first time together in the Asia Cup.”We had to quickly work on small things like technique, mindset, and what they are going through as cricketers aspiring to play at the highest level. They had to learn that we are well-meaning.”The other thing is, this group needed is to be allowed to make their mistakes, because that is how you learn quickly.”If mistakes were made, they didn’t greatly impact results on the field – India won four out of five matches at the Asia Cup and all six at the World Cup. From the outside, it might have looked like smooth sailing, but within the group there was a crisis that could well have derailed India’s World Cup campaign.Fifteen minutes before their second World Cup game, against Ireland, the group of 14 players learnt that their captain and vice-captain, Yash Dhull and Shaik Rasheed, had tested positive for Covid-19 and would miss the match along with four other players.Captain Yash Dhull and coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar with the World Cup trophy•ICC/Getty Images”At that point, we had 14 available players, and with these two and Aaradhya Yadav affected, we ended up playing whoever we had,” Kanitkar says.Dhull and Rasheed were not only two key middle-order batters, they were also the only two players who had captained an India U-19 side previously. But in Nishant Sindhu, the 17-year-old Haryana allrounder, who is the son of a boxer, Kanitkar found a captain for a crisis.”Especially for the Ireland game, Sindhu had no planning – he went on the fly. I had known that he had led Haryana U-19s to the domestic cricket championship, so I knew there was a leader within him. The way the boys played, you wouldn’t think they were mentally affected, but they were by the news of the other [Covid positive] players.”India beat Ireland, and then Uganda with ease, but the bigger challenge was managing the players in isolation.Allrounder Rajvardhan Hangargekar was picked up by Chennai Super Kings for Rs 1.5 crore•Matthew Lewis/ICC/Getty ImagesThe U-19 World Cup is keenly followed around the world. For the players, the most important attention is from scouts of domestic and IPL teams. Sitting alone in their rooms, Dhull and Rasheed could imagine what missing out on these crucial matches would do to their future.”Yash and Rasheed were in good touch and to miss their second game was tough on them,” Kanitkar says. “They were very disheartened, secluded and removed from the group before the toss. We knew that when they are sitting alone, affected by Covid, you start thinking about the worst scenarios: ‘What is going to happen? Is my World Cup gone? How is it going to affect my future?'”Sitting in a room for seven to nine days and having all those negative thoughts in your head, it’s not easy. Even if they were getting negative thoughts, we told them it’s natural and that sharing it would make them feel better. They trusted us, and it was easier for us to communicate.Kanitkar was happy to see that the isolation didn’t affect the players’ mental preparation.
He says “they were absolutely motivated to be ready when the time came”.”We told them to sit in the room, but still visualise the atmosphere, excitement, see the bowler running up to bowl to you. They did a lot of work in their rooms, and that was evident when they came and played.
Raj Bawa, Punjab Kings, Rs 2 crore
Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Chennai Super Kings, Rs 1.5 crore
Yash Dhull, Delhi Capitals, Rs 50 lakh
Vicky Ostwal, Delhi Capitals, 20 lakh
Aneeshwar Gautam, Royal Challengers Bangalore, 20 lakh
“It looked like they must have been practising all the time – but they had practised only once after isolation.”After their return, Dhull and Rasheed rescued India with an unbeaten 204-run partnership when both openers fell early in the semi-final against Australia.Andhra’s Rasheed hasn’t broken into his state side yet, but Dhull has gone on to earn an IPL gig with Delhi Capitals for Rs 50 lakh (about US$66,500) and made a glittering first-class debut for Delhi.While all eyes were on these two players, through the competition others silently sowed the seeds for potentially promising careers. Left-arm seamer Ravi Kumar, now with the Bengal Ranji squad, offered control with the new ball and took nine wickets in the knockouts.Left-arm spinner Vicky Ostwal, who chipped in with middle-order wickets, was picked up by Delhi Capitals for Rs 20 lakh ($26,500), and has been included in the Maharashtra Ranji squad along with allrounder Kaushal Tambe.Yash Dhull and Shaik Rasheed missed two World Cup matches after testing positive for Covid-19, but returned to make a double-hundred partnership in the semi-final against Australia•ICC via Getty ImagesWicketkeeper Dinesh Bana and Sindhu impressed enough to make the cut for the senior Haryana side, and opener Harnoor Singh and allrounder Raj Bawa are now in the Chandigarh Ranji Trophy squad.Bawa is one of two players from the World Cup squad sitting atop the rewards pile. The son of Chandigarh-based cricket coach Sukhwinder Bawa and grandson of Indian Olympic hockey gold medallist Trilochan Singh, Bawa says he grew up in a household where the U-19 World Cup is held in high regard. Two years before he was born, at the 2000 tournament, Yuvraj Singh, who Bawa’s father coached, was Player of the Tournament, and Bawa’s cousin Reetinder Sodhi was the Player of the Match in the final.Rajvardhan Hangargekar’s abilities as a quick seam bowler and a hard-hitting finisher are yet to earn him a Ranji Trophy spot with Maharashtra, but after a three-team bidding war, he will now be mentored by MS Dhoni at Chennai Super Kings while taking home Rs 1.5 crore ($200,000).Bawa, a medium-pace bowling allrounder, nearly made it a double himself. His 5 for 31 in the final earned him the Player of the Match award in the final, but despite taking crucial wickets against South Africa and making the tournament’s highest score, 162 against Uganda, he lost the tournament award to South Africa’s Dewald Brevis. However, Bawa impressed three IPL teams sufficiently for them to bid long enough that his price shot up to Rs 2 crore ($266,000 approx) before Punjab Kings finally got hold of him.Raj Bawa made the World Cup’s highest score – 162 – against Uganda, and went on to starr role in the final, against England•Matthew Lewis/ICC/Getty Images”What impressed me most about Bawa is how nothing affects him – the good or the bad,” Kanitkar says. “Against South Africa, he was smacked around in his first spell, but he showed no emotion. Even when he returned to take wickets, he did not celebrate.”In the final, it is natural for someone to rejoice after taking a flurry of wickets, but Bawa was calm. That is his standout trait – to be composed in all type of situations.”The five boys with IPL gigs will get to rub shoulders with the likes of Dhoni, Rishabh Pant, Shikhar Dhawan, David Warner and Virat Kohli among others, while the rest go back into the domestic cricket system, where, Kanitkar says, the key is for them to successfully balance their personal ambitions with the teams they find themselves in.”They will go into a new set-up, away from the NCA, and their coaching system will change,” Kanitkar said. “Each team has its own way of doing things. How you combine your tasks as a team player while also doing your own practice is going to be the challenge. The way we handled them, other coaches won’t. They will all naturally have their different philosophies.”For the last two decades, India’s U-19 stars have had the opportunity through the World Cup to leapfrog their peers and quickly make their way into big-time cricket•Ashley Allen/ICC/Getty ImagesStill, the future is bright for these youngsters as they graduate into senior cricket. Last week, as the Ranji Trophy began, Dhull scored centuries in both innings on first-class debut, and Bawa took a wicket for Chandigarh off his very first delivery. Life has never been so good for these teenagers, and a place in the senior India men’s side is no longer a dream but a realistic goal.That is a reflection of the power U-19 cricket wields in India. Kohli, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Prithvi Shaw, Pant, Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan and Ravi Bishnoi all first came to the spotlight through their U-19 exploits. Some of them have gone on to earn among the fattest paychecks in the IPL, others have been captains in the IPL or for India.Every India U-19 campaign has produced at least one future star. It is no longer a question of who makes it to the big leagues, but how many.