He was ruled out midway through IPL 2025 for the runners-up while his replacement Owen is likely to be retained
Nagraj Gollapudi14-Nov-2025Punjab Kings (PBKS) are set to release at least seven players ahead of the auction for IPL 2026 with Glenn Maxwell being the prominent name. Maxwell played seven games in IPL 2025 before sustaining a fractured finger midway through the season. He scored only 48 runs in six innings, including single-digit scores in each of his last four games, with a best of 30 for the runners-up, and picked up four wickets.He was replaced by fellow Australian Mitchell Owen, who rose to prominence through his exploits for BBL champions Hobart Hurricanes last year. He topped the run-scoring charts in BBL 13 – his 452 runs coming at a strike rate of 203.60 and featuring two hundreds. However, he had a forgettable IPL debut, scoring a two-ball duck in his only appearance. PBKS, though, are set to retain Owen, who was procured at his base price of INR 3 crore.Related
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Maxwell, who retired from ODIs in June, was bought by PBKS at the 2025 auction for INR 4.2 crore. It was his third stint with PBKS, his fourth IPL team, having played for them from 2014 to 2017 and then in 2021. So far in T20Is this year, Maxwell has 171 runs at a strike rate of 169.30 with a best of 62 not out against South Africa in Cairns.The other players PBKS are set to release include Aaron Hardie, Kyle Jamieson, Kuldeep Sen, Praveen Dubey and Vishnu Vinod. Jamieson had come in as a replacement for the injured Lockie Ferguson and picked up five wickets in the four matches he played. Dubey played just the one game while none of Hardie, Sen and Vinod made any appearance for PBKS in IPL 2025.
Rangers’ wait for a first victory in this season’s Europa League goes on.
Prior to Thursday night, the Gers had lost seven successive European matches for the very first time and, while that streak has come to an end, they did not claim a much-needed victory, held to a frustrating 1-1 draw by Braga.
James Tavernier broke the deadlock from the penalty spot, equaling Ally McCoist’s tally of 21 European goals for the club, chasing down Alfredo Morelos’ all-time record of 29.
This looked like being the decisive goal on the night, especially when Rodrigo Zalazar was sent off for gently headbutting Nicolas Raskin, only for Gabri Martínez to equalise for the ten-men Arsenalists soon after.
The match would end ten vs ten, Mohamed Diomandé rather softly shown a second yellow card by referee Allard Lindhout in injury time, as Rangers were booed off once again.
So, after five Europa League matches, the Light Blues have just one point on the board, probably needing to win their final three fixtures, against Ferencváros, Ludogorets Razgrad and Porto to avoid an ignominious early elimination, having finished all the way up in eighth in last year’s league phase.
This was only new manager Danny Röhl’s eighth match in charge, and he certainly has a tough job on his hands, so which summer recruits underlined why they cannot be trusted by the German coach during this latest poor result?
Nasser Djiga's poor Rangers form
With both John Souttar and Derek Cornelius suffering long-term injuries on international duty last week, Danny Röhl has no choice but to keep picking Emmanuel Fernandez and Nasser Djiga at centre-back, even though the latter once again let him down.
The Burkinabé international has, fair to say, not impressed since joining on loan from Wolves in the summer, very much at fault for Braga’s equaliser on Thursday, completely misjudging a ball into the box and allowing Martínez to slot the ball past Jack Butland.
Speaking during TNT Sports post-match coverage, former Celtic defender Johan Mjällby asserted that he would expect better from a 12 year old.
This though is not Djiga’s first high-profile error.
He was sent off on his home Premiership debut against Dundee before, later that month, running in the complete opposite direction as Romeo Vermant broke the deadlock just three minutes into the Champions League play-off tie, the first of nine goals Club Brugge would bag across the two legs.
Also speaking during commentary on TNT Sports on Thursday, when asked which position Rangers most urgently need to improve in the January transfer window, McCoist quickly answered centre-back, with Djiga clearly not at the required level, but which other summer recruit did not impress against Braga?
Rangers flop struggles again vs Braga
On Monday, Rangers confirmed that chief executive Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell had both been sacked, the pair widely blamed by supporters for the clubs, how shall we put this diplomatically, puzzling summer recruitment?
The most bewildering of their 13 new signings was the arrival of Youssef Chermiti for £8m, potentially rising to £10m with add-ons, making him the club’s most expensive signing of the post-liquidation era, having scored a grand total of, let’s count them up here, zero goals in two seasons at Everton.
Most expensive SPFL signings before the 2025 summer window
The Portuguese under-21 international has got off the mark north of the border, on target during a 3-1 win over Kilmarnock, Röhl’s first Premiership match in charge, and the German coach has shown Chermiti plenty of faith thus far, making him a regular starter.
However, that could soon change, with the table below underlining that he did not impress against Braga.
Chermiti’s stats vs Braga
Stats
Chermiti
Match rank
Shots on target
Zero
10th
Shots off target
1
1st
Shots blocked
2
1st
Expected goals
0.09
8th
Attempted dribbles
4
5th
Successful dribbles
Zero
10th
Accurate passes
11
21st
Key passes
Zero
10th
Duels contested
15
3rd
Duels won
6
9th
Possession lost
18
4th
Touches
39
16th
SofaScore rating
5.9
28th
Stats via SofaScore
The table emphasises Chermiti’s difficult night.
He was successful with none of his four attempted dribbles, completed just 11 passes and lost six of the 15 duels he contested, as well as turning over possession on 18 occasions from 39 touches – essentially losing the ball every 2.2 touches.
Unlike at the back, Röhl does have options for his forward line.
Danilo and Djeidi Gassama were chosen to complete the front three on Thursday, with Oliver Antman, Theo Aasgaard and Bojan Miovski all introduced as substitutes, while Mikey Moore is nursing a knock.
Thus, while Chermiti continues to offer very little, he surely should be left on the bench for Sunday’s clash with Falkirk.
Rangers' £3.5m "colossus" can become the new Connor Goldson under Rohl
As Danny Röhl searches for his best Rangers starting XI, could his “colossus” in defence become the club’s new Connor Goldson, starting against Braga?
The Chicago Cubs are tied atop the NL Central with the Milwaukee Brewers, with both teams tied for the best record in Major League Baseball. In such a tight a race, every out becomes a little more important. With that, players want to make sure they make every routine play they can in the field.
Well, that's not what Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki did in the first inning of Wednesday afternoon's tilt against the Royals at Wrigley Field. Instead, he looked like a Little Leaguer while dropping what should have been an easy first out of the inning.
What made this mistake even better was that a hot mic caught a fan in the crowd gleefully yelling, "Seiaya all you, baby! Yup, can of corn!" as the ball sailed toward Suzuki. A can of corn, of course means that it's an easy catch to make and one that should be handled as such by a professional baseball player.
Narrator: It wasn't a can of corn.
Not great!
Making things worse for Suzuki was that the Royals scored two runs after that to take an early lead right of the gate. They are currently up 2–1 in what looks like a beautiful day for baseball in Chicago.
England aren’t quite the force they were on their all-conquering 2022-23 tour. That, however, is no consolation to a struggling Pakistan side
Danyal Rasool04-Oct-2024Pakistan have been confronted by two sets of very different challenges in their last two Test series. First, they lost the unwinnable; no Pakistan Test side had managed anything other than defeat in Australia since 1995. Then, at home, they lost the unlosable, suffering their first and second Test defeats to Bangladesh. Now, with England on their shores to play three Test matches, they face their most intriguing challenge: the possible.It is perhaps this kind of match-up, where success is unlikely but eminently achievable, that is best placed to determine the upper limits of Pakistan’s grasp, and most in danger of exposing the pace of their slide. Moving past Pakistan’s defeats in Australia as a grim rite of passage that they cannot escape requires some generosity; setting aside an excellent Bangladesh side’s clean sweep in Pakistan as a freak event demands excessive charity. One was too predictable, the other too dramatic, and neither conducive to rational assessment. But a home series against England is precisely the sort of contest Pakistan have cherished competing in. This is a litmus test.Related
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Pakistan’s psychological scars may have begun to prick once more at the memories of what England dished out in 2022-23. But while the tendency to group all of their results under the all-encompassing term Bazball remains undying, England now are scarcely the formidable side that delivered Pakistan’s only home-series whitewash to date. In the intervening two years, England have just about split the 19 Tests they’ve played, winning 10 and losing eight; six of those wins have come at home against West Indies, Sri Lanka and Ireland. Five of their seven away Tests have ended as defeats. None of the four seamers who played any part in the 2022-23 Pakistan tour are in their current squad, and captain Ben Stokes is a serious doubt for the first Test in Multan.With that limited context, England’s triumph two years ago appears an aberration, not the heralding of a new dawn. Greater England sides than this have found playing in Pakistan a struggle; until their 2022 victory, England had managed just one away-series win against Pakistan in 60 years. Months after their iconic Ashes win in 2005, they fell 2-0 on Pakistani shores, and that famously hard-nosed 2009-12 England side were swept away by Pakistan at their adopted UAE home ground in 2011.But zoom out for greater context, and you run into Pakistan’s problems. It’s difficult for them to draw encouragement from their opposition’s away record when they haven’t won a home Test in three-and-a-half years, and though England did lose a dead rubber to Sri Lanka to cap off their red-ball summer, it was overshadowed by Pakistan’s own dismantling at Bangladesh’s hands.Abrar Ahmed’s 11-wicket debut two years ago seems like a distant memory•Matthew Lewis/Getty ImagesEngland’s seamers might never have played in Pakistan, but Pakistan are going through their own fast-bowling identity crisis as they struggle for speed, form, fitness or a combination of the three. England’s spinners are inexperienced, but Pakistan’s supply isn’t brimming either, and Abrar Ahmed’s 11-wicket debut in Multan two years ago is now a distant memory. And when it comes to batting, Pakistan’s problems are in a different league.Earlier this week, captain Shan Masood appealed for time and patience, but is also clever enough to understand those will be offered in stingy doses with severe prescriptive restrictions. And against an England side perceived to be better than it perhaps is, a competitive series with enough of the numbers in the result corner presents the only viable opportunity to change attitudes about his side.Pakistan have had a month to reflect on that Bangladesh series, and played domestic one-day cricket in the interregnum; the wisdom of that remains up for debate. But at some point, the only way to read into the quality of this Test side will be the results they get rather than the promise they show, the quality of the opposition or the capriciousness of the pitch. This Pakistan side is either good enough to beat England at home, or they’re not. Zak Crawley’s comments about the dangers of underestimating Pakistan would suggest England are blocking out the external noise about their supposed superiority over the hosts, and are approaching this series as a contest of equals.Pakistan still have a distance to travel to demonstrate they have earned that tag. But either way, the upcoming three weeks should go a long way towards illuminating whether that Bangladesh series was a wake-up call, or simply the new company Pakistan keep.
Vyshak, Dayal and Ramandeep are among the other hopefuls itching to leave a mark in South Africa
Ashish Pant06-Nov-2024Less than a week after being handed a shock 3-0 Test-series sweep by New Zealand, India head to South Africa for a four-match T20I series. It helps that barring Axar Patel, no player from the 15-member side in South Africa was part of the New Zealand series, so they won’t be carrying any baggage. But it also means there are a few fresh faces in the squad along with a few who are trying to establish a permanent place when the Indian side is at full strength.Here are five things to look forward to during the South Africa-India series, which gets underway on November 8 in Durban.
Samson’s extended run at the top
In his 33-match T20I career for India, Sanju Samson has opened the batting eight times. Barring a 77 against Ireland in 2022, his numbers had been modest until the final T20I against Bangladesh last month when he smashed a 47-ball 111, setting up a record total. It is likely that Samson will open the batting in South Africa too, and it is an opportunity he will want to cash in on.It’s been an up-and-down 2024 for Samson. He piled on the runs in IPL 2024 – 531 in 16 innings at 48.27 – but his international numbers haven’t been consistent. He’s only played nine T20Is this year, and in eight innings has made three ducks, one fifty and one century. Following Rohit Sharma’s retirement from T20Is, a spot has opened up in India’s top order. There are a few other contenders in the mix, but if Samson can follow up the century in the last T20I against Bangladesh with a string of decent numbers in South Africa, he could make the others nervous. That includes the current first-choice openers Yashavi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill.
Another audition for Abhishek
Another contender for the opening slot is Abhishek Sharma, who took powerplay hitting to a new level in the IPL. He earlier had a successful 2023-24 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, finishing as the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament as Punjab took home the trophy. Abhishek made it to India squad for the series against Zimbabwe in July but hasn’t been able to replicate the domestic success at the international level, yet. He scored a 36-ball 100 in just his second T20I but hasn’t crossed 20 even once in his other six innings.Related
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Abhishek was India A’s highest run-getter in the Emerging Asia Cup late last month. He will likely open the batting alongside Samson and with a few consistent scores can stake a claim in a full-strength India T20I side. His left-arm spin is an added advantage, and a few wickets in the middle overs will further strengthen his case.
A new-look fast-bowling unit
Arshdeep Singh will lead a relatively inexperienced fast-bowling attack in South Africa, which has Avesh Khan, coming back into the side after a while, and two uncapped players in Vijaykumar Vyshak and Yash Dayal.Vyshak is a tall, hit-the-deck bowler who can both crank up the pace and deceive batters with a well-disguised slower ball. He does not have striking numbers in T20s over the last year but has been consistent for both Karnataka or Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He also took a four-for in a Duleep Trophy fixture for India C in September and could be an exciting prospect on surfaces conducive to his style of bowling.Arshdeep Singh will lead an inexperienced bowling attack•BCCIDayal, on the other hand, will be on a high after being one of the three players retained by RCB ahead of the IPL 2025 auction. He was part of the India squad for the Bangladesh Test series but did not get a game. Dayal enjoyed an extended run with RCB in IPL 2024 and delivered consistent performances. His pace variations and ability to move the ball could come in handy in South Africa if he gets a game.
What does Ramandeep bring to the equation?
Death-overs bashing, decent medium-pace bowling, and gun fielding. Ramandeep Singh’s inclusion is a result of the consistency he has shown in the last year or so in the T20 format. He struck at 222.80 during Punjab’s Mushtaq-Ali-winning run in 2023-24 and then at 201.61 in IPL 2024 for Kolkata Knight Riders, who also lifted the trophy. That led him to be retained by the franchise ahead of the mega auction. Ramandeep is also a more-than-handy medium-pacer and a terrific outfielder.
WHAT DID YOU JUST DO RAMANDEEP!
A stunning catch from Ramandeep Singh gets rid of the dangerous Yasir Khan!
Watch #EmergingAsiaCupOnStar | #INDvPAK, LIVE NOW! pic.twitter.com/EyyDkEbsM7
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) October 19, 2024
Most recently in the Emerging Asia Cup semi-final against Afghanistan A, he smashed a 34-ball 64 and while his knock did not take India A over the line, it showed his power-hitting prowess.
IPL mega auction watch
The IPL franchises will keep a close eye on a number of the players who are part of the South Africa T20I series. Eleven of the 15 players in the squad have been retained by various franchises, but the four non-retained players are likely to spark interest. Arshdeep was let go by Punjab Kings, but he’s had a terrific year in T20Is in 2024 – 28 wickets in 14 games – and is expected to fetch big money at the auction. Avesh and Vyshak are also likely to be picked and so is Jitesh Sharma, who has slipped down the pecking order in recent times.
The former India seamer will contest for president in the upcoming KSCA elections slated for November 30
Shashank Kishore11-Nov-2025
Anil Kumble, Venkatesh Prasad and Javagal Srinath address the media•PTI
Former India seamer Venkatesh Prasad has vowed to bring top-flight cricket back to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium if elected as president in the upcoming Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) elections slated for November 30.Prasad has teamed up with Sujith Somasunder, the former India and Karnataka opener, with the duo receiving a strong endorsement from two India stalwarts, Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath. Vinay Mrutyunjaya, another former KSCA officer bearer, will contest for the secretary’s post.Both Prasad and Somasunder were earlier part of the KSCA administration when Kumble and Srinath had served as president and secretary. Prasad served as vice-president while Somasunder, who is currently head of education at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE), was part of the managing committee.Two other women cricketers are part of Prasad’s camp – former India Women captain Shantha Rangaswamy and V Kalpana. While Rangaswamy is ineligible to contest elections due to the age criteria, Kalpana is likely to be part of the committee in some capacity.Prasad will be contesting against KN Shanth Kumar, who has the backing of Brijesh Patel, the former India batter and veteran KSCA administrator. Kumar is a former board member of the Indian Golf Union, and represented India as a non-playing captain at the golf competition at the 2002 Asian Games.Related
Venkatesh Prasad: 'Want to bring cricket back to Chinnaswamy'
“Karnataka cricket has been suffering and Venky is here to make a difference,” Kumble told reporters on Tuesday. “All the work we had put in during our three-year tenure [2010-2013] has been undone over the past many years. The most common question we get asked is ‘when are you returning?'”Two key stakeholders have been neglected: cricketers and fans. Last week we won the Women’s World Cup, and it was a landmark occasion. But we [Karnataka] didn’t have a single representation. That needs to change.”Kumble also touched upon the horrific stampede that claimed 11 lives outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s victory parade after winning IPL 2025. Describing June 4 as a “black mark, black day”, Kumble urged Prasad & co to ensure they do everything they can to “bring glory back to Karnataka” and the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, which he likened to a “temple.”Prasad, meanwhile, underlined his panel’s readiness to hold constructive dialogue with the Karnataka government and other key stakeholders to bring back cricket to the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Only club games have been played at the venue, which recently lost out on the Women’s World Cup – including the final – due to the stand-off between there KSCA and the state government over the stampede row.The KSCA has also been in a tussle with the state government over power issues. Until earlier this month, BESCOM – the state’s electricity department – had cut off power to the entire facility due to non-compliance with fire safety norms. Recently, the KSCA submitted an undertaking of compliance, since which power has been restored.”We believe in having a proper dialogue with the government, and adhere to whatever the safety audit report has told us,” Prasad said. Somasundar added: “The stadium renovation work needs to be done in a phased manner, and is something we will take up on priority. We may not be able to increase the capacity, but we should certainly comply with safety norms and ensure cricket returns to one of India’s storied venues.”Another key area of focus, Prasad said, was the development of a full-fledged women’s academy at the same premises where the National Cricket Academy, now BCCI’s CoE, operated.
Are Tottenham Hotspur finding their feet under Thomas Frank’s stewardship?
Certainly, we have seen green shoots in recent matches. After that dismal home defeat to Fulham at the end of November, Spurs battled to a 2-2 draw at St. James’ Park before beating Brentford in the Premier League and Slavia Prague in the Champions League.
Two clean sheets from two games, but Tottenham still could do with reinforcements in the rearguard. Namely, ENIC Group are planning to help Frank piece together a lasting project with a new left-back.
Destiny Udogie picked up a hamstring injury against Newcastle United and will be out until the New Year. But the Italian defender has been out of sorts this season anyway, and Tottenham are ready to take action.
Spurs' search for a left-back
Udogie quickly established himself as one of the most dangerous up-and-coming full-backs in Europe after joining Tottenham from Hellas Verona. Better known for his time on loan with Udinese across multiple years, the Italian was hailed as “the best left-back” in the country by Clinton Morrison on BBC Sport a few months into his arrival under Ange Postecoglou’s wing.
Destiny Udogie for Tottenham
However, Udogie’s persistent injury issues have stunted his growth, and the 23-year-old has been told he “needs to wake up” by one coach this term, lacking awareness and dynamism. With Ben Davies getting on – and rarely getting off the bench – competition is needed, especially with the Lilywhites making headway in the Champions League.
That’s why Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange are circling in on Eintracht Frankfurt star Nathaniel Brown, with TEAMtalk revealing that the 22-year-old German international is on Tottenham’s wishlist ahead of the winter window.
A versatile wideman with no qualms about playing further upfield, Brown would add depth and new dimensions to Frank’s team, though this is a sentiment shared with rivals, Arsenal and Manchester United also among the suitors named.
He would cost upwards of £50m, but Brown has the potential to become one of the best in the business, and he would slot right into Frank’s set-up.
What Brown would bring to Spurs
Brown, a German-born player with American heritage, boasts blistering pace and a desire to progress play whenever he can. However, he is also defensively sound, mixing between duties seamlessly.
As per FBref, Brown ranks among the top 9% of full-backs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists and the top 3% for tackles per 90, underlining his dynamism and ability to mix defence with attack.
In this, he has something of a likeness to Udogie, the finest iteration of the Italy star, and while Spurs’ talented wide defender has fallen by the wayside of late, his profile remains tailor-made for a starring role in one of Europe’s top outfits.
Brown, moreover, is on an upward trajectory, with analyst Spencer Mossman claiming earlier in 2025 that he is “one-two years away from being the most coveted left back” in the world. Already, several of the Premier League’s biggest sides want to bring him over, suggesting that he is indeed ahead of that prediction already.
Frankfurt has a rather porous defence this season, and that is a concern, but Brown is one of the standouts, showcasing an impressive mix of qualities. Furthermore, he rode the crest of a wave into the current campaign, having played so well in the Bundesliga last year.
Matches (starts)
10 (6_
6 (6)
Goals
0
1
Assists
1
2
Touches*
47.5
47.8
Accurate passes*
26.8 (85%)
25.7 (84%)
Chances created*
0.7
1.0
Succ. dribbles*
0.3 (27%)
0.5 (38%)
Recoveries*
3.8
3.4
Tackles + interceptions*
1.5
3.1
Clearances*
1.1
1.2
Duels (won)*
2.9 (46%)
3.8 (51%)
As we can see from the respective left-backs’ Champions League campaigns, Brown is enjoying greater success, with his staggering duel success rate something to note.
Last season, talent scout Jacek Kulig said Brown is “moving to another level”, so perhaps it is the right time for him to take the leap of faith over the channel and down N17 to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
What Tottenham decide to do remains to be seen, but Frank needs a few more instruments in his tactical toolbox, and Brown could mark his crowning signing as improvements start to reveal themselves.
Spurs have a "freak" teen talent who's a bigger star than Williams-Barnett
Tottenham Hotspur have already struck gold one player who is setting Europe alight in 2025/26.
Memphis Depay’s season has taken another difficult turn as the Netherlands forward is ruled out for Corinthians with a knee sprain, suffering his sixth injury of the year. With many days already lost to physical setbacks in 2025, Depay’s availability once again becomes a concern at a crucial moment in the Brasileirao run-in and ahead of the Copa do Brasil semi-finals.
Another setback for Depay as injuries pile up
Depay missed Corinthians' match against Cruzeiro after sustaining a knee sprain, another frustrating addition to a season filled with interruptions. The injury occurred during the derby against Sao Paulo, where Depay came off the bench due to earlier travel fatigue after Netherlands duty, yet still produced a brilliant goal in the 3-1 victory.
Imaging tests later revealed bone edema in the knee, but the club has not offered a timeline for his return. With only four Brasileirao games remaining and the Copa do Brasil semi-finals beginning on December 10, his absence is a significant blow. This marks Depay’s sixth physical issue of 2025, extending his total days sidelined to 73 and raising renewed concerns about his fitness stability during a demanding campaign.
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Depay's year defined by repeated physical problems
Depay’s season has been disrupted by a string of muscle and joint injuries that have prevented him from gaining rhythm. Two long layoffs came from right-thigh strains, 21 days in August and another 25 between September and October. Earlier in the year, he suffered a sprained right ankle, a foot trauma, and another ankle trauma, costing him an additional 27 days combined.
Now the latest knee issue adds to a worrying pattern. While not as severe as his past ACL tear from 2019, the recurrence of lower-body injuries underscores the strain on an attacker who thrives on explosiveness. The club’s medical staff is handling the situation with caution, especially given his workload with both Corinthians and the Dutch national team. This careful approach is necessary, but it also means Corinthians must once again adapt without one of their most experienced forwards.
Mixed season for Depay amid injuries
The timing of the injury is particularly frustrating because Depay was beginning to find consistency after facing criticism earlier in the year for a limited goal return. His strike in the derby was his tenth of the season, reaffirming his influence when fit and placing him among the club’s most successful foreign scorers with 17 goals in 60 matches.
He now stands alongside Mauro Boselli with 17 in 72 games and behind names such as Angel Romero with 66 goals, Paolo Guerrero with 54 goals, and Carlos Tevez with 46 goals. This milestone reflects his impact despite an injury-ridden spell. However, the inconsistency in availability has prevented him from fully anchoring Corinthians’ attack.
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Corinthians push forward despite challenges
To compensate Depay's absence, coach Dorival Junior is expected to rely on youngster Gui Negao alongside Yuri Alberto, with Rodrigo Garro back from suspension, as the team looks to maintain their momentum.
Corinthians' season has been strong across competitions. They secured the Campeonato Paulista, ending a six-year title drought, and produced impressive performances in the Brasileirao, including a crucial win over Sao Paulo and a nine-match turnaround that lifted them from 19th to the top seven.
For Depay, the priority now is recovery once again. His influence is unquestioned, but the recurring injuries are shaping a season defined by false starts. The forward is likely to miss Corinthians' next league game against Botafogo on November 30.
The rule will first be applied at the Duleep Trophy in the event of major injuries to players mid-match
Shashank Kishore16-Aug-20252:14
Should injury substitutions be allowed in Test cricket?
The BCCI has introduced a “serious injury replacement substitute” rule for in domestic cricket to prevent injured players from risking themselves further in the match. This applies to games that take place over multiple days and will come into effect from the Duleep Trophy, which opens the 2025-26 season on August 28. It will be active in the Ranji trophy as well, India’s premier first-class cricket competition.This replacement can be any non-playing member of the squad, should be like-for-like, and will need an approval from the match referee after teams are able to medically produce a report that underlines the seriousness of the injury of the concerned player. The injury has to have happened during the game and needs to be external (like taking a blow resulting in a deep cut or fracture) rather than internal (like a hamstring strain).This addition was debated within the BCCI circles in the aftermath of Rishabh Pant batting with a broken foot against England in Manchester, and has been swiftly incorporated into the playing regulations.The regulation states, “under all circumstances, the serious injury replacement player shall be from nominated substitutes at the time of toss.”Only in the case where the wicketkeeper is seriously injured and needs a replacement then the match referee may allow a wicketkeeper from a player outside the nominated substitutes if there is no wicketkeeper in the nominated substitutes.”Both the player being replaced and the replaced player shall be considered to have played in the match for records and statistical purposes.At present, international cricket only allows substitutions in the event of a player suffering concussion or contracting the Covid-19 virus.During India’s tour of England earlier this year, Pant (foot) and Chris Woakes (shoulder) suffered dislocations, which left their respective teams in a 10 vs 11 battle. Both players braved further injury to come out and help their team’s cause, which added to the debate about whether there needs to be place in the rules for substitutions in case of serious injury.India coach Gautam Gambhir was for it. England captain Ben Stokes was less so, arguing that the system could be gamed.The ICC, in reviewing its own playing conditions earlier this year, was open to the idea of its member nations trialling injury substitutes in domestic cricket.BCCI adopts ICC’s ball change rule The BCCI has also adopted ICC’s new rule change in ODIs that phased out two balls in the format after 34 overs. The rule will be in effect from the Vijay Hazare Trophy, BCCI’s 50-over competition for senior men.”Each fielding team shall have two new balls for its innings to be used in alternate overs, i.e. one from each end for overs 1 to 34,” the new guideline states.”At the end of over 34, the fielding team will choose one of the two balls from the innings to be used for all the remaining overs of the innings. The other ball will be added to the stock of replacement balls for the innings.”
They are now in a place where they need to decide whether one-day cricket matters
Cameron Ponsonby07-Nov-2024There is a fundamental truth in life. You can’t be good at something you don’t do.Only rowers, who spend their lives facing the wrong way, are the exception to this rule. But they are six-foot-five-inch, VO2 max robots who couldn’t catch a rugby ball at 15 and were instead shoved into a boat to live a life of misery. Cricket is actually a sport.And it’s one that England currently aren’t very good at. After a 13th ODI loss in 20 and third consecutive one-day series defeat, the ECB need to make a choice: invest in List A cricket or not.When the Hundred arrived in 2021, the repercussions on the international one-day side were not immediate. Those in the team already had vast 50-over experience to draw on and were World Champions. There was not much room in the team – and if there was – you were of an age where you’d had some List A experience in the preceding years.Related
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But now it’s three years later and the next generation of English one-day cricketers are arriving in the team with next to no experience. Of the 15 players to make their ODI debut for England since the first edition of the Hundred, ODI cricket makes up 23% of all List A matches they’ve played. And that’s only due to David Payne, Sam Hain and Jamie Overton doing a lot of heavy lifting. Remove the ‘old-boys’, aka those aged 29 and above, and that percentage jumps to 41%.Dan Mousley scored his maiden international half-century in the decider•Getty ImagesWhen Dan Mousley, who made his maiden international half-century in the deciding ODI, walked out on debut to bat in Antigua at No.7, with 15 overs to go, he commented to Sam Curran that he didn’t really know what he was doing.”He almost admitted himself he hadn’t actually played loads of 50-over cricket,” Curran said earlier in the week. “Guys are learning.”More experienced players are adding their voice to that sentiment.”I don’t think there’s many players in this team that you could go through and go ‘oh they’re doing a great job right now’,” said Phil Salt ahead of the third ODI, where he made 74. “That’s the reality of it because we’ve not played a lot of 50-over cricket. I’d love something like a domestic 50-over competition. I’d love the opportunity to play in that so you can get the rhythm and it’s not always stop-start.”There is, of course, a domestic tournament in England, but the current calendar infamously means that none of the top white-ball players are available to play in it.This is not a call to scrap the Hundred, far from it. But a recognition of the reality that English cricket finds itself. If ODI cricket is something they want to excel at, a change from the status quo is required to give players the opportunity to play. They’re literally asking for it.What that looks like is unclear, and it is easy to point to some of the best ODI cricketers in the world who have not developed from a healthy back catalogue of domestic cricket. Virat Kohli has played 34 domestic one-dayers compared to 295 ODIs. Joe Root 38 compared to 171.But the thing about the best is that they are by definition anomalies. Harry Brook does not need to play a handful of games for Yorkshire to get the rhythm of the format, but Mousley might.Phil Salt had a consistent series in the West Indies•Getty ImagesIt is unusual and not desirable for an England team to lose to a team that hasn’t even qualified for the Champions Trophy and consider the entire XI almost devoid of any responsibility. It is not Jordan Cox’s fault that he underperformed at No.3. He had literally never done it before. In his four List A matches before this series, he had batted at four once, five once and six twice.”I’m not paid enough for that,” Salt laughed when asked what the answer might be.There are all number of fag-packet solutions. More England Lions matches, the return of the North-South series or letting any player in the Hundred hop home quickly to have a hit in the One-Day Cup. None of those ideas are particularly good.Ultimately, the untangling of the calendar would be the only solution. One option would be to move the One-Day Cup to April when wickets are fresh and bowlers could benefit from building their workloads rather than entering a two-month block of County Championship cricket straight off the bat.
“I know that I’ve not had the most successful time in 50-over cricket and not really been doing myself justice, but the more opportunities I get to play it, the better I will be at it. That’s the bottom line.”Phil Salt on ODI cricket
Yes, it would clash with the IPL, but if you’re playing in the IPL, you’re probably already playing for England so you’re of less concern. It’s the players who aren’t currently playing for England, but might in the future, that you need to target.”I don’t think there’s many people that can just walk in and do it after not playing for a while,” Salt said. “I know that I’ve not had the most successful time in 50-over cricket and not really been doing myself justice, but the more opportunities I get to play it, the better I will be at it. That’s the bottom line.”There is, of course, option C. Which is that it’s not worth the hassle. Test is best and play T20 the rest. In the modern world with format fatigue and an overcrowded schedule, maybe something has to go. That would be sad. But if something is of value to you, you put in time towards it. And if you’re not going to play it and you’re not going to practice it, then really, you’ve got to ask what’s the point of it.Players deserve the opportunity to be good at what they do. It’s up to England to decide whether one-day cricket matters enough to give them that chance.