All posts by h716a5.icu

From messy breakups to simmering feuds to returning prodigals, this season has it all

Alagappan Muthu18-Mar-2025When something unbelievable happens on TV, it becomes a part of our real life. We talk about it the next day, long after the reveal, still basking in it. It’s the standard soap-opera high, and the IPL has been tapping into it for 18 years. Its even had an evil twin.By actively shuffling its talent through that chaos engine called an auction, this tournament replenishes itself, creating potential for the most unpredictable outcomes, not to mention immediately recognisable storylines born out of putting the same old players in fun new roles. This season we’ll see the return of a prodigal son, the start of a new feud, a lot of heartbreak and much more.Related

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“It feels odd actually,” R Ashwin said in a video posted by Chennai Super Kings, where for the first time since 2015 he was wearing yellow again. In that time, he’s captained a different franchise, he’s been to two finals, he’s experienced Chepauk from the visitors’ dugout and seemed to make it a point to do really well against his old employers – eight wins in 12 games along with 15 wickets and two Player-of-the-Match performances. That’s twice as much as he won at CSK. Dude was winning the breakup.In November, CSK brought Ashwin back for INR 9.75 crore. They’ve only ever spent more on five players in auctions, and he’s got right down to business, which, according to some shaky cam footage of training sessions, includes downloading the secrets of playing the helicopter shot from MS Dhoni. Or was it actually an upload?Last year, Shreyas Iyer received the IPL trophy from the heads of the organisation that culled him from its central contracts list•AFP/Getty Images”I invited him for my 100th Test to hand over the memento,” Ashwin, who is looking at a major personal landmark, said at a book launch on Sunday. “It was in Dharamsala and I wanted to make that my last Test. He couldn’t make it. But I didn’t think he’d hand over the gift of getting me back to CSK. It’s a much better one.”Coincidence is Shreyas Iyer becoming Ranji Trophy champion a few days after he was cut from the BCCI’s central contracts list. Then he became IPL champion, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy winner, and Champions Trophy winner, and it was clear he was the jilted ex showing off his revenge bod. Fate even conspired to have Roger Binny, the head of the organisation that tore up his contract, hand out the silverware – and white jackets – in all but one of those tournaments. Kolkata Knight Riders, what have you done?!Punjab Kings are ready for a new beginning, and they didn’t waste any time putting their very expensive good-luck charm front and centre.All was not well at Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants. The face of one of those franchises leapt up on the shop window when he casually wondered, in front of the entire world, “if I go to the auction, will I be sold or not and for how much?” We’re not saying that put the competition on notice that a high-performing, easily marketable asset was up for grabs and that they’d do well to carve out a significant portion of their budget for him. But we’re also not not saying it. Rishabh Pant landed himself an INR 27 crore payday and will be playing for a team whose owner berated their previous captain on live TV.”Disrespect,” KL Rahul said, when ESPNcricinfo asked him about the one thing that made him really angry, and it was hard not to think of that night when he stood in stunned silence, unable to reconcile that 167 runs could be scored in 9.4 overs while his boss demanded answers for all of it happening on his watch. Accountability is important, and being mauled like that does warrant a debrief if only so it doesn’t happen again. IPL captains are prone to being summoned out of bed in the dead of night to explain the decisions they make – even the really minute ones like why they poked their nose at a 42-degree angle instead of 45. It’s part of the job. It’s just that all this usually takes place behind closed doors.Glenn Maxwell has a long and complicated history with Punjab Kings, his not-quite-new team•BCCIRahul has now moved to DC. Isn’t that nice? Now there are neatly-drawn enemy lines. Look for them this Monday because those two teams kick off their IPL campaigns against each other.In a case of actual love lost, Glenn Maxwell and Royal Challengers Bengaluru are no longer together. But there’s still something there. When they had the exit meeting, they “ended up talking about the game for half an hour”. Does that sound like two parties who are ready to move on? All we can do is hope that his new franchise treats him right and helps mend his broken heart. Where is he off to again? *checks notes* Oh damn.Jos Buttler is in need of mending as well. He looked like a ghost in the Champions Trophy and though most people put that down to his own personal performance as batter and leader of England, the real reason was obviously that he was distraught he won’t get to go play with Yuzvendra Chahal anymore. Feelings that probably surfaced when another Rajasthan Royal, Sanju Samson, with whom he’s shared a dressing room for seven years, found his way to Buttler’s table at dinner, a blubbering mess himself. Good luck following that, Gujarat Titans.There is a Steve Smith on X, a normal guy with a regular job, who gets spammed every time his rather more famous namesake does things in cricket. Potentially, there is also a Mitchell Starc somewhere out there who must have received a message meant for someone else, because his rather more famous namesake had no idea KKR were going to drop him. The retention deadline had long passed and Starc – the white-ball GOAT not the made-up rando – had to learn that the team he helped win the IPL had moved on in the media. It’s going to be fun when they come up against each other this year (April 29 in Delhi). Based on words caught on a stump mic, this guy with a WMD for a left arm also has a long memory.

The Australia allrounder talks about her fitness and diet regimes, gearing up for the ODI World Cup and her captaincy stint in the ongoing Hundred

Valkerie Baynes20-Aug-20251:24

Gardner on using the Hundred to gauge the opposition

Every franchise tournament has its own unique flavour and quirks, none more so than the Hundred. But for all its overs turned “sets” and scoring graphics which confuse rusted-on cricket fans and newcomers alike, this year’s women’s competition offers a more conventional platform as an information-gathering exercise ahead of the 50-over World Cup.Ashleigh Gardner, the Australia allrounder and Trent Rockets captain, says it’s inevitable that players will be sizing each other up ahead of the global tournament in India and Sri Lanka in six weeks’ time.”From an opposition point of view, it’s probably trying to pick up things off your team-mates or people that you’re playing against, little cues that you can take back to your homeland and plan accordingly,” Gardner told ESPNcricinfo’s Powerplay podcast.Related

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“There’s no denying that and there’s probably other countries around the world, if you’re playing with another international, try and get some things from them or talk to them about, not necessarily their game plan, but just having those off-the-cuff conversations and trying to wrap your head around that because that’s so important.”We play a lot of cricket with these people and against them, so it’s, how can I try and get the upper hand where I can? Sometimes that’s going to be harder to do, but just looking at the game holistically.”While the formats differ and there are no India players involved in the Hundred this year, removing the chance to go up against players from a side Gardner believes will be a “huge threat” at the World Cup, there are several Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and England stars in action.Australia will play an ODI series in India immediately before the World Cup and Pakistan will host South Africa from mid-September but for other sides, warm-up games will be the only other chance to gauge the opposition ahead of the tournament.”I’ve got potentially a longer time to bat and more overs to bowl, but I don’t think it really changes for me, I’ve always got the same mindset,” Gardner said. “I want to take the game on and I want to expose the areas of the game that I can, so for me, it’s trying to do that for longer periods of time.”India looked a class above their hosts in a recent 2-1 ODI series win in England, only losing the rain-affected second match at Lord’s, and Australia smashed England across formats during the Women’s Ashes in January, where the Australians’ superior fitness and athleticism was at the fore once again.1:32

Gardner: ‘Body image is a big one around female athletes’

The fallout from that series for England, who had already had their fitness questioned after their early exit from the T20 World Cup last October, was significant with a change of captaincy and new head coach Charlotte Edwards revealing that players would be held to minimum fitness standards from next year.Gardner gave some insight into how the Australians prepared for the “rude shock” of 50-over matches after playing in the shortened format of the Hundred.”We’re going to be spending double the time on our feet, so I know for us Aussie players, we play a game of cricket, but then the next day or that day we need to then run again, we need to gym,” she said.”It might be mentally taxing at the time, knowing that you have to play a game of cricket, which you’re obviously trying to win and be successful in, but also having one eye on the World Cup and making sure that our bodies are getting in the right spot.

“Body image is a really big one around female athletes and making sure that we’re fuelling and we’re not under-eating and things like that because of what someone else perceives your body to be”

“It’s making sure that training days are really big and you’re getting a lot out of that and then you’re doing your cricket skills, of course. Then game days, you’re trying to tick those off as well, so they do become quite big days.”I love playing franchise cricket, but playing for Australia is always going to be that No. 1 option for me, so making sure that I’ve got my focus on that as well.”Gardner also acknowledged the sensitivities around talking about fitness in women’s sport because the discussion becomes inextricably linked to body image.”Speaking from a personal perspective, I view myself as an athlete, so it’s how do I best get my body into shape and to be the fittest that I can be,” she said. “Body image is a really big one around female athletes and making sure that we’re fuelling and we’re not under-eating and things like that because of what someone else perceives your body to be. It’s making sure that you’re fit enough and you’re strong enough to complete those activities and making sure that you’re in the right head space while doing that.”People naturally get caught up with eating and things like that, which is obviously the real negative side to it because people naturally are worried about what other people perceive them as. I’ve certainly gone through things where you count calories and you do all this stuff and it clouds your mind. It actually doesn’t make you any clearer.Ash Gardner is leading Trent Rockets this year in the Hundred•Warren Little/Getty Images”For me, it’s, what does my body need from me right now? And making sure that I’m fuelling properly, because that’s what’s not going to get me injured. It’s making sure that I push my body to the limits in terms of I want to get really fit and strong, but how do I do that in the most manageable way possible to then be a good cricketer as well.”Meg Lanning, the former Australia captain, revealed last year that she had retired from international cricket in 2023 amid a battle with over-exercising and under-eating. Now in the next phase of her cricket career, she is leading the Hundred run-scoring charts.The Hundred has also given Gardner the chance to develop her captaincy skills. Having led Gujarat Giants during this year’s WPL, she took over at Trent Rockets when Nat Sciver-Brunt, the new England captain, opted for a player-only role with the franchise as a way of managing her workload.Trent Rockets sit sixth on the eight-team table with just one win from five games. Gardner has scored 130 runs at 26 and a strike rate of 144.44 with a highest score of 61 and taken three wickets at an economy rate of 7.76 including 2 for 14 against London Spirit in her side’s only victory this year so far.And while her ambition to leave the competition with the trophy has taken a hit, Gardner can still take plenty away from her experience.”Being able to lead, working through how I react in different situations and figuring myself out a little bit, I feel like once I do that, it gives me a really good opportunity to keep improving in that space,” she said. “Hopefully bringing success individually on the field and then being able to have the biggest impact for my team.”

The New Zealand legspinner talks about working his way back from a career-threatening back injury, training at the CSK academy, and his hopes for the coming year

Deivarayan Muthu05-Jul-2025″.” [My way is a unique way].New Zealand legspinner Adithya Ashok has Rajinikanth’s famous punchline from inked on his bowling arm. It’s a tribute to the actor, and to Adithya’s late grandfather, with whom he watched the movie.Last month, Adithya, now 22, reconnected with his friends and family in Vellore in north-east Tamil Nadu, where he was born and raised before his family moved to New Zealand when he was around four. He was in India to hone his skills at a two-week spin camp at the CSK academy in Chennai.”Last time I was here in India, my grandfather was a bit ill, and I was fortunate to spend the last while with him and we were having a meaningful conversation and the Rajini film was on at the time,” Adithya says. “Days after he passed away, I got this tattoo because it reminded me of a special moment we shared. It’s also a connection to my Tamil roots, to Vellore, and a popular Tamil icon and a global icon as well.”The phrase also fits as a description of Adithya’s unique path to winning a New Zealand central contract. He moved to Auckland as a child when his parents got the opportunity to emigrate to New Zealand. His mother worked as a nurse at the city hospital and his father, a cricketer-turned-radiographer, worked at the Starship Children’s Hospital.After rising through the ranks in school cricket, Adithya represented New Zealand in the 2020 Under-19 World Cup in South Africa, where he impressed with his ability to give the ball a rip.Related

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He was earmarked as a future Black Cap from then, but major back surgery forced him out of action for almost a year starting December 2023. During this period, something as simple as getting out of a car was difficult for him.”Honestly, it was a pretty scary time for me,” he recalls. “I’ve reflected on it over the last while and I think it has changed my attitude towards understanding myself as a person, and I’m grateful to be doing something like everyday chores. I feel blessed to have the support of New Zealand Cricket through all of it. They put me in touch with one of the best surgeons in the world. He was the surgeon who operated on [Jasprit] Bumrah, but I don’t think any other spinner has had this back surgery.”I also had the support of my team in Auckland, the physio, the S&C [strength and conditioning] coach, and my family and girlfriend during one of my hardest phases of life. It was a big 12-15 months, but it’s definitely something I wouldn’t trade for anything else because it gave me so much perspective on life.”After rehab and navigating through his loads on a “trial-and-error basis”, Adithya returned to action in late 2024 and played his part in Auckland’s run to the 50-overs Ford Trophy final, which they lost to Canterbury. After handsome contributions in the 20-overs Super Smash and the four-day Plunket Shield, he has worked his way back into the New Zealand A and New Zealand set-ups. In May this year, he claimed a fourth-innings five-for to spin New Zealand A to victory against Bangladesh A in the first Test in Sylhet.Adithya’s tattoo in Tamil reads “My way is a unique way”•Deivarayan Muthu/ESPNcricinfo”I think the Bangladesh tour was amazing,” he says. “Any chance you get to contribute towards a red-ball win is something that’s very close to my heart. I really enjoy playing red-ball cricket and I think just getting the opportunity to go and play somewhere foreign, have a few weeks trying to understand the conditions and then coming up with a plan to try and be effective and then for it to work, that’s the model.”I think that’s the part that I’m most happy with – having the opportunity to do that. And coming here to India is just another opportunity to do the same. In terms of trying to hit a new level, you’re always trying to push yourself to a higher standard, but I think I’ve just enjoyed the opportunity for the first time to go somewhere different, try and implement a plan, and for that plan to come away and have some success, I think it was cool.”In Chennai, Adithya tested his variations, which include the wrong’un and the square-seam slider, on various types of surfaces against local batters and New Zealand’s Rhys Mariu and Dale Phillips (brother of international Glenn), who were also part of the camp.”We don’t get the black soil, we don’t get the [same] red soil, we don’t get the clay [in New Zealand],” Adithya says. “Understanding that on red soil you don’t have to potentially bowl as much overspin as we do back home in New Zealand. Red soil is a bit more conducive, so you can afford to bowl a little bit faster, you can afford to use a little bit more of the sidespin, square-seam deliveries that you see all the Indian bowlers bowl so well with.Adithya took ten wickets at an economy of 4.9 from seven matches in the 2024-25 Ford Trophy•Joe Allison/Getty Images”Just getting accustomed to what that feels like in hand, even something as small as using the SG ball, something that I’ve never done before, so understanding what that feels like in my hands… Do I have to grip it a certain way to get the same result? We are kind of on a fact-finding mission.”Adithya credits former New Zealand spinners Tarun Nethula, his long-time mentor, and Paul Wiseman, the current New Zealand talent identification manager, for his progress.”Tarun and Paul have been massive for me in terms of my spin bowling, and [are] two people that I’ve admired and really gone to for advice or technical help or anything,” he says. “I needed to be stronger [after the back injury], so that was a big part of it.”But from a technical aspect, we were just trying to make sure that I was a little bit more aligned at the crease, trying to make sure that my approach to the crease is a little bit more direct, keeping my front arm in play for longer and trying to make sure I put as much as I can on the ball, keep imparting a lot of overspin, especially in white-ball cricket.”Any changes I need to make in order to put more sidespin on the ball or bowl a little bit faster – I think I’m very lucky to have those two in my corner to be able to be able to WhatsApp them at any point in the day. I know that when I wake up the next morning or come back from lunch, there will definitely be a message with a lot of knowledge and wisdom, which I’m very excited to read always.”During his “fact-finding mission” at the CSK academy, Adithya got to understand different soil types and how to bat and bowl on them•Super Kings AcademyAdithya is not part of New Zealand’s T20I squad for the upcoming tri-nation series against hosts Zimbabwe and South Africa but he is set for more opportunities during the upcoming season. There’s also a T20 World Cup in the horizon, but he isn’t looking too far ahead.”My priority now is to learn from Sri [Sriram Krishnamurthy, current head coach of the Super Kings academy and a former Wellington coach], stay where my feet are at the moment and experience this phase of the calendar in Chennai and Vellore,” he says. “Then there’s an A tour to South Africa and the domestic season with Auckland.”For now, I’m looking to soak up these experiences and invest into what I’m learning here, find new things, try to take some learnings away to South Africa with the A tour, learn more things there, enjoy the culture, and from there we’ll have a look at what the next little phase looks like.”Adithya’s top priority is to add to his three internationals for New Zealand and win games for them, but he also has ambitions of playing for CSK in the IPL in the future.”Ever since I moved to New Zealand, Auckland and New Zealand has been my home and I’d love to play for New Zealand as much as I can and win trophies for them. But I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a part of me that wants to connect with my heritage and local side that aligns with Chennai. That’s something that excites me, but the foremost thing is to represent New Zealand.”Adithya has travelled a long and winding road from Vellore to New Zealand and continues to tread his own path to becoming a Black Caps regular.

With Duckett and Smith rested, Buttler and Salt’s dominant stand revived a proven pairing heading into the World Cup

Vithushan Ehantharajah13-Sep-2025The initial shock of England’s score in the second T20I against South Africa is tempered by the numbers at the very top of the order. Phil Salt’s unbeaten 141 from 60 balls and Jos Buttler’s 83 from 30 went some way to explaining how one Test nation put up 304 for 2 on another.This was a batter’s dream of a fresh Emirates Old Trafford pitch, against a Proteas attack missing the vaunted pair of Lungi Ngidi and Keshav Maharaj. And while head coach Shukri Conrad was less than impressed, the protagonists of the “onslaught” that left his side “bereft of ideas” do at least have previous.Salt and Buttler’s 126 was the 12th century stand by England openers, and they are now responsible for a third of them. They also bagged England their highest powerplay score of a crisp 100 for 0.Related

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And yet, neither were certain to be opening at all in this series having been absent from the top two at the start of the season, for differing reasons.Salt’s were personal: he was granted time off for the West Indies series after the birth of his first child. Buttler’s, meanwhile, was business, continuing to operate at No.3, a role he had taken on since the 2024 T20 World Cup semi-final defeat to India.During the 3-0 sweep of West Indies, Ben Duckett and Jamie Smith made compelling cases for their own partnership. Signing off with 120 in Southampton felt like the start of a new direction.For Salt, that could have been terminal, not that he wanted to check, believing seeking a guarantee to be “arrogant”, and a misunderstanding of the cut-throat nature of top-level, international sport.Buttler, meanwhile, probably assumed he’d continue out of necessity. He had instigated the move to first drop when captain, to remedy a problem position. Between England’s 2022 World Cup success and 2024 exit, five different batters (Dawid Malan, Will Jacks, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali and, on a single occasion, Buttler) had produced just a single fifty in 20 innings between them.Having batted at three for 40 matches leading into this series, across international and domestic codes, Buttler was clearly knuckling down for the full-time gig. An average of 55.00 for Harry Brook in the role suggested welcome stability. But with Smith and Duckett rested at the end of a long summer, he and Salt found themselves back up top. And how.

“We’ve got pretty set roles. It’s my job to get us off to as good a start as soon as possible and give Jos the opportunity to take a couple of balls, because when he does, he goes on and gets a match-winning score, a lot of the time, a lot more than anyone else.”Phil Salt

This was a blitz of boundaries and records, both individual and collective. And this was no anomaly. Of the 17 times they have opened, this was the ninth fifty of more.Behind the consistency is clearly a synergy between the two. An understanding honed for England, Lancashire and Manchester Originals. Mutual benefits and admiration.”It’s the way we bounce off each other well,” Salt explained. “We’ve got pretty set roles. It’s my job to get us off to as good a start as soon as possible and give Jos the opportunity to take a couple of balls, because when he does, he goes on and gets a match-winning score, a lot of the time, a lot more than anyone else.”When one of us needs to get the other back on strike, we don’t often need to communicate out there. There’s no ego or anything like that, we just do it and I think that’s a massive part of a good opening partnership.”Buttler was similarly effusive at the innings break, lauding his partner’s sprint out of the blocks to the tune of three successive fours and a final ball six to take 18 off Marco Jansen’s opening over: “I think Salty’s one of the best players of the first ball and first over.”Buttler’s right, he is. No international batter scores faster in the first over of games; Salt’s strike rate of 144.80 almost 20 points ahead of the next contender, Malaysia’s Syed Aziz (126.53). Salt knows it, too.Phil Salt strikes at 144.80 in the first over of games•Stu Forster/Getty ImagesHe makes sure to keep across his “balls per boundary” in the first over and powerplay. Last week, former England white ball analyst Freddie Wilde sent him a “batting MOT” document after Salt requested a breakdown of his current strengths and weaknesses. Even the golden duck at the beginning of the five-over chase in Wednesday’s first T20I – caught at deep backward square – kept Salt on track for a high attacking shot percentage.”It’s something I worked [on] when I wasn’t in the England team, when Eoin Morgan was the captain,” said Salt of his immediate antics when in the middle. “I remember having a conversation with CJ (Chris Jordan) about how you need to play, and how if I did this (attacked from ball one), I could be the first person to put that stamp on it.”In order to knock a man out of possession, you need to do something they can’t do. From quite early in my career, I looked at that and thought if I can be the most dangerous in the first six, 10, 15 balls of the game, that’s quite a unique tool. It’s something I’ve always worked on from that point.”Even with Salt’s rapid start, he and Buttler were broadly level after four overs – the former 31 off ten to the latter’s 35 off 14. Buttler subsequently faced nine of the next 11 deliveries and added 30 more. Buttler looked set for century No.2. A top-edged sweep brought about Buttler’s end.

“From quite early in my career, I thought if I can be the most dangerous in the first six, 10, 15 balls of the game. That’s quite a unique tool.”Phil Salt

In swooped Salt to farm the accolades Buttler had left behind; the fastest T20I century now his, off 39 deliveries, along with England’s highest score, and extra distance in the hundred column. For all Buttler’s achievements, and the universal truth that he is the greatest limited overs batter England have produced, Salt has the titles usually reserved for GOATS.When that was put to Salt after the match, the 29-year-old humbly nodded to the inspiration for his white ball prowess: “I can’t turn into Jos Buttler overnight, but I certainly try and take the best bits.”It is easy to get giddy after nights like this, but it should be easier to see the light. England’s management may crave continuity across all three formats, but persisting with Duckett and Smith would be a failure to acknowledge something more tested and far superior.Duckett could bat three, giving England extra weapons against the ample spin they are likely to face in next year’s T20 World Cup on the subcontinent. Smith, meanwhile, can either slot further down or wait his turn. He remains green at this level, and it is worth noting his career runs are 11 shy of what Salt managed in an evening.As it happens, the only opening pair to average more than Salt and Buttler’s 60.43 is Buttler and Alex Hales, who combined for 66.00 across nine innings. That union was contained within England’s successful 2022 World Cup campaign. The product of reconciliation with Hales following Jonny Bairstow’s freak leg break.Three years on, the chain of events presenting England with a world-class opening combination ahead of another global tournament are less serendipitous. Now they just need to see sense, which has been in front of them the whole time.

“Playing the long game” to keep the India bowlers on the field for as long as possible might work best for Australia, says Marnus Labuschagne

Alex Malcolm19-Nov-2024Doubts surround the quality of both batting line-ups ahead of this Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, but runs might not be the only winning currency from a batting perspective.Marnus Labuschagne knows that better than most. He was the leading run-scorer across sides in the 2020-21 series in Australia, but his team didn’t win. There was a man who made 155 runs fewer than Labuschagne across eight innings but faced 78 more deliveries and was arguably the most valuable player in India’s famous win.Just as he did in 2018-19, when he made three centuries and faced 1258 balls in seven innings, Cheteshwar Pujara’s ability to absorb pressure for long periods and grind an unchanged Australian bowling line-up into the ground over a four-Test series paid handsome dividends on the final day at the Gabba, when they finally ran out of steam.Related

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Labuschagne is looking at this five-Test series through that same lens, with an aim to ask a relatively inexperienced India seam attack, Jasprit Bumrah aside, to keep backing up over a six-week tour.”It’s going to be important for all of us,” Labuschagne said on Tuesday. “I think the way we play, we’re at our best when we’re playing the long game. We understand that getting them back for their second and third spells, putting them under pressure and letting them come to us and us putting pressure back on them through overs in the field and time in the game, especially over a five-Test series, that’s really important.”Because as you get into the third, fourth, fifth Test, if they’re trying to play the same team, and those bowlers are rolling into 100, 150, 200 overs by the third Test, it’s going to make a big difference in the series.”The question will be whether this Australian top order can execute that plan to set the game up for their explosive middle-order. Batting was extremely challenging in Australia last summer. Just two players managed to score centuries in five home Tests and one of them, David Warner, is no longer in the team. The only player to score a century in Australia’s most recent series in New Zealand, Cameron Green, is also not available for this series.There will be plenty of attention on Labuschagne. He made 90 in his last Test match in Christchurch. But that 90 came after five scores of 10 or below. He also fell for 6 in the second innings in Christchurch.

“I think for me, probably just getting away from the process of what makes me a good player, and just making sure I stay consistent to that process and really trusting the system”Marnus Labuschagne on returning to what worked for him

Labuschagne’s form at the start of this summer has been far from prolific. He made a sublime 77 not out in his first ODI in England in September, but then returned scores 19, 0, 4, 16 and 6 in ODI cricket. In the midst of those scores he made 77 and 35 not out in his first Sheffield Shield game at the WACA ground in October and then followed that with returns of 11, 22 and 10 for Queensland.There has been a familiarity to his dismissals in recent times. Having overcome a period in international cricket where teams were attacking his front pad, suddenly he has found himself being opened up outside off stump and nicking balls he has not played at in the past. He’s aware of how India will attack him in Perth.”I think there might be areas that they’ll attack first this time around, bowling that channel and try and nick you off,” Labuschagne said. “I think especially in Perth, with the bouncy wicket.”Perth Stadium is a place Labuschagne loves. He has an extraordinary record there in just three Test matches, scoring three centuries and averaging 103.80. He loves it because it plays so similarly to his home ground of the Gabba. And the hallmark of his success in Perth has been his ability to leave well early on. He has trusted the bounce and made the bowlers bowl at him, using the pace and bounce to his advantage.It is those things, he noted, that he has perhaps strayed away from in the past 18 months. “I think for me, probably just getting away from the process of what makes me a good player, and just making sure I stay consistent to that process and really trusting the system.”Marnus Labuschagne has been in patchy form in the Sheffield Shield•Getty ImagesHis batting is not the only area where he will relish Perth’s pace and bounce. Eyebrows have been raised within Australia’s camp about the amount of medium-pace bowling he had done in the early part of the Shield season while captaining Queensland.There was much ribbing from the coaching staff and team-mates at the start of the ODI series when he immediately returned to bowling legspin in the nets, with captain Pat Cummins stating he much preferred Labuschagne’s legbreaks to his medium pace.But Labuschagne had no hesitation steaming in off the long run at the WACA centre wicket on Monday and delivering a bouncer barrage to Cummins and Mitchell Starc. He wants to dish more out in the Test match in the absence of Green.”I bowled one bouncer and I think Mitchell Starc said, ‘We’ve got short memories’. And I said, ‘Well, I’m going to get them anyway, so I might as well dish them out’,” Labuschagne said. “There’s nothing more enjoyable than bowling bouncers. I love it.”There was a bit worry. When I bowled I think about 28 overs of pace in a Shield game, and my workloads were zero before then, so some would say that’s a big spike. But my body’s pretty durable.”It’s something that I’ve done from a young age. I’ve always bowled pace.”

The move back to his home state will allow the fast bowler to spend more time with his young family in Ahmedabad

Shashank Kishore01-Sep-2025Hot on the heels of Jayant Yadav’s departure comes another high-profile move away from Haryana, with India seamer Harshal Patel signing with Gujarat for the 2025-26 domestic season.Having completed all formalities, Harshal will be available for Gujarat’s pre-season preparations, which kick off with a tri-series later this month that also features the other two teams from the state, Baroda and Saurashtra.Related

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Harshal’s return to Gujarat completes a circle. He was born there, and made his List A debut for the side in 2008-09 following an impressive Under-19 season. However, he made the switch to Haryana soon after returning from the Under-19 World Cup in 2010, when he was unable to make further inroads in Gujarat.He eventually made his first-class debut, for Haryana, in 2011-12 and had been a key member of their squads across formats since. In all, Harshal has picked up 246 first-class wickets in 74 matches at an average of 24.02, with 12 five-wicket hauls.He was instrumental in Haryana becoming a force across the white-ball formats over the years, and was part of the side that went on to clinch their maiden Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2023-24.”Right from 2010-11 since my Under-19 days, almost the entirety of my professional career has been with Haryana, I owe a lot to them,” Harshal told ESPNcricinfo. “If that move to Haryana as an 18-year-old hadn’t worked out for me I would have probably moved to the USA and not played cricket in India.”Harshal divides his time between the USA – where he has extended family – and Ahmedabad, where he lives. Harshal’s decision to switch teams comes at a time when he felt he needed to prioritise spending time with his young family between cricket commitments.”It was getting difficult for me to be away from the family for long periods of time,” Harshal said. “So I wanted to come back and see if I could finish my career here. Glad I got an opportunity to do that.”Harshal had been approached by another team, but he wanted to first see if Gujarat would be keen. As it turned out, they were “more than happy” to have him back.”I first asked Anil Patel [secretary, Gujarat Cricket Association] and he was gracious enough to say, ‘this is your home, welcome back.’ Having come back, I’m open to play everything and anything that the team wants me to play.”While my specialisation will remain white-ball, I’m only more than happy to take any opportunities that come my way with red-ball cricket.”Harshal hasn’t played for India since January 2023 but an international comeback isn’t on his mind•BCCIHarshal hasn’t been a first-class regular for the past two seasons, only playing seven red-ball games over that period. But looking ahead, he’s happy with where his body is at and is keen to get back to the grind if picked.”My body allows me to bowl 20 overs in a day over two months or however long the Ranji Trophy season is; it doesn’t bother me,” he said. “I love the grind. The goal has always been to play the best cricket that I can play for as long as I can irrespective of the format.”At 34, Harshal remains an IPL regular and is coming off an excellent season with Sunrisers Hyderabad – 16 wickets in 13 games at an economy rate of 9.80. He played the most recent of his 25 T20Is in January 2023, and isn’t in the mix currently. The prospects of an India comeback, though, aren’t on his mind.”My India selections and IPL and all of these things have come as a byproduct of that mindset of giving it my best wherever I play,” he said. “My motivation has nothing to do with whether I’ll play for India or not or whether I’ll play IPL or not.”My motivation has everything to do with whether I still have the hunger to go to the ground and bowl 10-15 overs in a day, and if I can do it over a period of two-three months. And the answer is yes.”At Gujarat, Harshal hopes to lend his experience to a set-up that is largely in a transition phase under head coach Ramesh Powar.”I’m pretty excited to see what I can add here to the team’s betterment,” he said. “That’s what I spoke about with Ramesh and Axar [Patel] recently. If I can contribute in some way to the development of players, mentor them and help them in their journey, there’ll be no bigger satisfaction.”As far as my own journey is concerned, I’ve always asked myself how can I be the best player I can be. That has kept me going for all these years, and it still keeps me going. My training consistency is probably better than it has ever been.”I’ve been really lucky and I’ve been really fortunate that I don’t have that financial anxiety anymore [thanks to the IPL]. So now that factor is taken away, the only thing that still pushes me is I want to play this game because I love playing this game.”

The New York Mets have not been playing their best baseball as of late, but they're in the heat of the NL East race as the All-Star break quickly approaches.

First baseman Pete Alonso has been a big part of New York's success this season. The Mets waited until late in the offseason to decide to bring Alonso back, and they're surely happy that they did.

Alonso is hitting .287 with 20 home runs and 73 RBI, and was named to his fifth All-Star team on Sunday. The slugger also was invited to participate in the Home Run Derby during All-Star week in Atlanta for a sixth time, but Alonso declined this year's invitation. He won Home run Derby back in 2019 and '21.

"I just decided not to do it this year," Alonso said Sunday. "I have never really fully enjoyed the three off days, so I just want to be in the best possible position to help this team win in the second half. I'm in a groove with certain things. I definitely will do it again. It doesn't mean no forever."

Alonso is the latest player to decline an invitation. Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber, Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, and New York Yankees MVP candidate Aaron Judge also turned down the opportunity to participate in the event.

So far, the only known participants for the July 14 Home Run Derby are Seattle Mariners catcher and MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh, Washington Nationals star James Wood and Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr.

Nico Schlotterbeck’s future at Borussia Dortmund is up in the air. With Bayern Munich and Liverpool both pushing to sign the defender and contract talks at Dortmund stalling, his Germany teammate Jonathan Tah has stepped in, offering advice and support as the 25-year-old weighs a crucial decision about his next move.

Contract tension building at Dortmund

According to a report from , the German centre-back has turned down Dortmund’s latest contract offer and is growing frustrated with the team’s playing style under coach Niko Kovac. His current deal runs until 2027, but reports suggest he is unlikely to sign an extension, increasing speculation about a possible move next summer. The 25-year-old joined Dortmund from Freiburg in 2022 and has since become one of the club’s key players, making 134 appearances in all competitions. Despite his importance, uncertainty around his future continues to grow.

Dortmund are reportedly preparing a new contract proposal that would keep him at the club until 2030 and are even ready to triple his salary. However, the German international has shown no intention of committing to an extension for now, preferring to keep his options open amid growing interest from top European clubs, including Liverpool and Bayern Munich.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTah’s advice to Schlotterbeck amid transfer rumours

Speaking during a press conference ahead of Germany's World Cup qualifying match against Luxembourg, Tah had nothing but praise for his national teammate and domestic rival. The Munich defender urged the Dortmund centre-back to think carefully before making his next move.

"This is an exciting situation for Nico," said Tah. "He's an outstanding player who always works on himself, who always wants to improve. It's a crucial point in his career right now, and I simply hope he can make the right decision for himself. Many doors are open to him. I wish him all the best in making his decision."

The German also made it clear that he is there to support his teammate if needed. "If he needs advice or wants to talk to me, he's welcome to do so. I'm here," he added.

Recently, Schlotterbeck himself spoke highly of Tah, calling him 'a better defender' and explaining why the pair work so well together for the national team.

"Jona is very communicative on the pitch and simply important to me. Defensively, he has been a very strong defender for years now and has done extremely well. For me, the ball-playing aspect is perhaps a bit more interesting than for him. He's perhaps a better defender, though. That's why it's a good fit."

Bayern and Liverpool monitoring closely

Dortmund's rival Munich are reportedly keeping a close eye on German's situation as they look to strengthen their backline ahead of next season. With Dayot Upamecano’s contract set to expire next year, Bayern could turn to Schlotterbeck as a younger replacement. Meanwhile, the reigning Premier League champions are also in the race. The Reds are preparing for defensive changes, with Virgil van Dijk reaching the twilight of his career and uncertainty surrounding Ibrahima Konate’s future, whose contract expires this summer amid interest from Los Blancos. 

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Getty Images SportWhat’s next for Schlotterbeck?

With both Bayern and Liverpool circling, Schlotterbeck faces a career-defining choice. Dortmund want to keep him. Last month, Sporting director Lars Ricken publicly addressed the situation, making it clear that while the club respects Schlotterbeck’s hesitation, they won’t let talks drag on.

“We will not rush into anything. But of course, we don't want to drag it out indefinitely, everyone is aware of that," Ricken told .

For now, the German won’t feature in the national team's upcoming match after withdrawing from the squad due to injury. The defender’s priority would be to recover quickly and help Dortmund get back into the title race. The club currently sits third in the table, behind Bayern and RB Leipzig, with six wins from ten games.

Uruguay's talismanic forward, Luis Suarez, has revealed his plans of making a possible return to his former club, Barcelona, in the near future. The 38-year-old is yet to bid farewell to the sport and could end his career in Catalunya, as he admits he still has connections at the club which he represented from 2014 to 2020 before switching base to metropolitan side Atletico Madrid.

Suarez currently playing with his former Barca teammate

During his tenure at Barca, which spanned six seasons, Suarez shared the dressing room with numerous top players like Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and of course, the Argentine sensation Lionel Messi. After leaving Barcelona, he found himself representing Atletico Madrid, Internacional and Gremio, before shifting base to the USA for the start of a new chapter. There, in Miami, he was signed by David Beckham's co-owned outfit Inter Miami, and shared the pitch with former Barca teammates, out of which only Messi has continued to feature in the sport. Suarez has been an influential figure alongside Messi not only in the Major League Soccer, but also in the Leagues Cup and FIFA Club World Cup, securing 14 goals and 15 assists across 40 appearances. With the MLS season approaching the business end, and Inter Miami confirming their spot in the conference semi-finals, Suarez might be seeking a new adventure at the end of the campaign before he calls it a day.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportSuarez hints at possible Barca comeback

In an interaction with Sport, Suarez stated: "Yes, I am always keeping up with Barcelona –  the children too, because you don’t stop being a fan. You don’t stop having admiration for the club, you have affection for the club and you still have contact with people from the club. We still have a house there. Our planned idea is to return to Barcelona for everything that results for us. We have confirmed it because of everything it gave us and because we always feel at home there."

Suarez, during his tenure at Barcelona, scored 195 goals and registered 113 assists across 283 games. Moreover, throughout his entire career, he has played 857 matches and recorded 515 goals and 278 assists, an immense figure that makes him a revolutionary football icon not only in Uruguay but across the planet. He has also retired from international football after scoring 69 goals in 143 matches for Uruguay.

Suarez speaks about his relationship with Lionel Messi

While Suarez and Messi, along with Neymar, have rocked the pitch on numerous occasions, winning major matches and accolades, the Uruguayan also shares a special off-the-pitch bond with the 2022 World Cup winner. 

He said: "As the years went by, we got to know each other on the pitch. And over the years we also know each other a lot abroad. We each know when one is in a good mood, when the other is in a bad mood. Everyone knows when internal conversations are shared or when one does not feel like talking. We know each other well, and the truth is that children also spend many hours a day here in football. The truth is that it is a beautiful stage that we are living, enjoying… We look at each other sometimes and we start to think that we are fulfilling what we had talked about at that time at Barcelona. To be able to enjoy our last stage as football players together."

The 38-year-old also expressed his views on how Messi has been helping in the transformation of Inter Miami. “On the pitch he is something unique, something unrepeatable and he continues to do incredible things. He still has that obsession of wanting to continue winning like we all have. But of course, you see him, that spirit he has. There are times when the team wins but he wanted one of his teammates to score and if he didn’t score, Leo gets angry because that player didn’t score. If he sets the objectives, he achieves them and that rubs off on all of us," he highlighted.

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Getty Images SportSemi-finals ahead of Suarez and Inter Miami

Last season, Inter Miami managed to secure the Supporters' Shield, and this time out, they have a great opportunity to lift their maiden MLS title. On November 23, they will face Cincinnati in the semi-finals, and a win in that fixture will take them a step closer to the coveted accolade.

Wolves are on the hunt for a new manager after sacking Vitor Pereira, and their Premier League survival could hinge on finding the perfect Molineux candidate.

Their catastrophic start to the season has plunged the club into crisis, with Pereira dismissed just 45 days after signing a new three-year contract following a 3-0 defeat at Fulham last weekend. The Portuguese’s departure came amid unprecedented failure that has left Wolves rooted to the bottom of the table and staring at almost certain relegation.

Wolves are the only winless side in England’s top four divisions, having taken just two points from their opening 10 Premier League games.

More alarmingly for the Old Gold, no club has ever survived with two or fewer points at this stage of a Premier League season, making the Midlands side overwhelming favourites for the drop after eight successive years in the top flight.

Wolves 0-4 Man City

Bournemouth 1-0 Wolves

Wolves 2-3 Everton

Newcastle 1-0 Wolves

Wolves 1-3 Leeds United

Tottenham 1-1 Wolves

Wolves 1-1 Brighton

Sunderland 2-0 Wolves

Wolves 2-3 Burnley

Fulham 3-0 Wolves

Wolves have scored the joint-fewest goals (seven) while conceding the most (22) in the division, and have gone 14 consecutive league matches without victory for the first time since a run of 15 between February and August 2012.

Pereira’s final match saw him subjected to chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning” by travelling supporters at Craven Cottage, having previously clashed with fans following a 3-2 home defeat to Burnley.

Amid their search for a new manager, Wolves have now turned their attention to Middlesbrough boss Rob Edwards, who made over 100 appearances for the club as a player between 2004 and 2008, though Boro rejected an approach to speak with the former Luton manager on Thursday (Sky Sports).

However, in a sensational turn of events, following his cancelled press conference on Friday, it is now believed that Edwards will not take charge of Boro’s Championship clash with Birmingham City.at the Riverside today.

Rob Edwards "now looking likely to join Wolves" after Middlesbrough decision

This comes after a decision from Boro to stand him down for the clash, with journalist Ben Jacobs reporting that Edwards is “now looking likely to join Wolves” after days of intense speculation.

The 42-year-old, who James Collins called “terrific”, only just took over from Michael Carrick in June and put pen to paper on a three-year deal, but he’s now poised to try and steer Wolves away from the relegation battle despite making a fantastic start to life at Boro.

This latest twist in the managerial merry-go-round comes after former manager Gary O’Neil emerged as a leading contender but withdrew from consideration, feeling the timing wasn’t right for a return to Molineux.

Edwards guided Luton Town to Premier League promotion via the playoffs in 2023, demonstrating his ability to work wonders with very limited resources, and the coach’s work at Boro has been exceptional.

He’s guided Boro to their best start in the club’s 149-year history, winning EFL Championship Manager of the Month for August after four wins from four games with just one goal conceded.