Category Uncategorized

He stuck to his strengths and took the game deep to put New Zealand 1-0 ahead

Vishal Dikshit25-Nov-20221:29

McClenaghan: Tom Latham, a leader in New Zealand’s batting line-up

New Zealand might have cruised to a seven-wicket win in the end by chasing down 307 in the opening ODI against India in Auckland, but it was only after 89 overs of the game that Tom Latham swung things in New Zealand’s favour with a game-changing over.Thirty-nine overs into the chase, the home team needed 91 runs from 66 balls with seven wickets left and India would have thought they still had a chance. But Latham tore into Shardul Thakur’s eighth over by hammering him for 25 runs with a six and four fours which reduced the equation to a very gettable 66 off 60.Related

Electric Latham, calm Williamson give NZ win with lots to spare

Williamson: Guptill will be missed but he has not retired

Shikhar Dhawan: 'Being calm and compassionate allows me to lead well'

Without a lot of protection in the deep on the leg side, Thakur banged the first four balls into the pitch and they were all dispatched to different parts of the leg-side fence for a six followed by three fours. Thakur then pushed short fine leg to the rope and brought deep third into the circle, pitched one full outside off, and Latham steered this one for a boundary too, between backward point and short third, before reaching his century on the next ball, his 76th. Latham said he wasn’t premeditating those shots; he was only reacting to the balls and that’s how things unfolded.”I was just reacting to what was being bowled, it wasn’t a conscious effort to try to target that over,” Latham told the host broadcaster of that over against Thakur. “When it was slightly shorter, I was trying to use the pace and target those shorter boundaries and I was just trying to react and it paid off.”India captain Shikhar Dhawan also admitted they bowled “too short” to Latham and “that’s where he took the game away.” On a ground where the square boundaries were short and the straight boundaries even shorter, Latham was fed a lot of short balls and he targeted the area behind square the most, scoring as many as 95 off his 145 in the area, which included all his five sixes and 12 of his 19 fours.Latham has a prolific record against India, averaging over 65 – his best against any team with a minimum of five innings – with two centuries and five half-centuries. Before you ask Latham himself, ask the Wankhede crowd from five years ago that watched him and Ross Taylor stitch a partnership of 200 from 80 for 3 – very similar to Friday’s 88 for 3 – to chase down 281 comfortably in the end with six wickets in hand.ESPNcricinfo LtdThat night in 2017 was Latham’s first innings at No. 5 for New Zealand and he scored an unbeaten 103. He has since then become a mainstay in New Zealand’s middle order by accumulating 1723 runs while averaging over 43 and striking at 92.18. His unbeaten stand of 221 with Kane Williamson on Friday was also Latham’s third partnership of 200 or more in ODIs, a feat no other New Zealand batter has achieved.Latham said the duo aimed to keep the asking rate under eight an over, which they did successfully for most of the chase.”For me it was about trying and being busy and hit the ball in the gap and run hard and the asking rate was hanging around seven-eight an over and we said if we try and keep it below eight then we can give ourselves a chance at the back end,” Latham said. “There was a little bit of turn there from Washington [Sundar] and he bowled really nicely so it was about absorbing that pressure and when you get the scoring opportunity, just try and put them away. Obviously the deeper we took it, you can score quite quickly out here and that’s what we did.”

Watch India tour of New Zealand live on Prime Video from Nov 18 to 30.

Just like that sultry evening in Mumbai, Latham walked out in Auckland at 88 for 3 in the 20th over, he swept and reverse swept the spinners, pulled and flicked the quicks, and punished every error from the India bowling attack – which had only five options on Friday out of which two were making a debut – on his way to his seventh ODI century.”I’m not really sure where that came from,” Latham said of his knock. “Obviously being in the position when I came into bat, just try and absorb a little bit of pressure and take it deep on a ground with some unique dimensions, you can score quite quickly so [we] also managed to build a decent partnership and get across the line which is nice.”You do your scouting of your bowlers and I’ve played India a fair bit recently so I have the understanding of what their bowlers are trying to do to me, but also trying to stick to my strengths as well and just play the situations.”

From finding a finisher to take over from MS Dhoni to investing in young, local talent, here’s what the Super Kings must look at to rebuild their empire

Deivarayan Muthu02-Nov-2020The Chennai Super Kings empire that was built for repeated success over ten years by MS Dhoni and Stephen Fleming crumbled spectacularly in IPL 2020. They were the first team to be ousted this season, when they imploded to 30 for 6 on a flat Sharjah track against the Mumbai Indians. It was always going to end this way for Dhoni’s Dad’s Army, wasn’t it?They had defied the odds and proved critics wrong, marking their return after a ban with a third title in 2018. They defied the odds again and defended their title against Mumbai in 2019, courtesy Dhoni’s leadership and a spin barrage at their fortress Chepauk. However, the cracks kept widening, the slow-moving legs got slower and, inevitably, the team crashed in the UAE.In a way, Dhoni and Fleming brought this upon themselves. They made no bones about their plan to back experience and win titles, even if it came at the expense of preparing for the future. In 2019, when the Super Kings had already qualified for the playoffs, an ill Dhoni sat out of the home game against Mumbai. It might have been a good opportunity to ease reserve wicketkeeper N Jagadeesan or opening batsman Ruturaj Gaikwad in, but the Super Kings opted against it, with Fleming coming out to the press and saying they weren’t there to hand out caps.Ruturaj Gaikwad reached his third successive half-century•BCCITime for a full revamp
On Sunday, both Dhoni and Fleming admitted a revamp – starting with the core group before moving on to the strategy – is overdue. Whether there’s a mini auction or a mega auction, whether IPL 2021 gets underway in India or the UAE, the Super Kings will aim to rebuild with a focus on the young players like 22-year-old Sam Curran and the 23-year-old Gaikwad, who could end up with a long stay at the Super Kings.Dhoni and Fleming will continue to be at the helm while the experience will probably be provided by Faf du Plessis, Ravindra Jadeja and Deepak Chahar, along with Dwayne Bravo and Ambati Rayudu, if they remain fit. It is difficult to see the franchise retain Shane Watson, M Vijay, Kedar Jadhav and Piyush Chawla until and unless there is only a mini auction for 2021.Also, the Super Kings’ fans might have to accept the fact that Suresh Raina, who opted out of this season’s IPL, may now be talked of as a former player – it should perhaps not be looked at as a purely emotional move, considering the left-hander has had fitness issues and not played any competitive cricket since IPL 2019.The Super Kings do have a handful of young players who have shown they can grow and steadily become part of the core. Both Curran and Gaikwad have received praise from the team management. Fleming said Curran has “exceeded” expectations. Dhoni trusted Curran to bowl the tough overs in the powerplay and at the death, though he said the left-arm seamer still “needs to be convinced” that he can execute the wide yorker. Curran’s all-round skills are also underlined by the fact that he fields in catching hotspots along with du Plessis and Jadeja.Gaikwad, too, finished the 2020 season guarding the hotspots and pulling off a blinder to dismiss the King XI Punjab’s Jimmy Neesham on Sunday. He made a bigger impact with the bat, becoming the first batsman from the franchise to hit three back-to-back fifties.Although the team management is yet to be fully convinced by the 24-year-old Jagadeesan’s abilities, he did show intent and innovation during his first game this season, when he got 33 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore.ESPNcricinfo LtdLet Dhoni the batsman take the backseat
The biggest challenge for the franchise would be to identify a player who can go on to take over the captaincy from Dhoni in the next two years. Both N Srinivasan, the Super Kings’ owner, and Kasi Viswanathan, the franchise’s chief executive officer, have reiterated more than once that Dhoni will be retained at the next mega auction.On Sunday, for the first time, Dhoni himself said he is not in a rush to retire from the IPL.While Dhoni the captain remains fresh, Dhoni the batsman has become a problem for the Super Kings. Dhoni will turn 40 next year and, personally too, has just endured his worst IPL season, managing only 200 runs in 12 innings at an average of 25 and strike rate of 116.27. For the first time across 13 seasons of IPL, Dhoni ended one without a single half-century.Against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in Dubai, Dhoni was sapped by heat and fatigue, coming up short in a middling chase he would have likely aced in the past. Against the Kolkata Knight Riders in Abu Dhabi, Dhoni arrived with his team needing 69 off 47 balls, and they lost by 10 runs.Dhoni seemingly retains the belief that he can work hard to return stronger for IPL 2021, but he knows the Super Kings need a dependable finisher, which he is no more. But there’s one man who has the experience, the courage and the strokes to become a long-term finisher: Jadeja.Jadeja struck at over 200 in the slog overs this IPL, but he faced all of 135 balls in 11 innings. Fleming believes Jadeja is better suited to arriving late and making an instant statement, but Jadeja might disagree. Perhaps he can man the middle order and Dhoni can instead arrive later and free his arms along with Dwayne Bravo.MS Dhoni has been bowled by Varun Chakravarthy in both clashes this season•BCCIInvest in local talent
Releasing players like Jadhav and Chawla will help the Super Kings go into the next auction with a fatter purse, allowing them to invest in younger players and possibly local talent.Mohan Abhinav, who was among the Super Kings’ net-bowling contingent in the UAE, is a legspinner with an unorthodox action, while V Gowtham, the left-arm seamer who bowled at the Chepauk nets, is said to have a good yorker and has just made it to the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL). Gowtham is even being mentored and coached by the Sunrisers Hyderabad’s T Natarajan at his academy in Salem. Is it worth punting on them?In the past, the Super Kings have missed out on recruiting the likes of Varun Chakravarthy, who has now broken into India’s T20I squad for the upcoming tour of Australia, after his match-winning performances for the Knight Riders this IPL. Varun had caught the eyes of the Super Kings’ batting coach Michael Hussey in the nets before he made a splash in the TNPL. Varun has duly bowled Dhoni both times the sides met this season.All that said, the manner in which the Super Kings bounced back to finish this IPL with three consecutive wins will lend them confidence. They will be particularly optimistic because those victories were constructed by the young brigade led by Gaikwad. In a way, the Super Kings have already launched their new template.

Liverpool have not one chance but two to win a game of football this week. Albeit that makes up just half of the four-game losing run that has sent the Arne Slot project into a spin.

How fickle football is. Yesterday’s heroes are today’s villains, and Liverpool know they need to demonstrate sharply a return to form as their Premier League title defence crumbles before them.

This seems rather dramatic, but the Reds are beset with problems, alright, and their issues are illustrated clearly by the miserable statistic of 21 goals shipped in 2025/26. League leaders Arsenal, conversely, have conceded three times across all competitions.

The forwards aren’t really firing, either, not on all cylinders, and there’s a real acceptance now that Liverpool have far-reaching tactical imbalances despite the record-breaking summer of spending, and by Slot’s own admission, they do not have the answers.

What Liverpool and Slot and the supporters need to rise from this rut is a talisman, something to spearhead a charge through so many obstacles. Could that, once again, be Mohamed Salah?

Mohamed Salah's role this season

This has unquestionably been the most challenging period of Salah’s Liverpool career. The 33-year-old has looked a shadow of his usual self, facing heavy criticism for quiet and wasteful performances on the right wing.

Football’s fickleness casts last year’s incredible achievements into the background, and this is unfair. Salah carried Slot’s early project to the highest peak of English football, shattering records and scoring 29 goals and providing 18 assists across the Premier League season. Other avenues lift that haul higher still.

But, equally, we cannot shirk from the Egyptian’s struggles, having watched this legendary forward struggle against a tide. Four goals and three assists from 13 matches is shocking by Salah’s standards, but it’s the squandered chances and lack of fluidity which have beggared belief.

Still, if ever there was a man to return to form, it is him, and Salah’s consolation goal against Brentford last weekend served as a timely reminder of his greatness.

The £400k-per-week superstar will play his part again this year, to be sure, but Liverpool need a new leader.

Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak have been signed on to take the baton as goal-getters-in-chief, but there’s another player under Slot’s wing who is proving himself the talisman to drive a pathway out of this mess.

Liverpool's new version of Salah

If Liverpool’s current “crisis”, as Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher has defined it, is to abate in time to make this a successful season, it’s clear that leaders are needed in more than just the forward areas.

Virgil van Dijk has come under fire for his recent displays, but he remains the galvanising force in defence, barking across the field as the club’s captain.

But the man emerging as the new leading light is Dominik Szoboszlai, who has looked the Anfield side’s best player across a range of positions this term, which is equally impressive and concerning.

It’s been over two years since Szoboszlai, 25, moved from RB Leipzig to Merseyside for £60m, and from the get-go, he’s provided bundles of energy and tenacity.

Slot’s decision to pull him deeper has proved a successful one, as Szoboszlai is not naturally prolific in front of goal and this deeper berth gives rise to his many other qualities.

Said by analyst Raj Chohan to be “Liverpool’s best performer currently”, the Hungary captain has raised his game, maturing while sharpening his technical skill and developing his defensive game.

Matches (starts)

36 (29)

9 (9)

Goals

6

1

Assists

6

1

Touches*

46.1

86.2

Accurate passes*

29.6 (86%)

53.3 (86%)

Key passes*

1.6

1.4

Dribble (success)*

0.6 (55%)

0.8 (54%)

Recoveries*

3.7

6.2

Tackles + interceptions*

1.4

3.0

Clearances*

0.4

3.0

Duels (won)*

2.8 (43%)

4.7 (55%)

The data shows us that Szoboszlai has made headway this season, more robust and more complete than his hitherto level. His physicality and ability to direct and offer dynamism in the build-up is something that, say Alexis Mac Allister has failed to match, and in this, Szoboszlai is stretching head and shoulders above his teammates.

It seems quite likely that, when Liverpool stabilise, Szoboszlai will be able to take his game to the next level, still driving things forward but surrounded by a collective competency that is simply not there right now.

Football is unforgiving. You cannot ride the coattails of your club’s former successes, standing on the shoulders of giants, some of whom might even remain within the first-team squad.

Liverpool were always going to need a period of adaptation, it was clear this would be a transitional season, lacking the fluency and muscle-movement spark of 2024/25 as Slot grabbed and sustained the final embers of Jurgen Klopp’s legacy.

Szoboszlai has retained all that high-octane Klopp-tailored quality while moulding his game into something Slot-esque too. To put it another way, he is more complete than he has ever been, and he is far outstripping his struggling teammates.

Slot must devise a solution to this pit into which Liverpool have fallen. So many players across the field need to step up.

Szoboszlai cannot stand any higher than he already is, and if the Reds are to turn a corner, they will owe much to the Hungarian machine’s quality and verve and unbreakable spirit.

Move over Salah: Slot's 5/10 Liverpool star is the new Jordan Henderson

Liverpool’s crisis deepened as they were condemned to a fourth successive Premier League defeat at Brentford.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 26, 2025

علّق الإعلامي أحمد شوبير على تطوّرات أزمة نادي الزمالك المتعلقة بفسخ التعاقدات، وفي مقدمتها أزمة اللاعب عمر فرج، مشيرًا إلى أن النادي يعيش حالة من التخبط الإداري والمالي انعكست بشكل مباشر على أوضاع اللاعبين ومستحقاتهم.

وقال شوبير في تصريحات عبر برنامجه الإذاعي صباح اليوم الإثنين: “نحن نتحدث عن موجة فسخ التعاقدات داخل نادي الزمالك، لأن هذا الموضوع مهم جدًا، عمر فرج قام بفسخ عقده بالفعل وقدّم شكوى للحصول على مستحقاته”.

وواصل: “عمر فرج لا يتدرّب مع الفريق الأول، أي أنه غير مندمج مع المجموعة، وأصبح مُجمدًا، لقد حاول اللاعب مرة واثنتين وثلاث مرات، ولكن الأمر لم يكن مناسبًا، أنهى الإجراءات وغادر القاهرة فعلًا، كما قدّم شكوى للحصول على المستحقات، ومن ضمن تفاصيل الشكوى أن النادي رفض السماح له بالتدرّب مع الفريق الأول وأنه لم يحصل على أمواله”.

وتابع: “يا جماعة اللاعب لا يتدرّب ولا يحصل على أموال، واللاعب مغترب، فمع من سيقيم؟ وكيف سيصرف؟ هذه قصة غريبة، أنا تحدثت عنها سابقًا، فهي قصة غريبة منذ بداية التعاقد، لقد ضموه فقط لأن بعض الوكلاء روجوا أن الأهلي أنهى اتفاقه مع عمر فرج، فهرع البعض في الزمالك وقالوا لنأخذه وتصبح (ضربة وخبطة)، وأنتم تعرفون السيناريو الذي نعيشه في الأيام الأخيرة، قالوا تعاقدنا مع عمر فرج، وأنه صفقة العمر”.

وأضاف: “جيد، لكن عمر فرج لم يلعب، لعب مباراة واحدة وسجل هدفًا، لكنه لم يحصل على وقت كاف، ثم تمت إعارته إلى السويد، وبعد انتهاء الإعارة عاد إلى الزمالك، لماذا لم تحاول الإدارة تسويقه طالما أنها تعلم أنه لن يشارك؟ لماذا لم يتم منحه إعارة جديدة منذ البداية؟ أو عندما كان في السويد، لماذا لم يُترك هناك؟ لماذا عاد؟ ثم تدخل الرسائل والوسطاء والاتفاقات، من البداية كان واضحًا أنه لن يشارك”.

طالع أيضًا | اتحاد طنجة عن عبد الحميد معالي بعد فسخ عقده مع الزمالك: حالته النفسية ممتازة

وأردف: “أنا عندما أتحدث يغضب البعض، لكن الحقيقة أن إدارة الأزمات داخل الزمالك سيئة جدًا جدًا، لا يعرفون بيع لاعب، ولا شراء لاعب، ولا إجراء تسوية، ولا اتفاق ودي، ووصل الأمر إلى أن اللاعبين يقدّمون شكاوى ضد النادي، اللاعب فسخ تعاقده بالقانون، وبالتالي النادي لا يستطيع فعل أي شيء الآن، ويمكنه اللعب غدًا في أي نادٍ، لأن اللاعبين بدون نادٍ يحق لهم الانتقال في أي وقت وفقًا للوائح الفيفا”.

واستكمل: “سيذهب الآن إلى الفيفا، وإذا ذهب إلى المحكمة الرياضية فإن كل الأوراق التي بحوزته تثبت أنه لم يحصل على أمواله أو مستحقاته، وبالتالي كل الأوراق تثبت أنه صاحب حق، هذا ما حدث مع فرجاني ساسي، الذي حصل على حكم نهائي، انظروا إلى الإسماعيلي الآن، الأمر لم يعد مجرد ديون وإيقاف قيد، بل وصل إلى تهديد بخصم النقاط إذا لم يتم سداد مستحقات كارميلو، وفي النهاية قد يصل الأمر إلى الهبوط للدرجات الأدنى”.

واستمر: “نادي الزمالك بقيمته وجماهيره الكبيرة، والله لولا الجماهير لحدث له ما هو أسوأ مرات عديدة، الخسارة الفنية والمادية كبيرة، اللاعب أصلًا لم يكن مناسبًا للزمالك، لم تتم متابعته جيدًا، وتم التعاقد معه فقط لأن هناك شائعة بأن الأهلي يريد ضمه، فتم التعاقد معه كرد فعل.. هل هذا مقبول؟”.

وأضاف: “هناك مصادر داخل النادي تقول إن عمر فرج اقترب من أحد الأندية السعودية، وأنه عندما غادر كان قد أنهى اتفاقه مع نادٍ هناك، وأنه مستمر في شكواه، وبعد رحيله بدأت إدارة الزمالك تحاول إجراء اتصالات لتجنب أزمة كبيرة مع اللاعب ومنع تصعيد شكواه، لكنه سيصعّدها إذا لم يحصل على أمواله، إذًا ادفعوا له لتُنهي هذه الأزمة”.

وتابع: “بهذا يصبح عمر فرج ثالث لاعب يفسخ عقده، بعد صلاح مصدق وعبد الحميد معالي، وكلهم فسخوا من طرف واحد، هناك حالة رعب داخل النادي، البعض قال إنهم دفعوا لخوان بيزيرا مبلغ 50 ألفًا أو 75 ألف دولار، لأن كل اللاعبين الأجانب بدأوا يستفسرون، محمود بنتايج لم يفسخ عقده كما قلت أمس، لكنه يستفسر رسميًا، وبيزيرا بدأ يسأل أيضًا ما الذي يحدث”.

وأوضح: “الإدارة الآن تحاول جاهدة توفير سيولة مالية لاحتواء الأزمة، وتسعى لأن يكون موقف النادي سليمًا قانونيًا، يحاولون إغلاق الأزمات المتتالية، ولكن ما زالت الأموال غير متوفرة، ولذلك قد يتم دفع مستحقات بعض اللاعبين بشكل فردي، وليس للجميع، أي أن بعض اللاعبين سيحصلون على أموالهم، مثل بنتايج وبيزيرا وشيكو بانزا وآدم كايد وعدي الدباغ، ونتخطى الأزمة. ولكن هذا لن يحل الأزمة بالكامل”.

واختتم: “أنا أطالب لاعبي الزمالك المصريين بالصبر، فالنادي في أزمة، جماهير الزمالك صنعت هاشتاج على السوشيال ميديا لدعم رئيس الجمهورية والمطالبة بإنقاذ الزمالك، الجماهير تشعر بالقلق والخوف والأزمات، نتمنى أن تنتهي هذه الأزمات قريبًا”.

Rangers’ truly miserable European campaign continues, with their hopes of reaching the knockout stages now hanging by a thread.

On Thursday night, despite taking the lead through James Tavernier’s spot-kick, the Gers were held to a 1-1 draw by ten-man Braga at Ibrox, with the Arsenalists equalising shortly after Rodrigo Zalazar had been sent off for headbutting Nicolas Raskin.

This ended a sequence of seven successive European defeats, the longest streak in the club’s entire history, but they will almost certainly need to beat Ferencváros, Ludogorets Razgrad and Porto to stand any chance of reaching the Europa League knockout stages, which isn’t particularly likely.

Having finished eighth in last year’s inaugural league phase, before reaching the quarter-finals, this quite the fall from grace.

Much of the blame lies at those at boardroom level, hence why chief executive Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell were both sacked on Monday, much to the delight of many supporters.

Nevertheless, new manager Danny Röhl still has to build a cohesive team with the pieces he has been given, so which of Thelwell’s summer recruits did not impress on Thursday night?

Nasser Djiga at fault once again

The final Tuesday of the final international break of 2025 could prove to be a pivotal day in Rangers’ season.

Mere hours apart, one in Mount Florida and the other in well, Miami in actual Florida, both John Souttar and Derek Cornelius suffered long-term injuries that’ll see them sidelined until Christmas at least.

Thus, just as Röhl had found his first-choice centre-back pairing, he will continue to be without them going into the busiest period of the season, left with no choice but to keep picking Emmanuel Fernandez and Nasser Djiga, despite the continued poor performances of the latter.

Djiga was massively at fault for Braga’s crucial equaliser on Thursday night, completely misjudging a cross into the box which allowed Gabri Martínez to slot home.

The 23 year old joined Wolverhampton Wanderers from Crvena zvezda in January for a reported £10m, but barely featured for the Premier League side, suggesting why that might have been the case since making the loan move north of the border.

It did not start well for Djiga, sent off on his Premiership debut for tripping up Finlay Robertson as the Gers were held to a 1-1 draw by Dundee at Ibrox, before this inexplicable decision which allowed Romeo Vermant to score the first of Club Brugge’s nine goals in the Champions League play-off round.

Djiga, frankly, is costing Rangers points time and time again, which has to be a concern ahead of three winnable Premiership matches in a week against Falkirk, Dundee United and Kilmarnock, but which other starter from Thursday night may have just played himself out of contention?

Rangers summer signing who struggled vs Braga

Röhl made a couple of surprise selection decisions against Braga; Connor Barron came into midfield, while Max Aarons got the nod over Jayden Meghoma at left-back.

The Bournemouth loanee has been in and out the team all throughout the campaign, deployed in both full-back positions, but did not stake a claim for more regular minutes here.

The statistics document the Englishman’s tough night.

Accurate passes

26

13th

Passing accuracy %

76%

12th

Key passes

Zero

10th

Attempted crosses

3

4th

Accurate crosses

Zero

7th

Defensive actions

3

16th

Tackles won

3

7th

Interceptions

Zero

12th

Clearances

Zero

19th

Possession lost

17

4th

Touches

59

6th

SofaScore rating

6.8

12th

As the table documents, despite the fact only two Rangers players, namely Tavernier and Fernandez, had more touches of the ball than Aarons, he did very little with all this possession.

The full-back completed just 26 passes, fewer than Braga goalkeeper Lukáš Horníček, was accurate with zero crosses and turned over possession on 17 occasions.

Fair to say, the Rangers support have not been enamoured by Aarons from the very start.

Under Russell Martin, he was controversially starting Champions League qualifiers instead of long-standing captain Tavernier, which most fans were not on board with, especially when Aarons was sent off just eight minutes into their 6-0 annihilation at the hands of Club Brugge at Jan Breydelstadion.

More recently, Aarons has been asked to fill in on the left-side, which he can do, but does not suit him naturally, especially on the ball, having to play on his weaker side.

Thus, for upcoming Premiership matches, where Rangers will dominate possession, expect Röhl to recall Jayden Meghoma at left-back, even if he has been far from convincing either.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

As for long-term, it would be no surprise to see both Aarons and Djiga return to their parents clubs in the new year, or at the end of the season at the very least.

Forget Djiga: Rohl must bin Rangers flop who lost the ball every 2 touches

Following Rangers’ 1-1 draw with Braga in the Europa League at Ibrox on Thursday, which flop must Danny Röhl axe who was even worse than Nasser Djiga?

ByBen Gray Nov 28, 2025

There are few sounds in sports as satisfying as the *thwack* of a bat connecting with a pitch for a sure-fire home run.

On Monday night, Dodgers fans were treated to just that, and no one was more sure of the dinger than third base coach Dino Ebel, who, in a delightful turn of events, was mic’d up and interviewing with the broadcast booth.

In the top of the second inning, Dodgers slugger Teoscar Hernandez swung on a ball that hung right on the plate. As soon as the *thwack* sounded, Ebel made the call.

“That ball’s gone,” Ebel said. Indeed it was, and the Dodgers tied the game 1–1.

In just a few days, the home runs will start counting for real. But lucky for us, home runs during spring training sound just as good to the ears.

MatériaMais Notícias

2023 pode ser o “Last Dance” de Renato Augusto no Corinthians. O meia tem contrato até dezembro, ainda não foi procurado pelo Timão para renovar o vínculo e não descarta escutar propostas de outros clubes.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansMano vê retomada de confiança e aponta briga do Corinthians no BrasileirãoCorinthians01/11/2023CorinthiansPênalti? Bidu comenta lance polêmico e faz balanço sobre primeira temporada no CorinthiansCorinthians01/11/2023Fora de CampoFalha de Bento em Corinthians x Athletico repercute na web: ‘Frango do campeonato’Fora de Campo01/11/2023

+ Tudo sobre o Timão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Corinthians

Apesar do cenário incerto faltando dois meses para o final de contrato, Renato Augusto sempre deixou claro seu desejo em permanecer no Corinthians. Após a vitória sobre o Athletico-PR, o camisa 8 se colocou à disposição do Timão por menos mais uma temporada.

– Difícil dizer agora, sei que mais um ano eu consigo ajudar bastante, me manter. Não depende de mim, é o que eu espero. Se não acontecer, vai ficar o carinho, nada vai apagar o que foi feito e vivido – revelou Renato Augusto na zona mista da Neo Química Arena.

continua após a publicidade

O Corinthians quer esperar o término do Brasileirão e as eleições presidenciais para definir o futuro de Renato Augusto. Caso eleito, o candidato da situação, André Negão, irá consultar primeiro a comissão técnica sobre a condição do camisa 8. Já Augusto Melo, da oposição, deixou claro o desejo em oferecer um contrato de produtividade ao meia.

Enquanto aguarda a definição, Renato Augusto aproveita os momentos com a camisa do Corinthians. O meia engatou uma sequência de 11 jogos entrando em campo pelo Timão, a maior na temporada.

continua após a publicidade

– Procuro aproveitar. Sei que vai chegar um momento que vai acabar, e procuro curtir cada jogo, momento, conquistar vitórias para sairmos logo dessa situação. Procuro viver, isso para mim é muito especial. Em 10, 15 anos vou olhar para trás e falar que esse lugar foi especial. Procuro curtir cada jogo, especialmente na Arena – declarou Renato.

+ Veja tabela e simule os resultados do Brasileirão

FUTURO DEPOIS DA APOSENTADORIA

Aos 35 anos e mais próximo de pendurar as chuteiras, Renato Augusto tem o desejo em seguir no futebol, seja como técnico ou auxiliar.

– Não sei ainda, é uma possibilidade. Brinquei bastante com o Mano. Primeiro queria ser auxiliar para aprender, mas isso um pouco mais para frente. Fiz o curso porque estava na pandemia, foi bom para enxergar o outro lado. Você vê o quanto é difícil ser treinador, tomar conta de 28, 30 atletas, cada um com uma cabeça. Foi um aprendizado e procurei trazer para dentro de campo. Ainda não tenho nada planejado sobre isso, pretendo continuar jogando – afirmou Renato.

Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Phillips gave it their best shot, but the Washington Freedom batting didn’t have enough firepower to overhaul MI New York’s 180

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jul-2025It went down to the last over: 12 to get from six balls for either MI New York or Washington Freedom to win their second MLC title. Rushil Ugarkar, a 22-year-old USA medium pacer who has never played international cricket, had the ball. Across him, Glenn Maxwell, to start with, and Glenn Phillips. Two white-ball superstars. But all Ugarkar conceded was six. And he sent back Maxwell with a slower offcutter, allowed Phillips strike for just one ball, and won MINY the title when everything was stacked against him.Till that over started, the momentum was very much with Freedom and it was chiefly down to Phillips. At the end of the 17th over, in which Trent Boult had conceded just seven runs to Phillips and Maxwell, and Phillips was 25 from 27, the asking rate was upwards of 13 an over. But Phillips targeted Tristan Luus and Boult in back-to-back overs. He took Luus for two sixes in the 17-run 18th over, and Boult for one more in the next, which went for 12, making it a potentially gripping last over. But he got to face just one ball from Ugarkar, who bowled a set of six cutters to spark the celebrations in the MINY camp.The result completed a remarkable turnaround for MINY, who qualified for the playoffs as the fourth-placed team on the league table, with three wins from ten games, and have since beaten San Francisco Unicorns (Eliminator), Texas Super Kings (Qualifier 2) and now Freedom in the final.The chase started with Boult picking up two wickets in the first over of the innings to dent Freedom. However, to be fair, despite opener Rachin Ravindra scoring 70 from 41 balls after early jitters and Jack Edwards chipping in with 33 from 22, the Freedom innings didn’t seem to find the next gear they needed till Phillips got going. Maxwell, not for the first time this tournament – he largely struggled apart from when he scored 106* in a win over Texas Super Kings back on June 17 – couldn’t get the scoreboard moving at the rate required. And three MINY bowlers, including Ugarkar, went at eight an over or fewer, with Tajinder Singh’s three overs costing just 18 runs.

Rushil Ugarkar, you are a hero! He held his nerve against some of the world’s best and delivered when it mattered most. A brilliant performance and well-deserved Stake Player of the Match! @StakeIND x @stakenewsindia pic.twitter.com/GKNUZWdO6Z

— Cognizant Major League Cricket (@MLCricket) July 14, 2025