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Seamer Charlton Tshuma, who is uncapped in T20I cricket, also finds a place in both squads

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Feb-2020Allrounder Chamu Chibhabha, who last played white-ball cricket for Zimbabwe in 2018, has been named captain of both the ODI and T20I sides for the ongoing Bangladesh tour. Sean Williams, the regular long-format captain who had missed the one-off Test due to the birth of his daughter, has returned to the side, but not as captain.ODI and T20I squads

Chamu Chibhabha (capt), Sikandar Raza, Craig Ervine, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, Wesley Madhevere, Timycen Maruma, Christopher Mpofu, Carl Mumba, Tinotenda Mutombodzi, Richmond Mutumbami (wk), Ainsley Ndlovu, Brendan Taylor, Donald Tiripano, Charlton Tshuma, Sean Williams

Williams had led Zimbabwe in their most-recent white-ball game in Singapore in October 2019. In January earlier this year, though, Chibhabha had been appointed limited-overs captain on an “interim basis”. Chibhabha was in fine form in the Pro 50 Championship in 2019, where he was Mashonaland Eagles’ top scorer, with 165 runs in five innings at an average of 33.ALSO READ: Afif Hossain and Mohammad Naim break into Bangladesh ODI squadNineteen-year-old allrounder Wesley Madhevere has made a swift step-up from Under-19 cricket, earning his maiden call-up to the senior side. An offspinner who can also bat, Madhevere claimed 4 for 42 and followed it with a 45-ball 52 in the Under-19 World Cup match against England, although in a losing cause. He has also been among the runs and wickets for Eagles in domestic cricket.Seamer Charlton Tshuma, who made his Test debut earlier this week against Bangladesh, has also found a place in the white-ball sides. Wicketkeeper-batsman PJ Moor was omitted, with Richmond Mutumbami being preferred ahead of him.The batting line-up has a familiar look, with the likes of Brendan Taylor, Sikandar Raza and Williams lending experience. Carl Mumba, who last played ODI cricket in 2017, is back in the limited-overs mix. The 24-year-old, however, is uncapped in T20I cricket. The vastly experienced Chris Mpofu rounds off the seam attack.Meanwhile, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe and Ainsley Ndlovu are the frontline spinners in the squad. Williams could assist them with his left-arm fingerspin.The three-match ODI series begins on March 1, with all three matches set to be played in Sylhet. Dhaka will host the following two T20Is, with the tour set to finish on March 11.

Manchester City could take advantage of Bayern Munich's need to offload players before they can sign more to land Kingsley Coman on loan.

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Coman linked with Bayern exitMan City could make loan approachPlayer departures key in MunichWHAT HAPPENED?

According to , Manchester City have been keeping tabs on Coman for some time. Now could be the moment they move, with a potential loan offer and option to buy. But key for Bayern Munich is not having to continue paying the Frenchman's €20 million (£17.1m/$21.8m) salary. There are no concrete talks taking place at this stage and it remains to be seen how much of Coman's wages City would actually be willing to cover.

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City are in the process of losing Julian Alvarez, which is a substantial hit for their squad given that the Argentine forward was often the first player drafted in to cover for Erling Haaland or Kevin De Bruyne. Coman isn't a like for like replacement but offers proven quality at the highest level and may be an opportune target. Having spent considerably already this summer, Bayern have openly stated it will now be necessary to get rid of players before they can sign any more.

WHAT BAYERN MUNICH SAID

Bayern honarary president Uli Hoeness has said on the general situation: "There is a resolution from the supervisory board that says: We have spent €125m (£107m/$136.5m), and if new players come after that, we must first sell. I communicated that. And it is not  final word, but of the supervisory board as a whole."

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DID YOU KNOW?

Coman in't the only Bayern player being linked with an exit to cut wage costs. Defensive pair Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui are both heavily linked with Manchester United and could free up the space and capital to pursue Jonathan Tah.

Unfortunately for any opposition fans sick of seeing Pep Guardiola's men sweep up a constant stream of Premier League titles, it now appears that Manchester City are already preparing for the future at the Etihad.

Man City prepare the next generation of stars

It is often forgotten how young Man City's team is simply by virtue of how good they are. Phil Foden, 23, feels as if he has been around forever and has already cemented himself as a legend in the blue half of Manchester.

Man City make approach to sign “unbelievable” £100m star for Pep

It’s shaping up to be a big summer at the Etihad.

By
Tom Coates

Mar 17, 2024

Aged just 23 and 24 respectively, Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez could easily make up the strike partnership at the Etihad for the long run. With the duo already leading their side to numerous trophies, it is a scary prospect that the pair could still improve.

Summer arrivals Jeremy Doku and Josko Gvardiol are also both in their early twenties as well, leaving plenty of room for them to grow into the English game and improve over time.

Academy products Rico Lewis and Oscar Bobb have also seen their first glimpses of first-team success this season. 19-year-old Lewis has made 10 league appearances this season, scoring once and earning his first call-up to the England senior team in the process. His Norwegian teammate Bobb is just a year older and has already got a Champions League goal to his name.

In addition to promoting young talent, City are also signing some of the best youngsters from other clubs. Reports from last week suggested that the champions are plotting a move for 15-year-old Cardiff sensation Timeo Whisker with a reported fee of £250,000 needed to sign the teenager.

Man City agree deal for "wonderkid"

As first reported by Fabrizio Romano on X the treble winners have agreed a deal to sign American teenager, Cavan Sullivan.

Born in 2009, Sullivan has attracted attention from across Europe with Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich all expressing an interest in signing the player. Currently in the youth system at MLS side Philadelphia Union, it is likely that Sullivan could remain in the States for a couple more years before moving the England.

Sullivan's coach at Philadelphia Union II, Marlon LeBlanc said of the rising star:

"Cavan is a fantastic young talent, I like to tease him that I've never seen a kid get built up as much as I've seen Cavan. He's so down to earth, all of this extra hype that goes on about him, it doesn't get to his head and I think that's what is fantastic about him. It's what also allows him to come into our environment and still be great and still be bold".

Whilst fans will have to wait a while to see the American at the Etihad, it is important for his development that he stays in his home country for now. Regardless of where he plays currently, Sullivan is destined to have a big future in the game.

West Ham United chiefs think an "outstanding" tactician is "gettable", and he's now seen as the favourite to replace David Moyes if he leaves.

Moyes' future still uncertain as West Ham contract winds down

The Scotsman has been one of their most successful managers in history, guiding the club to successive campaigns in Europe and helping them to win their first piece of major silverware since the 1980s last campaign.

West Ham working on forward with 15 goals and 14 assists this season

The Hammers failed to sign a new forward in January.

ByEmilio Galantini Mar 12, 2024

West Ham's Europa Conference League triumph in Prague will go down in the memory of every supporter as a Moyes era-defining night, and it was the perfect end to a topsy-turvy campaign where the Hammers were flirting with relegation domestically.

On paper, Moyes' achievements since he's come in have been extremely noteworthy, but there are those who believe the 60-year-old has taken West Ham as far as he possibly can.

14th

22/23

6th

21/22

7th

20/21

16th

19/20

While their European record has been sublime under the former Man United boss, West Ham's league form since the summer of 2022 has shed doubt over the suitability of Moyes long-term.

They finished 14th last season and were stuck in a battle to avoid the drop for a large portion of 2022/2023, so much so that Moyes was close to being sacked by West Ham last season as well.

The Irons boss' contract expires this summer, and it is believed that technical director Tim Steidten has been looking at potential Moyes replacements in the background at West Ham.

According to reliable club insider ExWHUemployee, while provisional talks have taken place over a new contract for Moyes, the club will wait to assess the situation before putting it on the table.

"He quite confidentially spoke to the press and said he has a contract offer and that it is him that is deliberating for now and not the club," wrote Ex.

"This story isn’t entirely what my sources had led me to believe. I think the terms and conditions of the have been discussed and are probably close to agreement. I do, however, believe that the deal has effectively been put off being completed until the end of the season when we are able to properly assess the achievements this year. I feel that this is the best decision for all parties."

Graham Potter favourite to replace David Moyes at West Ham

Football Insider, sharing an in-depth report on the managers who could succeed Moyes if he departs, have an interesting line on Graham Potter.

Indeed, according to the website, West Ham's board see Potter as "gettable" and he's currently the favourite to replace Moyes as things stand.

Out of work since being sacked by Chelsea, the 48-year-old is apparently still held in high regard, with Man City boss Pep Guardiola previously calling him "outstanding" for the job he did at Brighton.

Harry Kane joked he had already scored a century in a game of cricket after being bowled out by England team-mate Declan Rice.

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• England preparing for Euros quarter-finals
• Kane and Rice play cricket at England camp
• Bayern star bowled with after Ben Stokes linkup

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  In a bit of downtime, England stars Kane and Rice enjoyed a spot of cricket at their training ground in Germany. In a video posted on the Three Lions' social media channels, the Arsenal ace clean bowled the Bayern Munich star – but the former Tottenham man quipped he had already brought up his century.

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  England are gearing up to face Switzerland in the quarter-finals of the Euros after squeezing past Slovakia last time out. If the Three Lions lose, this could be Gareth Southgate's last game in charge. But ahead of this huge clash, the England stars appear to be in good spirits – evidenced by this cricket video.

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• WHAT HARRY KANE SAID

  After making an Instagram story about the cricket clip, where he was bowled out, the 30-year-old put two crying with laughter emojis and wrote: "I had made my century already."

  Instagram

MatériaMais Notícias

Na tarde desta quinta-feira, o Fluminense, por meio de uma nota oficial, informou que fechou um contrato de patrocínio de 12 meses com o Grupo Gazin. Esta empresa atua no setor de varejo de móveis e eletrodomésticos, serviços, informática, atacado, fabricantes de colchões e e-commerce.A marca será estampada na parte superior das costas do uniforme do time profissional do Tricolor já a partir do jogo da semifinal do Campeonato Carioca, no domingo, às 16 h, no Maracanã, contra a Portuguesa.

> Relembre as campanhas do Fluminense na Libertadores

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-A chegada de um grande patrocinador, quando o mercado sofre com a pandemia, mostra que estamos alcançando resultados por uma filosofia de gestão que prioriza a organização, a estabilidade do ambiente e o estímulo permanente. Nunca é demais repetir que continuamos no caminho certo, em busca da expansão da nossa marca e recebemos o Grupo Gazin como parte deste projeto – disse o presidente Mário Bittencourt.

> Veja a tabela do Campeonato Carioca de 2021

O Grupo Gazin já trabalhava compatrocínio esportivo. A marca já está estampada em times de futebol, no futsal e em projetos sociais no Brasil.O gerente de Marketing da Gazin, Edson Oleksyw, comemorou o contrato firmado e destacou que isso é um motivo de orgulho.

– O Grupo tem muito forte em seu propósito como empresa o desenvolvimento e melhoria da qualidade de vida das pessoas. Neste contexto, o esporte, principalmente o futebol, desempenha um papel importantíssimo, além de ser um gerador de renda e um excelente canal de visibilidade no mercado. Por isso, a Gazin tem investido estratégica e maciçamente no marketing esportivo, apoiando diversos times e categorias.

– Patrocinar o Fluminense, um dos mais tradicionais times do Brasil, é motivo de muito orgulho e grandes expectativas de sucesso. Estamos comemorando o contrato promissor com o Tricolor e o começo de uma parceria forte que tem tudo para ser supercampeã.

CONFIRA A NOTA OFICIAL DIVULGADA PELO FLUMINENSE

O Fluminense Football Club anuncia a assinatura de contrato de patrocínio com o Grupo Gazin – um dos maiores grupos empresariais do Brasil, no setor de varejo de móveis e eletrodomésticos, serviços, informática, atacado, fabricantes de colchões e e-commerce. A marca será estampada na propriedade Costas Superior do uniforme do time profissional do Tricolor já a partir da semifinal do Carioca, no domingo (09/05), às 16 horas, no Maracanã. O Contrato terá vigência de 12 (doze) meses.

O presidente Mário Bittencourtt falou da importância do novo patrocinador, em um momento em que o clube está superando adversidades e corrigindo rumos, para voltar à rota das grandes conquistas. “A chegada de um grande patrocinador, quando o mercado sofre com a pandemia, mostra que estamos alcançando resultados por uma filosofia de gestão que prioriza a organização, a estabilidade do ambiente e o estímulo permanente. Nunca é demais repetir que continuamos no caminho certo, em busca da expansão da nossa marca e recebemos o Grupo Gazin como parte deste projeto”.

A Gazin já tem tradição no patrocínio esportivo, estampando sua marca em times de futebol, no futsal e em projetos sociais no Brasil. “O Grupo tem muito forte em seu propósito como empresa o desenvolvimento e melhoria da qualidade de vida das pessoas. Neste contexto, o esporte, principalmente o futebol, desempenha um papel importantíssimo, além de ser um gerador de renda e um excelente canal de visibilidade no mercado. Por isso, a Gazin tem investido estratégica e maciçamente no marketing esportivo, apoiando diversos times e categorias. Patrocinar o Fluminense, um dos mais tradicionais times do Brasil, é motivo de muito orgulho e grandes expectativas de sucesso. Estamos comemorando o contrato promissor com o Tricolor e o começo de uma parceria forte que tem tudo para ser supercampeã”, revela o gerente de Marketing do Grupo, Edson Oleksyw.

Grupo Gazin

Fundado há 55 anos em Douradina, no Paraná, o Grupo Gazin foi eleito em 2020 a segunda melhor empresa do varejo brasileiro no ranking “Melhores & Maiores” da Revista Exame. A premiação reconhece o desempenho das empresas que representam os 20 maiores setores econômicos do país.

O grupo possui um rico portifólio de empreendimentos, entre eles, varejo mais de 300 lojas nos estados do Paraná, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Rondônia, Acre, Pará, Goiás, Amazonas, Bahia e Tocantins; e um dos maiores atacados do país, referência neste setor. A empresa também demonstra sua força na área industrial com sete fábricas da Gazin Colchões e Colchões Portal, e atua no ramo de e-commerce pelo site www.gazin.com.br.

Fluminense e Grupo Gazin fecham patrocínio. Marca será estampada na parte superior das costas da Armadura Tricolor já a partir do jogo contra a Portuguesa, no domingo. Seja bem-vindo, @GazinTeo! Saiba mais >> https://t.co/NG7k2e09Ob#GazinÉFlu pic.twitter.com/knwgDCXjeC

— Fluminense F.C. (@FluminenseFC) May 6, 2021

Sarah Taylor has decided to withdraw from the T20 leg of England Women’s Ashes campaign, as part of the ongoing management of her longstanding anxiety issues.With the series already out of England’s reach following their 3-0 defeat in the ODI series and last week’s drawn Test in Taunton, it has been decided that Taylor would benefit from the break, with Fran Wilson coming into the squad to replace her.Taylor and the ECB staff have been working together over the last three years to manage her mental health, ever since she took an extended break from the game in 2016, before returning to play a key part in England’s World Cup victory the following year.She also missed the last World T20 in the Caribbean in November, where England were beaten by Australia in the final.”I first took a break from the game in 2016 but I don’t want people to feel this is exactly the same,” Taylor said. “I’ve made progress in that time and there are plenty of challenges I’ve met on the way and hurdles I’ve overcome.”That said, mental health is not something you ‘beat’. It’s a continual management process and at the moment I don’t feel in a good enough place to compete in international sport.”The T20 leg of the Ashes begins in Chelmsford this evening, where England’s aim is the same as it was on their last Ashes tour of Australia – to tie the points series at 8-8, even though Australia retain the title as holders.”I wish the girls all the best across the IT20 series. 8-8 is a very different score from 8-2 and I know they’re all working incredibly hard to win these last three matches and draw the series.”

اختار كالوم هودسون أودوي، لاعب فريق نوتينجهام فورست، الجناح الأفضل في تاريخ بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، من وجهة نظره.

وظهر أودوي في مقطع فيديو، عبر الحساب الرسمي لصحيفة “ديلي ميل” الإنجليزية، حيث عُرض عليه أكثر من لاعب، لاختيار أفضل جناح في الدوري الإنجليزي.

وضمن اللاعبين، طُلب من أودوي الاختيار بين النجم المصري محمد صلاح لاعب ليفربول، وكريستيانو رونالدو لاعب النصر السعودي.

البداية كانت بين فيل فودين لاعب مانشستر سيتي وبوكايو ساكا لاعب آرسنال، حيث اختار أودوي الأول.

وبعد ذلك، كان الاختيار بين أودوي وأليكسيس سانشيز لاعب آرسنال السابق، حيث اختار التشيلي.

اقرأ أيضًا.. سولشاير: مانشستر سيتي كان سبب عودة رونالدو الخاطئة إلى مانشستر يونايتد

ثم طُلب الاختيار بين سانشيز ورياض محرز، النجم الجزائري ولاعب أهلي جدة، حيث وقع اختيار أودوي على أليكسيس من جديد.

وفضّل أودوي اختيار رحيم ستيرلينج على سانشيز، وكذلك فضّله على النجم ديفيد بيكهام، ولكنه اختار ريان جيجز بدلًا منه بعد ذلك.

ورأى أودوي أن جاريث بيل أفضل مقارنة بـ جيجز، كما فضّل الويلزي على النجم السنغالي ساديو ماني.

واختار أودوي نجم تشيلسي السابق، إدين هازارد، على جاريث بيل، وصمم على اختياره نفسه عند مقارنته بـ سون هيونج مين.

وعند الاختيار بين إدين هازارد وكريستيانو رونالدو، اختار أودوي النجم البرتغالي، ليُطلب منه الاختيار بعد ذلك بين لاعب النصر السعودي ومحمد صلاح.

ووقع اختيار أودوي على رونالدو، مفضلًا إياه على محمد صلاح نجم ليفربول، ليُطلب منه في النهاية الاختيار بين نفسه وكريستيانو، ليفضل الأخير مازحًا.

WHO is the greatest winger in #PL history 🤔 @Calteck10 plays #WinnerStaysOn 🤩 pic.twitter.com/Tf3Qi2WVGl — Mail Sport (@MailSport) September 27, 2024

Leeds United could be busy before the transfer deadline, but Fabrizio Romano has shared the Whites’ current off-field "priority".

Leeds transfer rumours

The 49ers Enterprises and Daniel Farke are yet to make their mark in the January transfer window, with just over 24 hours to go until the deadline.
The current focus has been open players leaving Elland Road, with the latest being Leo Hjelde leaving for Sunderland. Luke Ayling and Darko Gyabi have also sealed loan exits to Middlesbrough and Plymouth, whereas Djed Spence’s season-long loan from Spurs was cut short.

EFL Championship done deals: Every January 2024 transfer

As the January transfer window closes, FFC has you covered for every in and out involving your club in the EFL Championship.

ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024

As a result, Leeds are left fairly light in defence, especially at full-back, with a whole host of rumoured targets being linked with a move to Yorkshire, such as Tottenham Hotspur’s Ben Davies, West Ham’s Ben Johnson, Burnley’s Connor Roberts, Bournemouth’s Chris Mepham and Nottingham Forest’s Joe Worrall.
Everton’s Ben Godfrey is another in contention, with Leeds thought to be planning a new bid for the defender’s services. Alongside a potential late signing, Leeds have also been working on new contracts. Archie Gray and Mateo Joseph have already extended their stay, with attention now turning to Wilfried Gnonto.

Wilfried Gnonto contract update

Phil Hay claimed last week that a new deal at Elland Road for Gnonto was in the pipeline.

Now, talking to GiveMeSport, Romano said that Leeds’ “priority” is on sealing a new deal for Gnonto, which would be “fantastic news”. The transfer expert said it’s close and even claimed paperwork could be completed “in the next hours or days”.
“Leeds’ priority will be to extend Gnonto's contract. This is getting closer and would be fantastic news for Leeds. They're pushing for the final details to be resolved as soon as possible and for the contract to be signed in the next hours or days. So, this is their priority.”

Gnonto has struggled to make his mark in the Championship, scoring just once in 21 second-tier games. However, he did make his mark during his first 12 months at the club in the Premier League, which resulted in rumours over a move to Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City.
Therefore, those at Elland Road will know the qualities Gnonto has, so securing a new long-term deal could be a wise move alongside protecting the player’s valuation.
Of course, there was the transfer request saga involving the Italy international over the summer, which saw him missing from a number of games, where at the time, there was no release clause in his deal. That could be something that changes in his new contract, making this one to watch.

Kings XI, who have a number of former RCB players in their roster, will also be looking to put their up-and-down campaign back on track

The Preview by Saurabh Somani23-Apr-20197:10

Tait: Ashwin will want to go full throttle at Kohli

Big pictureRoyal Challengers Bangalore are still far behind Kings XI Punjab on the points table, but they have mounted something of a salvation job after starting the season with six defeats, winning three of their last four matches. That sequence of losses had ended against Kings XI in their earlier fixture. Moreover, they are coming into this game after a heart-stopping one-run win against Chennai Super Kings, which would have done their morale a lot of good, while Kings XI are coming in on the back of a loss against Delhi Capitals.Form guide

Kings XI Punjab: Lost to Delhi Capitals by five wickets, beat Rajasthan Royals by 12 runs, lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore by eight wickets
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Beat Chennai Super Kings by one run, beat Kolkata Knight Riders by ten runs, lost to Mumbai Indians by five wickets

Royal Challengers still have issues to sort, but the addition of Dale Steyn has revitalised their bowling attack, and given them an edge they didn’t have earlier. The rest of the pacers seem to have rallied around Steyn, which has lifted the whole team.Kings XI have had an inconsistent season, which their record of five wins and five losses encapsulates. They haven’t gone on a dominant winning run, but have had enough in the bank to not sink to the kind of loss sequence Royal Challengers did. As a sub-plot to the game, it will be a sort of homecoming for Kings XI, who have a squad filled with ex-Royal Challengers players, starting from Chris Gayle and KL Rahul at the top, to Mandeep Singh and Sarfaraz Khan in the middle, and even the likes of Mayank Agarwal and Karun Nair.In the news Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s fitness status is still uncertain. He is being constantly monitored by the Kings XI physiotherapist, and a call on his availability will be taken on the afternoon of the match.
Dale Steyn struck in his first over of the season•BCCI

Previous meetingFor nostalgic Royal Challengers fans, it was the perfect game. Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers all got runs, and their team ended up winning. Of course, Gayle’s runs came for the opposite side, and he finished on a poetic 99 not out against his old franchise. But a Kohli-de Villiers partnership set the platform for an eventually successful chase as Royal Challengers got their first points of the season.Likely XIs Royal Challengers Bangalore: 1 Parthiv Patel (wk), 2 Virat Kohli (capt), 3 AB de Villiers, 4 Moeen Ali, 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Akshdeep Nath, 7 Pawan Negi, 8 Umesh Yadav, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Navdeep Saini, 11 Yuzvendra ChahalKings XI Punjab: 1 KL Rahul (wk), 2 Chris Gayle, 3 Mayank Agarwal, 4 David Miller, 5 Mandeep Singh, 6 Sarfaraz Khan, 7 R Ashwin (capt), 8 Hardus Viljoen, 9 Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 M AshwinR Ashwin and Virat Kohli at the toss•BCCI

Strategy punt It might end up back-firing, but Kings XI should try to use spin against de Villiers, especially early on. De Villiers has been among Royal Challengers’ best batsmen, as always, but his numbers against spin in IPL 2019 are shockingly mediocre: an average of 19.6 and a strike rate that’s only 115.3. The combination of R Ashwin, M Ashwin and Mujeeb could exploit that, which makes Mujeeb’s participation even more crucial. Additionally, even Parthiv Patel and Marcus Stoinis haven’t been too hot against spin this IPL, with strike rates marginally above 100. This is not so much a strategy punt as an obvious point: Royal Challengers need to get Moeen Ali higher up the order. This is the last game for which he will be available too, and neither his batting, nor his bowling have been used very effectively so far. It’s with the bat, though, that the difference is stark. In the middle overs, Moeen has been striking at 165. The next best in the team is de Villiers, who is considerably lower at 138. Royal Challengers have been losing momentum in the middle overs, and a somewhat strange insistence on maintaining a right-left combination cannot compensate for the runs Moeen is likely to score, much quicker than anyone else at that. Mohammed Shami has been having a good IPL 2019, continuing his white-ball resurgence. The one thing he might want to consider is cutting down on the slower balls and sticking to his natural strengths. He hasn’t tried too many slower balls – only 11.1% of all his deliveries have been below 130 kph – but when he has gone slow, his economy rate has been over 13. When bowling quicker, his economy rate is 8.5.Stats that matter Before Steyn joined Royal Challengers, their bowling average in the Powerplay across eight matches was 140.3. Since he’s come on, for the last two games, that figure is 9.9. Navdeep Saini has the best dot-ball percentage in the death overs this season, with 45.8% of his deliveries between overs 17 and 20 not scored off. He’s ahead of the likes of Jaspit Bumrah, Lasith Malinga and Kagiso Rabada. Historically, both teams have been pretty evenly matched, with Kings XI having 12 wins to Royal Challengers’ 11. But Royal Challengers have won the last three meetings between the two sides.