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All competitions have been scheduled in full with the Sheffield Shield due to start late September

Andrew McGlashan21-Jul-2021Cricket Australia hopes to play all its domestic competitions in full during the 2020-21 summer, including one of the earliest starts to the Sheffield Shield, although plans could be threatened by Covid-19.The Sheffield Shield and Marsh One-Day Cup will return to their full length – 31 and 22 matches respectively – after being trimmed last season due to the pandemic. The Women’s National Cricket League (WNCL) will again consist of 29 matches.Last season the WBBL and the first group of Sheffield Shield matches were held in hubs in Sydney and Adelaide respectively, but CA’s head of cricket operations Peter Roach said that would be a last resort this season with concerns over player welfare at the forefront of minds.”We do know last year we successfully extended a little into April so there’s opportunities before we default to having to play in a hub,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “What we are conscious of is that it does have a negative effect on our players and staff. It’s a long season and one of the learnings from last year was that come the end of BBL that the appetite for a lot of cricket was challenged.”Related

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• Kurtis Patterson replaces Peter Nevill as New South Wales Sheffield Shield captain

• Steven Smith 'building up nicely' in cautious rehab from elbow injury

• Australia A-England A series to run alongside Women's Ashes

• BBL draft postponed again, tournament to finish in late January

The most immediate concerns will be the early-season matches scheduled around Sydney – currently in a lockdown that could be extended into August – which include the start of India’s multi-format tour.The domestic season is scheduled to begin on September 11 – less than two months away – with the first batch of Marsh Cup games followed by the WNCL on September 23 and the first round of the Sheffield Shield on September 28. The early start is an attempt to allow enough recovery time between matches especially during the six rounds before the BBL that will provide important preparation for the Ashes.”We try to space the games out to give players the best chance of playing in all of them,” Roach said. “Early on the gaps need to be a bit bigger so the bodies can repair themselves. Dragging those Shield games into late September has allowed us to have those gaps between the games.”The Sheffield Shield final is scheduled for March 26-30 with the Marsh Cup decided on February 27 and the WNCL on March 6.An Australia-England women’s A-team series will feature three T20s between January 26 and 28 then three one-day games from February 5-10 which overlaps the first part of the Ashes.England Lions – the men’s second team – will face Australia A in a four-day game that runs concurrently to the first Ashes Test from December 9-12 at Ian Healy Oval in Brisbane. England, whose players are expected to arrive in two groups with those involved at the T20 World Cup coming earlier, are likely to add further intra-squad matches to their schedule ahead of the first Test with Cricket Australia in ongoing conversations with governments about allowing them to train in quarantine.Other tour matches inked in are the India women’s side facing a Cricket Australia XI on September 17 ahead of the ODI series and New Zealand’s men also facing a CA XI at the start of their short tour on January 27 at the WACA.All these schedules are dependent on the Covid-19 situation with the ambition of playing full home-and-away programmes involving regular interstate travel meaning there is always the prospect of changes. The winter codes are currently facing huge challenges to get their fixtures completed with Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide under lockdowns of varying lengths.”Like all sports, we cannot rule out facing challenges created by the global pandemic at some stage in the season,” Roach said. “However, the lessons of the 2020-21 summer have prepared us well to be agile and adapt as required to deliver the best possible season for the players and fans.”The two Big Bash schedules were announced earlier this month: the WBBL will begin on October 14 with the final on November 27 and the BBL runs from December 5 to January 28.

Heather Knight happy with how her side is shaping up ahead of next year’s World Cup

Valkerie Baynes15-Jul-2021Bench strength, being ruthless and overcoming pressure are themes England Women will look to build on ahead of next year’s World Cup after winning a hard-fought multi-format series against India.The hosts had to win their final T20I at Chelmsford on Wednesday night to win the series – encompassing a one-off Test, three ODIs and three T20Is. England prevailed by eight wickets after Danni Wyatt’s unbeaten 89 to claim the overall trophy by 10 points to six.Apart from opener Wyatt’s return to form after going more than 18 months without an international fifty, and another excellent performance by Nat Sciver, Player of the Series for the T20I leg, England’s ability to withstand the pressure of a must-win contest was particularly pleasing for Heather Knight, their captain.”There’s always pressure but we knew it was the culmination of five weeks’ hard work,” Knight said. “We’ve been in a semi bubble for that time as well so there’s a few tired people around and a few people that are ready to go home so I think today was a real show of character that we were able to put in that sort of performance under pressure.”With the bigger picture of the World Cup in New Zealand next February and March in mind, Knight drew a positive from the fact that India’s competitiveness had meant the series replicated the sort of tense situation her side could find themselves in at the global tournament.India won the third ODI in Worcester, which was a dead-rubber in the context of the 50-over leg but which gave the visiting side valuable points in the series as a whole. They also won the second T20I in Hove when England lost six wickets for 31 in the space of 5.4 overs.England’s collapse negated their impressive batting depth on that occasion but, provided they could avoid a similar performance in the final match, India’s total of 153 for 6 looked slightly below par, despite an impressive 70 from Smriti Mandhana. England duly overhauled the target with eight balls to spare for the loss of just two wickets, with Wyatt and Sciver putting on 112 runs together.Related

• Heather Knight: 'The first time I was at Lord's they had giant prawns on the table'

• Danni Wyatt's 89* seals T20Is, points victory for England

• Ramesh Powar wants to widen India Women's fast-bowling pool ahead of 2022 World Cup

“We were definitely under pressure with the way they batted,” Knight added. “It was a very good wicket and I thought Smriti, in particular, played really nicely, put us under pressure and we’ve responded brilliantly to that.”It’s always nice to have those victories, when there’s more on the line, you feel like you’ve really earned them, so I’m very pleased. We’ve not had it all easy, we’ve been put under pressure at a lot of points and reacted reasonably well most of the time, so that’s great for us as a side.”We’ve learnt a lot. Being ruthless has been a bit of a theme and I’m really pleased that we’re able to do that because there’s been times I guess where we’ve maybe taken our foot off the gas a little bit and let India back in. That’s a really good lesson for us, to really make sure we’re ruthless, taking individual responsibility to finish games off for the team.”Wyatt was overlooked in favour of Lauren Winfield-Hill for the ODI leg of the tour and, after scores of 31 and 3 in the first two T20Is, she was under some pressure to make a significant contribution. “About time” were her first words when interviewed by Sky Sports upon receiving her Player of the Match award.”I’ve always encouraged her to try and play her natural game, and she’s gone back to that brilliantly,” Knight said. “She’s got that role for us at the top of the order, we want her to be positive, aggressive, and take the game away from teams like we know she can.”She’s not going to come off every time but to see her play like that and finish the game off, more importantly, I think was a massive boost for her and will give her the world of confidence.”With Wyatt having made the most of her opportunity, Knight noted that there were other players “knocking on the door” just to get a chance.”We’ve got a real competitive squad forming, which is great to see, and it’s obviously pushing us forward as individuals,” she said. “We’ve got world-class players that have missed out.”Anya Shrubsole hasn’t played in this [T20I] series and Fran Wilson has been been going very well and obviously can’t get in the side at the moment so having that competitiveness and different people performing at different times is great for us as a team.”England will host New Zealand in three T20Is and five ODIs from September 1.

The visitors will be looking to strengthen their position on the Women’s Championship table too

Srinidhi Ramanujam23-Oct-2024

New Zealand’s batting in focus

Since the start of 2023, New Zealand have batted first 11 out of 15 times but have posted totals over 250 only four times. Georgia Plimmer and Suzie Bates haven’t had strong partnerships up front and Amelia Kerr – though she is the second-highest run-getter for New Zealand this year in ODIs – hasn’t been able to convert starts into big ones. Brooke Halliday’s two fifties in five innings have provided stability in the middle order but their batting otherwise hasn’t taken off.Related

• From schoolgirl dreamer to World Cup champion, Amelia Kerr bridges New Zealand's eras

• Mithali Raj: Time for 'saturated' India to move on from Harmanpreet as captain

Eyes on Harmanpreet the captain

Since the T20 World Cup exit at the group stage, Harmanpreet’s leadership has been in focus, with former captain Mithali Raj even suggesting India should move on from her as captain. A change at the top is unlikely with an ODI World Cup coming up next year, and Harmanpreet has a chance to turn it around in this series. There are no question marks over her batting form though. She is coming off an unbeaten 103 and 42 in the second ODI against South Africa in June this year.

Championship points at stake for New Zealand

That the core of the T20 World Cup-winning side including the experienced trio of Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu has flown directly from Dubai to Ahmedabad is an indication of how important these three games are for New Zealand. The ODIs are part of the Women’s Championship where New Zealand are currently placed sixth on the table with 18 points from 18 matches. Pakistan are seventh (17 points from 24 games) and West Indies are eighth (14 points from 18 matches). With the top five teams and hosts India qualifying directly for the Women’s ODI World Cup next year, New Zealand have only six matches in the cycle – New Zealand will host Australia for a three-match series in Wellington in December – to strengthen their spot.New Zealand have announced a full-strength squad for the series•Getty Images

India’s No.3 problem

India are yet to find their No. 3 batter in the white-ball formats. Yastika Bhatia was filling that position in ODIs but had average returns. In the last 12 months, India have tried three other players at this position in ODIs – D Hemalatha, Priya Punia and Richa Ghosh. Ghosh is unavailable for this series due to her board exams while Punia was dropped after just one innings on her comeback. In Ghosh’s absence, Yastika will be India’s first-choice keeper in the XI and is also likely to slot in at No.3. Jemimah Rodrigues has batted in the top order in 21 out of her 30 matches – will India push her up from No. 5?

Arundhati Reddy’s time to step up

With Pooja Vastrakar being rested from the series, medium-pacer Arundhati Reddy has big shoes to fill. She made her ODI debut against South Africa in June and picked up three wickets in two matches at an economy of 5.44. Since returning to the national side in T20Is this year, she has looked promising. She was also India’s joint-highest wicket-taker at the T20 World Cup. With the ODI World Cup coming up next, Reddy would want to nail down her spot with consistent performances, with India also waiting to test out uncapped seam-bowling allrounders Sayali Satghare and Saima Thakor for the third pace option.

Recent form

After a 3-0 defeat to Australia in Mumbai, India bounced back to complete a 3-0 series sweep of South Africa in Bengaluru. Even though India are playing at home, the conditions are unfamiliar having played their last ODI in Ahmedabad in 2013. From the current squad, Harmanpreet is the only player to feature in all four previous ODIs at this venue while Mandhana had played three of those.New Zealand though are coming into the series on the back of two series defeats against England – a 3-0 loss in England and a 2-1 loss in New Zealand. With five wins in nine matches in the last 12 months, New Zealand, full of confidence after the T20 World Cup win – will be keen to turn the tables in the 50-over format.

Erling Haaland will head back to Norway as he is all set to miss Manchester City's upcoming Carabao Cup game against Watford.

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• Haaland to miss Watford clash
• Will attend family friend's funeral in Norway
• Striker to return before Newcastle match

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Haaland, who has already scored 10 Premier League goals this season in just five appearances, has been granted leave by City as he is all set to head back to Norway to attend the funeral of family friend Ivar Eggja, who passed away earlier this month. As a result, the striker will not feature for Pep Guardiola's side in their midweek Carabao Cup fixture against Watford.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Eggja, a close confidante of the Norwegian, played a vital role in the player's career and personal life, offering both guidance and support during his meteoric rise to football stardom. City had earlier planned to grant the 24-year-old a "compassionate leave", however, he featured against Brentford and Arsenal in the league and also took the field in their Champions League opener against Inter last week.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Haaland's opening strike against the Gunners helped him equal Cristiano Ronaldo's record as he scored his 100th Manchester City goal in just 105 appearances across all competitions.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ERLING HAALAND?

  While the striker will miss the Watford tie on Tuesday night, he is expected to be back in Manchester before the club's Premier League clash against Newcastle United on Saturday.

This season is shaping up very nicely for Chelsea at the moment.

Enzo Maresca’s side are second in the Premier League and have the chance to cut Arsenal’s lead to just three points on Sunday.

Then in Europe, they sent a warning out to the rest of the sides in the Champions League with their thumping 3-0 win over Barcelona, a game in which Estevao shone once again.

Maresca and Co will have a chance to make Chelsea’s season even better once the transfer window reopens in just over a month, not just by signing players, but by selling one who once looked like Estevao when he was a youngster.

Estevao's sensational start to life at Chelsea

The expectations placed upon Estevao have been monumental for quite some time now, to the point that respected analyst Ben Mattinson labelled him a “future Ballon d’Or winner” months before Chelsea even signed him.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Since then, the hype surrounding him has only grown, thanks in large part to his fine form in Brazil, where he produced 17 goal involvements in 37 games last season.

Even so, few would have expected the start to this season he has had.

The youngster is not only playing a decent number of minutes, but he’s chipping in with important goals and has already shown a hugely impressive ability to get the fans on their feet.

So far, the 18-year-old has scored five goals and provided one assist for the Blues in 17 appearances, totalling 740 minutes.

That comes out to an excellent average of a goal involvement every 2.83 games, or every 123.33 minutes, which would be commendable for a seasoned veteran, let alone a teenager.

The Franca-born wonderkid has been so effective this year that fans and pundits have actually spoken about him being a particular threat to league-leading Arsenal ahead of Sunday’s game.

However, while Chelsea should be delighted with their new wonderkid, they also need to find a way to sell one of their biggest duds, who once looked like Estevao when he was first breaking through.

The Chelsea flop who needs to be sold

Chelsea have become quite good at moving on players they don’t want in recent years, but even then, a couple remain in the bomb squad who are proving tricky to sell, like Raheem Sterling.

The former Manchester City star joined the club in 2022, and while he’s had moments for the club in which he’s looked excellent, they’ve only ever been that, moments.

Moreover, while his tally of 19 goals and 15 assists in 81 games isn’t terrible, he’s never really put together a string of impressive performances, which is why he was allowed to join Arsenal on loan last year.

Unfortunately, that move only made the situation worse, as he ended up scoring just a single goal and providing five assists in 28 games for the Gunners, and was labelled a “passenger” by journalist Charles Watts.

Since returning to Stamford Bridge, the 30-year-old has been left to train separately from the first team, and with a weekly wage of £325k, that is far from ideal.

It is a serious shame that things have not worked out for the former England international, as before his move south, he was one of the best players in the league.

For example, during his time at the Etihad, he scored 131 goals and provided 86 assists in 339 appearances and won four league titles.

He was even a brilliant player for Liverpool, making his debut in the 11/12 season, but making his name in the 13/14 season, when, like Estevao now, he was just 18 years old.

In that season, the Kingston-born phenom managed to rack up an incredible tally of ten goals and seven assists in 38 appearances, totalling 2535 minutes, which is an average of a goal involvement every 2.23 games, or every 149.11 minutes.

It wasn’t just the goals, though, as, like the Brazilian, he was a serious threat with the ball at his feet, thanks in part to his speed and close control.

Ultimately, Sterling will go down as a legend of the Premier League, but for the sake of all parties, Chelsea need to sell him in January, even if they barely get anything.

The original Estevao: Chelsea lead race to sign "best player in the world"

Chelsea could sign the original Estevao for a mega-money fee.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 28, 2025

Leicestershire’s 207 for 3 too much at Grace Road as run-chase falters

ECB Reporters' Network25-Jun-2021Lancastrians Arron Lilley and Callum Parkinson dealt North Group leaders Yorkshire Vikings a blow as Leicestershire Foxes won by 34 runs to chalk up a third successive Vitality Blast victory.Lilley just missed out on a maiden T20 hundred, but as the Foxes piled up 207 for 3, his 99 not out off 55 balls with four sixes was comfortably a career-best, while Parkinson took 4 for 35 with his left-arm spin.Lilley shared a stand of 90 for the third wicket with Foxes skipper Colin Ackermann (40) on a poor night for the Vikings with the ball and in the field.Chasing 208 to win, Gary Ballance and Harry Brook threatened briefly but after both fell in the 30s no other batter could pick up the pace and the Vikings were bowled out for 173 as Ben Mike took two wickets in the final over.Opting to bat, the Foxes lost Josh Inglis in making 63 for 1 in the Powerplay, the Australian out to a tame return catch off a Joe Root full toss. Soon after reaching halfway at 98 for 1, Leicestershire saw Scott Steel run out for 32 after a mix-up with Lilley, and Ackermann dropped without scoring in the same over, albeit a difficult chance in the air to bowler Dom Bess. Ackermann cashed in, hoisting Jordan Thompson over deep midwicket for six.Related

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• Jake Libby, Brett D'Oliveira put Worcestershire back on track with eight-wicket win

• Ricardo Vasconcelos, Mohammad Nabi help Northants to second consecutive win

Lilley, who reached fifty off 28 balls, cleared the rope off Matty Fisher, Matthew Waite twice, and clouted Root over long-on.Ackermann hit a Thompson full toss out of the ground over midwicket but was fortunate when he tried to do likewise to Lockie Ferguson, Thompson taking the catch but stepping over the rope. After a Fisher slower ball bowled Ackermann, Lilley was unlucky not to become the eighth Foxes centurion in T20, twice seeing lofted shots drop just short of the rope in the final over.Two wickets in three balls from Parkinson checked the Vikings’ early progress as Jonny Tattersall hit straight to point and Adam Lyth was leg before sweeping but 58 for 2 in the Powerplay looked competitive.Ballance was quickly striking the ball well but Parkinson struck another blow as Root hit a wide delivery to point to fall on 15 and after the Vikings reached halfway needing another 123 to win, Ballance chopped on to Steel’s off-spin for 34.George Hill holed out to deep midwicket and Thompson was bowled by Parkinson for a duck to leave 86 required from the last five overs, the Vikings’ hopes effectively disappearing as Brook swung but was caught and bowled by Gavin Griffiths.

With the domestic season not starting till September 5, a few India players have made their way to England. Here’s how they have done so far

Shashank Kishore05-Aug-2024

Prithvi Shaw – Northamptonshire

Shaw last played for India in 2021, and has been set back by injuries, loss of form, and disciplinary issues. On the comeback road following a modest IPL 2024, where he managed just a solitary half-century in eight innings, Shaw is back in the UK playing for Northamptonshire as part of a deal he struck with the county last August after being out with a knee injury.Related

• Venkatesh Iyer joins Lancashire for maiden county stint

• Prithvi Shaw agrees Northamptonshire return for 2024

Shaw’s run of form until that point had been scintillating – 429 runs in four innings, including a record-breaking 153-ball 244 against Somerset, the second-highest List A score in England. He seems to have taken off from where he left off in the one-day competition. After scores of 9 and 40 in his first two outings, Shaw has now recorded 76, 97 and 72 – all at a strike rate of over 120 – in his last three innings. The most recent knock, a 59-ball 72, set up a thumping 130-run win for his side over Worcestershire. Prior to the List A appearances, Shaw also featured in two championship games.Shaw’s county assignments will have him miss Mumbai’s pre-season tournaments, starting with the Buchi Babu Trophy in Chennai. He had also missed the side’s conditioning camp in Bengaluru late last month. Sarfaraz Khan will lead Mumbai in Chennai, where they will miss several first-choice players, including Shreyas Iyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shivam Dube.Ajinkya Rahane will be pushing for an India Test recall•PTI

Ajinkya Rahane – Leicestershire

Rahane last played a Test during India’s 2023 tour of the Caribbean and isn’t part of the selectors’ plans – he’s not part of the annual retainers’ list released by the BCCI. But with a busy Test season coming up, which includes a tour of Australia, where he led India to a historic triumph three years ago, he will have an incentive to keep knocking on the doors.He led Mumbai to their 42nd Ranji Trophy title earlier this year, but his own contributions were modest – 214 runs in 13 innings at an average of 17.83 with just two half-centuries. He followed that up with a poor IPL, where he managed just 242 runs in 13 innings at a strike rate of 123.46.So far, Rahane has struck two match-winning half-centuries for Leicestershire in the one-day competition. Batting at No. 4, he built on twin-half-century stands to make a 60-ball 71 in Leicestershire’s 369 for 6 in his first outing in the last week of July. His most recent innings on Sunday was a 57-ball 68 in Leicestershire’s 363 for 7 against Sussex.Venkatesh Iyer had a stellar time at the IPL 2024 for KKR•AFP/Getty Images

Venkatesh Iyer – Lancashire

Iyer was in the middle of his honeymoon in the UK when he received a call from Lancashire for a month-long stint prior to the start of India’s domestic season. Iyer made a quick dash back home to sort out his paperwork – he needed to get a sports visa – before returning to England. He has made scores of 15 and 4 in his two outings so far in the One-Day Cup. Prior to the county stint, Iyer played several critical knocks for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) during their run to the IPL 2024 title. Most notably, he struck match-winning half-centuries in both the first qualifier and the final.Iyer hasn’t featured for India since the home T20Is against Sri Lanka in February 2022 but remains on the fringes as a top-order batter who can bowl seam-ups. He went through the entire 2022-23 season without bowling after breaking his ankle when he fell down the stairs of his team hotel during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, but has since recovered following extensive rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy and hopes to push for a national recall during India’s home season that begins with the Duleep Trophy next month.

Ousmane Dembele stands accused of lacking “respect” at PSG, with Luis Enrique explaining his decision to drop the winger for a trip to Arsenal.

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• Forward has been in fine form of late
• Coach has taken issue with his behaviour
• World Cup winner out of trip to London

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Ligue 1 title holders are set to face Premier League giants in Champions League competition on Tuesday. Paris Saint-Germain have made the trip to north London without World Cup winner Dembele forming part of their plans.

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• WHAT LUIS ENRIQUE SAID

  He has scored four goals this season, and figured in PSG’s latest outing against Rennes, but now finds himself on the outside looking in. Luis Enrique has told reporters when asked about Dembele’s absence: “If someone doesn’t comply or respect the expectations of the team, it means they are not prepared to play. The match is very important and I want all my players to be ready, so as a consequence I have left him [Dembele] out. I want the best for my team and that is my job.

  “These circumstances are difficult and you have to take difficult decisions. But I am 100% engaged with my decision, and 100% sure of the decision I have made. It doesn’t mean this is irreversible, but I took the best decision for the team and that is why I signed here, to create a team that has a strong identity and has a lot of character.

  “I was also hired to win titles. I cannot guarantee that. But I can guarantee the rest, which is playing with a strong identity. The day I cannot do this I will go home. I have the support of the club’s president and the sporting director. I am here to create a team and in the future that might include Ousmane Dembele, just to be clear.”

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Luis Enrique added on reports of clashing with Dembele behind the scenes, leading to the France international being overlooked: “I am very honest and I will be honest, but I am not going to create a soap opera out of this. There are no problems between us. That is completely false. This is simply about the responsibilities of the player.”

• WHAT NEXT?

  After facing Arsenal in continental action, PSG will return to domestic duty on Sunday when taking in a trip to Nice – with it yet to be determined whether Dembele will be welcomed back into the fold for that contest.

Chelsea are now preparing a club-record bid to sign Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez, with it being revealed Enzo Fernandez could play a key role in the potential transfer.

The Blues’ interest in signing a new centre-forward comes amid a slow start to life at Stamford Bridge for Liam Delap, with the 22-year-old failing to score in his opening four Premier League games since making the move to west London in the summer.

Joao Pedro has been more promising, picking up four goals and three assists in the league, but the Brazilian was given the nod in a slightly deeper role against Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out, upon Delap’s return from a hamstring injury.

The 24-year-old excelled in attacking midfield, scoring the second in the 3-0 rout, and Enzo Maresca has suggested he is also better-suited to playing with a partner, saying: “We know that he can play as a number nine or he can play as a number 10,”

“In both positions, I think Joao is very good, but probably when he has another number nine next to him, he is playing better.”

As such, there may be space in the squad to bring in another new centre-forward, and a huge offer is now in the works…

Chelsea preparing club-record bid for Julian Alvarez

According to a report from Spain, Chelsea are now preparing an offer of around €150m (£133m) for Atletico Madrid star Julian Alvarez, which would make him their record signing, should they manage to get a deal over the line.

Fernandez could play a key role in the transfer, as the Blues are hoping the Argentinian’s presence at Stamford Bridge will convince Alvarez to make the move, given that they are international teammates.

BlueCo clearly mean business, but it looks unlikely that a deal will be straightforward, given that FC Barcelona are also in the race, and Atletico Madrid are reluctant to enter negotiations over a sale.

Should the Spanish club soften their stance, the 25-year-old could be a fantastic addition to Maresca’s forward line, having made a flying start to the campaign, chipping in with 13 goal contributions across his opening 15 matches in all competitions.

Lauded as a “monster” by journalist Pablo Gonzalez, the 49-time Argentina international also found the back of the net 17 times in La Liga alone during his debut campaign, while a tally of 11 goals and ten assists in the former Manchester City man’s final campaign at the Etihad Stadium indicates he is very well-rounded.

Signing Alvarez would be a major statement of intent from Chelsea, and if they were able to get a deal done this winter, the World Cup-winning forward could be a real difference-maker in the Premier League title race.

Julian Alvarez has been named as one of the best strikers in the world

The Best 15 Strikers in World Football Ranked (2025)

Who is the best number nine right now?

By
Charlie Smith

Nov 20, 2025

We go behind the scenes to bring you all the answers to your questions about India’s selections for the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka

Nagraj Gollapudi21-Jul-2024After the announcement of India’s squads for the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka, the immediate headlines focussed on Suryakumar Yadav’s appointment as T20I captain and the fact that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were playing the three-match ODI series in preparation for the 2025 Champions Trophy.Several other questions, though, remain. ESPNcricinfo has gone behind the scenes to bring you the answers, a day before newly appointed head coach Gautam Gambhir and chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar address India’s pre-departure press conference.Related

• Gambhir on working with Kohli: 'We are going to be on the same page'

• Where does the elevation of Gill and Suryakumar leave Hardik?

• Axar: When the team needs someone to stand up, they bank on me

• Suryakumar confirmed as India's T20I captain for Sri Lanka tour

• Rohit and Kohli to play ODI series in Sri Lanka

Is Ravindra Jadeja now a Test-only player?
Jadeja, who announced his T20I retirement after the World Cup, was not named in the ODI squad for the Sri Lanka tour, leading to doubts over his 50-overs future. However, it is learned that the selectors have reassured Jadeja that he is only being rested and he remains India’s primary spin-bowling allrounder. There are two main reasons why Jadeja has been given a break. One, both the selectors and Gambhir are keen to give Axar Patel a chance in ODIs and see if he can play the same role he has successfully performed in T20Is. With just three ODIs in the Sri Lanka series, the selectors and Gambhir agreed that having two left-arm-spin-bowling allrounders would be a surplus.The second reason is that Jadeja is a key member of India’s Test line-up both home and away, a crucial cog in balancing their XI. India are scheduled to play 10 Tests – five at home and five in Australia – from September 2024 to January 2025, and they are looking to keep Jadeja, who is 35 and has missed a number of matches with injury over the last three years, as fresh as possible for those matches.Hardik Pandya has won over the fans, but the selectors are worried about his inability to bowl his 10-overs quota in ODIs•Associated PressWhat is the status of Mohammed Shami?
Shami has played no competitive cricket since the 2023 World Cup final in Ahmedabad on November 19. Currently, the fast bowler is at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru where he has begun to bowl after undergoing surgery on his Achilles tendon earlier this year. The selectors haven’t yet marked a definitive return date on their calendar for Shami, but they are keen to see him feature in one if not both Test series India are scheduled to play at home – against Bangladesh (September) and New Zealand (October-November) – before they depart for their 2024-25 tour of Australia. It is understood that in case Shami has no fitness concerns the selectors could consider him for the 2025 Champions Trophy.Has Kuldeep Yadav been rested from T20Is?
Yes, Kuldeep, who is part of the ODI squad, has been given a break from the T20Is and remains India’s frontline spinner in that format. The selectors want Ravi Bishnoi to gain more experience and believe he is the best option to be India’s second wristspinner behind Kuldeep.Is this the end of the road for Yuzvendra Chahal?
While this might appear to be the case from the outside, the selectors will continue to keep the senior legspinner in their list of back-ups. Chahal was the fourth spinner picked in India’s T20 World Cup squad, but did not get to play any of their games. What goes against Chahal is the fact that his utility is restricted to just his bowling. He isn’t the strongest in the field and is a genuine No. 11 as a batter. The selectors continue to believe Chahal is an extremely good bowler, but feel he will have to bide his time for now. If he does get an opportunity, he will need to cash in to keep his currency strong.Rishabh Pant’s return leaves KL Rahul in a fight to keep the ODI keeping gloves•ICC/Getty ImagesWhy is Hardik Pandya not in the ODI squad?
Hardik, it is believed, had asked for a break during the ODI leg of the tour, though the reason could not be confirmed. Hardik has not played 50-overs cricket since hurting his ankle during the World Cup in November. While Hardik provides the ideal balance to India’s XI when he’s available, the selectors are concerned that he has not been able to bowl his full 10-overs quota when he has played. The 2019 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand was the last time he did so. Since then, he has bowled 27 times in 32 ODIs, without once completing his full quota.Keeping Hardik’s injury issues in mind, the selectors have decided to focus on providing more exposure to the back-ups including seam-bowling allrounders Shivam Dube and Nitish Kumar Reddy (who suffered a hamstring injury and had to pull out of the recent Zimbabwe tour), and spin-bowling allrounders Axar, Washington Sundar and Riyan Parag, whose inclusion for the Sri Lanka ODIs came as something of a surprise. However, the selectors view him as an option who can bat in India’s top six and bowl at least a few overs.Is KL Rahul still an all-format player?
Rahul’s omission from the T20 World Cup squad was a clear signal from this selection panel that he was not part of their plans. This remains the case, as can be seen from Rahul’s non-selection for the T20I tour of Zimbabwe and the T20I leg of the Sri Lanka tour. But it is understood that Rahul remains a key player in the other two formats, where the leadership group and the selectors firmly believe in his ability. Rahul was India’s captain when they last played ODIs on the tour of South Africa earlier this year, and was part of their first XI in the Test series against England that followed, but quadriceps and knee injuries kept him out after the first Test. Rahul’s injury issues and the stiff competition for places will keep him on his toes.At the 2023 World Cup, Rahul kept wickets in the absence of Rishabh Pant, who missed the tournament while recovering from injuries suffered in a life-threatening accident. While the selectors have named both Pant and Rahul as wicketkeepers for the ODI leg of the Sri Lanka tour, Dhruv Jurel, who made his India debut during the England Test series earlier this year, is understood to be seen as the main back-up keeper across formats. Rahul’s return is also the reason Sanju Samson could not find a spot in the 50-overs squad for Sri Lanka series, despite having scored a century in his most recent ODI.Injuries have put Tilak Varma’s India career on hold for the moment, but he remains in the selectors’ plans•Associated PressWhat about Mayank Yadav and Mohsin Khan?
Mayank Yadav’s electric speeds during the early part of IPL 2024 created a buzz around him, leading some to ask if he could be part of India’s pace battery for the Australia tour at the end of the year. The BCCI also added Mayank to the list of fast bowlers with developmental contracts earlier this year. However, the Delhi and Lucknow Super Giants fast bowler was soon ruled out of the IPL with a side injury. While he recovered from that injury, he is understood to have picked up a separate injury while bowling at the NCA. Mayank has only played one first-class match to date; he would be expected to prove his match fitness in domestic red-ball cricket before he is considered for Test cricket at least.As for Mohsin, who was Mayank’s team-mate at LSG, he has a lower-back injury. The selectors have been keen to consider the left-arm fast bowler from Uttar Pradesh in T20Is but Mohsin has been riddled with injuries including the career-threatening limb injury he suffered in 2023.Why is Tilak Varma not part of the T20I squad?
Tilak, who plays for Mumbai Indians in the IPL, has been among the most compelling young batting talents to emerge in the last two years. He played 16 T20Is and four ODIs in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup, but missed out on the shortlist for the tournament after suffering a freak hand injury at the end of the IPL season. It is understood that while he has recovered from that injury, he has since injured his other hand at the NCA, though details are yet to be confirmed. This is why he wasn’t part of the Zimbabwe tour or in the T20I squad in Sri Lanka.