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One of the standouts for Manchester City this season has been Phil Foden. Last term wasn’t the easiest for the versatile midfielder, but he has shone under Pep Guardiola in the 2025/26 campaign so far and has seen a real resurgence when it comes to his form.

His newfound role in midfield, operating slightly deeper as a number eight, has really helped him rediscover his best form. That was followed by his deserved recall into the England squad by Thomas Tuchel for the Three Lions’ final two World Cup qualifiers, a testament to his resurgence.

In a season where Foden looks back to his best, it is perhaps no coincidence that Erling Haaland is also firing.

Foden and Haaland’s connection in numbers

The connection between Foden and Haaland has been excellent over the last few seasons. According to Transfermarkt, the Stockport-born star has only linked up for a goal more times with Kevin De Bruyne than Haaland, 18 with the Belgian compared to 14 with the City number nine.

One of those came this season, against Napoli in the Champions League. It was a superb assist from Foden, taking the ball on the half turn and lofting it from close range into the path of his teammate.

Haaland did the rest, heading home inside the box.

The City academy graduate has spoken this season about his relationship with the Premier League’s top goalscorer. Foden said the pair are “definitely building that relationship,” explaining that he is “finding him more in behind and where he needs the ball to score.”

Well, that is certainly an exciting prospect for City fans. They might well be able to look forward to even more assists from their number 47, teeing up Haaland, especially given Foden’s performances are improving week by week.

Incredibly, the Citizens are linked with another attacking midfielder who could replicate Foden’s impact.

Man City now targeting another Foden

The January transfer window is almost upon us, and City are seemingly chasing a particular expensive attacking target. Real Madrid star Arda Guler is said to be a name they are looking at, in a deal which could cost the club upwards of £88m.

Should Guardiola’s side get a deal for the Turkish international over the line, it would represent another wonderful attacking acquisition. The 20-year-old has impressed for Los Blancos this term after being given a key role by new manager Xabi Alonso.

In 16 games across all competitions, the former Fenerbahce star has scored three goals and assisted six. Interestingly, all of those assists have been for Kylian Mbappe, as per Transfermarkt.

He has the creativity to provide goals for the world’s best attackers, which Haaland certainly is.

The 20-year-old has already made a great impression despite being a short way into his career. In fact, analyst Ben Mattinson said he can be a “Ballon d’Or level” player back in 2023, and with the form he is putting up now, it is hard to argue that could one day be the case.

There are certainly similarities between Guler and Foden. One of those, of course, is their playstyles, which mirror each other in many ways. They are both left-footed creative midfielders who excel between the lines and offer a big creative outlet for their sides’ attackers.

The pair are also noted as statistically similar players among their midfield European peers, as per FBref.

That has been seen this season, with Turkey star Guler averaging 3.68 key passes per 90 minutes, compared to the City number 47’s tally of 2.66 key passes each game.

It is easy to see how Foden and Guler are quite similar players. With the creative force they possess in the final third, plus the fact that they excel in central zones, Guardiola could have two exciting creative midfielders to choose from.

If Guler can recreate with Haaland the partnership he has with Mbappe, the Citizens could become even more of a threat in attacking areas than they already are.

As important as Doku: £50m star just had his best ever game for Man City

Manchester City smashed Liverpool 3-0 in the Premier League on Sunday, Jérémy Doku the star of the show, but another player shone for Pep Guardiola.

1

By
Ben Gray

Nov 10, 2025

In this interview, Axar talks about the T20 World Cup triumph, the celebrations that have followed, his batting, and his role going forward

Ashish Pant20-Jul-2024″So many people dream of such things and out of them, we 15 have lived the dream.”It’s been three weeks since Axar Patel played a key role – with bat and ball – in India’s T20 World Cup 2024 triumph, but the aftereffects of that memorable day in Barbados continue to ring loud among Indian fans.This outpouring of love and gratitude is something that Axar is still wrapping his head around. Open-bus parades, felicitations in the hometowns, celebrations that don’t seem like stopping any time soon. Has it sunk in yet for Axar that he is now a T20 world champion?Related

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Rathour on India's transition: Needs to be done gradually, in a controlled manner

“Not yet to be honest. And even if we want to, the others are not letting us do it. The kind of atmosphere there is, the people are not letting it sink in. The kind of welcome we are getting, the kind of reception we are getting, locally too, is great. It’s been really enjoyable these last few days,” Axar tells ESPNcricinfo in an interview facilitated by JSW Sports. “I am not much of a social guy. But when I came back, everyone was showing so much love. Even when I came to Gujarat, I think I reached home after 12am, and even then, people came in huge numbers to meet me. It was incredible.”That is when I thought how much craze there is for cricket in this country. It felt that along with us the entire country and the people have won this trophy. I feel fortunate and I am glad to witness these things.”Going back three weeks things could have been much different for India if not for Axar’s timely 31-ball 47 at a critical juncture. Batting first in the final, three of India’s top four were back in the shed inside the first five overs. That meant a promotion almost out of the blue for Axar. He had been asked to bat at No. 4 in an earlier group game against Pakistan, but to be promoted in the final, with his side in trouble, was a test of his mental aptitude.Axar says the key to that innings was to not second-guess himself and opt for a simple see-ball, hit-ball approach.”I came to know about the promotion barely four or five balls before I went out to bat,” Axar says. “It wasn’t that long. When Rishabh [Pant] got out, I was asked to get ready and I think in the next over itself Surya [Suryakumar Yadav] got out.Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya keep the party going•BCCI”I wasn’t nervous. Obviously, there is pressure on you, but at the time, I didn’t understand how to react. I don’t think when I went to bat there was anything going on in my mind. I had gone with a see-ball, hit-ball mindset. I was not thinking about anything, not worrying about the consequences, there were no second thoughts in my mind.”I consistently communicated with Virat [Kohli] , so I didn’t feel that I have come in early and that I have to do something different. I kept talking with Virat and we communicated clearly about what we have to do.”Axar’s role in the Indian side is of a spin-bowling allrounder who can be useful with the bat lower down the order. But his batting has been on an upswing, especially in the last year or so. In IPL 2024, he was often employed as a floater, at times coming in at No. 3 or 4 for Delhi Capitals, and that’s a role he has been asked to do in the Indian team as well of late.Not having a permanent batting position in a line-up can be off-putting for a player, but not for Axar who sees being a floater in a positive way.”Every batsman likes to have a fixed batting position because it becomes a bit easy for him to plan for his role. But as a floater, I feel that the captain and coach trust you which is why they are sending you in tough situations. I am taking that in a positive way,” he says. “When the team needs someone to stand up, they are banking on me to deliver. That means they have seen something in me. When the team trusts you to deliver in such crunch situations, you start trusting yourself even more automatically. And once you deliver in one or two matches, it gives your confidence a different sort of boost altogether.”It is not as if this has happened just once or twice. I have been asked to perform this role for Delhi Capitals and other teams as well. After a point, you get used to it and it doesn’t matter which position you are batting in. You are confident in batting in any position and you know what to do in that situation.”But how does Axar classify himself, as a batting allrounder or a bowling allrounder?”, allrounder (Whatever works for me on a given day, I become that variety of allrounder),” he says with a smile. “If my bowling clicks, I am a bowling allrounder; if the batting clicks, then batting allrounder. I started off as a batsman, so I think I like my batting more. In the last two or three years, the kind of batting I have been doing, I feel I am now capable. I was not doing justice to my batting in the earlier years.”Axar Patel gave the India innings some impetus in the T20 World Cup final•Getty ImagesIndia will next be travelling for a three-game T20I and ODI series to Sri Lanka and Axar is part of both squads. The T20I leg will mark Suryakumar’s first stint as full-time T20I captain after Rohit Sharma retired from the format, and also Gautam Gambhir’s first assignment as India head coach.Axar, who played five T20Is against Australia under Suryakumar’s leadership last year, described him as a “bowler’s captain” and one who likes to keep the “atmosphere lively and cool.””I have spent a lot of time with Suryakumar. Surya is a happy-go-lucky guy. He keeps the atmosphere lively, loves doing mimicry and such fun stuff. I know he will keep the atmosphere cool,” Axar says. “I recently played a five-game T20I series when he was the captain. I know he is a bowler’s captain. He gives the bowlers the fields they ask for. And it was like that with me, too. I don’t think there will be a lot of change. We will get to know now playing under his captaincy about his mindset. You can’t judge someone’s captaincy by one tour. When we play more, we will get to know more of his captaincy style.”With Gautam , yes, we will go to Sri Lanka, there will be meetings, we will exchange a few thoughts and after that I will get to know exactly what my role is and what he thinks. I will get more clarity on that only after that.”Axar made his India debut back in 2014, and in ten years, he has only played 14 Tests, 57 ODIs and 60 T20I games. But finally, after all these years, he seems to have found a permanent spot at least in the white-ball scheme of things. Ravindra Jadeja’s retirement from T20Is makes Axar the leading spin-bowling allrounder in the format, as he was selected ahead of Jadeja for the ODI series for Sri Lanka as well.Axar, however, isn’t looking too far ahead of himself and wants to focus on short-term goals.”I can only set my goals based on the kind of role I am expected to perform. It shouldn’t happen that I am asked to perform some role and my goals don’t align with it,” he says. “I don’t believe in long-term planning. I just look at the present, what’s in front of me and just the short-term goals is what I look at.”

Enzo Maresca revealed Chelsea are preparing to splash the cash in January on incomings to close the gap to Arsenal and Manchester City.

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Chelsea forked out £219m on transfersThe Blues are gearing up for more signingsMaresca believes Arsenal & City still have better squadsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital consortium have spurlged since they took over and the Blues have emerged as the top-spenders on three occasions in the last four transfer windows. It is understood that they spent nearly $1.3 billion (£1b) on 39 players across five transfer windows with £219m spent this summer alone.

AdvertisementGOALTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Maresca brought in 11 players this summer including Jadon Sancho, thanks to a last-minute loan deal from Manchester United. However, the coach was prudent enough to let go of several stars as well to raise over £150m ($199.6m). Although it was often suggested that the Chelsea first team has close to 40 players, the official squad photo released on Friday saw the manager sharing the frame with 29 players.

WHAT MARESCA SAID

Despite intense activity over several transfer windows, Maresca still feels that his squad is lagging behind the likes of Arsenal and City, which would force them to spend more in January.

"I think we are a very good squad but there are clubs like Manchester City and Arsenal that are ahead of us, no doubt," he opined. "Hopefully (if) we progress and (keep) improving, we can slowly, slowly be close to them. But I think it is quite clear that at this moment Arsenal and Manchester City are ahead of the rest. Like I have said, the reason why is one club is nine years with the same manager (Pep Guardiola joined Manchester City in 2016), and the other (Mikel Arteta at Arsenal) is five years. The rest of the clubs…is a short time.”

When asked if Chelsea could bring in more players in January, Maresca said: "The target after the last summer (window) is to try to do less things but more specific. This is the target for January and next summer. Hopefully, it can be like this.”

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

Chelsea are reportedly planning to get rid of Mykhailo Mudryk in January which could pave the way for another forward walking into Stamford Bridge. The Ukraine international has clocked just 61 minutes in the Premier League and with Sancho hitting the ground running, opportunities are likely to be limited for Mudryk. The Blues return to action on Saturday against West Ham.

The seamer picked up 4 for 53 to help India bowl the visitors out for just 219 on the opening day

S Sudarshanan21-Dec-2023First women’s Test at the Wankhede Stadium in close to 40 years. Tenth ball. An early message from India.Ellyse Perry’s faded helmet gives away her longevity in the sport, and how much she loves scoring runs. She gets off the mark with a thick outside edge through the cordon. Surely it is her day? Sun shining, ball seaming – nothing she has not countered in her 11 Tests spanning a 16-year international career.Pooja Vastrakar has other plans, though. She runs in hard, gets a good-length ball at 109.1kph to nip back in to make a mess of Perry’s stumps. Gone for 4, the lowest Test score Perry has been dismissed for. Memories of what Vastrakar did to Nat Sciver-Brunt last week come rushing back.Related

• Harmanpreet's double-strike late on day three puts India in the driver's seat

Notwithstanding a 56-ball 50 from Tahlia McGrath, Australia were bowled out for 219 on the first day after opting to bat. Was it a fast bowlers’ paradise? Were the conditions “extreme” like in Navi Mumbai?Just as tea was called, with Australia 180 for 8, Alyssa Healy – with her floppy hat on – wandered towards the pitch with Ashleigh Gardner. Healy was done in by a Deepti Sharma ball that kept low, while Gardner couldn’t resist poking at a wobble-seam length ball from Vastrakar and was caught behind. They looked at the pitch while the ground staff swept the loose soil away and re-marked the batting and bowling crease.McGrath and Beth Mooney had scored most of their 80 partnership runs at a fair clip before slowing down after spin was introduced. Healy and Annabel Sutherland, who added 40 for the fifth wicket, were countering spin easily before Healy’s fall allowed Vastrakar to dismiss Sutherland and Gardner in succession.”Early on, I found the wicket quite nice to play on but then as soon as spin came on, it became quite tricky,” McGrath said later. “I felt reasonably comfortable with pace but as soon as spin came on, it was a big challenge. Partly because we are not used to these conditions; it was shooting low, and the spinners were extremely disciplined.”Sneh Rana, in particular, bowled really well. I struggled a lot with her, but Moons [Mooney] looked slightly more comfortable against her. I constantly felt on edge against Sneh today. She got me in the end, which was a little bit of a poor dismissal on my part.”Pooja Vastrakar was the star of the Indian bowlers on the first day•BCCIWhile Australia may have been spooked by spin – Rana and Deepti picked up five wickets combined – the real damage was done by Vastrakar. She hurried the batters with her pace and always kept the stumps in play. Which is why India didn’t panic when McGrath and Healy were stitching together those partnerships. Vastrakar kept bowling at speeds north of 105kph and got enough lift from a surface that offered uneven bounce. Like when she got a 113.3kph short ball to spit at Mooney, who gloved it to first slip.”Vastrakar bowled extremely well,” McGrath conceded. “The ball she got Pez [Perry] with was an absolute peach. When I was walking out to bat, she was getting sideways movement of the seam both ways, and she just bowls a relentless length that keeps you on your toes and is perfect for Test match cricket.”She was someone we specifically spoke about as a batting unit. Like I said, the length she bowls is perfect for Test cricket. It’s just relentless. And she’s almost robotic. She just runs in and hits the spot time after time and puts so much pressure on the batters. So, for us, it was about capitalising whenever she gave us any width… we had to put it away.”During the domestic T20s, the Indian bowlers were given a task: to clock at least 24 overs in the nets in the first week and 32 in the next. They had to log it and send the data to the bowling coach and the trainers at the National Cricket Academy. It meant they were well-prepared by the time they got to the camp in Bengaluru ahead of the England series.”I bowl outswing naturally, but we saw the videos of both teams [England and Australia] and found that their batters face difficulty with the incoming ball,” Vastrakar, who finished with 4 for 53, said of India’s bowling plans. “Our aim during practice was to bring the ball in with the wobble seam, which makes the ball cut in and makes it tough for the batters.”We saw the pitch during practice and felt it won’t be as easy [for bowlers] as it was at the DY Patil Stadium. Here, we needed to work harder. We had to hit the hard lengths and bowl wicket-to-wicket, set the batters up and get the ball in. I did that and bowled a sharp inswinger to Perry and she got out.”Australia’s last two wickets kept India on the field for over 22 overs. It did not dampen the hosts’ spirit as the openers came out all guns blazing to drive home the advantage by the end of the first day.After stumps, head coach Amol Muzumdar sauntered down from the stairs and walked to the centre. He stood at the striker’s end from the press box end and had a look. No person in either camp knows the conditions at the Wankhede better than Muzumdar. What he thought of the 22 yards was anybody’s guess. But in the two Tests so far during his tenure, India’s message has been loud and clear: underestimate them at your own peril.

Chase Burns is fast. Just 11 months after the Cincinnati Reds selected him with the second pick of the draft and just three months after he made his pro debut in Class A ball in front of 4,532 fans in Comstock Park, Mich., the righthander will make his major league debut Tuesday against the New York Yankees.

His rapid ascent of just 66 innings of pro ball is a testament to how he has dominated (13 walks, 89 strikeouts and just 38 hits) with his high-spin, high-velocity fastball. At 22 years and 159 days old, he is the youngest starter to debut against the Yankees since Ian Anderson of the Braves beat New York in 2020.

If you’re looking for comps for Burns, you must look beyond this year. There is no starting pitcher in MLB who throws this hard and with such a high release point as Burns does. Here is how he ranks if you consider his minor league metrics:

Highest release point, MLB starters with 95+ mph fastball

MPH

Vertical Release

1. Chase Burns (minors)

97.8

6.61

2. Hayden Birdsong, Giants

95.6

6.52

3. Ben Brown, Cubs

95.7

6.40

4. Ben Casparius, Dodgers

96.2

6.26

To find the best comp, you need to go back a decade to a prime Justin Verlander:

Four-seam comparison

MPH

Vertical release

Extension

Spin rate

Justin Verlander 2015

96

6.62

6.3

2,576

Chase Burns 2025 (minors)

97.8

6.61

6.3

2,531

That is a close match on paper. But when we look at the mechanics, we see Verlander had a smoother delivery. Burns has the same release height, but a higher arm angle. He needs to tilt his torso to move his head to allow his arm to work at that angle, a move that can tax the shoulder more—a move that caught up to Anderson and prompted Michael Wacha, after injury concerns, to lower his arm slot.

Liverpool’s quality has been such across the past decade that blips are met with dismay across the red half of Merseyside. Anfield and its supporters, quite simply, are used to winning.

Ten years ago, Liverpool appointed Jurgen Klopp following Brendan Rodgers’ dismissal. Ten years ago, everything changed. Now, the Reds are considered among the most ferocious and feared in Europe; beating Liverpool is a trophy in itself.

But Arne Slot has work to do, with Liverpool having lost three in a row, including successive league outings in the final moments.

Superstar signings such as Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz have yet to hit their stride on Merseyside, and there’s no denying there are tactical balances from head to toe. This is all grist for the mill of negativity, but Liverpool are sure to click into gear soon.

However, not all problems can be fixed so simply. For example, Mohamed Salah has been one of the most disappointing stars so far,

Liverpool preparing for Salah departure

Salah is of an age that poor form is viewed through the lens of the inevitable decline, which claims footballers into their thirties. But this is short-sighted.

Only last season, the 33-year-old scored 34 goals and laid on 23 assists across all competitions, broke the Premier League record for goal involvements in a 38-game season (47).

There’s no denying the Egyptian has been poor this term, anonymous for large sections of games and enduring his slowest start to a Liverpool campaign with three goals and assists apiece from ten matches. But he is still Salah, and Liverpool’s problems reach every area of the field.

While the long-serving superstar is expected to find a purple patch once again this term, there’s no denying he is getting older, and Liverpool need to find themselves a successor.

Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo has been earmarked as the man for the job.

According to Spanish sources, the in-form Premier League star is right at the top of Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes’ shopping list as he plans for the future, though competition is sure to be thick.

The Ghana international is valued at £75m and Bournemouth resisted an effort from Tottenham this summer. He has since signed a new contract at the Vitality, running until 2029, so the Cherries’ position is strong.

Why Liverpool want Antoine Semenyo

Liverpool’s chaotic season opener was a sign of things to come, winning 4-3 against Bournemouth. Semenyo bagged a brace and played with incredible quality and composure.

Now seven matches deep into the league campaign, Semenyo has scored six times all told and provided three assists too. This is a remarkable return; this is Salah-like territory.

Indeed, while Salah is well below his best, there’s a sense that even if the £400k-per-week star was on his A-game, he might not be on the same level as Bournemouth’s main man, whose efforts thus far have even led one Premier League analyst to suggest he is “one of the best players in the world”.

Matches (starts)

7 (7)

7 (7)

Goals

2

6

Assists

2

3

Shots (on target)*

1.7 (0.7)

2.4 (1.3)

Touches*

42.1

50.0

Pass completion

74%

75%

Chances created*

1.7

1.4

Dribbles*

0.1

2.1

Ball recoveries*

3.4

5.6

Tackles*

0.0

1.7

Duels won*

1.4

6.7

It is, quite frankly, a staggering drop-off, with Semenyo outstripping the legendary winger across every area in the Premier League this season. The Ghanaian has been sharper in attack, more intelligent on the ball and far more combative and engaged in the build-up.

Salah remains one of the deadliest forwards in English football history, though, and his two-goal haul so far this season has lifted him above Andy Cole and into fourth place in the all-time scoring charts.

But with Federico Chiesa and Jeremie Frimpong stood as Salah’s back-up options on the attacking right flank this term, it’s very clear that a high-level replacement would be needed.

It might be worth drawing attention to the fact that Semenyo is of an age with a 25-year-old version of Salah, a version who waved goodbye to a career in Italy and signed for Klopp’s Liverpool in a £34m deal.

And the signs, to be sure, are promising. While the data pool is shallow, statistical site FBref have crunched the data to reveal Semenyo ranks not only among the best for output in the English top flight this season, but among the top 10% for ball recoveries and the top 3% for aerial battles won per 90.

There is little to suggest he would not be a star at Liverpool. Two-footed and dynamic, the £75k-per-week talent feels very Liverpool-esque, with a hunger for success at the highest level and a fearsome, high-octane take on the game.

Last season, Semenyo scored 11 goals and posted six assists in the Premier League. This gave him praise from many and it provided Bournemouth with a £70m bid from Spurs to chew on. Now, he is levels higher. Imagine the heights he could hit in Slot’s Liverpool squad.

In April, Salah penned new terms at Liverpool. The greatest player in the Anfield side’s recent chapter will play his football in red until the end of next season. But what if Salah fails to reclaim his one-time level? Can Slot afford such a weak link dominating his frontline for much time to come?

With Semenyo added to the fold, there’s a sense Liverpool would have all they need to come together and hit that vein of form which would carry them to titles and sustained success.

Better than Guehi: Liverpool dreaming of signing "best U21 player in the PL"

Liverpool may need to dip back into the transfer market in 2026 after a disjointed start to the season.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 8, 2025

Mumbai opener has not been in India contention recently, but has piled on the runs in the last two months for Mumbai, West Zone and India A

Shashank Kishore14-Oct-2022″Disappointed” at not being picked in India’s ODI squad for the South Africa series that finished last week, Prithvi Shaw smashed his maiden T20 century – a 61-ball 134 – against Assam at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy on Friday.Shaw, who is captaining the side in Rajkot with Ajinkya Rahane absent, hit 13 fours and nine sixes in his innings to help Mumbai post 230 for 3 after being put into bat. Friday’s knock followed scores of 29 and an unbeaten 55 against Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram previously.”I was disappointed. I am scoring runs, doing a lot of hard work, but not getting a chance,” Shaw had told earlier this month. “But it’s alright. When they [national selectors] feel I am ready, they will play me. Whatever opportunities I get, whether it is for India ‘A’ or other teams, I will make sure I do my best and keep my fitness levels up to the mark.”Over the past year, Shaw has slipped down the pecking order as far as openers for the national team go. He last played for India on the tour of Sri Lanka in July 2021 and hasn’t come close to being picked since. Shaw also had a relatively lean IPL 2022 for Delhi Capitals, scoring just 283 runs in 10 innings, with two half-centuries. He also missed four games towards the end of the season due to typhoid.In the time away, Shaw’s red-ball stocks have fallen considerably, with the national selectors preferring Priyank Panchal and Abhimanyu Easwaran as the India A openers for the first-class games against New Zealand A. Shaw was also left out of the Rest of India squad for the Irani Cup that finished late last month. On his part, Shaw has used the time away to work on his fitness.”I did not work on different things in my batting, but did a lot of fitness work,” he said, when asked of the work he’d done during the off-season. “I worked on weight loss and reduced by seven to eight kgs after the last IPL. I spent a lot of time in the gym, did a lot of running, didn’t consume any sweets and cold drinks. Chinese food is totally out of my menu now.”Since the start of this season, he’s been in good form. Having begun with a bruising 113 for West Zone in their Duleep Trophy opener against Northeast, he followed that up with scores of 60 and 142 against a competent Central Zone attack, consisting of Ankit Rajpoot, Aniket Choudhary and Kumar Kartikeya, in the semi-finals. Then part of India A’s one-day squad that played New Zealand A in Chennai, Shaw smacked a 48-ball 77 to help clinch the series.”I am working hard on my game, fitness and performing consistently as well. Everything is on track, [but] let’s see. I am not thinking too much about the future. Whatever opportunities I am getting, I am trying my best.”

Mohammed Shami has been named in a strong Bengal squad for the start of the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season. Shami will be partnered by Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar and Ishan Porel in the pace department, with the squad captained by opener Abhimanyu Easwaran.Bengal had earlier named Anustup Majumdar as captain. But the late change is understood to have been made in consultation with Sourav Ganguly, the former India captain who recently took charge as president of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB).Shami hasn’t played for India since featuring in the Champions Trophy in early March. Asked of his omission from the squad for the West Indies Tests, chief selector Ajit Agarkar had highlighted Shami’s lack of match time as one of the reasons.Related

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• Akash Deep: I was wondering 'how do I survive five Tests?'

So far, since the end of IPL 2025 in June, Shami has featured in just one first-class game, for East Zone in the Duleep Trophy. In that game, he sent down 34 overs across the two innings, picking up one wicket. In the second innings of that match, Shami didn’t bowl much on the final day in a game East Zone lost after conceding a big first-innings lead.The Ranji season is also an opportunity for Akash Deep and Mukesh to get back on the Test selection radar ahead of the South Africa series starting November 14.Akash Deep was part of the England tour in the summer, where he featured in three of the five Tests and starred with a ten-wicket haul in India’s win in Birmingham. However, since his return from England, Akash Deep has had to undergo rehab for a back injury that ruled him out of the Duleep Trophy. He has since passed a fitness test but was not picked in the squad for the ongoing series against West Indies.Mukesh was part of the India A tour of England in the summer, where he picked up three wickets in his only outing. He bowled in just one innings in the Duleep Trophy opener for East Zone before being examined for a hamstring injury. He has since cleared his fitness tests at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence.Bengal open their campaign against Uttarakhand at Eden Gardens on October 15. They are placed in Group C, with Assam, Services, Tripura, Railways, Haryana and Gujarat as the other teams.

This current Celtic team are insipid, uninspiring and lifeless in attack, so just imagine how much Matt O’Riley would improve everything.

When the 20 year old arrived from Milton Keynes in January 2022 for a reported fee of £1.5m, no one could’ve forecast just how good he would be.

In the end, the Danish international is in the conversation to be Celtic’s best attacking midfielder of modern times, scoring 27 goals and registering 35 assists in 124 appearances for the Hoops, named the club’s player of the year and players’ player of the year in 2023/24.

He was sold to Brighton & Hove Albion for £25m just 13 months ago, before joining Olympique de Marseille on a season-long loan this summer, starting les Phocéens’ Champions League opener against Real Madrid at the Bernabéu on Tuesday.

As replacements Arne Engels and Benjamin Nygren struggle to hit the heights O’Riley reached in Glasgow, did Celtic sell their own homegrown version, whose value has increased by almost 1,300% since leaving?

A lack of pathways for Celtic youngsters

Most top-flight Scottish clubs, not just Celtic, are often criticised for not giving academy graduates an opportunity.

Of course, current squad members Kieran Tierney, Callum McGregor, James Forrest and, to a slightly lesser extent, Anthony Ralston have managed to come through the academy and become first-team regulars, but the vast majority do not.

The table below documents a selection of Celtic academy youngsters who have been forced to depart in search of regular first-team action.

Joey Dawson

1

Scunthorpe

Daniel Cummings

1

West Ham

Rocco Vata

6

Watford

Bosun Lawal

1

Stoke

Daniel Kelly

6

Millwall

Conor Hazard

7

Plymouth

Karamoko Dembélé

10

Brest

Owen Moffat

3

Blackpool

Ben Gannon Doak

2

Liverpool

Armstrong Oko-Flex

2

West Ham

As the table documents, none of the players listed made more than ten appearances for Celtic’s first team, all sold for, at most, nominal compensation fees.

Karamoko Dembélé was the most-hyped, but Ben Gannon Doak is the name that leaps off the page, given that he just joined Bournemouth from Liverpool in a deal worth £25m, and is a starter for Steve Clarke’s Scotland side.

Due to post-Brexit rules, English clubs in particular are looking north of the border for talent, given that it is now more difficult to bring youngsters in from the EU.

Thus, is there another Celtic youngster who departed seven years ago who they may rue selling most of all?

Forgotten former Celtic youngster starring in Italy

During the 2010s, brothers Liam and Ewan Henderson were both coming through the Celtic young ranks together to plenty of excitement.

Liam, the older of the duo, made his senior debut against Motherwell in December 2013, actually accumulating 37 appearances in total, albeit 23 were as a substitute.

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He spent six months on loan at Rosenborg, before also being loaned out to Hibernian, etching himself into club history by helping Hibs win the Scottish Cup for the first time in 114 years, coming off the bench to provide two assists against Rangers in the final.

Ian Crocker’s commentary line, “it’s Liam Henderson to deliver”, now a core part of Hibs’ folklore.

However, he did not manage to have quite the same impact at Celtic, despite the fact Brendan Rodgers said “as time goes on, he impresses me even more… what I love about Liam, he’s got great personality”.

Nevertheless, he was sold to Bari in January 2018 for just £115k, and has called Italy home ever since.

After making just 19 appearances for I Galletti, he spent time at Hellas Verona, Empoli on loan and Lecce, re-joining Empoli permanently in 2021, featuring 119 times for the Azzurri, a key figure during their stay in Serie A, racking up 15 assists.

This summer, he finally departed Stadio Carlo Castellani, joining fallen giants Sampdoria, scoring on his debut for I Blucerchiati against Spezia in the Coppa Italia, starting their first three Serie B matches subsequently.

Thus, Football Transfers estimate that his current market value is around £1.6m, which represents a 1291% increase on the £115k he departed Celtic for.

Also, according to Global Football Rankings, Serie A, where Henderson has played the vast majority of his football, is the second-strongest league in the world, while his current home Serie B is 30th, just three spots below the Scottish Premiership.

Thus, it is unquestionable that Henderson possesses the talent and the quality to have been a key contributor at Celtic, had things panned out differently, or at the very least been able to bring in a significantly higher transfer fee.

A creative midfield star at a string of clubs since departing Parkhead, there is a sense that the Glasgow side have perhaps let a homegrown O’Riley slip from their grasp.

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ByDan Emery Sep 17, 2025

Joburg turns up for its World Test Champions as Temba Bavuma’s team start to realise just what they’ve been able to do

Firdose Moonda18-Jun-2025Everyone loves a winner, as was clear at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport where South Africa returned as World Test Champions on Wednesday morning.The squad were received by the country’s sports minister, Gayton McKenzie, and swathes of people from across South African society. In attendance were groups of children from the KFC’s Mini Cricket programme – the largest grassroots development initiative in the country – students from some of the players’ former schools, such as Aiden Markram’s Pretoria Boys High School, and family members like Wiaan Mulder’s brother.The players signed autographs, received flowers and hugs and strutted around in custom made “champions” t-shirts before making their way to Cricket South Africa’s offices in the north of the city where they were welcomed with a brass band and a red carpet. Almost 96 hours after their five-wicket triumph over Australia in the WTC final, the magnitude of what they have achieved is starting to sink in.”It is quite overwhelming. We haven’t seen people like that at the airport before,” Temba Bavuma, South Africa’s captain said at a press conference afterwards. “As players, you don’t really realise what you’ve done but when you start to interact with people and see the emotion, it gives you a proper insight into what we’ve done. We are proud as a team but we are even more happy and proud that we’ve made our people proud. If you look at this team and the guys at the helm, we have done it the proper South African way. That’s unique to this group. We have embraced everything that it means to be South African.”With a home grown coach in Shukri Conrad and a largely unheralded group of players, Bavuma’s words spoke to the way the South African team pulled together throughout the cycle and in the final. They had nine different Players of the Match in 2023-25 and 15 different players either scored a century or took a five-for in what has been hailed as a true team effort and a unified showing after years of underperformance. For Bavuma, it showed that there is always a way, not just for sportspeople but for everyone.”What we’ve achieved speaks to all budding cricketers out there, and individuals within South Africa,” he said. “As a team, we’ve got a story. It hasn’t been a simple or easy one. We’ve come through a lot but we managed to get to where we are. So similarly for them (ordinary people) on their quest and journey, for what they want to achieve: as long as they keep having that passion and keep pushing they can also achieve what people think is unachievable.”Temba Bavuma and his men had a rousing homecoming•AFP/Getty ImagesFor 27 years, South Africa have been without an ICC trophy and in that time regularly slipped at the semi-final hurdle. The 1999 ODI World Cup, where South Africa tied the game but could not advance to the final because Australia finished higher on the Super Six points table, has long been a sore point but the 2015 and 2023 ODI World Cup semis and 2024 T20 World Cup final also stung. It’s because of those failures that the WTC win is magnified, as one of South Africa’s greatest sporting achievements. “This is huge for South African cricket,” Enoch Nkwe, Director of National Teams and High Performance said. “This is huge for South African cricket and the impact it will have for generations to come. We’ve taken a lot of punches but we’ve never bent our backs. We stayed strong.”Related

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Nkwe, who was appointed in July 2022, put in place the coaching structure which included Conrad, who in turn appointed Bavuma as captain. Conrad will now also take over the white-ball sides until the end of the ODI World Cup in 2027. There is particular expectation around that tournament, not least because of the history documented above, but also because the event will be hosted in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Bavuma is also South Africa’s ODI captain and has already spoken of his hope for the event to come.”We want to carry on with the momentum we’ve gained,” he said. “We are quietly optimistic as to what can happen in the white-ball space. We see no reason as to why we can’t emulate what we’ve done here. We are more optimistic than anything. We had a little conversation about it. Shukri’s mind is always ticking. He lets you know that there’s always some sort of work you need to do.”That tournament is more than two years away, in which time there will be an entire WTC cycle and a T20 World Cup. Eyes will be on South Africa for all of them, especially as their next Tests include matches in Pakistan and India and home series against England and Australia in 2026. They believe they’ve laid the foundation to be successful in these contests but no-one can begrudge them celebrating the first world title for a little bit longer, as Bavuma suggested they would.”For now, it’s for us to embrace what we’ve done, to take it all in, understand what led us to this point and live in that moment for a little bit longer,” Bavuma said. “Then, I think the beauty of international cricket is that there’s always something else waiting. Once we get over our emotions, it will be what is the next thing? There’s the Zimbabwe tour, and the start of the new Test cycle. We will be setting our eyes on what we want to achieve over there. There is always something we are working towards. It’s a legacy we want to put together as a team. It’s not done now, but for now it’s for us to enjoy what the moment has brought us.”South Africa will have several fan engagements in the next few days before a two-Test series against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, which starts on June 28. The series is not part of the WTC.