No men’s internationals have taken place in New Chandigarh, but most of the India players have been here during IPL 2025

Sidharth Monga10-Dec-20251:28

Why did it feel like Hardik batted on a different pitch?

Big picture – New Chandigarh makes men’s international debutThere is a feeling India are such strong favourites for the home World Cup in two months that the one way to deny them a successful title defence is to catch them on the wrong side of the toss on a damp pitch or a dewy night.South Africa discovered first-hand in Cuttack that India are formidable even on such a night. They will now scramble from eastern India to the north-west with no training day in New Chandigarh and go again on Thursday evening.Related

Hardik shows what he can do when fit and firing

India will be aware that despite their 6-2 head-to-head record against South Africa in recent encounters, T20s can surprise any team on a given night. They want to have reacted to almost every kind of contingency in their nine remaining matches at home before the World Cup. New Chandigarh will be just one such stop.This, incidentally, is the first men’s international at the venue. India and Australia played two women’s ODIs there in September this year.Form guideIndia WWWLW
South Africa LLLWLThere is nothing wrong with South Africa’s combination, but India might just be a bit too strong for them in these conditions•Associated PressIn the spotlight – Arshdeep Singh and Quinton de KockThe first over of the chase in Cuttack set the tone for the rest of the night. Arshdeep Singh sought to make the most of whatever movement was on offer, and he got the dangerous Quinton de Kock in the first over. It is a match-up that Arshdeep has had the better of in all T20 cricket: 41 balls, 38 runs, five wickets. Watch out for this contest again. Perhaps South Africa might let Aiden Markram take first strike because de Kock is a key batter for them.Team news – Changes only if conditions ask for themIn Cuttack, India were close to their best XI if you leave aside the question of Rinku Singh. If the pitch is dry, they can stick in Kuldeep Yadav for Arshdeep; if they worry about batting depth, Harshit Rana can play in Arshdeep’s place. Other than that, they don’t need to fiddle.India (probable): 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Shivam Dube, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Arshdeep Singh, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Jasprit Bumrah.South Africa might have lost big but the combination didn’t have much wrong. At a pinch, they might think of an allrounder in Lutho Sipamla’s place.South Africa: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Aiden Markram (capt), 3 Tristan Stubbs, 4 Dewald Brevis, 5 David Miller, 6 Donovon Ferreira, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Lutho Sipamla/Corbin Bosch/George Linde, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Lungi Ngidi, 11 Anrich Nortje.1:29

Jitesh on competition with Samson – ‘He’s like a big brother’

Pitch and conditionsWith no tall stands around it, the playing surface of New Chandigarh tends to not get affected too much by the dew. Teams batting first in the IPL hold a 6-5 record in New Chandigarh. Scores of above 200 have been defended successfully, as has been a 111. Fast bowlers tend to hold sway there.Stats and trivia Only three players have hit 100 sixes and taken 100 wickets in T20Is. Hardik Pandya is one wicket short of joining this list of Sikandar Raza, Mohammad Nabi and Malaysia’s Virandeep Singh. Arshdeep has taken the joint-highest powerplay wickets for India: 47. He is tied with Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Jasprit Bumrah is only the fifth player to have taken 100 wickets in each of the three international formats. Shakib Al Hasan, Lasith Malinga, Tim Southee and Shaheen Shah Afridi are the others.

The World Cup draw yielded a number of fascinating groups – and the hype for the 2026 tournament can truly build

Are you excited yet? Can you feel it properly? Do you know, exactly, how this is all going to go? The World Cup is always fun in abstract. There are ideas, dreams and hopes. What this thing look like? Who do we our team to get? But the hypothetical discussion runs out, and it all feels a bit silly. What can you say when you don't relly know anything? Not all that much. 

Well, now we know things. FIFA's gaudy 48-team World Cup was unveiled in baffling fashion at the Kennedy Center Friday afternoon, and amid the pomp and circumstance of it all, the balls coughed up a pretty compelling draw. The host nations are all in intriguing groups. There will be some terrific matchups: Portugal-Colombia, France-Norway, Brazil-Morocco. 

There really isn't a dud here. Even the groups that seem a little more predictable feature some good games – at least, on paper. It's now time, officially, to get excited. But which groups are the best? Which favorite can feel pretty good about their chances? And who might get grouped early? GOAL U.S. writers break down the draw in another edition of… . 

• Imagn
  

  Which of the co-hosts got the best draw?

  TH: The USMNT, and by some distance. Australia, Paraguay and likely Turkey? That's a winnable group. Canada did OK, too, but Switzerland aren't pushovers, and Italy, should they make it, will be tough. But Mauricio Pochettino is the guy who can be happiest. 

  RT: The USMNT will feel good. While none of their games are slam dunks, they are all winnable, which gives them a realistic path to the knockouts. Looking ahead, there’s a date with Belgium lurking, which is a lot better than France or Argentina. Overall, the USMNT will be pretty happy, although Mexico’s draw could have been a lot worse, too.

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  What's the best group?

  Tom Hindle: Well, they're all pretty good! Is there a single dud here? Sure, we're supposed to get hyped and reactionary and giddy, but it's hard to see any weaknesses – even in an oft-maligned 48-team field. The safe bet has to be France, Senegal, Norway, and whichever playoff team makes it (likely Bolivia). There is a real chance that France, among the faves, could lose two of those games. Now THAT could make things interesting. 

  Ryan Tolmich: Group I gets it. France-Norway is going to be fantastic as it gives us that mouthwatering Mbappe-Haaland matchup. Then there’s Senegal, a team with the ability and experience to play with both of those sides. Mix in an underdog with a point to prove from the playoffs, and you have a very fun group.

• Getty
  

  What's the least competitive group?

  TH: It was a BIG day for stat-pad-Ronaldo. Portugal did OK, didn't they? Colombia will push them – and could win the group – but Uzbekistan and whoever wins the first FIFA playoff will surely struggle. It's pretty easy to pick No. 1 and 2 there, even if the exact order is up for debate. 

  RT: See you in the knockouts, Argentina. They’ve been given an easier run there with Austria, Algeria, and Jordan on the docket. That should allow the champions to surge through the group and really peak later on.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Based on the groups, who is your early favorite to win it?

  TH: This might be a regrettable prediction later. But, , England have done rather well here. They should navigate their group pretty easily, and the likely sequence of knockout fixtures looks OK, too. Then again, the answer is Spain, who appear to be better than pretty much everyone else at the moment. 

  RT: There are a lot of good teams, perhaps more than ever before, with real ambitions of winning this thing. Until someone knocks off Argentina, though, they’re a team worth backing, particularly given their group stage draw.

Former Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks has died at the age of 79. A spokesperson for the American businessman confirmed he died in Dallas on Saturday, with his family at his side. Hicks owned the Reds for three-and-a-half years before selling the club in October 2010 and now tributes have been paid to the multi-millionaire.

Hicks has 'remarkable life'

On Sunday, Hicks' family said their "cherished" dad had passed away. They added he remains a "guiding force" for them and they want to continue his legacy.

"Of everything he accomplished in his remarkable life, Tom Hicks' most cherished title was, 'Dad'," his family said in a statement. "No matter the trials and tribulations he faced in life, he was constant in his generosity and love for his family. He remains a guiding force for our family, and we are deeply honoured to continue expanding his legacy. Although we are devastated by this loss, we are profoundly grateful to have been his children."

AdvertisementAFPLiverpool pay tribute to Hicks

The Reds sent their best wishes to Hicks' family and friends during this "difficult time".

A statement on the club's website reads: "Former Liverpool FC co-owner Tom Hicks has died at the age of 79. Hicks, who also had spells as owner of the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers US sports franchises in his home state, passed away on Saturday. He and fellow American businessman George Gillett completed an acquisition of the Reds in early 2007. The pair’s tenure at Anfield concluded in October 2010 when current owners Fenway Sports Group sealed a takeover. LFC sends its condolences to the Hicks family and Tom’s friends at this difficult time."

Before joining Liverpool, he owned American baseball team, the Texas Rangers, and the ice hockey side, the Dallas Stars.

Difficult Liverpool spell

Hicks' time at Anfield with fellow American investor George Gillett wasn't all that popular. During their spell in charge, the club's debts mounted amid a backdrop of division between former chief executive Rick Perry and manager Rafael Benitez. The Spaniard was replaced by Roy Hodgson in a short and unsuccessful spell, and during their time at the Merseyside outfit, they failed to win a trophy. They eventually sold Liverpool to Fenway Sports Group 15 years ago.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

AFPWhat comes next for Liverpool?

Following Liverpool's tribute to their former co-owner, they will now be focusing on trying to beat Inter Milan on Tuesday in the Champions League before taking on Brighton in the Premier League next weekend.

There were reports that the New York Yankees held a players-only meeting in the aftermath of Tuesday night's 4–0 loss to the Los Angeles Angels, their fifth straight loss and third consecutive shutout defeat.

The Yankees haven't gotten a single run on the board since Saturday's 4–3 loss to the Boston Red Sox, having gone 29 straight innings without scoring. Winless in their last five games, it would certainly stand to reason that players in the team may have held a meeting to try to turn things around.

But according to manager Aaron Boone, no such meeting took place, at least not formally.

"Our guys talk all the time and get together in different formats," Boone said. When asked if it was a closed-doors meeting, Boone said, "No. No."

A usually potent offense, New York's recent slump has been somewhat concerning, but it seems reports of a players-only meeting were exaggerated, at least to some degree.

Cody Bellinger did share with reporters that he had spoken with some teammates about their recent cold spell, saying that he had some "good conversations" after Tuesday's loss.

The Yankees will look to salvage the closeout game of the series against the Angels on Wednesday and avoid being swept in a second consecutive series.

Over eight hours and 42 minutes, the senior pro led the way as Bangladesh showed they are capable of out-batting strong opponents away from home

Mohammad Isam24-Aug-2024Nineteen years at the highest level. Eighty-nine Test matches. Mushfiqur Rahim has seen it all, but there was some unfinished business. Like scoring a century against Pakistan. His preparations leading up to the Rawalpindi Test showed it meant something big to him.He played for Bangladesh A for the first time in 16 years just to prepare for the Test series. He was always the last to leave practice sessions leading up to the Tests. And then, fully prepared, with eyes on the ball, Mushfiqur got going like classic Mushfiqur. Every shot meant something; even when he left the ball, it was an attempt to wear down the bowler. He went on for eight hours and 42 minutes and constructed a modern Bangladeshi epic.His 191 in Rawalpindi took him past Tamim Iqbal’s records for most runs and centuries in overseas Tests for Bangladesh. It was also Mushfiqur’s first overseas ton in seven years. Test batting in overseas conditions is an elevated challenge for Bangladeshi batters. They don’t play a lot abroad. Of late, run-making has been difficult in their home conditions too, so they tend not to build up much confidence before going on tours. It was all on the seniors to do something big, and Mushfiqur stepped up to the challenge.Related

• Tamim: Mushfiqur's 100th Test 'should be celebrated by every Bangladesh cricket lover'

• Muted Rawalpindi shows little love for a Pakistan in rehab

• Shadman Islam digs in to lift Bangladesh out of a hole

• Mushfiqur 191 hands Bangladesh 117-run lead, and clear advantage ahead of final day

• Mahmood: Rawalpindi pitch 'didn't play like we thought it should'

Mominul Haque, who scored a fifty on the third day, felt that Mushfiqur’s experience allowed him to assess circumstances faster than the rest.”Mushfiq is a very dedicated individual,” Mominul said after day three. “Whatever I will say about him will not be enough. He plays very differently than the rest of us. He bats every ball with a lot of care. It shows his vast experience. Watching him bat is a lesson in how he manages the innings with the rest of us.”As pleasing as Mushfiqur’s milestones were the partnerships Bangladesh strung together in this Test, having come into the game after struggling with the bat over the last 12 months.Every shot Mushfiqur plays seems to mean something when he’s batting at his best•AFP/Getty ImagesWhen Mushfiqur walked in to bat on the second morning, Bangladesh’s 147 for 3 was a reminder of their problems of the last 12 months: a good start followed by a cluster of wickets. Mushfiqur had missed Bangladesh’s last Test series against Sri Lanka, in which they only crossed 200 just once.Mominul believes Mushfiqur’s arrival at the crease impacted the way Shadman Islam went about his innings. Shadman was batting on 57 off 132 when Mushfiqur walked in. He soon moved up the gears, and scored 36 off his last 51 balls at the crease. He had reached a point in his innings where he felt comfortable unfurling his drives and cuts, and Mushfiqur’s solidity at the other end must have helped free him up.”When I got out, (Mushfiqur) immediately assessed the situation to make sure there wasn’t much trouble from that point,” Mominul said. “He must have said something to Shadman because he started to accelerate shortly after Mushfiq arrived at the crease. He played an important role.”Shadman fell for 93, after adding 52 for the fourth wicket with Mushfiqur. It was a critical innings for the left-hander, who is looking to cement his place after coming back into the side as a replacement for the injured Mahmudul Hasan Joy.Bangladesh then lost Shadman and Shakib Al Hasan in quick succession either side of the tea break. Pakistan may have thought the game was in their hands after Shakib’s wicket, particularly since the batter to follow, Litton Das, had not had a great few months. Litton had only scored one fifty in his last 29 international innings across formats, and had even been dropped once from the ODI side.Now, however, he strode out and played with purpose, initially looking to rotate strike before opening up against Naseem Shah late on the third evening. He took 18 runs off one over, including a pulled six that deposited the ball outside the stadium. Mushfiqur and Litton added 114 for the sixth wicket.Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mushfiqur Rahim added 196 for the seventh wicket•AFP/Getty ImagesWhen Litton was out on the fourth morning, Bangladesh were still 116 runs behind Pakistan. The home side may have sensed an opening, but Bangladesh had, at No. 8, a cricketer who has come a long way since his early bits-and-pieces days.Mehidy can now walk into the ODI side as a batter and has gained enough exposure in Tests to be considered an allrounder. Bangladesh see him as more than just their last line of defence at No. 8, and he was just the right kind of batter at the other end for Mushfiqur. They piled on the misery for the Pakistan bowlers, adding 196 runs, a Bangladesh record for the seventh wicket.At the end of day four, Mehidy gave an insight into Mushfiqur’s calming effect on his partners.”I was quite nervous about the wicket when I reached the crease,” he said. “Mushfiq really helped me. He gave me a briefing about the wicket, telling me to make sure I play out a few deliveries. I will get used to the pace. I liked the wicket. I started to rotate the strike. I think I played 160-170 balls, but it was only possible because I was batting with Mushfiq . We were also the last recognised pair. We only had bowlers left. My target was to bat as long as Mushfiq was at the crease.”It’s a rarity for Bangladesh to out-bat the opposition away from home in this manner. Pakistan may be tearing their hair out looking at how little this Rawalpindi pitch has responded to their efforts, but the Bangladesh batters have played a significant role in amplifying their struggle. For Bangladesh, this performance couldn’t have come at a better time.How unsurprising it was, though, that it was Mushfiqur who led this batting resurgence, setting an example of how to build partnerships. Along the way, he may have laid out a blueprint for Bangladesh’s future successes.

تحدث وليد صلاح الدين، مدير الكرة بالنادي الأهلي، عن تفاصيل عرض برشلونة لضم مهاجم القلعة الحمراء الشاب حمزة عبد الكريم، وعرض هانوفر بشأن بلال عطية.

وقال صلاح الدين، عبر قناة “النهار”: “هذا الأمر سيكون مع الإدارة، عرض هانوفر الألماني معايشة لبلال عطية، حمزة لا يوجد عرض رسمي أتى للنادي الأهلي”.

طالع.. وليد صلاح الدين يكشف خطة الأهلي لتجديد عقود اللاعبين.. وأسباب اختيار توروب

وواصل: “نعرف قدر اللاعبين ونريد خروجهم للاحتراف ولكن مهم جدًا مصلحة الأهلي إذا كان إعادة بيع أو إعارة أو نية شراء برقم كبير، كل ذلك سيُبحث عندما توجد عروض رسمية بأرقام مؤكدة”.

وذكرت صحيفة سبورت، أن المفاوضات بين برشلونة والأهلي جارية منذ ثلاثة أسابيع بشأن حمزة عبد الكريم، وأن هناك تفاؤلاً في الفريق الكتالوني بإتمام الصفقة، على الرغم من اهتمام العديد من الأندية الأوروبية بضم اللاعب.

وأوضحت الصحيفة، أن رغبة برشلونة هي ضم حمزة عبد الكريم خلال فترة الميركاتو الشتوي المقبل في يناير على سبيل الإعارة لمدة ستة أشهر، مع وجود خيار الشراء النهائي في نهاية الموسم.

وأردفت الصحيفة، أن حمزة عبد الكريم سيبلغ الـ18 من عمره في بداية العام الجديد، ما سيسهل كثيرًا على برشلونة التعاقد معه، حيث يتم الآن وضع اللمسات النهائية على الصفقة.

After carrying a 10-game win streak heading into the 2025 All-Star break, the Boston Red Sox have returned to their middling ways. The Alex Cora-led squad has regressed to playing at or below .500 ball and, with less than a week to go before the MLB trade deadline, has some big decisions to make on whether they want to buy—or sell—ahead of the second half of the season.

For the sake of this exercise, let's assume that Boston's front office—led by Craig Breslow—is going to be buyers prior to July 31 deadline. With a loaded outfield, a hit or miss infield, and a pitching staff that could certainly use some help, here are three players who would be perfect fits for the Red Sox down the stretch of the 2025 campaign:

3. 1B/DH Ryan O'Hearn, Baltimore Orioles

New York Yankees infielder Anthony Volpe had quite the up-and-down game in his team's eventual 7-5 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night.

While going 2-4 at the plate with a 452-foot home run—the longest of his career—and two RBIs, the 24-year-old shortstop also committed two brutal errors in the infield. Here's a look at both blunders:

Volpe now leads MLB in errors on the season with 15. After the game, he owned up to his mistakes in the field.

"I gotta make those plays, obviously," the former Gold Glove winner said. "That's about it."

"I've never really experienced something like this," he continued. "But we've got really good guys around me. I consider myself—I know what I'm capable of, so. It's obviously frustrating but it's not discouraging, and I know the standard that I have for myself. I'm just gonna keep pushing until I just prove it to myself every day. Every day's a new day and that's just what I'm gonna do."

With their win on Tuesday night, the Yankees improved to 58-49 on the season and remain four games back of the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East.

MatériaMais Notícias

https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaConDhGZNCrYwAXTe0f?utm_source=cta&utm_medium=whatsappvasco&utm_id=whatsapp

https://www.lance.com.br/resenha-de-apostas/noticias/revanche-ganhe-mais-de-r450-na-vitoria-do-corinthians-sobre-o-sao-bernardo.html

Tudo sobre

ClaytonFutebol NacionalVasco

A hugely influential Aston Villa player is now believed to be close to signing a new contract at the club, in a significant new development.

Aston Villa fans banned from European game

The Villans return to Premier League action on Sunday afternoon, making the trip to Tottenham for a tough game, but a key update has emerged regarding the Europa League.

On Thursday, Villa’s official website released a statement confirming that supporters won’t be able to go to the home clash with Maccabi Tel Aviv next month, due to safety reasons.

“Aston Villa can confirm the club has been informed that no away fans may attend the UEFA Europa League match with Maccabi Tel Aviv on Thursday, November 6, following an instruction from the Safety Advisory Group.The Safety Advisory Group (SAG) are responsible for issuing safety certificates for every match at Villa Park, based on a number of physical and safety factors.

“Following a meeting this afternoon, the SAG have formally written to the club and UEFA to advise no away fans will be permitted to attend Villa Park for this fixture. West Midlands Police have advised the SAG that they have public safety concerns outside the stadium bowl and the ability to deal with any potential protests on the night.

“The club are in continuous dialogue with Maccabi Tel Aviv and the local authorities throughout this ongoing process, with the safety of supporters attending the match and the safety of local residents at the forefront of any decision.”

Away from safety issues and on-pitch matters, a huge update has now dropped regarding the future of one of the most popular players at Villa.

Aston Villa hero close to signing new contract

According to The Telegraph‘s John Percy, John McGinn is now “close” to signing a new deal at Aston Villa, also describing him as “one of the bargains of the decade” on X.

The 30-year-old’s current contract expires at the end of this season, but it looks as though his stay at Villa Park will now continue beyond 2026.

This has to be considered great news, considering the leadership, experience and quality that McGinn has flowing through him at this point in his career.

Granted, he may not be at the absolute peak of his powers now, which is no great shock at his age, but that’s not to say that he doesn’t still have a huge amount to offer.

McGinn has been a magnificent signing since arriving for only £2.5m from Hibernian in 2018, and as Percy alludes to, he has been an unbelievable bargain, and there is still plenty more to come.

Forget Rogers: Aston Villa's "explosive" star looks like another Grealish

One new signing is emerging as Aston Villa’s next Grealish-type creator under Unai Emery

By
Will Miller

Oct 17, 2025

If the midfielder can help Villa win a trophy or two before his time at the club is up, he has every chance of departing as a genuine legend in the future.