Shreyas Iyer remains fourth among batters after his second-ball duck; Varun Chakravarthy and Harshit Rana now joint-fourth among bowlers
ESPNcricinfo staff16-Apr-20252:07
Rayudu: ‘Chahal bowled to get a wicket, not to defend’
Orange Cap leaderboardPBKS captain Shreyas Iyer (250 runs) had an opportunity to get into the top three, but his second-ball duck meant the top few held on to their places.Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) Nicholas Pooran continued to lead the batting table. He has 357 runs from seven games at an average of 59.50 and a strike rate of 208.77.Gujarat Titans’ (GT) B Sai Sudharsan is second with 329 runs from six games. He is followed by another LSG batter, Mitchell Marsh, who has 295 runs, also from six games.Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) Virat Kohli (248 runs) and Mumbai Indians’ (MI) Suryakumar Yadav (239) are in fifth and sixth place, respectively.Purple Cap leaderboardChennai Super Kings’ (CSK) left-arm wristspinner Noor Ahmad continues to be the leading wicket-taker in the tournament. He has 12 wickets from seven games at an economy rate of 7.12.Only one wicket behind him are his team-mate Khaleel Ahmed and LSG’s Shardul Thakur.Before Tuesday, there were five bowlers – Delhi Capitals’ (DC) Kuldeep Yadav, MI’s Hardik Pandya, and GT’s Prasidh Krishna, R Sai Kishore and Mohammed Siraj – with ten wickets each. Now KKR’s Varun Chakravarthy and Harshit Rana have joined them. Varun picked up 2 for 21 against PBKS and Rana 3 for 25.Highest batting strike ratesBest bowling economy ratesMost sixesBest bowling figures in a match
تقدّم النادي الأهلي اليوم بتظلم رسمي إلى الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم “كاف”، اعتراضًا على القرارات التحكيمية التي اتخذها الحكم السنغالي عيسى سي خلال مباراة الفريق أمام إيجل نوار البوروندي، والتي أُقيمت مساء أمس على استاد القاهرة الدولي في إياب دور الـ32 من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.
وانتهت المباراة بفوز الأهلي 1 – 0، ليتأهل إلى دور المجموعات بعد أن كان قد فاز في لقاء الذهاب بنفس النتيجة، محققًا تفوقًا بمجموع المباراتين 2 – 0.
وجاء في نص التظلم أن الحكم ارتكب عدة أخطاء مؤثرة خلال اللقاء، أبرزها الطرد غير المبرر لمهاجم الفريق نيتس جراديشار، إلى جانب تغاضيه عن طرد أحد لاعبي الفريق المنافس الذي اعتدى بوضوح على مدافع الأهلي أحمد رمضان بيكهام، ما أجبر الفريق الأحمر على استكمال المباراة بنقص عددي لأكثر من 75 دقيقة.
طالع أيضًا | مستند | مدة إيقاف جراديشار المتوقعة بعد طرده في مباراة الأهلي وإيجل نوار
وطالب الأهلي في تظلمه، المدعوم بمقاطع فيديو موثّقة، بعدم إيقاف اللاعب جراديشار، مؤكدًا أن قرار طرده لم يستند إلى وقائع حقيقية أو مبررات قانونية، داعيًا الاتحاد الإفريقي إلى تطبيق مبدأ العدالة وضمان نزاهة ونجاح المسابقات الإفريقية.
ومن المقرر أن يعود الأهلي للمنافسات المحلية حيث يلتقي نظيره بتروجيت ضمن الجولة الثانية عشر من الدوري المصري، وذلك يوم الأربعاء 29 أكتوبر الجاري في تمام الساعة الثامنة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة والسعودية.
Arsenal are looking to bounce back in the Premier League with a win after their last outing in the top flight. The Gunners were able to snatch a last-minute draw from the jaws of defeat against Manchester City last Sunday at the Emirates Stadium.
It was a sublime equaliser, too. Gabriel Martinelli’s excellent finish saw him lob new City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to earn a point for Mikel Arteta’s side. They have since played a game, with Arsenal running out 2-0 winners over Port Vale in the Carabao Cup in midweek.
Now, with a trip to Newcastle awaiting Arteta’s side, it will be fascinating to see if Martinelli can get into the starting lineup.
Where Martinelli could play against Newcastle
24-year-old Martinelli has had a curious season so far for the Gunners. He’s played 252 minutes across all competitions, totalling six appearances. In that time, he’s bagged two goals and set up another.
The strike against City was a prime example of how clinical he can be in front of goal. It was a perfectly-weighted lob over Italy’s number one Donnarumma, following a well-timed run in behind the Citizens’ defence.
It’s the second time this season that the Brazilian attacker has chipped in with goal involvements off the bench. His strike against City followed a goal and an assist as a substitute against Athletic Club in the Champions League. Again, they were decisive moments, with Arsenal running out 2-0 winners that day.
His form leaves Arteta with a huge decision to make. Does he keep Martinelli as a weapon off the bench or reward him with a start? That could even be in a fresh role as a number nine, replacing Viktor Gyokeres. Against City, the Swede put in a 3/10 performance and ‘stuck out like a sore thumb’, according to Goal journalist Sean Walsh.
So, bringing Martinelli into the lineup as a striker is a real option for Arteta. However, he might not be the only Gunners star given a new role against the Magpies.
The other Arsenal player given a fresh role
One of the biggest benefits of Arsenal’s current squad is the versatility on offer to Arteta. The Spaniard can, for example, play Noni Madueke on either wing when fit, Myles Lewis-Skelly at left-back or in midfield, and Martinelli on the flank or up top.
Well, in a similar mould, he has Eberechi Eze available to him. The England international can play out wide or in midfield, and it is the latter role in which he could operate at St James’ Park this Sunday.
The former Crystal Palace star has already played centrally this season for his new side. He played there against City for 45 minutes, after coming off the bench at the start of the second half and from the start against Port Vale.
Against Pep Guardiola’s side, it was his excellent pass over the top that set Martinelli up, and against Port Vale, he bagged his first Arsenal goal.
Eze is yet to play that role from the start in the Premier League for the Gunners. However, there is no guarantee that Martin Odegaard will be fit to play from the start.
If Arteta is looking for a player to execute the club captain’s role to a high standard, Arsenal’s number 10 could be the man. After all, he is a true “maestro” in midfield, according to Statman Dave and has already been compared to Dennis Bergkamp.
Not only does the England star have experience playing there before, but some of his numbers from last season show how similar a player he is. For example, Eze created an average of 2 chances and won 5.7 duels, compared to Odegaard’s 2.4 chances created and 2.9 successful duels per 90 minutes. He will maintain quality on the ball and add defensive nous off it.
Eze & Odegaard key stats 24/25 PL compared
Stat (per 90)
Eze
Odegaard
Goals and assists
0.6
0.6
Chances created
2
2.4
Take-ons completed
2.4
1
Fouls won
1.8
0.9
Duels won
5.7
2.9
Stats from Squawka
With all that considered, it certainly makes sense for Arteta to unleash Eze in this fresh role against Newcastle on Sunday. He’d be able to create chances to a similar level as Odegaard in those central areas.
After he played so well in midfield against Port Vale, it could well be an excellent move to unleash the England star from the same area against the Magpies in what will be a fresh role for him from the start for Arsenal in the league this season, having started on the left flank previously.
Arsenal sold "one of the most underrated CMs", now he's looking like Eze
The former Arsenal man is having a great season so far.
DC need to win all three of their remaining games to qualify without needing to depend on other results
Alagappan Muthu17-May-20252:48
Cricinformed: A tale of contrasting top orders
Big picture: It’s fun to be normal againIt feels like a whole new tournament. Since IPL 2025 paused last week, the people it is built on knew nothing but uncertainty. The players left for their own safety. Some returned. Others didn’t. Some coaches were about to leave but then they heard about the ceasefire and changed their minds. The resumption was supposed to take place in Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, but that’s not how it’s panned out. So just a normal day where they could pick up a bat or grab a ball and go full-tilt without anything else to worry about must feel so good.Gujarat Titans (GT) are only one win away from the playoffs. Their style of play is risk-free and replicable. Shubman Gill and B Sai Sudharsan go out there and put a high price on their wicket and figure out what kind of total their bowling attack will be able to defend. Plus, they had almost all of their players still on-site and were among the first teams to get back into training.Related
FAQs – How will the last leg of IPL 2025 play out?
Starc not to rejoin DC for remainder of IPL 2025
IPL 2025: which overseas players are available for the rest of the season?
Mustafizur cleared to join DC for remaining league games
Delhi Capitals (DC) resume their season without Mitchell Starc. He had already bailed one match out of the fire for them and his big-game form is almost always on point, so he will be a big miss. DC are coping with that by bringing in another left-arm quick who does some of his best work at the death, Mustafizur Rahman – though it’s unlikely he’ll feature on Sunday, less than 24 hours after being part of Bangladesh’s team in a T20I in Sharjah. A batting line-up that seemed to dovetail perfectly started to hit snags – DC were ahead in a chase of 210 against Kolkata Knight Riders before crumbling to Sunil Narine and they made only 133 for 7 in their last game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, which was rained out before a result could be achieved – so it will be interesting to see how they go about things on Sunday.3:01
Can MI still miss out of the playoffs?
Form guideDelhi Capitals: LLWLW (last five completed matches, most recent first) Gujarat Titans: WWLWWIn the spotlight: Shubman Gill and Kuldeep YadavShubman Gill, when we last saw him, was just a cog in the machine. Now he appears to be India’s Test captain in waiting. The merits of that decision aside, it is a huge moment in the life of a 25-year-old. How does he focus on the task at hand right now – leading GT – when there is something so big right on the horizon? Gill is set to become the second-fastest Indian to 5000 T20 runs – he’s 21 short after 153 innings – behind KL Rahul (143 innings).Having picked up at least one wicket in every match he’d played this season, Kuldeep Yadav has got nothing to show for his work over the last three games. He still remains hard to hit, his last 11 overs costing just 88 runs. His overall economy rate of 7.1 is second only to Varun Chakravarthy (7.0) among spinners who have bowled at least 20 overs this season. Kuldeep needs one more wicket to hit 100 in the IPL.Time is running out for Delhi Capitals•BCCI
Team news and probable XIIsGT might need to start putting contingencies in place for when Jos Buttler leaves them ahead of the playoffs. They have three games left. They only need to win one. They have an opportunity to test their middle order out a bit.Gujarat Titans (probable): 1 Shubman Gill (capt), 2 B Sai Sudharsan, 3 Jos Buttler (wk), 4 Sherfane Rutherford, 5 Shahrukh Khan, 6 Rahul Tewatia, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Kagiso Rabada/Gerald Coetzee, 9 Prasidh Krishna, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Arshad Khan, 12 R Sai Kishore.The IPL’s reschedule has hit DC hard. Starc’s out and Tristan Stubbs will be packing his bags and leaving on May 30 with his attention shifting to the World Test Championship final. DC need to win all three of their remaining matches to confirm a spot in the playoffs without depending on other results. With Mustafizur unlikely to feature, they may only field three overseas players.Delhi Capitals (probable): 1 Faf du Plessis, 2 Abhishek Porel, 3 Karun Nair, 4 KL Rahul (wk), 5 Axar Patel (capt), 6 Tristan Stubbs, 7 Ashutosh Sharma, 8 Vipraj Nigam, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Dushmantha Chameera, 11 Mohit Sharma/Mukesh Kumar, 12 T NatarajanThe big questionDC began the season with four wins in four. But now they’re on a downward trend, with only two wins in seven.Pitch and conditionsThree of the four matches played in Delhi have produced totals above 185. Spin bowlers (26 wickets, 24.07 average, 8.23 economy) have done significantly better than fast bowlers (19 wickets, 44.84 average, 10.45 economy) here. A searing day is expected with temperatures up around 40 degrees Celsius.Stats and trivia KL Rahul is 33 runs short of 8000 in T20s. Considering he will be playing his 214th innings on Sunday, he has a chance to become the third-fastest player to that mark in the format. Virat Kohli’s record (243 innings) is under threat. GT could play spoilsport, though, because Rashid Khan has a tasty match-up against Rahul in the IPL: 40 runs in 47 balls for three dismissals. DC could mitigate that by making sure Axar Patel is out there for a longer period of time. Both the GT spinners will turn their stock balls into him, and Axar has played spin like a boss this season, striking at 192.85. Among those with at least 100 runs against spin this IPL, only Nicholas Pooran has done better (SR 264). GT’s top three have played an average of 88 balls per innings between them this season. They’ve dominated games, but that’s also resulted in a situation where Nos 4 to 11 have only faced an average of 28 balls per innings, and that could come back to bite them in the knockout stages.
O meio-campista Nelsinho tem vivido um momento importante com a camisa do Santo André. Nas duas últimas partidas da equipe, ambas pela Copa Paulista, o jogador teve papel importante nas duas vitórias ao marcar um gol e dar uma assistência.
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Diante disso, ele entende que um dos pontos com importante colaboração para o seu crescimento foi o ambiente encontrado no clube do ABC paulista:
– Graças a Deus, tenho ajudado a equipe. O grupo é unido e facilita para que as coisas aconteçam. Estou muito feliz pelo nosso rendimento nos últimos jogos.
Formado em Cotia, o atleta atuou por dez anos na base do São Paulo. Com isso, ele teve a oportunidade de atuar com grandes nomes do futebol brasileiro e mundial como Rodrigo Caio, Casemiro, Diego Carlos, dentre outros.
– O São Paulo possui uma estrutura de ponta, o que facilitou muito para o meu desenvolvimento como atleta. Tive uma passagem importante lá e essa experiência me ajuda por onde eu passo. Aqui, no Santo André, não tem sido diferente – concluiu.
تحدث محمد صبري، نجم نادي الزمالك السابق، عن الفترة التي قضاها البلجيكي يانيك فيريرا كمدير فني للأبيض قبل رحيله من ساعات عن منصبه.
وكان مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك، قد أعلن رحيل المدرب البلجيكي يانيك فيريرا من تدريب الفريق عقب سلسلة النتائج السلبية في بطولة الدوري المصري.
وقال محمد صبري، عبر قناة الزمالك: “نقول لفيريرا شكرا على كل فتراته التي قضاها معنا، سواء كانت سلبية أو إيجابية”.
طالع.. 9 غيابات في الزمالك أمام طلائع الجيش بـ الدوري
وتابع: “النتائج لم تسر معه بشكل جيد، كان يجب رحيل فيريرا فالأمور لم تكن متوافقة مع النادي والفريق، وهو لم يتمكن طوال هذه الفترة من التعرف على قدرات اللاعبين بشكل كبير، وكان متأخرًا جدًا”.
واستمر: “الدليل على ذلك تبديلاته الكثيرة وعدم توظيف اللاعبين بشكل جيد، وإدارته للمباريات الـ90 دقيقة كانت فيها مشكلة واضحة وصريحة”.
واختتم: “فيريرا أضاع على الزمالك نقاطا سهلة هو واللاعبون، وسنغلق على الفترة الماضية كلها بحلوها ومرها، ومرها كان كثيرا؛ إذ كنا متصدرين الدوري بفارق كبير جدًا لا يقل عن 10 نقاط، وضاعت منا بسبب المدير الفني واللاعبين”.
يذكر، أن الزمالك يحتل المركزالرابع في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري، برصيد 19 نقطة، بعدما خاض 11 مباراة، فاز في 5 وتعادل في 4 وخسر في مواجهتان.
Former WBBL title-winning captain moves into high performance role after time as a broadcaster and Queensland Cricket director
Alex Malcolm20-Jun-2025
Kirby Short worked as a broadcaster after her playing career•Cricket Australia/Getty Images
Former Brisbane Heat WBBL title-winning captain Kirby Short has been appointed as Cricket Victoria’s new head of female cricket.Short, 38, captained heat to back-to-back WBBL titles in 2018-19 and 2019-20 and played 67 matches in the WBBL as a spinning allrounder. She also captained Queensland Fire in a lengthy WNCL career. She takes over as Victoria’s new head of female cricket under general manager of high performance Graham Manou after Sharelle McMahon resigned from the job last year to return to netball in a high performance role.Short retired as a player in 2020 but has remained in the sport as a director with Queensland Cricket and a commentator with Fox Sports and Channel Seven. Despite being a Queenslander, Short said she is excited to join Victoria where she has a family connection.”My grandfather, Mick Harvey grew up in Fitzroy and was a proud Victorian, so it seems very fitting that I have the privilege of contributing to the advancement of women’s cricket in this state,” Short said. “Victoria has a rich history in the sport, and I’m eager to take on this new challenge in Melbourne, working with the talented players and dedicated staff to build on that legacy.”Manou was pleased to get a person with such a strong leadership record into the role to oversee the women’s programs within the state.”We’re pleased to welcome Kirby to Cricket Victoria for what is a critical role in our cricket performance program,” Manou said. “Kirby’s leadership qualities, combined with her extensive experience in elite cricket, will be invaluable as we continue to invest in and elevate women’s cricket in our state.”
There is a squad depth at Arsenal that hasn’t been witnessed in years, with Mikel Arteta also boasting the meanest defence in the division – one which will look to emulate the great days of Adams, Campbell, Keown and the like.
For all the desire to try and replicate the heroics of Arsene Wenger’s glittering stars of the late 90’s and early 2000s, however, the question remains as to whether the Gunners truly have the firepower to end their Premier League barren run.
The defensive solidity is there – emphasised by having conceded just three times in seven top-flight outings this season – but a settled attacking unit is yet to be configured, not least on the left flank.
Even through the middle, the merits of Viktor Gyokeres’ marquee £63.5m capture are still being debated, with the Sweden star scoring just three goals in north London to date, after previously plundering 97 goals in just 102 outings for Sporting CP.
With a rich history of forwards to try and live up to, be it Thierry Henry or Dennis Bergkamp, the 27-year-old has plenty of work to do – just how can Arteta get the best out of him?
How Arteta can take Gyokeres to 'Invincibles' levels
The combination of Bergkamp and Henry is perhaps an unfair benchmark for any modern-day Arsenal forward line to try and live up to, with the dynamic duo having been the centre-piece of Wenger’s glorious side all those years ago.
While they may have actually only combined for 20 goals in their 216 matches together, as per Transfermarkt, the Henry-Bergkamp pairing was one of telepathy and genius, the pair dovetailing off each other beautifully to devastating effect.
The age of the strike partnership may have died a death, although with things having become far more direct this season in the top-flight, from set-piece reliance to repeated long throws, why not consider handing Gyokeres a centre-forward colleague moving forward?
With Martin Odegaard set to be out until mid-late November at least, there is a chance for Arteta to reconfigure his forward line in the Norwegian’s absence, partnering Gyokeres with a support act and leaving Martin Zubimendi and Declan Rice to control the midfield.
In the case of Bergkamp and Henry, the pair fed off each other’s different strengths, with the Dutchman the technical, powerful presence, while his French colleague provided that electrifying pace and finishing prowess.
In the end, the former Ajax man evolved into just as much of a creator as a goal-getter for the Gunners, racking up 120 goals and 116 assists in all competitions.
Despite also contributing his own 108 assists, Henry’s brilliance was primarily as a finisher, as his record as the club’s all-time top scorer can attest to.
If Gyokeres – who showed in Lisbon just how devastating he can be – is to try and emulate such consistency in front of goal, he may well need his own Bergkamp figure alongside him.
Arsenal's new Dennis Bergkamp
As already stated, the loss of Odegaard – alongside the playmaker’s dwindling form – has opened up the possibility of a reshuffle in the weeks and months to come, with Arteta blessed with a wealth of options to choose from.
Bergkamp’s PL record
Stat
Record
Games
315
Goals
87
Assists
94
Yellow cards
40
Red cards
1
Titles
3
Stats via PL website
The obvious pick would be to deploy Eberechi Eze in a number ten role, although the Englishman could look to make the left flank his own, amid the struggles for consistency regarding both Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli.
Instead, with Eze shuffled out wide, a central role behind Gyokeres could soon be taken up by Kai Havertz, with the German international tipped to return next month, having been absent since undergoing knee surgery at the start of the campaign.
The ex-Chelsea man was memorably signed in 2023 to operate in an unorthodox left-sided number eight role, before ultimately transitioning back into a striking berth, ending last term with 15 goals in all competitions, despite again being hampered by injury.
With Gyokeres now in tow, the languid left-footer is less certain to feature as the attacking spearhead – even if Jamie Carragher suggested he may still do so in the “biggest games” – ensuring his route to game time could well come as something of a second striker or advanced number ten.
Arteta, for his part, has already suggested that Havertz and Gyokeres could play together, with the left-footed Havertz likely to slip into the right channel, while Gyokeres typically favours the left, as evidenced in his solo goal against Leeds United earlier this season.
With Gyokeres stretching the play in that Henry-like manner, Havertz could then knit things together nicely more centrally, having previously been described by Paul Merson as a “Dennis Bergkamp kind of player” during his days at Stamford Bridge.
Not an out-and-out centre-forward, just like Bergkamp, the former Bayer Leverkusen wonderkid is capable of producing magic off the front, as shown in him ranking in the top 12% of European forwards for progressive passes made per 90, as per FBref.
While Arteta will have to wait to unleash such a tactic, as the 26-year-old steps up his return from injury, it would be intriguing to see if a new Bergkamp-Henry style pairing can take flight at the Emirates.
It’s certainly worth a try.
Arteta can fix Odegaard blow by unleashing "£100m" Arsenal star in new role
Arsenal could have a wildcard replacement for Martin Odegaard in their ranks…
Após cair precocemente na fase de grupos da Libertadores, o Corinthians iniciou sua jornada na Sul-Americana tratando a competição como segunda opção. Porém, à medida que o clube foi avançando, as prioridades mudaram no departamento de futebol corintiano. Agora, o Timão está na semifinal e trata a partida contra o Fortaleza como o “jogo da vida”.
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Enquanto priorizava a Copa do Brasil e a luta contra o rebaixamento no Brasileirão, Vanderlei Luxemburgo mandou um time alternativo e tratou as partidas contra Universitario e Newell´s Old Boys como uma espécie de laboratório para avaliar jogadores pouco aproveitados e garotos da base. Uma eliminação diante dos peruanos ou argentinos dificilmente faria Luxa balançar no cargo, e o Timão conseguiu avançar às quartas de final.
O duelo contra o Estudiantes veio pouco tempo depois do Corinthians ser eliminado pelo São Paulo na semifinal da Copa do Brasil. Após uma reunião entre diretoria e Luxemburgo, ficou definido que o foco do Timão seria buscar o título da Sul-Americana, tendo em vista ser a única possibilidade de título para a gestão de Duílio Monteiro Alves, que deixa a presidência do clube no final de 2023..
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Assim, o treinador preservou os titulares antes do primeiro duelo contra a equipe de La Plata. Mesmo com a classificação suada diante do Estudiantes, tanto o desempenho da equipe fora de casa quanto a postura de Luxemburgo na entrevista coletiva causaram irritações em torcedores e dirigentes.
O ápice da pressão veio após a discussão entre Luxa e Bruno Mazziotti, chefe do Departamento de Saúde e Performance do clube, desencadeando uma insatisfação de parte do elenco com o treinador.
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Contudo, o departamento de futebol decidiu mantê-lo pois entende que uma troca no comando técnico faltando três jogos para um possível título internacional inédito seria prejudicial.
Luxemburgo ganhou sobrevida após o empate com o Grêmio e a vitória sobre o Botafogo, resultados que deixaram o Timão mais longe da zona do rebaixamento. No entanto, uma eliminação diante do Fortaleza pode fazer a pressão sobre Luxemburgo aumentar novamente.