Category Uncategorized

The people that matter have seen Shubman Gill grow as a leader over the past two years. Now, he must prove them right

Sidharth Monga24-May-20257:44

Chopra: Gill as Test captain an ‘investment of faith’

When England came to India at the start of 2024, India were looking at the start of a transition. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and R Ashwin, all similarly aged, were not going to be around forever. The series started with a defeat, but India rallied to win 4-1. A young man, a promising batter averaging 31 after 20 Tests and playing for his spot in the side, rose to the occasion and scored two centuries.At the end of the series, coach Rahul Dravid told the selectors that he had seen leadership potential in Shubman Gill. Despite being at a sensitive point in his own career, Gill showed the willingness to be involved in planning, took interest in others’ games, and displayed an even temperament. They also saw that he cared for Test cricket. He had yet to captain Gujarat Titans (GT) even. He had not been a captain at the Under-19 level. He had led Punjab in the Ranji Trophy in only one match.In the year-and-a-half since, the selectors have noticed Gill grow as a leader. Working with the astute Ashish Nehra at GT, he has only become more confident and assertive.Related

Sai Sudharsan: Feels 'surreal' to be part of India's Test squad

Sai Sudharsan, Arshdeep and Karun Nair in India's Test squad for England tour

Shubman Gill unveiled as India's new Test captain, Pant his deputy

There’s never a perfect time for such a leadership change. In hindsight, the selectors should perhaps have appointed Gill as vice-captain during the Bangladesh Tests last year. He would have had an apprenticeship of two home series – New Zealand the other – before going to Australia where Rohit didn’t start because of the birth of his child. Then again, who could have predicted a downfall in Rohit so sharp that he would drop himself during the Australia tour?The one thing that could have been predicted was that Jasprit Bumrah as captain was a risk for Bumrah himself. Being captain requires him to play every Test, which ended up in a breakdown in Australia India don’t want to risk again. Bumrah the bowler is too valuable to be doing that.It could be argued that Gill should not have started his captaincy stint on such a tough tour, but the selectors have been clear about two things. The captain should come from the best XI. That eliminated Rohit. Nor did they want to look back for a stop-gap arrangement in KL Rahul and/or Kohli.Given Bumrah’s fitness issues, it came down to Gill and Rishabh Pant, two of India’s best Test batters in the last five years. It came down to a judgement call. Pant is coming back from a big accident. He has exceeded expectations by playing ten Tests in a row. But the selectors want to be careful with him. His own game is not in a great place either.ESPNcricinfo LtdThat’s an argument that can be made about Gill as well. He averages 35.05 after 32 Tests.This is where you have to trust the selectors beyond just numbers. They see potential and a high ceiling, which Gill has shown in ODIs. Scratch a little beyond the raw numbers, and you see the difficult conditions Gill has batted in. In Tests involving him, the overall average of all top-six batters has been 32.92. So he has been among the better batters in his time.This stage of Indian Test cricket is not too different to 2013, 2014 and 2015. Kohli took over the captaincy with pretty similar pedigree. He was 26, Gill is 25. He had played 29 Tests and averaged 39.46. He had had a horrible tour of England, which he needed to get over. He was an accomplished future ODI all-time great, Gill is an accomplished future ODI all-time great. Kohli had had two seasons as a full-time IPL captain at the time.Kohli had the support of the hype machine in Ravi Shastri, who shielded him when shielding was needed and propped him up when propping up was needed. Kohli’s best years as captain coincided with the Committee of Administrators running the BCCI, which reduced the need for politicking. He also had the blessings of MS Dhoni, who made the transition smooth. Gill will not have these luxuries.On the shoulders of Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant will rest the immediate future of India’s Test cricket•Associated PressKohli, though, had an uncertain start. He didn’t know if Dhoni, the full-time captain, would play or not. And then Dhoni retired mid-series in Australia. Gill has had a proper induction into the job. He was sounded out at some point during the IPL after which has had meetings with the selectors practically as the captain of the team. They see clarity of thought in what he wants for Indian cricket and how he intends to go about it.Now it is up to Gill to chart his own path. He has to decide whether India continue playing the bob-each-way cricket they played in Australia or if they revert to chasing 20 wickets as cheaply as possible. He has to decide whether he continues to bat at No. 3 or whether he takes the No. 4 position that has belonged to the best batter of the side for the best part of more than the last three decades. More importantly, he needs to score big runs, which nobody can do for him.Kohli scored four hundreds on that Australia tour in 2014-15, which established his authority as the captain. Gill can get help with captaincy, but he has to score his runs.These are challenging times, but these are also exciting times. Both for Indian cricket and Gill.

Liverpool have now reportedly made an enquiry to sign Serge Gnabry, who is on course to become a free agent when his current Bayern Munich contract comes to an end next summer.

Those at Anfield have an eye on the transfer market following a woeful start to their Premier League title defence. Arne Slot’s side sit as low as eighth and were shoved aside by Manchester City last time out.

Real Madrid target shock Szoboszlai deal as Fabrizio Romano shares Liverpool contract update

The Spanish giants are targeting yet another Liverpool star.

ByTom Cunningham Nov 13, 2025

The international break simply must centre around solving their current problems, whether it means reverting to last season’s side entirely or discovering fresh combinations across the pitch.

Whilst Liverpool’s slump may seem like a shock, it has been coming all year. The Reds have lost more games in all competitions than Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United side in 2025 and Slot admitted earlier in the campaign that their struggles began in the second-half of last season.

Major questions will be asked about Liverpool’s transfer business if their new signings continue to struggle after the international break. Although Slot and others have simply suggested that record signings such as Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz need time to settle in, patience around Anfield won’t last forever.

Neither will the patience of Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes, who have already reportedly turned back towards the transfer market for potential solutions. They spent over £400m of FSG’s money in the summer, but could yet welcome further additions in 2026 to fix Liverpool’s problems.

Liverpool launch Serge Gnabry enquiry

As reported by Bayern Insider’s Christian Falk, Liverpool have now enquired about signing Gnabry from Bayern Munich when his contract comes to an end. The winger is reportedly relaxed about his current deal, but those in Germany are keen to get an answer sooner rather than later with the Reds and Juventus sniffing around.

At 30 years old, Liverpool could offer Gnabry the chance to end some unfinished business in the Premier League after he became a transfer flop at West Bromwich Albion and ditched academy star at Arsenal. He’s already made the Gunners regret their decision at Bayern, but still has time to come back to haunt them courtesy of those at Anfield.

Minutes

505

802

Goals

4

6

Assists

3

4

Successful Take-ons

8

17

By signing Gnabry, Liverpool could also replace Luis Diaz, who ironically left for Bayern Munich in the summer. The Reds have struggled without his direct take-on success, which their new target is more than capable of replicating whilst also finding the back of the net.

Described as “world-class” by Rio Ferdinand, the Champions League winner is undoubtedly one to watch in the next six months.

Liverpool exploring Jarrod Bowen move as West Ham share sale conditions

The NWSL has reportedly awarded its 17th franchise to Atlanta, with Arthur Blank’s AMB Sports and Entertainment securing the expansion rights for a record $165 million fee, according to The Athletic. The team is set to begin play in 2028 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which also hosts Blank’s other professional teams – the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and MLS’s Atlanta United FC.

Getty Images SportBlank's sports empire expands with NWSL investment

As per the Athletic’s report, AMB Sports and Entertainment has been involved in NWSL expansion discussions for nearly a decade, with many industry sources describing Atlanta as a "when-not-if" market once Blank decided to commit to the women's professional league. The expansion fee represents a significant increase from the $110 million that Denver Summit FC paid less than a year ago, reflecting the rapidly growing valuation of women's soccer franchises in the United States.

"We have had productive engagement with NWSL and others in its stakeholder group on the possibility of bringing an expansion franchise to Atlanta,” said a spokesperson for AMB Sports and Entertainment, as per ESPN. “We have nothing to announce currently as those conversations are ongoing."

AdvertisementRolling expansion model

NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman confirmed in September that the league would move away from formal bidding processes to a rolling expansion model, allowing greater flexibility in adding new markets.

"Those conversations are ongoing," Berman said, according to ESPN. "Each of them has a different perspective on how much time they need to launch, the investments they need to make to be successful, including potentially around infrastructure, and we want to not force a square peg into a round hole."

Berman has repeatedly stated that the NWSL could eventually grow to match the NFL's 32-team structure.

"Our board believes that we can be the size of the NFL, there is nothing that stands in the way of us doing that, other than having access to top talent,” Berman said to Yahoo Sports. “There's certainly not a problem with the supply, given the size of our country and the level of talent that exists."

Atlanta's women's soccer history

The city of Atlanta has a significant history with women's professional soccer, having previously hosted the Atlanta Beat in both the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) from 2001 to 2003 and in Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) from 2010 to 2011. The WPS version built a soccer-specific stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia, in partnership with Kennesaw State University, though that team folded along with the league in 2012.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportAlignment with media rights renewal

The 2028 launch date for Atlanta's NWSL team strategically coincides with the expiration of the league's current media rights agreements, which are expected to be renegotiated with a significant increase in value. The team will also benefit from the anticipated surge in soccer interest following the 2026 FIFA World Cup held across North America as well as the 2027 Women’s World Cup, which will be held in Brazil.

Former Manchester City player Joey Barton has received a suspended sentence for 'grossly offensive' social media posts to football pundits Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward and broadcaster Jeremy Vine. The 43-year-old was handed a six-month prison sentence, which is suspended for 18 months. The ex-Newcastle United man claims that he "never meant to hurt anyone" with his electronic communications.

Barton found guilty by jury

In November, Barton was found guilty of sending 'grossly offensive' social media posts, where he called Vine a "bike nonce" and compared Ward and Aluko to serial killer couple Fred and Rose West on X. Jurors at Liverpool Crown Court found that he had "crossed the line between free speech and a crime" on six counts after being charged with 12 counts of sending a grossly offensive electronic communications with intent to cause distress or anxiety back in January 2024.

At the trial, Barton said: "It was not meant to call him a paedophile. It was a bad, dark, juvenile joke. I have not at any point tried to cause distress or anxiety or risk his life or his daughters' lives. I don't want people to fear for their lives, I'm a dad. I cannot believe I'm on trial for this. Words on a social media site."

AdvertisementGetty/GOALBarton avoids jail term

The former Bristol Rovers manager was handed an 18-month suspended sentence, which means he will not serve any time behind bars unless he reoffends in that period. He was given six months each for two offences against Aluko and four months for each of the four counts related to Vine and Ward. At the sentencing, Judge Andrew Menary KC also ordered Barton to perform 200 hours of unpaid community work and pay more than £20,000 in costs. 

After leaving court, Barton told The BBC: "If I could turn back the clock I would. I never meant to hurt anyone. It was a joke that got out of hand. Nobody wants to go to jail."

'Sustained campaign of online abuse'

The judge added that targeting individuals online, in the way Barton did, falls outside the realm of freedom of speech. 

He told the court: "Robust debate, satire, mockery and even crude language may fall within permissible free speech. But when posts deliberately target individuals with vilifying comparisons to serial killers or false insinuations of paedophilia, designed to humiliate and distress, they forfeit their protection. As the jury concluded, your offences exemplify behaviour that is beyond this limit – amounting to a sustained campaign of online abuse that was not mere commentary but targeted, extreme and deliberately harmful."

Menary added that he was satisfied that Barton's custodial terms did not have to be "served immediately" and he had faith he could change his ways for good.

He said: "In light of the steps you have taken, I am persuaded that there is some prospect of rehabilitation – that an immediate custodial sentence is not required to protect either the public or the victims. A suspended sentence order may – may – itself operate as a deterrent against any future defending by you."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images EntertainmentWhat now for Barton?

Two-year restraining orders were issued against each of Barton's victims, which includes publishing any reference to them on any social media or broadcast platform.

After the verdict, Vine added: "I'm happy the case is over. Joey Barton has been made to pay a lot for his disgusting lies and abuse, but I fear he'll keep offending until the day he dies."

Cheshire Police said they hoped this case would deter others from sharing "abusive and hateful messages" online going forward.

"Barton's posts would have been seen by hundreds, if not thousands of people, and yet he showed no regard or consideration for how this would impact on his victims and their wellbeing. The sentence handed to him today comes with a number of strict conditions and should he breach these in any way he may face the prospect of time behind bars," said the police spokesperson.

Tottenham Hotspur were left reeling after being thumped by north London neighbours Arsenal last weekend. It was a sobering afternoon for Thomas Frank, who did take solace days later in his side’s spirited 5-3 defeat at Paris Saint-Germain.

Much of the frustration around Spurs’ start to the season has centred around attacking struggles. To be sure, Ange Postecoglou’s unshackled offensive system is no longer discernible down N17, though Frank has undeniably instilled a more stable base.

Premier League 25/26 – xG Leaders

Club

League Position

xG

(1) Chelsea

2nd

22.1

(2) Man City

3rd

21.8

(3) Arsenal

1st

20.7

(4) Crystal Palace

5th

20.2

(5) Man Utd

10th

19.9

(17) Tottenham

9th

11.1

Data via FBref

However, while there is work to be made on the creative front – and remember, injured playmakers James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski have not kicked a ball this season – nine goals shipped in the last week underlines the wider problems.

It’s for this reason that the new hierarchy is considering a winter move for a centre-back.

Spurs' search for a defender

In Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, Tottenham have one of the most robust defensive partnerships in the Premier League. However, the balance isn’t there at the back.

The Lilywhites have been sold short in key areas. You could make a top starting 11 in a fully-fit Spurs stadium, but the wider squad leave plenty to be desired, Kevin Danso and Ben Davies applicable in regard to central defence.

That’s why Spanish sources have confirmed that Tottenham are planning a winter move for Juventus centre-half Gleison Bremer, who could be available for a cut-price €40m (£35m)

The report suggests that Spurs ‘would be willing to negotiate’ and offer an ‘attractive financial package’ in order to tempt the Old Lady into a sale.

What Bremer would bring to Spurs

Two months ago, Bremer suffered a meniscus injury to his left knee. This week, he returned to full team training. Considered one of the best defenders in Europe for his defensive security and “world-class” performances, as said by CBS commentator Matteo Bonetti, against elite forwards.

In truth, he hasn’t played much football over the past year, but Bremer is returning to full fitness now and started the Serie A season off strongly, Sofascore recording that he won 63% of his ground duels across the first four fixtures of the term, averaging 5.5 clearances and 4.5 recoveries per game. He set up two goals, underscoring the ball-playing quality that Frank needs to help establish build-up patterns down N17.

Van de Ven, of course, would provide Bremer with stiff competition in front of Guglielmo Vicario’s goal, but there’s a case to be made that the Brazilian is a stronger defender than his Dutch counterpart, who has only won 52% of his duels in the Premier League this season, ranking among the bottom 36% of positional peers for tackles won per 90 (0.36).

The 24-year-old is an athletic phenomenon, and no mistake.

Top Recorded Speeds in the Prem (since 20/21)

Player

Club

Speed (km/h)

Micky van de Ven

Tottenham

37.38

Kyle Walker

Man City

37.31

Jackson Tchatchoua

Wolves

37.30

Micky van de Ven

Tottenham

37.23

Micky van de Ven

Tottenham

37.12

Data via Premier League

But he’s hardly flawless. Van de Ven has made two direct mistakes in the Premier League this year (Bremer has yet to blunder), and he needs to continue to develop his positioning and tactical alliance with those around him.

Maybe Van de Ven feels overburdened by the weight of responsibility at times. He has a lot of ground to cover, after all, especially with Romero in and out of the team due to injuries.

Hailed as a “monster” by analyst Ben Mattinson for his physicality and power, Bremer might just be the solution for a Tottenham side desperate to make headway after an up-and-down start.

This ferocious defender would offer a different flavour, and maybe that’s what Frank’s rearguard need to stabilise and create a more fluent overarching system.

Juventus legend Sergi Brio described Bremer as the “best defender in Serie A” two years ago, and though his match action has been limited thereafter, there’s no question that this is a star who could make a marked difference at Frank’s Tottenham, providing a counterpoint at the back while deepening the squad as they look to kick on.

Related Frank can unearth his own Dembele by unleashing "generational" Spurs gem

Tottenham can unearth their next Mousa Dembele against Fulham this weekend by unleashing this star.

Posts ByDan Emery Nov 29, 2025

Venkat Sundaram has been named secretary

PTI17-Oct-2025Former India women captain Shantha Rangaswamy has been elected president of the Indian Cricketers’ Association (ICA), and former Delhi men opener Venkat Sundaram named secretary.Sundaram had served as the ICA’s president since December 2024, when he was elected unopposed following the death of the former president Aunshuman Gaekwad.Deepak Jain is the treasurer, while the member representatives are Jyoti Thatte and Santhosh Subramoniam.The ICA board has nominated former India women captains Sudha Shah and Shubhangi Kulkarni as its representatives in the BCCI’s Apex Council and the IPL Governing Council.The male representative to the BCCI Apex Council is V Chamundeswara Nath from the Hyderabad Cricket Association.”This election marks a notable moment for the ICA, with two women now serving on the ICA Board, and for the first time, a female president and a female nominee to the IPL Governing Council – reflecting the Association’s commitment to inclusive representation and progressive leadership,” a release stated.

UAE bring in fast bowler Muhammad Jawadullah for first match of double-header day

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Sep-2025

Mohammad Nadeem appeals for a wicket•AFP/Getty Images

Toss Oman opt to bowl vs UAEOman captain Jatinder Singh won the toss and chose to bowl against UAE, as both teams seek their first points in the Asia Cup 2025.Oman made three changes to the XI that lost to Pakistan earlier in the tournament, with allrounders Wasim Ali and Aryan Bisht and left-arm seamer Jiten Ramanandi coming in for Mohammad Nadeem, Sufyan Mehmood and Zikria Islam.UAE made one change from the XI that lost to India earlier in the tournament, benching left-arm spinner Simranjeet Singh for fast bowler Muhammad Jawadullah.This is the first double-header game of the Asia Cup, played in conditions where the heat rises up to 36 degree celsius.UAE: Muhammad Waseem (c), Muhammad Zohaib, Asif Khan, Alishan Sharafu, Rahul Chopra (wk), Dhruv Parashar, Haider Ali, Muhammad Rohid, Harshit Kaushik, Muhammad Jawad, Junaid SiddiqueOman: Jatinder Singh (c), Aamir Kaleem, Hammad Mirza, Vinayak Shukla (wk), Wasim Ali, Hassnain Shah, Shah Faisal, Aryan Bisht, Shakeel Ahmad, Samay Shrivastava, Jitenkumar Ramanandi