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Captain Rovman Powell led the way, smashing an unbeaten 41 off 17 balls, as Barbados Royals secured their first win in CPL 2025. Despite that, Royals remained at the bottom of the points table and David Wiese’s St Lucia Kings remained at the top along with Nicholas Pooran’s Trinbago Knight Riders. Currently, only net run-rate separates Kings and TKR.After they were asked to bat first, Royals didn’t start well. They lost Quinton de Kock to left-arm fingerspinner Khary Pierre in the third over and by the end of the powerplay, they had managed only 39 for 1. Tabraiz Shamsi, the left-arm wristspinner from South Africa, then stifled Royals even further by taking out Brandon King (42), Kadeem Alleyne (39) and Sherfane Rutherford (16) in his four overs which cost Kings only 26 runs.When Powell joined Chris Green, Royals were 120 for 5 in the 16th over. Powell then teed off, lining up Alzarri Joseph for two sixes and a four in the 19th over. In the final over of the innings, bowled by rookie Delano Potgieter, Powell and Green combined to take three fours and a six.Green wasn’t done just yet. He struck with the new ball, dismissing Johnson Charles and Roston Chase. Wicketkeeper-opener Tim Seifert raced to 24 off 13 before he was bowled by Jomel Warrican. Tim David, one of the most dangerous finishers in the world, then threatened to take the game away from Royals until Daniel Sams interneved and cut his innings short on 44 off 28 balls.David’s dismissal left Kings at 94 for 6 in 12 overs, needing 98 off 48 balls. Cameos from Wiese and Joseph got Kings closer, but Royals finally wrapped up their first victory this season and kept their hopes of making the playoffs alive.

A change of attitude, allied to crucial early-season momentum, has carried the team to a first final in eight years

Alex Malcolm23-Mar-2025Confidence is an intangible. So is a winning culture. But those who have seen it know what it looks like.It was something that struck Brendan Doggett the moment he moved to Adelaide in the winter of 2021.”I noticed big time when I first got South Australia four seasons ago, that there wasn’t much belief,” Doggett told ESPNcricinfo. “There wasn’t much confidence in the squad.”Doggett had just left Queensland, having played in a winning Sheffield Shield final in April of that year, helping secure Queensland’s second Shield title in four seasons by taking 3 for 37 in the second innings.Related

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That he didn’t see any belief was hardly surprising. South Australia had just finished last in the Shield for the fourth consecutive season. They would make it five by the end of Doggett’s first summer there. South Australia have not won a Shield since 1996. Since then, South Australian cricket fans had seen just two domestic white-ball titles, a lone One-Day Cup in 2011-12 and a BBL title for Adelaide Strikers in 2017-18.When Ryan Harris arrived in Adelaide in the winter of 2023 as South Australia’s new bowling coach under Jason Gillespie, he saw the same thing. Harris was returning home, having left the state during his playing career in 2008 to join Queensland, where he won a Shield as a player in 2011-12 and enjoyed great success with Australia before beginning his coaching career in that same Queensland environment.

Ball-by-ball, in the contest, no game is ever too far away from winning. Someone do something special. Play the long gameJake Lehmann on mindset

“When Ryan came along as bowling coach last year, he sort of instilled in us bowlers that we can win from anywhere,” Doggett said. “We’re always going to fight, no matter our position. And I guess the belief sort of started from there. We got glimmers of hope last year where we were going to win matches from being a long way behind, and then that just continued on this year, with him taking charge of the whole squad. He’s kept that same mentality of always fighting, always trying to find a way to win from any position. And that’s probably been the big shift.”

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There was optimism in Nathan McSweeney’s voice as far back as last September when the newly installed South Australian captain spoke about his new coach and his team’s prospects.”He’s got a great relationship with the group, and his passion for the state is second to none,” McSweeney told ESPNcricinfo on September 19.”Last year, I think there was times where we just let ourselves down in a session, with the bat or ball. I feel like we’re not that far away, and hopefully Ryno can help progress that.”What Harris wanted to build was a squad mentality. He had seen what Western Australia had done in using 25 different players to win a hat-trick of Shield and One-Day Cup doubles over the previous three seasons.What he had observed in South Australia was a culture of individuality.”What’s done is done,” Harris told ESPNcricinfo on September 19. “We haven’t had success. That’s no secret. And we want to do that.Nathan McSweeney’s optimism was in evidence right from the start of the season•Getty Images”We want to individually have success and do well but ultimately, if it comes to selection and you’re not necessarily in that team, which is not always easy, you make sure you deal with your disappointment and you get over it, and then you get back into supporting team mode.”I think that’s part of what’s not been great here in the last few years. That’s probably 1% but that can play a huge role in bringing groups apart. So that’s one thing I’ve probably focused on a lot.”

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From little things, big things grow.It might not have seemed like it at the time, but just five days after Harris and McSweeney made those comments, South Australia produced perhaps their most important win of the season, and potentially the previous 13 years, in the context of setting them on the path to a drought-breaking title.In a One-Day Cup clash at Cricket Central in Sydney, their opening match of any form for the season, South Australia had been bowled out for 166. The three-time defending champions in WA were 133 for 3 after 25.5 overs and marching towards a bonus point win.Nathan McAndrew, Wes Agar, Henry Thornton and Ben Manenti combined to take 7 for 31 and South Australia won by two runs.At the same venue a few weeks later, South Australia were 23 for 4 in the fourth innings of their first Shield game against New South Wales, needing an unlikely 389 to win on the final day. McSweeney batted the day to finish 127 not out. Alex Carey also made 111. South Australia survived comfortably against Nathan Lyon to secure a reassuring draw.Two weeks later, they set Queensland a similar target on the final day in Brisbane and bowled them out in 73.3 overs to win their first Shield game of the season.The very next match they bowled Victoria out with just 16 minutes to spare on the final day and break a nine-year drought against their border rivals.”I’ve been a big believer of you learn to win, and then winning becomes a habit.” Doggett said.South Australia kept winning. In December they won the equal-closest Shield game in history off the last ball of the match, taking 4 for 4 in nine balls in Hobart when Tasmania were poised to chase down 429.Alex Carey’s three Shield centuries have been a key factor in South Australia’s progression to the final•Getty ImagesIn the next game in February, after the BBL break, they won the shortest game in Shield history, bowling defending champions WA out for 120 and 66 at the WACA to win in Perth for the first time in eight years.On March 1, they broke the title drought at Adelaide Oval, winning the One-Day Cup for the first time in 13 years by defending just 268 against Victoria who had been 74 for 1 in the chase.Eight days later they beat them again in the Shield in Melbourne, chasing 300 six-down on the final day to secure their first home final in eight years.Jake Lehmann was the hero making an unbeaten 105. Just moments after hitting the winning runs he summed up why South Australia had made winning a habit this season.”It’s just a fighting mentality,” Lehmann told ESPNcricinfo. “Ball-by-ball, in the contest, no game is ever too far away from winning. Someone do something special. Play the long game. All those small little things.”Training has definitely lifted. Our competitiveness at training now has definitely gone through the roof. I think it’s on the back of that squad mentality and blokes who are not playing that are making lots of runs in second XI, lots of runs in club cricket, taking lots of wickets.Nathan McAndrew has been a huge figure in the attack•Getty Images”Selection has been tough, and I think that’s lifted training and Ryno’s really driven that. Those boys run in and put their best foot forward every week.”Lehmann, 32, had been acting captain for the last four games of the previous season and is one of only two surviving members from South Australia’s last Shield final appearance who will play this week.But he started this summer playing in South Australia’s second XI. He made 173 against WA’s second XI to win back his place when the Test players departed in November. Now he enters the Shield final as one of South Australia’s form players, having scored 67 in the One-Day final, 105 not out and 130 not out in his last two Shield games.”For me, it’s been a long way,” Lehmann said. “To win that One-Day final, I think we had played in four of them already, in two Shield finals. Hopefully, it’s just a growing group. And I think the difference this year is we’re probably going to have four or five blokes who are not going to play in the Shield final, like we had in the One-Day, that could easily be playing for us and have played a role throughout the year.”I think that’s the strength of the group. We’ve got a really good squad mentality, and it’s just feeding through.”Winning has become a habit. South Australia is riding the crest of a wave. The whole state is along for the ride. There is a growing sense that a 29-year drought might finally be broken against Queensland at Karen Rolton Oval this week.Doggett knows better than any of them what is required.”Nothing really changes.” Doggett said. “In the same breath, I think we need to acknowledge the fact that it is a Shield final, that it is going to be a special week, the whole build-up to it.”These things don’t come around too often, as many South Australians would know.”So yeah, acknowledge it’s going to be a big week, and it’s going to be a big game. It’s going to be really exciting.”But always falling back to our processes, our training standards and what we’ve done for the whole season.”

If Danny Röhl did not know he had a big job on his hands already at Rangers, he certainly knows that now.

On Thursday night, the Glasgow outfit were swatted aside 2-0 by Roma at Ibrox, the club’s seventh successive European defeat, leaving them rock bottom of the gigantic Europa League table, still yet to get off the mark.

Having also been beaten by Brann and then Celtic in Sunday’s League Cup semi-finals, Röhl has become the first ever permanent Rangers manager to taste as many as three defeats across his first five games in charge.

In his press conference after the game, the German insisted that this job was not bigger than he first thought but, even though he currently has the fans onside, this can quickly turn, as Russell Martin found out, lasting only 17 games in the Ibrox hot seat.

So, with a game against Dundee at Dens Park next up for the Light Blues on Sunday, which regular starter should be on borrowed time, as Röhl targets an upturn in both performances and results?

Rangers' catastrophic summer spending

Earlier this year, 49ers Enterprises completed their takeover of Rangers, which was supposed to commence a new era of success on Glasgow’s south side.

Well, they inarguably got the appointment of manager Russell Martin wrong, while a huge amount of money was spent in the summer, albeit not very well, as the table below documents.

Lyall Cameron

Dundee

Compensation

Joe Rothwell

Bournemouth

£400k

Emmanuel Fernandez

Peterborough

£3.5m

Thelo Aasgaard

Luton Town

£3.5m

Nasser Djiga

Wolves

Loan

Djeidi Gassama

Sheff Wednesday

£2.2m

Mikey Moore

Tottenham

Loan

Oliver Antman

Go Ahead Eagles

£3m

Jayden Meghoma

Brentford

Loan

Bojan Miovski

Girona

£2.6m

Youssef Chermiti

Everton

£8m

Derek Cornelius

Marseille

Loan

Cyriel Dessers

Panathinaikos

£3.5m

Hamza Igamane

Lille

£10.5m

Rıdvan Yılmaz

Beşiktaş

£2m

Jefté

Palmeiras

£6m

Robin Pröpper

Twente

£1.5m

Václav Černý

Beşiktaş

End of loan

As the table documents, Rangers spent over £23m in the summer, while recouping a similar amount, all of which has made the squad substantially worse.

£8m, potentially rising to £10m in add-ons, was splashed to bring in Youssef Chermiti from Everton, who has scored just one goal for the club to date, replacing Hamza Igamane who departed for Lille for a similar amount, but has been on fire in Northern France, netting seven times for les Dogues already.

Similarly, Bojan Miovski has so far been a sub-par replacement for last season’s top-scorer Cyriel Dessers, who netted 29 times across all competitions, while star attacker Václav Černý simply has not been replaced, with teenager Jayden Meghoma appearing out of his depth, which isn’t ideal considering both senior left-backs Jefté and Rıdvan Yılmaz were sold.

Speaking on TNT Sports after Thursday’s defeat to Roma, Rangers legend Ally McCoist asserted that it will take at least three transfer windows to fix Rangers current predicament, asserting that he hopes the board back Röhl, noting that recruitment has to be a concern, given what sporting director Kevin Thelwell has delivered so far.

For now, Röhl has to work with the players in his squad and is under pressure to deliver results, so which of the summer recruits is on borrowed time?

The Rangers summer signing Danny Röhl must axe

They say first impressions are the most important, which is not ideal for Nasser Djiga.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

After arriving on a season-long loan from Wolves, aforementioned sporting director Thelwell backed the new defender to “flourish”.

Well, the Burkinabé international marked his home Premiership debut by being sent off against Dundee during a dismal 1-1 draw at Ibrox.

Nevertheless, mistakes happen and the 22-year-old former Crvena zvezda defender is only young, we’re sure he will learn.

Well, ten days later, Djiga’s catastrophic error presented Romeo Vermant with the opening goal just three minutes into the Champions League play-off tie, a two-legged affair Club Brugge would go onto win 9-1.

As a result, Djiga then spent a few weeks left in reserve, but has started the last three matches, with Röhl switching to a back three, seeking extra defensive solidity.

Nevertheless, Graham Falk of the Scotsman was not impressed with his performance against Roma, labelling the centre-back ‘unconvincing’, adding that he ‘completely lost his man’ for the corner from which Roma opened the scoring, concluding that he is one of many ‘poor summer signings’,

Mark Atkinson of the Scotsman meantime documented his ‘really difficult’ afternoon for the defender against Celtic at Hampden last Sunday, while Gazzetta dello Sport described him as the ‘worst’ player on the pitch after that game.

Against Roma, Djiga started in the back three alongside captain James Tavernier and John Souttar, meaning Derek Cornelius and Emmanuel Fernandez, who has made just three appearances for the club to date, were left in reserve.

Thus, even if he does stick with this back three shape, Röhl does have alternative options to the ticking time bomb of defensive errors that is Djiga.

Fernandez, who has played just one minute since August, and Cornelius, who has been generally impressive, are surely better options, starting at Dens on Sunday, facing the side Djiga has already been sent off against, so the Wolves loanee must improve if he’s to remain in the first-choice XI.

Fewer touches than Butland: Rohl must axe Rangers man who lost the ball 11x

Rangers have now lost four out of four in the Europa League, and Danny Röhl must drop the flop who lost the ball 11 times against Roma on Thursday.

Nov 7, 2025

سلطت صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية الضوء على تصريحات محمد صلاح، نجم الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ليفربول أمس، السبت، بعد تعادل الريدز مع ليدز يونايتد ضمن منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي.

وخرج صلاح مساء أمس بعد انتهاء المباراة وتحدث لوسائل الإعلام وفتح النار على الجميع وعلى رأسهم مدربه آرني سلوت، بسبب جلوسه على دكة البدلاء لثلاث مباريات متتالية.

كان ليفربول قد تعادل أمام ليدز يونايتد بثلاثة أهداف لمثلها بعدما كان الريدز متقدمًا بنتيجة 2/0 وكل الأمور كانت تسير بشكل إيجابي.

وقالت الصحيفة الإسبانية إن ليفربول لم يحقق سوى فوز واحد في آخر 6 مباريات، هذا الوضع المتردي تمامًا تسبب في انفجار نجم الفريق، محمد صلاح.

اقرأ أيضًا | بعد تصريحات محمد صلاح.. اجتماع طارئ في ليفربول وصفقتان مهددتان بالفشل

لا يمر المهاجم المصري بأفضل فتراته، حيث سجل خمسة أهداف وصنع ثلاثة في 19 مباراة، وبعد جلوسه على مقاعد البدلاء للمرة الثالثة على التوالي فقد أعصابه تمامًا.

أفادت “سبورت” أن صلاح لا يفهم دوره الثانوي ويفسره كـ عقاب، ويوضح أن أحدًا لم يشرح له شيئًا، في هذه الأثناء، يمضي الوقت ويشتعل حماس آنفيلد، سيغادر صلاح إلى كأس الأمم الإفريقية بنية مساعدة بلاده وراحة ذهنه.

واختتمت أن صلاح انتقد مدربه علنًا، وبعد أن ارتبط اسمه بقوة بالسعودية والجدل المحيط بتجديد عقده الأخير، يبدو أنه يشهد الآن نهاية حقبة مجده في آنفيلد، من الواضح أن صلاح لم يعد يخفي إحباطه وعندما يشعر نجم بهذه المكانة بالسخرية، فلا مجال للتراجع.

George Hill steers hosts on shortened day with both dressing rooms eyeing Hampshire result

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay26-Sep-2025Yorkshire 465 for 9 (Hill 88, Raine 4-79, Ghafari 4-114) lead Durham 346 (Raine 101, White 5-69) by 119 runsYorkshire are closing in on Division One survival in the Rothesay County Championship, but Durham are not quite sure of the size of their task heading into day four at Headingley.Should Hampshire – 148 for 9 chasing 181 to beat Surrey at the Utilita Bowl – lose, seventh-placed Yorkshire would be safe no matter the result here in this season finale. Second-bottom Durham would need a draw to be safe.Should Hampshire win – they are eighth in the table – Yorkshire would need to draw here, which they are very well placed to do. But Durham would need a miracle victory to get out of trouble.Yorkshire, replying to a first-innings 346 all out, started a weather-affected day on 314 for 5 and advanced to 465 for 9 in the 51 overs possible, with George Hill compiling a skilful season’s best 88.It’s difficult to see how Durham can win, so they desperately need Surrey to do so down on the south coast.Bad light interrupted play on three occasions at Headingley, with the bulk of the evening lost. No play was possible beyond 3.25pm.Hill impressively supplemented Indian batter Mayank Agarwal’s superb 175 on day two with his fourth fifty of a season which has seen him excel with the ball. His seamers have accounted for 47 Championship wickets.He shared in half-century stands with fellow allrounders Matthew Revis and Jordan Thompson, the latter contributing an unbeaten 44.The morning session was a relatively quiet affair, with Yorkshire advancing to 365 for 7. Ben Raine, who has been excellent with 4 for 71 from 33 overs added to his first-innings century, and Matthew Potts struck for Durham.Raine broke a sixth-wicket stand of 50 between Revis, 38, and Hill. Revis, crowned Yorkshire’s members’ player of the year at the end of day two here, was trapped lbw by an in-ducker before Dom Bess pulled Potts to deep backward square-leg.Hill was a calming presence for Yorkshire as they stretched their lead. In all, he hit 14 fours in 175 balls. Thompson was more expansive, whipping Will Rhodes over deep midwicket for six.Hill moved to a fifty off 105 balls shortly before the hosts reached 400 for 7 in the early stages of the afternoon. By this stage, Yorkshire led by 54 and Durham’s need for wickets was becoming more desperate.Hill did fall short of what would have been his season’s first century when bowled trying to attack the legspin of Afghanistan’s Shafiqullah Ghafari. But Yorkshire’s lead was 97 at 443 for 8.Hill and Thompson had shared an eighth-wicket 86, the latter allrounder playing his last match before a winter move to Warwickshire.Matt Milnes edged to slip to hand Ghafari a fourth wicket before the third bad light stoppage at 3.25pm was the last. With the players off the field at that stage, Durham’s dressing room would have been buoyed by news from Southampton.Yorkshire will head into day four in a much more relaxed state given their strong performance here. Durham, on the other hand, will be on tenterhooks not quite knowing the size or shape of their task in hand.

This CSK was unlike the usual CSK, but they did enough things right, and smart, to spark hope among their fans

Shashank Kishore15-Apr-20252:04

‘What Dhoni is doing is extraordinary’

By the time Shivam Dube got Chennai Super Kings (CSK) over the line at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on Monday, it was hard to tell which the home side was. Flags – because of the sticks – had not been allowed in, but the stands still glowed with the yellow of the CSK jerseys, celebrating despite the un-CSK-ness of the win.It began with a bold call to bench two veterans. R Ashwin, he of the INR 9.5 crore tag, was left out to bring in a seam-bowling allrounder in Jamie Overton. Ashwin hadn’t completed his quota of overs in three of the six games he had played and was expensive at 9.90.Then there was Devon Conway, CSK’s top scorer in their 2023 title run, dropped after just three games – likely for his slow starts. CSK had been the season’s slowest in the powerplay. It paved the way for 20-year-old Shaik Rasheed’s debut. Rahul Tripathi and Deepak Hooda had also been struggling along with Conway.Related

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Dhoni: Tweaked attack gives 'more manoeuvrability for the captain'

Rasheed had spent two full seasons with the squad before being re-signed at the mega auction last year. CSK have shown the propensity to pick players based on gut calls over the years. But, while there have been a few, like Ruturaj Gaikwad, who have moved up the ranks at CSK, those are the outliers. Many prolific domestic performers like B Aparajith, R Sai Kishore and N Jagadeesan have waited in the wings for multiple seasons, only to be released.On Monday, Rasheed was opening in a T20 for the first time, and he showed he belonged, by trusting his technique and focusing on timing the ball rather than trying to smash the cover off it. He played some shots high on aesthetics – like a flick to a length ball from outside off that had more than a shade of M Vijay.The Rasheed experiment also seemed to free up Rachin Ravindra to play the aggressor – the pair helped CSK get their best powerplay in the last five games. Rasheed hit six fours in his 19-ball 27, putting together 52 in just 4.5 overs with Ravindra. They ended the powerplay on 59 for 1. MS Dhoni later revealed Rasheed’s move was out of necessity.”He batted really well,” Dhoni said at the post-match presentation. “He has been with us for quite a few years. Even last year, we’ve seen improvement, but this year, he has been batting really well in the nets, both against the fast bowlers and spinners. I felt we needed to make a few changes, because we were doing the same things and getting the same results.With Shaik Rasheed and Rachin Ravindra, CSK finally got a good start•BCCI”It’s just the start. He has the capability to dominate, but with authentic shots. What’s important is for him to keep playing the shots he has in his armoury and not try to hit like some of the other openers that are floating around.”Rasheed’s knock gave CSK a strong start, but a familiar middle-overs dip – made worse by Dube’s lack of rhythm – kept the pressure on. They only hit three boundaries between overs seven and 15, and the asking rate went from 7.69 to 11.20.In past seasons, the Dube threat had often forced teams to avoid bowling spin in that phase. This ability to dominate spin, which also earned him a T20 World Cup ticket, reshaped CSK’s batting. But in IPL 2025, Dube’s lack of form against spin – a strike rate of 118.30 compared to 176.47 and 155.35 in 2023 and 2024 – has been amplified by the top order’s inconsistency.Yet, it was perhaps Dube’s reputation that made Rishabh Pant hold back Ravi Bishnoi and turn to Shardul Thakur. But Dube’s determination to finish the game in a season where his overall numbers have been poor spoke of a player ready to fight his own battles.4:32

Why did Pant not give Bishnoi another over?

Even before Dube and Dhoni finished the game, CSK prowled – highlighted by Tripathi’s anticipation and athleticism in running back from extra cover to catch Aiden Markram in the very first over to set the tone. After coach Stephen Fleming had criticised the “poor” fielding against Punjab Kings (PBKS), Monday’s effort was a marked turnaround.Ravindra Jadeja and Noor Ahmad then gave Dhoni crucial control in the middle overs, especially with Pant looking to break free. Noor’s miserly 4-0-13-0 spell may have deserved the Player-of-the-Match award – something Dhoni agreed with while sheepishly accepting the award for his unbeaten 26 off 11.On a surface that was familiar to CSK, Dhoni was at his best, expertly marshalling his spinners – the lone CSK trait in a win that pieced together just enough to spark hope in their fans.

The Asia Cup final went down to the wire as Tilak calmly helped India chase down 147

Alagappan Muthu28-Sep-20253:17

Which Indian spinner had the biggest impact?

India blinked. They were 20 for 3 chasing 147. Their world-beating batting line-up was panicking as Pakistan came at them – this time for every reason because there was a title on the line.A collapse of 9 for 33 had left Salman Agha’s men with no room for error and for the most part they coped with it. They got rid of Abhishek Sharma early. That sent jitters through a middle-order that was upended to accommodate Shubman Gill.A straightforward chase was going pear-shaped. And Tilak Varma felt all of this out in the middle. The quiet of the stands. The belief among the Pakistan players. The doubts of a billion people back home. Somehow he absorbed it all and produced a really special half-century.Concentrating as hard as he had to, there wasn’t a single moment through the innings where Tilak showed emotion. But once it was done, he yelled, he punched, he made little heart signs with his hands and basked in the glory of winning India their ninth Asia Cup title.Farhan’s opening salvoThis entire Asia Cup has been a referendum on Pakistan’s decision to move on from Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. There is credence to the theory that they do not push hard enough when they bat up the order, and the powerplay is not a time to be shy.Sahibzada Farhan went for his shots early•Getty ImagesSahibzada Farhan took that to heart and although he didn’t always come up with the goods, he never stopped swinging. A series of slogs took him to 26 off 21. And those same series of slogs – when they started connecting – brought him 50 off 35.The Pakistan collapseFarhan and Fakhar Zaman were able to put one of India’s bankers – Kuldeep Yadav – under pressure. The left-arm wristspinner’s first two overs went for 23. That prompted Suryakumar Yadav to turn to Varun Chakravarthy, whose mystery Pakistan have just not been able to solve. As if on cue, he took down both of Pakistan’s top scorers. Farhan and Fakhar were the only two to cross 15.On the back of Varun’s incisions, his team-mates came into their own. Axar Patel took two wickets in back-to-back overs. Kuldeep took three in one single over. Pakistan were 107 for 1 with 44 balls to play. They were bowled out with five balls remaining. A large part of their innings involved the batters going for slogs. In the front 10, they either made good contact or just plain missed. So just one wicket fell. In the back 10, the big hits were all mis-hits. So nine wickets fell.Tilak’s methodWhere all his team-mates tried to force the issue, Tilak found ways to trust himself. He was 24 off 26. But he didn’t seem to care. Early in his innings, he hit a back foot punch though extra cover for four off Ashraf. There was no pace on that ball. The only way he could find the boundary was if he timed the ball perfectly. And for that to happen, he had to have the measure of this pitch down pat. He did.Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube’s brisk stand lifted India•Getty ImagesThat confidence fuelled the rest of his innings, reminding him that he needn’t over-exert himself. India had to settle for either singles or dots through the eighth and ninth overs of the chase as Abrar Ahmed and Saim Ayub stuck to the basics – keeping the stumps in play and asking India to take risks if they wanted to score quickly. Tilak rose to that challenge but even then, he was careful to go after the full one, the one that he could get to the pitch of and negate the turn. All that good work meant even with long-on in play, the ball went for six.In the 15th over, Tilak did another cool thing. With wickets falling around him, he had shown he was ready for a fight. In rebuilding India’s innings with barely a false shot, he showed he was in the zone. Now, seeing Haris Rauf running in, he showed a mind for problem-solving. He had seen how hard it was to hit with pace off the ball. Now that Pakistan were offering pace, he took full toll. Seventeen runs came from that 15th over and changed the complexion of the game. From needing 64 off 36, India needed 47 off 30.Dube cameoIndia were without their first-choice seam-bowling allrounder. Hardik Pandya was nursing a quad niggle and couldn’t make the XI. Shivam Dube did, after resting the last game. He was responsible for two absolutely vital sixes. The first of those showcased his spin-hitting ability as he tonked Abrar down the ground. The second exemplified how well he reads the game. He had faced, and watched from the other end, as Ashraf in the 19th over, tried to hide the ball outside off stump. So when he got back on strike, he indulged in an exaggerated trigger movement across his stumps to get closer to the ball and launch it over wide long-on. Dube contributed 33 off 22 to a momentum-shifting, match-winning, fifth-wicket partnership that yielded 60 runs off 40 balls. He also had to open the bowling for the first time in any format of cricket, finishing with 3-0-23-0. It was a splendid day’s work.The finishThese three India-Pakistan games have taken place under the shadow of far greater events. The two countries were in military conflict earlier this year. The two teams have not shaken hands. The two captains have even been avoiding eye contact. Rauf was fined for making gestures that seemed to point to those cross-border tensions. Jasprit Bumrah used the same gesture – hand pointed down, arcing to the floor – to give it back to Rauf after bringing down his stumps with a yorker.Tilak Varma celebrates a tense victory•AFP/Getty ImagesThe highly charged atmosphere that has been taking focus away from the cricket now added to it. The two coaches – Mike Hesson and Gautam Gambhir – would not accept being left on the sidelines, sending out messages to help the teams as the equation grew tighter. 30 off 18. 17 off 12. 10 off 6.With eight to get off five, Tilak launched a six over square leg – once more showcasing just how well he had grown accustomed to tough batting conditions and Rauf once again falling short by putting pace on the ball. Everything that happened after that will be turned into a meme. Tilak making the heart sign. Rinku Singh haring off into the distance. Gambhir banging a desk. This was an India-Pakistan classic worth the 41-year wait both teams needed to make the final of the Asia Cup.

Cristiano Ronaldo put out a message on social media after attending a White House dinner with Donald Trump. The event was attended by influential figures from global business, technology and sport, and it marked Ronaldo’s first public appearance in the United States since 2016. The black-tie gathering was arranged as part of efforts to strengthen the expanding political and economic relationship between Washington and Riyadh. Ronaldo’s presence alongside the Saudi delegation once again highlighted how prominently the Al-Nassr forward now features in the kingdom’s soft-power and sporting strategies.

Trump opens the evening with a star-studded roll call

Trump began the night by acknowledging the array of high-profile attendees, including major CEOs and football’s most powerful figures, such as FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Tech heavyweights, including Elon Musk, were also present, adding to the sense that this was a meeting of global influence. Although Ronaldo did not feature in Portugal’s final qualifying match earlier in the week, having been suspended due to the first red card of his international career, earned against the Republic of Ireland, Trump singled him out with a personal tribute.

President Trump said: "You know, my son is a big fan of Ronaldo, wherever Ronaldo is here. And Barron got to meet him, and I think he respects his father a little bit more now, just the fact that I introduced you. So I just want to thank you both for being here. Really an honour."

AdvertisementGetty/GOAL/X:@DavidSacks@RapidResponse47Ronaldo responds with a heartfelt online message

Soon after the event, Ronaldo shared his own thoughts on Instagram, posting a strikingly warm message of appreciation directed at Trump and the First Lady.

"Thank you Mr. President for your invitation and for the warm welcome you and the First Lady gave me and my future wife, @georginagio," he wrote. "Each of us has something meaningful to give, and I stand ready to do my part as we inspire new generations to build a future defined by courage, responsibility and lasting peace."

Portugal seal World Cup spot without their superstar

Ronaldo’s absence from the pitch did not derail Portugal’s World Cup qualification campaign. His teammates cruised to a dominant nine-goal victory over Armenia, prompting him to congratulate the squad from afar as they confirmed their ticket to next year’s tournament. Yet his disciplinary situation remains unresolved. Ronaldo still has two matches left to serve from his suspension, raising the possibility that he could miss Portugal’s opening game when the World Cup begins in June 2026. The Portuguese federation are expected to lodge an appeal in hopes of reducing the punishment.

National team manager Roberto Martinez expressed frustration at the red card, insisting it was an excessive sanction for what he described as a reaction to persistent harassment.

Martinez said: "After the game it’s a difficult time because emotions can be unclear. I saw his reaction to a provocation. It started at the beginning of the game, in every play in the penalty area. It even started the day before in the press conference. And it was a reaction of trying to continue playing. Others might fall to the ground and look for a penalty. It’s not a violent action, it’s not a red card for violence, but a reaction to a provocation. We need to try to show the case and prepare well. I would say it would be very unfair to impose a long suspension." 

Ronaldo’s financial influence remains unparalleled in the sport. His initial contract with Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr was worth an estimated $200 million (£153m) per year. In June, he signed a two-year extension worth a reported $400m (£306m), cementing his status as football’s first billionaire player. Bloomberg now estimates his personal fortune at roughly $1.4 billion.

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GettyOne final World Cup ahead

Ronaldo has long maintained that the 2026 World Cup, when he will be 41, will be the final chapter of his storied international career. With Portugal now officially qualified, the countdown begins for what promises to be his last bow on football’s grandest stage. Whether he begins that tournament on the pitch or in the stands may depend on the outcome of Portugal’s appeal. But his determination to compete at one more World Cup remains unwavering. 

Fourth-innings chase completed in an hour and a quarter on final morning

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay27-Sep-2025Essex 438 (Walter 158, Elgar 118, Overton 6-88) and 99 for 3 beat Somerset 433 (Goldsworthy 100, Thomas 86, Rew 74, Overton 60) and 99 (Thomas 39, Porter 4-18) by seven wicketsTwenty-year-old Charlie Allison kept his head during an otherwise nervy hour and a quarter as Essex claimed a seven-wicket victory to round off the Rothesay County Championship season.Allison, one of Essex’s stand-out performers during an otherwise disappointing season, finished the game with a second six off Jake Ball over long leg. He was 32 not out from 34 balls as Essex reached their target of 95 from just 18.4 overs.Lewis Gregory had given Somerset some hope of an unlikely upset by removing Dean Elgar and Tom Westley inside the first six overs before taking the catch in the deep to end Paul Walter’s tone-setting innings. Walter, a first-innings centurion, had amassed 30 from 31 balls when he departed with 39 runs still required.The Somerset captain was fired up in the face of desperate odds against and caused jitters in the Essex ranks as he repeatedly beat the outside edge of the bat. He bowled through unchanged and was rewarded with figures of 2 for 43 from his nine overs.For two-and-a-half days it looked like the game would peter out into a tame draw with handshakes accepted in mid-afternoon and the curtain brought down on a forgettable Championship season for both sides. However, that was before Jamie Porter initiated a collapse of monumental proportions amid the gloom of a day-three afternoon and early evening.Essex had subsided themselves earlier in the day from an overnight 295 for 2 to 438 all out and a nominal lead of five runs. But in 34 overs reminiscent of some of Essex’s glory years of the recent past, they rolled Somerset over for 99 with Porter taking 4 for 18 and falling just one wicket short of another 50-wicket haul for the season.Essex had already confirmed their Division One survival during this final match while Somerset had settled for the no-man’s land of mid-table. Three successive wins in May had even suggested a title challenge that did not materialise.However, with all day to knock off the runs, a modicum of tension was introduced in only the second over. Having put on 277 for the first wicket in the first innings, the opening partnership lasted just seven balls. Elgar departed for a golden duck, rapped conclusively on his front pad by Gregory without getting anywhere near the ball.Westley withstood the rest of a torrid over from Gregory but got off the mark with a characteristic drive through midwicket for four off Craig Overton. He followed that with an emphatic pull through midwicket off Gregory for a second boundary before he, too, fell to the same bowler. After putting on a run-a-ball 28 with Walter, Westley nibbled at one outside off stump and wicketkeeper James Rew dived in front of first slip to claim the catch.Walter had been busy turning twos into threes to the extent that Essex reached fifty from just nine overs when Allison walked down the pitch and smashed Overton through extra over for four.Overton had been relatively expensive, his five overs costing 25, but his replacement Ball struck with his first ball when Walter went for a big heave and paid the price.Allison made sure the target came down quickly and deposited Ball over long leg for six to take Essex within two runs of the target and then repeated the act to complete the victory.

Leeds United “would sell” Wilfried Gnonto in the January transfer window, with it being revealed they would reinvest the money raised into a different key area of the squad.

The Whites may need to reshuffle their squad somewhat this winter, given that results have gone downhill considerably over the past few weeks, suffering defeats in four of their last five matches in the Premier League.

Losing games is one thing, but it will be particularly concerning for Daniel Farke that his side were beaten by fellow strugglers Burnley and Nottingham Forest, with Sean Dyche’s side running out 3-1 winners at the City Ground last time out.

There are some difficult fixtures on the horizon before Christmas, with the 2024-25 Championship winners set to take on Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool, which means they are at real risk of being cut adrift by the time the transfer window opens.

Leeds willing to sell Wilfried Gnonto to fund move for new striker

Consequently, Leeds may have to take drastic measures in an attempt to preserve their Premier League status, with top source Dean Jones revealing they are prepared to cash in on Gnonto, saying: “This is going to be a transfer window of opportunism and there are clubs who have been tracking Gnonto, wondering if he is finally going to leave. I expect someone to try their luck, and I have a feeling the player will have his head turned if a big enough side comes in for him.

“Leeds would sell him at the right price, I’m pretty sure of that.

“I get the feeling he’s a player they would now sell and then reinvest because they really are looking for some new life in their attack.

“Primarily that would be in the shape of a striker, but I wouldn’t rule out any player with attacking nous at this point because the club’s hierarchy know they have left the team short of options up top.”

The £40k-a-week winger has struggled on the injury front this season, being ruled out due to a calf issue, but he was unable to make a real impact even prior to being ruled out, failing to register a goal or an assist in his opening four Premier League games.

At 22-years-old, the Italian is still young, and he has previously received high praise from Junior Firpo, who said: “Nobody expected it, when he first came in. He is a shy guy, didn’t talk too much; on the pitch, too. But unbelievable from day one.”

However, Leeds clearly need to bring in a new striker, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin failing to hit the ground running, having scored just once in nine Premier League games, so it may be worth cashing-in on Gnonto to fund a move for a centre-forward.

Leeds and 49ers keen to sign Troy Parrott in January Leeds and 49ers keen to sign Troy Parrott in January after Ireland heroics

This would be much-needed for Daniel Farke.

ByHenry Jackson Nov 17, 2025