Long a tennis-ball bowler, Navdeep Saini’s life changed in 2013 when he was asked to square up to Gautam Gambhir at the Delhi nets.

Shashank Kishore in Bengaluru26-Mar-2019You notice the wolf tattoo on Navdeep Saini’s left forearm immediately as he strolls out to train ahead of Royal Challengers Bangalore’s first home game of the season, against Mumbai Indians on Thursday. He’s a little shy to show it off much at first, but then opens up, explaining how it signifies ‘free spirit’; it sounds like he has been asked about it before: “My brother and I used to watch a lot of wolf movies when we were kids. We’ve watched it all. I used to love it. If you see, a wolf never performs in a circus. He roams around out there in the jungle. That’s why I got this.”In October 2012, the free-spirited, 20-year-old boy arrived in Delhi from Karnal in neighbouring Haryana. It was the onset of winter, and the start of the Ranji Trophy season just days away. Delhi had in their line-up Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli and Ishant Sharma. Saini, who had camped at a friend’s place, jumped off his chair as he read about the stars in a Hindi daily. He got on a bus and reached Feroz Shah Kotla, just to see what the heroes were like in flesh and blood, but returned disappointed as the security guards didn’t allow him to get anywhere close to the players. He vowed to return someday.The following year, Saini tried his luck at the Roshanara grounds. He thought a club setting would make it easier to shake hands with the Delhi stars. He turned up with a set of whites and a tattered pair of boots, just so that he passed off as a net bowler. As it turned out, Delhi needed one that day because a number of designated net bowlers hadn’t been informed of the change in venue. Until then, Saini was just a tennis-ball bowler, who earned prize money playing local tournaments. Bowling with the red ball for the first time, he kept beating Gambhir for pace. The shy boy would mouth a ‘sorry’ every time he did so.Gambhir had received some feedback from Sumit Narwal, who had seen the boy bowl in the Karnal Premier League, a tournament he used to conduct. But now, he’d seen him bowl for real. After the session, Gambhir would arrange for a pair of spikes and get Saini to be a regular at the Delhi nets. This was Saini’s initiation into Delhi cricket, one that resulted in a number of backroom fights as well as frosty relations between Gambhir and the DDCA selectors. Eventually, the captain had his way and Saini broke into the Delhi squad during the 2013-14 Ranji Trophy season.”Gautam has had the biggest role in my life so far,” he says of the influence that has left quite an imprint. So much so that Saini didn’t think twice while having to miss out on an opportunity to bowl at the India nets so that he could feature in the 2017-18 Ranji Trophy final against Vidarbha. “He was the one who gave me an opportunity when I didn’t have much idea about [red- ball] cricket, didn’t have shoes also. He showed a lot of confidence in me.”Six years on, Saini been part of a Ranji final, delivered telling spells for Gambhir, the captain, and the same guys who he wanted to watch as a youngster are all watching him now.Now, Kohli throws the ball to him in the first over of Royal Challengers Bangalore’s 2019 opener. Nehra is his bowling coach, while Gambhir and Sehwag are commentating, watching the wiry 26-year old steam in, hustling Shane Watson for pace and pinging him on the head with a short ball. ” confidence , sir. .” He smiles sheepishly when asked about the ball.Saini bowls briskly, upwards of 140 clicks, and has a whippy action and quick arm speed that he attributes to his familiarity with the tennis ball.”All the help I’ve got in my bowling is all because of tennis ball cricket,” he says. “If you want to bowl full with tennis ball, it’s crucial you are fast. Since I bowled a lot with the tennis ball, it helped me build strength. Because of that, my arm speed increased as well. To bowl fast, I believe my fitness has to be at 110%, only then I can showcase my skills. If I bulk up too much, I feel my arm speed, which is my plus point, will slow down.”Navdeep Saini struck crucial blows•Getty ImagesThe technicalities of fast bowling is something Saini admits to not having much idea of earlier, but has developed his knowledge over the years. In the last 18 months alone, he has been part of India’s net-bowling contingent in South Africa and England. He has been an India A regular and earned a maiden Test call-up for the one-off Test against Afghanistan last June. The big push hasn’t come yet, but he isn’t too stressed.”I realised there’s a lot of difference,” Saini says, of bowling in a domestic set-up as compared to the national team. “The main thing is, when you are bowling in the India nets, you can’t afford to relax. You have to give 110 per cent. You can’t compromise on anything in any department. The mindset also changes because that level is totally different. Virat keeps telling me: ‘show the same intensity of a match at the nets also. In the nets if you’re conditioned to give 110%, you will be at 95% level in the match, because there’s added pressure.’ Bowling to top batsmen like Kohli and De Villiers gives me a lot of confidence.”At every training, Nehra is spontaneous to offering words of advice to Saini and the other bowlers. Ahead of the clash against Mumbai Indians, Saini was seen practicing wide yorkers, to Shimron Hetmyer and Colin de Grandhomme, with an old ball. Up front, he was handed the new ball while bowling to the top three. While it’s still early days in the season, Saini wants to use this opportunity to adjust to different T20 scenarios.”Ashu has vast knowledge about T20s. When I bowl in the nets, I get to learn a lot from him,” Saini says. “He tells me how to plan against different batsmen. I’ve performed well [in domestic cricket], but if I do well in my practice sessions as well, if we prepare like we are playing in a match, that helps. It helps my consistency also.”For now, it’s the confidence he derives from a strong start that he wants to carry forward. Life hasn’t quite been the same in the last 18 months. While the drive to Delhi from his home town has gotten a tad more comfortable, he’s focused on making every opportunity count, be it for Delhi, India A, the IPL or even for his colony team, bowling with the kind of free spirit and verve he showed many years ago when he first turned up to a big city with big aspirations.

A phone call from Bangladesh cricketer Tamim Iqbal brought Mohammad Isam to the scene of the terrorist attack. Here’s what he saw there.

Mohammad Isam in Christchurch15-Mar-20191:25

Bangladesh players in lockdown at team hotel

1.00pm: The Bangladesh team arrives at the Hagley Oval for a training session and, though there’s rain about, they plan to first go to a nearby mosque for Friday prayers and then return for the session. There was a plan to train at the indoor facilities at Lincoln University but then it was decided that the team would not travel that far.1.27pm: Bangladesh captain Mahmudullah completes the pre-match press conference at the Hagley Oval. He is in a rush as the rest of the players are ready to go to the mosque, but he still speaks for nine minutes.1.35pm: I am at the parking lot as the Bangladesh players board the bus. Seventeen members of the touring party, including manager Khaled Mashud, team analyst Shrinivas Chandrasekaran and masseur Md Sohel, are accompanying the players.1.52pm: I get a call from Tamim Iqbal, one of the senior-most cricketers in the team, as I’m leaving the Hagley Oval. He’s calling me for help. “There’s shooting here, please save us.” I first think that he is playing a prank but he hangs up and calls again – this time, his voice starts to crack. He says that I should call the police as there’s a shooting going on inside the mosque where they are about to enter.1.53 pm: My first instinct is to start running towards the mosque. I don’t even stop to think; you can call me an idiot for running towards an active terrorism scene but I knew I just had to go. Partly as a journalist, mainly as a human being.I start running towards the main road, when a lady, also heading out in her car, asks if I need a ride. I tell her what Tamim has told me, and she tells me to hop in. My fellow Bangladeshi journalists Mazhar Uddin and Utpal Shuvro also come along.Getty Images1.56pm: We see the entry to Deans Avenue, where the mosque is located, blocked off by a police car, so we get off in front of the Parkview Hotel on the corner of Deans and Riccarton avenues. I start running towards the mosque when I spot the Bangladesh team bus. There are a few police cars around, and a couple of ambulances. Some people are standing around, wondering what had happened near that intersection.But when I look to my right, towards the entrance of a motel, it becomes clear: There’s a body on the ground, being attended to by paramedics. There’s blood everywhere.2.00pm: I see one man running towards me, crying, and holding his arm. There’s definitely blood on his shirt. People nearby are helping another man to escape, shouting instructions at him. I keep walking fast towards the bus when I see a line of Bangladesh players running away from the bus. I cross the road, and as I get close, Ebadot Hossain grabs me by the arm and tells me to run with them. At this point I still have no idea what actually has happened; I don’t even know if the team was the target of the attack.2.02pm: The players are now on the side of Hagley Park, and someone asks for directions. The ground is to their right, about a 15-minute walk. The players enter the park and start to run, when someone tells them they should walk quickly. Not run.2.04pm: I am walking with Tamim and then I see the players spreading out, too wide apart. I ask Sohel to get them all together. It is impossible but some of them slow down to walk together.It’s no more than a kilometer away but it is the longest few minutes of my life. The players are talking about what they’ve seen – the blood, the bodies. One senior player holds on to me and breaks down. There is very little I can say to him.2.08pm: We reach the Hagley Oval and just run inside. Everyone is taken inside the players’ dressing room where they get to sit finally. They are visibly shaken.2.10pm: We are taken to the Hadlee Pavilion where the rest of the ground staff, NZC staff, etc are being asked to wait.7:16

‘We would have been inside the mosque had we reached 3-4 mins earlier’ – Khaled Mashud

2.45pm: The team, after consultation with the two cricket boards, decides to head to their hotel on Cathedral Street. They are escorted there immediately. The journalists stay behind.3.30pm: While holed up at the Hagley Oval, we keep seeing police cars and ambulances rushing towards the same place I had gone to earlier, near the mosque.5.00pm: The tour is called off by New Zealand Cricket, after consultation with the Bangladesh Cricket Board and the ICC.6.30pm: We are finally allowed to leave the ground, and we head to the team hotel.7pm: Crossing a really quiet Christchurch city centre, we arrive at the hotel in three cars. Manager Khaled Mashud has to take us to their team room where he gives a detailed statement about what had happened, and what the team plans to do next.7.25pm: We head to his room, where we charge our phones. Tamim Iqbal joins us. He is visibly shaken still, and I apologise for not believing him. He gives me a pat on the back, and smiles.8pm: The manager Mashud treats us to dinner, after which we head out to our own hotels. Christchurch, at the start of St Patrick’s Day weekend, is absolutely quiet. It was supposed to be a roaring Friday night. It is likely that the city will never be the same again.10 pm: I’m at a friend’s house for dinner. There’s no appetite, little conversation. The minutes are marked by phone calls updating us with grim news: Another acquaintance gone, the death toll keeps rising.

For one of these two great rivals, this is just another game. For the other? Well, it’s complicated

Osman Samiuddin at Old Trafford15-Jun-2019There were long evenings, even entire months, when some meagre salve could be found for deep wounds in the thought that if you took the batsmen of India and put them together with the bowlers of Pakistan, you would not only be holding a team-sheet that is 100% dynamite, but would also be solving some “issues” in the process. That this was not only to acknowledge cricketing realities but also express an acceptable degree of regret and yearning without being called a traitor.Those evenings weren’t as long ago as they now feel. We cannot reverse generational change, and it doesn’t feel like geopolitical realities can be reshaped right now. But cricketing realities have changed as much, and ahead of the seventh match between India and Pakistan at a World Cup, nobody can say a team of Indian batsmen and Pakistani bowlers would be stronger than either team as a separate entity.India are the stronger batting side. India have the better bowling attack. India have the fitter players. India have the sharper fielders. India have the better wicketkeeper. India have the greats. India have the freakish talents.Backed into a corner and forced to pick from this Pakistan squad? Maybe Mohammad Amir, but only so that the combined team could claim to have that angle of attack (India have no left-arm quick). Mohammad Hafeez. You laugh, but here are his figures for the year at No. 4 and here are those of India’s No. 4s for this year. Fine, you can still laugh, but numbers are numbers.

“I don’t want to say it’s the biggest rivalry in sport, but I saw some stats, you know, which said I think the soccer World Cup final attracted 1.6 billion viewers. Tomorrow likely to get 1.5 billion. It doesn’t get bigger than that”Mickey Arthur, Pakistan coach

And just as India have risen and Pakistan have remained, essentially, Pakistan, and time has moved further away from 1947, and populations have become younger, so too has this rivalry begun to change.Certainly to India’s players it matters less. An amount of bragging points, of course, but as Virat Kohli took great, great pains to point out at his pre-match press conference, it’s about them, not the opponents (and thus the rivalry). Five of the first six questions put to him were basically variations on how to deal with Pakistan, specifically how to handle their unpredictability, their main threats, Amir, yada, yada, yada.Each time, Kohli’s response was the same.”We’re not focusing on the opposition, so no one’s a threat.””Look, as I said, we’re not focusing too much on the strengths of the opposition.””We’re not focusing too much on what the opposition has to do or what they will bring to the table. We need to believe in our strengths.”The seventh question – itself revealing about the rivalry that it took so long for somebody to go there – was about the bigness of the occasion, of the madness of an India-Pakistan game.No sir. Nice try. But refer to the answers above please. This is just another game where have to be really good.Virat Kohli found in an unusual pose while training•AFPPakistan? Well, it’s complicated. Partially, that’s because of the immediate context of this game. This could’ve been South Africa or New Zealand and it would still be as important because they can’t afford to lose this game. They can, but then will have to start relying on other results to stand a chance of progressing to the last four.But over the past two days, a couple of their younger players have let on about the bigness of this contest, acknowledging that yes, it isn’t just any other game. Imam-ul-Haq first, who called it a “big pressure” game, and then Babar Azam, who agreed that doing well against India holds a different meaning.Mickey Arthur appeared initially to be reading from the same script as Kohli had done. It’s another game. Just two points, like every other game at this tournament. But eventually, in responding to a question about what the atmosphere will be like, he slipped.”I don’t want to say it’s the biggest rivalry in sport, but I saw some stats, you know, which said I think the soccer World Cup final attracted 1.6 billion viewers. Tomorrow likely to get 1.5 billion. It doesn’t get bigger than that. It doesn’t get more exciting. I’m telling our players in the dressing room, you could be a hero tomorrow. Your careers are going to be defined by a moment in the game. You do something incredible tomorrow, you’ll be remembered forever.”Here we have it, that age-old equation: game against India = chance to be a hero, a chance to change your life.On reflection, that it holds for Pakistan still, that it is Pakistan trying to use this as motivation and not India, is understandable. A lot of these India players might never play against Pakistan and they’d still be heroes. They have the IPL, Australia and England for that. A lot of these India players could lose and remain heroes because they have the IPL, Australia and England still. A lot of these India players are already heroes. That is now the nature and reality of the most powerful cricket country in the world, off the field for a while, but now on it as well. By dint of simply playing for India means you are more than halfway to being a hero already.Pakistan are the ones scrapping and trying to keep up. They are unequivocally the underdogs here and as long as they keep getting their selections wrong – as they have done so far in this tournament – they will remain the less likely to win. Even getting their selection right is no guarantee of victory.That is the new real, the shift in the crux of this contest – that only if Pakistan win this, if they do find that hero, might we invest some new meaning in this rivalry.

A spinner under pressure, a batsman in a Test slump, an Australian hungry for runs and an irreplaceable star make for a tough to-do list

George Dobell at Edgbaston03-Aug-20190:37

I’m gutted for Jimmy – Woakes

Moeen Ali:Sunday feels like a big day for Moeen. On a pitch offering substantial assistance to spin bowlers, he is the man England will rely upon in the hope of bowling out Australia.The evidence of Saturday was mixed. He claimed an early wicket – Cameron Bancroft turned one into the hands of short-leg – and should have had another had Jos Buttler held on to a low edge offered by Usman Khawaja in the slips. But the chance went down and Moeen subsequently struggled to maintain the right lines and lengths – a tough task against a batsman as good and as unorthodox as Steve Smith – and leaked more than five-an-over. Ominously for him, Joe Root bowled three overs himself and was about to turn to Joe Denly when bad light and then rain came to end play for the day. It felt as if he had lost a bit of confidence – and, perhaps, patience – in Moeen. The contrast with Nathan Lyon, who conceded 2.55 an over and beat the bat numerous times, was not flattering.It seems, in many ways, incredible that Moeen should be under any pressure. He is the top wicket-taker in the world in Test cricket since August 1, 2018 – he has taken 47 wickets in that period at a cost of 24.04 apiece – after all and he was England’s leading wicket-taker on both their winter tours. His career strike-rate – a wicket every 60.2 balls in Test cricket – is better than Jim Laker’s (62.3) and almost identical to Graeme Swann’s (60.1).Moeen Ali extracted the wicket of Cameron Bancroft•Getty ImagesBut with his batting form having disintegrated – he has made four ducks in his last eight Test innings and is averaging 15.40 since December 10, 2017; his ‘shot’ on Sunday was ugly – he needs to deliver with the ball if he is see off the challenge of Jack Leach. And while Leach’s best deliveries may not fizz and dip quite as much as Moeen’s, he can, perhaps, be relied upon to build pressure more readily by maintaining a tight line and length.It feels, at present, as if the spark of confidence has gone out in Moeen. And bowling to a batsman as good and as hungry as Smith in such a mind-set is fiendishly tough. But England need him to deliver on Sunday. And if his career is to be extended, he may need it, too.Jonny Bairstow:Another man whose form with the bat, at least in Test cricket, has disintegrated. Bairstow now averages 23.68 in Tests since the start of the 2018 English season. He has passed 30 twice in his last 16 Test innings – a run that includes five ducks – and, having made it clear he would rather bat down the order, really needs to deliver to justify the faith shown in him. His dismissal here – a footless waft which resulted in an edge to slip – was not pretty.To be fair to Bairstow, he has been shunted around the order in recent times – he has batted in four different positions in his last five Test innings – and even been left out of the side briefly in Sri Lanka. As a result, he may not feel quite as comfortable as might be the case. Technical faults magnified by batting up the order may have eaten away at his confidence, while changes made to improve his white-ball game – not least giving himself room to hit through the off-side – may also have become faults in a format of the game where the ball offers the bowlers more lateral movement.Peter Siddle had Jonny Bairstow taken at slip•Getty ImagesUltimately, though, there can be few excuses. Bairstow’s propensity to be bowled – 29 percent of his Test innings have ended in such a manner; the fifth highest ratio in history among regular players – suggests a technical fault, as does the fact that the percentage has risen to 40 percent over the last couple of years. The global average is 18 percent.The encouraging thing, from England’s perspective, is that Bairstow seems to perform at his best when doubted and under pressure. With Ben Foakes – man of the series in Sri Lanka, remember – biting at his ankles, however, Bairstow can ill afford a prolonged run of poor form. Foakes is, without much doubt, the better keeper. And while he probably cannot match the peaks of form that Bairstow has managed at times with the bat – between December 2015 and October 2016, he averaged 71.23 in Test cricket with three centuries and six half-centuries in 20 innings – he does average over 40 in Test cricket and showed himself calm and capable enough to win player of the match awards on both his Test and ODI debuts.In the longer-term, it may be worth reflecting on why the form of Bairstow and Moeen has deteriorated so badly in the England environment and why the coaching staff are apparently unable to arrest the decline. The reasons are probably multiple and complex – the predominance of white-ball cricket, a lack of red-ball cricket and a lack of time or interest in technical coaching – but they may need attention if England are to prosper in the World Test Championship.Steve Smith:Put simply, it seems England don’t have any idea how to dismiss Smith. From August 20, 2015, he averages 145.71 against them in seven Tests. Over a longer period – from August 20, 2013, he averages 77.37 against them in 17 Tests. The way things are progressing, he looks to be the difference between the sides.There’s no faulting England’s efforts. They have experimented with their lines, their lengths and their fields going back to the Brisbane Test in the last Ashes. Smith seems to have an answer for everything. And while there are times England seem able to slow his progress, he is so determined he will endure long periods of slow scoring in the knowledge that he will eventually exhaust the bowlers and feast upon their decaying carcasses.Steve Smith runs between the wickets•Getty ImagesEngland had hoped the Dukes ball or seaming wickets would help them stop Smith. But the relatively slow nature of the Edgbaston surface has allowed Smith the time to adapt to the seam movement and, to date, the Dukes ball has not swung as anticipated. It is also possible that James Anderson or even Jofra Archer might have had more success against Smith. But England won’t want to play on much quicker surfaces as it may encourage the Australian seamers.It was a point acknowledged by Chris Woakes after play on Saturday. “He’s obviously a world-class player and we’ve got to find a way to get him out,” Woakes said. “On this surface, in particular, it’s hard to force the issue as a bowler. The pace has gone out of the pitch so you almost have to build pressure maybe attack at the other end and hold at the other. But Steve doesn’t make too many mistakes.” All of which sounds ominously like ‘we’ll just try and get everyone else out and leave him stranded.’James Anderson:Anderson’s loss is a body blow to England’s hopes. He has been, by a distance, England’s best seamer over much of the last decade and gave every indication of improving with age. The choice of the brand of Dukes ball in use in this series was made, in part, on the basis of what he could do with it and, for all the effort and ability of Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes, neither would claim to have the skills of the leading wicket-taker among seam bowlers in Test history.James Anderson shows some discomfort•Getty ImagesWhile it would be premature to rule Anderson out of the entire series – he bowled both before play and at lunch on Saturday, after all – there does seem every chance he is set for a lay-off that could keep him out of much of the series. The results of the scan on his calf are expected in the next day or two, but Root would have loved to call upon him at Edgbaston on Saturday and Sunday. The fact that Mark Wood is already ruled out for the entire series compounds England’s problems.There is, at least, help to hand in the shape of Archer. But for all his talent and potential, it is asking a huge amount of him to expect him to come straight into an Ashes series and replace England’s leading wicket-taker in Test history. As England were always sure to find out eventually, there is no replacing Anderson.

Saurashtra captain talks about his evolving journey and how making an Indian comeback remains his priority

Interview by Saurabh Somani11-Jan-2020Your thoughts on the IPL auction – you’re back with your old team. At a reduced price but in a familiar setting?I think this is the first time I’m answering a question about the auctions. I consciously didn’t want to speak about it because I felt this has to be taken as lightly as it can be. I haven’t thought about it as much as I did previously. All I know is I’m going to play in the same team, and I’m happy I’m going to play in the same set-up where I know the people, the management, the captain. But auctions, pressure and the things that people talk about – I’m just over all that.Does it give you confidence that even though Rajasthan Royals released you, they had enough faith to want you back?That has been a trend with me for whatever team I’ve played in. People have been looking to get me back. All I can make out from that is that I must be doing something good for the team and with my performance. All I want is to be better at it, maybe not give them a chance to put me back in the auction again and prove that I’m worth more than what people think I am. But having said that, I am in a happy space about my cricket. If you would have asked me this question two years back, I would have talked a lot about it, but at the moment, it doesn’t affect me at all, even if I talk about it.

“Earlier, it used to play on my mind that I need to get X number of wickets in a season to make my name, but those things don’t really play on my mind anymore. I’m above that now. It’s just about bowling at my best, bowling hostile spells where you can feel the batsmen don’t like playing you”

This is a T20 World Cup year. Are you aiming at something specific, like being in that tournament?If I take it that way, it’s not going to help me. The competition is such that whoever is getting chances, people are doing well. So I just need to focus on my skills. Of course, whatever efforts I’m putting in, it’s all about getting my place back in the Indian team, but it’s not all about the World Cup. It’s a personal goal that I’ve set, and it’s a process that will go on till I prove that I’m worth getting my place back in the team.Everyone knows what one tournament can do for a player, especially for someone who is on the verge of being in and out of the team. So be it IPL or this Ranji Trophy, everything is crucial.You had told me recently that you are at peace with your game, even though you aren’t making the India A squads?Yes, you can say that. Although recently, it did disappoint me a bit, that after starting the season on a great note, I was a bit hopeful of being given a chance in the India A tour that’s coming up. So it’s not that I’m not at all bothered about that, these things do come in the mind, thoughts like: ‘when is the next selection happening, and when am I going to get my chance?’ Especially when I’m doing well. But like you said, I am in a state of peace in the sense that it does not affect my mindset at all when I play a game. Being the captain actually helps because I’m thinking about the team, strategies and all that and it’s not just about me. That’s helped me a lot to be in a good space.You got the captaincy mid-season last year and ended up having your most successful season as a bowler.I think captaincy added a whole new dimension to my game and to myself as a player. I am someone who loves taking on leadership roles. I’ve loved it since I was quite young. I am fortunate that I’m playing for a team like Saurashtra. It’s not a team with lots of ‘big’ players, it’s a well-knit unit, and it’s always good to captain a side like that.I’m excited for the guys in my team. The way we played last year was something I cherish, and would love to repeat. I don’t really care if anyone else noticed it or not, but the way we were enjoying ourselves, coming back from behind to win [in the quarter-final against Uttar Pradesh and the semi-final against Karnataka], I think there’s no better feeling. I can do this throughout my career if given the chance.You said Saurashtra is a team without ‘big’ players, but you have two pretty big ones in Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravindra Jadeja.Yes, of course. But then they are not always available. Cheteshwar was there for the knockouts last year and he was a big help. We’ve been best friends since 8-9 years now and he’s the guy with whom I talk cricket the most. It was really good to have him around in the first year [of my captaincy]. When I wanted any help from someone in the middle, he was there. And as a batsman, you can’t ask for anything better than Cheteshwar. And Ravindra as well, whenever he has played for Saurashtra, he has won matches single-handedly. He’s obviously one of a kind, cannot be matched.But now we have a team that is doing well even when they are not available, which wasn’t the case before. We wanted to do that as a team, and we’ve been able to do that last season.

“We had a deal that if he [Pujara] gets a century in any of the innings there [in Australia], I would give him a gift worth INR 5000. And if I would take a fifer here [in the Ranji Trophy that was going on], he would give me a gift worth INR 5000. So we had a friendly battle to see who would come on top and get more gifts. He got three centuries in that tour, but after the 193 in Sydney he told me that was actually deserving of a 200 so I should give him 10,000 for that!”

You’ve been great friends with Pujara. You and he must have had some interesting conversations when he was in Australia, putting in a Man-of-the-Series performance, and you were leading Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy?We had a deal that if he gets a century in any of the innings there, I would give him a gift worth INR 5000. And if I would take a fifer here [in the Ranji Trophy that was going on in India at the time], he would give me a gift worth INR 5000. So we had a friendly battle to see who would come on top and get more gifts. He got three centuries in that tour, but after the 193 in Sydney he told me that was actually deserving of a 200 so I should give him 10,000 for that!I had a good season as well, I had four fifers here. So he gave me a gift and I gave him one. So it was quite memorable.Since you said you enjoy captaincy, do you think there was a case for you to get it sooner, and not just when Jaydev Shah retired? [Jaydev Shah retired midway through the 2018-19 season after having captained Saurashtra in 111 games, a Ranji Trophy record]I think this is the right time, because I have matured as a player. Maybe if it had come to me a couple of years earlier, I would still be fighting my own way about how I want to be as a player. I was still figuring out what my strengths and weaknesses are. But now I’m at a stage where I’m really clear about those things. So now I can really focus on the captaincy as well because it’s something that demands a lot of attention. If you want to be the captain of a , if you want everyone in the team to do well, there are a lot of things you can do as a captain. Keep everyone together, keep the atmosphere good. At the same time, guys who are not playing, keep them on their toes and aware about where they stand. If you want to do all that, you have to be clear in your mind as a player, so I think it’s come to me at the right time.What went right last season for Saurashtra, and for you?Before the fourth-innings chase in the quarter-final, I spoke and Cheteshwar spoke about how important it is for a side like Saurashtra, who don’t really have the kind of players that Mumbai or Karnataka have had, that we qualify for the knockouts every year without the help of guys like Cheteshwar and Ravindra. So it was an opportunity that we thought we could not miss, and everyone believed in themselves more. That was one thing I really loved about our team last season: we started believing we can beat any team, and win from any position.As for my bowling, my strength has been to use the angles and swing it both ways. A couple of wickets were helpful, but apart from that, not many were. I got a couple of fifers in Rajkot on flat wickets where I really bowled my heart out. The only plan there was to reverse the ball. If you’re playing in Rajkot, it’s bound to reverse, and if you have the skills it can reverse in 15-20 overs.You spoke about the hurt of missing out on India A selections. Is it tough to find motivation to play domestic cricket, having tasted international cricket?I don’t agree with that. I would say it’s actually easier if you have played at the highest level because you’ll always know that you have it inside you to once again perform and reach there. If you haven’t been selected even once, you might still have doubts about whether you are good enough to play at that level or not. The aspiration [to play for India] is always there, but for me, every season has been really exciting at the start. Earlier, it used to play on my mind that I need to get X number of wickets in a season to make my name, but those things don’t really play on my mind anymore. I’m above that now. It’s just about bowling at my best, bowling hostile spells where you can feel the batsmen don’t like playing you.ESPNcricinfo LtdYou last played for India A in 2013 with the red ball. The stats say you’ve been arguably one of the top two or three pacers in domestic cricket from then to now, but you’ve still not got an opportunity after that.I feel whoever has got a chance in my place in the past has been doing well, or probably deserved to get a call-up at some point – like I did when I was doing well. I still feel that I have it inside me to come back in the team and be successful as well. I don’t just want to get a spot, I want to do well at the international level. I’ve reached there in all three formats, so it’s not about being picked anymore. Now it’s about being picked and being relied upon as one of the premier fast bowlers in the country. The standards are high. The way the current crop of fast bowlers is doing is something I try to imitate. When I saw [Jasprit] Bumrah bowling in the West Indies, it inspired me to be as hostile as him. If I want to be at that level, I have to be as good as him. You have to be above everyone else if you want to be successful at that level.Does the thought of increasing your pace ever come?Not really. I’m obviously not as quick as some of the other guys, but it’s different skill sets. To be honest and realistic, I cannot aim to bowl at 145kph. That hasn’t been my strength since the start of my career, so I don’t really want to focus on just increasing my pace. Yes, if the fitness levels increase, pace is bound to increase by a few kilometres, which I can feel has happened with me in the last two-three years. I’ve started to train specific to my bowling style. It’s about what I need technically in my bowling to be good. Say I have my back foot collapsing, I would work on my calf strength, or of the muscles needed while jumping in the delivery stride. Steffan Jones, who was our fast bowling coach at Rajasthan Royals, has been helping me a lot. I went to train at his academy in the UK for ten days specifically to tailor my training, and I found that it is helping me.Speaking of Rajasthan Royals, you have had to deal with a fair amount of trolls on social media, because you’ve been in the spotlight for the prices you’ve fetched in past auctions?At some point, I do feel that people become so harsh they don’t realise we are humans as well. But having said that, you can’t really go to every individual and see what their mindset is. They [trolls] do it for fun, or just to get attention. People have told me to not bother about that and that social media is something I shouldn’t really look at.Does it happen in real life ever?I haven’t had anyone coming up to me and telling me anything on my face. I think those people only mention you on social media. Face to face, they won’t speak anything. That itself shows that those things don’t really matter as much as you think they do at times.We play this beautiful game for fans, for people to follow it and love it. But in our country, it happens that a minority do it out of hatred or jealousy. Critics can help you at times, tell you things that you don’t see in your game. But people who just abuse you all the time don’t really matter. When it started, it was difficult because I wasn’t used to it. But I’m pretty much immune to all that now. You have to develop a thick skin if you are playing cricket in India.

With Europa League action looming, there is still time left for Rangers to save their season, with the Old Firm side hoping to emulate – and better – their European heroics in 2022 by reaching the competition’s showpiece in May.

In essence, the upcoming tie against Athletic Bilbao represents all that is left to play for at Ibrox for the remainder of the campaign, with the Light Blues having tumbled out of title contention in the Premiership.

Frustratingly for interim boss Barry Ferguson, his side have failed to build on the recent dramatic derby triumph, with Saturday seeing the Glasgow giants slip to a fifth successive defeat on home soil Hibernian.

That 2-0 loss – which was followed by a shock 1-0 defeat for Celtic away at bottom side St Johnstone – has only served to epitomise what has been a miserable domestic campaign at Ibrox, with the gap now at 13 points between the division’s top two.

Such woes have perhaps not been helped by the uncertainty surrounding the permanent manager role and the impending 49ers takeover, with it set to represent a real summer of change for the Gers in all departments.

Indeed, Saturday’s setback showcased once again why the playing squad is also in need of major surgery…

Rangers' worst performers vs Hibs

First and foremost, it proved to be another frustrating day for the polarising Cyriel Dessers in attack, with the experienced striker looking back to his former self with a profligate display against the Edinburgh side.

The Nigerian striker – who notably scored in the first-leg win over Fenerbahce – had scored four across his last four league games heading into the weekend clash, although went on to squander two big chances as the hosts failed to make the breakthrough.

The £27k-per-week striker notably saw his effort denied from the angle after being teed up by skipper, James Tavernier, before then lashing over the bar following a clever, threaded pass from Hamza Igamane.

Dessers stats vs Hibernian

Stat

Record

Minutes played

88

Touches

24

Shots on target

1

Shots off target

2

Big chances missed

2

Pass accuracy

85%

Key passes

0

Ground duels won

3/6

Aerial duels won

0

Possession lost

5x

Offsides

3

Stats via Sofascore

Aside from that moment of quality, meanwhile, it proved to be a ‘completely anonymous performance’ from young Igamane – as per The Scotsman’s Mark Atkinson, with the Old Firm hero notably squandering possession on 20 occasions from just 54 touches, as per Sofascore.

Elsewhere, it was also a grim outing for the members of Ferguson’s backline, with promising full-back, Jefte, having looked off the boil down the left, having failed to complete any of his five attempted crosses, while also losing the ball 18 times in a desperate bid to create for his side.

The Brazilian – and his defensive colleagues – were almost comically undone for the game’s clincher as Martin Boyle was afforded acres of space to run into, with the Australian star duly converting through the legs of Jack Butland, epitomising what was another rough afternoon for the Gers’ number one.

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With Dessers failing to fire at one end, Ferguson and co weren’t helped by the woes of the Englishman at the other end, with Butland failing to keep out Dylan Levitt’s deflected strike as the Easter Road side surged into the lead.

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In isolation, that mistake from the £25k-per-week stopper could be accepted, although the ex-Crystal Palace man has now produced a string of gaffes that have proved costly for his side in recent months.

The 32-year-old had initially looked like a real coup following his free transfer arrival back in the summer of 2023, having ended that debut season as something of a shining light for the Gers, after keeping 18 clean sheets and conceding just 32 goals in the league.

Such inspired form even led to calls for Butland to be selected in England’s Euro 2024 squad, with Rangers icon Graeme Souness among those tipping the experienced ‘keeper to be on the plane to Germany:

Unfortunately for Butland, that call never came, with it now looking increasingly unlikely that international recognition will come his way any time soon, with Saturday’s mistake just the latest in a catalogue of errors in 2025.

Journalist Josh Bunting notably stated back in late December, following the 2-2 draw with Motherwell, that Butland was in a “real rut of form”, having begun to look “so shaky with each passing game”.

Indeed, the one-time Manchester United loanee proceeded to punch the ball into his own net against his former side in the 2-1 loss at Old Trafford, while more recently, he could only spill the ball straight into the path of Dundee striker, Simon Murray, in that 4-3 thriller.

Of course, Butland did enjoy the highs of his penalty shoot-out heroics against Fenerbahce, although considering his status among the club’s highest earner – and the fact that he was signed on a free – the 49ers regime may deem it wise to try and cash in on the 2023 arrival this summer in order to secure a profit.

Yes, perhaps he is merely a victim of the wider issues that are currently impacting Rangers, although at a time when no one should be safe from the axe, Butland may find himself nudged toward the exit door.

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Aston Villa have now made an offer to sign a “generational talent”, and they have moved ahead of Premier League rivals Manchester City in the race for his signature, according to a report.

Aston Villa gearing up for Paris Saint-Germain clash

Villa are hitting a rich vein of form at the perfect stage of the season, with a 2-1 victory against Nottingham Forest last time out boosting their hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League considerably.

However, tonight’s game could be the Villans’ toughest of the season so far, as they are faced with the daunting task of travelling to Paris Saint-Germain for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.

Aston Villa’s upcoming fixtures

Date

Paris Saint-Germain (a)

April 9th

Southampton (a)

April 12th

Paris Saint-Germain (h)

April 15th

Newcastle United (h)

April 19th

Manchester City (a)

April 22nd

These kinds of nights are what fans have dreamed about for decades, and Unai Emery will no doubt be fully focused on the task at hand, but the manager has also been stepping up his summer transfer plans as of late.

A new centre-back is of particular interest, and £50m will be enough to seal a deal for Sporting CP centre-back Ousmane Diomande, while Emery has also personally requested the signing of Tottenham Hotspur’s Cristian Romero.

Defence is not the only area in which Aston Villa are looking to strengthen, however, with a report from GiveMeSport stating they have now made an offer to sign Rosenborg midfielder Sverre Nypan.

Arsenal have also made an approach for the 18-year-old, with signing for the Gunners or the Villans deemed to be more likely than a move to Manchester City, despite interest from Pep Guardiola’s side.

There is also fresh competition for Nypan’s signature from Borussia Dortmund, with the transfer battle now hotting up, and there is a feeling any deal could amount to a fee of around £12.5m.

"Generational talent" Nypan could have "huge future ahead"

The teenager has already established himself as an important player for Rosenborg, displaying his attacking prowess by amassing 14 goals and 11 assists in 62 appearances for the Norwegian club.

Not only that, but the starlet has been hailed as a “generational talent” by a Norwegian scout, while football talent scout Jacek Kulig believes he has a “huge future ahead”.

The Norwegian midfielder’s performances for Rosenborg indicate he could soon be ready to make the step up to the Premier League, so it is exciting news that Aston Villa have now made an opening bid.

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However, it may be difficult to win the race for Nypan’s signature, given the interest from Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal, with the Gunners now in a very strong position to reach the Champions League semi-final after a 3-0 victory over Real Madrid yesterday.

Aston Villa moved up to seventh in the Premier League table by beating the team that were ahead of them – Brighton & Hove Albion – 3-0 away from home on Wednesday night.

The Villans, in a match that lasted over 100 minutes, secured all three points in emphatic fashion, thanks to goals from Marcus Rashford, Marco Asensio, and Donyel Malen, who all joined the claret and blue army in the January transfer window.

There were many impressive performers for Unai Emery’s side throughout the match at the AMEX, including the player who scored the opening goal on the night – Rashford.

Why Marcus Rashford's performance was vital for Aston Villa

The England international, who is on loan from Macnhester United until the end of the season, was the player to make it 1-0 for Villa with his terrific run in behind the Brighton defence.

He made a great movement off the shoulder of the last defender to race clear through on goal and the finish matched the run as the speedster brilliantly lifted the ball into the back of the net to give Villa the lead.

The 27-year-old attacker’s goal broke the deadlock and allowed the away side to play with more freedom, having taken the lead, which teed up the rest of the performance for Villa to go on and win with ease, which is why his display and goal were so vital for Emery’s team.

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There was a Villans star, however, who was even more important to the result, as Morgan Rogers proved that he is the main man for Villa with another sublime showing.

Why Morgan Rogers is the main man for Aston Villa

Emery has a host of brilliant attacking talents at his disposal, including the likes of Rashford, Asensio, and Ollie Watkins, but it is the former Manchester City man who runs the team with his performances.

As the attacking midfielder tasked with carrying the ball through the thirds, Rogers is crucial to everything that Villa do in possession and is now closing in on 20 goal contributions for the season, with 12 goals and seven assists in all competitions.

The 22-year-old dynamo, who was handed a player rating of 8/10 by BirminghamLive, added another two assists to his tally in the win over Brighton, playing a phenomenal long-range ball to Rashford for the opener, and racing down the flank to provide a perfect cut-back for Asensio to make it 2-0.

Minutes

88

65

Goals

0

1

Big chances created

2

0

Assists

2

0

Duels won

6/12

0/2

Tackles + interceptions

7

1

As you can see in the table above, the English whiz outperformed Rashford with his contributions to the side in and out of possession throughout the game, which shows that he offered more to the team overall.

Rogers, who was compared to Jude Bellingham on Sky Sports earlier this season, has proven himself to the main man time and time again for the Villans, as he has started all 29 of his appearances in the Premier League, whilst Watkins has been a substitute on five occasions.

Illustrating his all-round quality, Rogers is the only player in the squad who ranks within the top five for shots, dribbles, key passes, and fouls won per game, which speaks to how much of an influence he has on matches on the ball.

The Villa star can impact games with his energy out of possession, by winning tackles and duels, whilst also providing a threat as a scorer and a creator of goals, which makes him the full package for Emery and the manager’s main man on the pitch in the top-flight.

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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.

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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.

Bayern Munich boss Vincent Kompany is now very eager for the Bundesliga giants to sign a top Chelsea transfer target, with Enzo Maresca’s side facing even more competition for one player they are seriously pursuing.

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Chelsea activated the recall clause in Trevoh Chalobah’s loan deal at Crystal Palace to bring him back to Stamford Bridge in the January transfer window, rather than sign a completely new name mid-season, but the Cobham academy graduate isn’t expected to have a long-term future under Maresca.

Fulham (away)

April 20th

Everton (home)

April 26th

Liverpool (home)

May 4th

Newcastle (away)

May 10th

Man United (home)

May 18th

It is believed Chelsea are likely to let Chalobah go permanently in the summer (BBC), so the west Londoners will be in need of another centre-back to reinforce Maresca’s defensive options, ahead of his second season in charge, where they could be competing in the Champions League.

According to reliable journalist Simon Phillips, Chelsea are expected to ‘go big’ on the signing of a new defender, with Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi and Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen on their radar.

Stamford Bridge chiefs, according to The Mirror, are even contemplating the possibility of a £50 million part-exchange bid for the former, and could offer Chalobah as part of the deal to re-sign their ex-player.

Meanwhile, Huijsen’s excellent season at Bournemouth, combined with the fact he’ll be available for the value of his £50 million release clause this summer, has piqued interest from Chelsea and other elite Premier League sides.

According to the reliable David Ornstein, Chelsea have reached out to Huijsen’s camp for talks ahead of the summer window, so it appears the Spain international is a firm target for Maresca.

However, following these discussions with Chelsea, competition is growing for the “sensational” 20-year-old’s signature, and Maresca now faces a serious threat from Bayern in pursuit of Huijsen.

Vincent Kompany tells Bayern Munich to sign Dean Huijsen

According to Football Insider and journalist Pete O’Rourke, Kompany is “pushing” Bayern to sign Huijsen this summer, and the Bavarians have joined the hotly-contested race for his services as a result.

Kompany is said to be a “huge fan” of the former Juventus defender, and they’re believed to be really pressing for Huijsen alongside Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Newcastle – with Tottenham also believed to have made contact (David Ornstein).

However, all of them may even be left disappointed, as Huijsen reportedly favours a move to Real Madrid.

In any case, the Spaniard’s next destination is fast becoming one of this summer’s most intriguing transfer stories, and it isn’t hard to see why so many clubs are keen on him after his hugely impressive debut season in the Premier League.

“He is one of the highest quality prospects in European football at this age level,” said Fenerbache boss and former Blues manager José Mourinho.

“He will be a great footballer in the future.”