كشف تيبو كورتوا، حارس مرمى نادي ريال مدريد، عن تعليمات المدير الفني تشابي ألونسو للاعبي الفريق، بعد نهاية الشوط الأول أمام أوليمبيك مارسيليا في دوري أبطال أوروبا.
وقلب نادي ريال مدريد تأخره بهدف مقابل لا شيء أمام مارسيليا إلى فوز مستحق بهدفين مقابل هدف واحد يوم أمس الثلاثاء، ضمن الجولة الأولى من دور المجموعات أو مرحلة الدوري من بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.
وقدم ريال مدريد مباراة رائعة أمام مارسيليا، فعلى الرغم من الفوز بهدفين مقابل هدف واحد فقط، إلا أن لاعبي الميرنجي خلقوا العديد من الفرص على مرمى النادي الفرنسي.
اقرأ أيضًا .. مدة غياب كارفاخال عن ريال مدريد بعد طرده أمام مارسيليا.. وموقفه من مباراة ليفربول
وقال كورتوا في حديثه إلى “موفيستار”: “طلب منا المدرب أن نفعل الشيء نفسه بين الشوطين، لكن مارسيليا غيروا أسلوب لعبهم وأغلقوا خطوطهم، كنا سيئين في التعامل مع الكرة في الدقائق الأولى وعانينا أكثر في الشوط الثاني من الأول، إنه فوز جيد لكن الأمور أصبحت معقدة في المباراة”.
وأضاف كورتوا في حديثه: “الفوز بهذه المباريات على أرضنا يغنينا عن الكثير، أردنا أن نتعلم من الخسارة العام الماضي أمام ميلان، فزنا عن جدارة واستحقاق لكن الأهداف جاءت من ركلتي جزاء، خلقنا خطورة كبيرة لكن ركلات الجزاء كانت واضحة وصحيحة”.
وعن اللعب بعشرة لاعبين بعد طرد داني كارفاخال، اختتم الدولي البلجيكي: ”المشكلة هي أنه عندما لا تدافع بأحد عشر لاعبًا، يضع المدرب ضغطًا كبيرًا على مبابي وجولر. إنه الفرق بين ما إذا كانوا يشكلون خطورة أم لا وتشابي يطلب مني أيضًا لعب كرات إلى الأمام ومساعدة الهجوم، هذه التغييرات التي تحدث”.
كشف الإعلامي أحمد شوبير تفاصيل حضور محمود الخطيب رئيس الأهلي لمران فريق الكرة بعد التعادل أمس أمام إنبي، موضحًا آخر المستجدات الخاصة بحالة اللاعبين المصابين ومنهم أحمد سيد زيزو وياسر إبراهيم وإمام عاشور.
وكان الأهلي قد سقط في فخ التعادل الإيجابي أمام إنبي بهدف لمثله، في اللقاء الذي أقيم على استاد المقاولون العرب، ضمن منافسات الجولة السادسة من بطولة الدوري.
ويحتل الأهلي المركز الخامس عشر في جدول الترتيب برصيد 6 نقاط فقط، جمعها من فوز وحيد، وثلاثة تعادلات، وهزيمة أمام بيراميدز، في واحدة من أسوأ بداياته في تاريخ المسابقة.
وقال أحمد شوبير في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة الأهلي: “الخطيب قطع إجازته وحضر مران الفريق اليوم من خارج الملعب، ولم يتحدث مع أحد من اللاعبين أو الجهاز الفني، فقط تحدث مع وليد صلاح الدين في كلام مهم”.
طالع | رابطة الأندية تخاطب اتحاد الكرة لتنفيذ طلب الأهلي الخاص بمباراة الزمالك
وأكمل: “اليوم أحمد سيد زيزو خضع لأشعة سونار على العضلة الضامة لكنها لم تُظهر الإصابة بشكل جيد، لذلك زيزو سيخضع لأشعة رنين غدًا وبعدها سيتم التشخيص الكامل للحالة وإعلان النتيجة”.
وواصل: “ياسر إبراهيم شارك في مران الفريق الجماعي اليوم بعد اكتمال شفائه في العضلة الأمامية وجاهز لمباراة الأهلي أمام سيراميكا”.
وأردف: “أيضًا عمر كمال عبد الواحد دخل المران الجماعي بعد أن أصبح لائقا، وأحمد عبد القادر يتم تأهيله وممكن يدخل قائمة مباراة سيراميكا إذا اكتملت جاهزيته، هناك قناعة تامة بوجوده”.
وزاد: “إمام عاشور كان يُعاني من قيء شديد قبل مباراة إنبي لدرجة إن الجهاز فكر في استبعاده من القائمة، لكن كعادة حماس اللاعبين أصر على التواجد وقال إنها مجرد برد في المعدة، واستجاب الجهاز لرغبته”.
وأتم: “إمام بعد المباراة الآلام زادت عليه وتم نقله للمستشفى، والدكتور أحمد جاب الله أكد وجود اشتباه بنزلة معوية وأنه سيظل في المستشفى 3 أيام تحت الملاحظة الطبية وتحديد موقفه، وإمام عاشور يبدو إنه يُعاني من مشكلة في جدار المعدة والجهاز الطبي يتابعه”.
Leeds United fans will soon be welcoming back a whole horde of familiar faces to Elland Road when Premier League football gets officially underway.
The likes of Crysencio Summerville, Georginio Rutter and Archie Gray will all likely line up for their new sides in West Yorkshire, with Daniel Farke no doubt one to catch up with his past Whites servants before any niceties then go out the window on the pitch, considering their impressive spells donning Leeds white in the first place.
The German could even be about to win his next version of Gray this summer if all goes to plan, with Leeds reportedly having to spend big to land this new, versatile target.
Leeds interested in £30m star
It had been a relatively quiet window as far as incomings were concerned at Elland Road until Sunday when, out of the blue, Leeds managed to seal the signing of Felix Nmecha.
The striker arrived from Wolfsburg on a free transfer following the conclusion of his contract with the German club. So, who’s next on the radar?
Well, according to Portuguese outlet A Bola (via Sport Witness) Leeds are now keen on adding standout Southampton gem Matheus Fernandes to their ranks.
Previously, Fernandes has been valued at around the £30m mark, but Sport Witness goes on to elaborate that a heftier asking price could now be in the offing if Leeds, Nottingham Forest or Crystal Palace want to win their desired man.
It remains to be seen whether the newly promoted side would entertain a fee that’s higher than the already outlined £30m, but the daring capture of Fernandes could prove to be worthwhile down the line, particularly if the 20-year-old blossoms into Farke’s next iteration of Gray on his potential move to West Yorkshire.
How Fernandes could be Leeds' next Gray
Much like Gray was thrust into the spotlight under Farke during the 2023/24 season at Elland Road, Fernandes has been in and around the daunting environments of senior football for some time now without ever appearing to be fazed.
Indeed, the Portugal U21 international was gifted his senior Sporting debut under the tenure of Ruben Amorim when he was only the tender age of 18, with just ten senior appearances coming his way in the Portuguese capital before Southampton came calling.
Gray only experienced one season himself in the senior ranks at Leeds before his adventure in the big time also occurred, but whilst the 19-year-old did impress in flashes for Tottenham Hotspur last season when infrequently utilised, Fernandes was a constant bright spark for the Saints, even as they unfortunately succumbed to relegation.
In total, the 5 foot 10 starlet collected three goals and six assists at St. Mary’s in all competitions, with his Premier League journey rightfully not grinding to a halt if one of the aforementioned three top-flight suitors soon picks him up.
CM
68
7
9
AM
33
3
7
DM
6
0
0
RW
4
1
1
LM
3
0
1
LW
2
0
0
CF
1
0
0
RM
1
0
0
For Leeds’ sake, if the similarities between the pair weren’t already obvious, his flexible nature to perform all across the pitch when glancing at the table above will make him even more of a desirable target in their attempts to land their next Gray.
Indeed, the new Spurs number 14 routinely slotted into the full-back positions under Farke’s wing in the Championship to prove his worth to the Elland Road cause.
The “complete” Fernandes – as he has been labelled by football analyst Ben Mattinson – is willing to line up as an option down the flank too, away from feeling more comfortable slotting into a lineup as a number ten or into a more traditional central role.
The in-demand 20-year-old will also surely view Leeds as a worthwhile next destination, having seen what the club did for Gray, on top of the fact that the list of other promising young midfielders who have shone in West Yorkshire includes Kalvin Phillips.
Previously hailed as a “big talent” too by scout Jacek Kulig, it will be intriguing to see if Leeds are prepared to fork out a sum around the £30m mark to land such a hyped up star.
Mateus Fernandes for Southampton.
Their boldness could pay off if Fernandes goes on to be a similar success story to Gray’s, with the Saints’ number 18 just hopeful he can steer his potential new side to safety if he does join, over another relegation stain blotting his CV.
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Birmingham City have already stunned League One with the quality of transfer they can get through the door, meaning the Championship could see the Blues go after even more exciting and bold talents.
Indeed, Chris Davies’ men sent shockwaves through the third tier when obtaining the services of Jay Stansfield for around £15m, with that high fee going on to be justified when he bagged 19 league strikes on the way to Birmingham being crowned champions.
Therefore, the ambitious Blues could now try and bring in even more dazzling faces up a division to replicate this success story, with the likes of Che Adams being linked with a stunning return to St. Andrew’s.
The last time Birmingham competed at this level culminated in them falling through the relegation trapdoor, but one deal involving ex-Manchester United ace Tahith Chong still sticks out from memory, considering his star quality was on show throughout his short-lived Blues stay.
Chong's memorable Birmingham spell
Chong would initially only join Birmingham on loan, but the ex-Manchester United academy product went on to permanently call St. Andrew’s his home after impressing in the Championship.
His output across the 2022/23 season stuck out in particular, with Chong ending his sterling individual campaign by collecting a hefty tally of four goals and five assists from 40 clashes, even as his new employers finished in a flat 17th position in the overall league standings.
Losing Chong to Luton Town that off-season would prove to be a costly sale as Birmingham finally fell to League One after years of teetering on the edge, whilst the 25-year-old began to make a name for himself in the Premier League with the Hatters.
Of course, Chong will now be plying his trade in League One next season with Matt Bloomfield’s side after back-to-back relegations, but Birmingham will hope they can win an equally exciting attacker from another top-flight outfit soon by sealing this standout loan capture.
Birmingham could sign their new Chong
Whilst the Blues did fork out an excessive amount to land Stansfield, they also utilised the loan market effectively the summer before lifting the League One title, as seen in Ben Davies collecting 20 clean sheets on loan from Rangers.
Birmingham could strike gold again in this department by landing Aston Villa forward Louie Barry – as per reports by GIVEMESPORT – with the young forward, regardless of his Villa connections, chomping at the bit to succeed in the Championship if snapped up by Davies’ men after setting League One alight whilst on the books of playoff-chasing Stockport County.
Barry’s L1 numbers for Stockport (24/25)
Stat
Barry
Games played
23
Goals scored
15
Assists
2
Big chances missed
6
Big chances created
5
Stats by Sofascore
Much like Chong – who must have felt restless about his lack of senior chances at Old Trafford when arriving to Birmingham – Barry would instantly show those back at Villa what he was about by ripping up the third tier for Dave Challinor’s promotion chasers this season, resulting in the 21-year-old picking up an eye-catching 15 goals from just 23 clashes.
It will all just rest on whether the “incredible” attacker, as Declan Rice once openly praised him, can take to the league above swimmingly in a Blues shirt, having failed to register a single goal or assist when leaving Stockport behind last campaign when joining Hull City temporarily.
louie-barry-aston-villa
Yet, everything just clicked into gear for the Dutch-born 25-year-old when he was pushed into the deep end in the West Midlands, even though he had only collected a weak two goals in total for former loan employers Werder Bremen and Club Brugge.
Therefore, Birmingham might well just be the ideal next environment for Barry as he attempts to advance his game, regardless of whether a cross-city switch would be controversial or not.
The only difference between Chong and Barry here will be the fact that the explosive 21-year-old will be expected to come in and help the Blues rise in the EFL, away from the former loan menace being a bright spark during some gloomy recent times for the blue half of Birmingham.
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Manchester United and INEOS are now preparing an offer worth £40 million to sign a “brilliant” defensive addition this summer, according to a recent report.
Amorim hails United display at Bournemouth ahead of massive semi-final
The Red Devils played another relatively meaningless Premier League game on Sunday afternoon, and it looked as though they were going to be on the end of another defeat. However, a 90+6 minute equaliser from Rasmus Hojlund secured a point for United against 10-man AFC Bournemouth.
Amorim must surely drop 4/10 Man Utd dud who lost the ball every 4 touches
Manchester United managed to salvage a point away at AFC Bournemouth courtesy of Rasmus Hojlund.
By
Kelan Sarson
Apr 27, 2025
It was a game that came right before United’s very important trip to Spain on Thursday, where they will play Athletic Bilbao in the Europa League semi-final first leg. The game against the Cherries was not important in the sense of nothing being on it for United, but Ruben Amorim felt his side deserved the point and did have chances to win the game.
“I think we deserved it. In the first half, we suffered with their high-intensity press, but we created chances. We had quite similar chances near the box with a lot of shots,” Amorim told BBC Match of the Day.
“I think we deserved at least one point if you look at the game. If you look at our last games, it is always like this – we do something to help the opponent get an advantage. Then it is really hard to score goals, but the players did really well to get at least one point.
“We have the ability to push our opponents. There are small things I think we can do better. We need to understand these moments better, but if you look at the 20 minutes [after Evanilson’s red card], we had situations to score, which is really important.”
Man Utd preparing £40m bid for Inter star Denzel Dumfries
The Red Devils winning the Europa League would not only see them play in Europe’s biggest competition, but it could help them when it comes to their transfers this summer and getting players Amorim wants. According to Inter Live, Man United are now keen on signing Denzel Dumfries from Inter Milan this summer.
Feyenoord's Ibrahim Osman in action with Inter Milan's DenzelDumfries
The report states that United are not just showing an interest but are willing to make a £40 million offer to sign Dumfries, along with a £60 million bid to sign Yann Bisseck in what would be a mega deal. It goes on to add that Giuseppe Marotta, who is chairman of Inter, is not against offers coming in for Dumfries, and he is preparing to evaluate everything. However, United are not alone in their pursuit of the defender, as Arsenal have stepped up their efforts to bring him to London.
The 29-year-old, who renewed his contract at Inter until the summer of 2028 earlier this season, has been a key player this season. Dumfries has played a total of 39 matches in all competitions, scoring eight goals and registering three assists.
The Dutch international had missed the last few weeks of football with a hamstring injury but returned to play 27 minutes against AS Roma on Sunday afternoon. United’s interest in Dumfries is particularly intriguing given he rates very similarly to Patrick Dorgu according to FBRef’s statistical profiling, perhaps making him the ideal fit on the other flank.
Denzel Dumfries’ 24/25 League stats compared to Patrick Dorgu
Dumfries
Dorgu
Apps
26
29
Starts
19
28
Goals
6
3
Assists
2
1
Progressive carries
46
93
Progressive passes
47
74
Progressive runs
159
169
Tackles (Won)
25 (18)
68 (44)
Interceptions
6
21
Blocks
25
32
Unlike Dorgu however, Dumfries is a player who has been performing at the top level for a long time now, and back in 2022 BBC pundit Micah Richards labelled the defender “brilliant” for his World Cup performance against the United States.
“Denzel Dumfries. What a player he is. I just thought his whole game was brilliant. It was his timing of his runs… He didn’t sort of mix it up too much, but when he did, it was the right moments. Down this right-hand side, he was just breathless.”
In a chat with ESPNcricinfo, Shanto and Mehidy speak about what the 2-0 series win against Pakistan means to the side, and more
Mohammad Isam04-Sep-2024Mehidy, you have won Player of the Series against England and now this one against Pakistan. Which one is bigger?Mehidy: [friend], you tell him. What do I say? I’m confused.Shanto: I was the captain in this series, so this one is better.Related
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How would you rate Mehidy’s performance in the second Test?Shanto: He was just brilliant. The way he bowled on the first day on this wicket – a spinner taking five wickets, it was unbelievable. It was something else.And how about his batting?Shanto: We were 26 for 6. He comes up to me and says, ‘, this happens to our team all the time; Litton [Das] and I are there’. That’s all he said. He said it with all seriousness.Your turn, Mehidy – you have had quite a few clutch performances already…Mehidy: To be honest with you, I try hard. Allah helps me. If a person tries something and works hard for it, he’s going to be successful. You mentioned the two Player-of-the-Series awards – these two are huge moments in my life. I can’t choose one, both are big achievements. That was my debut Test series against England. It was our first Test win against them. This is my first Player of the Series on foreign soil. I never expected that I would contribute with bat and ball. So both are special for me.What do you tell yourself when the team is in trouble?Mehidy: I try to be calm. I try not to be too excited. I try to remember good memories from the past. Whoever I bat with, I try to diffuse the tension. I will joke with the batter at the other end. When I joined Litton at 26 for 6, I was joking with him. I asked him if he remembered how nervous we were when we opened the batting in the final of the Asia Cup [in 2018]. He joined in, he started to joke with me too. This is how we got rid of the nervousness.When the momentum came back, we started to discuss how to turn things around. We wanted to take the team to a good position. We had a very good partnership [of 165 runs]. I am thankful to Allah, he keeps me calm and cool even in these moments.9:19
Tamim: ‘Bangladesh’s biggest achievement in Test cricket’
Shanto, which was your favourite Mehidy performance in this series?Shanto: Batting. Both knocks [77 in the first Test and 78 in the second]. I would say it was 49-51 [between his batting and bowling performances].We always thought Shakib Al Hasan, Taijul Islam and Mehidy only take wickets at home…Mehidy: Now you can say that we take wickets abroad too. To be honest, you cannot make a Test player in one or two days. You have to give him time. You have to allow him to do well. It takes time for him to settle into a role and dominate in world cricket. The more time he gets, the better he will be.Maybe my home performances gave me a certain kind of mindset, but now that I am bowling well abroad, I will have this as a reference point to do well in the future. It raises your confidence for the next big series abroad. Confidence comes from records and references. I have both now. I will be more confident next time.
First impressions were encouraging on South African cricket’s quest for renewal
Firdose Moonda10-Jan-2023There were people. For the first time in three years, Newlands was filled with thousands of fans. And not just any kind of fans. Happy fans.This is not a dog-bites-man story, but actually worth stating loud and proud up front because prior to this, the opening night of the SA20, there have been more than 1000 very difficult days in South African cricket. Unhappy days. And unhappy people.The tough times started right here, at this ground, in December 2019 when a new CSA leadership was unveiled amid administrative chaos. In the weeks and months and years that followed, pretty much everything that could go wrong, on and off the field, did go wrong and public confidence in the game shrivelled and shrunk. Even the most dedicated supporters took up residence in negative town and talk on their streets was that nothing could interest them in anything CSA did ever again. But 20,000 of them were lured back into Newlands on Tuesday afternoon, two weeks before January’s pay-day, and rumour has it the same number will turn up at Kingsmead on Wednesday and in Gqeberha the day after.They liked what they saw in Cape Town. People smiled and took selfies as they slowly found their seats in the afternoon sun. Young children, still on school holidays, came in with their parents, and would doubtless be permitted a later-than-usual bedtime. As had been the case just before the pandemic silenced our stadiums, the crowd was diverse in age, gender and race – a heartening sight considering the polarised state of the game outside of this tournament. And then they sang.Related
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The SA20 organisers have spent significant resources on the entertainment and brought out two of South Africa’s best-known performers for an otherwise low-key opening ceremony. Sho Majozi, a rapper, and Master KG, famed for the lockdown hit “Jerusalema”, performed on a stage just outside the newly built office development at the ground while dancers did their bit in front of the embankment. A clutch of pre-converted MI Cape Town supporters, with branded azure blue caps, flags and t-shirts, joined them, complete with all the right moves. The fireworks in the day time only managed to blend in with the bright blue sky and were lost on just about everyone but the presence of the who’s who of South African cricket was not.On the grass embankment, a fenced-off area functioned as a makeshift commentary box. Graeme Smith, now in his role as the league’s commissioner but who has worn hats from national captain to director of cricket, was swamped by autograph-hunters. Smith has found himself loved and hated in equal measure over the last three years – for saving South African cricket after the terrible Thabang Moroe era, and for suspicions that he fostered a boys’ club of sorts in the national team (which was also implied at the Social Justice and Nation-Building hearings), but he still commands an audience. AB de Villiers was around too, and had a similar reception. But the biggest response was reserved for the men on the field. Specifically, the one we’ve called “Baby AB”, now known as DB: Dewald Brevis.He lived up to his reputation as the next big thing in South African innings with a match-winning knock in the tournament opener, after it seemed local players would be outshone. Cape Town’s own George Linde was tasked with bowling the first ball of the new competition and would never have played in front of a crowd this big at home. His first two deliveries went well but this third was threaded through extra cover by Jos Buttler. He conceded eight in total and then switched ends to bowl the fourth over, where he conceded nine more.Jofra Archer picked up a wicket in his first over on comeback•SA20In between that, Jofra Archer made a much-awaited comeback to competitive cricket, after 18 months on the sidelines, and he could not have asked for a better start. He removed Wihan Lubbe with his third ball, after swinging the first and zoning in on the toes with the second, and finished with a wicket maiden. The oohs and aahhs were admiring but probably also a little anxious. Remember that Archer will be part of the England ODI squad that plays South Africa in World Cup League matches later this month and if he’s already getting his speeds up to 145kph, how dangerous might he be then?The English performers continued to give South Africa plenty to worry about as Buttler found his groove with ramps and lap shots and then Olly Stone took out both his and Dane Vilas’ middle stumps. David Miller provided a reminder of what South Africans can do with a 31-ball 42, including a glorious six over long-on off Sam Curran, but became the first of Archer’s two-in-two. But then South Africa’s new names dominated.Brevis and Ryan Rickleton, both talked about as batters who should have been in the Test squad in Australia, made the target look small as in the president’s suite some of the national rugby team, including scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies, looked on. They batted with a freedom South African players have not had for the last three years, unshackled from the burdens of controversy and to some extent, expectation.A sunset walk around the ground revealed that as much as people were paying some attention to what was going on in the middle, they weren’t paying that much. This is, after all, a tournament that’s about more than cricket and many of the people at Newlands were enjoying the other things on offer. They were catching up with their friends, eating too many hot chips, queuing at the bars and every now and then appreciating a big hit. So far, so successful then as the SA20 officially starts.
His success in the middle order has opened up possibilities for KKR in how to deploy Narine, the batsman
Karthik Krishnaswamy24-Oct-2020Leave, leave, leave.The middle one was a wide, sure, but how many T20 innings begin with three back-to-back leaves?Sunil Narine would have left every other ball of that Kagiso Rabada over too, if he could have. All he wanted was to survive it, mark his guard at the other end, and hopefully face some spin.Narine played his first match of IPL 2020 on September 23. It was now October 24. Over an entire month, before this game, he had faced just five balls of spin. He had only faced 40 balls in all, yes, but it was still an unusually low percentage of spin.There were three reasons for this. One, this IPL was in the UAE, and the pitches, especially in the early part of the tournament, had encouraged teams to bowl mostly pace though the powerplay.Two, teams were able to bowl pace and pretty much nothing else to Narine because Chris Lynn was no longer partnering him at the top of the order. Though everyone’s known for a while that Narine’s ability to demolish spin bowling is counterbalanced by a vulnerability against quality fast bowling, especially when it’s short and at the body, oppositions until last season also had to factor in the pace-loving, spin-detesting Lynn at the other end.Three, and most obviously, Narine hadn’t been surviving long enough to get any taste of spin.This was probably why the Kolkata Knight Riders had moved Narine into the middle order, after four games. It’s harder for teams to use their first-choice match-ups against middle-order batsmen, because you can’t predict when they’ll arrive at the crease, and in what sort of situation.On Saturday, Narine walked into a situation – 42 for 3 in 7.2 overs – that would traditionally ask the new pair to bat with caution initially, especially in the case of a team like the Knight Riders, who, with Pat Cummins at No. 7, do not bat particularly deep. Narine, whose career as a T20 pinch-hitter is largely built on his willingness to be dismissed in search of quick runs, seemed the unlikeliest of candidates for such a role.Perhaps this was why Narine got to face spin as soon as he made it through that Rabada over. The Capitals had used their seamers for seven of the first eight overs, and only had two overs each left from their two main quicks, Rabada and Anrich Nortje. They hadn’t yet bowled R Ashwin, possibly because they wanted to keep him away from Nitish Rana, who had scored 55 off 22 balls in all T20 meetings against him before this game, without being dismissed.Rana was still at the crease, however, and the Capitals couldn’t have gone on delaying Ashwin’s introduction. They may well have felt this was the ideal time for it, even if the new man, Narine, also boasted an excellent head-to-head against Ashwin: 28 off 10 balls, without being dismissed.Given the situation, there was a chance Rana and Narine would choose to play Ashwin a little more watchfully than usual, which would have suited the Capitals nicely. They may have even felt it was worth Rana or Narine taking Ashwin on and risking their wickets, particularly with Abu Dhabi’s long boundaries in mind.
Ashwin’s second ball to Narine, he cleared his front leg, freed his arms, and cleared long-off with a hit measuring 85m. There would be no hesitation, no second-guessing. Narine would simply bat the Narine way.
With Narine in particular, the challenge was to do with both the outfield size and the lack of powerplay field restrictions. In 62 IPL innings before this one, he had only batted four times in the middle order – twice at No. 4, once at No. 5, and once at No. 7 – and it wasn’t clear whether he would be able to overcome both challenges consistently. In his previous middle-order innings this season, against the Chennai Super Kings, he had been caught on the long-on boundary, on this same ground, while trying to hit Karn Sharma for six.Ashwin’s second ball to Narine was just the sort of ball to test someone’s six-hitting ability. Not just the physical ability, but also the mental clarity to disregard the cocktail of match situation, ground size and lack of field restrictions, and swing as cleanly and decisively as possible. It had just a hint of flight to it, and it landed full but well short of half-volley length.Narine cleared his front leg, freed his arms, and cleared long-off with a hit measuring 85m. There would be no hesitation, no second-guessing. Narine would simply bat the Narine way.The contest against Ashwin would take centre-stage, which you’d expect, given he scored 32 – exactly half of his 64 runs – off 11 balls against him, and given that the relentlessness of his hitting forced the offspinner into going over the wicket – an exceedingly rare occurrence for him against left-hand batsmen – and bowling legspin to him. But Narine did enough against the other bowlers to remind viewers that when he’s on song, he’s far from a one-trick pony.There were times during his innings when Narine seemed to have stepped back in time to 2017 or 2018, when teams hadn’t yet fully figured out how to bowl to him. Just look at the numbers to remind yourself of that time. Across the 2017 and 2018 seasons, he averaged 22.35 against pace and struck at 169.64. Between the start of 2019 and this match, his numbers against pace had dipped significantly: his average to 13.12, his strike rate to 122.09.Now it felt like Narine had turned the clock back. Tushar Deshpande gave him width, an ingredient that’s very rarely been part of his recent diet in the IPL, and he stood almost still, save for that open front leg, and carved him over backward point. Marcus Stoinis went short to him, as fast bowlers must, but he’s not particularly quick, and Narine pulled him onto the grass banks beyond the square-leg boundary.By the end of his innings, Narine had scored 29 off 15 balls against Deshpande and Stoinis, and 3 off 6 balls – a small sample size, but consistent with the larger trend of his career – against Rabada and Anrich Nortje. A well-directed short ball from Rabada dismissed him, which you might have predicted before the game, but you probably wouldn’t have correctly predicted how much he’d score.So what did we learn from Narine’s innings? We already knew he can take spinners apart, even those as good as Ashwin, and that he can put the quicker bowlers away when they aren’t hammering away at his weaknesses. We already knew he’s less certain against the very best fast bowlers.But the Knight Riders have now learned his skills aren’t unsuited to the middle order, and that new knowledge opens up new possibilities for how and when to deploy him. Everyone watching him, meanwhile, has learned, not for the first time, to never, ever write him off.
With Brevis taking Markram’s regular spot at No. 4 and Pretorius setting in at No. 3, South Africa’s T20I captain has made the move up top
Firdose Moonda15-Aug-2025
Aiden Markram got starts in each of the two games•AFP/Getty Images
With a fairly young playing group, it’s safe to say South Africa are still experimenting with roles in the T20I side, including that of the captain Aiden Markram. Though he will play his 200th T20 against Australia in Cairns, he is newly installed as an opening batter and juggling that with leadership and the occasional bowling role as South Africa build towards the next T20 World Cup.The decision to move Markram to the top of the order was made by all-format coach Shukri Conrad, taking into account the rest of the line-up which is (almost certainly) going to be without Quinton de Kock again. With Reeza Hendricks dropped for this tour and Ryan Rickelton as the other opener, Markram explained that Conrad saw him as the “best fit” for the spot, despite the presence of 19-year-old Lhuan-dre Pretorius.”Going through our squads and the players that we’ve got around, we think probably that (opening) is the best fit,” Markram said in Cairns ahead of the third T20I against Australia. “We’ve got some guys in the middle order that are a lot more destructive than myself and we feel probably it’s better off for myself and Ricks to be up top. I did it a bit at the IPL and am starting to do it now again at international cricket. It’s an exciting role. It’s always nice to bat in the powerplay and the focus is to get the team off to good starts.”Related
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In IPL 2025, Markram had good returns in the opening spot for Lucknow Super Giants, where he scored five fifties in 13 innings and maintained a strike-rate of 148.82. He also has three half-centuries from nine innings opening for South Africa, albeit that they came in a series against Pakistan in 2021, and strikes at 170.28. Those T20I numbers are less likely to have influenced Conrad than the presence of Dewald Brevis at No. 4, which would be Markram’s regular spot. As Markram himself said, Brevis is among those who are “a lot more destructive” than he is and with David Miller also likely to slot back in from the England series onwards, there is no other spot for Markram unless Pretorius (currently at No. 3) does not play.Aiden Markram is back at the top of the order for South Africa in T20Is•Getty ImagesIt doesn’t help Markram that he continues to struggle for form at this level. He has not scored a half-century in T20Is in 30 innings dating back to October 2022 and has only crossed 20 once in his last seven knocks. He will know that pressure is on him to deliver, especially after former captain Temba Bavuma was dropped from the format for similarly low numbers. Bavuma only scored one T20I fifty (Markram has nine) but got into double figures only four times in his last 13 T20I innings and was generally considered to be too slow a run-scorer to stay in the side.What Markram offers that Bavuma didn’t is the additional skill of offspin and under a coach who values allrounders, how often Markram chooses to bowl could also underline his value to the team. In the second T20I, he shared the new ball and picked up the early wicket of Travis Head but only bowled one over. As captain, he has bowled 35 overs in 28 matches, and a full quota of four overs twice. Asked if he would consider using himself more, Markram wavered but suggested it could happen if the situation called for it.”It’s very much a feel thing. It’s quite a daunting task. You just see the ball flying nowadays and I’m not so sure I really want to be a bowler,” he said. “But there’ll be occasions where you feel like the wicket might be on the slower side or might offer something and you sort of take that punt. The way I try to operate is just go on my gut feel, whatever my gut’s telling me in the moment, run with that and back that and reflect on what could have been and what should have been possibly after the game.”
“We’ve got some guys in the middle order that are a lot more destructive than myself and we feel probably it’s better off for myself and Ricks [Rickelton] to be up top.”Aiden Markram explains why he went back to opening in T20Is
South Africa have several spin options available to them in this squad – left-armers George Linde and Senuran Muthusamy, offspinner Prenelan Subrayen and legspinners Nqabayomzi Peter and Dewald Brevis – as well as two big names who are not in the touring party. Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi have been left out of this series with the push towards allrounders, which should only make Markram even more eager to show what he can do with ball in hand.For now, Markram’s focus will be on winning the series and getting South Africa’s T20I bilateral record back on track. They have won only one of their last nine bilateral engagements and, recently, also lost the T20I tri-series final to New Zealand in Zimbabwe. Though that record was largely the cause of playing with experimental squads, it weighed on former coach Rob Walter. The expectation is that with more of the first-choice players available to him, Conrad will produce more consistent results.The same can be said of Markram. His reputation as an inspirational captain was confirmed when he led Sunrisers Eastern Cape to back-to-back SA20 titles and then South Africa to the T20 World Cup final. Now, he will want to back that up with his own form and has already hinted that he has set himself the goal of stepping up.”The series so far has been good. The bowlers have been pretty good for us. The previous game made our batters look good, but it was very much an individual performance [Brevis hit an unbeaten 125]. So a nice challenge for our batters tomorrow to hopefully click and for them to put on a good score.”
Nobody was happier that Game 5 of the American League Division Series between the Mariners and Tigers went much longer than anyone could have expected than the Blue Jays.
Toronto awaited the winner of Seattle and Detroit in the AL Championship Series with Game 1 slated for Sunday. As Game 5 at T-Mobile Park went deep into extra innings, both sides had to dig into the depth of their bullpens and even return to their starters from earlier in the series.
Seattle finally finished off the Tigers thanks to a hit from Jorge Polanco that drove in J.P. Crawford in the bottom of the 15th for a 3–2 win in one of the wildest playoff games you'll ever see.
The Tigers used eight pitchers compared to seven for the Mariners in 15 innings of their wacky decisive game that turned into one of the 10 longest games in MLB postseason history. Both teams used three of four starters from the series in Game 5. With bullpens and rotations becoming depleted, the Blue Jays’ social account posted the perfect GIF on the team’s X account as their team watched comfortably at home:
Polanco eventually played hero with a walk-off single with the bases loaded, sending the home crowd in Seattle into a frenzy. With the win, the Mariners advanced to the ALCS for the first time in 24 years.
The Blue Jays eliminated the Yankees in four games to finish their ALDS matchup Wednesday. As a result, Toronto got some extra rest and then some considering the 15-inning marathon that the Mariners had to play to close out their own series.
Seattle will now travel to Toronto for Game 1 of the ALCS Sunday evening. Hopefully Cal Raleigh and Co. can get some rest in between celebrations.