The former Australia captain has amassed more than 11,000 runs across the format

Alex Malcolm12-Jan-20241:07

Finch on retirement: It’ll be sad but it’s time to move on

Aaron Finch believes he might get more emotional in his BBL and Melbourne Renegades farewell than he did when he retired from international cricket for Australia, as he prepares to play his last professional match in the Melbourne derby on Saturday night.Finch has announced his retirement from professional cricket despite having a year to run on his Renegades contract. He has only played four games for Renegades this season and none since he injured his back on December 23.He has been available to play after recovering from that injury but has not been selected. However, with Renegades out of the finals picture, he has been granted a farewell game against Melbourne Stars at Marvel Stadium on Saturday with a crowd of more than 30,000 expected to turn out to say goodbye to one of the iconic figures of the BBL.Finch will retire the competition’s second leading run-scorer behind Chris Lynn and Renegades’ games record-holder having played in each of the 13 seasons of the BBL for the one club. He also captained the side to their lone BBL title in 2018-19. He is also the seventh-highest run-scorer in all T20 cricket.Finch revealed he was not overly emotional in his last game of ODI cricket in 2022. He did not have a T20I farewell as he announced his retirement months after his final game, but he said his BBL farewell will feel different.”I haven’t got emotional around any of my retirements, which is quite strange,” Finch said on Friday. “But maybe tomorrow I will. This has been a huge part of mine and my family’s life for the last 13 years and have put as much time and effort into it as I can and, yeah, it’ll be sad, no doubt.

He’s been a mainstay of the Renegades for 13 years now and his contribution, we’ll always be grateful for players like him in particular. It’s exciting to kind of have this opportunity to say goodbye to himAdam Zampa on Aaron Finch

“But it’s time to move on and the next generation of players coming through are seriously good. So it’s in good hands.”Finch said it had been difficult not being selected for most of the season despite being fit and available for the majority of it. He admitted that the transition from international cricket to franchise cricket only had been a challenge.”When you’re no longer captain, I guess that’s taken out of your hands a bit as well because you’re not in selection,” he said. “It’s been difficult no doubt. It’s been something that I’ve been lucky with throughout my career actually that it hasn’t happened a huge amount of times. But to finish up here at Marvel will be really special as well.”From a playing point of view, once you go from hitting balls day in day out, hundreds of balls, 1000s of balls a week to then it, not becomes your second priority, but you just don’t have the time or the resources to hit as many balls as you would want.”Then it takes a bit more catching up to do so. That’s probably been the most difficult part to keep playing in franchises, but to not be in a system where you have access to a lot of resources.”Finch cited the 2018-19 title as his greatest achievement in the BBL but he added that he had loved playing home games at Marvel Stadium under the roof, despite it not being the most popular venue amongst players within the BBL.”The title win was unbelievable,” Finch said. “Especially against the Stars in a game where they well and truly had one hand, almost two hands on the trophy, and to drag it back and win that game was really special.”I think just overall just getting to play here. It’s such an unusual venue for cricket and we’re the only team that does play cricket here. There’s no other games, no international games or anything that happens so it’s really cool.”Finch’s Renegades and Australia team-mate Adam Zampa said players should be grateful for Finch’s contribution to the competition.Aaron Finch picked out the 2018-19 BBL title as a career highlight•Getty Images”He’s one of those inaugural players from the first year that kind of the competition was built around,” Zampa said. “I don’t think the BBL would have the position it does without players like Finchy. He’s been a mainstay of the Renegades for 13 years now and his contribution, we’ll always be grateful for players like him in particular. It’s exciting to kind of have this opportunity to say goodbye to him.”Stars allrounder Marcus Stoinis was also full of praise for Finch’s contribution to his own career having played almost all of his limited-overs cricket for Australia under Finch’s leadership, including the 2021 T20 World Cup triumph in the UAE.”He’s been great for the BBL, been great for the Renegades, Victorian cricket and Australian cricket,” Stoinis said. “For us, we’ve got a different lens in that he helped nurture us through our early stages of playing for Australia. He captained us pretty much the whole time. He was the one that, in those first games where we weren’t feeling comfortable within ourselves, he threw us the ball, kept us going, educated us.”As much as he’s in the opposition I’m glad that it’s working out that I get to play in the game that is his farewell because he deserves a farewell. I do hope we win. But he deserves to have a great night.”Finch is likely to step into the commentary box full-time after Saturday night’s farewell but he is excited about the future of the BBL after its resurgence this season.”I think the fact that it’s back to 10 games now is a really good thing,” Finch said. “That just puts an emphasis on every single game and with more Test players playing [next year], the amount of Australian cricketers playing, that are the best in the world, is better for the competition and I think in turn that will then attract more internationals, better internationals, because the whole standard of the competition goes up.”So that’s something to be really excited about. Over the last 13 years, the young players come in and have a bigger impact straightaway than probably what they used to.”It’s going to go from strength to strength again. I think it’s a really exciting time for BBL.”

Coach Sanath Kumar credits format-specific training and improved fitness for the team’s outstanding run to the semi-finals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy

Deivarayan Muthu24-Feb-2018After narrowly missing out on qualification for the Ranji Trophy knockouts and the Super League phase of the 20-overs Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Andhra’s band of underdogs are eyeing their maiden domestic title, having stormed into the semi-finals of the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy with seven wins in a row. On Sunday, they will square off against the Cheteshwar Pujara-led Saurashtra in Delhi.That they have achieved their best winning streak in List A cricket is down to improved self-belief, according to Sanath Kumar, their head coach. Sanath was recently the the glue in Assam’s remaking, despite their sub-standard infrastructure and an absence of big names. He is now inculcating the same principles in Andhra’s transformation following years of underachievement.”I have worked with better and stronger teams. The skillsets across teams are largely the same but the mental strength differs,” Sanath tells ESPNcricinfo. “Some of these Andhra boys, in fact, are more talented, but we were lacking in self-belief and mindset. They did not believe in themselves before, but this season I have kept telling them to back themselves and gave them confidence. That’s when you get recognition and results.”Andhra’s run to the semi-finals has been remarkable: they have knocked off higher-profile teams such as defending champions Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Mumbai and Delhi. Hanuma Vihari, their captain who moved here from Hyderabad, has led the way with 353 runs in seven innings at an average of 58.83 and a strike-rate of 108.61.In the game against Madhya Pradesh, he took nasty blows to the helmet, but shook them off and marshalled his team to victory with a 60-ball 61. This display of resilience and self-confidence has had a trickle-down effect. “Hanuma Vihari has grown in a big way as captain this season, and continues to lead by example,” Sanath says. “And my equation with him is good, I give him a free hand. He can handle things and once the game starts he is always the boss of the team.”Vihari has been complemented by 21-year-old Ricky Bhui, who has made 256 runs in six innings at an average of 64 and strike-rate of 90.14. This includes three successive fifty-plus scores against Goa, Tamil Nadu, and Mumbai. Bhui, however, had apparently been troubled by self-doubt before the start of the tournament. A one-on-one session, Sanath says, helped clear the batsman’s cobwebs.”When I was having a chat with Ricky Bhui, he told me: ‘Sir, everybody tells me there is some problem with my technique and I always play square of the wicket’. I told him it’s the wrong perception and that he can play square of the wicket because he has so much time to play that shot,” Sanath explains. “All I told him was to play straight initially and not worry too much about technique because he’s a good player. Once you’re well set you can automatically play all your shots. He’s working on it accordingly and has been consistent in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.”Sanath feels creating an environment where players feel secure is key to his methods. “If you show the right attitude and give 100%, I will back you,” Sanath says. “That’s what happened in Assam and now at Andhra. If the players feel secure, they perform well. The talent in Andhra is tremendous, Assam did not have a bigger pool, and I tell these [Andhra] players they have to aspire for higher honours. I keep telling them not to be tensed in the nineties. A hundred is not the goal. Think about the double-hundred.”Andhra’s fitness was a major hindrance in the 2016-17 season, and Sanath addressed this by roping in Subhadeep Ghosh, who had worked with him at Assam, and Sudarsan, the former India trainer, as the fielding coach and fitness trainer respectively. The results are starting to show, with the side showing increased agility and athleticism, and sharper reflexes.”Subhadeep Ghosh and Sudarshan have improved the fitness a great deal,” Sanath says. “It has resulted in the boys taking outstanding catches and playing back-to-back games. Subhadeep is a tireless guy, he gives hundreds of catches and makes the players do the drills. The slides in stopping boundaries have put pressure on the opposition.”On the bowling front, different players have stepped up in different situations. D Sivakumar carved up Delhi’s top order in the quarter-final while Bandaru Ayyappa has picked up at least one wicket in every match. Twenty-year-old Karthik Raman claimed 4 for 32 and 3 for 55 against Gujarat and Mumbai respectively, while left-arm spinner Bharghav Bhatt, their professional, has bowled with the new ball as well as in the middle overs.”There is a lot of depth in the bowling attack. Besides the frontline bowlers we have Prithviraj, who is talented but was not considered as he was injured,” Sanath says. “We also have back-up players like Bhaskar Reddy, a sharp left-arm seamer, C Stephen, and Harishankar Reddy, who bowled a lot of yorkers in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.”Sanath credited meticulous preparation for Andhra’s players not buckling under pressure. In the pre-season KSCA tournament, Andhra emerged as champions and followed it with another title win in the local Vizzy Trophy. Ahead of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Sanath broke up the squad into three teams and set specific targets for them.”During our net sessions, I make three teams – A, B, C – for inter-squad matches. I look for intensity and whether they are able to read the situation smartly. For the one-day tournaments, we had specifics like range six-hitting and playing scoops. In the same way for the bowlers we used to have yorker practice. Fielding is made absolutely compulsory for everybody.”Simulation challenges the players. Sometimes, I take three batsmen in a team and set different targets for them to score or chase down. Every time one gets out, we minus some runs. When such a situation like that comes in a game, they will be confident that they have done that before.”After training, Sanath lets the players “party hard”. And that’s the recipe for Andhra’s near-perfect set-up.

MatériaMais Notícias

da realsbet： Na última quinta-feira, veio a público a informação de que o Palmeiras cobra na Justiça quase R$ 130 milhões da WTorre referentes às receitas que a empresa não têm repassado ao clube pela exploração do Allianz Parque. Segundo a notícia trazida primeiramente pelo GE e confirmada pelo LANCE!, o Verdão pensa até em acionar a esfera criminal para ter acesso ao valor. No entanto, não é apenas esse o ponto de divergência, nem a única receita compartilhada nessa parceria.

> Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

Desde novembro de 2014 teve início o período de 30 anos no qual a WTorre terá o direito de explorar a utilização do Allianz Parque, que foi construído no clube social da Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras, no lugar do Estádio Palestra Itália. Somente depois dessas décadas é que o Verdão poderá administrar todas as receitas geradas pela arena. Enquanto isso, há uma divisão em contrato.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasConvocado para a Seleção sub-20, Kevin agradece por oportunidade, e Palmeiras busca adquirir mais uma ‘fatia’ do jogadorPalmeiras28/04/2023PalmeirasPalmeiras tem quatro convocados pela Seleção Brasileira para o Mundial sub-20Palmeiras28/04/2023PalmeirasApós hat-trick pelo Palmeiras, Amanda Gutierres foca no clássico contra o São Paulo no Brasileirão FemininoPalmeiras28/04/2023

da apostaganha： Em relação ao aluguel do estádio para eventos, além das receitas com estacionamento, lojas e lanchonetes, o Palmeiras tem um percentual definido que cresce gradativamente a cada cinco anos. Atualmente, o Alviverde tem direito a 25% da arrecadação do Allianz Parque com esses itens. Veja:

Nos 5 primeiros anos da inauguração – 20% fica com o Palmeiras
Dos 5 até os 10 anos da inauguração (atualmente) – 25% fica com o Palmeiras
Dos 10 até os 15 anos da inauguração – 30% fica com o Palmeiras
Dos 15 até os 20 anos da inauguração – 35% fica com o Palmeiras
Dos 20 até os 25 anos da inauguração – 40% fica com o Palmeiras
Dos 25 até os 30 anos da inauguração – 45% fica com o Palmeiras

>Quem é melhor: Palmeiras ou Corinthians? Veja votação jogador por jogador

Quando o assunto é naming rights do estádio, cadeiras e camarotes, a divisão é diferente. Nesses casos o Verdão tem percentuais menores a receber diante do que está previsto em acordo. Confira:

Nos 5 primeiros anos da inauguração – 5% fica com o Palmeiras
Dos 5 até os 10 anos da inauguração (atualmente) – 10% fica com o Palmeiras
Dos 10 até os 15 anos da inauguração – 15% fica com o Palmeiras
Dos 15 até os 20 anos da inauguração – 20% fica com o Palmeiras
Dos 20 até os 25 anos da inauguração – 25% fica com o Palmeiras
Dos 25 até os 30 anos da inauguração – 30% fica com o Palmeiras

São essas receitas acima que o Palmeiras alega não ter recebido da construtora desde 2015, segundo ano do estádio. Segundo o clube argumentou para a Justiça, a WTorre reconhece em seus relatórios que o acordo prevê o pagamento desses valores. Dessa forma, o Verdão já tem ganho de causa em segunda instância e espera a execução judicial da dívida de R$ 127.972.784,97.

Mas não são apenas esses os repasses que estão incluídos na parceria. Quando o Palmeiras precisa jogar fora da arena por conta de shows ou eventos no Allianz Parque, a WTorre teria de pagar 50% do valor bruto da receita do jogo que precisou ser feito em outro estádio. Por exemplo: o duelo com o Cerro Porteño, no Morumbi, rendeuR$ 2.378.284,50 brutos. Assim, a construtora teria de repassar cerca R$ 1,2 milhão ao Alviverde. No entanto, isso também não tem acontecido.

A discussão, porém, não é tão simples. Isso porque há um entendimento diferente de cada uma das partes sobre esse item do contrato. Esse, aliás, é um dos temas que estão na esfera arbitral da Justiça, na qual alguns acordos foram tentados, mas nada ainda foi resolvido. Essa estagnação na arbitragem acaba pausando algumas outras discussões sobre melhorias e mudanças na arena.

>Palmeiras cobra valor milionário de receitas do Allianz Parque que não foram repassadas ao clube

Vale destacar que as receitas dos jogos são 100% do Palmeiras. Esse valor tem ficado com o clube sem maiores problemas. Acontece que as demais ocorrências de falta de pagamento, desentendimentos na Justiça e afins, geram uma insatisfação interna. Não faz muito tempo, segundo apurou o LANCE!, as partes pareciam caminhar para um consenso sobre as divergências no contrato. Isso tudo voltou algumas casas com os acontecimentos mais recentes.

Ainda, de acordo com a apuração da reportagem, nenhuma das partes considera romper as relações totalmente ou tomar medidas mais drásticas quanto a exploração do Allianz Parque. A ideia da ala mais pacificadora é aparar as arestas, nem que seja acionando a Justiça, como tem sido feito. Mas nem os mais otimistas acreditam que a solução será tão breve quanto já pareceu.

continua após a publicidade

Tottenham Hotspur are now believed to be in a good position to seal the astute capture of an “interesting” striker this summer, despite him attracting plenty of attention from elsewhere.

Tottenham play Liverpool as Postecoglou looks to avoid 19th Premier League defeat

Ange Postecoglou’s sacking at the end of the season is highly likely as things stand, according to reports, and it could occur regardless of what happens in their Europa League campaign (The Telegraph).

Tottenham talking about appointing "special" manager wanted by Real Madrid

Spurs decision-makers now want to show ambition.

ByEmilio Galantini Apr 26, 2025

Spurs have tasted defeat a woeful 18 times in the Premier League this season, and a 19th loss against Liverpool today would equal the Lilywhites’ record for most defeats in a single campaign since the competition was formed in 1992.

Liverpool (away)

Today

West Ham (away)

May 3rd

Crystal Palace (home)

May 10th

Aston Villa (away)

May 18th

Brighton (home)

May 25th

Postecoglou’s side will come up against a side who could be crowned champions of England, so Tottenham will have to be at their very best to avoid a rout and bring confidence into their all-important Europa League semi-final clash against Bodo/Glimt.

“I think you want to do more than that,” said Postecoglou on whether Tottenham just want to come through Liverpool unscathed.

“You want to go there and compete against, obviously, a very good side, and compete well and its not just about getting through unscathed, you want to get through having played well against the top team. And I think irrespective of what’s on the horizon. That’s the primary importance.

“They have been brilliant in the league this year. They have been really consistent, maintained a really high level. They have had the best players playing all the time and playing at a really high level. That is a credit to Arne, his coaching staff and the players themselves. They have been close in the last few years and the fact they are on the cusp of potentially winning another title is a credit to everyone involved.

“In the cup game first leg, I thought we were really good, we took the game to them even though again we had quite a few absences and. worked really hard to get a win in that game, so we know it’s going to be tough at the weekend, but at the same time I think it’s a great challenge for us.”

Tottenham "well-placed" to sign Feyenoord striker Zepiqueno Redmond

Away from their tough trip to Anfield, news has come to light of the club’s transfer activity ahead of this summer.

According to journalist Pete O’Rourke, writing for Football Insider, Tottenham are now “well-placed” to seal a deal for Feyenoord striker Zepiqueno Redmond – who will leave the Eredivisie side on a free when his contract expires and could be a “bargain signing”.

The highly-rated 18-year-old, a Netherlands Under-19 international, has broken into the Feyenoord first team this season, making four senior league appearances, but they now look set to lose him for nothing as Spurs seek to take full advantage.

He is apparently regarded within the game as a real snip, with Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig labelling him among the Netherlands’ “interesting” crop of brand-new talents.

Celtic’s dream of winning the domestic treble this season is still alive after they hammered St. Johnstone 5-0 at Hampden Park in the semi-finals of the SFA Cup.

The Hoops already won the League Cup earlier this season, and they are a win away from sealing the Scottish Premiership title, which means that the SFA Cup is the last trophy that they need to clinch to seal the treble.

Brendan Rodgers was unable to win all three domestic competitions in his first season back at Parkhead, as his team lost to Kilmarnock in the early stages of the League Cup in August 2023.

The Hoops are well on course to enjoy a perfect domestic campaign this time, however, after a fantastic performance and result against the Saints on Sunday.

Two goals from Daizen Maeda and strikes from Adam Idah, Jota, and Callum McGregor sealed the win for the Scottish giants, with four of the goals scored in the first half.

Idah was given the nod in the centre-forward position despite enduring a fairly difficult first full season at Parkhead since joining on a permanent deal last summer.

Adam Idah's Celtic struggles this season

The Ireland international scored eight goals in 15 Premiership games and scored a last-minute winner against Rangers in the SFA Cup final during his loan spell in the second half of last season.

His impressive displays during that loan spell led to Celtic making the decision to pay a reported fee of £8.5m to Norwich City to sign him permanently, with add-ons that could take the deal to £9.5m.

It was a huge amount of money to spend on the striker, when you consider that Odsonne Edouard was the most-expensive striker signing in the club’s history at £9m prior to that deal, and he has yet to justify the price tag with his performances this term.

Idah has only started 16 of his 30 appearances in the Premiership this season, scoring eight goals, as Maeda has been preferred ahead of him in the number nine role more often than not since Kyogo Furuhashi’s move to Rennes in January.

The former Canaries marksman had a chance to step up as the first-choice centre-forward after the Japan international moved on from Parkhead at the start of the year, but he has failed to take that opportunity.

Appearances

30

Starts

16

xG

10.7

Goals

8

xG differential

-2.7

Big chances missed

13

Conversion rate

14%

As you can see in the table above, Idah has underperformed against his xG by almost three goals and missed a whopping 13 ‘big chances’ in 16 starts in the league.

These statistics show that the £8.5m signing has been wasteful with the chances that have come his way in the Premiership, which is why he has yet to justify the money spent on his services so far.

Kyogo, who cost the club a reported £4.6m from Vissel Kobe, scored 63 goals in 116 Premiership games for the club and Idah is yet to prove that he can deliver that kind of quality or consistency for the Hoops in the final third.

Of course, the Ireland international only turned 24 in February and still has time left ahead of him to develop and improve, but the club may have hoped for more instant success on the pitch for the money that was spent on him.

Idah’s struggles since joining for a deal that could rise to £9.5m may be particularly frustrating when there is a former Celtic forward out there who could have been an upgrade on him, and a perfect replacement for Kyogo Furuhashi.

Celtic sold their perfect Kyogo replacement for £400k

Attacking midfielder Lewis Morgan joined the Hoops from St Mirren at the start of 2018 and went on to score just two goals in 31 first-team appearances for the club.

The versatile attacker also had loan spells with St Mirren and Sunderland during his time with Celtic, before being sold to Inter Miami for a reported fee of £400k at the start of 2020. Before Lionel Messi, they had Lewis Morgan.

He produced seven goals and seven assists in 58 matches for Inter Miami, a respectable return for a player who played in midfield or on the wing, before being sold to New York Red Bulls at the end of 2021.

Since his move to the Big Apple, Morgan has mainly been deployed as a centre-forward in what has been a big positional shift in his career, from being a midfielder by trade to leading the line in the MLS.

His performances for New York Red Bulls in comparison to his form for Inter Miami and Celtic suggests that he should have been playing as a striker earlier on in his career.

Morgan missed 31 matches in the 2023 MLS season, due to a hip injury, but excelled at the top end of the pitch in the 2022 and 2024 campaigns either side of those injury woes.

Appearances

33

34

xG

N/A

13.40

Goals

15

13

Big chances missed

1

10

Big chances created

7

13

Assists

3

5

As you can see in the table above, Morgan scored 28 goals and only missed 11 ‘big chances’ in those two seasons combined, whilst Idah has missed 13 ‘big chances’ and only scored eight goals in the current Premiership this season.

This suggests that the Scottish attacker is more clinical, and more creative with his 20 ‘big chances’ created, than the Irish marksman, and that he could be an upgrade on him in the present day.

Morgan did not get the chance to showcase his quality as a striker during his time at Parkhead, which is something that the coaches may look back on with regret, as his form since playing that role suggests that he could have been the ideal long-term replacement for Kyogo.

Like the Japanese forward, the right-footed ace does not have a traditional number nine build, standing at 5 foot 10, but he has the mobility, the movement, and the quality on the ball to make things happen, as shown by his form in America with a regular stream of goals when fit.

Celtic have struck gold with "priceless" star who's worth more than Jota

Celtic have hit the jackpot with this star who is now worth more than Jota.

ByDan Emery Apr 21, 2025

Therefore, Celtic accidentally binned their perfect replacement for Kyogo for just £400k because they did not see the potential for him to play as a centre-forward, and they now have an £8.5m signing who has yet to prove himself on the pitch in that role.

A fifth straight defeat for RR in the back-end of the league stage could leave them outside the top two

Vishal Dikshit18-May-20243:18

‘Royals have the firepower even if Hetmyer is unfit’

Match detailsRajasthan Royals (second) vs Kolkata Knight Riders (first)
Guwahati, 1930 IST (1400 GMT)Big picture – A dress rehearsal of the IPL final?A week or two ago that question would have held more credence because of how KKR and RR had made the top two spots their own, that too with RR holding the top spot for a while.And then came Sunrisers Hyderabad to cast the shadows of doubt over RR’s campaign. With a slender one-run final-ball win, SRH put the brakes on RR’s four-match winning streak and also sparked off their four-match losing streak which RR haven’t managed to halt yet. And now they run into table-toppers KKR, who have won four on the trot themselves barring the washout against Gujarat Titans, in search of the elusive win that will confirm their second spot no matter what happens between RCB vs CSK on Saturday and SRH vs PBKS in the afternoon game on Sunday.RR had the winning mantra firmly in their hands for the first eight games out of nine, a pattern not new for them anymore. Last year they won five of their first eight before losing four of their remaining six to lose out on a playoff spot, and the year before that they had won six of their first eight and lost half of their remaining six to lose the top spot.A win in their final league match against KKR will break that pattern, the losing streak and do wonders for their own confidence if they want to play the first qualifier instead of the eliminator.KKR are riding high after their string of wins; so high that winning the title from here shouldn’t surprise anyone, and that success may play a role in them potentially losing their mentor Gautam Gambhir to the Indian cricket team. It’s been a week since KKR sealed their ticket for the first qualifier, ample time to think about their replacement at the top for Phil Salt and come up with a plan for Sunil Narine’s off day, with bat or ball.Form guideRajasthan Royals LLLLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)Kolkata Knight Riders WWWWLPrevious meetingWhat will boost RR’s confidence is that they had snatched victory from KKR with a turnaround win in their previous fixture a month ago, which had stunned the Kolkata crowd. What will not boost RR’s confidence is that that victory was scripted single-handedly by Jos Buttler, who has left for the UK to prep for the T20 World Cup.Team news and impact player strategyRajasthan Royals
Tom Kohler-Cadmore will take Buttler’s place at the top, like he did in their last game against Punjab Kings, in which they had subbed out Dhruv Jurel for Donovan Ferreira after they had slipped to 102 for 6. That may not be the case again on Sunday because Hetmyer had missed out that day but he is fit for Sunday and RR will be forced to change their combination. If it turns out to be a run-fest, RR may also want to think about bringing in a sixth bowling option against the power-packed KKR line-up.Probable XII: 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Tom Kohler-Cadmore, 3 Sanju Samson (capt & wk), 4 Riyan Parag, 5 , 6 Shimron Hetmyer/Rovman Powell, 7 R Ashwin, 8 Trent Boult, 9 Avesh Khan, 10 Sandeep Sharma, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal, 12 3:16

‘Gambhir has made himself part of the KKR DNA’

Kolkata Knight Riders
Salt is likely to be replaced by Rahmanullah Gurbaz as the opener, as was being expected for the washout match against GT. Their impact bowler coming in for a batter like Venkatesh Iyer could be Vaibhav Arora or Suyash Sharma, depending on whether the pitch favours more pace or turn.Likely XII: 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2 Sunil Narine, 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 5 , 6 Andre Russell, 7 Rinku Singh, 8 Ramandeep Singh, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Harshit Rana, 12 In the spotlight – Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Rahmanullah GurbazAll eyes will be on the two replacement openers.Tom Kohler-Cadmore already made his IPL debut against PBKS, albeit on a track he wouldn’t have wanted to stay far away from to end up with a 23-ball 18. He is a destructive hitter, particularly down the ground and RR won’t mind some of those, especially when the runs have dried up a little from Yashasvi Jaiswal. Kohler-Cadmore has made a name for himself in the Lanka Premier League, the PSL, the BBL, the Abu Dhabi T10, and the Hundred, obviously, and some fine contributions in crunch games for RR will add a lot more weight to that list.Rahmanullah Gurbaz, the hard-hitting Afghanistan opener will also likely get a game before the crucial playoffs. Just 22, he has the firepower KKR need at the top to complement Sunil Narine. His recent T20 form doesn’t inspire much confidence – 105 runs in his last six innings – and neither does his IPL record from last season – 227 runs from 11 innings while averaging 20.63 and striking at just 133.52. Gurbaz may have a sterner test waiting for him, compared to Kohler-Cadmore, with the challenge of excelling against Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, R Ashwin and others.Stats that matter Samson has a contrasting record against the KKR spinners, with a more watchful approach against Narine. He has scored 66 runs off 82 balls with three wickets against Narine but smashed 39 off 23 without any dismissals against Varun Chakravarthy. Powell, similarly, has contrasting records against his compatriot Andre Russell and T&T spinner Narine. Powell has been dismissed six times by Narine for 51 runs off 73 balls, but attacked Russell for 23 off just 12 balls and no dismissals. Shimron Hetmyer has faced just seven balls from Chakravarthy in T20s and dismissed in two of those, while scoring six runs. Narine has a terrific record against the RR spinners: 94 off 39 against Ashwin and 49 off 20 while facing Chahal. Narine is just four sixes away from the total of 100 in the IPL. Samson needs three more sixes to reach 300 sixes in T20s. Nitish Rana boasts of a strong record against Ashwin: 108 off 58 balls with no dismissals yet.Pitch and conditionsThe Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati saw its first game of this IPL earlier this week when RR lost to PBKS after stumbling to 145 for 9. It had hosted three matches last IPL, and the average first-innings score since then is just 180. The temperature will range from 24 degrees to 31 degrees Celsius with lots of humidity and some rain and scattered thunderstorms expected in the evening.Quotes”We’ve batted first and won against two sides and chased and won as well. It’s just a case of doing your job well. It’s easy to say we should do this or that [after winning the toss].”

da apostaganha： Premier League rivals Man City and Liverpool are now believed to be targeting a Chelsea “superstar” this summer, with an approach already made for him ahead of the first window which opens on June 1st.

Chelsea's main transfer plans for this summer

da fezbet： As per reliable journalist Simon Phillips, sharing a fresh update on Enzo Maresca and BlueCo’s transfer plans, there are three main positions which they’d like to strengthen before next season.

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Chelsea are thought to be after a new centre-back, winger and striker as their three main priorities, and could even look to reinforce a host of other areas throughout the squad as well, but this will depend on many factors – like Champions League qualification and player sales.

“Chelsea’s priority is a new striker, centre back, and a winger,” said Phillips, via his Substack.

“But not just that. After those three, Chelsea are also discussing signing a new left back (or a defender who can play left back), a second centre back to arrive as well as the priority one (could be a hybrid CB/LB), a new goalkeeper, and a versatile attacker.

Chelsea’s next five Premier League fixtures

Date

Everton (home)

April 26th

Liverpool (home)

May 4th

Newcastle (away)

May 11th

Man United (home)

May 16th

Nottingham Forest (away)

May 25th

“However, some of the latter will be Champions League-dependent as well as player sales-dependent.”

Their Club World Cup campaign may also be a crucial factor, as Maresca’s side are thought to be taking it very seriously with £100 million worth of prize money potentially on the line.

Meanwhile, Chelsea will most likely be looking to offload a host of players when the summer window opens, including the likes of Kepa Arrizabalaga, Alfie Gilchrist, Armando Broja, Raheem Sterling, David Datro Fofana, Renato Veiga, Carney Chukwuemeka, Ben Chilwell, Axel Disasi and João Félix – who are all away from Stamford Bridge on loan and don’t appear to have a long-term future.

Trevoh Chalobah is also likely to leave Chelsea, after initially being allowed to join Crystal Palace on a temporary deal before Maresca and co activated his recall clause, and a few more current squad members could well join him as BlueCo look to raise funds.

Man City and Liverpool eyeing move for Chelsea star Cole Palmer

However, one player who Maresca won’t want to ship out the door is Chelsea forward Cole Palmer.

The England sensation was by some distance their Player of the Season last term, and despite a slight dip in performance level this campaign, Palmer remains one of their most crucial assets and a truly unstoppable force on his day.

His £42.5 million signing from City in 2023 was an absolute snip, but according to Phillips, Pep Guardiola’s side are actually eyeing a move to re-sign their former academy star.

As per the reporter, both Liverpool and City are targeting Palmer from Chelsea, with the latter even making an enquiry recently, even if it is unlikely that the Blues would even entertain letting him go.

The “superstar” forward, according to reports in Spain last year, could even cost as much as £165 million – so it appears Chelsea could price their man out of the market.

Celtic are eyeing up a surprise move for a Premier League star who has been compared to Liverpool cult hero James Milner, according to a new report.

Rodgers wants reaction after derby defeat

Celtic remain in control of the Scottish Premiership title race, but their final match before the international break ended in heartbreak with a 3-2 defeat to fierce rivals Rangers.

The defeat, which came courtesy of a late strike from Rangers’ Hamza Igamane, marked the first time the Hoops have been beaten by Rangers at Celtic Park in the Scottish Premiership since October 2020.

On that day, a brace from defender Connor Goldson was enough to secure all three points for the Gers, who later went on to clinch the title. Speaking after his side’s most-recent Old Firm defeat, Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers not only urged his side to bounce back, but also apologised to the club’s fans.

Not Maeda or Kuhn: Celtic's "amazing" star should be the Player of the Year

This Celtic star should be the Player of the Year over both Nicolas Kuhn and Daizen Maeda.

By
Dan Emery

Mar 21, 2025

“Firstly, the message to the supporters is, we apologise because we always want to win games here and against our big rivals, so, for them, it’s not a great feeling,” he said. “In every facet of the game, we have to be much better, and if you’re going to be a champion this year, you’ve got to go and show that you’re a champion and you’ve got to earn it.”

He added: “So there are eight games to go, with 13 points, but we’ve got a lot of big games to play.”

Celtic eyeing move for Liverpool cult hero Endo

It was Japanese duo Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate who were on the scoresheet for Celtic in their defeat to Rangers, with both having since been called up for international duty by Japan. Neither featured as Japan beat Bahrain 2-0 in World Cup qualifying last week, however one man who did was Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, who could soon be joining his countrymen at Parkhead.

Endo, who joined the Reds in 2023, has struggled for game time under new manager Arne Slot this season, yet to start a Premier League match and featuring for just 140 minutes in Liverpool’s Champions League run.

According to reports relayed by Glasgow World, the 32-year-old could now leave Anfield at the end of the season, and Celtic are one of a number of clubs considering a summer swoop. Italian giants AC Milan, as well as Premier League trio Fulham, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Ipswich Town are also keen on the Liverpool star.

Endo has previously been compared to Liverpool cult hero James Milner by former Reds manager Jurgen Klopp because of his willingness to “throw everything on the pitch”, and his versatility and heart have formed him a similar connection to the Anfield faitfhul as the one Milner had, with Slot saying: “What makes Wata special, in my opinion, is every time we have to rely on him – if it’s five, 10, 20 or 25 minutes – he shows up.”

Captain Rashid Khan said a World Cup victory over Australia was something they had missed in the last two years

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jun-2024

Gulbadin Naib is carried on his shoulders by Afghanistan’s bowling coach Hamid Hassan•ICC/Getty Images

Gulbadin Naib, who orchestrated Afghanistan’s historic win against Australia, was a figure of relief when he collected his Player-of-the-Match award for his spell of 4 for 20. Drenched in sweat while sporting a beaming smile, he held the award while soaking in the feeling of “at last” beating Australia.”We were waiting [for this] for a long time. It’s a great moment not just for me but for my nation and my people,” Naib said at the presentation. “[It is a] big achievement for our cricket. I have no words to say but thanks to the fans for supporting our career and cricket journey. It’s a great teamwork, we worked hard for the last two months and the result is in front of you.”Thank god we at last beat Australia. It’s a great achievement for our cricket in Afghanistan. If you look at history of our cricket, it is not much. Last 10 years, we achieved a lot of goals. This is a big achievement.”Related

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Australia’s fourth-wicket pair of Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell were threatening to take the match away from Afghanistan in the 149 chase, when captain Rashid Khan turned to Naib for his eighth bowling option. Naib picked a wicket off his third delivery, removing Stoinis for 11. Bowling four overs straight, he then dismissed Tim David in this next over and then got the prized wicket of Maxwell, for 59, in the 14th to all but end Australia’s hopes.Naib thanked Rashid for trusting him in the crunch moments of the game and further said Afghanistan’s “journey starts now”.The win was sweeter for Afghanistan, who dealt with a heartbreak against the same opponents at the ODI World Cup last year. With Australia on 91 for 7, a one-legged Maxwell, battling severe cramps, took them to a stunning win with an unbeaten double-century.Naib expressed relief at the result in Kingstown that opened up Super Eight Group 1 standings.”We played very good cricket and in the first round we beat New Zealand,” he said. “Then [to beat] Australia is not easy. They are a world champion team and it is a big achievement for our cricket. We can carry this to the next level.”Our journey starts now. We are very lucky to have such a staff and management.”

Rashid Khan: ‘It’s something we missed in last two years’

After being asked to bat, Afghanistan were given a strong platform with an opening stand of 118 between Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran before they lost 6 for 23 with Pat Cummins picking up yet another hat-trick. Afghanistan were only able to post 148 for 6.Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran put on another strong opening stand•AFP/Getty Images

Rashid said they were confident of defending anything over 130, adding the importance of having many allrounders in the team.”The thought was although we didn’t finish as well as we would have liked to, but this is how this wicket is,” Rashid said at the presentation. “The more important thing was that the opening partnership gave us the best start. That let us get to a total we had in mind. We all watched two games before, and on this wicket anything 130-plus we said we were capable of defending. We keep calm and have that belief.”The beauty of this team is having too many allrounders gives you options. As a captain, it makes it easy.”Beating Australia is a “great feeling” and will make Afghanistan fans “proud”, Rashid said.”It’s a massive win for us as a team and as a nation,” he said. “In the World Cup, beating champions is a great feeling. It’s something we missed in last two years – in 2023 World Cup and also in 2022 in Australia where we lacked some runs.”It is so much important for people at home and for everyone all over the world where Afghans are there. They were badly missing this win. I am sure they would be proud of this and would have enjoyed the game. It is just the beginning for us, big game next and we have all the chances of making the semis.”

Former Australia Test cricketer Michael Slater has been remanded in police custody after being charged with more than a dozen offences.Slater, 54, had his case mentioned in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Monday.He is facing 19 charges relating to alleged offences perpetrated on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast on various dates between December 5, 2023 and April 12, 2024.The charges include domestic violence offences of unlawful stalking or intimidation, breaking into a dwelling with intent at night, common assault, assault occasioning bodily harm and choking or suffocation.The former opening batter and TV commentator was also charged with breaching bail and ten counts of contravening a domestic violence order.Police confirmed they arrested a 54-year-old Noosa Heads man at a Sunshine Coast address on Friday following alleged domestic violence incidents over several days.Slater has been remanded in custody with the case due to be mentioned in the same court on Tuesday.After making his debut during the 1993 Ashes tour, Slater played 74 Tests for Australia, amassing 5312 runs at an average of 42.83 with 14 centuries. He also played 42 ODIs.Slater retired from cricket in 2004, and embarking on a successful TV commentary career.