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To describe Tottenham Hotspur’s campaign this year as a rollercoaster would be a massive understatement.

For most of the Premier League season, Ange Postecoglou’s side were nothing short of terrible – which would explain the club’s decision to sack him.

However, even with injuries severely hampering them on the domestic front, the North Londoners were brilliant in the Europa League, and with most of their squad back for the climax of the campaign, they ended up winning it all in Bilbao.

One of the team’s stars in the semi-finals and final was Cristian Romero, yet there is a distinct possibility that he could leave this summer, although based on the latest player touted for a move to the Lilywhites, that might not be such a problem.

Tottenham transfer news

While he’ll likely go down as a Spurs legend for his efforts in the Europa League this season, it is now starting to feel like Romero could be at a different club entirely by the end of the summer transfer window.

Transfer Focus

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

A few months ago, stories came out linking him with a move to Real Madrid, but since then, the most prominent links have been to their city rivals, Atlético Madrid.

In fact, in April, reports were suggesting that the Argentine had already spoken to his compatriot, Diego Simeone, and as recently as late last month, more stories emerged claiming that the player had informed the Lilywhites that he wanted to join the Spanish giants.

While losing the World Cup winner would be far from ideal, there is a chance he could fetch the club a fee of around £60m, and that could help them sign a replacement or even upgrade, like Wilfried Singo.

According to a recent report from Caught Offside, the Europa League winners are among several teams interested in signing the AS Monaco star this summer.

Alongside Tottenham, the report claims that Arsenal, Atlético, Newcastle United and Napoli are all keen on the player, who’s set to cost around €35m – £29m – and talks are expected to progress soon.

It could be a complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Singo’s ability and potential, it’s one worth fighting for, especially as he could actually be an upgrade on Romero.

How Singo compares to Romero

Now, unlike with strikers, wingers and even some midfielders, where you can just look at their goals and assists, it can be rather difficult to cast any significant judgment over a defender without watching them for quite some time.

However, there are some ways in which we can still gauge how Singo stacks up against Romero, and the best is to take a deep dive into their statistics and compare their underlying numbers.

Interestingly, when we do this, it becomes clear that not only would the 6 foot 3 “monster,” as dubbed by respected analyst Ben Mattinson, be a good replacement for the possibly departing Argentine, but he could even end up being something of an upgrade.

Non-Penalty G+As

0.13

0.06

Progressive Passes

5.06

4.52

Progressive Passes Received

1.16

0.19

Progressive Carries

1.50

0.76

Key Passes

86.2%

89.5%

Shot-Creating Actions

0.82

1.27

Tackles

1.59

2.23

Shots Blocked

0.39

0.19

Interceptions

1.85

1.34

Clearances

4.72

3.63

Errors Leading to a Shot

0.09

0.13

Successful Take-Ons

0.26

0.06

Ball Recoveries

5.92

5.73

Aerial Duels Won %

63.8%

60.3%

For example, per FBref, the Ivorian international comes out ahead in the majority of relevant metrics, be that the attacking ones, like progressive passes and carries, or the defensive ones, like interceptions, clearances, blocked shots or percentage of aerial duels won, all per 90.

Moreover, the 24-year-old has another trick up his sleeve: positional versatility.

While he is primarily a centre-back, the Moncao gem can and has played at full-back and even right-midfield before, meaning he could provide the next Spurs boss with so many more tactical options.

Ultimately, Romero is an unreal player, but if he does leave, then Singo could be the perfect replacement and maybe even an upgrade.

Dream Maddison upgrade: Spurs make £68m "superstar" their top target

The special player could help take Spurs to the next level.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 6, 2025

Wolverhampton Wanderers are resigned to losing talisman Matheus Cunha this summer as Manchester United close in on a move for the Brazilian.

The £62.5m release clause has been activated, which means Vitor Pereira will be looking to bolster his attacking options this summer.

Jorgen Strand Larsen has enjoyed a decent debut campaign at Molineux, but further additions will be needed if the club are to push into the top half of the Premier League table next term.

What could the manager do with the services of a prime Raul Jimenez next season?

Why Raul Jimenez was a success at Wolves

The Mexican striker signed for the Old Gold on an initial loan deal for the 2018/19 season, going on to score 17 goals in all competitions for the club.

In the following campaign, he was even better. Jimenez scored 27 goals and grabbed a further ten assists as the club finished seventh in the top flight and reached the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

This is still the last time a player has scored over 20 goals in a single season for the Molineux side, as the centre-forward suffered a few horrendous injuries that impacted his effectiveness.

Indeed, he would only score another 13 times for the Midlands side before being sold to Fulham for just £5m in the summer of 2023. The player has enjoyed an Indian summer in London, scoring 12 top-flight goals this campaign alone.

Wolves haven’t replaced his goals, despite the antics of Cunha and Larsen this term. Might this change in the summer as Pereira eyes a Serie A striker?

Why Wolves must sign Lazio striker Taty Castellanos

Castellanos has an insatiable eye for a goal that would immediately get the supporters onside, especially as he could have the potential to replicate the feats of Jimenez should he move to England.

Reports in Italy claim that the Old Gold are seeking a move for the Lazio frontman, although a price tag of around £29m has been placed on his head.

The 2024/25 campaign was a prolific one for the Argentinian striker. Not only has he found the back of the net 14 times for the Rome-based club, but he has also added eight assists, proving how effective his all-round game is.

Lauded as “extraordinary” by Lazio manager Marco Baroni in October, Castellanos would be an interesting signing for Pereira this summer.

With Cunha departing, goals will have to come from somewhere. Could the Lazio talisman be their main man next season?

Goals

10

Assists

3

Shots per game

3.6

Goal conversion percentage

10%

Goal frequency (minutes)

222

Big chances created

6

When compared to positional peers in the Italian top flight, the 26-year-old ranks in the top 2% for total shots per 90 (3.84) and in the top 12% for touches in the opposition penalty area (5.69) per 90 this season.

Impressive statistics, but would he be able to carry these performances into the Premier League?

Time will tell, of course, but with the money generated from the sale of Cunha, some must go into signing a new striker.

Csstellanos might just be the ideal signing for Pereira this summer.

Contact made: Wolves launch move for £34m Brazilian requested by Pereira

Pereira is looking to make his mark this summer.

ByTom Cunningham May 23, 2025

Will Manchester City spend big this summer?

Back in January, the Sky Blues spent a reported £180m, that’s more than the other 19 Premier League clubs combined, acquiring five new players, namely Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov, Nico González, Juma Bah and Vitor Reis.

Nevertheless, Pep Guardiola does not plan to stop there, so does he have his eyes set on a new winger?

Manchester City's wide-attacker target

Much of the transfer chatter as we approach the summer has surrounded the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White and Florian Wirtz. While Wirtz can play out wide, he’s more of a no.10, and thus, the Citizens may need someone else to take on that berth instead.

Well, according to a report from Spain, Manchester City remain “interested” in signing Rodrygo, who is valued at €100m (around £85m) by Real Madrid.

Transfer Focus

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

As noted by Graham Ruthven of Total Soccer Show, Real Madrid lack balance when Rodrygo, Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé are all deployed as a front three, forecasting that one will ultimately be “sacrificed”, with Rodrygo the most likely candidate.

Nevertheless, this is not to diminish the Brazilian’s talent, with his manager Carlo Ancelotti labeling him a “special striker”, while teammate Luka Modrić described him as a “world-class superstar”.

Nevertheless, with Felipe del Campo of Radio Marca claiming Rodrygo is considering leaving Real Madrid, could he be on his way to Manchester?

What Rodrygo's arrival would mean for Jeremy Doku

Given their positional and stylistic similarities, should Rodrygo swap the Bernabéu for the Etihad, this could be bad news for Jérémy Doku.

The Belgian hadn’t started any of the Citizens’ last five matches, making him a surprise inclusion in Guardiola’s lineup against Wolves on Friday night but he repaid the manager’s faith with an eye-catching performance, teeing-up compatriot Kevin De Bruyne for the night’s only goal.

Nevertheless, more broadly, Doku’s form this season has been mixed, scoring just six goals across all competitions, the most recent of which came during the 6-0 demolition of Ipswich in January.

Rodrygo, on the other hand, has continued to produce impressive numbers, in spite of the fact Real Madrid remain dysfunctional, as the table below highlights.

Doku vs Rodrygo 2024/25 comparison
Statistics	Doku	Rodrygo
Appearances	34	50
Minutes	1,776	3,290
Goals	6	13
Assists	9	10
Goals – xG	+1.7	+4.7
Shots per 90	1.79	2.64
Shots on target %	31%	38.5%
Shot-creating actions	80	142
Attempted take-ons	210	142
Take-on success %	52.9%	47.2%
Progressive carries	215	158
Progressive passes received	311	353
Touches per 90	47	53
Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt and FBref.com

As the table outlines, Rodrygo would represent a clear upgrade on Doku, coming out on top when it comes to goals, assists, shooting and chances created, even if the Belgian’s dribbling numbers are admittedly superior.

This shouldn’t be too surprising though, given that, as noted by Adrian Clarke of the Premier League, Doku might just be the ‘best dribbler in the world’, having registered more progressive carries (189) than anyone else across Europe’s top five leagues this season, according to FBref.com.

On the other end, Martina Alcheva of World Soccer Talk praises Rodrygo’s ‘versatility and work rate’, while Sive Vishwa of Breaking the Lines notes he is a ‘vital player for Real Madrid’, in terms of ‘pressing’, goal contributions and ‘unlocking defences’, believing the Brazilian to be ‘one of the hottest prospects in world football’.

Thus, if Man City get the opportunity to snap up Rodrygo this summer, they should absolutely do so, as he would improve any team he joins, potentially elevating the Sky Blues back to a level where they’re dominating the Premier League once again.

Romano: Man City to "advance" for £100m star; personal terms not an issue

Fabrizio Romano has provided an update…

By
Tom Cunningham

May 5, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur are facing a summer of major change, both in the dugout and in terms of first-team players, with uncertainty surrounding Ange Postecoglou and Spurs anticipating a ‘sell to buy’ transfer window.

Tottenham preparing for season-defining Europa League semi-final

Amid a very regrettable domestic campaign, where the Lilywhites have suffered an inexcusable 19 Premier League defeats, the success of their season rests entirely on the Europa League.

24-year-old confirms decision to leave Tottenham after talks with Spurs

They’ve reached an agreement to mutually part ways.

2 ByEmilio Galantini Apr 29, 2025

After dramatically knocking out Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter-finals, Spurs face this year’s fairytale underdogs, Bodo/Glimt, in a two-legged semi-final which many are expecting them to win.

West Ham (away)

May 3rd

Crystal Palace (home)

May 10th

Aston Villa (away)

May 18th

Brighton (home)

May 25th

However, even if Tottenham get past the Norwegian minnows and go on to win their first major trophy since 2008, there is still the very real possibility that Postecoglou and Spurs part company – two years after they appointed the Australian to replace Antonio Conte.

The Telegraph reported last week that Postecoglou is heading towards the Tottenham axe, regardless of their success in Europe, and winning the competition could be the most honorable way for him to part ways and end his N17 stay on a high.

Tottenham are already being linked with a host of different managers, from big names to lesser-known quantities, and Postecoglou could be joined out of the exit door by some big-name first-team players.

Matt Law reported recently that Spurs may need to sell players and generate funds for their transfer activity, with right-back Pedro Porro and striker Richarlison among the men tipped to potentially leave. A more regularly mentioned nominee for the transfer list is star defender Cristian Romero.

The Argentine is attracting serious interest from Atlético Madrid ahead of the summer, and it is believed chairman Daniel Levy is growing more open to the possibility of cashing in on him (GiveMeSport).

There are even suggestions that Atlético head coach, Diego Simeone, is personally driving their interest in the £165,000-per-week defender.

Now, another update has emerged courtesy of Spanish news outlet Marca.

Cristian Romero has already told Tottenham he wants to go

The outlet reports that Romero informed Tottenham of his desire to leave in March, and Atlético have been working on a deal for the ex-Atalanta centre-back for as long as five months.

However, they’re postponing formal negotiations for after the Lilywhites’ Europa League campaign, where they may have a better understanding of what it will take to strike a deal for Romero.

While Atlético only wish to bid around £34 million for his signature, as things stand, Spurs are demanding much more for a player who’s been described as “world-class” during his time at the club.

Injuries have largely hindered the 27-year-old’s season, which has been the case for a lot of Tottenham players, but Romero has certainly showcased his serious quality alongside Micky van de Ven in Postecoglou’s high line, especially last season.

One of the most distinguished players in all of ODI cricket has bid farewell

Valkerie Baynes26-Oct-2025

Sophie Devine ended an ODI career that lasted 19 years and four days•ICC/Getty Images

Sophie Devine’s clenched jaw couldn’t stop the tears as she stood on the field ahead of an ODI listening to the New Zealand anthem wrap up for one last time.The fact that her team sent her off without mounting a contest, let alone a fairytale victory against England, and instead exited the World Cup with barely a whimper doesn’t take away from a decorated career.”Everyone wishes that they could finish on a high, but it doesn’t happen very often at all,” Devine said. “I am still so proud and so grateful for everything that this group has given me, and in my whole career. One day, one game doesn’t define that.”I’ve just got so much love that I’ll be really keen just to sit with my team-mates and support staff and just reflect on what’s been a pretty cool ride.”Related

Allrounder for all seasons – Sophie Devine's ODI career in numbers

'It sucks' – Devine emotional about World Cup exit

England finish second with a big win as Devine bids farewell

Enjoying the ride formed part of Devine’s reasoning behind announcing before the tournament that she would retire from ODIs immediately after New Zealand’s campaign ended.And while it ended in an eight-wicket defeat as her side were bowled out for just 168 inside 39 overs and with Amy Jones striking back-to-back fours off Devine to bring up the winning runs in an unbeaten 86, she reflected on that last passage of play with trademark deadpan humour.”Jones could have at least patted one back to me and given me another wicket,” Devine said, having removed Heather Knight lbw for 33 in her previous over. “Heather just walked away, I appreciate that.”Today was always going to end at some stage, I guess it’s probably fitting that it happened off my bowling. I got pumped for four, so a bit of a reality check for me just to send me on my way. But cricket, yeah, cricket doesn’t owe you anything.”The truth is, cricket owes Devine a lot.Sophie Devine finished the World Cup as NZ’s highest run-getter•Getty ImagesOne of the sport’s great servants, Devine ends her ODI career after 159 matches as one of only three players in the world – alongside Stafanie Taylor of West Indies and Australia’s Ellyse Perry – to score more than 4,000 runs and take more than 100 wickets in the format.After 19 years and four days, she is New Zealand’s second-longest serving player in ODIs behind great friend Suzie Bates, at 19 years and 236 days and counting. It could have been longer for Devine, had she not paused her career for two years in 2011-12 to represent New Zealand in hockey.Having also played 146 T20Is Devine passed 300 international appearances at this tournament. Her team-mates marked the occasion by presenting her with a necklace made from the pounamu green stone unique to New Zealand which she wore for the toss and anthems in Visakhapatnam on Sunday to “share a little bit of Aotearoa (New Zealand) with the rest of the world”.Devine has also been a forthright advocate for mental health awareness through words and actions, taking breaks from the game in recent years to prioritise her wellbeing, and for living with Type 1 Diabetes, which she regularly has to manage on-field, including at this World Cup.Devine plans to continue playing T20 internationals, having relinquished the captaincy in that format after she and her team-mates lifted the world title last year.Whether she travels to England to defend that crown in mid-2026 remains to be seen but the bigger question is, how will New Zealand move on without her?1:51

Devine reflects on the T20 World Cup win in 2024

Although Bates, who at 38 is two years Devine’s senior, has made no announcements on her future, a time without both stalwarts is a reality the White Ferns have had to consider while it is still too early to gauge the legacy of their T20I success in attracting new players to the game.More than 18 months ago, and more than six months before their T20 World Cup triumph, Devine lamented the lack of depth coming through New Zealand cricket on ESPNcricinfo’s Powerplay podcast. But in the lead-up to this game, the picture was a little brighter.”I am really excited and it’s taken a lot of time,” Devine said last week of New Zealand’s emerging talent. “That’s something that we’ve got to be realistic about, is these things don’t happen overnight.”We’re not like India; we don’t have one billion people to be able to call upon. We’re literally a small country at the bottom the world with five million people and unfortunately cricket isn’t, at the moment, the number one sport. We’re always going to be fighting for the attention of youngsters coming through.”But the opportunities – and that’s what’s really exciting as a selling point to any youngsters in New Zealand at the moment and that’s not just girls, it’s boys as well – it’s that the opportunities that cricket presents to you should be really attractive.”We’re starting to see it now as the depth is starting to grow and it’s going to be a continual process. Just because we’ve brought a few young players through doesn’t mean it’s job done. There’s still lots of work to do in terms of our domestic structure, in terms of our contracting system providing opportunities.”ESPNcricinfo LtdAs New Zealand faced up to the looming prospect of life beyond Devine and Bates, there was faint encouragement from a World Cup campaign which yielded just one win, against Bangladesh, and was hit by two washouts.Brooke Halliday was inside the batting top-10 for the tournament after New Zealand’s final match with 227 at 45.40, including scores of 69 against Bangladesh and 81 against India. At 29 she has good years ahead of her while Georgia Plimmer, the 21-year-old opener, was their best batter against England, with 43.That said, Devine was their leading run-scorer for the tournament with 289 at an average of 57.80, striking at 85.25 and with a century in the opening match, against Australia. Meanwhile, Lea Tahuhu, the 35-year-old seamer, was their leading wicket-taker with 10 at 15.70 and an economy rate of 4.61.While she hasn’t enjoyed her best tournament, allrounder Amelia Kerr was the star of the T20 World Cup and at 25 years of age with 172 international caps already, she is the perfect bridge between generations within the team.That makes Kerr the obvious choice to take over as long-term captain with Bates having assumed the T20 role over the past year, although New Zealand are yet to announce whether she will take over from Devine in ODIs as well.Sophie Devine with her potential successor Amelia Kerr ahead of the World Cup match against England•Getty Images”I’m in a really nice position with having the experience but also having youth on my side,” Kerr said ahead of this World Cup. “I’m in a position where I can relate to all players in the team.”But for me, I don’t think you need a title to lead and I just want to help my team-mates believe in their ability and encourage them to do what they do well and that doesn’t change whether I’ve got a title next to my name or not.”Ben Sawyer, New Zealand’s head coach, was reluctant ahead of Devine’s swansong to name her possible successor.”We’ve identified players that we think could, I guess for want of a better phrase, make up a bit of a leadership group and we’ve spoken to who we think will captain the team,” he said before turning his attention back to Devine.”It’s just been an absolute honour and a privilege to work alongside her. I know in my early days of WBBL, she was always a player that I probably thought it’d be cool to be in the same team as her. I’ve been lucky enough with a couple of franchises and saw her work there, but it’s really in this New Zealand environment where I think she’s at her most comfortable.”She leads this team so well. Everything about this team, the culture, the values that they have on and off the field, I feel from when I stepped in here, they came from Soph. I’m certain that people before her did the same, but from my experience, she’s the one who’s driven this team and it’s up to now some younger players to pick that up and run with it.”Devine also received the appreciation of her opponents as she reluctantly accepted a guard of honour formed by the England and New Zealand squads as she walked from the field.”Having made my announcement so early, everyone knows about it and they probably want to recognise it, whereas I would’ve just liked to have gone under the radar and gone about my business like any other day,” Devine said.Only this wasn’t any other day. It was a special day in a special career – one that, sadly, we won’t see again.

At least in terms of balls remaining: there were 200 of them left when India won the game

Sampath Bandarupalli17-Dec-2023116 South Africa’s total on Sunday in Johannesburg is now their lowest at home in men’s ODIs. Their previous lowest also came against India, bowled out for 118 in Centurion in 2018.200 Balls remaining when South Africa lost the game. It is their second-biggest defeat in terms of balls to spare in men’s ODIs. Their worst loss was by 215 balls against England, who chased a target of 84 in 14.1 overs at Trent Bridge in 2008.48 Runs aggregated by South Africa’s top seven batters at Wanderers stadium. Only once have their top seven done worse in men’s ODIs, when they totalled 45 runs against Australia in Sydney in 1993, where they got bundled out for 69.1 Arshdeep Singh is the first Indian pacer to bag a five-wicket haul in men’s ODIs against South Africa. The previous best figures for an Indian pacer against South Africa were 4 for 27 by Venkatesh Prasad in Mumbai, 1996. Avesh Khan also finished with bowling figures of 4 for 27 on Sunday.6 Wickets between Arshdeep (3) and Avesh (3) when they pitched on a good length. Arshdeep’s 26 balls pitched on a good length went for only nine runs, while Avesh’s 22 good-length balls yielded only ten runs despite two boundaries.4 for 19 Arshdeep’s bowling figures at the end of the tenth over. He is only the second bowler with four or more wickets in the first ten overs of a men’s ODI innings against South Africa since 2002. The other one was Stuart Broad, whose bowling figures read 4 for 9 after his first five overs at Trent Bridge in 2008.8 Five-wicket hauls for Indian bowlers in 2023 in men’s ODI cricket. These are the most five-wicket hauls by a team’s bowlers in a calendar year. Six of the eight belong to the quicks, which is also a record.265 Total number of balls bowled in Johannesburg. It is the fourth-shortest men’s ODI in South Africa and the shortest that South Africa themselves have played at home.

The upcoming edition will feature ten teams and 70 league matches – including 12 double-headers – spread over 58 days

Vishal Dikshit24-Mar-2022When is the IPL starting and where?
Defending champions Chennai Super Kings will take on Kolkata Knight Riders on March 26 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai to kick off the 15th season of the IPL. While that match will start at 7.30pm IST, there will be a total of 12 double-headers this season, when the first game will start at 3.30pm IST, and the second at 7.30pm.Related

IPL 2022: Ravindra Jadeja to lead CSK after MS Dhoni decides to step down

Mumbai Indians tick most boxes, but where's the top-quality spinner?

Need to approach IPL as 'neutral tournament' – Rohit and Jayawardene

Expect bounce at the Wankhede, spinners to thrive in Pune

What’s the format of this IPL now that there are ten teams?
The 2022 IPL will have the ten teams split into two virtual groups of five each for the league stage. Mumbai Indians and Super Kings – the two most successful sides in the IPL – have been placed in separate groups.Each team will play 14 league games this time as well, for a total of 70 games before the playoffs. Each team will play the other teams in the same group and one from the other group (in the same row as the table below) twice and the remaining teams in the other group once for a total of 14 games. For example, Mumbai will play teams from their own group and only Super Kings from the other group twice, and the remaining teams from Group B just once.ESPNcricinfo LtdWhere will all these league matches be played
To minimise the exposure to the risks of Covid-19 while traveling across India, this time the IPL will be played across four venues in and around Mumbai and Pune. The four grounds to be used are the Wankhede Stadium and Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai, the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, and the MCA Stadium in Pune.If there is no home-and-away concept, how has the schedule been made?
To make it a level-playing field across the four stadia, the schedule has been drafted in such a way that teams will play four matches each at the Wankhede and DY Patil, and three each at the Brabourne and the MCA Stadium. On paper at least, rivals might feel it gives Mumbai an advantage because they will get to play four games at the Wankhede, their original home ground, although they last played there in 2019.ESPNcricinfo LtdHow long will the league stage run for?
These 70 league games will go on for 58 days from March 26 to May 22, before the playoffs, for which the venues and the schedule have not been announced yet. The final will be played on May 29.What happens if a player or squad member tests positive for Covid-19 during the IPL?
The participant who tests positive will have to isolate for a minimum of seven days, and during that period, he will be tested on the sixth and seventh days. For him to re-enter the team’s bio-secure environment, he will have to provide two consecutive negative RT-PCR tests taken 24 hours apart, full resolution of symptoms, see that there are no fresh symptoms for more than 24 hours, and that there have been no use of medications for more than 24 hours.What happens if a team is affected by multiple Covid-19 infections and many of their players are unavailable?
A franchise can field a team if there are a minimum of 12 players available for them, including at least seven Indians and one substitute. If a team has fewer than 12, the BCCI will attempt to reschedule the match for later in the season. If, for some reason, that is not possible, the matter will be referred to the technical committee of the IPL, and the decision of the committee will be “final and binding”.Earlier, when the rescheduling of a match was not possible, the franchise unable to field a team would lose the points to the opponent.Any new playing conditions for this IPL
Each team will now have two unsuccessful reviews per innings, as opposed to one earlier, and the rule for the new batter taking strike after a caught dismissal has also changed. From now on, irrespective of whether the batters have crossed or not at the point of a catch being taken, the incoming batter will be on strike, except if the dismissal is on the last ball of an over.Will spectators be allowed at the stadia?
The Maharashtra government has, for now, allowed 25% of the seats to be occupied, but only by fully vaccinated spectators. Fans can buy the tickets from BookMyShow.Which bubble protocols are different this time compared to the 2021 IPL?
The one major change is that all players and staff members need to spend three days in hard quarantine (strictly in hotel rooms), compared to seven last year, before entering their team bubbles. During those three days, the players and staff members will need to do in-room testing every 24 hours. However, this rule will not be applicable to those who will be coming from another bubble, such as at a bilateral series, a franchise preparatory camp, a domestic tournament or a national camp, provided the players travel by a charter flight or by road.

Guardians designated hitter David Fry left Tuesday night's critical AL Central clash with the Tigers after fouling a 99-mile-per-hour Tarik Skubal fastball off his face.

With Cleveland trailing 2–1 in the bottom of the sixth, Fry squared up to bunt with runners on first and third when the ball ricocheted off his bat into his nose.

Fry immediately went to the ground and everybody in attendance held their breath.

Skubal couldn't believe what transpired, throwing his glove and hat to the turf as he watched Fry lay on the field in pain.

Fry would be carted off the field sitting up, holding a towel to his face.

It was an unfortunate moment in a series that could decide the AL Central. Both the Guardians and Tigers entered Tuesday night tied atop the division at 85–72 on the season.

Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal was all sorts of fired up after mowing down Addison Barger for his MLB-leading 171st strikeout of the season—and rightfully so.

Facing a one-out, bases-loaded jam in a 0-0 game against the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday, Skubal forced catcher Tyler Heineman into a fielder's choice before making light work of the third baseman Barger, taking him down on four pitches—capped by the 101-mph fastball below to end the inning.

Take a look at the pitch here, which includes Skubal's electric reaction:

Unfortunately, Skubal was pulled after his dominant finish to the sixth inning, and Tigers reliever Will Vest gave up two runs in the bottom of the eighth as Toronto took a 2-0 lead.

We'll always have Skubal's reaction, though.

The Blue Jays, winners of their last three, currently hold the best record in MLB at 62-42 while the Tigers—60-45—sit atop the American League Central with an eight-game lead over the Cleveland Guardians.

England aren’t quite the force they were on their all-conquering 2022-23 tour. That, however, is no consolation to a struggling Pakistan side

Danyal Rasool04-Oct-2024Pakistan have been confronted by two sets of very different challenges in their last two Test series. First, they lost the unwinnable; no Pakistan Test side had managed anything other than defeat in Australia since 1995. Then, at home, they lost the unlosable, suffering their first and second Test defeats to Bangladesh. Now, with England on their shores to play three Test matches, they face their most intriguing challenge: the possible.It is perhaps this kind of match-up, where success is unlikely but eminently achievable, that is best placed to determine the upper limits of Pakistan’s grasp, and most in danger of exposing the pace of their slide. Moving past Pakistan’s defeats in Australia as a grim rite of passage that they cannot escape requires some generosity; setting aside an excellent Bangladesh side’s clean sweep in Pakistan as a freak event demands excessive charity. One was too predictable, the other too dramatic, and neither conducive to rational assessment. But a home series against England is precisely the sort of contest Pakistan have cherished competing in. This is a litmus test.Related

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Pakistan’s psychological scars may have begun to prick once more at the memories of what England dished out in 2022-23. But while the tendency to group all of their results under the all-encompassing term Bazball remains undying, England now are scarcely the formidable side that delivered Pakistan’s only home-series whitewash to date. In the intervening two years, England have just about split the 19 Tests they’ve played, winning 10 and losing eight; six of those wins have come at home against West Indies, Sri Lanka and Ireland. Five of their seven away Tests have ended as defeats. None of the four seamers who played any part in the 2022-23 Pakistan tour are in their current squad, and captain Ben Stokes is a serious doubt for the first Test in Multan.With that limited context, England’s triumph two years ago appears an aberration, not the heralding of a new dawn. Greater England sides than this have found playing in Pakistan a struggle; until their 2022 victory, England had managed just one away-series win against Pakistan in 60 years. Months after their iconic Ashes win in 2005, they fell 2-0 on Pakistani shores, and that famously hard-nosed 2009-12 England side were swept away by Pakistan at their adopted UAE home ground in 2011.But zoom out for greater context, and you run into Pakistan’s problems. It’s difficult for them to draw encouragement from their opposition’s away record when they haven’t won a home Test in three-and-a-half years, and though England did lose a dead rubber to Sri Lanka to cap off their red-ball summer, it was overshadowed by Pakistan’s own dismantling at Bangladesh’s hands.Abrar Ahmed’s 11-wicket debut two years ago seems like a distant memory•Matthew Lewis/Getty ImagesEngland’s seamers might never have played in Pakistan, but Pakistan are going through their own fast-bowling identity crisis as they struggle for speed, form, fitness or a combination of the three. England’s spinners are inexperienced, but Pakistan’s supply isn’t brimming either, and Abrar Ahmed’s 11-wicket debut in Multan two years ago is now a distant memory. And when it comes to batting, Pakistan’s problems are in a different league.Earlier this week, captain Shan Masood appealed for time and patience, but is also clever enough to understand those will be offered in stingy doses with severe prescriptive restrictions. And against an England side perceived to be better than it perhaps is, a competitive series with enough of the numbers in the result corner presents the only viable opportunity to change attitudes about his side.Pakistan have had a month to reflect on that Bangladesh series, and played domestic one-day cricket in the interregnum; the wisdom of that remains up for debate. But at some point, the only way to read into the quality of this Test side will be the results they get rather than the promise they show, the quality of the opposition or the capriciousness of the pitch. This Pakistan side is either good enough to beat England at home, or they’re not. Zak Crawley’s comments about the dangers of underestimating Pakistan would suggest England are blocking out the external noise about their supposed superiority over the hosts, and are approaching this series as a contest of equals.Pakistan still have a distance to travel to demonstrate they have earned that tag. But either way, the upcoming three weeks should go a long way towards illuminating whether that Bangladesh series was a wake-up call, or simply the new company Pakistan keep.