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Glasgow Rangers manager Russell Martin confirmed that there will be further changes to the playing squad after the 2-2 draw at Ibrox on Sunday.

The Scottish head coach has revealed that there will be more signings to be added to the group to bolster his team, and that means that there will be players who have to move on as well.

Martin has brought in Lyall Cameron, Max Aarons, Joe Rothwell, Thelo Aasgaard, and Emmanuel Fernandez, but is ‘expecting’ more recruits to arrive at Ibrox in the coming weeks.

It now remains to be seen who will remain at Rangers and who will be allowed to move on from the club, whether that be star players who may earn big moves or those on the fringes who are looking for more game time.

The Scottish Premiership giants have not always made the best decisions on player exits, as they have fumbled the chance to rake in huge profit on stars, such as Ryan Kent.

How Rangers fumbled millions with Ryan Kent

After an initial loan spell at Ibrox, Rangers swooped to sign the English winger from Liverpool for a reported fee of £7.5m in the summer of 2019 to bolster Steven Gerrard’s squad.

The electric left winger certainly proved his worth during his time in Glasgow, as he played a key role in the club’s Premiership title win in the 2020/21 campaign.

Kent ended that season with a return of 13 goals and 14 assists in 51 appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants, which included ten goals and ten assists in the top-flight.

In the summer of 2020, Gerrard revealed that the club had “strongly rejected” an offer from a team for the winger, which was reported to be a £10m bid from Leeds United.

The Daily Mail then reported that Leeds were ‘unsuccessful’ in an attempt to sign the forward for a fee of £15m after his performances during the title-winning campaign for the Light Blues.

Summer 2020

£10m Leeds bid

January 2021

£6.8m

Summer 2021

£15m Leeds bid

December 2021

£14m

June 2022

£15m

March 2022

£9.4m

June 2022

£7.7m

July 2023

£0 (released)

As you can see in the table above, it may have been a mistake by the Gers to turn down that second offer from the English side, as he went on to be released for nothing just two years later.

His value continued to plummet before he left Ibrox on a free transfer in the summer of 2023, and they may wish that they had cashed in on him when they had the chance to.

Rangers reject offer for forward

The Light Blues must avoid any similar mistakes with their star players this summer, after Martin confirmed that the club have turned down a bid for one of their forwards

Transfer Focus

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

Cyriel Dessers watched on from the stands as Rangers played against Club Brugge on Sunday, and the manager revealed after the match that the club have officially rejected a bid for the striker already.

Martin explained: “Cyriel, he’s just been injured his ankle. So, he’s here today. We turned down a bid a while ago for him that was nowhere near the valuation for the football club.

Martin added: “So, that [deal is] nowhere near happening. He’ll get on the training ground this week and start enjoying it.”

No price tag or club was mentioned by the manager, but Greek side AEK Athens have been heavily linked with the forward. Journalist Giannis Chorianopoulos claims that they are set to make contact with Rangers once again this week over a deal for the number nine.

Why Rangers should cash in on Cyriel Dessers this summer

Rangers reportedly paid a fee of £4.5m to sign the Nigeria international from Cremonense in the summer of 2023, and the club should cash in on him this summer if any team comes in with an offer of more than that – £5m or more.

They turned down two bids for Ryan Kent, of £10m and £15m, that would have seen the Gers make a significant profit on the initial £7.5m that they paid for him, and they lived to regret that as the forward went on to leave for nothing in 2023.

The Nigerian forward turns 31 in December and his current contract at Ibrox is due to expire in the summer of 2027. That suggests that this summer may be the peak of his value at the club, because he is now heading towards the latter stages of his career and the latter stages of his contract.

This is their last chance to cash in on Dessers at peak value, as he will only have 12 months left on his contract next summer, and that is why they should look to move him on amid interest from AEK Athens.

Appearances

35

35

Goals

16

18

Big chances missed

27

20

Assists

4

2

Ground duel success rate

29%

34%

Aerial duel success rate

40%

31%

As you can see in the table above, the 30-year-old striker has been an unreliable forward in front of goal for the Scottish giants in his two seasons in the Premiership.

Goal returns of 16 and 18 respectively are very solid hauls on paper, but 47 ‘big chances’ missed shows that the striker, who former Aberdeen chief Keith Wyness described as “marmite”, has not been dependable enough.

Dessers is an incredibly wasteful finisher and Martin could improve his Rangers team by cashing in on him this summer to then bring in a more efficient marksman to lead the club back to glory.

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Therefore, the Light Blues must cash in on the forward in the coming weeks to avoid a Ryan Kent repeat and to potentially improve the squad.

For some very young Sunderland supporters, next season could be the first time they’ve ever seen their side compete in the luxuries of the Premier League.

It has been nearly a decade since the Black Cats called the top-flight their footballing home, with the Wearside outfit even falling all the way down to League One at one disastrous stage after their relegation from the big time in 2017.

Now, however, after an unbelievable playoff final success at Wembley against Sheffield United, Regis Le Bris’ men are back on the map.

They won’t want to merely make up the numbers next season, though, and be known as relegation fodder, with a statement move on the table to bring back Jordan Henderson just one early indicator of how ambitious they are willing to be in the chaotic transfer market.

Sunderland's ongoing pursuit of Henderson

Henderson’s potential emotional return to Wearside is the talk of the town at the moment around the Stadium of Light as various rumours filter through about the current Ajax midfielder’s near future.

Football Insider have recently reported that a spectacular reunion deal could soon be on the cards, with the likes of journalist Ben Jacobs also weighing in by revealing on X that the newly promoted side are considering an approach.

Of course, this would be an ideal move for Sunderland as they try to consolidate themselves as a Premier League-ready outfit again, considering the former Liverpool captain has managed to amass 433 top-flight appearances across his esteemed playing days to date.

But, at 34 years of age, it would be unfair for Le Bris and Co. to expect Henderson to come in and not look a little rusty.

Therefore, whilst it would be a stunning coup to pull off with a Sunderland-born star dramatically returning home, landing this attacking menace could well be viewed as an even bigger accomplishment considering he’s still causing Premier League defenders havoc to this day.

One Sunderland return would be a bigger coup than Henderson

Amazingly, this other deal churned out by the rumour mill sees the Black Cats linked with another memorable ex-player.

Much like Henderson’s spell, Amad Diallo’s loan stint at the Stadium of Light was fleeting but hard to forget, with the Ivorian nearly firing Sunderland up to the Premier League during his solitary campaign under Tony Mowbray’s guidance.

He could finally return now – as per a report by African outlet 225 Foot earlier this week – with his expertise of the Premier League on the books of Manchester United making it very likely that he would add to his Black Cats tally of 14 goals and four assists if a statement reunion occurred.

Amad finally being able to nail down a starting spot at Old Trafford could make this deal an unrealistic one to get over the line. That said, a recent report from TEAMTalk did suggest that United could be tempted to part ways with their explosive winger if the price was right, amidst financial concerns at the Theatre of Dreams.

24/25

Man United

43

11

9

23/24

Man United

12

2

1

21/22

Sunderland

42

14

4

It’s clear from the table above why United would be so hesitant to part ways with their attacking “wizard” – as he’s been previously lauded by journalist James Copley – with Amad just fresh off his career best tally at the Red Devils of 20 goal contributions from 43 clashes, even as the ship keeps sinking in Manchester.

Yet, if Sunderland were to offer a tempting bid around Amad’s £40m Football Transfers valuation, the out-of-sorts giants could be more drawn to the idea of selling, with a top-drawer performer at the level then on the Black Cats’ roster.

The story of Henderson’s Sunderland return after so long away would make that a fantastic deal to sign off on, but whilst the 34-year-old’s best days in the challenging league are likely behind him, the tricky 22-year-old could get even better with time.

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The 2024/25 season has seen a number of clubs break long-standing trophy droughts. February saw Newcastle United end decades of waiting for a major trophy as they took home the EFL Cup at the expense of would-be Premier League champions Liverpool.

Their 2-1 win over the Reds brought an end to the longest trophy drought of any 2024/25 Premier League club, with the Toon’s previous triumph coming in 1969 when they won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, the predecessor to the UEFA Cup and Europa League.

Three months later, Crystal Palace created history by securing their first major trophy in the FA Cup final after a 1-0 victory over Manchester City, who failed to win any major silverware in a season for the first time since 2016/17.

They join Premier League champions Liverpool as cup winners, with the Reds now having won a major trophy in five of the last seven seasons.

Meanwhile, Tottenham finally ended their wait for major silverware as they lifted the Europa League in May 2025, defeating Manchester United for their first trophy in 17 years.

Rank

Club

Last trophy

Year

Trophy drought

Southampton

FA Cup

1976

Wolves

League Cup

1980

Ipswich

UEFA Cup

1981

Nottingham Forest

League Cup

1990

Everton

FA Cup

1995

Aston Villa

League Cup

1996

Arsenal

FA Cup

2020

Leicester

FA Cup

2021

Chelsea

Club World Cup

2022

West Ham

Conference League

2023

Man City

Premier League

2024

Man Utd

FA Cup

2024

Newcastle

League Cup

2025

Liverpool

Premier League

2025

Crystal Palace

FA Cup

2025

Tottenham

Europa League

2025

Here, we take a deeper look at the longest trophy droughts among 2024/25 Premier League clubs. To qualify for this list, they must have won at least one major trophy, so no room for Community Shields or Intertoto Cups here.

16 Tottenham Hotspur 2024/25 Europa League winners

You can’t say we weren’t warned. Ange Postecoglou ALWAYS wins in his second season at a club – even Tottenham.

However, if their league form was anything to go by – Spurs went into their 2024/25 Europa League final in 17th place – you’d have thought there was no chance of the Lilywhites going all the way in Europe.

But after 17 years and several false dawns – particularly after the 2019 Champions League final defeat under Mauricio Pochettino – the Australian boss finally delivered a trophy to Spurs. Their long trophy drought is no more.

15 Crystal Palace 2024/25 FA Cup winners

Crystal Palace headed into the 2025 FA Cup final looking to win a major piece of silverware for the first time. It was their third FA Cup final since their first in 1990, and after successive defeats to Manchester United at the showpiece event, it was neighbours Manchester City who stood in their way this time around.

Despite being heavy underdogs, a brave, accomplished performance from Oliver Glasner’s side saw Eberechi Eze’s first-half strike prove to be the difference, with City culpable of fluffing huge chances, including a missed penalty from Omar Marmoush.

The result means Palace can join most of their Premier League rivals as trophy winners, and go for more glory next season in the 2025/26 Europa League.

14 Liverpool 2024/25 Premier League winners

While they haven’t officially got their hands on the trophy, Liverpool were confirmed as the new kings of England in April 2025 following a dominant campaign they never looked like slipping up in.

The previous few years have been incredibly kind to the Anfield faithful, winning a raft of honours under the leadership of Jürgen Klopp. A sixth European Cup was won in 2019 before the Reds finally ended a 30-year league title drought by claiming the Premier League.

Many felt Slot would have a difficult time of things during his maiden campaign on Merseyside, but the Dutchman has ushered the club into a new era easier than many anticipated.

13 Newcastle United 2024/25 EFL Cup winners

Eddie Howe truly earned his hero status on Tyneside by ending almost 60 years of hurt with victory in the 2025 EFL Cup final against Liverpool.

Goals from Dan Burn and Alexander Isak handed glory to the Toon at Wembley, securing European football and potentially setting up a new era of challenging at the top end of the Premier League once again.

Now a force to be reckoned with, it would be a huge surprise if they take another 56 years to win another trophy.

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ByStephan Georgiou Feb 8, 2024 12 Manchester United 1 year (last trophy: 2023/24 FA Cup)

Manchester United may be going through their toughest period since Sir Alex Ferguson’s time in charge, but it hasn’t diminished their ability to win trophies.

The Premier League title has eluded the Red Devils since 2013, but the club have managed to win two League Cups, two FA Cups and a Europa League crown in the previous 11 years – but their defeat in the most recent Europa League final left them trophyless in 2024/25.

11 Manchester City 1 year (last trophy: 2023/24 Premier League)

Until their takeover by Sheikh Mansour in 2008, Manchester City had not won a major trophy since winning the League Cup during the 1975/76 season.

However, since 2008, the Etihad outfit have claimed eight Premier League titles, three FA Cups, six League Cups and a coveted Champions League title in 2023 as part of a historic treble.

Pep Guardiola has transformed the side into a winning machine, and despite enduring a poor season by their high standards, City will always be in the hunt for silverware.

However, their 2024/25 campaign came to a disastrous conclusion when they failed to take home any major trophy, with defeat in the FA Cup final to Crystal Palace rather summing up their season.

It marks their first trophyless campaign since Guardiola’s first in 2016/17, when they finished third and only made the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

Nobody expects their ‘drought’ to last long, though it does leave the team in an incredibly unfamiliar position.

10 West Ham United 2 years (last trophy: 2023 Conference League)

Due to West Ham United winning the Conference League in 2023, their ‘drought’ is only a single year. David Moyes had led his club to the semi-finals of the Europa League a year prior, but they went one step further in Europe’s third-tier competition.

Can Graham Potter lead them back onto the continental stage? Only time will tell.

9 Chelsea 3 years (last trophy: 2021 Club World Cup)

Chelsea’s two-year trophy drought must feel like a lifetime for the supporters, especially due to the problems they have endured on the pitch since the start of the 2022/23 season.

Their last trophy came in February 2022, with the Blues taking part in a pandemic-delayed edition of the Club World Cup following their 2021 Champions League triumph.

Chelsea are now on their fourth permanent manager since August 2022, but signs do look positive that Enzo Maresca will eventually get the club back in the winner’s circle.

Much will depend on whether he is given the time required to build his team into one that can return to the Champions League. If so, the Stamford Bridge side could prove to be challengers at the top once again.

8 Leicester City 4 years (last trophy: 2021 FA Cup)

Leicester City’s fairytale Premier League title triumph in 2016 was their first major trophy since winning the League Cup in 2000.

Indeed, with the money involved in the game these days, the likelihood of a club like the Foxes claiming the Premier League title is as unrealistic as ever.

Five years after this triumph, the club won the FA Cup courtesy of a 1-0 win over Chelsea, winning the competition for the first time in their history after losing four finals on the spin.

7 Arsenal 5 years (last trophy: 2020 FA Cup)

For all that Mikel Arteta has done since taking over Arsenal at the end of 2019, the FA Cup won in August 2020 remains his only trophy.

The Gunners have made strides in the top flight, finishing second in the previous two seasons – the first time they have managed back-to-back top-two finishes for 20 years.

Liverpool ran away with the title this season, but the club appear to be on the right trajectory having qualified for the Champions League once again and been one match away from the final in 2024/25.

Liverpool are going to win the Premier League. However, the charged feeling about FSG’s transfer window preparations makes a firm comment on the view toward the wider campaign.

Exiting the Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain in the round-of-16 was a bitter pill to swallow, and the following defeat at Wembley to hand the Carabao Cup over to Newcastle United was more distasteful still.

PSG deserved to win against Arne Slot’s side, and so did the Magpies. However, the Reds will no doubt be frustrated that they failed to get those jobs done.

Liverpool need to reinforce the fringes of their first-team squad this summer, need to pack Slot’s team with more quality and depth across the park.

One of the priorities heading into the off-season is replacing Darwin Nunez at the front of the ship, but with Trent Alexander-Arnold set to leave Anfield and join Real Madrid, more midfield creativity should be targeted too.

Liverpool need more midfield spark

Make no mistake, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch have been immense across the 2024/25 campaign, combining to lead Liverpool to the brink of a Premier League title, a job they will surely see over the line.

But autumn will arrive with a new footballing season and it’s crucial that tweaks are made to prepare Slot’s side for an expected title defence.

As you can see from the table below, Liverpool players are nowhere to be seen on the most amount of big chances created from Premier League centre-midfielders this season.

1.

Cole Palmer

20

2.

Declan Rice

16

3.

Youri Tielemans

15

4.

Bruno Fernandes

13

5.

Enzo Fernandez

12

5=

Bruno Guimaraes

12

7.

Mikkel Damsgaard

11

8.

Martin Odegaard

10

In fact, you’d have to trawl down to 12th to find Liverpool’s most creative midfielder: Szoboszlai, with nine big chances created. With Trent leaving, Mohamed Salah may well be tasked with upholding his enhanced creative virtues next year.

It’s times like these you wish Liverpool still had an attacking midfielder in the vein of Philippe Coutinho, the little magician, the brightest spark in a pre-Klopp world and the financial architect of Liverpool’s ultimate success of modern times.

However, goalscoring is still the Egyptian’s forte, and FSG would be wise to pack some more flair into their central ranks.

Liverpool make contact with new playmaker

Liverpool are set to spend, alright, and sporting director Richard Hughes seems to be putting out feelers to ascertain whether RB Leipzig would entertain the sale of Xavi Simons this summer.

That’s according to transfer insider Duncan Castles, who has revealed on the Transfers Podcast that Liverpool have enquired over Simons’ availability ahead of the summer market.

Simons, only 21, is one of the most exciting young playmakers around and would command a £60m fee for Leipzig, who are fourth in the Bundesliga, to agree to part with him.

Why Liverpool must sign Xavi Simons

Simons would join a strong Dutch contingent on Merseyside that has demonstrated a knack for winning trophies over the past few seasons.

Adding his own brand of creativity, it could be just what Slot needs to consolidate his new-found elite status and win more silverware during the 2025/26 season and beyond.

Leipzig signed Simons from PSG last year for a €50m (£43m) fee after a productive initial loan spell. So far, he’s doing good, having been involved in 41 goals across 72 games for the German outfit.

As per FBref, Simons ranks among the top 12% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues for passes attempted, the top 11% for progressive passes and the top 18% for shot-creating actions per 90, emphasising the ball-playing ability that Liverpool would claim.

His data’s great, but watching Simons play should be enough by itself for Liverpool fans to subscribe to the notion of bringing him into the fold.

Silky and artful in his playmaking, the diminutive ace might prove to be Anfield’s next version of Coutinho, whose £142m sale to Barcelona at the start of Klopp’s reign acted as the spark to raise the team to the next level, for Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker were then brought in.

In his pomp, Coutinho was one of the best number tens in the world, commanding, influential and inventive. In Simons, Liverpool could finally return to the style of play before the Brazilian made the move to Spain, when he charged the Reds’ deadly frontline.

Looking at Coutinho’s statistics during that final half-campaign with Liverpool, you can see the similarities with Simons, both elite-level creators who aren’t afraid to get stuck in and drive the ball forward themselves.

Matches (starts)

14 (13)

21 (21)

Goals

7

9

Assists

6

5

Shots (on target)*

3.9 (1.2)

1.9 (0.9)

Pass completion

79%

84%

Key passes*

2.9

2.2

Dribbles*

2.8

1.3

Tackles*

1.9

1.5

Duels won*

5.6

5.4

While Slot won’t want to disrupt the harmony of Liverpool’s midfield trio, it’s clear that something different needs to be added to the mix, and there’s no one in the centre of the park currently who’s quite like Coutinho.

Described as a “superstar” in the making by analyst Ben Mattinson, Simons has all the properties needed to serve at an elite level as Liverpool’s new creative force.

With Alexander-Arnold leaving, there’s going to be a vacant spot for such a playmaker, one who could dynamise the midfield and add that bit of depth needed to truly unlock another layer to this wonderful Liverpool team.

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He may be raw, but he showed during the ODIs against England that he brings a point of difference to India’s attack with his hit-the-deck attributes

Nagraj Gollapudi15-Feb-20251:12

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His first over went for 11 runs. His second was a maiden. In his third, Phil Salt tonked him for 26 runs. Harshit Rana’s ODI debut had got off to an eventful start.Rana promptly went out of the attack, but returned three overs later from the same end, with Salt run out in the interim.In his second spell, the 6’2″, powerfully built Rana began to have an effect with his hit-the-deck methods at speeds that often exceeded 140kph. Going wide of the crease and angling the ball in from round the wicket, he rushed Ben Duckett into a pull with a ball that climbed awkwardly to take the shoulder of the bat, and had his first ODI wicket when fellow debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal held onto a spectacular, over-the-shoulder catch running back from midwicket.Related

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Then, off the last delivery of his comeback over, Rana went wide of the crease once again, this time from over the stumps, and banged in a short-of-length delivery that kicked up quickly towards Hary Brook’s ribs, forcing the England batter to glove to KL Rahul behind the stumps. From 75 for 1 at the start of the over, England had slumped to 77 for 3.India had picked Rana for the ODI series against England as the third specialist seamer in the absence of the injured Jasprit Bumrah. That decision from the selectors, which was taken in co-ordination with head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Rohit Sharma, raised the question of how Rana, who had only played 15 List A matches at that stage, had leapfrogged Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar and Prasidh Krishna, who may have otherwise been considered lead contenders based on their experience as well as past performance.Siraj’s exclusion was particularly surprising; he had been India’s leading ODI wicket-taker from the start of 2022 to the end of 2024, with his 71 strikes coming at an impressive average of 22.97. He had bowled well enough in this period to start ahead of Mohammed Shami during the 2023 World Cup. How had he lost out to someone like Rana, who, for all his attributes and impressive IPL performances with 2024 champions Kolkata Knight Riders, had so little experience even at domestic level?Rohit explained at a media briefing in January, when the squad for England series and the provisional 15 for the Champions Trophy were announced, that Siraj had been “unfortunate” to miss out, and that, in the absence of Bumrah, the left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh had been preferred for his death-bowling skills; Shami, back in action after a long injury layoff, could take charge of Siraj’s best phase and bowl with the new ball.Rana was expensive at times during the ODIs against England, but was a constant wicket threat, picking up six at 24.33•BCCI”We discussed it at length about it and we are only taking three seamers there because we wanted all the all-rounders with us,” Rohit said. “It’s an unfortunate thing that he [Siraj] has to miss out but we had no option but to get the guys who can perform a certain role. I personally feel that we have guys who can bowl with the new ball and be effective in the middle and then effective at the back end so you need to cover all three facets of the game.”As for Rana, Rohit admitted his selection for the England series was based on promise and potential. “We needed something different. He’s [Rana] shown the potential that he’s got something about him, so you back those things.” The Ajit-Agarkar-led selection panel has been impressed by Rana since the Duleep Trophy, where the Delhi fast man bowled probing spells with the new ball and picked up four-wicket hauls in both his matches for India D. That was enough evidence for the selectors, who picked him in the India squad for the Australia tour, where Rana played the first two Tests, making an impressive debut in India’s victory in Perth.At 22, Rana is still learning his craft, but has the primary skillset and character to grow into someone who can change matches in short bursts, which he has shown glimpses of in all three formats. It’s no surprise then that India picked Rana in their Champions Trophy squad when Bumrah was ruled out.England’s batters wouldn’t have been surprised either, with Rana having challenged them consistently across the three ODIs. With the hard new ball, Rana can seam the ball at pace both ways. He also has a deceptive slower ball that he can use across phases, a lethal weapon if used smartly, as Bumrah has shown in all three formats. The middle overs, however, is where Rana really comes into his own with his ability to hit the deck and bowl a heavy ball that can at times kick up venomously, as Liam Livingstone discovered more than once through the series.Rana’s short ball can hurry the best of batters, as Harry Brook found out during the first ODI in Nagpur•AFP/Getty ImagesIn the second over of his third spell in the first ODI in Nagpur, Rana kept challenging Livingstone’s ego and the England player duly fell into the trap. With a nasty, accurate bouncer aimed at the head, Rana served notice to Livingstone, who ducked out of the way in the nick of time. Rana didn’t waste the opportunity to say a few words to the batter, who gestured back that it was a good ball. Against the next ball, Livingstone slashed at thin air as Rana followed the 135-plus-kph bouncer with a 118kph away-going slower delivery. Then, seeing Livingstone charge down the pitch even before he had released the next ball, Rana shortened his length, and celebrated heartily as the bottom edge went straight to Rahul.Having gone for 41 runs in three wicketless overs, Rana finished with 3 for 53 in seven, prising out three crucial wickets and tilting the match in India’s favour. In the third ODI in Ahmedabad, Rana piled on England’s misery, forcing both Jos Buttler and Brook to play on – classic dismissals of a hit-the-deck operator extracting uneven bounce from the surface.The other skill that has helped Rana pip other contenders is his ability with the bat. He has a first-class century to his name and averages 34 in the format, and can hit the ball long as he showed in the Ahmedabad ODI, piercing the covers fluently off Mark Wood and following up with a mighty thwack over the long-on boundary against Gus Atkinson. Rana, then, extends an already deep India batting line-up. Given this, and his ability to bowl into the pitch and vary his pace, he becomes a viable option during the Champions Trophy, where India will play all their matches in Dubai, on pitches that were recently used for the ILT20.

In conditions that called for experienced heads, the 21-year-old looked right at home

Karthik Krishnaswamy14-Jul-20231:29

Yashasvi Jaiswal continues his dream red-ball debuts

Fairytales aren’t supposed to feel inevitable, but those contradictory words may have collided in your brain while watching the West Indies-India Test on Thursday, when Yashasvi Jaiswal went from 99 to 100 with a shot off Alick Athanaze that was one-third sweep, one-third flick, and one-third pull.The fairytale aspect kicked in when Jaiswal pulled his helmet off, raised his arms, and grinned the stubble-free grin of a 21-year-old who still looks 18. It was at this point that it really sunk in, the fact that this fresh-faced youth was playing Test cricket for the first time.Until then you had watched the innings of an old pro. It had felt inevitable that he would get to three figures.Related

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Stats: Jaiswal, Rohit achieve a first for India in Test cricket

This was remarkable, because conditions in Dominica were of the kind where centuries were possible but debut centuries unlikely. The pitch was slow, offering both turn and spongy bounce, and the outfield even slower. These were conditions where Virat Kohli went 80 balls before hitting his first boundary.These were conditions for old, experienced heads.And yet it had felt inevitable, once he had found his bearings, that Jaiswal would score a century.There have always been cricketers who arrive at the highest level with the promise of instant and overwhelming success. They may or may not live up to the promise, but there’s always something that sets them apart from the rest. With Pat Cummins it was the sense that he was the complete fast-bowling package, physically and mentally, at just 18. With Rohit Sharma, the man who crossed Jaiswal when he ran his century-completing single, it was the sense that he had an extra split-second to play his shots.With Jaiswal it isn’t primarily a visual thing – though there’s a pleasing naturalness to his game – but the feeling that he has an innate understanding not just of the mechanics of batting but the business of run-scoring as well. I mean, look at that first-class record. Before he got his India cap, he had averaged 80.21. He had reached the half-century mark 11 times in 26 innings, and gone on to score hundreds on nine of those 11 occasions. He could have made it 10 out of 11 had there been a little more time left in the game when he made an unbeaten 60-ball 66 in the fourth innings of Mumbai’s drawn Ranji Trophy match against Tamil Nadu in January.Jaiswal had faced 200-plus balls in six first-class innings before this one. He clearly came to Test cricket with the physical and mental resources to play long innings.If most of your previous Jaiswal-watching experience had been in the IPL, his innings against West Indies was full of new revelations. The most remarkable thing about Jaiswal in the IPL is how little time he takes, in innings after innings, to start finding the gaps. In IPL 2023 he scored an astonishing 110 runs in first overs – more than a sixth of his season’s total of 625 – while striking at 174.60; the next-best strike rate among batters who scored at least 20 runs in first overs was 140.Yashasvi Jaiswal takes a bow after scoring a century on Test debut•Associated PressIn Dominica he batted with a lot less fluency, thanks to the slowness of the surface. He hit drives straight to fielders, he hit balls back to the bowler when he was looking to punch through the covers, and he was beaten while trying to sweep and getting through his shot too early – on one occasion the ball bounced more than expected and hit his helmet.But he shrugged these moments off, and faced up again with seemingly no thought in his head other than watching the ball. His technique allows him to watch the ball as well as anyone; his eyes always seem perfectly aligned, as if there’s a spirit level within his head. Balance flows downwards from the head, and while it’s a key ingredient for all batters, it’s particularly vital for a left-hand batter who faces a lot of bowling angled across him.Watching the ball closely with the steadiest of heads, Jaiswal was prepared to take as much time as he needed to score his runs. He took 16 balls to get off the mark. He began day two by shouldering arms five times in a row against Jason Holder. In all, he left alone or defended 82 of the 155 balls he faced from the fast bowlers.He was prepared to bide his time against spin as well. Having hit seven fours while scoring his first 51 runs off 104 balls, he hit no boundaries and scored just 19 runs off his next 80 balls, a period during which Rahkeem Cornwall and Jomel Warrican tested him and Rohit constantly with turn and bounce.Cornwall troubled Jaiswal more than any other West Indies bowler. In an innings where he achieved an overall control percentage of just under 87, he went at 75 against the big offspinner. The fact that Cornwall spent the second and third sessions off the field with a chest infection was one of the many things that made a Jaiswal century seem inevitable.Given the slowness of the pitch and the fact that West Indies, who had been bowled out for 150 on day one, were in damage-control mode for most of India’s innings, the biggest challenge Jaiswal faced may not have always come from the bowlers. Apart from Cornwall’s pre-lunch spell, Jaiswal’s technique was perhaps most tested during short bursts of short-pitched bowling from Alzarri Joseph, but the ball seldom rose above waist height, and usually lost most of its steam if it did.Often, Jaiswal’s main challenge seemed to be one of self-control. West Indies used nine bowlers, and their part-timers eventually sent down 24 of the 113 overs that India faced in the first two days. Against the four part-timers, Jaiswal scored 30 off 87 balls, hitting just one four. While they were less likely to get him out than the five frontline bowlers, he recognised that they were going to be no less difficult to score off, and made no special effort to force the pace against them.He was happy as long as he was still out there, batting. The runs he scored were the byproduct of his continued presence in the middle, as were the milestones and records he accumulated. By stumps, he had faced more balls than any of India’s previous debut centurions (though balls-faced data isn’t available for all their innings).And he is by no means done yet. Whether it’s this Test match or his career, Jaiswal has all the time in the world to keep filling his boots.

The future is bright for 20-year-old matchwinner after starring with bat and in the field

Matt Roller18-Sep-2021Two sharp intakes of breath were enough to confirm this was something special.Lewis Gregory’s dismissal in the Vitality Blast final against Kent will go down as ‘c Milnes b Stevens’ but few wickets have ever been done less justice by a scorecard. Relay catches have become a familiar sight in top-level T20 cricket to the extent that there is now a sense of surprise when they are not taken but Jordan Cox’s moment of skill and perception on the deep midwicket boundary in front of the Eric Hollies Stand at Edgbaston will go down as an all-timer.The remarkable thing about Cox’s effort was that rather than an attempted catch then a lob back it was something different altogether: a perfectly-placed parry, off-balance and mid-jump, straight into Matt Milnes’ hands. His celebration betrayed his own disbelief, gawping in shock as he was swamped by his team-mates. Ebony Rainford-Brent delivered the killer line on commentary: Air Jordan had lift-off.Few sporting events missed a crowd more acutely than T20 Finals Day amid the pandemic last year, a boisterous end-of-season celebration reduced to a sodden October letdown in front of hordes of empty seats. This was a moment that deserved the response it got: a collective gasp from 23,500 people as they witnessed an outrageous feat of brilliance, followed by another when the replay on the big screen confirmed what they had seen was real.

If catches could get assists

Take a bow, Jordan Cox

courtesy @VitalityBlast #BlastT20 pic.twitter.com/ZvyIKcVseD

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) September 19, 2021