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No one apart from Imam-ul-Haq showed fight in the 337-run chase as Lions went down by 133 runs

Danyal Rasool14-Sep-2024

Babar Azam scored 76 in 79 balls•PCB

Babar Azam top-scored with 76 to help Stallions thump Shaheen Shah Afridi’s Lions by 133 runs in the second match of the Champions Cup in Faisalabad. Half-centuries from four batters, including Tayyab Tahir, captain Mohammad Haris and Hussain Talat, helped Stallions amass 336 for 5 in their 50 overs.It was a team effort with the ball, too, with all six Stallions bowlers among the wickets. Haris Rauf picked up three wickets before Mohammad Ali’s 2 for 18 set the tone up top for a dominant Stallions performance as Lions failed to get stuck into the chase. Imam-ul-Haq offered the only real resistance, and though his 78 was the highest score of the match, none of his team-mates managed even 30.Stallions got off to a slow but steady start after their captain Haris elected to bat. Shan Masood and Babar struck up a 39-run partnership to pick up the pace before left-arm wristspinner Faisal Akram cleaned up Masood. Babar, who trudged through the first half of his innings, soon found his rhythm, guiding his side through the middle overs alongside Tahir, whose breezy 74 came off just 72 balls. It set the stage for blistering cameos from Haris and Talat towards the end, with 118 runs coming off the final ten overs.Ali, who had an inconsistent Test series against Bangladesh, struck in the first over of the chase to remove wicketkeeper-batter Sajjad Ali. He followed it up by getting rid of Abdullah Shafique in the fifth over. Lions kept losing wickets at regular intervals but Imam fought a lone hand. The asking rate, though, was always rising, and the game was over as a contest by the time Jahandad Khan trapped him in front.Shaheen, who had an indifferent day with the ball, managed a late flurry with the bat to get his side over 200 before Rauf returned to dismiss him and Sirajuddin, rubber-stamping a routine victory.

Matty Hurst hits 78 from 45 but visitors fail to capitalise on platform of 90-run opening stand

ECB Media04-Aug-2024

Harry Brook struck 58 off 33•Getty Images

Northern Superchargers made it two wins from two over Manchester Originals in the northern derbies at Headingley in the Hundred on Sunday. Harry Brook’s side beat the team from the other side of the Pennines by 14 runs to follow success for Hollie Armitage’s team earlier in the day.Originals won the toss and chose to bowl, which looked a great choice with rain falling before the start of the match and thick clouds overhead. Unsurprisingly then, Superchargers got off to a slow start with the bat, as Fazalhaq Farooqi took a wicket with the very first ball of the match.Graham Clark and captain Brook rebuilt the innings with a well-paced 50 partnership. Brook went on to score an explosive 58 off 33, before being caught out by Scott Currie low to the ground at mid-off.After a strong middle to the home side’s innings, Originals came back strongly at the end to restrict Superchargers to 167 for 5.Mitchell Santner bowled a key spell•Getty Images

Captain Phil Salt and Matty Hurst got Originals’ innings off to a very promising start with 90 for the opening partnership. Salt scoring 40 from 27, while the impressive Hurst top-scored with 78 from 45.Unfortunately for the winless Originals, they then capitulated from 90 for 1 to 128 for 4 thanks to some game-turning run-outs and Mitchell Santner, who took 2 for 23. When Hurst departed, Originals required 29 from 13, but they were unable to get over the line, leaving them rooted to the bottom of the table and Superchargers up into third.Meerkat Match Hero Brook said: “I felt like they were the favourites coming out of the powerplay, but we bowled unbelievably well at the death to get the win.”We didn’t have the batting powerplay that we wanted, but we stuck to our task. The outfield is so quick here that I didn’t feel like I needed to hit many balls in the air, so I was just trying to pierce the gaps and it worked. I was just trying to stay in until the end, so I could put pressure on them at the end. I felt good at the start and thankfully I hit a few gaps.”We’ve always got a take-wickets mentality, but we obviously had to think about that a bit more when we didn’t get a wicket in powerplay, and they were 90 without loss. So, I tossed the ball to [Adil] Rashid and Mitch [Santner], and they did a really good job in getting some crucial wickets that helped us get the win.”

Amid rumours that they’ve already had to reject a bid worth £45m to sell Anthony Elanga, Nottingham Forest have now reportedly opened talks to sign a possible replacement.

Nottingham Forest reject Newcastle's Elanga bid

After securing a shock place in the Europa Conference League in an excellent season last time out, Nottingham Forest are in no position to sell key players. But that hasn’t stopped certain clubs from testing the waters. Among them, Newcastle United reportedly formalised their interest in Elanga with an offer worth £45m earlier this week, only to see that bid rejected by those at the City Ground.

There’s still plenty of time remaining in the summer transfer window, however, and Forest will be well aware that Newcastle could yet come calling a second time.

If that does happen, then preparing for Elanga’s exit in a worst-case scenario would not be a bad idea for all involved at the City Ground. Already, on that front, Forest have attempted and failed to sign Timothy Weah from Juventus and have also been linked with versatile AC Milan midfielder Yunus Musah.

Whether either of those options possess the quality to replace Elanga is the big question. One man who is unlikely to face problems in that regard is Igor Jesus. The Botafogo forward is reportedly on his way to the Midlands alongside teammate Jair Cunha following their Club World Cup campaign.

The former has already stolen plenty of headlines with his winning goal against Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain and is seemingly about to take the Premier League by storm.

Nottingham Forest open talks to sign "elite" new star after Weah rejection

They’ve instantly turned towards another option.

ByTom Cunningham Jun 27, 2025

Jesus and Cuiabano may not be the only Club World Cup stars to arrive, either, amid reports that Forest have opened talks to sign another attacking target.

Nottingham Forest open talks to sign Pepe

According to ESPN Brazil, Nottingham Forest have now opened talks to sign Pepe from FC Porto, who are demanding over €15m (£12m) to sell their 28-year-old winger this summer.

An experienced winger who scored at the Club World Cup for Porto in a 4-4 draw against Al-Ahly this summer, Pepe would offer Forest instant depth and may even be asked to replace Elanga if the Swede joins Newcastle.

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The pressure would instantly be on Pepe if he did step in for Elanga and although his experience could prove to be invaluable, questions will be asked about his ability to match the 22-year-old’s output.

As a versatile backup who can play all across the frontline, however, the Porto man represents an ideal choice as Forest step into European football. At just over £12m too, it’s not a deal that Evangelos Marinakis will need to splash out on for Nuno Espirito Santo in the coming months.

An “excellent” Newcastle United player is thought to be a priority target for one of the Premier League’s biggest clubs this summer.

Newcastle players who could leave this summer

While the Magpies are expecting a busy summer transfer window in terms of new signings, especially if Champions League football is secured this weekend, there are plenty of current star names being linked with exits before next season gets underway.

Alexander Isak is the player that Newcastle will be most desperate to retain, but the Swede is believed to be the subject of interest from some huge clubs such as Liverpool and Arsenal.

Meanwhile, the Reds could reportedly be back in for Anthony Gordon this summer, having shown a willingness to snap him up last year. They see him as a potential replacement for Luis Diaz, although signing Florian Wirtz would surely put paid to their interest in the Magpies ace.

There are others who Newcastle want to ensure are still at the club in 2025/26, like Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali. However, another exit claim regarding another individual has emerged.

"Excellent" Newcastle player wanted by Man City

According to Fabrizio Romano on X, Manchester City are targeting a move for Newcastle defender Tino Livramento as their primary right-back target, with the 22-year-old potentially becoming the first player to leave St James’ Park this summer despite the rumours elsewhere:

Losing Livramento would be a setback for the Magpies, considering he has proven to be the natural heir to Kieran Trippier in his position, and still has his best years ahead of him.

The £50,000-a-week Englishman has enjoyed an impressive season for Newcastle, starting 31 of his side’s 37 Premier League matches and being lauded by Eddie Howe:

“Athletically, Tino’s excellent and we know that, and we’ve seen that since he’s come to the football club, but to have that responsibility of playing left-back on the opposite side to his natural foot and play the way he has and also build the relationship with Harvey [Barnes] that he has done.”

If Livramento ultimately decides that he would rather join City than stay at Newcastle, Paul Mitchell must do all he can to ensure that the club receives huge money for him in order to sign a top-quality replacement.

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The 22-year-old isn’t out of contract at St James’ until the summer of 2028, putting the Magpies in a strong bargaining position, but hopefully, he will feel that his future belongs with his current team, seeing plenty more success coming their way.

Leeds United left it late on the final day of the Championship season but Manor Solomon’s dramatic strike right at the death would secure Daniel Farke’s men the title.

Amazingly, both the Whites and their nearest competitors in Burnley would end their mightily impressive campaigns on 100 points each, but Leeds’ sturdy goal difference would hand the esteemed honours over to Farke and Co, instead of more party celebrations taking place at Turf Moor.

But, as much as the West Yorkshire titans have been able to blow teams away with ease in the second tier, the Premier League is a different kettle of fish altogether.

Therefore, some potential attacking recruits are now being linked with a switch to Elland Road to help navigate the tricky step-up in quality.

Leeds' list of attacking targets

Already, Leeds have been linked with a whole host of new faces up top, with reports suggesting that the newly crowned champions might look to snap up Omari Hutchinson from recently relegated Ipswich Town.

Moreover, other rumours indicate that Leeds are intrigued by the prospect of bringing AZ Alkmaar goal machine Troy Parrott back to England, meaning the striker department would also be given a potential facelift.

Yet, there’s one name that sticks out as a top buy away from both Hutchinson and Parrott, with TBR Football revealing that Farke and Co are looking at a number of targets from Celtic, including Hoops attacking hotshot Nicolas Kuhn.

The Whites have had success when shopping from the Glasgow giants in the past, with Whites legend Mark Viduka once plying for his trade for the Scottish titans before becoming a fan’s favourite at Leeds. So, there’s clearly a proven recipe for success right here.

How Kuhn could be even better than James

If Kuhn can lift his game to be on the same level as Viduka’s – who would score a colossal 72 strikes for Leeds – he would further go down as a more impressive winger than Dan James over time, even with the Welshman fresh off just winning the Whites’ Player of the Year accolade.

James should be commended for how he’s managed to turn around his up-and-down stay at Elland Road, with the ex-Manchester United attacker undoubtedly a top-drawer talent in the EFL having previously struggled in the top-flight.

Indeed, the blistering number seven has tallied up a sizeable 41 goal contributions in league action over the last two seasons, but there will be a concern in the air lingering that the 56-time Wales international isn’t cut out for the bright lights of the Premier League.

Indeed, his best tally for a campaign up a division currently sits at a mere four goals and five assists.

On the flip side, Kuhn has proven again and again for Brendan Rodgers’ men – albeit in a far less strenuous top division in the Scottish Premiership – that he can dazzle defences under immense pressure. He’s even scored in the Champions League.

Staggeringly, across all competitions this campaign, including on Europe’s grandest stage, the German forward has amassed a bumper 34 goals and assists from 47 clashes, with a chance in the Premier League to come a deserved next step for the former RB Leipzig winger.

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In contrast, James accumulated a lesser 21 from ten fewer clashes, meaning he could take a back-seat now down the right flank for the “breathtaking” winger, as he’s been lauded in the past by pundit Marvin Bartley, to take over.

Obviously, it isn’t set in stone that Kuhn will be able to instantly acclimatise to the pressures of the Premier League, but history might well repeat itself here, especially if the Hoops number 10 can prove he belongs at the daunting level like Viduka before him.

Rio Ferdinand 2.0: Leeds want to sign "extraordinary" £20m defender

Leeds United are keen on signing a £20m star who could be the next Rio Ferdinand at Elland Road.

ByDan Emery May 5, 2025

Manchester United are now increasingly keen on signing a “special” forward this summer, and his price tag may have dropped by £65m, according to a report.

Man Utd lacking creativity

Man United’s goalscoring issues this season have been well-documented, with Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund failing to hit the heights expected of them, but another major problem has been a lack of service for the strikers.

The Red Devils have created just 54 big chances in the Premier League this season, the 13th-highest total in the top flight, which indicates they may need to bring in a new winger or attacking midfielder this summer, alongside a centre-forward.

Brentford winger Bryan Mbeumo is well-liked, with United planning to make the winger their first summer signing, and there is a feeling a deal could be possible for a fee of around £50m.

Related Man Utd make contact for "unbelievable" £62m star as agent flies for talks

The Red Devils have set their sights on a striker, whose agent is set to fly to England for talks.

Posts ByDominic Lund Apr 8, 2025

There are some other options from within the Premier League, however, with Southampton’s Tyler Dibling also of interest, although the reported £100m price tag may have been off-putting for potential suitors.

However, according to a new report from Caught Offside, Dibling’s price tag may have now dropped considerably, with it being revealed a deal could be possible for a fee of around €40m (£35m), which would be a £65m price reduction.

Man United and Ruben Amorim are becoming increasingly keen on signing the Southampton winger, who is now high up their list of targets, with the manager eager to bring in a top young attacker.

A whole host of clubs could be set to battle it out for the 19-year-old, however, with Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, RB Leipzig and West Ham United also expressing an interest, so there may be fierce competition for his signature.

"Special" Dibling could launch career at Old Trafford

The young forward has been a breakout star for Southampton this season, making 27 league appearances, but it was always going to be a tall order to stand out in a very poor side, who could go down as one of the worst teams in Premier League history.

That said, the Englishman caught the eye with his performance at Old Trafford earlier in the campaign, receiving praise from Fabrizio Romano.

Having also been lauded as a “special talent” by journalist Josh Bunting, it is clear the starlet has a lot of potential, so it is promising news that Man United are in the race for his signature.

The recent news that a deal could amount to just £35m is also a welcome update, given that a £100m price tag would have been very hard to justify, with Dibling yet to prove himself at the top level over a sustained period.

At a time when the women are celebrating their biggest ever triumph, the men are capitulating game after game

Madushka Balasuriya31-Jul-2024If you’re a keen follower of Sri Lankan cricket, hell even an occasional one, the last couple of days have been a doozy. The go-to descriptor would be emotional rollercoaster, but that doesn’t seem to quite cut it.No, this has been the emotional equivalent of being jettisoned from an aircraft only to have your parachute not work and somehow get the backup working moments before near certain death, and then be mauled by a pack of lions upon landing unharmed on the ground. Fear, excitement, relief, unbridled joy and then utter defeat. And worse still, while that analogy would result in the sweet release of death, we still have to continue watching Sri Lankan cricket.This, though, is not another opinion piece to add to the inevitable pile-on. Just this past month, Firdose Moonda published an exhaustive piece on the abuse players suffer, even in the wake of marginal defeats, let alone the sort of soul-crushing capitulations the men’s Sri Lankan cricket team have faced over the past few days.Related

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Suffice to say, the players know that their efforts have not been good enough, and after a certain point, there will be diminishing marginal returns on any criticism that comes their way. Even the success of the women’s team, one that ought to go down in their history as one of the greatest ever cricketing achievements, has been widely used as a stick to beat the men with.But while that comparison has largely been used as a throwaway gag, perhaps there’s something there worth diving deeper into. It wasn’t long ago that the women’s side were in a far more dire situation than they are now, with the sole shining light being Chamari Athapaththu. However, over the past year, the team as a whole have managed to shed any inhibitions they might have harboured about their abilities, and in the process strung together a series of results that have marked them out as one of the most in-form teams in the world currently.As fate would have it, the very same set of circumstances that have played a role in keeping this women’s side, and women’s cricket in Sri Lanka in general, from flourishing, might have in fact also played in their favour.A lack of depth for one which is something that needs to be addressed promptly – particularly if recent successes are to be carried forward – has also meant that selectors have had no choice but to stick with underperforming players. They were, simply put, the best available at the time. But over the past year, even if not by design, the women’s team have come out the other end of a dysfunctional, some would say broken system, with net gains no one could have predicted.4:05

Takeaways – Suryakumar the captain as funky as the batter

This, to be clear, is by no means an attempt to take away from the hard work and effort put in by the players, nor the coach and support staff that have worked tirelessly to bring them up to the level they currently sit happily on. But to recognise the fact that this is a side that has been given room to make mistakes, build camaraderie, and grow together in a way few other teams – men or women – might have been, albeit only because they were never a priority with a cricket board preoccupied by the men’s team.That men’s team, meanwhile, despite having been provided superior resources and training, have been subjected to pressure from all quarters. Social media is frequently ablaze with memes and mockery after each defeat, all while comparisons are made to the glory years of the team’s past – the same teams, mind, that only had to deal with a fraction of the pressures brought on by the advent of social media.It’s an easy out to point to intangibles such as desire, or speculate that players might have taken their eye off the ball due to the extra money in the game, or that they lack discipline because they enjoy the fruits of their wealth. But this champion India side are amongst the most well-remunerated in the game; such arguments just don’t fly.The fact is, if two sides, working within the same dysfunctional system, can have such differing results and mindsets, it’s only fair to look at the variables in play.Is there something to be learned here, something that can be bottled up and poured over the men’s side, so that similar fearlessness and clarity of mind – so gloriously exhibited by the women – can be unlocked within them?After all, Sri Lanka’s greatest ever success, in 1996, was when expectations were at their lowest. And ever since, this is a nation that has thrived in the role of underdogs. But when expectations aren’t managed, neither are the reactions to adverse results.The Sri Lanka men’s team have had a few rough days•Associated PressIt’s worth asking what if the roles were reversed?What if the growing pains this women’s side had to endure had taken place under the same media glare that the men’s team face regularly?Would these players have flourished as they have if their positions in the national squad were a part of regular post-game discourse?Would the efforts to instil confidence and self-belief in them by their coaches have stuck, if each time they opened social media they were bombarded with criticism?All valid questions, all quite impossible to answer definitively, though certainly worth pondering.Rumesh Ratnayake, the women’s head coach, has spoken about how important reframing and language can be in dispelling a negative mindset. Let’s take even these most recent defeats to India in the men’s T20Is. They were scarcely ever discussed for what they were. In the first two games, those colossal collapses were borne out of a desire to attack and capitalise on the death overs; the intent was there, the execution was not. When such planning comes off it’s lauded, but in failure, there is no room for nuance.And this isn’t something as new-age as even Bazball, this is simply Sri Lanka trying to catch up to where several sides already reside. It was only in the final game on Tuesday wherein a collapse worthy of the moniker occurred, but by then – like the choker tag that so plagues South Africa – it was on the verge of becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. The narrative was set, those watching on had bought into it, and seemingly so had the players. What happened next, everyone knows.And while it is indisputable that India struggle with the glare of media more than any other side in world cricket, they have had generations of practice in effectively insulating players from public and media backlash.In that sense, is it so unreasonable that the Sri Lankan players are struggling to deal with something that we can all agree is not ideal, even if inevitable? Because as the women’s side have sadly highlighted, even a complete lack of discourse is sometimes better than a pile-on.

The last season’s finalists, Lahore Qalandars and Multan Sultans, will kick off festivities this year

Danyal Rasool12-Feb-2023It begins, then, as it ended. A year on from the day Lahore Qalandars and their Captain Fantastic Shaheen Shah Afridi trounced Multan Sultans, the two sides kick off the festivities again. While that game was played out at the Gaddafi Stadium, which very much felt like a Lahore cauldron, the rematch takes place in Multan’s den, where after a playful, light-hearted opening ceremony, the cricket itself will be anything but.The Pakistan Super League, once a bashful interloper finding its feet on the T20 circuit, now takes pride of place on the T20 circuit this time of year. It is as much a social event in Pakistan as a cricketing one, a rare success story in a country that has otherwise seen troubled years in recent history. As the PSL gears up for the eighth edition, its exuberance and luxuriance will stand in stark contrast to a country that appears to be on economic life support, battling hyperinflation and political instability with no end to either in sight.But cricket, to press that most tired of cliches into service, brings Pakistan together, and nowhere does it feel truer than in the PSL. For the next month, people will turn to it for entertainment, of course, but also for much-needed distraction. Most Pakistan TV channels are now 24×7 political content streams, but till March 19, they are more likely to report on the activities of Lahore Qalandars than those of the Lahore High Court. If they start talking about a Nawaz Sharif-Imran Khan rivalry, it will be in the context of Quetta Gladiators vs Karachi Kings and Mayfair vs Bani Gala.Related

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Kings lack batting firepower; Zalmi missing premium fast bowlers

And cricket, despite the many imperfections that still pervade the system, is perhaps the last true meritocracy in Pakistan, another point the PSL has underscored. There are few other institutions where a player like Zaman Khan, a boy who grew up in an internally displaced camp in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, can rise to the top on the basis of ability and talent alone, alongside team-mates whose circumstances were substantially less oppressive. The advent of a women’s PSL due to take place later this year only further underscores the force for progression the PSL continues to be.The recruitment, too, has become more sophisticated. In the early years, drafts tended to focus on big-name foreign superstars. The opening draft picks in the first three years were Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum and Chris Lynn, respectively – all were unsuccessful. Now, analytics and research have largely triumphed over gut and intuition, with player availability and match-ups often taking precedence over star power.ESPNcricinfo LtdDespite the significant turnover in squads every year, most sides have managed to retain an identity running through their history. Islamabad United are the trailblazers, even if their Moneyball-style recruitment has now largely been replicated by other teams. Their shock-and-awe batting approach often makes them the most entertaining ticket in town, and with Paul Stirling, Alex Hales, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Colin Munro, Shadab Khan, Moeen Ali and Azam Khan in the squad, it will be no different this time around.Qalandars were the lovable buffoons until last year, when they went out and won the whole thing, rewarded for a player development programme that produced Haris Rauf and Zaman Khan. Kings have often been the pantomime villain, but for them, that only makes their wins sweeter. A new, unlikely rivalry with Peshawar Zalmi makes for a mouth-watering Valentine’s Day clash, with no love lost between the departing Babar Azam and Kings’ captain Imad Wasim, who took a less than subtle dig at him in the build-up.Gladiators have a rejuvenated Sarfaraz Ahmed, the only man who has captained the same side every season since the league’s inception. In Naseem Shah and Mohammad Hasnain, they have the princelings of Pakistan’s pace bowling among their ranks. They will want to turn around a few barren years – they went from being the most consistent side in the first four years to the worst side in the previous three.ESPNcricinfo LtdSultans were the best side bar none last year, producing the most dominant group-stage season in PSL history. That made their loss to the Qalandars in the final an especially bitter pill to swallow, but no side boasts a better record in the previous three years.The overseas players are what distinguish any league from a domestic T20 Cup, and while Pakistan continue to attract some of the best, partial unavailability because of players’ other commitments will disrupt team plans. Rashid Khan, Gurbaz, Harry Brook, Jason Roy, Alex Hales, Kusal Mendis and David Miller are among over a dozen players to miss chunks of the competition, an inevitability in any league that does not have an exclusive cricketing window. But the quality of the domestic cricketers year after year remains the PSL’s enduring asset. Where once it was limited to the bowling department, domestic batters – even those without international pedigree – provide much of the intrigue. Hassan Nawaz, Haseebullah Khan, Abdul Bangalzai, Saim Ayub, Usman Khan and Kamran Ghulam are likely to be pivotal to their teams’ plans. Suddenly, power-hitting is almost just as sexy in Pakistan cricket as pace bowling.And nothing is quite as sexy in Pakistan cricket as the PSL right now. It is Pakistan’s treasure as a cricketing nation, and their respite as a people. They need the latter more than ever this time around, and in a country where institutions can often disappoint, the PSL is establishing itself as one that bucks that trend.

Life has taken a turn for the better, but the fast bowler has his sight set on greater success

Shashank Kishore22-Nov-2020″It’s like a joke in Punjab. They don’t ask you what you want to do after Class XII. They just ask, ‘When are you going to Canada to settle?’ We all go there to make a life, get a job, earn money. I was also about to go. And then my life changed.”Arshdeep Singh, the Punjab left-arm fast bowler, remembers having this hard conversation with his father in 2017. He had struggled to get opportunities in age-group cricket. Unsure if there was a future in the game, his father wanted Arshdeep to follow the footsteps of his older sibling, who had migrated to Brampton in Canada, first for academics and then to “settle”.Arshdeep mustered the courage to request his father for one year to make a life in cricket. And that year turned out to be memorable. It started with him finding a way into Punjab’s Under-19 squad on the back of some solid performances in district cricket. The crowning glory came in New Zealand, when he was part of India’s Under-19 World Cup-winning squad of 2018.”If I ever go to Brampton now, it’ll be for a holiday, not for anything else,” Arshdeep laughed.The last four months have been a “dream”, he said, fresh off a second IPL stint with Kings XI Punjab. Much like the dream of 2018. When he was part of a dressing room under Rahul Dravid, and “enjoyed the time of my life”.At the nets, Arshdeep received constant words of encouragement from Anil Kumble, the Kings XI head coach. He enjoyed time conversing with “Universe Boss” Chris Gayle, and got bowling tips from Mohammed Shami. On the field, he nailed yorkers in the final over to win a game, dismissing Rohit Sharma, Andre Russell and Manish Pandey with his variations among others.Overall, he played in eight out of the 14 league games for Kings XI, picking up nine wickets and conceding at 8.77 an over. His impact went beyond just the numbers though. A calm approach in the death overs, immaculate control in the middle overs, and the willingness to experiment with changes in pace all came in for special praise from several quarters.A rookie who hadn’t played much cricket – Arshdeep played only three first-class matches for Punjab last season – left a mark in a bowling line-up that had the likes of Shami, Chris Jordan and Sheldon Cottrell. His rise could also be gauged by how much more game-time he got – up from just three games in IPL 2019, under a different team management.So what changed?”Last year, they didn’t have a chance to look at me much,” Arshdeep said, when asked to compare his two IPL seasons. “I hadn’t played a lot of domestic cricket either. But I got some confidence when I did well for India Under-23 in the series against Bangladesh U-23 in Lucknow last year.

“If I don’t have that confidence in myself, then I’m not giving out good vibes for the team. So for me, however big the batsman was, my focus was on just getting my execution right.”ARSHDEEP SINGH

“That is when I got noticed, I guess. But this year, the month-long camp before the IPL really helped, because the coaching staff had enough time to look and assess every single player in the squad. I picked a lot of wickets in the practice games, so I guess it all started from there. Anil Kumble had told me before the season itself that I could get chances early and asked me to be ready. I carried the confidence of having bowled well in the nets and practice matches.”Arshdeep spent four months in lockdown training with his father, a former cricketer and a retired officer of the Central Industry Security Force (CISF), at their small home gym. Once restrictions were eased in Chandigarh, Arshdeep was a part of a training camp that Yuvraj Singh put together for the young Punjab players. At the time, it wasn’t yet confirmed if IPL 2020 would happen.Once at the IPL, he struck a very cordial rapport with Shami and Jordan. He used the time to talk to them about bowling. “Shami is a world-class bowler, and has a lot of experience that he is willing to pass on to the youngsters,” Arshdeep said. “Things like ‘How do you think when you’re under the pump?’ He told me my skill sets are good. He stressed on the need to back yourself under pressure and be mentally strong. He wanted me to work on my seam position, which he felt I could improve.”I still remember, in the game against Mumbai Indians, I was bowling the last over and Kieron Pollard hit me for two sixes. After that, he chatted with me and asked me to just back my execution and bowl my best ball, without looking at who the batsman was. He said, even if it went for sixes, it shouldn’t matter.”So did that help him change his mindset? “Yes. When I am bowling to a big player, I try to remain calm, remain blank. I don’t think of too many things. At the meeting, plans are discussed for different batsmen, so I try to follow that. It also depends on how the wicket is behaving. It’s a one-on-one battle, a coach or captain can’t do much, so I have to give them the confidence that I can do it.”If I don’t have that confidence in myself, then I’m not giving out good vibes for the team. So for me, however big the batsman was, my focus was on just getting my execution right. And if it didn’t come off, I wanted to ensure the next time I am in that position, I don’t repeat the same mistakes. You can’t be harsh on yourself, but you have to quickly learn.”Arshdeep bowls at 130 clicks, has the ability to swing the ball. Irfan Pathan’s hat-trick against Pakistan in 2006 is among his early memories of watching the game on TV. Pathan immediately became his idol. To hear his idol speak good words about his skillsets means a lot to Arshdeep. These days, he watches a lot of Mitchell Starc, even though his persona is very different to Starc’s.Arshdeep Singh celebrates after a key strike•BCCI”I’m working with my coach Jaswant Rai, looking to increase my pace,” he said. “I’m working on developing my arm speed and getting better rhythm in my run-up to help my consistency. I took a week off after the IPL, but since then, I’ve returned to training, trying to work up pace off a shorter run-up than what I’ve been used to. That is something Shami too said I could do if I made a few tweaks. So yes, generating faster arm-speed is something I am consciously working on.”Arshdeep is aware of where his game is at and knows what his priorities are. One of them is to “not lose sight” of the end goal, and “not get carried away by the IPL adulation” as a lot of his seniors and family have advised. On the field, he wants to make “history for Punjab” and knows it is well within his grasp if he can continue to take the kind of strides he has in recent times.”I want to be successful in red-ball cricket, and take Punjab to the Ranji Trophy knockouts first,” he says. “I don’t know when we last even won, so I want to be part of history. Take them to the knockouts and once there, maybe even a Ranji title. In white-ball cricket, I want to be consistent and be a dependable bowler.”Arshdeep isn’t much of a cricket watcher. He’d rather be out there playing. “I’ve only ever watched one game at the stadium,” he laughed. “It was a Champions League T20 game between Auckland Aces and Kings XI Punjab six years or so ago.”I used to watch a lot of hockey, though,” he said. “In Punjab, hockey is big and my dad used to take us to watch hockey games. I remember when we were four of us on a scooter. Me standing in front, dad riding, my sister and mum at the back. That time, my dad kept saying, ‘When you become big and do well in life, get a big car and we can all go and watch sport comfortably, I still remember.'”Arshdeep has now fulfilled that dream. He owns an SUV, a Toyota Fortuner. Drives to the stadium have gotten more comfortable, and now it’s the drive to succeed in all formats and, perhaps one day, play for the country that pushes him. And he now has all of this with his family’s support. Canada has well and truly been put on the back burner.

The Phillies will be without their ace for the immediate future.

Philadelphia is putting starting pitcher Zack Wheeler on the injured list without a timetable for his return, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told reporters Saturday afternoon via Jake Mintz of Yahoo! Sports. According to Dombrowski, Wheeler has an “upper extremity blood clot" and will undergo further testing once the team returns home after a Sunday morning road game against the Nationals.

Wheeler, 35, is currently leading Major League Baseball in strikeouts with 195 and the National League with a WHIP of 0.94. He is 10-5 in 2025 with a 2.71 ERA.

Among baseball's very best pitchers since his 2021 breakthrough, Wheeler made his third All-Star team in July. Thanks to the two-time NL Cy Young runner-up's success, the Phillies are currently 70-53 with a 5.5-game lead over the Mets in the NL Central race.

In his start Friday, Wheeler beat Washington 6–2 with five innings of two-run ball. He allowed four hits and two walks while striking out six.