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Fabrizio Romano has shared an update on Arsenal and their plans to sign a new striker, amid their widely reported talks for RB Leipzig starlet Benjamin Sesko.

Arsenal hold talks over signing Benjamin Sesko

Near the end of May, it became evident through reliable media sources that Sesko had emerged as Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta’s prime striker target.

David Ornstein: Arsenal consider deal for player as "done and signed"

Gunners chiefs are extremely confident.

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 11, 2025

Arsenal entered “concrete” negotiations with Leipzig over a deal for the Slovenia international, who’s fresh off the back of a productive campaign where he scored 21 goals and six assists in all competitions.

Since then, talks have been ongoing and advancing cautiously (Fabrizio Romano), with reliable journalist Ben Jacobs sharing that the major sticking point in this potential transfer is Leipzig’s financial demands.

According to his information, Arsenal want to strike a deal for Sesko at around £60 million, whereas Leipzig want to sell for nearer £70 million.

“They have discussed whether or not there is flexibility beneath the variable release clause, set at the moment around €80 million,” said Jacobs on The Football Terrace last week.

“That’s why that one’s taking time, because Arsenal want to do Sesko for €70 million, or within that ballpark.”

Sesko is also attracting interest from Saudi Arabia, even if his priority is to stay in Europe (The Telegraph), but so far, no middle ground appears to have been found on the final price, despite some reports that the 22-year-old has already agreed personal terms.

If they cannot reach an agreement with Leipzig over Sesko, Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres apparently remains on their radar as an alternative.

Viktor Gyokeres on Arsenal list if Benjamin Sesko talks fail

That is according to Romano, who reports in his GiveMeSport newsletter that Gyokeres is on Arsenal’s target list in case talks for Sesko fall through.

“It’s an open race for Gyokeres,” said Romano.

“He remains on Arsenal list in case Sesko deal doesn’t happen, Man United have called his agents again over the weekend.”

The “underrated” and “exciting” 26-year-old bagged an incredible 54 goals and 13 assists last season, spearheading Sporting to their first domestic double win in 20 years, but it is worth noting that he might not be much cheaper than Sesko.

Sporting president Frederico Varandas poured cold water over reports that Gyokeres and the club have an agreement that he can leave for £59 million this summer, telling the Portuguese press that he will indeed cost more.

“I can guarantee that Viktor Gyokeres will not leave for 60m euros plus 10m euros because I never promised that,” Varandas said.

“To this day Sporting has not had an offer for Gyokeres – neither today nor last season.”

While this comes as a statement which Arsenal need to be aware of, Varandas does guarantee that Gyokeres will leave for less than his £84 million release clause.

“One of the agent’s biggest concerns was whether we would demand the termination clause,” said Varandas.

“He wanted to guarantee certain things. And what was agreed? That Sporting would not demand a release clause now. For one reason: he was going to be 27 years old, and no player leaves Portugal at 27 for 100m euros or 90m euros.”

Joao Felix's agent will hold talks with Chelsea to facilitate the forward's transfer to Benfica despite the clubs being far from an agreement.

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• Joao Felix wants to return to boyhood club Benfica
• Chelsea's valuation too high for Benfica
• Attacker's agent to mediate deal between the clubs

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Felix's plans to return to Lisbon have come to a halt after Benfica and Chelsea weren't able to agree on the forward's valuation. According to , Jorge Mendes will now have to get personally involved to find a way out for his player and strike a deal between the two clubs. Mendes will talk to Chelsea's co-owner, Behdad Eghbali, to find an exit from Stamford Bridge for the 25-year-old.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Chelsea paid Atletico Madrid €52 million (£45m/$60m) last year for the 2019 Golden Boy award winner. The player is now out of the club's plans and Benfica are the only viable option to offload the Portuguese. The London club want to recoup on their investment and have kept a price tag of €40m (£35m/$47m) on Felix; Benfica, on the other hand, want to sign 50 per cent of his rights for €20m (£17m/$23m).

• TELL ME MORE

  The Eagles can increase their bid for the ex-Atletico Madrid player, but it will still be way off the Blues' valuation. Chelsea have already declined to send Felix out on loan again and are looking for a permanent solution. The Portuguese forward has expressed his desire to play for his boyhood club and hence agreed to take a pay cut to aid the negotiations. Mendes will thus have to reach a common ground which benefits both parties.

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR BENFICA & CHELSEA?

  Benfica want to reunite Felix with his former coach Bruno Lage, under whom the forward rose to prominence. The Eagles have failed to win the domestic title for the past two campaigns and don't want to leave any stone unturned in their title pursuit in the upcoming season.

  Driven by financial concerns, Chelsea have their own incentives to offload the player and should facilitate his transfer out of the club rather than playing hardball.

After lots of speculation hinted at the possibility, Ryan Mason is now officially the brand-new West Bromwich Albion manager ahead of the 2025/26 campaign kicking off in the Championship.

It’s a bold next step for Mason, considering he has only ever taken the reins at Spurs on an interim basis, but his work behind the scenes has been praised in North London, meaning he could be the breath of fresh air needed at the Hawthorns to kickstart a promotion push.

The 33-year-old could well rely on these Spurs connections when looking to make some impactful summer signings, with one or two young faces at the Premier League titans already being linked to make the switch to reunite with Mason.

Mason could use Spurs connections

The Baggies had frequently utilised the loan market when the likes of Carlos Corberan and Tony Mowbray stood in the dug-out.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Indeed, raw gems such as Will Lankshear (0 goals in 11 games) and Lewis Dobbin (0 goals in 18 games) failed to ever get going at the Hawthorns, away from the more experienced Adam Armstrong who was also a disappointing capture, having netted three times in 16 matches.

Therefore, Mason will hope – if he’s given permission to raid his ex-side for some up-and-coming starlets – that these deals go swimmingly instead and aren’t categorised as similar failures, with Spurs attacking hotshot Jamie Donley one notable name previously linked with a move to the West Midlands.

This could go down as a big success story when you consider Donley is just fresh off collecting 18 goal contributions for Leyton Orient on loan, but Mason’s dream first Baggies signing could centre on one of the 20-year-old’s teammates.

Amazingly, if all went to plan, Mason might well win himself the club’s new Tom Fellows, with West Brom’s attacking personnel undoubtedly boosted by potential activity in the market.

Mason could sign the next Fellows

Whilst West Brom would depressingly let a playoff spot slip out of their grasp last campaign, Fellows still managed to be a bright spark for his boyhood club throughout the bumpy season.

By the close of the season, the dynamic 22-year-old had four goals and 14 assists next to his name in Championship action, with one Spurs youngster in the form of Mikey Moore wanting to follow in Fellows’ footsteps if he were to don Baggies blue and white shortly.

The time does feel right for Moore to spread his wings and gain an EFL education, with the 17-year-old now off the mark in the senior side when scoring the strike above in the Europa League earlier this year.

But, away from impressing here and there under Ange Postecoglou, the teenager needs regular minutes to fully strut his stuff with an appropriate platform surely coming his way now under Mason.

Reports do suggest that Mason has Moore on his early West Brom shopping list, and whilst the 17-year-old has lined up as a centre-forward and attacking midfielder during his fledgling Spurs career to date, he could well come into the Baggies step-up and terrorise defenders down the flanks much like Fellows.

After all, 18 of his Spurs appearances and counting have come down the left channel, with West Brom needing more numbers on the left too, owing to Mikey Johnston being the only recognised figure in Mason’s camp capable of wreaking havoc on this wing.

LW

18

4

6

AM

8

6

4

CF

7

11

4

RW

6

1

0

He can even slot in down Fellows’ trusty right-hand side if needed, but based on the numbers, Moore comes into his own as a creative force – much like the assist-heavy 22-year-old – when featuring on the left.

That is perhaps his best position with James Maddison having previously described him as “fearless” and a bit like Neymar in that role.

It will be intriguing to see if the North London prodigy can acclimatise well to the instant pressures of the Championship. If he can, Mason will have pulled off a dream first buy in the Hawthorns hot-seat.

West Brom targeting "fantastic" EFL ace who could be Mason's first signing

The Baggies are set to hold talks with Ryan Mason.

ByTom Cunningham May 29, 2025

Lucy Higham and Ella Claridge staged a superb unbroken match-winning partnership of 105 in 22.3 overs to guide The Blaze to a five-wicket success over Western Storm in a hard-fought Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy contest at Cheltenham.Pursuing a modest victory target of 218, the visitors made a great start to their chase, courtesy of a hard-hitting 61 in 54 balls from opener Sarah Bryce. But the outcome was in doubt when The Blaze slipped to 115 for 5, and they were ultimately indebted to their sixth-wicket pair, Higham and Claridge raising unbeaten knocks of 62 and 43 respectively to seal the win with 7.3 overs remaining.Fran Wilson had earlier top-scored with 67 and added 62 for the third wicket with Sophie Luff after Storm had been inserted on a flat pitch. But Luff’s dismissal, run out by Kathryn Bryce for 31, sparked a collapse in which the home side went from 133 for 2 to 217 all out in 16.2 overs, their last eight wickets realising just 84 runs. Bryce finished with 4 for 20 from 8.5 overs as Storm were dismissed inside 47 overs.Rooted to the foot of the table, Storm have now lost their last five matches in the 50-over format and face testing fixtures away to Central Sparks and leaders Southern Vipers in the space of the next week. The Blaze remain in fifth place after registering their fourth win of the season and will approach Sunday’s away game against title-chasing Northern Diamonds in confident mood.Storm may have lost the toss and had to bat beneath low cloud cover, but they nevertheless made a decent start, Corney and Smale growing in confidence and fluency in an opening stand of 57 that afforded the innings solid foundations.Kirstie Gordon ended the partnership, bowling Corney in the act of slog-sweeping for 23, while legspinner Josie Groves held a catch off her own bowling to send back Smale for 32 as Storm slipped to 71 for 2.Wilson and Luff then forged an alliance characterised by quick running and aggressive intent, raising 50 for the third wicket in 13.2 overs as the sun came out and conditions for batting improved. But their burgeoning stand was ultimately undermined by confusion, Luff guiding a ball from Gordon to backward point and setting off on a run, only to be sent back by Wilson and run out for a 41-ball 31 by Bryce’s throw. A partnership that had promised a good deal was terminated on 62 with the score on 133.Determined to make amends, Wilson went to her second 50 in as many games at the Festival via 53 balls, adding 35 in five overs with Nat Wraith to afford the innings renewed impetus. Cassidy McCarthy’s express pace accounted for Wraith, caught and bowled for a 21-ball 20, as The Blaze fought back once more.Sophie Luff and Fran Wilson combined well for the third wicket•Getty Images

Wilson had scored 67 off 68 balls when, pursuing a ninth boundary, she drove at a length ball from Heather Graham and found long-on, while Amanda-Jade Wellington was bowled by Grace Ballinger without scoring as the innings began to unravel. Kathryn Bryce then single-handedly wiped out the tail, removing Alex Griffiths, Issy Wong, Niamh Holland and Ellie Anderson in the space of seven balls from the Chapel End.Needing a good start with the ball, Storm made early in-roads, England star Tammy Beaumont falling to Wong for six. But Sarah Bryce seized the initiative thereafter, adding 47 for the second wicket with her elder sibling as The Blaze reached 75 for 2 at the end of the 10-over powerplay. Ultra-positive from the outset, the 24-year-old Scot raced to a 36-ball 50, which included seven fours and a six and served to force Storm onto the back foot.Undeterred, the home side weathered the storm and Griffiths bowled Marie Kelly to at least stem the flow of runs. Skelton then removed Heather Graham before claiming the crucial wicket of Bryce, who played back to a full delivery and was bowled as the visitors lurched to 115 for 5.With a further 103 runs required, Claridge and Higham sought to stabilise the innings, the sixth wicket pair initially adopting a low-risk approach to see off the threat posed by Wong’s pace and Wellington’s legbreaks. As their partnership grew in stature, so their willingness to pursue boundaries increased, Higham in particular playing with fluency as the finish line came within sight.Higham brought up a 60-ball 50 in the 39th over, sweeping Smale for her sixth boundary to attain that landmark and put the outcome beyond doubt.

أعلن نادي المقاولون العرب، عن رحيل مدربه محمد مكي، بعد تمسك الأخير بقرار عدم الاستمرار في قيادة الفريق خلال الفترة القادمة.

المقاولون العرب الذي عاد إلى الدوري الممتاز، بداية الموسم الحالي، يعاني من سلسلة نتائج سلبية منذ انطلاق هذا الموسم، حيث يحتل المركز التاسع عشر في جدول ترتيب الدوري برصيد 5 نقاط بعد مرور 9 جولات.

ووفقًا للمركز الإعلامي لنادي المقاولون العرب، يتقدم مجلس إدارة نادي المقاولون العرب برئاسة المهندس محسن صلاح بخالص الشكر للكابتن محمد مكي المدير الفني للفريق على مجهوداته وعطائه اللا محدود الذي قدمه مع الفريق طوال فترة توليه مسئولية الفريق.

طالع.. فيديو | كهرباء الإسماعيلية يحقق فوزًا هامًا على المقاولون العرب في الدوري المصري

وأشار إلى أن الكابتن محمد مكي تمسك باعتذاره عن عدم الاستمرار في قيادة الفريق الفترة المقبلة، نظرا لما يواجهه من سوء توفيق منذ بداية الموسم، وفي ظل اعتزاز مجلس إدارة النادي بما يقدمه منذ توليه المسئولية، إلا أنه وفي ظل تمسكه بالرحيل وطلبه ذلك للمرة الثانية فقد قبل المجلس اعتذاره.

وأكد المهندس محمد عادل فتحي عضو مجلس إدارة النادي والمشرف العام على الكرة أن الكابتن محمد مكي من أفضل المدربين المصريين وكتب اسمه بحروف مضيئة في تاريخ المقاولون العرب بصعوده السريع والعودة للدوري الممتاز وسط إخلاص غير مسبوق، وتعامل راق هو وجهازه المعاون منذ توليه المسئولية وحتى الآن متمنيا له التوفيق في المرحلة المقبلة.

وأوضح فتحي أن الكابتن طلعت محرم سيقود الفريق فنيًا خلال الفترة المقبلة، خلفًا لمكي.

Enzo Maresca has insisted that Chelsea still support Mykhailo Mudryk after he was officially charged by the FA for breaching anti-doping rules.

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• Mudryk charged by FA for anti-doping breach
• The winger could be banned for four years
• Maresca says Mudryk is still backed by Chelsea

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Mudryk has been officially charged by the FA after testing positive for a banned substance in a routine urine test last November. The Ukrainian international was provisionally suspended in December and now faces a potential four-year footballing ban if found guilty. Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca addressed the situation at a press conference on Thursday.

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  Mudryk has not played for Chelsea since November but was present during the Blues’ Europa Conference League celebrations in Poland last month. The Ukrainian is under contract at Stamford Bridge until 2031, and as it stands, he cannot train or participate in team activities during his suspension. Despite the uncertainty surrounding his future, Maresca says the winger remains supported by the club.

• WHAT MARESCA SAID

  Speaking to the media, Maresca said: "I spoke with Mischa in Poland when we played the Conference League final. I haven’t spoke with him since then.

  "I didn’t see the news but they communicated it to me but there is nothing more I can add because I don’t have more information.

  "Last time I spoke to him he was quite good, I didn't see him worried, I didn't speak to him since then so I don't know but for sure we will have contact with him."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MUDRYK?

  Mudryk awaits the outcome of the FA’s investigation, which could lead to a lengthy suspension. Chelsea are expected to maintain contact and monitor his situation closely while exploring their squad options ahead of the new season.

Hazlewood back into the top ten in T20I rankings while Scholtz, Erasmus of Namibia dazzle too

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Feb-2024Joe Root’s first century in England’s ongoing tour of India has lifted the batter to No. 3, while Yashasvi Jaiswal’s consistent scores have taken him to No. 12 on ICC’s rankings for Test batters.Root’s unbeaten 122 in the fourth Test, his first major contribution with the bat this series, lifted him two places and into the top three. His exploits as an offspinner have also moved him up to No. 4 among Test allrounders.For Jaiswal, now only two shy of the top ten, the rise has been meteoric. He started the Test series at No. 69 in the rankings, but in a matter of weeks, his 655 runs at an average of 93.57 in eight innings has seen him jump 57 steps to 12th. The batters’ rankings are still led by New Zealand’s Kane Williamson, with Australia’s Steven Smith at No. 2.Full rankings tables

Click here for the full team rankings

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In the Test bowling rankings, world No. 2 R Ashwin has closed the distance between him and World No. 1 Jasprit Bumrah to only 21 rating points. After missing parts of the Rajkot Test for personal reasons, Ashwin took a second-innings five-wicket haul in Ranchi to set up India’s victory. Bumrah was rested. Behind the pair are Kagiso Rabada at third, with the Australian duo of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood to follow.Australians surge in T20IsHazlewood’s spell of 4-1-12-1 in Auckland against New Zealand has taken him six places up to No. 7 on the rankings for T20I bowlers. He is now the only Australian in the top 10 of the T20I bowling rankings, with England spinner Adil Rashid leading the way followed by the Sri Lankan pair of Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana.Travis Head and Tim David have also gained positions among T20I batters. Head’s scores of 24, 45 and 33 elevated him 18 places up to 19th. Tim David’s 10-ball 31 in Australia’s final-ball win in the opening game of the series now sees him at a career-best 22nd. Suryakumar Yadav, Phil Salt and Mohammad Rizwan still hold the top three spots.Scholtz makes history for NamibiaBernard Scholtz’s six-wicket haul across two games at the League 2 tri-series in Nepal has taken him to 11th among ODI bowlers, a record high for Namibia. Scholtz’s slow left-arm orthodox spin earned him 4 for 31 against Nepal and 2 for 15 against Netherlands.Scholtz’s captain Gerhard Erasmus, meanwhile, is tied at No. 8 among ODI allrounders alongside Glenn Maxwell of Australia. Erasmus struck 52 against Nepal and took 3 for 33 against Netherlands to zoom eight places up and into the top ten.

The board and the players association are still in negotiations

ESPNcricinfo staff09-May-2024

Ireland’s men could play next month’s T20 World Cup on expired central contracts as Cricket Ireland (CI) and the Irish Cricketers’ Association (ICA) continue to work out the details of their first Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which will underpin players’ deals.CI announced their central contracts for 2023-24 last March, with 14 men’s players in the final year of a two-year contract and seven others signing one-year deals. Those contracts expired at the end of February but players have effectively been playing under the terms of those deals since, which have rolled over indefinitely until negotiations for 2024-25 are complete.The reported on Thursday – the day before Ireland men’s T20I series against Pakistan – that male players rejected CI’s most recent contract offer last week, while centrally-contracted female players delayed their decision until after the recently-concluded T20 World Cup Qualifiers.Ireland’s men have a packed calendar over the next two weeks, playing seven T20Is between May 10-24 against Pakistan, Netherlands and Scotland. They will then fly to the United States for the T20 World Cup where they face India, Pakistan, USA and Canada in Group A, and their busy schedule is not conducive to contract negotiations.Related

Spotlight on Clontarf as Pakistan and Ireland finally meet, but with priorities elsewhere

Josh Little to join Ireland T20 World Cup squad after IPL

Ireland to host South Africa in Abu Dhabi

Ireland confirm postponement of men's bilateral series vs Australia

A spokesperson for CI declined to comment while negotiations were ongoing and the ICA did not respond when contacted by ESPNcricinfo. It is understood that players are seeking pay rises and that these will be back-dated to March if approved and when contracts are eventually signed.Paul Stirling, Ireland’s captain, told national broadcaster : “The ICA is working for us as a players’ group, and we hear from them. I haven’t felt the frustration, but it’s possibly there.”I think the thing I’m really proud of over the last weeks and months is that we have been able to put that stuff behind us. That could be a distraction, but it’s only a distraction if you make it one. I’m really proud of how the lads have gone in the last few months. I think they’ve made good strides.”CI belatedly announced their men’s and women’s home fixtures for 2024 last week, following a long delay which owed to the late sign-off of their budget. Funding and logistical issues have caused the cancellation of an incoming men’s tour by Australia and a men’s white-ball series against Zimbabwe, while their men’s ‘home’ series against South Africa will be staged in Abu Dhabi.

Manchester City added a new midfielder to their squad in the January transfer window.

Spaniard Nico Gonzalez joined the club from Portuguese giants FC Porto for a fee in the region of £50m. He was, in many ways, signed as a replacement for Rodri, who is sidelined this season with a knee injury.

The new City midfielder has certainly made a great impression to start the campaign. He has played nine times for the reigning Premier League champions so far this term and was even described as a “mini Rodri” by Pep Guardiola.

The Spain international might not be the only midfield recruit in 2025 for City. They have recently been linked with another player who can strengthen the centre of the park.

Man City’s new midfield target

After the success of the Gonzalez signing in the winter, City could now turn back to the market to add Tijani Reijnders to their midfield. The AC Milan sensation has been making waves for the Serie A giants this term and could now depart the club this summer.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

According to a report from Football Insider, the Citizens ‘have identified Reijnders as a top target’ for the 2025 summer transfer window and is ‘seen as a player who would fit seamlessly into City’s midfield’, alongside the likes of Rodri and Gonzalez.

However, this will not be an easy deal for the East Mancunian outfit to do. Football Insider reports that the Milan ace will only be able to move to the Etihad Stadium if they pay £50m and sell three players to make room in their squad.

Why Reijnders would be a good signing

Should the Citizens bring Reijnders to the club head of the 2025/26 season, he would surely be a huge upgrade to their midfield. Football analyst Ben Mattinson believes he is one of the “top 5 midfielders this season”, high praise indeed.

The Dutchman has played a key role for Milan this term. He has scored 13 times and grabbed four assists across 43 games for the Serie A giants. One of those strikes was away to Real Madrid, in a fantastic 3-1 win at the Santaogo Bernabeu.

The Netherlands international is not the only midfielder City have been linked with in recent weeks. According to reports in Spain, they are targeting £50m-rated Hugo Larsson of Eintracht Frankfurt. The young Sweden star has six goals and one assist for the club.

Whilst both players will reportedly cost the same price, perhaps Reijnders will be the better option. Not only is he more experienced, but he offers more of a goal threat and lots of creativity in the final third. Just look at this assist for Christian Pulisic to see how technically gifted and creative he is.

Another way to get a picture of who will be the better signing out of Reijnders and Larsson is to compare their stats via FBref from the 2024/25 campaign. To preface these numbers, it is worth noting that Reijnders has played an average of 16 full 90 minutes more than Larsson.

Well, the metrics certainly make for interesting reading. For example, this term, Reijnders has averaged 6.40 progressive passes and 3.30 progressive carries per 90 minutes, compared to Larsson’s 4.89 progressive passes and 0.65 progressive carries each 90 minutes.

Progressive passes

6.4

4.89

Key passes

1.43

0.94

Shot-creating actions

3.27

2.44

Progressive carries

3.3

0.65

Successful take-ons

1.13

0.22

With both players potentially costing the same amount, you could argue there is not much difference in whom you sign.

However, the experience and all-rounder quality that Reijnders offers, particularly as a ball-carrier, perhaps give him the edge.

If City do decide to sign the Dutchman, he will bring technical quality on the ball and a goal-scoring threat as a box-crasher. He would certainly enhance the calibre of midfielder Guardiola has at his disposal.

He was saved by O'Reilly: Pep must drop 4/10 Man City dud after Bournemouth

Man City won their FA Cup semi-final 2-1 on Sunday

ByJoe Nuttall Mar 31, 2025

The India captain however is proud of his team and wants to take all the learnings further into his career

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Feb-2024

India’s captain Uday Saharan felt that a few rash shots by the batters, coupled with their inability to spend any significant length of time at the crease, were the main reasons behind the team falling short in the final of the Under-19 World Cup.”It was fine. We played a few shots and couldn’t spend some time on the surface,” Saharan said after India went down by 79 runs to hand Australia their fourth title. “We were prepared for it but we couldn’t execute well. That is where we went wrong.”Australia, after electing to bat, rode on Harjas Singh’s fifty and a useful cameo in the death by Oliver Peake to post 253 for 8 from their 50 overs. This was the highest total ever registered in the final of an U-19 World Cup, and India’s attempt at a record chase fell flat from the outset.Related

Saumy Pandey: the cricketer who cried at the thought of being anything else

Red-hot Australia defend 253 to win fourth Under-19 World Cup

They lost opener Arshin Kulkarni in the third over of the chase before Mahli Beardman cut a swathe through the middle order as India slipped to 68 for 4 in the 20th. Opener Adarsh Singh (47) and lower-order batter Murugan Abhishek (42) showed fight but the Australians never let the Indians get back in the chase.India came into the final with an unblemished record in the tournament and despite the result, Saharan said that he was extremely proud of how his team went about all through.”It was great, I am very proud of the boys, they played very well. The entire team, from the start to the end showed fighting spirit. They played very well and I am proud of them,” Saharan said.Saharan, the highest run-scorer in the tournament with 397 runs in seven games at 56.71 said that he has learnt a lot throughout the tournament and just wants to take these learnings as he moves forward in his career.”There have been a lot of learnings, right from the start to now,” he said. “I have learnt a lot from the staff and even during the match, have learnt so much. I just want to take all the learnings from this tournament and move forward in my career.”