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The Saudi Pro League is reportedly prepared to pay a record-smashing €350 million for Kylian Mbappe and hand him a Cristiano Ronaldo-esque contract.

Vinicius Jr was wanted in the Middle EastMarquee signings being sought in that regionFrench superstar has no interest in moveFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

World Cup winner Mbappe has emerged as a top target for teams in the Middle East after they failed to lure club colleague Vinicius Junior away from Santiago Bernabeu. It was claimed that a €300m (£259m/$348m) fee could change hands there, with a €1 billion (£863m/$1.2bn) contract being lined up.

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No deal was done for the Brazil international, but the Saudi Pro League remains in the market for “high-profile players that can elevate the league’s global image”. According to , a €350m (£302m/$406m) offer has been readied for Mbappe.

The France international would be handed terms that “match or come very close to Ronaldo”, with the five-time Ballon d’Or-winning Portuguese superstar working on a record-breaking deal at Al-Nassr.

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No sale will be sanctioned as Real Madrid consider their French ‘Galactico’, who has been handed the No.10 shirt in the Spanish capital, to be “absolutely untransferable” as their “biggest commercial and media asset”.

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Mbappe has also “shown no inclination” that he wants to leave the Bernabeu. He is focused on “establishing his legacy among Europe’s elite” and believes his efforts to be in peak condition for the 2026 World Cup “would be compromised by a move to the Saudi league”.

Bangladesh fast bowler Shoriful Islam has been ruled out of the second Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi with a groin injury. He is now in a race against time to be fit for the two Tests in India next month.According to the Bangladesh team physio Bayjedul Islam Khan, Shoriful complained of discomfort in the groin area after the first Test last week, and subsequent tests confirmed the injury.”Shoriful underwent an MRI following the first Test and the results show a Grade 1 left adductor strain,” Bayjedul said. “Recovery usually takes around 10 days in such cases and he has started his rehab.”Shoriful had taken three wickets in Bangladesh’s ten-wicket win in the first Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi. He was also handy with the bat, hitting two sixes in a 14-ball 22. Taskin Ahmed replaced him in Bangladesh’s starting XI for the second Test.Shoriful has played 11 Tests but also missed 11 Tests for Bangladesh since his debut three years ago. Taskin, meanwhile, is returning to the format after more than a year.Bangladesh’s next assignment is a tour of India, with the first Test in Chennai from September 19. They play two Tests and three T20Is during the tour that run until October 12.Bangladesh have a busy schedule till the end of 2024: after the tour of India, they have two Tests at home against South Africa in October, and a full tour of West Indies in November and December.

MatériaMais Notícias

da bet esporte： Maior competição mata-mata do futebol nacional, a Copa do Brasil está se encaminhando para sua fase decisiva, com as semifinais já em andamento.

RelacionadasCorinthiansSaiba como estão as possíveis negociações do Corinthians no último dia de janela abertaCorinthians02/08/2023FlamengoFlamengo mantém postura rígida em punição a jogadores por casos de indisciplina; relembreFlamengo02/08/2023GrêmioGrêmio apresenta Luan que fala em ‘recomeço’ e ‘página virada’Grêmio01/08/2023

da gbg bet： Corinthians, Flamengo, Grêmio e São Paulo seguem vivos e disputam duas vagas para as finais, que serão disputadas nos dias 16 (ida) e 23 (volta) de setembro.

Os finalista serão conhecidos no dia 16 de agosto, quando acontecem os duelos de volta de ambas as semifinais. Na partida de ida, disputada na Neo Química Arena, o Timão venceu o rival paulista por 2 a 1 com direito a dois gols de Renato Augusto, e joga pelo empate no Morumbi.

+ Assista aos jogos do seu clube do coração com aquela gelada! Copo Stanley a partir de R$120,00

Do outro lado da chave, o Flamengo contou com grande atuação coletiva de sua equipe para derrotar o Grêmio, fora de casa, pelo placar de 2 a 0. O Rubro-Negro chega para a partida de volta podendo perder por até um gol de diferença no Maracanã.

CONFIRA O CHAVEAMENTO DA COPA DO BRASIL

Sunderland have been working on the market to secure new arrivals and find themselves in the lead for an exciting centre-forward, according to a report.

Sunderland tipped to make some ambitious moves this window

The Black Cats find themselves back in familiar Premier League territory and have plenty of money to spend after Jobe Bellingham was sold to Borussia Dortmund for a base fee of £27 million.

With a wealth of financial capital to reinvest, Keith Wyness has suggested that Sunderland should sign Raheem Sterling from Chelsea, though he acknowledges his high wages may be a sticking point for any interested parties.

He stated: “I think you’re really going to be restricted, in my opinion, to the three clubs coming up – Leeds, Burnley, Sunderland. I think that’s where he might find a space.

“But again, the wages are going to have to be really heavily subsidised to get him any move at all. But I think it’s going to come to the point that that will be the case. It’s going to be a difficult move and I don’t know how long he’s got left on his contract yet, but still it’s going have to be Chelsea subsidising those heavily to get him out there.”

Japhet Tanganga and Charlie Cresswell could come in to strengthen Sunderland’s defence if circumstances fall in a direction that would allow Regis Le Bris to land either individual from Millwall or Toulouse, respectively.

Talks held: Sunderland now moving to sign new overseas players for Le Bris

Things could start to heat up in the transfer window for the Black Cats.

ByCharlie Smith Jun 19, 2025

However, signing proven quality in front of goal will be key to remaining in the top-flight, and there is every chance the Wearside giants could now be well on the road to securing the services of a clinical international forward.

Sunderland leading race to sign Vladyslav Vanat

According to The Daily Express, Sunderland are leading the race to sign Dynamo Kyiv forward Vladyslav Vanat and formal talks have been held with his camp over a potential move to the Stadium of Light.

The expectation is a ‘speedy agreement’ would be easy enough to find on personal terms, only after the clubs have agreed on a fee involving the Ukraine international.

Vladyslav Vanat in 2024/25 – all competitions

Appearances

45

Goals

21

Assists

9

However, there could be a sticking point on his price tag as Dynamo Kyiv are keen to recoup a figure reportedly said to be in the region of £21 million amid concerns over whether they will be able to secure a replacement capable of replicating his impact.

Furthermore, the Ukrainian giants want to keep striker Vanat ahead of their Champions League qualifying campaign, which begins on July 22nd against the winners of FK Vilnius Zagrinis and Hamrun Spartans.

Nevertheless, talks appear to be heading in a positive direction, so there is every chance Sunderland could manage to force this one over the line between now and the end of the summer window.

Bangladesh finally found a way to bat like a confident unit and that only happened because they realised they should always be looking for runs, even on tough pitches

Mohammad Isam in Dhaka11-Nov-2018One of the areas that Tamim Iqbal discussed with the Bangladesh batsmen during and after the first Test against Zimbabwe was the pace of their innings. He isn’t a big believer in defending too many deliveries for the sake of survival, which is what Bangladesh tried to do in Sylhet. Tamim feels batting becomes easier when you’re always on the lookout for runs, regardless of the match situation.Bangladesh suffered a familiar top-order collapse on the first day of the Dhaka Test but their recovery from that was simply excellent. They even crossed the dreaded 169, having failed to do so in each of their last eight innings. The 266-run partnership between Mushfiqur Rahim and Mominul Haque is the fourth-highest by a Bangladeshi pair. Mominul became the first batsman from his team to get to three 150-plus knocks, while Mushfiqur became only the 10th wicketkeeper to score six Test hundreds.

I found out why he is one of the top five players in Bangladesh. It really affected me. I think his input was important for me. I think it is one of my best hundredsMominul on Mushfiqur’s influence and making runs on a tough pitch

The change in fortune, particularly on an “unpredictable” pitch, was down to Mushfiqur and Mominul recognizing quite early that scoring runs will bring them comfort at the crease and in turn have the opposite effect on Zimbabwe’s bowlers.Mominul was the first to hit a boundary; by lunch he had four – one skewed over gully but the other three timed through midwicket, cover and mid-off. Mushfiqur was more careful, only looking for boundaries after the first interval. He had four fours when he reached his fifty.The pair had a great time in the middle session, scoring 151 runs in 32 overs. Mominul reached his century during this time, and as the partnership went into a higher gear, it became evident that they had cut out the risks and were working hard to grind down the Zimbabwe bowlers.In the last eight innings, the last of which was in Sylhet, the same batsmen had a hard time avoiding loose strokeplay. But here, there was a fine mix of deliveries left alone throughout their long partnership, with Mushfiqur especially careful against the fast bowling of Kyle Jarvis and Tendai Chatara. He reached his hundred after the tea interval, his first Test century since February 2017, against India in Hyderabad. The former Bangladesh captain has been very consistent in ODIs and T20Is during this period, but in Tests, especially with Tamim out injured, he needed to do better. And on Sunday, he most certainly did.Mushfiqur Rahim is pumped up after reaching his hundred•AFP”Mushfiqur bhai guided me throughout my innings,” Mominul said. “I found out why he is one of the top five players in Bangladesh. It really affected me. I think his input was important for me. I think it is one of my best hundreds. It was an interesting innings. It was tougher than some of my other hundreds.”Mominul is an instinctive top-order batsman. He made a good start to the year with his hundred in each innings against Sri Lanka. But apart from a 182 against Ireland A in August, he has had a lean time in 2018. But despite getting out to loose strokes several times in the last eight months, his confidence was evident even in Sylhet. Here in Dhaka, on a far more challenging pitch, Mominul scored freely but always made sure to pick the right balls to hit.”I didn’t see much of a difference [between this innings and the previous Tests]. I should have scored in the last five or six innings. You get out of the rhythm sometimes. Maybe something goes wrong with the routine, which I try to maintain.”I don’t try to complicate my batting. It is easier if you focus only on seeing the ball and playing the ball. You have to be mentally strong. Sometimes people say things when I am not scoring runs but that’s normal. Everyone would.”Still, there were the odd silly mistakes. Mominul survived dropped catches (albeit tough ones) on 9, 25 and 120 leaving no doubt that Bangladesh have a long way to go to become a fully confident Test batting unit. The three early wickets they lost also suggested the same. They were at a virtual standstill with Imrul Kayes and Liton Das finding it hard to get scoring opportunities in the first 11.1 overs. Imrul got out to a fine delivery but Liton and then Mohammad Mithun played poor shots after struggling to get the ball off the square.These were silly mistakes that could have cost Bangladesh heavily. Instead, through the Mushfiqur-Mominul record fourth-wicket stand, the home side have a stronger foothold in the contest.

Granit Xhaka has been offered a return to the Premier League by recently promoted Sunderland, who are interested in the former Arsenal captain.

Xhaka eyed by SunderlandReportedly in talks with Saudi Arabian teamPreviously starred for ArsenalFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to , Sunderland have made an audacious approach for Xhaka, who is set to leave Bayer Leverkusen this summer after just two years back in Germany. The reporter claims the Black Cats are in contact with the 2023-24 Bundesliga champions over a €10 million (£8.6 million) transfer and are willing to offer the 32-year-old Switzerland international a three-year contract.

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Sunderland aren't the only side interested in recruiting the midfielder. The former Gunner has reportedly been in talks with Saudi Arabian side Neom which would see Xhaka receive a significant pay rise, while AC Milan have been keen on him in recent months without making much progress in negotiations with Leverkusen.

DID YOU KNOW?

Sunderland were something of a surprise package last season as they won promotion to the Premier League via the Championship play-offs, but that hasn't stopped them investing heavily in their squad in anticipation of their first season back in the top flight since 2016-17. Enzo Le Fee's loan move has been made permanent, while Habib Diarra, Noah Sadiki, Reinildo Mandava, Chemsdine Talbi and Simon Adingra have all arrived at the Stadium of Light.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR XHAKA?

If Xhaka were to move to Sunderland, he would be tasked with filling the boots of Jobe Bellingham, who left the club earlier in the summer to sign for German outfit Borussia Dortmund.

Looking to put their champions status to instant use, Liverpool are now reportedly set to submit a concrete proposal to sign a serial winner who is available at a bargain price this summer.

Liverpool just getting started with big summer ahead

It was Mohamed Salah’s words which sparked motivation after last season’s third-place finish and those words now have a place in Anfield history after Liverpool went on to achieve exactly what he promised.

The Egyptian took to social media last season to say: “We know that trophies are what count and we will do everything possible to make that happen next season. Our fas deserve it and we will fight like hell.”

Liverpool could now be offered instant Robertson heir in stunning swap deal

The Reds would instantly benefit.

ByTom Cunningham Apr 30, 2025

Fast-forward less than 12 months and Liverpool did, in fact, fight like hell and they did, in fact, become champions once again. The Egyptian King more than lived up to his promise, enduring his own historic season to make sure that his side are back where many believe they belong. But he’s not done there.

Salah once again took to social media this week to reiterate that his focus is already on repeated success next season, albeit whilst taking time to celebrate Liverpool’s 20th league title.

FSG could yet share that sentiment too, with recent rumours suggesting that Liverpool could be in for a summer of spending. The likes of Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike are just two players who have already been linked with a move to Anfield this summer and now the Reds are reportedly preparing a concrete offer for a serial winner.

Liverpool preparing Coman proposal

According to Caught Offside, Liverpool are now preparing a concrete proposal to sign Kingsley Coman from Bayern Munich this summer. The Premier League champions are reportedly frontrunners for his signature in a deal that would cost them just €40m (£34m) in the coming months.

The Frenchman has won it all throughout his career, from the Champions League, to several Bundesliga titles as well as league titles in both France and Italy. Now, at 28 years old, he could attempt to add another to his set by joining Liverpool and helping them to make it two from two under Arne Slot.

Whilst Coman has struggled for starts in the Bundesliga this season, he may get a starting role at Liverpool if Luis Diaz does leave the club this summer, which is a rumoured possibility. It’s then that his task would be to replicate or improve on the South American’s success within Slot’s front three.

Starts

12

26

Goals

5

12

Assists

4

5

Key Passes per 90

2.38

2.19

Once dubbed “brilliant” by former Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann, the numbers show that there’s still a talented player in Coman, who has simply been denied key game time at times this season.

There’s no stopping Amazon Warriors, while Patriots script a remarkable turnaround to get into the playoffs

Hemant Brar01-Oct-2019Patriots turn it around, Amazon Warriors maintain winning streak
After losing four out of their first five games of the season and looking down for the count, St Kitts and Nevis Patriots bounced back to register four wins in their next five matches to become the second team after Guyana Amazon Warriors to qualify for the playoffs.Patriots captain Carlos Brathwaite, who triggered the turnaround with an all-round performance in a Super Over win against Trinbago Knight Riders last week, was again the star of a last-ball win against Barbados Tridents. Chasing 150, Tridents were cruising at one stage but Brathwaite’s three quick wickets had them stumbling from 85 for 2 to 99 for 7. Raymon Reifer took the game to the last over but with two required from the final delivery, Dominic Drakes bowled Harry Gurney to seal the game.ALSO READ: Khary Pierre – Trinbago Knight Riders’ master of thriftTridents themselves qualified for the playoffs on Sunday as Harry Gurney and Hayden Walsh Jr helped them defend 141 against St Lucia Zouks. Their victory also ensured Knight Riders a top-four spot.Warriors, meanwhile, stretched their winning streak to eight games – a new CPL record – and booked a top-of-the-table finish with two games still in hand.On the other end, Chris Gayle’s homecoming didn’t prove auspicious for Jamaica Tallawahs as the two-time champions failed to make it to the top four for the first time in the seven years of the CPL.Fastest CPL fifty and the Pollard-Holder send-offs
During the Tridents v Knight Riders game, JP Duminy put on a show with the bat, the ball and in the field as Tridents snapped their eight-match losing streak in home games. Building on a 110-run opening stand between Johnson Charles and Jonathan Carter, Duminy raced away to the fastest CPL fifty – off 15 balls – breaking Evan Lewis record – 17 balls – set earlier this season. During his 20-ball 65, Duminy smashed seven sixes and four fours.JP Duminy dispatches one over deep midwicket•Getty ImagesBut he wasn’t done yet. During Knight Riders’ innings, his brilliant running catch – he sprinted from long-off to complete the catch at long-on – sent a dangerous-looking Colin Munro back. Then he picked up the last two Knight Riders wickets to cap a perfect outing.During the same match, the two captains – Kieron Pollard and Jason Holder – were involved in a dramatic sequence of send-offs. It started with Pollard dismissing Holder during the first innings and escorting him till the boundary line. Holder then returned the favour when he caught Pollard near the long-off boundary and ran all the way to third man to see off the batsman. However, a hug after the game suggested there was no hard feelings between West Indies’ new ODI team captain and his predecessor.Batsman of the week
Warriors’ Brandon King continued his good form with an unbeaten 81 off 59 balls against Zouks. Chasing 162, King played the anchor’s role when his opening partner Chandrapaul Hemraj was going at it and took to attack only in the second half of the chase. Having reached to 32 in as many balls, he struck three sixes and a four in his next five balls to shatter Zouks’ hopes.With scores of 12, 81*, 51*, 59 and 49 in his last five innings, King propelled his tally to 287 runs (average 47.83, strike rate 142.78), and is now third on the run-charts.Bowler of the week
After Sandeep Lamichhane left for the national duty, USA international Walsh stepped up for Tridents and returned figures of 5 for 19 – the third-best in CPL history – in Duminy game. At one stage, he had figures of 2-0-4-4, including a three-wicket over. The legspinner not only overcame the dewy conditions but also a star-studded batting line-up. His scalps included Denesh Ramdin, Pollard, Jimmy Neesham and Darren Bravo.In the next game, Walsh got 2 for 37 against Patriots before causing another collapse against Zouks, picking up 4 for 26 that included another three-wicket over. Despite playing only five games, he is currently the leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 15 scalps at an average of 9.80 and a strike rate of 7.8.

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.

While the exact duration of his second term is not yet known, it will be at least until the 2024 T20 World Cup in June

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Nov-20235:10

Bal: ‘The natural cycle for this job should be WTC final in 2025’

Rahul Dravid will continue as India’s head coach after accepting the BCCI’s offer to extend his term. While the BCCI did not specify the duration of the extension, it will be at least until the 2024 T20 World Cup in June.Dravid became the head coach in November 2021 for a two-year term that ended at the conclusion of the 2023 ODI World Cup earlier this month. While India has risen to the top of the Test, ODI and T20I rankings under Dravid as coach, they were unable to win any ICC trophies – finishing as semi-finalists in the 2022 T20 World Cup, and runners-up in the 2023 World Test Championship and the 2023 ODI World Cup. India’s run in the ODI World Cup was particularly impressive: they won all nine league games and the semi-final, before losing the final to Australia.ESPNcricinfo learned that the BCCI wanted Dravid to stay on to ensure continuity to the structure he had put in place over the past two years, which might otherwise get disrupted under a new coach.Related

Dravid: 'We haven't played any fearful cricket in this final'

India's heartbreak is most poignant in the dashed hopes of Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid

BCCI offers to extend Dravid's stint as head coach

“The last two years with Team India have been thoroughly memorable,” Dravid said in a statement announcing his contract extension. “Together, we have witnessed the highs and lows, and throughout this journey, the support and camaraderie within the group have been phenomenal. I am genuinely proud of the culture we have set in the dressing room. It’s a culture that stands resilient, whether in moments of triumph or adversity. The skills and talent that our team possesses are phenomenal, and what we’ve stressed is following the right process and sticking to our preparations, which has had a direct impact on the overall result.”I thank the BCCI and the Office Bearers for placing their trust in me, endorsing my vision, and providing support during this period. The demands of this role necessitate considerable time away from home, and I deeply appreciate my family’s sacrifices and support. Their instrumental role behind the scenes has been invaluable. As we embrace new challenges post the World Cup, we remain committed to the pursuit of excellence.”Dravid’s first assignment in his second stint as head coach is India’s tour of South Africa, which starts with three T20Is and three ODIs from December 10 followed by two Tests, in Centurion (from December 26) and Cape Town (from January 3). India then play a five-Test series against England at home, before the T20 World Cup in June.Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary, said Dravid had the board’s “full backing”. “Team India is now a formidable unit across formats, and our top ranking in all three formats directly reflects his vision, guidance, and the roadmap he charted for the team,” Shah said. “Having won 10 consecutive games before the final, our World Cup campaign was nothing short of extraordinary, and the head coach deserves appreciation for setting up the right platform for the team to flourish. The head coach has our full backing, and we will provide him with all the support needed for sustained success at the international level.”The BCCI has also extended the terms for India’s support staff: Vikram Rathour (batting coach), Paras Mhambrey (bowling coach), and T Dilip (fielding coach).