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After a disappointing season, Manchester City are preparing to spend big in the summer.

Back in January, the Sky Blues spent a reported £180m, that’s more than all other 19 Premier League clubs combined, recruiting five players, namely Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov, Nico González, Vitor Reis and Juma Bah.

However, it appears as though this certainly won’t preclude the Citizens from spending big in the summer too.

So, does Pep Guardiola have his eye on a “world class” winger who some are labelling a potential Ballon d’Or contender?

Manchester City's first-choice winger target

According to reports in Spain, Manchester City have made Barcelona winger Raphinha their ‘priority target’ this summer, with Guardiola identifying him as their ‘ideal solution’ on the left-wing, while Chelsea and Al-Hilal are also interested.

The Brazilian, who joined Barça from Leeds United for £49m in July 2022, has been absolutely on fire this season, scoring 30 goals and registering 22 assists across all competitions.

In the Champions League specifically, the 28-year-old has equalled Lionel Messi’s tournament record for most goal involvements in a single season, requiring one more against Internazionale, or perhaps in the final itself, to surpass it.

This form has not gone unnoticed, with analyst Ben Mattinson labelling Raphinha a “world-class player”, while Julia Ranney of the Athletic notes that he is amongst the ‘top contenders’ to win the Ballon d’Or, actually currently the bookies’ favourite to do so.

So, he certainly will not come cheap but, given Barça’s ongoing, well-documented financial issues, perhaps a huge offer could tempt them to cash in.

Jack Grealish's Manchester City future

Guardiola is expected to oversee a major squad overhaul this summer; Kevin De Bruyne and Kyle Walker are already confirmed departures, but many more are expected to follow, with Jack Grealish amongst those in the shop window.

This is the England international’s fourth season in Manchester and has been his least productive, as the table below outlines.

As the table outlines, Grealish has endured a second successive miserable season at the Etihad, a key cog in the machine during the treble-winning campaign, but very much a peripheral figure more recently.

Earlier this season, Grealish went 392 days without a club goal in any competition, ending this barren streak by converting a spot-kick during an 8-0 demolition of Salford, an unused substitute for Manchester City’s last two Premier League matches, as well as nine of the last 15 fixtures he has been available for.

Richard Jolly of the Independent believes Grealish has gone from being ‘one of the most exciting attacking players in world football’ to now a player ‘who is neither exciting nor attacking’, hence why he is widely expected to be moved on this summer.

So, it probably goes without saying that Raphinha would be a major upgrade on the left wing, but let’s lay out the numbers to emphasise this assertion.

Unsurprisingly, Raphinha – who Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley described as “Europe’s best player in 2024/25” – comes out on top for every single metric we could find when compared to Grealish this season.

Thus, if the Sky Blues were able to lure the Brazilian back to England, it would be a major coup, and could be the statement signing they require to reinstate themselves as title favourites again.

Imagine him & Doku: Man City chasing one of the world's "most talented LBs"

Manchester City are seeking to sign “one of the most talented left-backs in world football”, who could form a brilliant partnership with Jérémy Doku.

By
Ben Gray

Apr 24, 2025

Leeds United have received approaches from a number of clubs to sell a player who Daniel Farke called “outstanding” last month.

Players who could leave Leeds if they win promotion

The Whites are in a strong position to get the job done and win promotion from the Championship to the Premier League over the coming weeks.

Farke’s side are five points clear of third-place Sheffield United heading into the Easter weekend, knowing a maximum of seven points from their next three games will get the job done.

Should Leeds go up, a number of players from the current squad could be on the way out of the Eland Road door. Goalkeeper Illan Meslier, who has recently been dropped for Karl Darlow, may well be one to exit.

Meanwhile, Leeds are also unsure of Joel Piroe and Patrick Bamford’s ability to make the step-up to the top flight, with the former failing to score in his last eight and Bamford’s injury history in recent years telling.

Piroe upgrade: Leeds in contact over “superstar" who was once worth £100m

Leeds United will hope they can win this excellent attacker’s services very soon.

1 ByKelan Sarson Apr 16, 2025

Left-back Junior Firpo is also out of contract at the end of the season, as is fellow full-back Sam Byram. Now, another player has been linked with a move away from Yorkshire, however, he is looking to remain at Leeds.

Leeds receive approaches to sell £15k-a-week star Ilia Gruev

According to a report from TEAMtalk, a number of clubs have approached Leeds over a move to sign Ilia Gruev this summer.

The 24-year-old is being eyed up by several sides, however, it is added that the midfielder is happy at Elland Road and is looking to stay, should the Whites win promotion.

The report says that ‘Gruev is very comfortable at Leeds and believes in the project they have embarked upon’ and ‘wants to prove himself’ in the Premier League.

Currently on £15,000-a-week in Yorkshire, the Bulgaria international has missed parts of the season with a serious knee injury but has regularly been trusted by Farke, especially in away games. Farke actually hailed Gruev just last month, calling him “outstanding” for most of 2024 until his injury.

“Ilia Gruev, since he came into our line up more or less in January ’24 I would say, probably until his big injury, he was our most consistent player. He was outstanding for us, defensive-wise offensive- wise, controlled our game.

“Then he sacrificed his body. I think it was away at Norwich. Got a tackle against him. He was out for everyone said more than four months. He worked so hard and his socks off in his rehab more or less three and a half months in order to come back as quick as possible.

Games

56

Goals

1

Assists

3

Yellow cards

10

Minutes played

3,708

“Everyone was moaning when he was out about our away form, we don’t win away games anymore. Ilia Gruev, after being out for three and a half months, we brought him back, Burnley, away, clean sheet. Watford away, clean sheet, win, Coventry away, clean sheet, win.

“Yes, right now, after all his rhythm is a bit away after he was out, after he was back, after being out for three and a half months, he had one or two poorer performances in the starting lineup away at Sheffield and against Sunderland, but we still managed to win both games when he was in the starting line up and everyone is like complaining a little bit about him.”

Gruev’s future could be one to keep an eye on over the coming months, especially with Leeds being linked with a move for Borussia Monchengladbach’s Julian Weigl in recent days.

Special talents need additional resources to get the most out of them

Ian Bishop19-Apr-2024Everybody agrees that Mayank Yadav is a special talent. It’s very rare to have someone who can consistently bowl around 145kph and go up to the mid-150s. Mayank’s got something that you can’t buy: pace and control.But he also has an injury history, and in this he is not unique. We have seen a number of Indian fast-bowling talents break down. Rohit Sharma, I remember, had expressed his frustration about bowlers picking up injuries frequently.Mayank’s body needs management and it needs great strengthening. How do we ensure his talent gets the chance to blossom fully?Related

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When Mayank hushed the Chinnaswamy

I am a big American sports fan and I particularly follow the NBA, where the top players (or their teams) invest in themselves to the tune of millions of dollars in terms of having support staff and systems. Tennis players, too, do the same. I believe it is time for cricket to go that way – for the top franchises and national teams to preserve special talents like Mayank and support their growth.Pat Cummins is a very good example of someone who came in as a teenager and found that the stresses of the game were too much for his particular technique and his body. He had to come out, rehabilitate, make himself different technically, and return a few years later. And as we’ve found out, Cummins has managed to build an exceptional career, where he has developed into one of the best fast bowlers and captains.It would be a good idea for Mayank at the start of his career to have the inputs Cummins found he required. Whether it’s Lucknow Super Giants, Mayank’s IPL team, or the BCCI, they can undertake a project – not an experiment, mind you – to say, “This guy is a diamond. Let us see if we can allocate some sort of funding and see where this goes.”Give him a personal strength-and-conditioning trainer for, say, a year. Attach that person to him, not just have the player fly somewhere every six weeks for those resources. Maybe have another medical person on the panel as well. And perhaps a dietician too. Build him up.

You don’t have to tell a guy what to do right. But I can tell a guy what to do because I have made the same mistake. I can tell him what to do to avoid that. We don’t have to leave a lot of these things up to players finding out through trial and error

Mayank will still be playing cricket through this, to be clear; just that this person is attached to him. See how that pans out after a year. You have the resources for an effort like this.Whether in the future Mayank plays a lot of red-ball cricket, whether he plays all formats, or whether you keep him as a white-ball option you will be able to know after a year or two. So it is a worthwhile project, not only for India and LSG, but for the world game. This young kid, who is 21 now, by the time he’s 23 or 24, when his body has matured, he can give you almost a decade of excellent fast bowling. That’s one thing I’d like to see happen.Alongside the physical development, it is also imperative that young fast bowlers like Mayank get to hear the right voices. I came through at a time when the great Malcolm Marshall was around. While I thought Marshall was one of the greatest tactical fast bowlers that I interacted with, I could only talk with him when we were on the field together or when we were in the dressing room together. Had I been able to access his insights more often, and while I was younger, it would have expedited my learning curve. I have no doubt about that.So I get a little frustrated that icons like, say, Jasprit Bumrah, are not made to interact frequently with young fast men. When we hear Bumrah speak, we know that he understands the game. He’s clear in his thinking and he’s a great communicator. For the next generation, the Under-19 guys, and even for those who are playing alongside him, you could organise some formal Zoom meetings and have him share his wisdom with them. Bumrah doesn’t have to fly everywhere; just utilise technology.Let him talk through formal bowling plans, preparation, what he would do in certain situations. Let him talk through variations in pace and lengths, and how he sees the game. Expedite that learning curve. It doesn’t have to be something that happens every month – half-yearly or quarter-yearly should work.Jasprit Bumrah is too good a cricket brain to not be taking lessons from•Getty ImagesMS Dhoni is a similar example. Excellent captain. If you want to bring in your next generation of leaders, why not tap into his expertise? I’m not saying that these two gentlemen are the only people to talk to, but you get the drift.I picked up something always from talking to Wasim Akram when Derbyshire played Lancashire at Old Trafford. I picked up a lot from Marshall, as I said. Michael Holding, when I met him briefly early in my career, gave me something that I had to sift through and that I could hold on to. You can give players a lot of inputs without overloading them with too many different opinions. This is like a university of fast bowling. Why not formalise it?Kartik Tyagi might run into Bumrah after an IPL match and he might stand and talk to him for five minutes. We could do more than that. I thought Tyagi was someone who could have pushed on, but he has had injuries.You don’t have to tell a guy what to do right. But I can tell a guy what to do because I have made the same mistake. I can tell him what to do to avoid that. We don’t have to leave a lot of these things up to players finding out through trial and error.Let us not only leave these things to playing a lot of first-class cricket and learning as you go, but let us supplement it from the outside as well. Let them play, but also let us help them with knowledge. It is time to start being a little bit more precise and determined in our development of players, especially if you have the resources for it.

Test your knowledge and memory as the India batter becomes the second cricketer to play 100 internationals in all three formats

Sreshth Shah28-Aug-2022

The story of a player who was very nearly lost to Pakistan cricket, only to make a stirring comeback

Umar Farooq21-Feb-2020Where did he come from?
Akhtar was born in Haripur, a district in the Hazara divison of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, in the northern part of Pakistan. But he isn’t a , as most locals there are. He speaks Hindko and grew up around the Khanpur Dam and Wah Cantonment area, an hour’s drive from Islamabad.The most popular cricketer from this region was Arshad ur Rehman (popularly known as Arshad ), but he had to settle for playing in grade two for all of his 20-year career. Akhtar, too, could have been lost in the same way. He was in his early 20s when he picked up hard-ball cricket, but with lack of opportunities, he had been stuck playing district-level tournaments until Lahore Qalandars him at age 30.How did he get into competitive cricket?
Akhtar was 24 when he made his debut for Haripur in the PCB’s inter-district senior tournament. That was in 2010. He marked the occasion with an explosive hundred, an early sign that he would end up as his team’s leading run-getter – 307 runs in five games at 51.17. On that form, he might have expected a ticket to the 2011 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy with Abbottabad, but it never happened. And then the runs dried up. He did get a shot at first-class cricket, though, but perhaps after he was past his prime.Why did it take so long for him to make the grade?
Akhtar was a victim of inter-district politics. While every district had due representation at the top level in the domestic circuit, players from the ones with stronger lobbies found it easier to break through. As a result, his senior career was restricted to 12 just first-class matches, between 2013 and 2017.With Abbottabad Falcons relegated from the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy after finishing bottom in 2014, Akhtar returned to playing in grade two for a private confectionary maker, Candyland, and also for his home district. Finally, after playing for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) team in 2017, he gave up on his first-class dreams and took up a clerk’s job in Pakistan’s atomic energy department.What made him come back?
Well, T20 cricket. He chose to stay active in the shortest format and has been especially productive over the last three years. Between 2017 and 2018, he scored 303 runs for FATA at 33.66 with a strike rate of 126.25. It was around this time that the Qalandars’ player development programme was gaining recognition and PCB coach Ayyaz Akbar Yousafzi recommended his name to Aaqib Javed.Akhtar didn’t make much headway on his first try – actually he wasn’t even given one, largely because he was seen as overweight – but then Fakhar Zaman requested the Qalandars management to reconsider and at least let him play in the trials. Once there, Akhtar put on such a show that he eclipsed Umar Akmal with his big-hitting and was soon admitted into the Qalandars’ ranks.Okay, but how did he become their captain?
Qalandars have long struggled to make a mark in the PSL, never getting past the group stage and often finishing last. In their search for new leaders, they turned to one of their more solid performers, Akhtar, who had taken to the role of middle-order power-hitter quite well over the last two seasons, scoring 556 runs at a solid average of 37.06 and a healthy strike rate. Under his captaincy, the team won the 2018 Abu Dhabi T20 trophy.While one random title win does not herald a new era, the manner in which Akhtar achieved it impressed the Qalandars staff. His hundred in the opening game was a watershed moment. Watching him steer a chase of 184 against Yorkshire gave the management all the confidence they needed to put him in charge for the upcoming PSL season. It helped, as well, that Akhtar emerged as the Qalandars’ highest run-getter in the Abu Dhabi competition, suggesting that he enjoyed the extra responsibility.

انتقدت قناة ريال مدريد، حكم مباراة الفريق أمام سيلتا فيجو، بعد الهزيمة مساء الأحد ببطولة الدوري الإسباني، على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو”.

وتعرض ريال مدريد للهزيمة بهدفين دون رد أمام سيلتا فيجو، وتلقى فريق تشابي ألونسو، ثلاث بطاقات حمراء، اثنتان خلال اللقاء لفران جونزاليس وألفارو كاريراس، وأخرى لإندريك على مقاعد البدلاء.

وعاد تلفزيون ريال مدريد ليوجه سهامه مجددًا إلى الأداء التحكيمي، وقال: “رغم أن قرارات كوينتيرو جونزاليس لم تكن مؤثرة بشكل مباشر في نتيجة اللقاء، فإن ما قدمه كان مخيبًا ومؤسفًا، لقد ترشّح، كما كان يحدث في عهد نيجريرا، لنيل الجوائز التي يستحقها، سواء بأن يصبح حكمًا دوليًا أو بإدارة أهم المباريات على المستوى الوطني”.

وأضاف: “حتى هو نفسه لا يعرف ماذا يحتسب، إنه من الحكام الجدد، لكنه… سيئ، ولنقل ذلك مؤقتًا فقط، ما يقدمه الحكم أمرًا فادحًا، وفوضويًا للغاية، هو جديد، لكن يبدو أنه تلقى التعليمات جيدًا”.

وخلال بث المباراة انتقدوا قرارات التحكيم فيما يتعلق بإضاعة الوقت، قائلين: “لم يطبّق المعيار نفسه على الطرفين، وكان متساهلًا جدًا مع تضييع الوقت من جانب سيلتا فيجو، قاعدة الثماني ثوانٍ أصبحت مهزلة، إنها صفعة على وجه المشجعين واللاعبين والجميع”.

اقرأ أيضًا | ماركا تكشف كواليس الفوضى أمام سيلتا فيجو.. فينيسيوس يتنبأ بقرار الحكم وطرد ثالث في ريال مدريد

وتواصلت التعليقات طوال المباراة: “سيلتا يجيد إضاعة الوقت، لكن حكم دوري نيجريرا، وهو سيء للغاية، يجب أن يمنع ذلك، نتوقع أي شيء من دوري نيجريرا، وتفاصيل نيجريرا”.

وتتابعت التعليقات: “هذا ليس يومًا نتحدث فيه عن ركلات الجزاء أو التسلل، لقد كان يومًا مليئًا بالبطاقات الصفراء وإضاعة الوقت؛ كل ذلك يُرهقك، ليس هذا سبب الهزيمة، لكن التحكيم لم يُفاجئنا، لأنه كان أداءً مؤسفًا آخر في مباراة سيئة للفريق”.

كانت هناك أيضًا شكوى بشأن طرد فران حارسيا لتراكم البطاقات الصفراء: “لم يُظهر البث المباشر تدخل فران حارسيا بالتفصيل من أفضل زاوية، لذلك لم نتمكن من تحديد ما إذا كانتا مخالفتين”.

وفيما يتعلق بالبطاقة الحمراء الثانية، التي شُهرت لـ كاريراس، قالوا: “شيء مذهل مدى سرعة مهاجمته لكاريراس عندما وُجه إليه اللوم، من السهل جدًا مهاجمة لاعب واحد وغض الطرف عن الآخرين، كانت هناك احتجاجات طوال المباراة، احتج سيلتا، واحتج جيرالديز؛ اللقطات موجودة، حتى لو لم تُعرض”.

وفي الختام، جاء ذكر فران سوتو، الرئيس الحالي للجنة الحكام: “هذا ليس تحكيمًا يليق بدوري يدّعي أنه من بين الأفضل في العالم، أريد أن أرى ماذا سيقول فران سوتو، وماذا سيُقال في برنامج (زمن المراجعة)، إن كانوا سيعرضون اللقطات أصلًا”.

And does Heather Knight hold the record for captaining the most women’s internationals?

Steven Lynch01-Apr-2025There were three innings of 97 in the space of two days last week, two in the IPL and one in a T20 international. Was this a first for T20s? asked Swaminathan Ramachandran from India

This was indeed a first. A score of 97 is fairly rare in T20 matches anyway – there had been only 53 such innings before last week’s rush. That started when Shreyas Iyer’s 97 not out helped Punjab Kings to victory over Gujarat Titans in the IPL in Ahmedabad on March 25. The following day, Tim Seifert matched that score as New Zealand beat Pakistan in Wellington, then Quinton de Kock also hit 97 not out as, back in the IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders beat Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati.As this list shows, there had never previously been a day with two 97s in T20 matches worldwide, and just two instances of two in the space of three days – February 22-24 in 2023, and October 12-14, 2022, when both 97s were by Saurashtra’s Samarth Vyas.Jofra Archer conceded 76 runs in his four overs the other day, which I read was a record for the IPL. Who held it before him? asked Avikesh Krishna from India

Those painful figures for Rajasthan Royals’ Jofra Archer – 4-0-76-0 – came in just the second match of this IPL, against Sunrisers in Hyderabad. His first over went for 23 (including four fours and a six from Travis Head), his second cost 12 (there were two fours from Nitish Kumar), the third 22 (three sixes from Ishan Kishan) and his last went for 19, plus four byes – it included three fours from Heinrich Klaasen, and another from Kishan.The man who’s probably relieved he no longer holds the IPL record for the costliest analysis is the Indian seamer Mohit Sharma, who leaked 73 runs in his four overs for Gujarat Titans against Delhi Capitals in Delhi in 2024. The only other bowler to concede 70 in an IPL match is Basil Thampi, against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Bengaluru in 2018.There have been seven costlier analyses than Archer’s in all T20 matches. Right at the top is the unfortunate Musa Jobarteh, whose four overs cost 93 as Zimbabwe piled up a T20I record total of 344 for 4 against Gambia in a T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier in Nairobi in 2024.Hasan Nawaz started with 0, 0, 105*, 1, 0 in his debut series for Pakistan•AFP/Getty ImagesHasan Nawaz made a century against New Zealand in the T20I series, but also picked up three ducks. Was this a record? asked Nick Peterson from New Zealand

The new Pakistan opener Hasan Nawaz had a strange start to his international career in the recent T20 series in New Zealand: he started with two ducks, hit an undefeated 105 in the third match in Auckland, and rounded the series off by being out for 1 and 0.Only two men have made fewer than 106 runs in a T20 series in which they batted at least three times and also scored a century. South Africa’s Rilee Rossouw made 0 (out first ball), 0 (second) and 100 not out (from 48) against India in 2022. And the New Zealander Colin Munro made 0, 101 and 0 in a home series against Bangladesh in 2017. Chris Gayle’s 113 runs in five matches (four innings) in the 2016 T20 World Cup in India included 100 not out against England in West Indies’ first match, in Mumbai.Heather Knight has just been stood down as England’s captain after about ten years. Did she captain in more international matches than anyone else? asked Alan Varney from England

Heather Knight captained England for the first time in June 2016, and in all skippered in 199 matches – nine Tests, 94 ODIs and 96 T20Is. It turns out that the only person to captain in more women’s internationals is the lady she replaced: Charlotte Edwards skippered in 220 – ten Tests, 117 ODIs and 93 T20Is.Five other women have captained in more than 150 international matches: Mithali Raj 195 (eight Tests, a record 155 ODIs and 32 T20Is), Meg Lanning 182 (4/78/100), Harmanpreet Kaur 154 (3/28/123), Chamari Athapaththu 153 (0/53/100) and Suzie Bates 151 (0/79/72).The men’s record is held by MS Dhoni, who captained in 332 international matches (60 Tests, 200 ODIs and 72 T20Is). Ricky Ponting skippered in 324 (77/230/17) and Stephen Fleming in 303 (80/218/5).I was gobsmacked to discover that Len Hutton batted for 292 overs during the course of his 364, the Test record at the time. Was this the most in a Test? asked Richard Lyle from England

When Len Hutton made 364 against Australia at The Oval in August 1938, both his score and England’s 903 for 7 were Test records (since broken). Hutton was out not long after lunch on the third day: in all he batted for 797 minutes and faced 847 balls.The painstaking researches of the Australian statistician Charles Davis reveal that Hutton was out to the third ball of the 292nd over of the innings, bowled by the great legspinner Bill O’Reilly, who was sending down the 82nd of his eventual 85 overs. This was also a record at the time, but was surpassed nearly 20 years later when Hanif Mohammad batted for more than 16 hours in scoring 337 for Pakistan against West Indies in Bridgetown in January 1958. Ball-by-ball information for this match can no longer be found, but the best guess is that Hanif survived until the 312th over of the innings.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Big picture – Who will bounce back?

New Zealand and South Africa meet for the first time since they contested the 2024 T20 World Cup final in October last year, under rather different circumstances. Both teams began their Women’s World Cup campaigns with heavy defeats and there’s little to choose between them as they face off in Indore on Monday.New Zealand’s 89-run defeat to Australia laid bare familiar concerns with the bat; they crumbled in a chase of 327 despite a century from Sophie Devine. Since the start of 2024, they have lost ten of 15 ODIs – a result of their inconsistency with both bat and ball. To add to their challenges, they entered this World Cup without playing a single ODI in the six months leading up to it.While there have been individual performances, the batting unit will be eager to click collectively. New Zealand have scored 250-plus only twice since 2024. In the bowling department, they have a mix of youth and experience with Lea Tahuhu, the Kerr sisters – Jess and Amelia – along with Bree Illing and Eden Carson, forming a unit capable of making a difference.South Africa had a disastrous start against England in Guwahati, where they were bowled out for 69. They will look for a reset in Indore. They remain a top-heavy side, with Laura Wolvaardt, Tazmin Brits, and Marizanne Kapp scoring the bulk of their runs. But their last two ODI defeats – including a 115 all out against Pakistan – have been due to severe batting collapses. A third in a row will be difficult to come back from in this tournament.

Form guide

New Zealand LWWLL (last five completed matches)
South Africa LLWWWSophie Devine made a hundred against Australia•Getty Images

In the spotlight – Brits and Bates

Tazmin Brits has hit peak form in 2025. In ten ODIs this year, she has scored four centuries and one half-century, averaging 81 at a strike rate of 93.91. Known for her power game, Brits has made noticeable improvements against spin. With the in-form Laura Wolvaardt at the other end, the pair forms a strong right-hand opening combination capable of dictating terms. If they get going, South Africa could get the platform they’ve lacked in recent ODIs.Suzie Bates will make her 350th international appearance for New Zealand on Monday – a landmark in the women’s game. The veteran remains a key presence in a top order featuring Georgia Plimmer and Amelia Kerr. Although she fell for a duck against Australia, Bates has scored three half-centuries in her last seven ODI innings. As New Zealand aim for their first win of the tournament, Bates will be eager to mark the occasion with a defining innings.

Team news

South Africa may reconsider their XI after leaving out allrounder Annerie Dercksen – one of four batters to make a century for them since the start of 2024 – for Anneke Bosch, who has neither been a regular nor scored a fifty since December 2023.South Africa:1 Laura Wolvaardt (capt), 2 Tazmin Brits, 3 Sune Luus, 4 Marizanne Kapp, 5 Anneke Bosch/Annerie Dercksen, 6 Sinalo Jafta (wk), 7 Chloe Tryon, 8 Nadine de Klerk, 9 Masabata Klaas, 10 Ayabonga Khaka, 11 Nonkululeko MlabaLeft-arm spinner Flora Devonshire was ruled out of the World Cup with an injury to her bowling hand and seamer Hannah Rowe was named her replacement. However, New Zealand are unlikely to change the side for their second match in Indore.New Zealand: 1 Suzie Bates, 2 Georgia Plimmer, 3 Amelia Kerr, 4 Sophie Devine (capt), 5 Brooke Halliday, 6 Maddy Green, 7 Isabella Graze (wk), 8 Jess Kerr, 9 Lea Tahuhu, 10 Eden Carson, 11 Bree Illing

Pitch and conditions

Indore rolled out a flat track for the opening game and Australia piled on 326 batting first. A different surface will be used for the second match, but weather could be a factor. It rained heavily the day after the first game there and conditions are expected to be overcast with hazy sunshine. As Suzie Bates put it, “It’s all about who adapts the best tomorrow because it is a different wicket, and it can play differently.”

Stats and trivia

• Suzie Bates, the third highest run-scorer in women’s ODIs, is 104 short of 6000
• Marizanne Kapp is two away from breaking into the top five wicket-takers in women’s ODIs. She has 169 scalps from 154 matches.
• Wolvaardt and Brits have scored nine ODI hundreds between them since 2024.
• New Zealand have not scored a 300 in ODIs since the start of 2024.

Quotes

“Yeah, I think it’s a huge advantage. It’s not only playing in the same conditions, but not having to travel after that game.”
“For us as a batting unit is to just literally just knuckle down and just bat. Don’t think too much about the outcome. Just take it one ball at a time.”

England manager Sarina Wiegman has broken her silence on comments made by Mary Earps in her explosive autobiography. In that, the former Lionesses goalkeeper questioned some of the selection calls made by the Dutch coach. Wiegman feels no need to explain any of the decisions that she has made down the years, with every one of those intended to help deliver collective success.

• What Earps said about Wiegman & Hampton

  Wiegman’s record suggests that she has got plenty of big calls right, with her time in charge of the Lionesses delivering back-to-back European Championship triumphs and a 2023 World Cup final appearance.

  She was, however, subjected to criticism in Earps’ new book ‘All In: Football, Life and Learning to be Unapologetically Me’. In that, ex-England keeper Earps – who helped her country to continental glory in 2022 – accused Wiegman of “rewarding bad behaviour” in her recalling of the previously excluded Hannah Hampton.

  Hampton went on to usurp Earps as the Lionesses’ No.1 ahead of Euro 2025, leading to an icon of the modern era announcing her international retirement. Earps watched on from afar as her replacement starred on Swiss soil and delivered penalty shootout heroics en route to capturing the ultimate prize.

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  Wiegman's response to comments from Earps

  Wiegman has now said of Earps’ comments and why she will never make decisions just to keep people happy: “We have conversations with different players all the time. What my reality is and what someone else's reality is can be different because how you experience things is very individual. I just know what I want to do is create an environment where we speak up and have clarity.

  “I make decisions to win. And what I've said all the time is that we have two incredible goalkeepers and at the end I made that decision to the one I came to and that's what it is for me.”

• Wiegman prepared to make unpopular decisions

  Wiegman admits that she has not spoken with Earps following the release of her book, with there nothing to be said. She is eager to point out that she cannot “control” the behaviour of others and “would have done the same thing” again if turning the clock back to Euros preparations.

  She added on making decisions that will not always be universally popular: “The competition has been really hard. We had a very good goalkeeping unit and the two goalkeepers were competing for the number one spot. I would have done the same thing. In the bigger picture I don’t think I would have done things differently.

  “As I always say, I always keep conversations private. When I have individual conversations, I keep that private because I think that builds trust. When I do that I think players will come to me and have conversations with me. We create an environment where we want people to be themselves and everyone’s different. I think that helps on and off the pitch to connect people.”

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  England fixtures: Next up for the Lionesses

  Wiegman does not believe that Earps’ revelations will cause divides in her squad, with everybody in the current England camp pulling in the same direction.

  She went on to say: “When there are teams there are always dynamics going on. We're working with people and everyone is different. No matter what the topic is there are always conversations going on. I want my door to be open at all times to have conversations when needed or if someone needs support and the other way round if I need to challenge a player for whatever reason.”

  Wiegman sought to end the discussion by stating that she “enjoyed working” with Earps as they shared some “incredible” times together. England’s focus now is on upcoming friendly dates with China at Wembley and Ghana at St Mary’s, with a group of 25 players being selected for those fixtures that will bring the curtain down on another memorable, and often eventful, 12 months for the Lionesses. Chelsea keeper Hampton will play no part in those games as she is currently nursing an injury.

Kenan Yildiz’s future at Juventus is in serious doubt, with contract talks between the young Turkish forward and the club put on hold after months of negotiations. Top European giants, including Arsenal, Chelsea and Real Madrid, are now ready to move for the 20-year-old. The German-born, who joined the Old Lady in 2022, is under contract with the Serie A side until 2029.

Juventus fail to reach extension agreement

According to , Damien Comolli, who was appointed CEO of the club this week, and Yildiz’s representatives have failed to find an agreement over a new deal. The player’s camp reportedly wants a pay rise that reflects his growing role at the club, but the Serie A giants are unwilling to match the requested salary. Yildiz is seeking a contract that would bring him closer to the top earners in the squad, closer to the €6 million, but the difference in valuation has led to a complete standstill in negotiations after a recent meeting between both sides.

The Turkish star, who joined Juventus from Bayern Munich on a free transfer in 2022, currently earns €1.7m, a fraction of what many of his teammates make despite becoming one of the team’s brightest talents this season.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesPremier League giants and Madrid circling

Chelsea are among the first to target the youngster. The Blues reportedly made a €67 million (£59m/$77.5m) bid for Yildiz last July, which was turned down, but they remain interested and are expected to return next summer. Premier League rivals Arsenal have also joined the race, while La Liga leaders Real Madrid are monitoring the situation closely. Reports in Spain suggest Yildiz’s price tag could exceed €100m (£88m/$116m) if a bidding war breaks out between the three clubs next summer. His contract runs until 2029, giving Juventus some leverage, but the breakdown in talks could open the door for negotiations with other clubs.

Last month, Los Blancos coach Xabi Alonso had publicly expressed his admiration for Yildiz, calling him one of the most promising players in Europe. Ahead of Juventus’s Champions League clash against Madrid, the Spaniard had said: "[Juventus] have very good players, and Yildiz is one of them. He's had a fantastic development. I know him. He was at Bayern Munich when I was there. Seeing his progress makes me very happy."

According to agent Giovanni Branchini, the Madrid boss even told the management he would be willing to sell 'anyone except Kylian Mbappe' if it meant signing the Turkish forward. 

Yildiz's former teammate urges him to come to Premier League

Amid the contract stand-off, Yildiz’s former Juventus teammate Nicolo Savona, who is now at Nottingham Forest, recently advised the midfielder to consider joining him in England as he weighs up his next move. “I would recommend the Premier League to all the kids who love football, it would be difficult to say otherwise. So also to Kenan and any of his teammates.” Savona told .

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Getty ImagesYildiz’s fatigue concerns amid Juventus' struggles

Meanwhile, Juventus continue to struggle this season. The Turin side parted ways with coach Igor Tudor after an eight-game winless streak and brought in former Italy manager Luciano Spalletti as his replacement. The new boss has managed just one win in his first three games, with Juventus sitting sixth in the Serie A table. 

Despite the team’s struggles, Yildiz has been one of the few positives. The Turkish international has featured in 14 matches across all competitions, scoring three goals and providing four assists in 1,155 minutes.

Spalletti acknowledged after the goalless draw with Torino that Yildiz might be showing signs of fatigue but insisted he has no plans to rest him. “It could be a fair impression, playing while tired… but I’ll make him play again and keep him there. He can relax.”

The Serie A giants will visit Fiorentina at the Stadio Franchi after the international break, hoping to steady their season.