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After reaching an agreement to sign Anthony Elanga, Newcastle United could reportedly turn their focus towards signing another Premier League star following internal talks.

Newcastle set to sign Anthony Elanga

It’s been a frustrating few weeks for Newcastle, who watched on as their targets headed elsewhere. But that frustration is finally over thanks to Elanga. The Nottingham Forest star is reportedly set to join the Magpies after an agreement was reached with the Trick Trees over a deal worth as much as £55m this summer.

Even after Callum Wilson’s decision to leave the club this summer, Newcastle’s frontline will be in better shape than ever once Elanga is up and running under Eddie Howe.

With the Swede, the Magpies will have Anthony Gordon, Harvey Barnes, Alexander Isak, William Osula and Elanga all at their disposal – forming one of the most dangerous attacks in the Premier League.

Premier League stats 24/25 (via FBref)

Minutes

Goals

Assists

Isak

2,756

23

6

Barnes

1,755

9

4

Gordon

2,434

6

5

Elanga

2,501

6

11

Osula

134

1

0

Having scored 45 goals between them last season, Newcastle’s new-look attack will be hoping to improve on those numbers when working together at St James’ Park in the coming campaign.

Meanwhile, away from the pitch, PIF and Newcastle still have unfinished business in the transfer window. Names such as Giorgio Scalvini have threatened to steal the headlines as of late and the Magpies could yet land an impressive defensive reinforcement.

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What’s more, another Premier League star has reportedly entered their radar in another move to improve what is already a stacked frontline.

Newcastle hold internal talks about signing £50m Wissa

According to The Daily Mail, a new name has entered the frame for the Magpies. Newcastle and PIF have held internal discussions about signing Yoane Wissa this summer.

With Brentford teammate Bryan Mbeumo reportedly heading towards Manchester United rather than Newcastle, the Magpies have reportedly spoken about signing his striker partner instead.

Like Mbeumo, however, Wissa won’t come cheap this summer. According to reports, any club who want to sign the talented striker will have to pay as much as £50m to secure his signature. After already splashing out to sign Elanga this summer, there will be question marks over Newcastle’s ability to match that price within PSR rules.

If PSR proves to be no problem, though, then those at St James’ Park should jump at the chance to sign Wissa before the end of August. If Elanga’s season looked impressive, then Wissa’s should be seen as an entirely different level.

The forward scored 19 Premier League goals – just four fewer than Isak – and was described as “fantastic” by former Brentford boss Thomas Frank last time out.

For £50m, Newcastle could round off their attack in statement-making fashion and put any of their early summer misery behind them once and for all.

Tottenham Hotspur have agreed a deal to sign a very fast England youth international, according to The Athletic.

Tottenham and Levy making transfer moves ahead of Frank’s first season

Spurs and Daniel Levy decided to part ways with Ange Postecoglou, despite the Australian ending their long wait for a trophy by winning the Europa League last season.

New manager Thomas Frank is the man tasked with improving Tottenham’s Premier League displays, and he has already been backed in the transfer window with the permanent addition of Mathys Tel.

The Frenchman spent the 2024/25 season on loan at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and has now sealed a £30 million permanent switch from Bayern Munich that was reportedly approved by Frank himself. Talking after signing Tel, Frank said:

J League sensation Kota Takai is also heading to north London this summer, with Tottenham agreeing on a £5m deal to sign the 20-year-old Japanese defender.

Tottenham vs Burnley

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Man City vs Tottenham

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Tottenham vs Bournemouth

August 30

West Ham vs Tottenham

September 13

Brighton vs Tottenham

September 20

Tottenham hope Takai will compete as a first-team player, following in the footsteps of Lucas Bergvall, Destiny Udogie and Pape Sarr, and by the looks of things, another exciting youngster will be on the way to Spurs this summer.

Tottenham agree deal to sign England youth international

According to The Athletic, Tottenham have also agreed a deal to sign teenage striker Oliver Boast from Leeds United.

Called ‘one of Leeds’ prized academy assets’, Boast has said yes to a move to Spurs, with Tottenham and Levy set to pay a seven-figure fee for the 16-year-old instead of going to a tribunal.

Boast is currently behind Harry Gray, the younger brother of Archie Gray, in Leeds’ academy pecking order, so will instead link up with Archie and other talents at Spurs.

Already an England youth international at U16 level, Boast is described ‘as a modern No 9, who can lead the line and can play as a lone striker’. It is added that the forward’s ‘speed has been described as one of his best attributes, as he runs off the shoulder of the last man and gets in behind opposition defences’.

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As per Transfermarkt, Boast scored 10 goals in 21 appearances for Leeds’ youth sides last season, and you’d expect he will go straight into Spurs’ U18 side for the 25/26 season, looking to catch the eye of Frank and break into the first-team set up over the coming years.

Securing qualification for the Champions League is a great achievement for Enzo Maresca in his first campaign since taking the reins as Chelsea manager.

The Italian has overcome adversity and numerous spells of criticism in the media, leading the Blues back to the biggest club competition in world football ahead of 2025/26.

Levi Colwill’s second-half strike secured a place in the top five, after Aston Villa and Newcastle United both suffered defeats on the final day against Manchester United and Everton, respectively.

It was a superb display against Nottingham Forest, restricting the hosts to very few opportunities and taking advantage of the chances that fell their way in front of goal.

The showing perfectly sets up the Europa Conference League final next week, but one player failed to produce his best performance at the City Ground despite the win.

Cole Palmer’s stats for Chelsea against Forest

Cole Palmer was Chelsea’s shining light during the opening months of the campaign, but his performance levels have massively dipped despite the club’s Champions League qualification.

The England international has only registered one Premier League goal since the middle of January, subsequently scoring just once in his last 16 outings.

He once again failed to score against the Reds, with the 23-year-old only registering a single effort on goal and unable to complete any dribbles, showcasing his lack of impact in the final third.

Palmer also only completed 17% of his attempted crosses and came out on top of just 33% of duels – often being dominated in the middle of the park by the opposition.

Given his recent run of form, the side have been less reliant upon his talents, with one other first team member now becoming just as, if not more, important to Maresca.

The Chelsea star who’s becoming more important than Palmer

Moises Caicedo once again started for Chelsea in the win against Forest, becoming the first player since Cesar Azpilicueta to start every league game back in 2018/19.

The Ecuadorian may have cost an English record transfer fee, but he’s certainly been worth every penny, that’s if his importance to the side is anything to go by.

However, despite his showings, he’s not the player who’s become as important as Palmer, with teammate Marc Cucurella taking that crown given his turnaround at Stamford Bridge.

He struggled to make a real impact last campaign, being branded a waste of money, but he’s transformed his career under Maresca, with his display against Forest highlighting how impressive he’s been.

The Spaniard featured for the entirety of the contest, registering a total of 60 touches and completing 91% of the passes he attempted during the triumph.

Minutes played

90

Touches

60

Passes completed

29/32 (91%)

Tackles won

3

Fouls won

2

Clearances made

7

Duels won

5

He also won three tackles – the most of any player on the pitch – making seven clearances in the process, playing a huge part in the Blues’ clean sheet at the City Ground.

Cucurella’s excellent outing didn’t stop there, winning two fouls and coming out on top in five duels, certainly cementing the left-back role as his own.

As a result of his showing in Nottingham, the 26-year-old was handed a 7/10 match rating by the Daily Mail’s Kieran Gill – showcasing his excellent display in helping the side claim a top-five finish.

His progress this campaign has been nothing short of sensational, hopefully building on his showings going into what’s likely to be a massive year for the club in 2025/26.

As for Palmer, the off-season will be crucial if he is to regain his previous levels of performance, possibly holding the cards to any European success for the Blues next campaign.

Fewer touches than Sanchez: Chelsea dud must never play for the club again

Chelsea secured Champions League football after a 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest this afternoon.

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Celtic played their final away game of the Scottish Premiership season on Wednesday night and secured an emphatic 5-1 victory over Aberdeen.

Brendan Rodgers named a much-changed side and got the win thanks to goals from Maik Nawrocki, Hyun-jun Yang, Luke McCowan, Johnny Kenny, and Adam Idah.

It was a night for the rarely-seen Celtic players, including the likes of Viljami Sinisalo and Paulo Bernardo, and Nawrocki is certainly one of those who grasped his chance.

Why Rodgers should be impressed by Nawrocki

The Polish defender made just his third start of the Premiership campaign and caught the eye with an impressive display at the heart of the defence.

Playing on his favoured right side for the first time this term, Nawrocki completed an eye-catching 130 of his 136 attempted passes on the night and only lost possession nine times in total, as well as scoring the opener from a corner.

Defensively, the former Legia Warsaw star made five clearances, two blocks, and two interceptions to keep Aberdeen at bay, including one huge sliding block when facing a one-on-one in the box in the second half.

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Rodgers should, therefore, have been impressed by his combination of composed play in possession and stoic defensive work, but the manager should have been encouraged by Johnny Kenny’s display in the centre-forward position.

Why Johnny Kenny is now unsellable

The young marksman had not had many opportunities to impress in the second half of the season, with just six substitute appearances in the league, and his lack of game time may have led to question marks over his future heading into the summer transfer window.

However, the 21-year-old striker was finally given a chance to show his quality from the start and showed why he should be unsellable this summer for the Hoops, with a performance that shows that he can be part of the first-team squad next season.

Celtic need another number nine option to compete with Idah and Daizen Maeda, and Kenny’s showing against Aberdeen suggests that he can be that man.

Vs Aberdeen

Johnny Kenny

Minutes

70

Shots on target

2

Goals

1

Passes completed

8/11

Duels won

3/4

Aerial duels won

3/3

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Ireland U21 international scored with one of his two shots on target, with a well-placed header from McCowan’s cross, and showcased his physicality by winning all of his aerial duels.

Kenny scored 13 goals in 19 starts in the Irish Premier Division in 2024 on loan at Shamrock Rovers, and has now shown a glimpse of the kind of goalscoring quality he can bring to Celtic.

He is an exciting young striker with the physical qualities, as shown by his statistics against Aberdeen, and the goalscoring record to develop into a fine option for Rodgers, as proven by his performance on Wednesday.

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Therefore, the club should not look to move him on this summer, despite his general lack of game time in the last few months, and the manager should, instead, make him a regular player off the bench and occasionally from the start.

With the summer transfer window approaching, Everton are reportedly among those racing to sign a relegated Premier League star, who is available at a bargain price.

Friedkin need statement Everton summer

So far, it’s been so good from The Friedkin Group. Everton are about to bid an emotional farewell to Goodison Park ahead of moving into their new Bramley-Moore Dock stadium next season and the appointment of David Moyes has ensured that a new era will commence in the Premier League. The veteran manager returned to a number of doubters but has steered the club to safety with great comfort.

The Everton boss will have his eye on more than just surviving next season, however, as will Friedkin. The new owners have the chance to make their mark for the first time in a summer transfer window in Merseyside and rumours suggest that they’re planning to do exactly that.

Recent links have even suggested that the Toffees are interested in re-signing Richarlison from Tottenham Hotspur. The Brazilian has struggled ever since swapping Merseyside for North London and may yet be heading back in the opposite direction this summer.

It’s a reunion that would see a club hero return to commence a new era and one which could be spent away from the dangers of the dropzone. That said, Richarlison isn’t the only name who reportedly finds himself on Everton’s radar.

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Those in Merseyside have also reportedly set their sights on taking full advantage of the Premier League’s relegated trio and potentially landing one particular bargain deal when the summer arrives.

Everton racing to sign Wilfred Ndidi

According to The Boot Room, Everton are now racing to sign Wilfred Ndidi from Leicester City this summer, triggering his £9m relegation release clause in the process. Friedkin are reportedly admirers of the experienced midfielder and are set to do battle with both Sheffield United and Burnley in pursuit of his signature at a bargain price in the coming months.

Starts

25

29

Tackles Won

46

27

Interceptions

24

9

Ball Recoveries

114

139

It becomes clear why Friedkin are admirers of Ndidi when comparing his talent to that of Abdoulaye Doucoure’s, who is on course to depart as a free agent at the end of the season. In comparison, as impressive as Doucoure has been at times, it is Ndidi who stands out for his work off the ball – work which deserves to stay in the Premier League.

Once described as an “incredible player” by former Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers, Ndidi will be one to watch this summer, especially amid his reported £9m release clause.

It’s a price that Everton should take full advantage of to not only land a replacement for Doucoure, but arguably an upgrade.

Brave’s elder stateswoman hopes to bow out on a high, just as 18-year-old challenger comes of age

Valkerie Baynes31-Aug-2025Sophie Devine has kept very few secrets about where she’s at.A month before New Zealand launched their ultimately victorious campaign at last year’s T20 World Cup, Devine – who turns 36 on Monday – announced she would step down as their captain at the end of the tournament.In June, Devine revealed that the upcoming 50-over World Cup would comprise the last ODIs of her career.Then she goes and produces a body of allround work across this year’s Hundred that has twisted all that clarity about a player in the twilight of her career out of shape, to lead an undefeated Southern Brave directly into Sunday’s Final at Lord’s.”I wish I would’ve done it at the start of my career,” Devine says with typical dry, self-deprecating humour.Speaking on a call set up by KP Snacks, who are celebrating the achievement of installing over 100 grass root community pitches in England and Wales, Devine continued: “I’m just really enjoying my time down at the Southern Brave.”I’m just really enjoying my time and contributing. That’s the biggest thing for me, especially, I guess, at this phase of my career, it’s about passing on my knowledge and helping out whoever I can.”The fact that we’ve managed to get a fair few wins on the board is nice, but we all know that it doesn’t really mean too much unless you bring the trophy home at the end, so there’s still a lot to go.”Davina Perrin celebrates her 42-ball century•Philip Brown/Getty ImagesFortunately for New Zealand – and for cricket – Devine plans to keep playing T20Is and franchise cricket for “probably how long people can handle me and put up with me”.There’s that humour again from a player who has earned the right to call the shots on her career in her own time.With 12 wickets at 14.08 and an economy rate of 6.54, she is the third-highest wicket-taker in the Hundred women’s competition. Her 3 for 15 against Northern Superchargers was one of four Player-of-the-Match performances in the space of five games for Devine. Brave team-mate and England seamer Lauren Bell is the leading wicket-taker with 19 at 7.47 and an economy of 5.35.Devine scored an unbeaten 41 off 42 balls at No. 4 against Trent Rockets in the other game during that stretch. While that remains the best of her eight innings so far with an average of 28.40 and strike rate of 109.23, having an even bigger impact with the bat in the final would ice an outstanding tournament for her.So it was with beautiful symmetry that, in the Eliminator at the Kia Oval on Saturday, the 18-year-old Davina Perrin announced she was coming for Devine and her Brave team-mates with the second-fastest century across the history of the men’s and women’s competitions.Perrin tees off during her matchwinning innings•Philip Brown/Getty ImagesPerrin’s 42-ball ton was just one ball short of Harry Brook’s record, set in 2023, and propelled Northern Superchargers into the title decider via an emphatic 42-run win over last year’s champions, London Spirit.Her 101 runs led Superchargers to 214 for 5, the highest total in the women’s competition to date – there has been just one total higher in the men’s – and ultimately sealed a second final for her team.Superchargers lost to Southern Brave in the final of the 2023 women’s competition after Brave had been runners-up to Oval Invincibles in the first two editions.Beyond a “bloody belter of a deck” at The Oval on Saturday, Perrin credited a lap round the outfield on match eve with Lisa Keightley, the former England Women’s head coach now guiding Superchargers, and a net session with assistant Liam Simpson for the best innings of her young career. Chiefly it was their advice to “puff your chest out, take the helmet off, let it flow” that was on her mind as she struck five sixes and 15 fours in a remarkable show of power and poise.”For me, I’ve got to back that up, for the team, we’ve got to back that up tomorrow,” Perrin said. “We’ve got a big game coming up and that’s where our minds are at now.Related

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“Whatever’s happened today, we take the token of confidence but we also park it, we move on. New game, new ground, new conditions, different team. We’re going to take whatever’s thrown at us… I guess I have made some sort of impact but a bigger impact will be the job that we do tomorrow.”Perrin’s knock impressed all who saw it, including London Spirit wicketkeeper Georgia Redmayne, who had tried to get in the youngster’s head by drawing her attention to her looming century, before scoring an unbeaten fifty in a losing cause herself.”She didn’t get too distracted,” Redmayne said. “It was very impressive and I’m excited to see how she goes in the future. It’s going to be tough for her to back it up tomorrow but I’d love to see some more striking like that in the future… hopefully not against us!”But in terms of potentially catching the eye of England Women’s head coach Charlotte Edwards, Perrin was happy to let her “bat do the talking”.”I just look to go out there and have fun,” Perrin said. “I don’t think about the rest of the stuff, that’s just noise. It’s all noise and the only noise I’m listening to when I’m batting is the sound of the ball flying off the bat – when it’s a good day!” KP Snacks, the Official Team Partner of The Hundred, are celebrating the installation of over 100 new community cricket pitches across England and Wales. To find out more and search for your nearest pitch, visit: www.everyonein.co.uk/pitchfinder

The economy rates were eye-watering but Pat Cummins and co did produce key spells to help retain the urn

Andrew McGlashan29-Jul-2023The Ashes remain in Australia’s hands, but over the five Tests their attack has come under a sustained bombardment like nothing they have felt before. They were under pressure from ball one of the series when Zak Crawley drove through the covers at Edgbaston. None of the frontline bowlers will finish with an economy rate of less than four an over, while overall it’s comfortably the least maidens Australia have managed in a series of at least five matches.To their credit, they have had only one innings where things completely blew out – when England piled up 592 at Old Trafford – and they were able to make inroads often enough in the first two Tests to take the 2-0 lead that ultimately has proved the difference in the series. At times they have responded to the pressure well, but England have also held the upper hand for significant stretches, particularly in the latter part of the series, which has left Australia chasing their tails.Related

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With only one more wicket to take, should England decide to bat on at The Oval, here’s a look over how Australia’s bowlers have fared over the five Tests.Mitchell Starc (23 wickets at 26.82, economy 4.85)After the 2019 series where he played just one Test, this has been a significant success story for Starc. He was again omitted for the opening game at Edgbaston but since then has been ever present, fighting a shoulder injury to complete the series at The Oval. Four years ago he tried to buy into the team philosophy of bowling dry, but economy rates were always likely to skewed in this series and that worked to Starc’s strength of being a strike bowler. He was particularly impressive at Lord’s and Headingley, but saved one of his best deliveries for the final Test when he cleaned up Ben Stokes with a late-swinging beauty.Pat Cummins (18 wickets at 37.72, economy 4.27)At times he was the usual irrepressible Cummins, notably the second innings at Edgbaston and Lord’s (where he produced one of the balls of the series to remove Harry Brook) and, largely, the first innings at Headingley. In a sign of his durability, having played all six Tests on the trip, he saved one of his best spells for the opening day at The Oval, which only earned him one wicket. However, at Old Trafford he suffered the worst outing of his career where captaincy and bowling challenges collided and rarely has he had the sustained pressure on the batters he is so accustomed to. In the latter two Tests of the series, he has (with one wicket left) managed just three at 91.33 and gone for more than five an over. Often, because of deep-set fields, England have been able to rotate the strike against his natural good length by dropping and running into the off side. His average is comfortably the highest where he has played at least three matches in a series.Josh Hazlewood (16 wickets at 31.68, economy 4.56)Before the series, after being ruled out of the World Test Championship final against India, Hazlewood said that playing three Ashes Tests would be minimum for him to be satisfied after a stop-start two years due to injury. In the end he managed four, being rotated out for Headingley, and at times has been able to produce threatening spells. He had a big impact on the final day at Lord’s, claiming Ben Duckett and then the vital wicket of Ben Stokes to end his stunning 155. The delivery to remove Brook on the third day at The Oval was trademark Hazlewood, lifting and nipping away on off stump, but sometimes there was a feeling of a bowler who may have passed his peak. Or perhaps that was just the Bazball effect.Scott Boland (2 wickets at 115.50, economy 4.91)Boland entered the series on the back of an outstanding showing in the WTC final – at which point he had 33 wickets at 14.57 from eight Tests – but the Ashes proved a tougher prospect as England embarked what appeared a calculated approach to take him down in the opening Test where he conceded 5.65 an over. The one moment he looked really threatening was under the lights on the third evening at Edgbaston and he bowled better than a wicketless return at Headingley would suggest.Todd Murphy (6 wickets at 30.16, economy 4.82)Murphy has had huge shoes to fill after the injury to Nathan Lyon and only really in his final bowling innings of the series had a chance to get into his work. He was hit by a Stokes onslaught at Headingley (but did get him out) and was only used for two overs in England’s chase. Then, for first time in 11 years, Australia went without a specialist spinner at Old Trafford. Recalled at The Oval, he has shown his mettle and produced a ripping delivery, aided by some low bounce, to remove Joe Root.Mitchell Marsh (3 wickets at 55.66, economy 4.91)He did a handy job at Headingley on his recall where his nipping outswingers twice removed Zak Crawley. It was a surprise he did not bowl to Crawley at Old Trafford until he had 112. At The Oval he has largely managed to hold his economy as well as anyone. In the allrounder debate that looks set to follow for the Test team, the question could be how his body can sustain the workload.Cameron Green (5 wickets at 47.00, economy 5.14)Green was a willing participant in the short-ball plan at Lord’s after the attack lost Lyon and was the first bowler to, marginally at least, slow England’s rampant scoring at Old Trafford. The fact England’s innings have not extended for too long has reduced the need for the fifth bowler.Nathan Lyon (9 wickets at 29.33, economy 4.00) Lyon limping off the ground at Lord’s, in his 100th consecutive Test, felt like a huge moment. Without two days of rain in Manchester, it might have been Ashes defining. He had been superb at Edgbaston, holding his nerve against England’s aggression, and defeating Root in the second innings was a key dismissal. Australia will hope they are several years away from having to replace him permanently, but this was a window into the size of that task.

Spinner’s captivating spell goes unrewarded as fusillade of sixes seal pulsating contest

Matt Roller29-Oct-20211:45

Moody: Asif Ali is a rare commodity

Two hours and forty-five minutes after sitting down to eat, the main course arrives. Rashid Khan stands at the top of his mark, spinning the ball from his right hand into his left. Egged on by the PA announcer, the crowd chant his name: “Rashid! Rashid!” In an hour’s time he will stand disconsolate on the outfield, in a state of disbelief after Asif Ali smokes four sixes in an over. But in the here and now, his spell is the game.Pakistan are one wicket down when Rashid comes on and have scored 72 of the 148 runs they need. This is their template with the bat: one of Mohammad Rizwan or, in this case, Babar Azam bats through, and the middle order have freedom to go hard if the rate gets out of control. Rashid has been held back to apply the squeeze, but even the best T20 bowler in the world has his work cut out in this situation.Fakhar Zaman, Pakistan’s No. 3, is 28 not out off 20 balls when Rashid starts his spell. An opener for most of his career, Fakhar has been transformed into a spin-hitter by Pakistan this year and has shown his ability in the role by carting Mohammad Nabi for four then six. He faced Rashid in the nets during the PSL this season, and has a short leg-side boundary to target.At the other end is Babar, Bobby Dazzler, Pakistan’s golden boy riding the crest of a World Cup wave. He is 35 off 30 balls, exactly where he was in the 10-wicket win against India, and is primed to slip into fourth gear. He exchanged words with Rashid during the two teams’ tense game at Headingley in 2019 and has been dismissed both times he has faced him in T20. But tonight there is no real scoring pressure, and it won’t be long before the dew takes over.

Watch cricket live on ESPN+

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Between them, Fakhar and Babar are in control of one of Rashid’s first six balls. Fakhar inside-edges to square leg. Babar steers a single through point thanks to a misfield. Fakhar is beaten by a googly which turns like an offbreak on a fifth-day Nagpur pitch, then gets two leading edges into the covers. Babar is trapped on the pad by a googly, only for Joel Wilson’s on-field decision to be overturned. Rashid smiles wryly after realising his trademark aeroplane celebration was premature.Rashid continues his spell with 67 needed off 48 and a new batter, Mohammad Hafeez, at the non-striker’s end. Nabi has earned countless wickets in the last six years thanks to pressure built by Rashid and Fakhar is the latest, trapped lbw slog-sweeping. Hafeez knocks two singles but Babar just can’t pick which way the ball is turning: he scampers a leg bye after a googly hits the pad, miscues a hack to deep midwicket to earn himself a single and a quiet word from Rashid, edges four past Nabi at slip, and, after a glare from Rashid, miscues a booming drive back to him via the inside edge.Rashid Khan takes off in celebration, but Pakistan had the last laugh•ICC via GettyThe 15th over starts with 51 needed off 36 and by this point it is clear what Pakistan need to do: play Rashid out, and back themselves to score 40-odd runs off the four overs shared between Karim Janat and Naveen-ul-Haq, two young medium-pacers with a short side to defend and a greasy ball. Hafeez does not get this memo. He reads the googly, gets low to sweep, and is foxed by the extra bounce from Rashid’s pace. Gulbadin Naib settles under the top edge and Rashid has a wicket – his 100th in 53 T20Is, the fastest to the landmark by so far he is showboating with 20 metres left to run. But Shoaib Malik and Babar trade singles, and Pakistan have nearly seen him off.The equation ahead of Rashid’s final over, the 17th, is 38 off 24. Shane Watson, the man who played Rashid better than anyone, has given away the secret to playing him barely an hour earlier on commentary: “You don’t want to have to take a risk until he bowls his last over,” he explained. “Then, if he hasn’t got a wicket, he starts to try to take one and your scoring options are more available.” Rashid has one already, but knows he needs another. He goes searching.His first ball is a flat, fast legbreak, which Malik defends to midwicket; his second is a touch fuller, and disappears over wide long-on. Malik charges his third, picking up two to short midwicket thanks to his lack of timing, and gets out the way of a googly down the leg side which brings two free runs, escaping Mohammad Shahzad’s grasp.Babar fancies a piece and lines up a heave to leg, only for his outside edge to fly to Naveen at point, who dives forward and spills an easy chance. Rashid throws his hands up in frustration, and when Naveen misfields again to allow Malik a single off his penultimate ball, he sprays some choice words in the fielder’s direction.Related

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• As it happened – Afghanistan vs Pakistan, Men's T20 World Cup, Super 12s

• Asif Ali seals tricky deal for Pakistan with six spree

Rashid has one last ball to make count, with 26 needed off 19, and inevitably fires in a full, flat googly. But for once, Babar is caught up in the emotion of the night, the tension of the chase, the fervour of the atmosphere. He aims a hoick over midwicket but is beaten by pace and turn simultaneously, swivelling round to see his leg stump knocked back.Rashid has had a brutal few months, struggling to hide his despair around the humanitarian crisis back home and playing on through the turbulence of the Taliban’s takeover. He is asked political questions in three different languages in his pre-match press conference, insisting his only focus is this World Cup while 1,000 miles away, his country is in turmoil. In this moment of hope and celebration he lets out his pent-up emotion, wheeling away with wild, bulging eyes and jumping in the air with a roar.Rashid’s four overs have gone for 26 runs and leave the same number required off three overs. Somehow, thanks to this remarkable genius, Afghanistan are alive. They have hope. They are still fighting.But Rashid has learned over the course of 286 T20s that this is a cruel game, where one mistake, one moment, one misjudgment can cost you. As Babar trudges off, Asif walks in. Twelve balls, three missed yorkers and four sixes later, Rashid’s spell is a footnote – a captivating, pulsating footnote – on a night that belongs to Asif.

For once, GT’s high-performing top order left the undercooked middle order with a lot to do, and they came through, with a little help from MI’s planning and execution

Vishal Dikshit07-May-20253:24

Should Hardik have stepped up to bowl the last over?

After dominating several games in IPL 2025, Gujarat Titans (GT) were finally thrown in at the deep end by Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede on Tuesday.GT had been riding on the form of their top three batters – Shubman Gill, B Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler – who had scored about 76% of the team’s runs until this game. The three had taken all their innings deep, with two of them usually scoring well in tandem. And on four occasions, Buttler had even seen the innings through.Until Tuesday, and some part of Wednesday, happened. Each of the three have now passed the 500-run mark (Gill and Buttler got there in this game) in IPL 2025 – which has never happened for a single team in a season before – but this was the first time in this IPL that none of the three got to 50. And also the first instance where all three had been dismissed within 15 overs.Related

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• IPL 2025 scenarios: KKR in serious danger of missing out on playoffs

• Hardik on MI's three no-balls: 'A crime in my eyes'

• Rain, no-ball and a run-out fumble: Titans stun Mumbai to win a classic

GT’s bowlers had again ensured that the task for the batters was below-par chase – of 156, later reduced to 147 off 19 overs – but this was the first time that GT’s middle order had been left to fend for itself, to an extent. When Gill became the third man out, they needed 43 off 31. It’s not an equation that would scare any middle order, but with wickets falling regularly, the rain coming and going, a moist pitch that made the ball zip around, GT’s middle order had been exposed in a wildly see-sawing, low-scoring game.Sherfane Rutherford had not batted since April 19. Shahrukh Khan had faced all of 43 balls in the season. Rahul Tewatia was averaging 9.33 from eight innings. Rashid Khan had faced just 11 deliveries. Gerald Coetzee had not batted in nearly four months. They made up Nos. 6 to 8.But it was not all doom and gloom. Rutherford had hit some lusty blows earlier in the season, and when he joined a well-set Gill in the 12th over, GT still had to contend with two overs from Jasprit Bumrah and one from Trent Boult. So GT had to go after the other bowlers, who would bowl the remaining 30 of the 48 balls off which GT had to get 77.2:04

‘Bumrah can make the best batters look silly’

As soon as Rutherford came on, though, Hardik Pandya one-upped GT’s plans by bringing on offspinner Will Jacks for the left-hand batter, with MI ahead on the DLS equation at that stage. All of Jacks’ five wickets this IPL have been of left-hand batters, a list glowing with the names of Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant and Travis Head, among others. The dice was worth throwing, and the trick also worked for three balls, which Rutherford struggled to get bat on. The fourth was an edge, but it raced away for four, and Rutherford reacted with mighty inside-out swings to fetch ten more off the next two balls.The equation was a more gettable 62 off 42 now. Was it the right time to bowl one of Bumrah’s last two? It’s a matter MI will ponder when they assess the loss, because when Hardik gave the ball to the inexperienced Ashwani Kumar instead, Rutherford smashed his short delivery for a six to put GT ahead of the par score by the time the over ended and the covers came on for the first rain interruption.In the break of 25-odd minutes, Bumrah looked like he was itching to bowl. He was tossing the ball around in his hand, restlessly moving around to keep himself warm, and he rushed onto the field as soon as it was time to resume.3:53

Abhinav Mukund: ‘MI bowlers let the game drift a bit in the middle overs’

Bumrah struck almost immediately. His movement off the pitch shattered Gill’s stumps, and when Boult trapped Rutherford in the next over, the noise from the faithful Mumbai crowd would have rung in GT’s ears. The match was far from over. It was 38 to win from 24 now, Boult had bowled out, and Hardik decided to go all-in and finish Bumrah’s quota too. MI needed wickets and Hardik wanted to finish off GT’s middle order before it was too late.Shahrukh, however, was in no mood to see Bumrah off quietly. He took the gamble, and he succeeded, too. An over-pitched delivery outside off from Bumrah and Shahrukh hit it through the covers for four. Bumrah was not going to let this one pass without a classic riposte, though. He sent down a searing yorker that looked out of the syllabus for Shahrukh, and Bumrah followed it by shattering the stumps next ball when the batter missed with his wild heave.Ashwani was back for the 18th, and nailed his yorker to trap Rashid lbw, and GT fell well behind the DLS par score again with only three runs coming off Ashwani’s five balls. It was raining again, but not hard enough to take them off immediately. Coetzee then – perhaps not fully aware yet that he had killed two birds with one stone – hammered the last ball of Ashwani’s over for four. That released some pressure by reducing the asking rate, and also made sure Tewatia would be on strike next over. But first, another, longer rain break with 24 needed off two overs.1:20

‘It’s incredible what Rahul Tewatia does’

This was a period MI would not be proud of. Most of their players retired to the dressing room, and there emerged no clear candidate to bowl the last over once it became clear there wouldn’t be time for two. No one could be seen warming up until the last minute, and there was no apparent burning desire like the GT players and coaches were exuding as the clock ticked towards the cut-off time. Tewatia had his pads on in the dugout throughout, head coach Ashish Nehra was either in the match officials’ ears or almost wiring Tewatia’s brain to prep him for the last over.When it finally came down to 15 to win from six, Hardik made another contentious call, of bowling Deepak Chahar, a powerplay specialist, over himself.If Tewatia was the ice-cool presence that smoked the first delivery right back for four, Coetzee’s nerve-busting energy sent the ball crashing over the long-off boundary for six two balls later. Chahar overstepped next ball, and even though the two-required-from-three equation went down to the last ball, GT’s thrilling win under pressure against a top-quality bowling attack, clinching the crunch moments in a game with sharp twists and turns, proved that their batting was not only about their top three.They will also accept that their middle order’s night was far from perfect in what was their 11th game, which could even act as the perfect wake-up call before the playoffs.

Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah has been spotted holding a "secret London summit" with former Anfield team-mate Jordan Henderson. The Egyptian superstar, who will soon be heading off on Africa Cup of Nations duty, is seeing questions asked of his future on Merseyside following an explosive outburst. He is being linked with Saudi Pro League teams, with Henderson having previously spent time in that division.

• What Salah said in explosive Liverpool rant

  There have been suggestions that Salah may have taken in his last appearance for Liverpool, having reached 420 on that front. The two-time Premier League champion and four-time Golden Boot winner has registered 250 goals for the Reds.

  He has been named among the substitutes by Arne Slot across three successive matches, with no game time seen in a dramatic 3-3 draw with Leeds. That snub led to Salah speaking out, as he accused Liverpool of throwing him under the bus and admitted to seeing a working relationship with his Dutch coach break down. He said: "I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager, and all of a sudden we don’t have any relationship. I don’t know why but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn’t want me in the club. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame. It is not acceptable to me, to be fair. I don’t get it. It’s like I’m being thrown more under the bus. I don’t think I’m the problem."

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• London calling: Salah dropped for Champions League clash

  That outburst led to Salah being dropped for Liverpool’s 1-0 Champions League over Inter at San Siro, as he was left behind in England. The 33-year-old forward has taken a trip to London for a "secret rendezvous" with Henderson – as caught on camera by .

  England international Henderson is now on the books at Brentford. He spent five months with Saudi outfit Al-Ettifaq, working under Reds legend Steven Gerrard, before returning to Europe at Ajax and eventually heading back to Britain.

• Topics of conversation: Salah meets with ex-Reds captain Henderson

  Salah is now seeing a switch to the Middle East speculated on, with teams in that region holding long-standing interest in his services. The Saudi Pro League is considered to have been one topic of conversation when Salah met up with ex-Liverpool captain Henderson.

  A source told : "They both came in wearing covid-style masks and had hats covering their faces. They tried to stay under the radar. Our mouths dropped when we saw it was Mo and Jordan. The immediate thought was, ‘Salah’s off to Saudi’."

  Another onlooker said, having seen Salah and Henderson spend 90 minutes chatting away: "Mo looked happy as he listened and took it all in. He kept asking Jordan questions, and lent in eagerly to hear what was being said. I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing. It was obvious Jordan was explaining things to Mo, who listened so intently and was clearly mulling over what he was being told."

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  Transfer talk: Interest from several teams in Saudi Pro League

  Chief executive of the Saudi Pro League, Omar Mugharbel, told the World Football Summit in Riyadh on Wednesday when asked about a potential deal for one of the most recognisable players on the planet: "Mohamed Salah is welcome in the Saudi League, but it is the clubs that are responsible for negotiating with players. For sure Salah is one of them."

  According to , Al-Hilal, Al-Qadsiah and Neom have all expressed interest in Salah, who saw Liverpool reject a £150 million ($201m) transfer bid from Al-Ittihad in 2023. He signed a two-year contract extension with Liverpool in April that is due to run until the summer of 2027.

  It is claimed that Liverpool remain confident that any issues between Salah and Slot can be resolved, allowing a modern day Reds legend to remain in his current surroundings. Saudi teams are, however, of the opinion that the Premier League giants are trying to "protect their star player’s transfer value and are keeping a keen eye on developments" ahead of the January window.