Cristiano Ronaldo is proud to have been handed a prestigious GOAT award by the Portuguese league that recognises him as the Best Player of All Time.
Evergreen frontman still going strong at 40Career spent battling with Lionel MessiRecognised as the best by those in his homelandFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has been honoured by those in his homeland. CR7 has spent over 20 years competing at the very highest level. He has won league titles with Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus, becoming a goalscoring centurion for all of those clubs.
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Countless records have been broken in Champions League competition, while stunning tallies of international caps and goals – which currently stand at 223 and 141 respectively – may never be beaten.
DID YOU KNOW?
There is no sign of him slowing down at 40 years of age, with a new two-year contract being committed to at Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr. He has now claimed a major award in his native Portugal, which puts him at the very top of any all-time charts.
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WHAT RONALDO SAID
Ronaldo said in a video message to those at the Portuguese professional league awards ceremony: “I’d like to thank Liga Portugal for this award, being named the best player of all time. As you can imagine, it is a great honour to win something for my country.
“First of all, I’d like to thank all my team-mates who have helped me throughout my career to win this wonderful trophy, as well as all the coaches and everyone who has supported me on this journey of always pushing to improve. Thank you all so much.”
The Thunder posted a comfortable victory over the Heat, but the evening game between Scorchers and Renegades went down to the final ball
AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff07-Nov-2024
Alana King finished with 3 for 23•Getty Images
Perth Scorchers 108 (Hinkley 32, King 23, Capsey 5-25) beat Melbourne Renegades 106 for 8 (Dottin 40, King 3-23, Ainsworth 2-18, Devine 2-22) by two runsAlana King’s all-round contributions proved decisive in a low-scoring thriller at the WACA as hosts Perth Scorchers completed a two-run win over Melbourne Renegades while defending only 108.King first scored a crucial 15-ball 23 for the Scorchers from No. 8 amid a batting collapse triggered by the Renegades pair of Milly Illingworth and Hayley Matthews (2 for 15 apiece). Alice Capsey then ran through the tail to claim her career-best figures of 5 for 25 while skittling the Scorchers for 108.However, the Renegades’ batting failed to complement their bowling effort, losing wickets through their innings. Needing 15 runs off the last three overs – 11 off two overs and eight off the final six balls – they failed to hit a single boundary and finished their innings on 106 for 8.The pressure was put on Renegades early in the chase by seamer Chloe Ainsworth when she dismissed opener Courtney Webb and first-down Capsey for first-ball ducks in the first over. Sophie Devine and King then accounted for Naomi Stalenberg and Matthews respectively, and when Amy Edgar removed Georgia Wareham cheaply too, Renegades were 47 for 5 in the ninth over.Deandra Dottin counterattacked with a 27-ball 40 that included three fours and three sixes from No. 6 to lift the Renegades briefly, but King sent her back for the second of her three wickets. King also removed Illingworth in the 18th over to finish with 3 for 23.Tasked with defending 10 runs off the last two overs, Edgar and Ebony Hoskin closed out the game for the Scorchers, conceding only eight singles. Sarah Coyte, who finished unbeaten on a 31-ball 21, needed three for a tie or a boundary for a win off the final ball, but Hoskin kept the last delivery down to just one.Heather Knight played another vital hand•Getty Images
England captain Heather Knight cracked an unbeaten half-century and Sam Bates snared 4 for 25 to lead Sydney Thunder to a 19-run WBBL victory over Brisbane Heat at the WACA Ground.Knight, Phoebe Litchfield, and Chamari Athapaththu, all fired to lift the Thunder to a formidable 170 for 5. In reply, Charli Knott and Grace Harris threatened to pull off the run chase, but the Heat were eventually bowled out for 151 after Bates weaved her magic.After being sent in to bat, Thunder were 13 for 0 in the third over when Georgia Voll was dropped by Laura Harris on 2. Voll would go on to score 22, but more importantly she combined with Athapaththu for a quick-fire 52-run opening stand to give Thunder the perfect platform to launch.Athapaththu and Litchfield cracked seven boundaries apiece, and Knight went into overdrive later in the innings as Heat’s bowlers struggled to contain the star-studded battling line-up.Heat spinner Jess Jonassen was superb with 3 for 22 from her four overs, and Shikha Pandey was economical. But the rest of the bowlers struggled, with Grace Parsons and Nadine de Klerk copping the brunt of the punishment.Heat needed to make a fast start to their run chase, and opener Grace Harris received three slices of luck during her blistering knock. She was on 5 when she gloved a spinning Bates delivery through to the keeper. The appeal was turned down, and Thunder decided not to review it, but replays showed it clearly came off her glove. Harris was then dropped on 26 and 32, but was eventually out when she was caught in the deep from a Taneale Peschel full toss.Knott cracked six fours and a six to notch her maiden WBBL half-century and give Heat a chance, but their victory hopes came crumbling down when she was bowled by Bates who now has 12 wickets from four games in what has been a sizzling start to the season for the 28-year-old.”I don’t know if there’s a real secret behind [my form]. It’s nice to be contributing finally,” Bates told . “I had a pretty ordinary season last year, so I reflected quite a bit on that. I changed some little things and they’re paying off, which is nice.”
South Africa lost to Ireland for only the second time in ODIs, with Jason Smith’s 91 in vain
Abhimanyu Bose07-Oct-2024
Harry Tector made 60 off 48 balls•Cricket Ireland
Half-centuries from captain Paul Stirling and Harry Tector, and an all-round bowling effort helped Ireland to a consolation win in the third ODI against South Africa. This was just Ireland’s second win over South Africa in the format.Winning the toss for the first time in the series, Ireland put on their best batting display before their bowlers made the most of friendly conditions under lightsJason Smith, playing his second ODI, made a fighting 91 but it was an effort in vain after Ireland had run through South Africa’s top five inside 20 overs.In the last two ODIs, Ireland bore the brunt of having to bat under the lights and suffered collapses. But on Monday, South Africa found out just how different a proposition it has been to bat second in Abu Dhabi.With the new ball swinging appreciably more under lights than in the last two games (broadcast showed average swing of 2.1 degrees on Monday compared to 1.1 over the previous two games), Ireland’s quicks made early inroads after their batters got them to a competitive total. Mark Adair had Ryan Rickelton edging to the slips cordon in the first over and trapped Rassie van der Dussen in front three overs later.Reeza Hendricks, flown in from South Africa due to the injury to Temba Bavuma, lasted just seven balls as he edged Graham Hume to Andy Balbirnie at second slip.Kyle Verreynne counter-attacked with six boundaries, but was trapped lbw for 38 by Craig Young as he missed his flick after going across the stumps. Smith and Tristan Stubbs tried to rebuild but Young had the latter nicking off with a harmless length ball in the 20th over.There was another stand of resistance between Smith and Andile Phehlukwayo, but the latter scuffed a pull to fine leg to give Fionn Hand a first ODI wicket on debut.Jason Smith scored his first international fifty but in vain•Cricket Ireland
Smith then took charge of the scoring, driving with authority on the off side, but lost partners at the other end. Bjorn Fortuin hung around before being bowled by left-arm spinner Matthew Humphreys. Young then had Williams edging it to the keeper as he tried to ramp a short ball.Smith also launched Young and Adair over the leg side for a couple of sixes after bringing up his maiden international half-century. He moved into the eighties with a powerful flick wide of long-on off Adair in the 43rd over, before flicking him through midwicket for another boundary. He finished that over by swatting the fast bowler over wide long-on as he quickly moved into the nineties.But Adair had the last laugh when he caught Smith at deep point to end his resistance as the batter sliced a wide yorker from Hume. He hit nine fours and four sixes in his 93-ball knock, which followed a duck on ODI debut. Hume wrapped up the win when he had Lungi Ngidi edging behind with 23 balls to go.Ireland built their score on the back of Stirling and Andy Balbirnie’s first 100-plus partnership in ODIs. They made the most of good conditions on a fresh pitch, with Stirling starting off with a powerful cover drive off Ngidi in the first over. There were some edges that either went in the gaps or didn’t carry as Ireland’s openers saw out the powerplay.Stirling even took on South Africa’s best bowler in the series, Lizaad Williams, hooking him for six. Balbirnie was slower to start, taking his time to settle in. It was in the 13th over that he really got going, flicking Ngidi through midwicket for a boundary. In Ngidi’s next over, Balbirnie hit him for six before getting a couple of boundaries off Fortuin.There were a couple of quiet overs that followed during which Stirling got to his half-century, but Balbirnie holed out as he miscued a pull off Williams. The 101-run stand between Stirling and Balbirnie was Ireland’s second-highest in ODIs against South Africa.Paul Stirling and Andy Balbirnie put up a solid opening partnership•Cricket Ireland
Stirling immediately tried to put the pressure back on South Africa as he drove Williams through cover before hitting Fortuin wide of long-on. Curtis Campher started quickly, picking two boundaries off a Williams over before clubbing Fortuin over wide long-on for six. Stirling and Campher added 58 runs for the second wicket before Campher tried to paddle Baartman only to see the ball crash into the stumps.Stirling went on to drive Ngidi over long-off for another six before crashing Baartman behind point for a boundary, but was then cleaned up by an in-ducker for the second straight game, falling 12 short of a century.Lorcan Tucker, fit again and back in the side, kept Ireland ticking alongside Harry Tector, picking up regular boundaries as they added 54 runs to Ireland’s score. The stand was broken when Tucker tried to scoop Phehlukwayo only to sky it behind, with Ryan Rickelton taking a good catch running back.Phehlukwayo struck again in his next over, as George Dockrell cut him straight to point.Tector lofted Ngidi over long-on before cutting him behind through point for four to reach his half-century in the 48th over. Williams, who was not having his best game of the series until this point, finally made his mark in the penultimate over. He left the middle stump broken as Adair went across the stumps to try and scoop him. He then trapped Hand in front next ball and yorked Hume off the final ball to finish the series with 11 wickets.Tector finished on 60 off 48 as he was run out in the final over trying to run a second to keep strike.
Arsenal are poised to complete the signing of a Premier League star imminently, with the player now undergoing his medicals ahead of his proposed move to N5.
Arsenal trying to convince £55m ace to join, Arteta is speaking to him
The Gunners boss is getting involved.
ByEmilio Galantini Jul 4, 2025
Andrea Berta’s appointment is starting to pay dividends, as Mikel Arteta prepares to welcome a host of new signings to the Emirates Stadium.
19/20 – winter
£0
20/21 – summer
£81.5m
20/21 – winter
£900k
21/22 – summer
£156.8m
21/22 – winter
£1.8m
22/23 – summer
£121.5m
22/23 – winter
£59m
23/24 – summer
£208m
23/24 – winter
£0
24/25 – summer
£101.5m
24/25 – winter
£0
25/26 – summer
£5m
Arsenal have already acquired Kepa Arrizabalaga, who officially became Berta’s first signing in a £5 million move from Chelsea earlier this week, with the Gunners also finally sealing a deal for Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad.
The Premier League title hopefuls are actively trying to sign an attacker too. Arsenal are reported to be in “advanced” talks with Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze over terms (L’Equipe), but this won’t have an impact on their efforts for Chelsea winger Noni Madueke, as it is believed both players could join them in separate deals (Fabrizio Romano).
All of this comes amid Berta’s pursuit of a new striker as well – likely to be one of Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres or RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko – with the director having worked extensively on deals for both men simultaneously before deciding which move would be best for the club (BBC).
However, one man who looks certain to land before the likes of Eze, Madueke, Sesko or Gyokeres is Brentford captain Christian Norgaard.
Arsenal recently agreed a deal which could reach £15 million for Norgaard, with reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano confirming that the necessary paperwork has been exchanged ahead of his switch.
The 31-year-old Bees figurehead is an adept and Premier League-proven player, with reliable journalist Ben Jacobs sharing when supporters can expect him to be announced as a new Arsenal player.
Arsenal expected to complete Christian Norgaard signing next week
Speaking on talkSPORT, Jacobs reports that Norgaard is undergoing medical tests at Arsenal, and has completed the first half of his physical assessments. The Denmark international is expected to fully complete his move next week, so it won’t be long until supporters can officially welcome him.
“It’s Eze plus a left winger, and then you have a number nine as well,” said Jacobs on the club’s transfer plans.
“Add in Norgaard, who has done the first part of his medical, and is expected to complete his move next week.
“On top of that factor in the €60m or so outlay for Martin Zubimendi and Arsenal are getting going. Mosquera is another one they’re very optimistic on.”
Arsenal’s signing of Norgaard has been praised by critics, like former Tottenham director Frank Arnesen, who recently told Danish news outlet Tipsbladest that he’s the full package.
“Christian is a fantastic guy,” said Arnsen.
“I have nothing but good things to say about him. You meet players many times in your life, but I always hoped this one would have a fantastic career. He has got that. He has become captain of Brentford and has done incredible.
“Mikel Arteta was fantastic as a player, I think, and as a coach he has done absolutely superbly, both as an assistant at Manchester City and afterwards at Arsenal with the way he plays football.
“He doesn’t just take a player in without knowing exactly what he’s going to use him for. Maybe he won’t play 50 games, you don’t know, maybe it’ll only be 30, but it’s about the whole package. He gets the whole package with Christian.”
Manchester United have spent big on strikers over the years, as the club looks to bolster their ranks and consolidate their place as England’s most successful club.
However, their investment over recent seasons has massively hindered their progress in the Premier League, leading to their bottom-half finish in 2024/25.
Rasmus Hojlund has been the Red Devils’ main talisman since Ruben Amorim’s appointment, but he’s massively struggled to provide the goods – netting just four league goals throughout this season.
Rasmus Hojlund
As a result, he’s been touted with a move to join Inter Milan this summer, less than two years after his £72m switch from Atalanta, ultimately failing to live up to expectations as seen by his measly goal tally.
With the summer window reopening later this week, it presents the manager with the perfect opportunity to strengthen his squad and help them mount a charge up the table next campaign.
United’s hunt for new attackers this summer
Given the lack of goals scored by Hojlund throughout 2024/25, it’s no surprise to see the hierarchy targeting added reinforcements in the final third this summer.
The likes of Benjamin Sesko, Gonçalo Ramos and Liam Delap have all been linked with a move to Old Trafford this summer, but no deals have been completed – with the latter rejecting Amorim’s side in favour of a move to Chelsea.
However, progress has been made on a deal to sign Viktor Gyokeres this summer, with United taking a huge step towards winning the race for his signature this summer, according to one Spanish outlet.
They claim that Jason Wilcox and Co are preparing an offer for the Swedish international, after Arsenal entered the race for the 27-year-old, who’s scored 54 times this season.
It also states that the Portuguese outfit are demanding a fee in the region of €80m (£67m) to part ways with their star man, but doesn’t say how much they’re set to offer for his services.
Why Gyokeres could be United’s answer to Haaland
Erling Haaland is a talisman who has taken the Premier League by storm in recent seasons, helping rivals Manchester City claim the treble back in the 2022/23 season.
Erling Haaland in action for Manchester City
The Norwegian forward has just completed his third year in the North West, scoring a total of 85 goals in his 97 league appearances – finishing as the Golden Boot winner in two of the last three campaigns.
Such form in England has made him one of, if not, the most deadly attacking options in Europe, with every side wishing they could rely upon a finisher as lethal as the 24-year-old.
However, the situation could’ve been completely different, with the Red Devils hierarchy rejecting an opportunity to sign the star during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s tenure at the helm.
Gyokeres’ goalscoring record has undoubtedly caught the eye, but his underlying stats are just as impressive, outperforming Haaland in numerous key areas – becoming United’s own version of the Norwegian should he move to Old Trafford.
The Swede, who’s been labelled “phenomenal” by one analyst, may have outscored Haaland, but he’s also registered a higher shot-on-target rate – demonstrating his accuracy within attacking areas.
He’s also managed to complete more of the take-ons that he’s attempted, whilst registering more carries into the final third, having the ability to create changes for himself rather than relying on his teammates.
How Gyokeres compares to Haaland in 2024/25
Statistics (per 90)
Gyokeres
Haaland
Games played
33
31
Goals & assists
46
25
Shot on target accuracy
53%
52%
Shots on target per 90
2.2
1.8
Take-on success
46%
38%
Carries into final third
1.3
0.4
Aerials won
54%
53%
Stats via FBref
Gyokeres’ dominance doesn’t end there, winning more of the aerials he’s entered, subsequently handing Amorim the focal point he’s lacked since taking the reins back in November.
Whilst £67m may seem like a hefty fee for a player who’s never played in the Premier League before, it’s a risk worth taking given his recent goalscoring exploits.
Should he get close to the levels produced by the City star over recent years, it would be one hell of an addition, proving to be a bargain despite the huge fee they would have to fork out for his signature.
Amorim's own Carrick: Wilcox preparing Man Utd move for £20m "monster"
Manchester United appear to be making a move for a player who could emulate Michael Carrick’s achievements.
Newcastle United have now identified “sensational” £50m+ midfielder as a major summer transfer target by Eddie Howe, according to a report.
Magpies set sights on new midfielder
The players responsible for ending Newcastle’s 70-year trophy drought have etched themselves into folklore forever, but with a Champions League campaign potentially on the horizon, Howe will feel a need to improve his squad in the summer transfer window.
The manager is relatively well-stocked in central midfield, but with doubts over the futures of Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali, at least one new addition may be needed, and Girona midfielder Yangel Herrera has recently emerged as a target.
Herrera has often featured in a defensive role throughout his career, but there are signs the Magpies could look at bringing in a midfielder with more of an attacking mindset, having now joined the race for Manchester City’s James McAtee.
Newcastle identify "incredible" £65m Prem forward as ideal summer target
The Magpies have expressed an interest in signing a Premier League attacker this summer.
ByDominic Lund May 6, 2025
Should Howe’s side qualify for the Champions League, it may also be wise to bring in an attacking midfielder with experience in the elite competition, and they have now set their sights on a player who has performed very well in Europe this season.
According to a report from TEAMtalk, Newcastle are now keen on signing Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott, with Howe clearly a big fan of the Englishman, having personally identified him as a major summer target.
Liverpool's HarveyElliottcelebrates
Elliott has found it difficult to break into the Liverpool starting XI this season, which means a summer exit could be on the cards, but he will not come cheap, with Wolverhampton Wanderers reportedly planning an offer worth in excess of £50m.
"Sensational" Elliott could ignite career at St. James' Park
The midfielder has impressed for Liverpool in the past, having been lauded as “sensational” by football writer Leanne Prescott, but he has only played a sporadic role in the Reds’ title triumph this season, making 15 Premier League appearances.
Given that the London-born maestro is now 22-years-old and yet to receive an England cap, it could well be time to leave the Reds for the good of his career, and he has proven he has what it takes to perform at the top level with his performances in the Champions League.
The former Fulham man scored three goals in five Champions League outings, most notably bagging a late winner in the first leg of his side’s round of 16 clash against Paris Saint-Germain.
While game time has been hard to come by, the Liverpool ace has certainly made the most of his limited opportunities, ranking incredibly highly across a number of key metrics over the past year, when compared with his positional peers in the ‘big five’ European leagues.
Statistic
Average per 90
Non-penalty goals
0.46 (99th percentile)
Assists
0.46 (99th percentile)
Shot-creating actions
5.17 (99th percentile)
Elliott is showing signs he could go on to be a top player, but he needs regular game time to make that a reality, so a move to Newcastle could make perfect sense this summer.
Liverpool need to make some signings in the transfer market this summer. Luckily, Arne Slot’s side are on the cusp of winning the Premier League after nominal investment in recent windows, and FSG are ready to reward them.
Now that Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk’s deals have been extended – well ahead of the summer transfer window – sporting director Richard Hughes can focus his attention on drafting plans and convincing agents that Anfield is the place for their first-class client.
Ah, Trent Alexander-Arnold’s new contract may sit unsigned, but if you read between the lines, it sadly becomes quite clear that the boyhood Red will close this chapter of his career and sign for Real Madrid at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.
However, Liverpool are indeed ready to strengthen across the park, which will ease the pain sure to come when Trent goes. One such signing has been identified as one of the prized players on the south coast.
Liverpool have enjoyed plenty of success in plucking from England’s southerly beaches over the years, with Van Dijk joined by Sadio Mane in joining from Southampton, charging an illustrious era under Jurgen Klopp’s wing.
Sadio Mane Liverpool graphic
Now, FSG’s attention has been turned toward Bournemouth.
Liverpoool pushing to sign PL star
According to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, Liverpool are working on a deal for Bournemouth centre-back Dean Huijsen, who has a £50m release clause in his contract and is expected to leave the Vitality Stadium this summer.
Plettenberg implies that talks have already taken place, with the Reds making a “strong push”, while “projects and figures have all been presented”.
Recent reports have circulated purporting Chelsea to be in the lead for the Spain international, but this has since been quashed by top sources such as Fabrizio Romano – with the transfer guru corroborating claims regarding talks being held.
The race is on, but Liverpool are pulling out all the stops and are working toward moving to the front, having indeed presented their package.
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Contrastingly to the Chelsea-led rumours, talkSPORT claim Huijsen favours a move to Liverpool over that of Stamford Bridge.
Why Liverpool want Dean Huijsen
Huijsen is very much the talk of the town right now.
The Dutch-born central defender is only 20 years old, plying his way through his first campaign on English shores, yet he’s thriving, arresting most high-class outfits across the continent and being hailed as a “world-class” player in the making by one analyst.
He’s the real deal, all right, with a ball-playing game that bespeaks his potential as a superstar for a team at the top of the pyramid, ranking among the top 16% of positional peers for progressive passes and the top 7% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref.
It’s remarkable to think he hasn’t played all that much football yet is performing to such a high level, truly a talent capable of forging a lightning-in-a-bottle type of career.
Premier League 24/25 – Dean Huijsen vs Illya Zabarnyi
Stats (* per game)
Huijsen
Zabarnyi
Matches (starts)
27 (22)
31 (30)
Goals
2
0
Assists
1
0
Clean sheets
7
7
Touches*
60.5
58.1
Key passes*
0.5
0.4
Pass completion
85%
82%
Ball recoveries*
3.4
4.5
Tackles + interceptions*
3.0
2.6
Clearances*
5.9
4.8
Duels (won)*
3.9
4.0
Stats via Sofascore
Alongside another young defender, the 22-year-old Illya Zabarnyi, Huijsen has shone that little bit brighter for Andoni Iraola, with a sharper attacking approach, crisper in possession while influencing forward moves too, and proving to be a bit more robust in his defensive duties.
We touched earlier on the fact that Huijsen could arrive as Slot’s own version of Van Dijk, but we also paid note to Mane, and in a curious way Huijsen may prove to be Liverpool’s next version of the Senegal legend.
Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen
Mane left Southampton and signed for Liverpool in 2016 for a £34m fee, having notched 35 goal contributions across just two seasons for Saints.
But he transcended expectations at Liverpool, going from strength to strength and then stronger still as he formed a part of one of the Premier League’s all-time attacking trios, praised as a “machine” by Klopp for his output and athleticism.
Huijsen can replicate the veteran, having already made a name for himself in England’s top flight on the south coast, earning acclaim and attracting attention from a host of Europe’s top outfits.
Moreover, Southampton qualified for the Europa League in 2015/16, right before Mane earned himself a one-way ticket to Anfield.
Bournemouth, of course, are eighth in the Premier League right now. They could grace the European scene next season. However, they won’t have Huijsen in their brood – hopefully, FSG will have pulled no punches in getting a deal done.
He's better than Huijsen: Liverpool want "one of the best CBs in the PL"
Liverpool could be about to forget a move for Dean Huijsen with a deal for another Premier League star.
His tendency to play most lengths from spinners off the back foot has brought him high control percentages but it can also get him into trouble
Karthik Krishnaswamy10-Oct-20251:35
Aakash Chopra: Sai Sudharsan would be ‘kicking himself’ for missing a hundred
It would come as no surprise to anyone that Shubman Gill and KL Rahul, who ended the recent tour of England with averages of 75.40 and 53.20, also had the best control percentages of all of India’s batters on the trip.Guess which India batter had the next-best control percentage? You’ve seen the headline of this piece, so no prizes for guessing, but would you, otherwise, have imagined it might have been B Sai Sudharsan, who scored all of 140 runs across six innings, at an average of 23.33? That too on a tour that brought so many other India batters so many runs?Depending on your philosophical leanings, you might conclude either that this fact shows us how unreliable averages are, or how unreliable control percentages are.If you followed that tour closely enough, you would have watched Sai Sudharsan play innings after innings of promising beginnings and puzzling endings. You would have watched him defend and leave good-length balls in the business area around the top of off stump with great assurance, playing close to his body at most times, and almost always having time for late adjustments. You would have watched him get out to the most unthreatening deliveries, with half-volleys angling down leg proving particularly hazardous.At the end of it all, you might have wondered what to make of it all.Selectors and coaches often place great emphasis on the eye test. Sai Sudharsan had clearly passed this when India called him up to their Test squad. He averaged less than 40 in first-class cricket, and the last frontline batter to make a Test debut for India without having passed that benchmark was another Tamil Nadu left-hander, WV Raman, all the way back in 1988. And Raman’s first-class average was partly a function of his having begun his career as a left-arm spinner who batted down the order.At the end of that England tour, the enigma of Sai Sudharsan confronted the world all over again: eye test passed, average of 23.33.He had, of course, only played three Tests, so you couldn’t read too much into that average. But then came Ahmedabad last week, and a score of 7 when the rest of India’s top six made 36, 100, 50, 125 and 104*. One of those scores came from a promising wicketkeeper-batter who was playing because India’s regular keeper-batter was injured; many viewers began having visions of both playing together, one of them as a specialist batter.And how would India possibly accommodate both in their XI? Well, there’s this guy at No. 3 with an average of 21.00 after four Test matches…It was against this backdrop that Sai Sudharsan batted against West Indies in Delhi. On the one hand: day one on a flat Indian pitch, a modest attack, and so much to gain. On the other: refer to last week’s scorecard for evidence of how little all those ingredients can still amount to.As Sai Sudharsan settled into his innings, he showed no sign of being in any way conscious of this backdrop. He had faced a certain degree of criticism in Ahmedabad for his tendency of playing most lengths from spinners off the back foot, and had been out doing so, lbw while looking to pull Roston Chase off a ball that didn’t seem short enough to merit that response. He continued, here in Delhi, to play most lengths off the back foot against West Indies’ spin trio, but showed he had ways of forcing them for runs without adopting the horizontal bat.By the time he had scored 26, he had hit four back-foot fours off the spinners with a straight or straight-ish bat, three of them down the ground. Two of them were contenders for shot of the day: both times, he rocked back to Jomel Warrican’s left-arm spin and punched him against the turn into the narrow gap between mid-off and short extra-cover.Both times, the ball was only marginally short of a good length, and turning into his stumps and theoretically cramping Sai Sudharsan for room. But he manufactured just enough room by using the full depth of his crease and opening up his hip, with his front leg skipping nimbly to the leg side, and manufactured a remarkable amount of power through his strong, whippy wrists.Sai Sudharsan showed complete faith in this back-foot-dominant game against spin right through a second-wicket stand of 193 with Yashasvi Jaiswal, whether while playing attacking shots or while defending good-length balls attacking his stumps.Every now and again, this technique contributed to moments that jolted viewers out of the reverie that big first-day partnerships on flat Indian pitches can induce. One ball would turn a little more, or skid through a little quicker, or keep ever so slightly low, and yank Sai Sudharsan out of his bubble of self-possession. On 52, he jammed his bat down just in time to save himself from what looked like a certain lbw against one such ball from Khary Pierre.B Sai Sudharsan is back-foot oriented against spin•AFP/Getty ImagesBut this was still a batter in full control. Almost literally. Until he was dropped on 58 – he closed his bat face too early against the medium-pace of Justin Greaves and popped a leading edge towards Warrican at short midwicket – off the 107th ball he faced, Sai Sudharsan hadn’t played a single false shot all innings.And his eventual dismissal on 87 came off the only false shot he played in 125 balls against spin.Inevitably, it was a good-length ball that Sai Sudharsan looked to defend off the back foot, except this ball from Warrican turned prodigiously and skidded onto his back pad before he could bring his bat down fully. Like the rest of his innings had done, like his dismissal in Ahmedabad had done, it fuelled debate over his method.Ball-by-ball data from Test matches in India since 2022 tells us that, on average, batters only negotiate around 14% of balls that spinners land in the 4-5m length band (the fuller side of the spinners’ good length) off the back foot. Sai Sudharsan, in this series, has gone back to just under 38% of balls pitching in that band.Is that… good or bad?Well, first of all, our reactions to technique tend to be informed by what we’re used to seeing. We’re used to watching batters defend balls off the front foot when spinners land on the fuller side of a good length. Any other response looks unusual, and to many viewers, suspect. And if you believe this, that belief is only strengthened when that unusual method contributes to a dismissal.Sai Sudharsan was out playing back to a ball most batters would have gone forward to. But he had employed the same technique until that point while achieving a 100% control rate over 124 balls against spin.B Sai Sudharsan seemingly misjudged the length and fell lbw to Roston Chase in Ahmedabad•Associated PressWhat do we conclude, then? We might want to listen to India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, who provided a superbly nuanced take in his press conference at the end of the day’s play.”See, Sai, obviously, coming from Tamil Nadu, they play a lot on turning wickets. He’s pretty good against spin,” Kotak said. “I think his back-foot game, and some shots he plays on the back foot, not many players play, because a lot of balls which he negotiates on the back foot, most of the players would negotiate it on the front foot.”The only thing we talk about is, some of the very full balls also, sometimes he plays on the back foot, so we’re trying to cut [down] on that. He very much knows that, and he tries. And obviously the line [matters]; if the line is outside off stump, the same length he could easily go [onto the] front foot and play, then impact [on the pad] would be outside off stump.”So all that we discuss. But his overall game against spin is a lot more on the back foot than front foot. And with his bat-swing, the way he bats, the amount of power he generates on the back foot is also amazing. Some of the shots through mid-off, extra-cover, through midwicket and all, that is his strength.”To boil that down: Sai Sudharsan is unusually back-foot oriented against spin, and he plays shots off the back foot – like the two mentioned above against Warrican – that not too many others can play. This method can, however, get him in trouble against certain lines and lengths, and judicious use of front-foot play can help him round out his game.Kotak’s observation about going on the front foot when the ball pitches outside off stump, to take lbw out of the equation, illuminates one advantage of front-foot play: it can keep the percentages in batters’ favour even when they aren’t in control. Defending off the back foot, however, tends to be more binary: you are usually either able to adjust to vagaries of turn, pace and bounce and defend with the middle of your bat, or the ball behaves so unusually that you are left without any protection against dismissal.Kotak spoke about Sai’s mental strength too, and the self-belief that allowed him to bat the way he did on Friday, seemingly impervious to all the noise swirling around him.India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak rates B Sai Sudharsan highly•PTI “Sai, we all know how talented he is. [We don’t always just] look at the [batter’s] score; [we] look at the batsman, how he’s batting, how he’s pacing his innings, what kind of shots he plays,” Kotak said. “Sometimes, one or two innings, anybody can fail. But he batted brilliantly today.”He is someone who is mentally very tough, you’ll never see him change his style of playing. He always plays on the merit [of the ball]. So the same way he batted today. [You might have thought] he might be thinking, [what happens] if I get out early again? But if you see his innings, [did] you ever feel from ball one that he’s thinking that? Obviously not. So that’s why we know [what a] quality [player] he is.”Sai Sudharsan’s innings reflected all the strengths Kotak enumerated, but also the security he feels in a team that believes fully in his ability, ignoring his first-class record, his early Test numbers, and the knee-jerk reactions of the outside world to success and failure. It was the innings of a hugely talented player but also the innings of the system that produced him and nurtures him.It felt sobering that this innings came against the West Indies team of 2025. Is Sai Sudharsan, in raw-material terms, a better batter than Tagenarine Chanderpaul or Alick Athanaze? Who can say. Do they have the infrastructure, technical expertise and support system that gets the most out of Sai Sudharsan’s talent? Most definitely not, and for no fault of theirs. If you think cricket is at its healthiest if it offers its young talent the best possible opportunities to flourish, you can’t be happy with the way it currently works.
While their abilities were not in question, it is understood that their decision to practically make themselves unavailable for India has not sat well with the selectors
Sidharth Monga28-Feb-20249:47
Sambit Bal: Iyer-Kishan omission a ‘huge statement from the BCCI’
Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan have not been considered for BCCI’s annual retainers because they practically made themselves unavailable to play for India.Kishan took a break from cricket for personal reasons during the South Africa tour, and returned to action only earlier this week in the DY Patil T20 tournament. Iyer was cleared fit by the NCA before the selection for the second half of the ongoing Test series, but didn’t appear either for India or for Mumbai in the week that followed.The BCCI release announcing the contracts ended with an uncharacteristic piece of information: “The BCCI has recommended that all athletes give precedence to participating in domestic cricket during periods when they are not representing the national team.”Two weeks ago, the BCCI secretary Jay Shah had written a letter to the centrally contracted players to not prioritise the IPL over domestic cricket and national duties. The letter had warned them of “severe implications”.Related
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Even Rohit Sharma, the India captain, said in his press conference after the Ranchi Test on Sunday that players who show the “hunger” for Test cricket will be given preference going forward. He said he realised Test cricket is a tough format, which needs players who will show the required hunger.When Kishan was not selected for the Tests against England, India coach Rahul Dravid said that he hadn’t yet made himself available, and that he would have to play some kind of domestic cricket to be eligible for a comeback. ESPNcricinfo understands the team management had got in touch with him during the on-going Test series against England, but Kishan said he was not ready yet. In his absence, Dhruv Jurel debuted and won the Player-of-the-Match award in his second Test.Iyer’s absence seems to be a disagreement with the fitness assessment done by the NCA. ESPNcricinfo has learnt that after the second Test, Iyer expressed discomfort in his back when playing long innings, but the medical staff cleared him of any injury. When Iyer was left out for the third and fourth Tests, the BCCI didn’t offer any reason. When he didn’t turn up for Mumbai in the next week’s Ranji Trophy match, Mumbai Cricket Association sources said he had back spasms.Shreyas Iyer had expressed discomfort in his back after the second Test against England•AFP/Getty ImagesESPNcricinfo has learnt that the selectors, who make the recommendations for contracts, were not pleased that Kishan used this time away from the game to train with his IPL captain Hardik Pandya in Baroda, and that Iyer was at Kolkata Knight Riders’ pre-season camp when missing the match for Mumbai. Iyer has since made himself available for Mumbai’s semi-final match in the Ranji Trophy.”The selectors don’t doubt their ability,” a BCCI official told ESPNcricinfo. “But if the NCA is saying you are fit and you are not making yourself available for the Test series, how can the BCCI offer you a contract?”After the IPL, if they happen to get selected and fulfil the criteria of the number of matches required for a pro-rata contract, they will be awarded a contract.”The ability of Iyer and Kishan is not in any doubt. In fact, India waited till the last possible moment before the ODI World Cup to give Iyer every chance to get back to full fitness. Kishan is an ODI double-centurion, who was India’s Test wicketkeeper in Rishabh Pant’s absence until KL Rahul was also selected as a wicketkeeper for the South Africa tour. Even if Kishan had reasons to believe Rahul might have been preferred in the Tests in South Africa, in which case he decided to tend to his personal matters, his refusal to play for Jharkhand but getting ready for the IPL has not sat well with the selectors.This was perhaps the “severe implications” that Shah warned the players of in the letter, in which he also wrote that players prioritising the IPL over domestic cricket was unprecedented. Now the BCCI seems to have made a tangible statement to address the conflict.
“I was conflicted in my own mind. I knew they were expecting the slower ball, but I didn’t know when to bowl it”
Matt Roller17-Jul-2022It is hard to comprehend the contrasting emotions that Hampshire’s players experienced at 9.48pm on Saturday night in Birmingham. Nathan Ellis yorked Richard Gleeson and charged towards the Hollies stand, roaring “COME ON!” as he peeled away in celebration. His team-mates sprinted over and engulfed him, and the Edgbaston events staff set off the fireworks to mark Hampshire’s record-levelling third T20 title.And then, umpire Graham Lloyd held his arm out and called them back from the deep-point boundary: Paul Baldwin, the TV umpire, had spotted that Ellis had over-stepped. James Fuller sank to his knees. Chris Wood flung the stump he had pulled out as a commemorative souvenir back towards the pitch. “My heart sank,” Ellis said. “All I could think about was the fact that we’d just carried on like that, and I’d carried on celebrating for the last 30 seconds. And now we were in trouble of losing the game.”Related
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The equation had shifted into Lancashire’s favour. With two runs awarded for a no-ball in English domestic cricket, they needed only two runs off the last ball to lift the trophy by virtue of a higher powerplay score. After James Vince, Hampshire’s captain, delivered a team talk, Ellis stood at the top of his mark and tried desperately to clear his mind enough to make a decision as to what he should bowl.”I hadn’t bowled a slower ball to him [Gleeson],” he explained. “My thought process was: ‘what’s the best way to try and get a play-and-miss?’ That was it. Once I’d made that decision, it was just try and execute.” His back-of-a-length, back-of-the-hand slower ball flew past Gleeson’s outside edge, bounced over the top of the stumps and through to wicketkeeper Ben McDermott on the half-volley.Despite Lancashire’s protestations, Hampshire celebrated for a second time. Ellis finished wicketless but his spell, conceding 23 runs from his four overs, must rank among the best none-fors in T20 history. Even before closing out the win (at the second attempt) he had conceded only nine runs across the 15th and 17th overs as Lancashire froze in their chase; all told, he bowled 10 dot balls and conceded a single boundary, which came during the powerplay.Ellis’ strategy at the death was a microcosm of the planning behind modern T20 cricket, and illustrated the unique challenges of the Blast’s Finals Day. After winning their own semi-final at the start of the day, Lancashire had watched Hampshire beat Somerset immediately before the final; Ellis realised that they would have seen how many slower balls he had bowled during his spell of 3 for 30.Ellis – “My role in T20 cricket has never been as a wicket-taker”•Getty Images”It was a little bit of cat-and-mouse,” he said. “I was conflicted in my own mind. I’d bowled three on-pace attempted yorkers and I knew they were expecting the slower ball, but I didn’t know when to bowl it. I was fully aware that I’d bowled a lot of slower balls in the semi-final earlier in the day, and aware that they [Lancashire] were probably watching.”Ellis is shorter than most fast bowlers and has a whippy action, bowling at good pace from tight to the stumps. His back-of-the-hand slower ball, honed playing Sydney club cricket for St George, is difficult to pick since the seam stays upright throughout and he has been a revelation for Hampshire, conceding just 6.87 runs per over across the season.He was only their fifth-highest wicket-taker, with 15, but his death-over economy rate (6.61) was the best in the competition by a distance. “My role I’ve played in T20 cricket has never been as a wicket-taker,” he said. “It’s not something I even think about or look at: it’s probably more damage control or defend. Those moments to me are way bigger than wicket tallies or anything like that. If we get the win, I couldn’t care less.””The way he regrouped and then his confidence to go to that slower ball in that situation… he’s executed so well at the death so a lot of credit has to go to Nelly,” James Vince, Hampshire’s captain, said. “All the other guys were there spectating on the off-chance it came to them but for him to re-group and have the ball in hand and be as calm as that was outstanding. He’s played a bit for Australia, but I’m sure he’ll play a lot more.”ESPNcricinfo LtdAlong with McDermott, his Hobart Hurricanes team-mate, Ellis was signed on the back of his BBL form which Vince has experienced as an opponent, playing for Sydney Sixers. “We’ve got a good relationship with George Bailey, the Australian selector, from when he played at Hampshire,” Vince said. “Although there was [Australia] A cricket and other squads going on, we had good confidence that we’d have him for the whole competition. That makes a big difference.”Ellis was a travelling reserve when Australia won the T20 World Cup in the UAE last year and will now come into consideration as a squad option for their title defence in October – particularly if he can secure a replacement deal in the Hundred and continues to impress in that competition.But those thoughts can wait. Finals are not about the future, but the unfiltered emotion of the present. And as Ellis, still in his full kit and wearing a Hampshire bucket hat, sat in the dressing room with his team-mates deep into the small hours on Sunday morning, he was left to reflect on the surreality of a final that he won twice