Rivals thought Liverpool would fall off a cliff when Jurgen Klopp packed up and left, but Arne Slot came and chased their wistful dreams right back from where they came.
Only 11 months after Klopp sang Slot’s name, Carabao Cup trophy in the bag but not much else (aside from qualification back into the Champions League after the misery of 2022/23), Anfield’s new Dutch boss returned the song, having won the Premier League and defied all expectations.
Slot’s proven himself, joining an exclusive club of managers who won the English top flight in their first year, and now he’s been entrusted to work with sporting director Richard Hughes and make sweeping changes in the transfer market.
Slot chased the doubters away, and with Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz joining from Bayer Leverkusen, Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez arriving soon and a new centre-forward soon to be targeted, there’s so much to be excited about if you’re of a Liverpool persuasion.
Milos Kerkez for Bournemouth
Of course, some outgoings are happening too, with the legend that is Andy Robertson mooted for a departure in the coming months.
Liverpool's left-back situation
Robertson, 31, is entering the final year of his £160k-per-week contract and sadly looked a weak link under Slot’s wing. It’s understandable: he’s been run into the ground across so many years of tireless service.
With a deal agreed to sign Kerkez, Robertson is going to be relegated to the backbench, and so with Atletico Madrid circling, it might be that FSG reluctantly let their stalwart go.
Kerkez might be young, but there’s no question that he’s already reached a degree of superiority over Liverpool’s veteran, whose athleticism and once unending batteries have ebbed back over the past year.
Matches (starts)
38 (38)
33 (29)
Goals
2
0
Assists
5
1
Touches*
59.6
64.5
Pass completion
80%
88%
Big chances created
8
7
Key passes*
1.0
1.2
Dribbles*
0.6
0.2
Ball recoveries*
4.4
3.2
Tackles + interceptions*
2.6
1.8
Clearances*
2.6
1.3
Duels (won)*
4.0 (54%)
1.8 (48%)
If Robertson does leave, though, could Liverpool be selling themselves short? His back-up, Kostas Tsimikas, is on Leeds United’s radar, after all. Liverpool might need one more star on the left side of the backline, and the chosen target may just be the most exciting of the lot.
Liverpool consider another left-back
According to TEAMtalk, Ajax defender Jorrel Hato is interested in moving to Liverpool despite the efforts of Arsenal, who effectively have the lead in the race right now.
Hato, 19, has been a revelation in his homeland and has been priced at €50m (£43m), a valuation which Ajax are not willing to reduce this summer.
Ajax Amsterdam's JorrelHatocelebrates after the match
Further reports claim that Chelsea are also in the frame, and that Liverpool and the Blues have been informed by the player’s camp that the race is very much open at this stage.
What Jorrel Hato would bring to Liverpool
Liverpool are stocking up nicely with the 21-year-old Kerkez, aren’t they? So why does Slot want another left-sided defender in Hato? Well, the young Dutchman would provide that extra bit of depth on the flank, all the while fostering qualities as a central defender too.
Talent scout Jacek Kulig actually hailed Hato as “one of the most talented centre-backs in Europe in his generation” just a few years ago, during his formative phase. But despite this, the Netherlands star has played the past year of his professional career as principally a left-back, owing to his gas tank, tenacious attitude and dynamism, driving up and down the wing.
As per FBref, he ranked among the top 9% of full-backs across Europe last season for pass completion, the top 14% for tackles and interceptions combined and the top 15% for ball recoveries per 90.
Impressive stats, and useful to shine a light on the skill set that has seen a natural centre-half perform with such aplomb in a wide berth.
Left-back
89
4
8
Centre-back
70
3
3
Centre-midfield
1
0
0
Hato and Kerkez are both rising defensive stars of immense potential, and choosing which one would be ‘better’ under Slot’s wing is effectively splitting hairs, but we’re hair splitters over here, and Ajax’s age-belying prospect is an absolute marvel.
Hailed for his “special” talents by scout Phil Costa, so skilled, so versatile, Hato could become one of the best in the world across multiple positions, and if that isn’t enough to send frissons of excitement through the Liverpool fanbase, what is?
It’s for this reason that he has been described as an “exceptional athlete” by analyst Ben Mattinson. When considering Hato’s quality across not one but two positions that Liverpool need to strengthen, you could argue he’s the more exciting man than Kerkez.
Certainly, there’s more thrill involved with the teenager than Robertson, who Jamie Carragher called “an absolute legend” in January, but a defender who has been “hanging on in every game.”
If, at the eleventh hour, Liverpool’s bid to sign Kerkez falls through, Hato would prove an excellent alternative; but, if all goes to plan and Hughes secures another excellent signing for the title-winning Reds, adding Hato to the mix would surely complete the set.
Slot's own Mane: Liverpool enter race to sign "unbelievable" £51m star
Liverpool are presented with a unique market opportunity to sign a talented youngster.
Glasgow Rangers head coach Russell Martin knows that he has an incredibly difficult job ahead of him, as the club have failed to win the Scottish Premiership title in each of the last four seasons.
The Light Blues also failed to win any trophies in the 2024/25 campaign under Philippe Clement or Barry Ferguson, which means that the former Scotland international is tasked with bringing glory back to Ibrox.
Martin may have to do that whilst dealing with some of his key players moving on from the club, though, as multiple stars have been linked with exits from Glasgow.
Both Nicolas Raskin and Mohamed Diomande are reportedly being eyed up by teams in England this summer, which puts them at risk of being sold in the coming months.
This means that Martin could need to bring in new midfielders to lead the team forward, if Raskin and Diomande move on this summer, and the domestic market could be the way to go, as it has produced some terrific signings, such as Glen Kamara.
Rangers hit the jackpot with Glen Kamara
The Light Blues swooped to sign the central midfielder for £50k at the start of 2019, before his contract at Dundee expired that summer, in what turned out to be a bargain move by the club.
Glasgow Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara.
In fact, the £50k that the Scottish giants paid for the Finland international was later described as the “steal of the century” by former Rangers midfielder and Kamara’s teammate Scott Arfield.
The Gers hit the jackpot with the midfield maestro because they snapped him up from a Premiership team and he hit the ground running as a player who did not need time to adapt to the league.
Kamara went on to play 193 times in all competitions for the Scottish giants, winning the Premiership in the 2020/21 campaign, and his value soared during his time at Ibrox.
January 2019
Reported £50k move to Rangers
August 2019
£720k
February 2020
£1.3m
January 2021
£3.8m
May 2021
£5m
June 2022
£6.3m
March 2023
£5m
August 2023
Reported £5m move to Leeds
As you can see in the table above, his value had risen from £50k to £5m by the time he left to join Leeds in the summer of 2023, which shows that the Gers hit the jackpot with the Finnish star.
New Rangers boss Russell Martin could, now, land his own version of Kamara amid reported interest in a midfielder from another Premiership side.
Rangers eyeing deal for Premiership midfielder
According to SportsBoom, Rangers have ‘quietly explored’ what it would take to secure a deal to sign Motherwell central midfielder Lennon Miller in the summer transfer window.
The report claims that Celtic and the Gers are both keen on snapping up the Scotland international to bolster their options in the middleof the park ahead of next season.
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It adds, however, that Premier League side Sunderland are preparing an offer of £10m to sign the 18-year-old talent, after they sold Jobe Bellingham to Borussia Dortmund this week.
The outlet claims that Celtic and Rangers have both been watching the teenage Premiership starlet, but the Black Cats are quietly confident that they can get a deal done for the Motherwell talent.
Martin and Kevin Thelwell must work hard to convince Miller to remain in Scotland and make the move to Ibrox, over joining Sunderland, as he could be the new manager’s own Kamara signing.
Why Lennon Miller could be Russell Martin's own Glen Kamara
The teenage talent would come in as a similar signing to Kamara as a player who has already proven himself as a central midfielder in the Premiership.
He has already racked up 76 first-team appearances for Motherwell by the age of 18 and showcased his quality on a regular basis in the top-flight, even producing an exceptional assist against Celtic in the clip below.
This means that the 18-year-old star could come in to hit the ground running at Ibrox, given his knowledge of the league, which was also the case for Kamara after he joined from Dundee.
Miller, who has been hailed as “ridiculous” by James McFadden, is also similar to the Finland international when it comes to the strength and athleticism that he provides out of possession.
Former Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara.
Kamara won 59% of his duels and made 6.09 ball recoveries per 90 in the 2020/21 title-winning season, which shows that he was strong off the ball, and Miller displayed similar qualities in the 2024/25 campaign for his current club.
Tackle success rate
68%
Top 28%
Duels won
5.84
Top 36%
Duel success rate
53%
Top 31%
Interceptions
1.38
Top 14%
Ball recoveries
6.52
Top 10%
Blocks
0.48
Top 28%
As you can see in the table above, the Scotland international ranked incredibly highly among midfielders in the division in a host of key defensive metrics, including his duel success rate and ball recoveries per 90.
Like Kamara, Miller is a central midfielder who puts him about the park to win possession back for his side on a regular basis, but the Scottish ace also has the quality to provide goals and assists.
The £10m-rated dynamo ended the season with two goals, 12 ‘big chances’ created, and eight assists in the Premiership, whilst Kamara never managed more than four assists in a single league season.
This suggests that Miller could bring the physicality that the Finnish ace brought to Ibrox, but with more quality in possession in the final third to make an impact in front of goal.
Big Danilo upgrade: Martin lines up Rangers move to sign "complete" striker
Russell Martin is eyeing up a Rangers move for a striker who would be a big upgrade on Danilo.
1 ByDan Emery Jun 9, 2025
Therefore, Martin could land his own version of Kamara, but with the potential to be even better due to his ability on the ball, by winning the race to land the Premiership starlet this summer.
As Aston Villa prepare for a busy summer in the transfer market, how they would love to unearth a forward as prolific as Christian Benteke.
The Belgian striker scored 49 goals in just 101 appearances for the Villans, thereby averaging a goal every 172 minutes, despite the fact they were struggling throughout his time at the club.
Having arrived from Genk for just £7m in 2012, Benteke was sold to Liverpool for £32.5m three years later, quite the return on investment.
A decade on from his departure, could Villa be about to make a Benteke-esque striker move in this transfer window?
Aston Villa targeting new striker
According to a report by Football Transfers, Monchi has made Brighton & Hove Albion forward João Pedro a ‘high-priority’ target this summer, adding that the Brazilian is valued at around £58m by the Seagulls.
Pedro has not been seen since being sent off at Brentford on 19 April, first serving the customary three-match suspension.
However, despite then being available for Brighton’s final two fixtures of the campaign, Fabian Hürzeler chose not to select him.
This is because, as outlined by Pedro was involved in a ‘training ground altercation’ with teammate Jan Paul van Hecke, merely fueling speculation around his future.
Southampton's Flynn Downes in action with Brighton & Hove Albion's Joao Pedro
Sam Dean of the Telegraph has previously documented that Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal are all ‘interested’ to Pedro this summer, but could Aston Villa position themselves at the front of the queue by acting swiftly?
Why Pedro would be a better signing than Rashford
Now that his loan spell has come to an end, there was always going to be much speculation about Marcus Rashford’s future.
In 17 appearances for Villa, he looked like a different player, enjoying a ‘career rehabilitation’ in the Midlands as he scored four goals and registered six assists, on target against Brighton and Manchester City in the Premier League, also bagging a brace at Preston North End in the FA Cup.
Nevertheless, Jamie Jackson of the Guardian reports that, even though he is contracted to the club until 2028, Rashford has no future at Manchester United, who value him at £40m, with reports in Spain documenting Barcelona’s long-standing interest.
However, rather than pushing to make Rashford’s deal permanent, would Villa be better served signing Pedro?
Well, let’s attempt to find out.
Pedro vs Rashford: 2024/25 PL season
Stat (per 90 mins)
Pedro
Rashford
Goals
0.46
0.38
Assists
0.28
0.19
Key passes
1.39
1.77
Progressive passes
3.61
2.15
Shot-creating actions
3.33
3.54
Successful take-ons
1.34
1.14
Progressive carries
3.06
2.66
Stats via FBref.
As the table outlines, Rashford and Pedro’s statistics this season are remarkably similar.
In around 300 more minutes across all competitions, the Englishman scored one more goal, registered two more assists and accumulated more shot-creating actions per 90.
Nevertheless, Pedro came out on top for carrying metrics across passing and dribbling, suggesting he’s even more of a livewire than Pedro in forward areas.
Presenter Sam Ucko labels the Brazilian a ‘special player”, while Liam Tharme of the Athletic praises his ‘technical prowess’, which enables him to drop deep and be involved in the build-up play.
So, the smarter business decision would be to spend big on the younger Pedro, rather than splurging on a 27-year-old whose best days could be behind them.
Pau Torres 2.0: Aston Villa submit offer to sign £21m "big game player"
Aston Villa are looking to do their transfer business early
This summer appears to be a huge window for Liverpool Football Club as Arne Slot looks to build on the magnificent job he did during his first year at the helm.
The Dutchman claimed the Premier League title at the first attempt, doing so after only making one senior addition in the form of Federico Chiesa, who only featured for a total of 104 league minutes.
Such an achievement is nothing short of remarkable, with the 46-year-old deserving of the opportunity to make his own additions and change the squad as he wishes.
Liverpool manager ArneSlotcelebrates after winning the Premier League
With the transfer window now just around the corner, it’s a surprise to no one that work has already commenced in an attempt to land new players for Slot this summer.
Over the last couple of days, numerous names have emerged as key targets, with a real impetus on improving the options currently at the manager’s disposal within the final third.
The latest on Liverpool’s hunt for new attackers this summer
In their pursuit of a new talisman this summer, RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko has emerged as a potential signing for Slot’s side during the upcoming transfer window.
The Slovenian, who scored 21 goals in 2024/25, has appeared on their shortlist, but could cost a pretty penny over the coming months, with the Bundesliga side demanding at least £70m for his signature.
RB Leipzig's BenjaminSeskocelebrates
However, he’s not the only talent from such a division to be touted with a switch to Anfield, with Eintracht Frankfurt talisman Hugo Ekitiké the latest name linked, according to journalist Florian Plettenberg.
He states that the Reds have entered the race for the 22-year-old’s signature, even holding talks with the striker over a move, with Slot personally wanting the Frenchman.
Plettenberg also confirmed that Frankfurt are demanding €100m (£84m) to part ways with the 22-goal forward, who also has keen interest from fellow English side Chelsea.
Why Liverpool’s £84m target would be perfect for Wirtz
Liverpool’s hunt for new additions has shown no signs of slowing down over the last couple of weeks, with Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz another name on their shortlist this summer.
The German has already held talks with the Reds over a summer switch to Anfield, but they face competition from Manchester City and Bayern Munich for the 22-year-old’s signature.
Any deal would likely set Slot’s side back over £100m this summer, with a switch to Merseyside certainly going to break the club-record £85m paid for Darwin Núñez back in 2022.
Should the hierarchy land a move for Wirtz and Ekitike, it would be a mammoth investment that highlights their ambitions of retaining their Premier League title in 2025/26.
However, the pair could form a deadly partnership for the Reds next season, with their respective figures from the Bundesliga fitting perfectly into one another’s skillset.
Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike
Ekitike, described as the “next Mbappe” by journalist Graeme Bailey, loves to play on the shoulder of the defender, often darting in behind and causing all sorts of problems.
He’s received 7.6 progressive passes, which has aided him in his tally of 22 goals this season, with Wirtz able to add to such a figure if they both joined the Reds, registering a tally of 6.7 progressive passes per 90.
Games played
33
Goals & assists
23
Goals per 90
0.53
Shots on target per game
1.6
Key passes made
1.6
Passes into 18-yard box
1.1
Progressive passes received
7.6
The striker has also managed to register 1.6 shots on target per 90, whilst also registering 0.53 goals per game in the Bundesliga – allowing the German to increase his assist tally when operating alongside the Frenchman.
He’s also made 1.6 key passes per 90, with 1.1 of which being played into the opposition’s penalty area, which could see him return the favour to Wirtz – highlighting why they could be so dangerous together at Anfield.
Whilst the pair could set the hierarchy back just short of £200m this summer, their tender ages gives them the chance to develop further in the years ahead – allowing the club to sustain their recent success.
Should they transfer their skillset to Merseyside in the coming months and hit the ground running, the pair could prove to be the difference in attacking areas, making Liverpool a real force to be reckoned with in 2025/26.
Mac Allister 2.0: Liverpool working on another amazing signing after Wirtz
Liverpool could be about to replicate a deal for Alexis Mac Allister durng the upcoming summer window.
The defending champions have lost three in a row, leaving their hopes of a three-peat greatly diminished
Firdose Moonda14-Jan-2025As far as title defences go, it’s fair to say Sunrisers Eastern Cape have gotten off to the worst possible start. They’ve slumped to their three biggest defeats in their history – their largest by runs in the tournament opener against MI Cape Town – and their two biggest by balls remaining in their losses to Paarl Royals and Pretoria Capitals, and thoughts of a trophy three-peat have become ever-more distant.It’s still early in SA20 2025 but the initial indications are that a significant part of the problem is in the top order, where Sunrisers have not fired. Across the three matches, their highest score by a top-three batter is Zak Crawley’s 27 against Royals, and collectively, their top three has scored 85 runs at an average of 9.44. In season 1, the top two averaged over 30 and in season 2, 22.67. There is time to build back up to that but they will need to turn things around quickly and that may start with settling on their opening pair.With Dawid Malan not part of the squad this season, Sunrisers started with Jordan Hermann and Crawley but then played against Capitals with Crawley and David Bedingham. Batting coach Russell Domingo explained that Hermann’s omission was to open up a spot for allrounder Patrick Kruger.”It was just to bring in another option. Patrick Kruger was available for the first time because he had been struggling with a cough and he is a starting player for us,” Domingo said. “David Bedingham’s obviously a quality player so we decided to give him an opportunity up the order where he’s probably best suited.”ESPNcricinfo LtdBut Bedingham has been struggling recently. Since his 59 in the Chattogram Test, he has had 12 innings across formats and been out in single figures six times. On five occasions, Bedingham has been caught by the wicketkeeper or in the slips and there may be concerns around how tight he is outside off stump.The reading is not much better for Sunrisers’s key batter Tristan Stubbs. He was their top-scorer last season but is also in a rut. Since his second-innings century in the Durban Test against Sri Lanka, Stubbs has been out in single figures five times in nine innings. His most common mode of dismissal is with deliveries in line with the stumps, when he has been late on shots and either bowled or lbw, which suggests there’s an issue with the timing of his strokes.Through Bedingham, Stubbs and captain Aiden Markram, Sunrisers will expect to score most of their runs, especially as they carry a fairly long tail. Marco Jansen’s form at No.7 is a welcome bonus though his main job is to operate as their strike bowler, another area they seem to be lacking in.Ottneil Baartman, who enjoyed a breakthrough tournament last year, missed out on the first match, returned with figures of 0 for 33 in 2.4 overs in Paarl and then took 1 for 9 at SuperSport Park. In Craig Overton and Richard Gleeson, Sunrisers have the personnel but the attack needs their batters to give them something to work with, which Markram knows. In the post-match presentation, he acknowledged lack of runs as the main concern but cited the quick turnaround between games as being one of the hurdles that can be difficult to overcome. “When you’re trying to look for form, it can be quite tough,” he said.Zak Crawley hasn’t yet fired as Sunrisers Eastern Cape’s opener•SA 20This is already a slightly different line to the one he had voiced two days ago, when Sunrisers lost to Royals. That defeat came two days after they lost to MICT in the tournament opener and Markram was asked how a team can properly address form concerns in a schedule where matches come thick and fast. His answer suggested they just have to roll with the punches.”You almost get used to dealing with things really quickly and then moving on. I don’t think you have much of a choice nowadays with the amount of cricket that we play,” he said then. “Of course, pay attention to areas that need attention but it’s really important to bank that, make notes of it and then to wake up the next day and either do something about it or play another game of cricket. From an emotional side, I think each person is quite different. I generally don’t try to get too high when things are going well and low when things aren’t going well. I try to stay consistent. Obviously, easier said than done.”That day, Markram also said his is an outfit that “are all not really good at losing” and would be able to pick themselves up quickly. Two more days have gone past and they find themselves at an even lower point.”We know we haven’t played well in these last three games and we need to make our own luck,” Domingo said. “We need to do the basics a little bit better which we’re not doing at the moment. Fortunately there’s still seven games to go. We know it’s a long competition. We haven’t started well in this competition in previous editions and managed to find our way and hopefully we can get into that sort of form, and that sort of confidence in the next couple of weeks because we’re running out of time and we need to make a play.”Sunrisers did not win either of their opening matches in season one or two but this is their third successive defeat in SA20 2025. So they’re already further behind than they have been before. That means the need to turn things around is more pressing and their attempt to do that will take place in three days’ time. They travel to Kingsmead for their next match against Durban’s Super Giants on Friday.
The paddle was raised 28 times for Mandhana, while five players had four teams bidding for them
Sampath Bandarupalli14-Feb-2023Nearly INR 60 crore spent
There was a total of INR 60 crore (US$ 7.3 million approx.) available for the five franchises to buy a maximum of 90 players at the auction. The limit was nearly achieved as 87 players were bought, and INR 59.5 crore was spent. Seven players earned bids as high as INR 2 crore, and three breached the INR 3-crore mark – Smriti Mandhana (INR 3.4 crore), Ashleigh Gardner (INR 3.2 crore) and Nat Sciver-Brunt (INR 3.2 crore).
Only Mumbai Indians and UP Warriorz used their entire purse of INR 12 crore, but neither of them reached the maximum player limit of 18, buying 17 and 16 respectively. Gujarat Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore did reach the limit of 18 but had INR 5 lakh and INR 10 lakh left. Delhi Capitals, meanwhile, needed only INR 11.65 crore to fill their quota.The two-horse race for Mandhana
Mandhana, the costliest player, was responsible for kick-starting the auction with a bang. The paddle was raised 28 times for her, all by two teams – Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers – the highest for any player.
Mandhana’s auction price was 6.8 times her base price, the highest multiple among the 87 players sold. No player attracted bids from all five franchises, but five players had four teams making a bid for them – Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepti Sharma, Beth Mooney, Marizanne Kapp and Tahlia McGrath.Australians in big demand
The dominance shown by Australia at the international level in women’s cricket translated into success for individuals at the WPL auction – 14 of the 30 available slots for overseas players were filled by them. INR 14.25 crore was spent for Australian players, nearly one-fourth of the total purse of five teams.
Fifty-seven Indians were bought in the auction for INR 32.2 crore, while England have the third-best representation, with seven of their players brought for a total of INR 7.35 crore. Tara Norris was the only player from an Associate nation to get a bid, from Capitals. Norris, the USA left-arm seamer, made her debut in international cricket only in 2022 but played more than 100 professional limited-overs matches in England between 2014 and 2022.INR 54.25 crore was spent at this auction for 57 capped players, while INR 5.25 crore went on the 30 uncapped players. Only one uncapped overseas player earned a bid, Laura Harris of Australia, who was sold to Capitals for INR 45 lakh. She was also the second-most expensive uncapped player at this auction, behind Tanuja Kanwar, who went to Giants for INR 50 lakh.A focus on allrounders
With only INR 12 crore available to each team, they focused on allrounders. As many as 46 players sold at the auction were categorised as allrounders, with all teams getting at least seven of them. INR 34.3 crore was spent on allrounders overall, including INR 9.6 crore for nine from Australia. Only 17 players sold at the auction were specialist bowlers, and the remaining 24 were either batters or wicketkeeper-batters.
Just six of the current top-ten bowlers in the ICC’s women’s T20I rankings found teams. Three of those six were allrounders, while Megan Schutt went unsold the first time. That count was eight for batters, which included three allrounders and a wicketkeeper-batter.Delhi Capitals, the happy bidders
Capitals was the most active team at the auction table, making bids for 38 players. Nine of the 18 players they bought were at their base price. On 15 occasions, they finished second best. UP Warriorz won seven of those 15 bidding battles.
Mumbai Indians, meanwhile, had a mixed outing. They were the losing bidders on 11 occasions on the 18 players who earned bids from more than one team and were successful in clinching only six players in such situations. However, they bought 11 players at their base price, only behind Royal Challengers’ 12.The youngest and oldest players in the mix
The oldest player sold at the auction was Jasia Akhtar, the 34-year-old uncapped Indian. The sold list featured three other players who are going to be 34 by the time the tournament started: Erin Burns, Shabnim Ismail and Harmanpreet.Two 15-year-olds also got teams: Sonam Yadav and Shabnam Shakil. Sonam was born in July 2007, a month after Shakil. Alice Capsey was the youngest among the overseas players; the 18-year-old from England was born in August 2004.
He announced himself as a T20 phenom years ago, but now he has become better than ever, as Super Kings found out
Hemant Brar02-May-20213:34
Manjrekar on Pollard’s knock: ‘One of greatest IPL innings we’ve seen’
T20 is as much a game of finer calculations as it is of sheer power. And on Saturday, Kieron Pollard showed what can be achieved if one mixes both in the right amount.Chasing 219, Pollard smashed an unbeaten 87 off just 34 balls, studded with eight sixes and six fours, to take the Mumbai Indians to an improbable win against the Chennai Super Kings.But when Pollard came out to bat, the task was even more daunting. Mumbai had lost three quick wickets and needed 132 runs from 62 balls.The Super Kings had four seamers in their attack and Pollard knew each of them would bowl their quota of four overs. That would leave two spinners, Ravindra Jadeja and Moeen Ali, to carry out the fifth bowler’s job.Given the smaller boundaries at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, spinners were the easy targets. However, by the time Pollard marked his guard, 1.4 overs of spin had already been bowled. Krunal Pandya then managed just two runs in five balls of the third over spin.When Jadeja started the final over of spin, the 13th of the innings, Pollard was on strike. He knew it was his last chance to take advantage.”They had four overs of spin to bowl on a small ground,” Pollard told host broadcaster at the post-match presentation. “So I wanted to see if I can hit a couple of sixes off spinners firstly and then try to take it from there. I only got two overs against spin and had to maximise that over against Jadeja. When you see the conditions, the pitch and the bowlers, you know if you stay in for a period of time… the ground is small, and a couple of sixes were always going to keep us in the game.”2:43
Kieron Pollard: It was about picking the bowler and executing
Pollard is not a 360-degree player. His main scoring areas are down the ground and the leg side. To deny him big hits, bowlers generally bowl wide outside off.Jadeja also tried the same. After being hit for a six earlier in the over, he went wider in order to stay away from Pollard’s hitting arc.The ball was so far away from Pollard that if he had left it, it would have been called a wide. Despite taking a little step towards the leg side, Pollard reached out for it and not only did he connect, he hit it so well that the ball sailed over the sweeper cover.After the match, Pollard said he had been working on his off-side game.”As an individual, you have to evolve,” he said. “Guys bowl wide and you are missing out on some balls. You have to try and maximise that part [off side] of the field as well. A lot of practice goes into it. That has helped me tremendously. Now I can’t say I’m 360. I’m not getting close to there, but I’m maximising more angles in the field.”Pollard muscled the last ball of Jadeja’s over for yet another six, taking the over tally to 20 runs.He continued in the same vein against the pacers as well and took Mumbai to the brink of victory. With 16 needed from the final over, and Dhawal Kulkarni for company, he knew he needed to face all six balls from Lungi Ngidi. He refused two singles but ensured he saw his side home.”Dhawal is decent with the bat but in order for us to win, I needed to bat six balls,” he said. “That’s the pressure you have to take as an individual when you see the magnitude of the game and what’s needed. We have done this time and time again in practice, in scenarios. So it’s just a matter of keeping calm and try to execute.”Kieron Pollard hammered a 17-ball half-century•BCCI/IPLDuring the Super Kings’ innings, Pollard was also the most successful bowler for Mumbai, registering figures of 2-0-12-2. After the match, Hardik Pandya revealed on that Pollard loves his bowling more than his batting. Hardik said: “He hits sixes for breakfast but if he takes a wicket or he bowls well, for him, you know when you give candy to a baby, it’s like that.”He is livid with himself when he gives [away] runs because, I don’t know, he takes his bowling to the heart. I think batting he does from here , bowling happens from here I feel.”If so, Pollard must have felt like a child in a candy store during the Super Kings’ innings. Once Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Ali to end his 108-run stand with Faf du Plessis, Mumbai grabbed the opportunity to sneak in a couple of overs from Pollard.Pollard conceded a single on each of his first four deliveries. On the fifth ball, a slower one, du Plessis miscued a scoop. Bumrah took the catch. Pollard took a bow.The next delivery was again a slower one and Suresh Raina holed out to deep square leg. This time Pollard broke into an Imran Tahir-esque celebratory run.Still, at the end of the day, it was his batting that left Hardik “speechless”. It prompted Krunal to declare “he is the G.O.A.T”. It made Rohit Sharma say he had “never seen a chase like that before”.
Na Era Abel Ferreira, o Palmeiras estabeleceu uma relação ímpar com a Copa Libertadores, como se o principal torneio de clubes da América do Sul tivesse encontrado um dono, situado em uma prateleira exclusiva entre os melhores do continente.
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➡️ Siga o Lance! Palmeiras no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Verdão
Com a vitória sobre o Independiente de Valle, do Equador, por 2 a 1, o Verdão garantiu a primeira colocação de seu grupo pelo oitavo ano consecutivo e caminha para assegurar a melhor campanha na fase de grupos pela sexta vez nas últimas sete edições de Libertadores.
Porém, no início do Século XXI, entre 2002 e 2015, o cenário era diferente. No período, o Palmeiras participou apenas quatro vezes da competição e em nenhuma delas conseguiu superar as quartas de final.
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A temporada 2017, no entanto, marca a virada de chave do Alviverde, que vivenciou na realidade sua própria jornada do herói no torneio. Após aceitar o “chamado à aventura” e, posteriormente, encontrar seu mentor – Abel Ferreira, o Palmeiras passou a controlar o cenário sul-americano e, com dois títulos no mesmo ano, transformou a tradição em dominância.
Agora, a busca é pelo tetra campeonato, que transformaria o fato em realidade. À vista disso, a reportagem separou os recordes do Palmeiras na competição.
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PALMEIRAS ENTRE OS CLUBES BRASILEIROS NA LIBERTADORES
– Mais finais disputadas: 6 (1961, 1968, 1999, 2000, 2020 e 2021) ao lado do São Paulo;
– Mais títulos: 3 (1999, 2020 e 2021) ao lado de Flamengo, Grêmio, Santos e São Paulo;
– Mais gols marcados: 465 gols;
– Mais participações na história: 24 edições disputadas.
– Mais jogos: 238
– Mais jogos como mandante: 117
– Mais jogos como visitante: 119
– Mais vitórias: 136
– Mais vitórias como mandante: 80
– Mais vitórias como visitante: 54
– Mais vitórias fora do Brasil: 49
– Único a vencer em seis países em uma mesma edição: 2018 (Brasil, Colômbia, Argentina, Peru, Paraguai e Chile)
– Mais gols como mandante: 269
– Mais gols como visitante: 193
– Mais gols fora do Brasil: 164
– Maior série invicta como visitante: 20 jogos (entre 2019 e 2022)
– Maior série invicta fora de casa: 22 jogos (entre 2019 e 2022), somando vitórias nas finais de 2020 e 2021 em campo neutro
– Entre os brasileiros, isolou-se como o clube com mais semifinais na história (11), sendo recordista também em semifinais seguidas (quatro, ao lado do Santos de 1962 a 1965). Ao lado do Grêmio, passou a ser o clube com mais quartas de finais (12) e mais oitavas de finais (16).
– Primeiro paulista a eliminar os três rivais do estado: Corinthians (quartas de 1999 e semifinal de 2000), Santos (final de 2020) e São Paulo (quartas de 2021).
South Africa started the day staring at defeat, only 63 ahead with three wickets in hand, but registered a stunning win, their first in India in 15 years and the second-smallest successful defence in Asia. The whooping and cheering among the South Africa players echoed amid a shocked Sunday crowd at Eden Gardens as the visitors bowled India out for 93 in the absence of their injured captain Shubman Gill.Temba Bavuma was ever present, scoring the only half-century of the match and taking South Africa to a lead of 123 on a pitch with extravagant sideways movement and variance in bounce. He was helped a little by some ordinary spin bowling on the third morning, but he had earned the errors after defending resolutely on the second evening.Related
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The target of 124 was always going to be tricky with Simon Harmer outbowling India’s spinners in the country where he had a forgettable tour in 2015-16. The uneven bounce made Marco Jansen a handful, causing the double jeopardy you need to defend small totals.India began the day in the ascendance but not with bowlers likeliest to take a wicket. Axar Patel opening the day was a surprise, and as the singles flowed with ease you could sense panic. Rishabh Pant, who had been excellent with his rotation of bowlers and field placements on the second evening, began to change bowlers too quickly and also took a desperate review against Bavuma when Ravindra Jadeja had clearly pitched outside leg from over the wicket.That Jadeja was bowling over the wicket in itself was a sign of desperation when all you really needed to do on this surface was bowl a good length and shut the scoring. Jadeja, who until day two was the best player of the match, just struggled to maintain that length and bowled seven overs for 21 runs. Washington Sundar, one of the three spinners in the last four home Tests, was not used at all.Temba Bavuma and Corbin Bosch added crucial runs in the morning•Getty Images
Bavuma’s defence found an ally in Corbin Bosch’s big hits, which he deployed mainly against Kuldeep Yadav. The two added an invaluable 44 for the eighth wicket, 25 of which came off Bosch’s bat. Eventually it was the fast bowlers that kept India alive. Jasprit Bumrah hit the top of Bosch’s off, and Mohammed Siraj, in only his second over of the innings, got the better of Harmer and Keshav Maharaj with reverse swing.It was always going to be a tough target on this pitch, but India had hope in South Africa’s selection of only two spinners, one of whom, Maharaj, had gone for 16-1-66-1 in the first innings. Jansen, though, stunned them at the start in his first two overs to send back the openers. Both these balls jumped off a length, got big on the batters, and took the outside edge.Simon Harmer was unplayable at times•BCCI
Washington, India’s newest No. 3, played resolutely again, mirroring the first half of Bavuma’s innings and facing the most balls in the match, but as it tends to happen on these pitches, Dhruv Jurel put a long hop into the hands of deep midwicket. The ball did stop on him as it tends to happen on these pitches.Harmer might have got on the board with this fortunate wicket, but he bowled beautifully to earn that stroke of luck. Ten years after a crushing tour of India, he is back a much-improved bowler. He could change his trajectory subtly, most of the times able to bowl a good length at different paces. It showed in how he completely tied up the most dangerous batter in the India line-up, Pant, and eventually earned a return catch with dip and turn.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
At 38 for 4, Washington and Jadeja added 26 runs, looked comfortable, but this is when Jadeja’s old-school method of defending with the bat behind the pad came back to haunt him. Just like in the first innings. Once again out lbw pad-first to Harmer, Jadeja ended forgettably a Test he had been largely good in, one during which he became only the fourth man to take 300 wickets and score 4000 runs.Aiden Markram reminded India of the nightmare Glenn Phillips had been on lottery pitches last year when he came on and finally got the edge of a distraught Washington, who scored 31 off 92 to go with his 29 in the first innings. Harmer then spun one past Kuldeep when he slowed it down tantalisingly.At 77 for 7, India were left needing a miracle from Axar, who threatened one when Bavuma gave him a sighter against Maharaj. He hit two sixes and a four, but when he happened to mishit he found a calm Bavuma making a difficult over-the-shoulder catch look ridiculously easy.Siraj lasted only one ball, triggering wild celebrations, the loudest from Kagiso Rabada, who has tasted only defeat on two previous tours of India and was missing this Test with a rib injury.