GOAL US unpacks the main weekend storylines from the Premier League, La Liga and other top competitions in The Euro XI
The first round of matches after an international break always feel a bit weird. Most players have been away for a couple of weeks. Their brains are still whirring back into gear. Some tactical ideas are filed away, while new ones are brought back to the fore. Not everything clicks. It's all a little disoriented.
The good news is that it usually leads to one of two things: either, the games are really good and entirely silly. Or, they're frightfully boring, 22 guys just playing it safe. This weekend yielded a bit of both.
Serie A (usually bad) was good. Liverpool (usually very good) were bad – but got away with it, anyway. Arsenal (usually boring) were very exciting. And Erling Haaland scored two very good goals. It all offered quite a bit of content – which is ultimately what this sport is for.
GOAL US presents The Euro XI, with 11 key observations from the weekend.
Getty Images Sport
1Liverpool and immaculate plot armor
The cool kids call it "plot armor." Basically, it means that a certain character or team in any given story will be able to survive whatever adversity is thrown their way in order to uphold a narrative. They are, in effect, immune to the kind of thing that would derail others.
And the Liverpool plot armor is strong these days. They beat Newcastle late a couple of weeks ago, with a 16-year-old (!) burying the winner in stoppage time thanks to a wonderfully crafted move. Last weekend was perhaps even more fortunate – and absurd. The Reds were, well, a bit rubbish against Burnley – who defended wonderfully for 93 minutes.
A 0-0 draw seemed a fair result. But then a foolish handball in stoppage time gifted Liverpool a penalty. Mo Salah stepped up and smashed it home. It was absurd and somehow predictable at the same time. The plot armor is immaculate.
Advertisement
Getty/GOAL
2Erling Haaland is still a really good goalscorer
It was fun to make fun of Erling Haaland for a while. It's easy to see why. He's a big, plodding goalscoring robot who just kicks the ball into the net really hard. There are nuances to being a professional footballer at the elite level – dribbling, passing, defensive work rate.
Haaland strips all of that nonsense away and kicks the ball hard. It led to some criticizing the striker last season. Such were City's struggles that we forgot he was basically scoring a goal per game.
Well, if there were any doubts about his quality, they are gone. Haaland scored twice and could've had at least two more as Man City battered Man United 3-0 in a frighteningly comprehensive derby win. Turns out the robot is really good at one thing, and that's just fine.
Getty Images Sport
3Arsenal have depth now
It was every Arsenal fan's favorite excuse last year, the old "We don't have enough depth to win the league" adage. And sure, that might have been true. But they also finished well off a Liverpool side that were spending the last month of the season in Ibiza after they wrapped up the league.
Depth be damned, they perhaps just weren't good enough? Well, there's an excuse gone, as Arsenal showed they can call on some guys off the bench. With Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli all out, they turned to Nono Madueke, Victor Gyokeres and Ebere Eze against Nottingham Forest. The result? A 3-0 win.
Complain about depth now.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
Getty Images Sport
4Brentford, the most charming club in soccer
Brentford really should get relegated every year, but they especially should be relegated this year. Here's a club that operates on pretty much no budget, using players you've never heard of, relying on a mixture of lumbering veterans and unknown gems to stay alive in th emost unforgiving league in the world. It sounds a bit unfair, really.
And after losing manager Thomas Frank, it seemed that they might be heading that way. But there is fight in the Bees yet, something they proved with a glorious last-minute equalizer to earn a draw with Chelsea on Saturday. They will need every single point they can get this season, and that was truly a lovely one.
The New Zealand quick crushed it in dry conditions, finishing with three wickets on the first day
Andrew Fidel Fernando18-Sep-2024
William O’Rourke finished with three wickets on day one•Associated Press
In his first outing as a red-ball bowler in Asia, Will O’Rourke was a menace. In his first spell, when the pitch was at its bounciest, he was rapid – sometimes breaching 140kph, and generated uncomfortable bounce from his six-foot-four-inch frame.His first Test wicket in the continent came from a bouncer, with experienced opener Dimuth Karunaratne so shaken by the deliveries O’Rourke had bowled to him previously, that he fenced at one he could have left, and edged it to the wicketkeeper.Pathum Nissanka, a centurion in the last Test innings he played, barely 10 days ago, was dismissed by an even better ball, a rapid, yorker he brought his bat down too late on, and which ended up rattling his stumps.Related
Southee pleased with depth, variety in New Zealand's attack
Sri Lanka pull ahead with Kamindu hundred, Kusal fifty
Yes, you're still inside the Kamindu Mendis fever dream
Often foreign seamers struggle in their first outings in dry conditions. O’Rourke crushed it.”Me and Tim Southee as the pace bowlers have the role to be aggressive and bowl quick and unsettle people – that’s what we’ve talked about with coach Gary Stead and bowling Jacob Oram,” O’Rourke said.In his first five-over spell, O’Rourke took two wickets for 26.”A lot of the talk going into the game was maybe that the pitch was a little bit flat and a little bit slow. We probably wanted to have a bat first. But we had a bowl, and Tim and I were getting good carry, so the communication was to run in hard and hit the deck hard. I probably scattered it around a bit more than I wanted to, but when I hit the right spot I was lucky enough to get a few edges.”O’Rourke’s third wicket was especially impressive. Not only did he get one to rise sharply to smack Angelo Mathews on the index finger late in the first session, causing Mathews to retire hurt at the time. But when Mathews – frequently a good player of fast bowling – returned to the crease, O’Rourke got his wicket with another short, sharp delivery, one that a seemingly muddled Mathews fended at from a bad position.”It’s very special being this early on in my career bowling to legends like Angelo Mathews,” O’Rourke said. “One ball maybe jumped and caught him on the finger and unsettled him a little bit. It’s special to be able to bowl to greats like him and lucky enough to get his wicket at the end.”O’Rourke, in his third Test, is also reveling in having Southee as a mentor. Southee has bowled several memorable spells in Sri Lanka, including in Galle on the morning of the second day in a 2012 Test. Southee also averages an impressive 18.46 against this opposition.”It’s been awesome having Tim as captain. Having another fast bowler as captain who has done as much for the game as he has – it can only be a good thing for a young guy coming through. Getting him at mid-on, or even third slip when he comes over and gives you a wee pointer – that’s a big part of our team and a big part of helping me out.”
Former South Africa allrounder JP Duminy has been named head coach of International League T20 (ILT20) side Sharjah Warriorz. Duminy is currently also South Africa’s white-ball batting coach, having taken up the role in late 2023.Related
Duminy steps down as SA white-ball batting coach for personal reasons
ILT20 2025 to begin on January 11, set to clash with BBL and SA20
Duminy’s white-ball international career had run from 2004 to 2019, and in between he was also part of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), Indian Premier League (IPL) and Pakistan Super League (PSL). After retirement, he worked with South African domestic side Boland Rocks and then coached Paarl Royals in the first season of the SA20.Following the announcement of his Warriorz role, Duminy said: “I am delighted to take up the challenge of being the head coach with the Sharjah Warriorz. This is an excellent set-up, which is vibrant and full of optimism and ideas for the upcoming season.”We are looking forward to building a strong squad for this year, and we are excited to see what lies in store for us.”
Ben Brown celebrated his century of List A appearances with an exceptional hundred as Hampshire got their Metro Bank One-Day Cup campaign off to a winning start against Northamptonshire Steelbacks.Wicketkeeper Brown had only scored one previous white-ball century – for Sussex in 2021 – in his first 99 games but picked up a career-best 139 not out.Hampshire had been left on 25 for three after Jack White’s opening spell but Brown, with help from Felix Organ’s 59, got the hosts to 285.Eddie Jack and Tom Prest both picked up their professional best figures of four for 29 and three for 41 as the Steelbacks only reached 214 to lose by 71 runsLewis McManus’ decision to bowl first immediately paid dividends with an unplayable new-ball spell from Jack White. He nibbled the fresh white ball around to dump the hosts to 25 for three.He had already made Fletcha Middleton play and miss three times before thumping into the opener’s leg stump with his fifth ball.Nick Gubbins returned a caught-and-bowled with a leading edge and Prest was pouched at second slip, with White ending his six-over spell with three for six.But in sliding to take the Gubbins catch, White damaged his knee which saw him no return.Without him, Brown rebuilt the innings in style. First in a 51-run stand with Toby Albert, but after Albert had skied to mid on and Joe Eckland had been caught at extra cover, more substantially with Organ.Brown already stashed fifty in 62 balls but Organ’s arrival heralded a freer flow that set the tone for the second half of the innings.Brown doesn’t have the stellarest of white-ball records but showed off the very best of his jabby shot-making square of the wicket.His third century of the season came in exactly 100 balls with a controlled hook shot to the boundary which typified his timing.Organ sailed to a 51-ball 59 in a flash to join Brown for 188 runs before he picked out deep midwicket – giving Zaib the third of his three for 60 – with Jack and Kyle Abbott hit sixes and fell at the death.Brown ended up with 139 not out and Hampshire 285 – which had seemed improbable after White’s early burst.Prithvi Shaw and Emilio Gay got the Steelbacks off to a sensational start with 56 put on inside nine overs but their innings was full of good starts which weren’t capitalised on.Jack’s introduction – with Mohammad Abbas forced off after just two overs – was the main catalyst. The teenager dragged Shaw into a drive straight to cover with his second ball, in an otherwise miserly spell.Gay and Ricardo Vasconcelos put on 42 but a swipe off Brad Wheal saw the end of the former and slid Northamptonshire towards a hole.Vasconcelos swept into the deep, Rob Keogh was lbw on the reverse and George Bartlett was caught behind as three wickets fell for 15 runs.McManus gave Jack his second when he spun to deep square leg before Prest added his third when Saif Zaib missed his sweep to fall leg before and Michael Finan holed out on the leg side.Gus Miller scrapped hard for 47, but with the run-rate surging above 10s he skied Jack straight up, before the England under-19 quick completed Hampshire’s victory by clearing up White.
Wolverhampton Wanderers have money to play with this summer and could now turn their attention to an exciting winger to add flair acrosss their forward line, according to reports.
Wolverhampton Wanderers kickstart summer transfer window
Matheus Cunha’s departure to Manchester United may have left a sour taste in the mouth for supporters of the Old Gold, but there was always an element of inevitability regarding his eventual fate.
Nonetheless, the picture appears to be bright in the West Midlands under Vitor Pereira, who will be given time and financial backing to shape his squad over the coming months.
Evaluating the immediate priority at Molineux, adding one or two quality attacking options in the face of Cunha no longer being in the building will become a popular topic among fans and pundits alike.
Millwall forward Mihailo Ivanovic has been targeted by the Old Gold to help provide some added prowess in the final third, and Alex Neil’s ringing endorsement that the 20-year-old is one of Europe’s top ten talents will likely create plenty of intrigue.
Further back, Nelson Semedo is mulling over a new deal at Wolves as his contract nears expiration, illustrating the importance of bringing a right-sided defender to the club should the Portugal international move on to tackle a fresh challenge.
Wolves could sign instant Cunha replacement in "special" £25m talent
Wolves will be hoping to sign a replacement for Matheus Cunha this summer
ByRoss Kilvington May 31, 2025
Sunderland’s Trai Hume may be the man the Old Gold are looking for to strike an adequate balance. Meanwhile, Rayan Ait-Nouri’s impending transfer to Manchester City leaves food for thought at left-back.
Transition may not be a bad thing for Wolves in light of big-money departures. Either way, they are now reportedly plotting a swoop for an exciting young winger.
Wolverhampton Wanderers plotting swoop for Roger Fernandes
According to Molineux News in conversation with Graeme Bailey, Wolves are keeping tabs on Braga winger Roger Fernandes and he expects the Old Gold to ‘explore’ the Primeira Liga for additions during the window.
Reports earlier this year claimed Manchester United, Manchester City, Brighton, Aston Villa and Newcastle United are also keen on Fernandes amid his rise to prominence in Portugal, which has led to a £25m price tag.
Referencing the situation, Bailey said: “I think the Portuguese league will be somewhere that they explore; it wouldn’t surprise me if they do look towards that league again. I’ve heard Roger Fernandes’ name linked to Wolves in recent weeks as well, wouldn’t surprise me if he was on the agenda.”
Roger Fernandes at Braga in 2024/25 – why are Wolves taking an interest? (FBRef)
Shot creating actions (Primeira Liga)
78
Shot creating actions (Europa League)
19
Progressive carries per 90 mins (Primeira Liga)
4.71
Progressive passes received per 90 mins (Primeira Liga)
9.94
Goal-creating actions (combining both competitions)
9
Likened to former Manchester United star Antonio Valencia by Foot The Ball, Fernandes has registered five goals and seven assists in 48 appearances for Braga this term and is capable of featuring on either flank.
Completing an average of 1.4 dribbles per league match, the Portugal youth international could go some way to filling the creative void left by Cunha, even if he is only one part of the solution.
Over the years, the Chelsea fanbase has been blessed to witness countless strikers who have catapulted them to various levels of success in the Premier League.
Didier Drogba is arguably the club’s best-ever talisman, registering over 100 goals for the Blues over two separate spells at Stamford Bridge, including the equaliser in their Champions League triumph back in 2012.
The Ivorian cemented himself in the club’s history forever with such a moment, with his move from Marseille back in 2004 undoubtedly going down as one of the best in their history.
However, in the present day, the Blues lack that focal point at the top end of the pitch, with Enzo Maresca unable to rely on Nicolas Jackson, as seen in the defeat against Newcastle United last weekend.
As a result, groundwork has already been laid for possible additions, with the centre-forward positions likely to be the number one priority for the hierarchy.
The latest in Chelsea’s hunt for a new striker this summer
Over the last couple of weeks, Chelsea have been linked with a move for a whole host of attackers, as Maresca looks to make his mark on the current first-team squad.
Liam Delap has been the main name mentioned, with Lille talisman Jonathan David also on their shortlist, with his contract at the Ligue 1 outfit set to expire at the end of June.
Lille'sJonathanDavidcelebrates scoring their fourth goal
However, despite the links with the aforementioned duo, another name has been thrown into the mix, in the form of RB Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko, according to TEAMtalk.
Their report claims that the Blues have already been in talks with the player’s agents over a move for the 21-year-old, who’s managed to net 21 goals across all competitions throughout 2024/25.
It also states that the hierarchy in West London view the Slovenian international as the ‘perfect transfer target’ and an upgrade on the currently suspended Jackson.
Why Chelsea’s latest target would be an upgrade on Osimhen
Despite the links to Leipzig’s Sesko in recent days, another name has emerged as a potential target, in the form of Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, who looks set to leave the Serie A side this summer.
Galatasaray's VictorOsimhenreacts
The Nigerian is currently spending the year on loan at Turkish club Galatasaray after dropping down the pecking order after the appointment of former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte last summer.
His record of 24 goals in just 28 league games this campaign would undoubtedly add a different dimension to the Blues’ attack, handing Maresca the goal threat he desires.
However, any deal for the 26-year-old would set the hierarchy back £60m, with multiple other Premier League clubs also in the race for his signature this summer.
As a result, Maresca’s men would be better to prioritise a move for Sesko this summer, with the forward being a better option for the side based on the stats he’s produced to date.
RB Leipzig's BenjaminSeskobefore taking a penalty
The Leipzig star, who’s been labelled the “next Erling Haaland” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, may have registered fewer combined goals and assists, but has managed to post a higher shot on target accuracy rate – highlighting his clinical ability in the final third.
He’s also managed to complete more passes per 90, whilst achieving a higher take-on success rate, handing Maresca an all-round threat within attacking areas – something which current option Jackson has struggled to do as of late.
Games played
32
28
Goals & assists
18
29
Shot-on-target accuracy
46%
45%
Passes completed
23
14
Successful take-ons
1.5
0.9
Aerials won
64%
60%
Goals per shot on target
0.4
0.1
The biggest asset Sesko possesses is his aerial ability, winning more of the aerials he’s entered, allowing the club to improve on their current record, which has seen them achieve just a 22% successful cross accuracy this campaign.
Both players would undoubtedly hand the club added reinforcements in their quest for Premier League glory, allowing one of them to emulate the success endured by Drogba at the Bridge.
However, if they are to reach the next level under Maresca, Sesko is the man they should target, with his figures making him a better fit and solving their current striker woes in West London.
He's worse than Jackson: Chelsea must axe their "total waste of money"
Chelsea must sell this “waste of money” who is even worse than Nicolas Jackson.
Celtic could take another major step forward in their hunt for the Scottish Premiership title on Saturday afternoon, but Brendan Rodgers will have to deal with an unwanted injury absence over the next few weeks.
Celtic look to respond to criticism with strong domestic finish
The Bhoys are well on course for a domestic treble and could land a fourth successive league title this weekend should a victory over Kilmarnock be coupled with Aberdeen taking three points against Rangers on Sunday.
Nevertheless, Brendan Rodgers has warned against his side becoming complacent following a shock 1-0 defeat at St Johnstone last weekend, stating: “It’s happened too many times. I’ve seen a trend now with us, and it will be interesting between now and the end of the season in terms of mentality.”
Enduring a frustrating run of form, Celtic have lost three of their last seven Scottish Premiership encounters. Admittedly, the malaise could be attributed to the struggle of a busy fixture schedule during a long season, but there is clearly a need for an improvement in performances.
Heeding that warning, the Bhoys are already looking to strengthen in the summer transfer window. Mathias Kvistgaarden is back on the agenda at Parkhead after trying and failing to land the £13.5-million-rated forward in January.
Newcastle United’s Martin Dubravka has been mentioned as a Celtic target, but that one feels a slightly more unlikely proposition amid Kasper Schmeichel and Viljami Sinisalo’s presence between the sticks.
"Aggressive" – Celtic could make 5 new signings amid Rodgers warchest claim
Celtic aren’t messing around with the summer window now approaching.
1 BySean Markus Clifford Apr 9, 2025
Back in the present, Rodgers may now have to alter his plans slightly over the next few weeks following news that one of his stars has been ruled out due to an unfortunate turn of events.
Celtic star Yang Hyun-jun ruled out due to injury
Speaking ahead of Celtic’s home clash against Kilmarnock, Rodgers has revealed that Yang Hyun-jun has been ruled out for two weeks minimum with an elbow sprain following a freak collision during the Bhoys’ defeat at St Johnstone last weekend.
He stated: “We’ve got Yang that will be out, he’ll have his arm in a sling for a few weeks, obviously he’s had a nasty fall and a slight sprain of his elbow, but everyone else should be okay.
Yang’s statistics in 2024/25 – Scottish Premiership
Appearances
20
Goals
4
Assists
2
Completed dribbles
14
Chances created
16
Touches in opposition box
69
“Hopefully, he’ll be back before the end of the campaign, I think, as I said, it’s two weeks in a sling and then we’ll assess it from there.”
Brought in for £2 million from Gangwon FC in 2023, the 22-year-old’s absence may pave the way for James Forrest to earn a slot in Rodgers’ starting line-up during the run-in amid Nicolas Kuhn’s inconsistent form.
Either way, there are plenty of options for Rodgers to pick from in the wide areas as his side aim to put the seal on yet another domestic treble.
Jadeja dominated England’s batters, Axar disrupted their spinners. It added up to a fine match-winning combination in Nagpur, but what if they have to pick between them at the Champions Trophy?
Karthik Krishnaswamy06-Feb-20252:41
Manjrekar: Axar’s promotion could keep Pant out of XI
From a philosophical point of view, umpire’s call is among the most fascinating things in cricket. It lends the same ball a Schrodinger-esque duality: it could, with equal validity, be out or not out.Ravindra Jadeja got Joe Root lbw on Thursday afternoon with one such ball, and this one came with an extra layer of duality.It was a classic Jadeja dismissal, the batter beaten on the back foot by the ball turning less than expected and hurrying onto him, and ball-tracking suggested it would have gone on to clip the top of the bails. At the first level of duality, it could have been out or not out, depending on what umpire KN Ananthapadmanabhan thought of it.Related
Gill, Shreyas and Axar provide the firepower as India go 1-0 up
Iyer cuts movie night short after late selection call: 'Went off to sleep straightaway'
Kohli misses first ODI against England with injury
At a level beyond that, this was a ball that almost had to be an umpire’s call kind of ball to give Jadeja the chance of beating Root in this way. It was the shortest possible length that could still threaten the stumps, and perhaps the fullest possible length that could make Root go on the back foot. Any shorter, and the ball would likely have bounced over the stumps. Any shorter, and Root may have had more time to adjust to the lack of turn. Any fuller, he might have elected to get on the front foot.This was umpire’s call, and it could have been not out on another day. But in order to be out, it kind of had to be umpire’s call.This was the 15th ball Jadeja had bowled in this match, his first ODI since the World Cup final of 2023. And he was already all over it. This was the fourth time he had dismissed Root in ODIs, and the 12th time across formats. Jadeja has now dismissed Root more often than any other batter. And no spinner has dismissed Root more often.Soon after this lbw, the broadcasters played back footage from the Kochi ODI of 2013. This was the first time Root had ever batted in the format, and he made 36 before being bowled by the curly-mopped, 2013 version of Jadeja. Different hairstyle, same bowler: a skidder sneaking past the inside edge as Root unwisely aimed square of the wicket with an open bat face.
Axar and Jadeja are both allrounders who bowl left-arm orthodox and bat left-handed, but they’re very different in some ways. Jadeja is a more rounded bowler, and he’s scored Test-match runs all over the world, but in any format, in situations where you want one of them facing spin, it’s likely Axar you’d turn to.
All these years later, Root was vigilant enough to try and play him down the ground, but sometimes that makes no difference when Jadeja is hitting his lengths, attacking the stumps, and getting variable turn off the surface.On Thursday in Nagpur, Jadeja put on a masterclass of stump-to-stump bowling and finished with figures of 3 for 26 in nine overs. Bowling from around the wicket to both the right- and left-hand batters, he kept the stumps in play in hypnotically relentless manner, narrowing the batters’ shot choices, giving them a judiciously curated list of scoring options. If they wanted anything beyond that, they’d need to take chances.This was the kind of ODI pitch where there was turn, but you needed to give the ball a rip to find it. The kind of pitch where batters worried about both edges of their bat while facing Jadeja, but not necessarily when they faced Axar Patel.Their respective abilities to extract turn from this pitch, and the specific geometries of their bowling styles, also influenced the lines Jadeja and Axar were able to bowl. Axar also bowled from round the wicket to England’s left-handers, but with his wider arm at release, and with the smaller amounts of turn he was able to generate, he had less of a chance of hitting the stumps with balls pitching in line with the stumps.3:18
Manjrekar: Harshit Rana is a great wicket-taking option
And this opened up more scoring areas for England’s batters. Nowhere was this more apparent than in how often, and how effectively, they were able to sweep India’s spinners. They played variants of the sweep or reverse-sweep 10 times against Axar and scored 15 runs without losing a wicket. They also scored 15 off six such shots against Kuldeep Yadav’s left-arm wristspin.Against Jadeja, however, it was a different story. They attempted three sweeps, scored one run, and lost two wickets: Jacob Bethell lbw and Adil Rashid bowled. To borrow from : come at the stump-to-stump king, you best not miss.It’s been nearly 16 years since his ODI debut, but Jadeja endures.The remarkableness of this feat became more apparent as the day wore on, and India got into their chase of 249. It became especially apparent when they lost their third wicket with 113 on the board, and sent Axar in.This was precisely the sort of situation that makes Axar so valuable. There was just one left-hand batter in India’s regular top six, and the situation called for a left-hander, with the legspinner Adil Rashid beginning to find generous amounts of turn and the left-arm spinner Bethell having just dismissed a dangerous Shreyas Iyer in Jadeja-esque manner, lbw sweeping a stump-to-stump ball.Axar and Jadeja are both allrounders who bowl left-arm orthodox and bat left-handed, but they’re very different in some ways. Jadeja is a more rounded bowler, and he’s scored Test-match runs all over the world, but in any format, in situations where you want one of them facing spin, it’s likely Axar you’d turn to.Axar Patel did the job with the bat•MB Media/Getty ImagesAnd you soon saw why. The second ball he faced from Rashid was dangled well outside off stump but dropping onto a dangerous sort of length, and Axar took on the invitation. The length made him reach for the ball, but he used his long levers expertly to control his slog-sweep, prioritising placement – there was a deep square leg but no deep midwicket – over power.Soon after, facing his eighth ball, he saw another opportunity for the slog-sweep, with Bethell on this occasion tossing one right up in his arc. This time he went with a full, unfettered bat-swing and cleared the boundary with ease.And just like that, Axar was well into his job of disrupting England’s spin plans. By the time he was bowled by a ripping Rashid legbreak, he had scored 52 off 47, put on 108 with Shubman Gill for the fourth wicket, and taken England’s spinners for 33 off 30 balls.There couldn’t have been a better illustration of the quality, and specific qualities, of India’s two left-arm-spin-bowling allrounders.This, of course, was always set up to be a game for both Jadeja and Axar: a pitch that allowed India to play three spinners, and an opposition line-up, dominated by right-hand batters, that allowed them to play two left-arm orthodox spinners.There will likely be pitches and oppositions during the upcoming Champions Trophy that will allow India to pick this combination again. There may also be times, though, when they might have to leave one of them out: either to pick Washington Sundar (or possibly even Varun Chakravarthy) or an extra fast bowler.Who do India play then? The better bowler or the more versatile batter? To quote once again: it sounds like one of them good problems.
Khulna Tigers, Chattogram Challengers and Dhaka Dominators are out of the tournament with eight matches left in the league phase
Mohammad Isam04-Feb-2023Rangpur take final spot Following their two-wicket win against Dhaka Dominators, Rangpur Riders became the last team to make it to the BPL’s playoffs. Captain Nurul Hasan played a captain’s knock, promoting himself to No. 4 and scoring 61 off 33, but the side also survived a late batting collapse to get to the win.But Rangpur’s confirmation also means that the other three teams – Khulna Tigers, Chattogram Challengers and Dhaka – are all out of the tournament with eight matches left in the league phase. There’s been a clear gulf between the top four and the bottom three teams this season. The four teams that have qualified – Rangpur, Comilla, Barishal and Sylhet – have shown consistency. They picked the right combination when building their teams, and have followed up with mostly consistent selection calls during the tournament.Chattogram and Khulna, meanwhile, could never replicate the success they had last season. Khulna lost four games in a row to bow out of the competition. Dhaka have won just three out of 11 games.Dearth of newcomers There have been five debutants in this BPL season. Among those, Ashiqur Zaman (Victorians) is the only player who is part of the top four teams. But he hasn’t made a splash, and neither have the other debutants – Abdullah Al Mamun, Nahid Rana, Khawaja Nafey and Habibur Rahman Sohan.None among the four has played more than three matches, although Rana and Mamun are likely to feature in the remaining matches for Khulna and Dhaka respectively. However, Rana and Ashiqur have impressed Allan Donald, Bangladesh’s fast bowling coach, during a recent camp, while Mamun was the NCL’s Player-of-the-Tournament this season. Nafey is from Pakistan, but he has built a big-hitting reputation in the Karachi circuit.Batter of the week: Johnson CharlesJohnson Charles vs Khulna Tigers lit up the BPL this week. First, he slammed five sixes in his 22-ball 39 on January 28, before laying into them with a 56-ball unbeaten 107. This innings had eleven sixes and five fours as he powered Victorians to a record-breaking highest chase in the BPL. But this wasn’t Charles’ first century in the BPL. Five years ago, he hit his first century, coincidentally against Comilla, when he made 105 off 63 balls.Bowler of the week: Azmatullah Omarzai It has been a productive week for Azmatullah Omarzai who has become an important player for Riders. The Afghanistan allrounder has been lethal with the new ball. Among all the BPL bowlers this season, he has the most wickets in the powerplay. Omarzai has not broken through yet in the T20 franchise world like his compatriots, but his new-ball chops and big-hitting ability make him a marked man for franchises around the world.
KKR played out 72 dots in all, which is the second-most in an IPL innings
Bharath Seervi21-Oct-20202 – Mohammed Siraj became the first bowler to bowl two maiden overs in an IPL match. He bowled his first two overs without conceding a run and picked up three wickets – Rahul Tripathi, Nitish Rana, and Tom Banton – in that period.4 – Four maidens were bowled by the RCB bowlers – two by Siraj and one each by Chris Morris and Washington Sundar – a first in IPL history. Not more than two maidens were bowled in the same innings before this.72 – The number of dot balls played out by the KKR batsmen in this innings, which is the second-most in an IPL innings. The highest is 75 dots, also by KKR against CSK in Chennai last year. The previous most dots by a team in a game this year was also KKR – 57 dots against the Mumbai Indians in Abu Dhabi.ESPNcricinfo Ltd84 – KKR’s total is the lowest non-all-out total for a team batting first in the IPL. The previous lowest in a full 20-over innings was the Mumbai Indians’ 94 for 8 against the Rajasthan Royals in 2011.3-8 – Siraj’s figures in this innings – the most economical figures of IPL 2020 (minimum 12 balls in the spell). Incidentally, before this match, Siraj’s IPL career economy rate was 9.29, the worst among 92 bowlers who had delivered 100-plus overs.2 – Runs scored by KKR’s top-three batsmen, which is the joint second-lowest for a team in the IPL. The lowest is three ducks by the Deccan Charges’ top-three against CSK in 2009.4 – Wickets picked up by RCB in the first four overs of the innings. Only once before had they achieved this – against the Mumbai Indians in 2017.