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.
Chelsea have been tipped to ‘easily’ sign a ‘top player’ who could become a ‘superstar’ away from his current club.
Chelsea suffer Atalanta blow as Maresca crashes down to Earth
Chelsea’s aspirations of securing automatic Champions League knockout round qualification took a significant hit as they surrendered a half-time advantage to lose 2-1 against Atalanta in Bergamo on Tuesday evening.
Enzo Maresca’s side appeared on course for a crucial victory when Joao Pedro slid home his maiden Champions League goal in the 25th minute, capitalizing on Reece James’s delivery after a VAR review confirmed the captain had timed his run perfectly.
The Blues controlled proceedings during the opening period, with their man-to-man pressing disrupting Atalanta’s rhythm and limiting the Serie A outfit’s opportunities.
However, Josh Acheampong did have to produce a stunning goal-line block to deny Ademola Lookman what appeared a certain opener.
.
Maresca’s decision to withdraw the booked Trevoh Chalobah at half-time appeared to kickstart a dramatic shift in momentum.
Chelsea weigh up January move amid Delap injury with £22m deal already agreed
The Blues are short up front.
ByEmilio Galantini 3 days ago
James spurned an excellent opportunity to extend Chelsea’s lead early in the second period, firing wide from a promising position on the edge of the penalty area.
Atalanta immediately made Chelsea pay, with Charles De Ketelaere delivering an exceptional cross from the right flank, allowing former West Ham striker Gianluca Scamacca to rise completely unmarked inside the six-yard box and nod past Robert Sanchez.
The Belgian forward then completed the turnaround with seven minutes remaining, his deflected strike looping over Sanchez after taking a wicked deflection off Marc Cucurella’s retreating leg.
Despite late opportunities for Alejandro Garnacho, James and Pedro, Marco Carnesecchi’s goalkeeping ensured Atalanta claimed all three points.
It was a humbling night for Chelsea, merely a fortnight after they were being talked about as genuine Premier League title contenders.
There is clearly still work to do before the west Londoners can be discussed in that manner, with Maresca lamenting Chelsea’s defending in a post-match press conference.
With holes still ever present and Maresca constantly rotating his first-team due to injuries, there may still be more work to do in the transfer market next year.
Chelsea spent nearly £300 million in the summer, but they remain pretty light in midfield with the constantly-injured Roméo Lavia sidelined for yet another extended period.
As a result, the west Londoners have been tipped to move for a new midfielder in 2026, and Man United’s Kobbie Mainoo could be available.
Chelsea tipped to 'easily' sign Kobbie Mainoo from Man United
Chelsea have been repeatedly linked with the Red Devils sensation these last 12 months, with Mainoo on the fringes of Ruben Amorim’s first team and potentially poised for the exit door.
Speaking on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast, ex-United midfielder Nicky Butt has tipped Chelsea to sign Mainoo amid his current club’s ‘mind-boggling’ stance when it comes to young stars.
The 20-year-old, who burst on to the scene at Old Trafford in 2023/2024, was once a revelation under Erik ten Hag and one of England’s rising stars.
Mainoo’s excellent form that year, including an FA Cup final goal against Man City, earned him a spot in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for Euro 2024.
He played in all but one of the Three Lions’ games that tournament, including a start in the final against Spain, so finding Mainoo in this situation at United is truly bizarre.
The talented and versatile midfielder seemingly doesn’t fit into Amorim’s tactical blueprint, with Chelsea believed to still be keen on Mainoo amid their search for world football’s most elite young talents.
Fast bowler admits age may be slowing his recovery after recurrence of knee issue
ESPNcricinfo staff04-Dec-2025
Mark Wood admitted that age may be a factor as he seeks a return to match fitness•Gareth Copley/Getty Images
Mark Wood has cast doubt on his availability for the third Ashes Test and admitted concerns that, at 35, his body is no longer coping with the rigours of bowling 90mph/145kph.Wood had surgery on his left knee after hobbling out of England’s Champions Trophy campaign in February, and the series opener in Perth was his first Test match in 15 months. He bowled 11 wicketless overs across the match but was sent to a specialist after reporting more pain and has been wearing a knee brace since arriving in Brisbane.Speaking to Channel 7 at the tea break during the second Test at the Gabba, Wood suggested he was unlikely to be in contention for the Adelaide Test, which starts on December 17: “I think there’s a chance there, but more realistically, it’s probably more Melbourne and then [Sydney] after that… I need to get out of this [brace] first to get moving around.”Related
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Wood said that he has had painkilling injections in his knee since the first Test, and suggested that age is catching up with him. “Throughout my career, I’ve tried to show resilience and keep coming back and keep trying to push it where I can bowl faster and faster, but I’m getting older now.”I don’t know if my body’s not coping with it as well [as it used to] but I’ll keep trying. That’s something I pride myself on, to keep running in for the team and be a good team man. I’m hoping I can get this right and can charge in again.”I’m trying to just get through day-to-day at the minute. Later in the series is what I’m aiming for, but I can’t do that much at the minute. I’ve had a couple of injections, resting up, and slowly but surely, running [will] start soon, then back into bowling.”It’s more mentally difficult than physically. You’ve got to try and build it back up and come back again, and that’s probably the more difficult thing.”Ben Stokes, England’s captain, said on the eve of the Brisbane Test that Wood would do “everything” possible to remain in contention for selection in this series: “We’ve got a lot more time to go on this tour, and we’ll just see how things play out with that.”
How hard-hitting batter turned to another sport after injury curtailed his rugby career
Matt Roller16-Sep-2025When Ross Adair walks out to open the batting at Malahide on Wednesday he will complete a rare sporting double.The last time Adair pulled on a green Ireland shirt to face England, his opponents included the future England rugby union captain, Maro Itoje; this time, his opposite number at the top of the order will be Jos Buttler. Even if his encounter with Itoje was an Under-19s fixture, he will surely become the only man to have faced both modern English sporting greats in international competition.The prospect of playing against Buttler makes Adair grin. “I’m a 31-year-old man, and I’m trying not to be too excited about this guy – who is not much older than me – coming over to play cricket against me,” he says, sheltering from the wind on the Sport Ireland campus on the outskirts of Dublin. “To be in the presence of someone who’s done so much in the game will be pretty cool.”It is the latest landmark in a second sporting life that Adair himself admits seemed unlikely when he was recovering from the double hip surgeries that effectively ended his rugby career. “That was life’s way of telling me that I was on the wrong path,” he says. “I didn’t expect to be here, if I’m quite honest. It just sort of happened.”Adair and his younger brother, Mark, juggled both sports as teenagers, but went in different directions. “I got to a stage where there was Ulster Under-20s or the Under-19 Cricket World Cup,” he explains. “Ryan Eagleson (now Ireland’s bowling coach) was the Under-19s coach and he left me out… The cricket door closed, the rugby door was open, so away I went.”Primarily a winger, Adair struggled to break into a strong Ulster backline. “The back three when I was there was [Andrew] Trimble, [Jared] Payne and [Tommy] Bowe – effectively a Lions back three.” He made a single substitute appearance at senior level in the Pro12, scoring a try during his seven-minute cameo, before moving onto Jersey Reds in the English Championship.Ross Adair in action for Ulster’s A team during his rugby union career•Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile via Getty ImagesCricket went on the backburner. “We played one-hand, one-bounce in the changing rooms. That kept my eye in… I maybe came back and played a couple of games for Holywood, my local club – [Rory] McIlroy territory. But if I’d gone back to Jersey with a broken finger, they’ve have been like, ‘What are you doing?'”By the time a degenerative hip condition prompted two surgeries in early 2018, he had started to fall out of love with rugby. He returned to play for Ballynahinch and for Ulster’s A team, but recalls clearly when he realised it was time to quit: “The ref blew the first whistle, and I was counting 80 minutes down in my head… I was like, ‘I don’t want to do this anymore.'”Adair took a job in property development and started to play cricket again on the side – though an Ireland call-up was a long way off his radar: “It was just a bit of for me, a bit of fun.” Runs in club cricket earned him opportunities for Northern Knights in the Irish inter-provincial system – initially at No. 7 or 8 – before he blasted a century from the top of the order in 2022.His first Ireland call-up came on a tour to Zimbabwe, with senior players missing playing franchise cricket, and hitting 65 off 47 in his second cap ensured further opportunities would follow. He ran the drinks at last year’s T20 World Cup but marked his arrival at international level in September, launching nine sixes in a 57-ball hundred against South Africa.A combination of injury, bad weather and Ireland’s sparse fixture list means that he has only batted once since in T20Is, scoring 48 against West Indies in June. “I’ve had to watch the highlights of my hundred a couple of times, just to [remind myself], ‘You can still do this, you’re fine.’ Sometimes you second-guess yourself, but that’s all part of sport. It’s very normal.”By his own admission, Adair is a “raw” batter who relies more on temperament than technique. “I’m just glad I’m not one of the guys that go, ‘My head was a millimetre out of position there.’ You’d go insane… I like going with the flow. I could always strike a cricket ball, but I was just very, very raw. That helped me a lot when I came back.”He finds cricket more “mentally challenging” than rugby, particularly given the high-variance nature of his role as an attacking opener: “You could go five or six games in a row without getting any runs and you think you’re shit, but that’s not the case. There’s a score around the corner… It’s live by the sword, die by the sword. For me, it’s an amazing way to live.”Adair was inspired by England’s record-breaking hitting on Friday night, when they racked up 304 for 2 against South Africa: “That’s my kind of cricket. It always has been: see ball, hit ball.” He saw Phil Salt’s series – a first-baller, followed by an unbeaten 141 off 60 balls – as emblematic of the life of a modern T20 opener. “It’s scary… But that’s just the way it is.”When I went back to cricket, once I finished playing rugby, I could just go back and blast it. I wasn’t worried about the consequences… When it did take off a bit, I was trying to keep that mindset: don’t worry about it. If you get out, you get out. It’s fine. You could be 90 off 40, you could also be 0 off 1… That sense of freedom makes it a bit easier for me.”Related
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He believes there are more transferable skills between cricket and rugby than might be obvious – “being in front of a crowd, blocking out the noise… and I’ve taken a lot of high balls” – and sees T20 as the “closest thing” between the two. “It’s just such a good, explosive, aggressive version of cricket… That’s maybe why I love it the best.”Adair won his first central contract last year, shelving his day job to become a professional cricketer aged 30, and has one eye on next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. “Hopefully with these games coming up, I can put my foot down for that opening role… They’re proper cricketing countries – the people there are mad for it – so it’s a very exciting time.”Facing England will be the biggest challenge of his career so far, but he will not be changing his approach. “I respect them so much because of what they do, and the cricket they play, but you have to park that sometimes… I’ll keep coming and trying to take them on, no matter who they are. I’ll park the respect once it comes to the game.”The two nations’ cricketing rivalry is not as deep as in rugby, but Adair is still “incredibly” excited ahead of Wednesday’s series opener. “I love playing England. I’ve had my experience with England before and even then, as an 18-year-old in the rugby sphere, you just want to get stuck in. It’s a bit different in cricket because it’s not as confrontational – but it still means a lot to us.”
While the results this season might suggest otherwise, West Ham United do have a fair amount of talent in their squad.
For example, when he’s not getting himself sent off, Lucas Paqueta can be a magician on the ball, and while he’s still raw, summer signing El Hadji Malick Diouf has an unreal cross on him.
Furthermore, Nuno Espírito Santo seems to be getting more out of Mateus Fernandes and has finally given Freddie Potts a proper run in the team, as fans have been calling for.
Finally, there is the club captain, Jarrod Bowen, who remains one of the best attackers in the Premier League, and therefore, fans should be excited about a young Potts-esque academy prospect who could well be the next Bowen.
Bowen's start to the season
Considering they finished down in 14th place, it would be fair to say that last season wasn’t exactly a great one for West Ham.
Yet, even though those around him were letting him down, Bowen once again proved he was one of the best attackers in the country by racking up a sensational tally of 14 goals and ten assists in 36 appearances, totalling 3148 minutes.
That comes out to a world-class average of a goal involvement every 1.5 games, or every 131.16 minutes.
So, with numbers like those, fans and pundits alike were expecting the former Hull City star to have another stellar personal campaign this season.
However, so far anyway, it hasn’t quite worked out that way.
Bowen’s recent form
Season
24/25
25/26
Appearances
36
14
Minutes
3148′
1260′
Goals
14
3
Assists
10
2
All Stats via Transfermarkt
In his 14 appearances, totalling 1260 minutes, the Hammers’ captain has scored three goals and provided two assists, which is an average of a goal involvement every 2.8 games, or every 252 minutes.
With that said, it’s still early, and the start of the season was such a car crash that it feels almost unfair to judge him.
Moreover, Bowen has proved himself time and time again in claret and blue, so it’s likely just a matter of when and not if he rediscovers his best form and therefore, fans should be very excited about an academy product who could be West Ham’s next version of the Englishman.
West Ham's next Bowen
The good news for West Ham is that they have more than a few seriously exciting young prospects coming up through the academy at the moment.
In The Pipeline
Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.
The likes of Preston Fearon, Josh Landers and Emeka Adiele, for example, could all get their chance with the first team in the coming years.
However, when it comes to a Potts-esque youngster who could go on to be the club’s next Bowen, it’s impossible to ignore Andre Dike.
The 17-year-old gem signed scholarship terms with the club in July 2024, and while he had a good 24/25, he has reached another level entirely this year.
For example, in 12 appearances, totalling 987 minutes, he has already scored six goals and provided one assist, which comes out to an impressive average of a goal involvement every 1.71 games, or every 141 minutes.
This ability to reliably produce goal involvements for his team is one of the reasons he could become the club’s next Bowen, and another is that he does so primarily from the right wing.
Moreover, like the first-team captain, he is more than just an output machine, as he’s got brilliant close control and an ability to create something from nothing, stemming from what Academy Manager Kenny Brown described as his “great technical ability.”
Finally, what makes him a Potts-esque prospect, you may ask.
Well, that is partly due to his impressive output, partly down to him being highly rated within the academy from people like Brown, and then partly due to him already making an appearance with the u21s despite being just 17.
Ultimately, there is still a long way to go for Dike, but West Ham look like they have a real talent in him and someone who could one day replace Bowen.
Nuno could solve big Lucas Paqueta blow by unleashing West Ham academy star
The incredible talent could be the perfect answer to Nuno and West Ham’s Paqueta problem.
Aston Villa centre-forward Ollie Watkins recently ended his goal draught with an impressive brace in the 4-3 win over Brighton in the Premier League earlier this month.
The England international had gone 11 matches without a goal, per Sofascore, and only had one goal to his name in the top-flight before those two strikes against the Seagulls.
After blanking against Arsenal on Saturday, though, Watkins is now on three goals, from 4.49 xG (Sofascore), in 15 appearances in the Premier League this season, which is far from an ideal return for the Villans striker.
The former Brentford marksman’s underwhelming form on the pitch this season may force Unai Emery to consider adding to his squad to bolster his firepower in the final third.
Aston Villa eyeing deal for Ligue 1 striker
The Villans are reportedly looking at a potential striker signing who could come in and be an upgrade on Watkins for the second half of the 2025/26 campaign.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
According to TEAMtalk, Aston Villa are one of a number of clubs interested in a deal to sign Strasbourg centre-forward Joaquin Panichelli in the January transfer window.
The report claims that the Villans, West Ham United, and Chelsea are all keeping close tabs on the Argentine marksman, ahead of a possible swoop for his services.
It adds that it could be difficult for any of those clubs to get a deal done for the 23-year-old star in January, as Strasbourg want a ‘big profit’ on the forward they paid £14m to sign from Alaves in the summer.
However, it is not impossible and Aston Villa should push to get a deal done ahead of West Ham and Chelsea because he could improve their squad in the centre-forward position.
Why Aston Villa should sign Panichelli
The Villans could land an upgrade on Watkins, who has struggled this season, by signing the Strasbourg star, because his form in Ligue 1 has been hugely impressive.
After a return of 21 goals in 44 matches on loan at Mirandes in LaLiga 2 in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, it was unclear whether or not the Argentine striker would be able to handle the step up to playing in one of Europe’s major leagues.
It is fair to say that he has made the step up with ease after his £14m transfer to Strasbourg, since his form so far this season has attracted interest from Villa, Chelsea, and West Ham.
U23 scout Antonio Mango described him as “one of the most in form Strikers in Europe” at the end of October, and that statement still rings true in December.
Panichelli has scored nine goals from 8.58 xG in 15 appearances in Ligue 1, compared to Watkins’ three goals from 4.49 xG in the Premier League, and only five striker in the top five leagues in Europe have outscored him.
Harry Kane
17
Kylian Mbappe
16
Erling Haaland
15
Ferran Torres
11
Igor Thiago
11
Joaquin Panichelli
9
Esteban Lepaul
8
Robert Lewandowski
8
Jonathan Burkardt
8
Vedat Muriqi
8
The Strasbourg centre-forward, as shown in the table above, has been one of the most prolific number nines in Europe at league level this season, which illustrates the level of quality that Villa could bring to the club.
On top of his domestic form, Panichelli has scored one goal from 0.23 xG in two Conference League outings, per Sofascore, whilst Watkins has no goals from 1.63 xG in five Europa League appearances for the Villans.
These statistics suggest that the Argentine striker could be the ruthless finisher that Emery’s team have lacked this season, due to Watkins’ dismal form in front of goal as a finisher.
Panichelli has been one of the most prolific scorers in Europe, whilst also doing so efficiently against his xG. This suggests that his goalscoring is sustainable if chances continue to be created for him.
Therefore, given that Watkins has had chances created for him that he has failed to make the most of, the Strasbourg star could arrive at Villa Park as an upgrade in the centre-forward position if they beat Chelsea and West Ham to his signature.
Stuart Pearce says 'outstanding' Aston Villa star stole the show in win over Arsenal
The Villans are now outside title challengers.
ByEmilio Galantini 6 days ago
It is now down to the board to ensure that they put enough money on the table to convince the Ligue 1 side to part ways with the impressive striker in the January transfer window.
The India captain walked off the field, massaging the back of his neck immediately after sweeping Simon Harmer for four
ESPNcricinfo staff15-Nov-2025Shubman Gill was just three balls into his innings in the first Test against South Africa in Kolkata when he hurt his neck and had to go off the field. He did not come out to bat as India finished their first innings on 189, taking a lead of 30 runs.”Shubman Gill has a neck spasm and is being monitored by the BCCI medical team,” the BCCI said after the first session.India were 75 for 2 when Gill, facing his third delivery, slog-swept Simon Harmer for four over square leg. As he completed the shot and got up, he looked in discomfort, took off his helmet and rubbed the back of his neck. The physio came out and Gill had to retire hurt.Related
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At the end of the day, Gill, wearing a neck brace, was stretchered out of the dressing room and into the players’ ambulance for scans to Woodlands hospital with the team doctor. Since it’s not an external injury, he may not be allowed to bat at his usual No. 4 if he does not spend the required time in the field during South Africa’s innings.”Gill is a very fit guy, he looks after himself very well, so it’s just unfortunate this morning that he woke up with a stiff neck and that carried him into the day, which was crucial for us,” India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel said after the day’s play. “Another sort of partnership with him batting around was going to be needed for us at the time and… just bad timing.”Rishabh Pant replaced Gill at the crease, and India went into lunch at 138 for 4. But the wickets fell in a flurry after the break, with Harmer picking up 4 for 30 and Marco Jansen 3 for 35.Last October, too, Gill had to sit out the Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru because of a stiff neck.
India batter Smriti Mandhana has confirmed that her wedding has been “called off”. She and music composer Palash Muchhal were scheduled to marry on November 23, but it was initially postponed after Mandhana’s father was hospitalised.Mandhana appealed for privacy in her statement on Instagram. “Over the past few weeks there has been plenty of speculation around my life and I feel it is important for me to speak out at this time,” she wrote in her post. “I am a very private person and I would like to keep it that way but I need to clarify that the wedding is called off.”I would like to close this matter here and implore all of you to do the same. I request you to please respect the privacy of both families at this time and allow us the space to process and move on at our own pace.”I believe there is a higher purpose driving us all and for me that has always been representing my country at the highest level,” she wrote. “I hope to continue to play and win trophies for India for as long as possible and that is where my focus will forever be.”She concluded her statement by saying, “It’s time to move forward.”Mandhana was the second-highest run-scorer during India’s successful campaign in the recent women’s ODI World Cup, with 434 runs at an average of 54.25.Her next assignment is the five-T20I series against Sri Lanka at home from December 21 to 30, after which she will lead Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the 2026 WPL from January 9. RCB play the opening game of the season against Mumbai Indians in Navi Mumbai.
Miguel Rojas emerged as one of the Dodgers’ heroes in Game 7 of the World Series as he crushed a home run in the top of the ninth inning to tie the game vs. the Blue Jays and keep Los Angeles’ chances of winning the title alive. By the end of the night, the Dodgers would win the Fall Classic in the 11th inning.
The 36-year-old infielder was understandably celebrated by his teammates when he went back in the Dodgers’ dugout after rounding the bases. Shohei Ohtani in particular had a message for Rojas after the miraculous homer.
“I think one of the coolest things that happened in my life so far,” Rojas told Chris Rose. “… I’m by the bat rack like laying my helmet, and Shohei came to me and say ‘Miggy, you can’t retire next year. You’re playing with me for 10 more years.’
“…And, I say, ‘Shohei, I’m old, and I don’t know if I can play for 10 more years, but I’ll play with you next year for sure.’”
Rojas noted in this interview that he plans to only play one more year in MLB, and he would prefer to play in Los Angeles. He is expected to become a free agent this offseason, so he would need to sign a new deal with the Dodgers in order to remain with them. With Ohtani in his corner, there’s a good chance he’ll get his wish.