The white-ball series, scheduled to take place in September-October, has been pushed due to a congested schedule

Danyal Rasool02-Aug-2025

Pakistan are yet to host Ireland’s men’s team•Associated Press

Pakistan’s home series against Ireland has been postponed to 2027 due to scheduling concerns. The white-ball series, which comprises three T20Is and three ODIs, will no longer be held in its current September-October window. While it was initially expected to be moved further out in the season, ESPNcricinfo has learned it will instead be removed from this home season altogether, and moved to the next one, with both boards looking at alternate dates in 2027.The series, which would have been Ireland men’s first visit to Pakistan was initially announced in May 2024. At the time, it was expected to take place in the early part of Pakistan’s home season in 2025. When the PCB released its official season schedule, the series against Ireland was slotted in for September-October. At the time of writing, that remains the official schedule for the series on the PCB website.However, that window has become increasingly congested for Pakistan, who are currently playing a white-ball series against West Indies. At the end of this month, they take part in a tri-series involving UAE and Afghanistan.Related

Cricket Ireland confirms Pakistan white-ball tour in 2025

Pakistan, Afghanistan and UAE to play T20I tri-series in Sharjah ahead of Asia Cup

More significantly, the Asia Cup, the schedule and status of which was increasingly uncertain following a brief skirmish between India and Pakistan in May, was announced last week; it runs from September 9 to 28. With South Africa touring Pakistan for two Tests in early October, the window for the series against Ireland shrunk untenably.”We wanted to balance content and planning better across the two seasons,” PCB’s international cricket department told ESPNcricinfo. “It made more sense for us both to spread the fixtures further out as we already have substantial content leading into Asia Cup and then the World Cup.”Pakistan have a busy white-ball schedule this season with the T20 World Cup early next year. They have made little secret of their desire to play as much T20 cricket as possible, initially increasing the number of T20Is to a home series against Bangladesh at the expense of ODIs, before scheduling concerns resulted in their scrapping.They were also understood to be keen to turn the ongoing series against West Indies to be T20-only, though ESPNcricinfo understands there were other considerations behind that move. In addition, the T20I series against Afghanistan will now be a tri-series, adding further short-form fixtures to their calendar.Ireland do not have a fixture clash around the time the series was set to be played, though ESPNcricinfo understands the decision to postpone is mutual.

West Ham have reportedly held discussions over signing a Brazil international duo who’ve both impressed in front of goal this year, with Nuno Espírito Santo badly in need of a new focal point up front.

The club’s January transfer window plans are becoming increasingly focused on three key priorities — a defender, midfielder and forward (Sky Sports).

The urgency for a striker stems largely from the ongoing issues surrounding Niclas Fullkrug’s persistent injury problems, which have severely limited his availability and impact for the Hammers since his move last year.

Fullkrug was brought in with high hopes as a reliable goal-scoring option to lead the line, but his torrid injury record has prevented him from consistently delivering those expected contributions.

Time and again, injuries have sidelined Fullkrug, and this inconsistency has left West Ham very short of choices upfront.

Callum Marshall, while tipped for a promising career, is too inexperienced to lead the Irons’ forward line, while it is believed that Nuno privately doesn’t rate summer signing Callum Wilson.

This has resulted in Nuno experimenting with Lucas Paqueta as West Ham’s false nine in their last two Premier League matches — which both ended in defeat.

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

Leeds 2-1 West Ham

The lack of a dependable number nine is a major concern for Nuno as he looks to avoid a dreaded drop back down to the Championship, which is now a serious possibility.

In the last fortnight alone, David Sullivan, Karren Brady and the Hammers board have been linked with a host of intriguing options.

Real Madrid sensation Endrick is apparently a top target for West Ham, but they’ll have to move quickly as Ligue 1 giants Lyon have already made a formal approach with the player himself keen.

Journalist Alan Nixon has said that West Ham have already worked on a loan deal for Al-Ahli striker Ivan Toney as well, with the Irons also holding discussions over Gonzalo Garcia (Graeme Bailey).

West Ham "offered" Brazil duo Pedro and Kaio Jorge

Now, according to Hammers News and journalist Graeme Bailey, you can add Brazilian strikers Pedro and Kaio Jorge to West Ham’s list of potential targets this winter.

Pedro, who’s scored 15 goals for Flamengo during this 2025 season, once plied his trade for Fiorentina in Europe but has spent the majority of his career in South America — where he’s earned six caps for the national team.

Jorge’s scored a seismic 20 goals for Cruzeiro this year, and the 23-year-old ex-Juventus sensation is still yet to reach his prime.

Jorge only has one senior appearance for Brazil so far, but considering his stellar 2025 campaign, Carlo Ancelotti will certainly be keeping a keen eye on the striker ahead of next year’s World Cup.

Bailey reports that West Ham have held discussions with agents about signing Pedro and Jorge, with Nuno’s side “offered” the duo by representatives.

That is as far as it’s gone, but there is reason to believe shopping in the Brazilian Serie A market could prove fruitful.

Jorge carries a market value of just £15 million according to Transfermarkt, while Pedro’s value comes in at around £17.5 million — making them pretty affordable options.

They’re also both represented by Bertolucci Sports, an agency that’s helped Brazilian talents like Gabriel Magalhaes, Bruno Guimaraes and Matheus Cunha seal moves to the Premier League in recent years.

South Africa left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj has displaced Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana as the No. 1 men’s ODI bowler, following his five-for in the first ODI against Australia in Cairns.Maharaj, who last held the spot in November 2023, returned to the top after gaining two places to move ahead of Theekshana (second) and India spinner Kuldeep Yadav (third). The 35-year-old picked up career-best ODI figures of 5 for 33 which gave South Africa a 98-run win and a 1-0 series lead.Among the South African batters, Aiden Markram moved four spots up to No. 21 and Temba Bavuma five spots to No. 23 following their respective half-centuries in the first ODI.Related

• Australia set to face another trial by spin but Subrayen won't play

• Road to 2027: Questions for Australia and South Africa

• Maharaj's masterful maiden ODI five-for hands South Africa 1-0 series lead

• Maharaj shakes off T20I snub with statement white-ball display

Following the recently concluded ODI series against Pakistan, West Indies captain Shai Hope jumped two spots to No. 9 on the batters’ list. Hope finished as the top run-scorer in the series with 207 runs, helping West Indies win the series 2-1. His team-mate Jayden Seales moved 15 places up to 18th in the bowling rankings following his ten wickets in the series.Following the T20Is between Australia and South Africa preceding the ODIs, fast bowler Nathan Ellis entered the top ten among bowlers, moving three places up to No. 9. Ellis picked up 3 for 31 in the third T20I to help Australia seal the T20Is 2-1. Josh Hazlewood, who picked up the most wickets for Australia in the series, rose two spots to 18th.South Africa’s hard-hitting batter Dewald Brevis jumped nine spots to equal 12th on the list for T20I batters following his superb efforts in the series. Brevis scored 125 not out off 56 in the first T20I and followed it up with 53 off 26 in the second.

Crystal Palace midfield star Adam Wharton dismissively downplayed Manchester United transfer links as the Eagles prepare to offer a new contract to the England international. United have been closely linked with a move for Wharton, alongside five other midfield options from across Europe, as Ruben Amorim is looking to further bolster his squad in the January transfer window.

• Amorim wants to strengthen his midfield

  United spent heavily in the summer transfer window to rebuild their squad after a disastrous 2024-25 campaign, which saw the Red Devils go trophyless and finish 15th in the Premier League. They brought in big names like Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, but the summer squad overhaul was primarily aimed at bolstering the team's attack. 

  Amorim wanted to sign Brighton midfield sensation Carlos Baleba towards the end of the window, but a move eventually did not materialise. Since then, multiple reports have linked United with a move for Palace's Wharton, with Amorim reportedly an admirer of the Englishman. The Portuguese coach is now determined to strengthen his midfield in the January transfer window and has prepared a six-man midfield shortlist, which includes Wharton's name. 

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  Wharton downplays Man Utd transfer links

  Despite being strongly linked with a move to Old Trafford, Wharton has now dismissively downplayed his transfer links to the Premier League giants as he recently told The Athletic: "I don't really look into it or think too much about it. There are always rumours floating about on social media. Is it true? Is it not? You tell me. My friends, my family, my brothers, everyone will message me and be like, 'Is it true this club's interested?' I'm like, 'Thanks for telling me because I didn't know.' I don't know who's spreading it or who at United is looking at it. 

  "I see it and I'm like, 'OK', and then I carry on with my day. United, the big teams, they're all linked to 10, 20 different players. If I'm one of 20, then it's nothing special, so it doesn't really mean too much. I speak with my agent about planning ahead and possibilities. But at the end of the day, it is who's interested and who's willing to try and get you and if that becomes the case? You can speak about it, but you've got to represent that on the pitch and prove that you deserve it."

• Palace preparing new deal for Wharton

  Amid Wharton being linked with a move away from the club, the officials at Selhurst Park are reportedly planning a new contract offer for their star performer, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano, who told : "They want to extend this contract. So Palace are on it. They've spoken already to his representative several times about this intention they have to give him a new contract. At the same time, let's see what's going to happen there, because the boy has been super professional already last summer, when he already had some kind of opportunity if he wanted to go. But for Palace, he was untouchable. 

  "Also, in recent months, we had many rumours, and the boy, again, is behaving in a fantastic way. So Palace are super happy with Adam, and Adam is quite happy with Palace. He understands that he's probably at the best club to develop at this moment for him. But then in the summer, you never know, in case there is a big opportunity, a big financial proposal, we have to see what happens. So at the moment, there is this intention from Palace to give him a new contract, but we are not yet at the stage where we say, okay, it's guaranteed, because it's still early stages of the conversation."

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  Wharton's team-mate's comments fuelled Madrid rumours

  Real Madrid's interest in Wharton emerged during the summer transfer window, having not directly replaced either Toni Kroos, who retired in 2024, or Luka Modric at the centre of the pitch. While Los Blancos did not make a formal approach for the England international, Wharton's Palace team-mate Yeremy Pino's recent comments further fuelled the rumours of his move to the Spanish capital. Speaking to The Athletic, the Spaniard said: "Adam can do everything. Defensively, he is a fighter. He goes in very strong, wins a lot of balls. Technically, you just have to watch him and enjoy him. He has the quality to play in the Spain national team, no doubt."

Manchester United have been known over recent years to invest heavily in youngsters who can make an immediate and long-term impact at Old Trafford.

Part of their £800m spending spree in the last four years has seen numerous big-money talents arrive at the club – with Leny Yoro making the move to join the Red Devils last summer.

Despite being just 18, the hierarchy forked out a reported £52m for the teenager’s signature, even fending off competition from Real Madrid for his services.

He’s since become a key component of Ruben Amorim’s first-team squad, already racking up 42 appearances in the last 12 months or so since his big-money transfer.

However, whilst he still has bags of time to reach world-class status, the Frenchman would do very well to hit the heights of one player during his own stint at the Theatre of Dreams.

Man Utd’s best ever young first-team addition

Back in the summer of 2004, eyebrows were raised across England after United paid a staggering £27m for the signature of teenage sensation Wayne Rooney from Everton.

Such a fee was a mammoth investment for an 18-year-old, but over two decades on, it’s clear the transfer is one of the Red Devils’ best in their 146-year history.

He would spend 13 successful years as a star player at Old Trafford, winning countless individual awards along with team success under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson.

The now 40-year-old won England’s Player of the Year award on five separate occasions, even winning the PFA Player of the Year award back in 2009/10 after scoring 34 times in all competitions.

Under the management of Sir Alex, he won five Premier League titles and a Champions League – subsequently making himself one of the most decorated English players of all time.

Individually, he was just as impressive, scoring 253 times for the Red Devils, a tally that ranks him top of the club’s all-time goalscorer charts – sitting ahead of Sir Bobby Charlton.

His talents were also there for all to see at international level, scoring 53 times, a record that saw him top the list for the Three Lions until Harry Kane came along.

Alongside his tangible contributions, Rooney made a name for himself as a warrior on the pitch, with one current player currently possessing a very similar playstyle.

The United player who is becoming the new Rooney

After scoring just 44 times across the 2024/25 campaign, Amorim made it abundantly clear to the United hierarchy that he wanted reinforcements within the final third.

Bryan Mbeumo was just one of the signings made during the off-season, arriving in a staggering £71m transfer from fellow top-flight outfit Brentford.

The Cameroonian international has already made a stellar start to life in Manchester, scoring five times and registering one assist in his first ten outings for the club.

His latest appearance against Brighton and Hove Albion was arguably his best to date, subsequently scoring twice and helping secure the manager’s third Premier League win in a row.

He was also joined at the Red Devils by Matheus Cunha, with the Brazilian also costing a pretty penny at £62.5m including add-ons from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The Brazilian international has occupied the number ten role with Mbeumo at Old Trafford and has undoubtedly played a key role in the recent revival under Amorim.

Unlike the Cameroonian, he’s had to wait to make the desired impact, only registering his first goal for the Red Devils in this weekend’s convincing win over Brighton.

However, he’s still received key praise from former first-team member Patrice Evra, who claimed Cunha “has the same raw chaos as Rooney” – certainly high praise indeed.

His underlying stats at Old Trafford showcase the reasoning behind Evra’s comments, with the Brazilian currently creating 1.2 chances per 90 in the Premier League.

Matheus Cunha – PL stats (25/26)
Statistics (per 90)	Tally
Games played	8
Goals & assists	1
Chances created	1.2
Shots on target	1.6
Dribbles completed	1.9
Possession won in final third	0.7
Fouls won	2.4
Ball recoveries	4.3
Stats via FotMob

Other figures, such as 1.6 shots on target per 90 and 1.9 dribbles per 90, showcase his ability within the final third, which has already seen the forward become a fan-favourite.

However, his chaos without the ball is reflected in his tally of 0.7 ball regains per 90 in the final third – a tally which ranks him in the top 25% of all attackers in the division.

It’s certainly early days in his career at Old Trafford, but the signs are all positive for Cunha to become an influential figure in any success endured in the years ahead.

Should he continue on his current path, there’s no reason why he can’t have a similar impact to Rooney during his own period at the Theatre of Dreams.

Forget Cunha & Mbuemo: Man Utd star was the shining light against Brighton

Manchester United secured their third win in a row against Brighton & Hove Albion last night.

By
Ethan Lamb

Oct 26, 2025

Daniel Farke’s reputation as a ropey Premier League manager is back under the spotlight at Leeds United.

The under-fire German has now lost a colossal 40 matches at the intimidating level from the 59 games he’s taken charge of, as the Whites worryingly looked like relegation fodder last time out in a 3-0 loss at Brighton and Hove Albion.

It’s not quite as bad as his Norwich City end days just yet, with Farke’s Canaries falling to an embarrassing 7-0 defeat at the hands of Chelsea all the way back in 2021.

But, his dismal record in the division just doesn’t make for pretty reading, as he now attempts to guide Leeds up the table.

Games

59

Wins

9

Draws

10

Losses

40

Goals scored

40

Goals conceded

118

Points accumulated

37

He could have to think outside of the box, soon, if he feels he’s being let down consistently by his senior personnel, as a whole host of exciting U21 talents are coming through currently in West Yorkshire…

The biggest stars in Leeds' academy

Throughout his time in the Elland dug-out to date, Farke has often chucked young talents into the first team mix when he’s deemed them to be ready, having once kick-started Archie Gray’s ascent to stardom.

With Dominic Calvert-Lewin misfiring as of late, he might well be tempted to look at another Gray and launch Harry Gray into the senior side, with the 17-year-old already up to 15 goals for the U18s and U21s, despite recent injury setbacks.

Moreover, Alfie Cresswell could soon fancy his own chances, having captained the U21s this season from defensive midfield, with the 18-year-old – who can also play in defence – also collecting three goals for his troubles.

But, it could be down the right wing where Farke is looking to bring in some youthful reinforcements, having had to rely on a hot-and-cold Brenden Aaronson in his spot on the pitch for most of the season so far.

That has resulted in the versatile American only collecting one meagre goal for his efforts, with Farke having to persist with the up-and-down 25-year-old, owing to both Daniel James and Wilfried Gnonto being unfortunate with injuries.

Yet, there could be an in-house replacement now staring Farke in the face. Like Cresswell and Gray, he’s a hotly-tipped teenage sensation.

Leeds' surprise Aaronson replacement

All the young starlets over the years who have been generously handed a first-team opportunity at Leeds must dream that they can become the next homegrown ace to make it.

Only a select few do, unfortunately, but Connor Douglas will back himself that he can be a success story in the senior ranks down the line, having already been branded as a “joy to watch” by PureFootball Trent Gaffney for his previous heroics on the youth pitches in West Yorkshire.

Games played

66

Minutes played

4,519

Goals scored

12

Assists

9

Yet, despite receiving such glowing praise and collecting an impressive 12 goals and nine assists from 66 appearances in youth circles to date, the 20-year-old is still without a Leeds first-team chance.

That could soon change, however, particularly if Farke wants to look more left-field for an Aaronson replacement, with the adaptable number 52 collecting ten of his 21 goal contributions for the U21s from the right wing spot, an area of the pitch that isn’t best suited to the ex-Union Berlin man.

With Douglas’ senior contract also only in play until next summer, it does feel as if it’s make-or-break time for the young Englishman, if he wants to make an impression in the senior game.

Even lining up as a right-back and as a striker on occasion for the U21s, it’s clear that Douglas is a jack of all trades.

But, in the here and now, with a goal and an assist next to his name in the Premier League 2 this season when playing predominantly down the right flank, he could be a shock replacement for Aaronson.

Leeds have a "wrecking ball" out on loan who can put DCL on borrowed time

Leeds United have an impressive star out on loan who can put Dominic Calvert-Lewin on borrowed time already at Elland Road.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 3, 2025

With the BBL set to explore privatisation, Smith says SA20 will look to continue to “dominate” in the southern hemisphere

Firdose Moonda18-Aug-2025The SA20 organisers believe they have established enough of a foothold not to be threatened by the BBL’s aim to become the second-biggest league in the world after the IPL, according to commissioner Graeme Smith.The SA20, which will begin its fourth season on Boxing Day this year and has IPL ownership across all six franchises, has the second-highest salary cap after the IPL of R41 million (US$2.31 million). By that measure, it could be regarded as the next-best league in the global game and with a marquee auction scheduled for September 9, Smith explained they plan to stay that way.”When we started we were built up against the ILT20 and Big Bash and we set ourselves big ambitions upfront,” Smith told ESPNcricinfo ahead of the closing of player registration for the auction. “In the southern hemisphere window we want to dominate and we want to be the biggest league outside the IPL. Three years in, we’ve set the standard. Every decision we make is around making sure that we uphold those standards. I expect there will be a top number of leagues that will elevate themselves in a calendar cycle and that will be the priority for players, investors and fans. Our ambitions are to remain right at the top of that alongside IPL.Related

CA exploring BBL investment 'unashamedly' to be second behind IPL

BBL privatisation and later start among recommendations

SA20: Markram heads to the auction ahead of 2026 season

Smith’s comments come less than two weeks after CA CEO Todd Greenberg told that his board would “unashamedly” chase second spot by exploring privatisation. “It’s going to be very hard to chase the IPL, given the scale of cricket in India, but unashamedly, we want to run a league that comes second. And to do that we’re going to need to make sure that player availability and player salaries are commensurate with everything else that goes on around the world, and there’s one thing you need for that, you need money, you need investment. We’d be naive if we weren’t asking ourselves these questions and making sure we’ve got an eye on what’s next,” Greenberg said.The BBL’s move to seek private investment will make it the last of the established leagues to look for funding outside of board structures. The Hundred is the most recent to make the same moves, with deals for six out of their eight teams finalised ahead of next season. While happenings in the Hundred do not affect the SA20 because it is played in a different window, the BBL clashes with the SA20, which could mean a clash over status and crucially, player availability.Again, Smith had reason to be bullish. While the BBL is played at the same time as Australia’s international summer and so does not have Test players fully available, all South Africa’s national and domestically contracted players will prioritise the SA20, even if at the expense of international games. South Africa sent an understrength Test side to New Zealand last year, as an example of this policy in action. At the time, it drew criticism, but with South Africa going on to win the World Test Championship final, Smith sees it as proof that formats can co-exist if the planning is right.”Everyone was worried that we were going to destroy Test cricket but we’ve seen our national team go on a few years later to win the World Test Championship final. We’ve all played our role in the ecosystem,” he said. “We’ve been part of bringing gravitas back to South African cricket, seeing new fans come back to the game and new energy.”Graeme Smith expects a strong England presence in the upcoming SA20 season too•SportzpicsAt the same time, the SA20 also attracts internationals from other countries and last year had several English Test players, who had the winter off, join the tournament. This season, with the Ashes on, could be different but Smith still anticipates a strong contingent.”In the first two seasons we saw a lot of the England white-ball players come through and then with the FTP ebbing and flowing every year that changes,” he said. “So this year with the Ashes, we see some of those white ball players come back and maybe the Test players won’t form part of this season. The Ashes finishes on the ninth (of January, 2026). I don’t know if some of their players will form part of replacement lists but we’ve seen the likes of a Jos Butler come back into the tournament this year as an example.”Buttler, who played for Paarl Royals in the first two seasons, has been pre-signed by Durban’s Super Giants for the fourth season. Each franchise was allowed a maximum of six retentions or pre-signed players ahead of the new season. Of the 36 spots available, only a third (13) have been filled by South African players which Smith believes will create a lively auction. “I expected a lot more top South African players to pre-sign and that didn’t happen,” he said. “From our perspective it’s set up a very exciting auction with a very big purse.”The fourth season of the SA20 will be played over the festive period as South Africa do not host any home Tests this summer. Matches will not be played on any of the new drop-in pitches which are planned for the 2027 ODI World Cup but Smith hopes the lack of cricket this season will result in surfaces with a bit more life in them compared to last year, when they showed signs of wear.”The pitches last year didn’t play as well as we would have liked and it’s something that’s being worked on in terms of revamping stadiums and facilities ahead of the World Cup,” he said. “We’re working closely with Cricket South Africa in terms of improving the quality of stadiums, lights and pitches. Everything is a big work in progress behind the scenes.”The SA20 auction will take place in Johannesburg on September 9. Player registration for the auction closes on Monday, August 18.

Making sense of the big talking points at the end of the first day of the auction

Dustin Silgardo and Nagraj Gollapudi24-Nov-20243:43

Moody: PBKS paid dearly for Shreyas and Arshdeep

How did Shreyas Iyer get such a massive payday?

It might strike some as strange that a batter who has not played a T20I in almost a year should earn more than the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav and Heinrich Klaasen, not to mention Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. But that’s the nature of the auction, where supply and demand dictate bids, and objective valuation is sometimes incidental.Related

• Shreyas Iyer: 'I hate losing. That's what has elevated me to where I am right now as a captain'

• Shreyas Iyer appointed Punjab Kings captain for IPL 2025

• DC co-owner Jindal: 'The minute we didn't retain Pant, I knew he was gone'

• Bhuvneshwar goes to RCB for INR 10.75 crore as fast bowlers cash in on day two

• Fleming on Ashwin: 'We can use him in a number of ways'

Delhi Capitals (DC) had Shreyas Iyer as their captain from 2019 to 2021 and reached the playoffs in all three seasons, making the final in 2020. The DC coach at the time was Ricky Ponting, now head coach at Punjab Kings (PBKS). Both DC and PBKS needed a captain going into the auction and focussed on Shreyas, who had won IPL 2024 as captain of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Both teams had big purses in hand and were willing to spend up to a third of that on a captain – remember that there have been just eight captains who have won the IPL, and Shreyas is one of them.As a batter, while Shreyas was somewhat overshadowed by KKR’s hard-hitting top-order batters, he has struck at 140-plus over the past three seasons while averaging close to 35, so he is up there with some of the most effective top-order bats in the IPL.

Why did KKR spend INR 23.75 crore on Venkatesh Iyer?

It was one of the most befuddling sequences in IPL auction history in a long time. Especially because KKR had the option of retaining Venkatesh Iyer as a fifth capped player for INR 14 crore. They instead chose to retain the uncapped Ramandeep Singh for INR 4 crore.To be fair to KKR, their retentions of Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy and Rinku Singh plus the two uncapped players – Ramandeep and Harshit Rana (who hadn’t played for India at the time of the deadline) – looked sensible, since Venkatesh wasn’t expected to be at the centre of such a big bidding war – between KKR and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). But, again, what caused the bidding frenzy was the demand vs supply dynamics.4:23

INR 23.75 crore for Venky Iyer – Moody ‘shocked’

When Venkatesh’s name came up, RCB were desperate for a big buy after falling short in their bids for Mitchell Starc and KL Rahul, among others. They had only bought Liam Livingstone at that point, and they still had INR 74.25 crore remaining. KKR had failed to bring back Shreyas and had also fallen short in their bid for Rahul. They had INR 51 crore left. Both teams needed a top-order Indian batter, and most of the big names were not available to fight over.While not the biggest name, Venkatesh is one of just seven Indian batters to have scored 500-plus runs at an average of over 30 and a strike rate over 150 in the past two seasons. The other six had all been retained. That might explain why RCB, who withdrew before reaching the INR 11 crore mark in the bidding for Rahul, were willing to go so much higher for Venkatesh.Also, KKR wanted to retain as much of their IPL 2024 winning squad as possible, and having missed out on both Starc and Shreyas, they really wanted Venkatesh, who might also be a captaincy option.

How did the new RTM rule impact the auction?

For one, it assured Rishabh Pant became the most expensive player in IPL history, as many had predicted before the auction.Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) had the initial bid for Pant at INR 20.75 crore in their favour, but DC triggered their right-to-match (RTM) option. With the new rule, LSG had one further opportunity to raise their bid, which they did to INR 27 crore (US$3.17 million approx.), and DC felt that figure was too high.ESPNcricinfo LtdShashwat Goenka, one of the LSG owners, explained that INR 27 crore was not a “magic number” but a figure arrived at after much thought that ensured DC would not buy back Pant.The new RTM rule was brought in to ensure players get what they deserve, though several franchises were not in favour of it. And there were several other beneficiaries of the new RTM rule.Noor Ahmad saw his price doubled as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) upped their final bid of INR 5 crore to hold Gujarat Titans (GT) away. Jitesh Sharma fetched an extra INR 4 crore as RCB went up to INR 11 crore to make PBKS withdraw their RTM option. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) raised their bid of INR 15.75 crore to INR 18 for Arshdeep Singh, which PBKS matched. And it was PBKS doing the raising for Jake Fraser-McGurk, from INR 5.50 crore to INR 9 crore, which DC matched. Uncapped seamer Rasikh Salam went for INR 6 crore after DC used their RTM option and RCB raised their bid from INR 2 crore to INR 6 crore. Similarly, Harshal Patel, Rachin Ravindra and Naman Dhir also saw their prices go up after the RTM option came into play.1:35

New RTM rule makes Noor Ahmad’s price zoom

In all, just four RTM options were used successfully on day one of the auction, since many teams were priced out by the last bidders. Expect that to be a factor again on the second day.

Why did Starc get less than Hazlewood, Boult and Archer?

Starc, the most expensive buy at the IPL 2024 auction at INR 24.75 crore, went for just INR 11.75 crore (US$1.40 million approx.) this time. While he did leak runs at times last season, Starc did produce the key breakthroughs in the playoffs for title-winners KKR. That he and Kagiso Rabada (INR 10.75 crore or US$1.28 million approx.) went for less than some of the other overseas quicks probably had more to do with their entry point at the auction than quality. Starc and Rabada were in Set 1, when teams were still saving their purses for the big Indian names coming up in the next few rounds.RCB, who eventually bought Josh Hazlewood for INR 12.50 crore (US$1.49 million approx.), were clearly waiting for KL Rahul and Venkatesh and therefore stopped their bidding after a point for Starc. Once they could not secure those Indian players, though, they went all-in for Hazlewood.Similarly, Mumbai Indians (MI), who were bidding for Rabada, were waiting for Indian players such as Ishan Kishan. Once they hit the fast bowlers’ set with no buys yet, they bid hard for Hazlewood, Jofra Archer and finally Trent Boult, whom they got at INR 12.50 crore.2:26

‘Combination of Boult and Bumrah is mouth-watering’

Did overseas quicks go at a premium again?

As usual, overseas quicks were in high demand. This is despite there also being a good supply of Indian quicks. Apart from Arshdeep, who was the first player to go under the hammer at the auction and on whom PBKS used an RTM, only Mohammed Siraj (INR 12.25 crore) broke the INR 12-crore barrier among Indian quicks on day one. T Natarajan, Mohammed Shami, Avesh Khan and Prasidh Krishna earned deals in the INR 9-11 crore range, all falling outside the top-six most expensive pacers.As a result of teams targeting overseas quicks, overseas top-order batters appeared to go at budget prices. Apart from Jos Buttler, who went to GT for INR 15.75 crore (US$1.88 million approx,), and Phil Salt, who went to RCB for INR 11.50 crore (US$1.37 million approx.), no overseas top-order batter crossed the INR 10-crore mark. Only one other top-order batter made the overseas top ten on day one – Fraser-McGurk, on whom Capitals used an RTM to get him for INR 9 crore (US$1.07 million approx.).The rest of the overseas top ten included allrounder Marcus Stoinis, Noor, and five seamers. Glenn Maxwell, Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra all went in the INR 4-7 crore range, while David Warner went unsold.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Did big-name Indian players command a premium?

Indeed. Perhaps even more than expected.Just the top five Indian buys – Pant, Shreyas, Venkatesh, Yuzvendra Chahal and Arshdeep – went for INR 113.50 crore (US$13.4 million approx.) combined. Add in the next five – Rahul, Siraj, Kishan, Jitesh and Natarajan – and that made it 36.92% of the total spend by the teams on day one of the auction.That’s more than a third of the total spend on just ten players.In contrast, the top-ten overseas players went for 25% of the total spend on day one.Clearly, a lot of teams had come in aiming to spend big on a few players and fill in the squad with budget buys later. PBKS, the team with the biggest purse coming into the auction, had this strategy. They used around 57% of their INR 110.5 purse on just three players: Shreyas, Arshdeep and Chahal.LSG spent nearly 40% of the purse on Pant, while KKR spent more than 46% of theirs on Venkatesh. Even SRH, who came in with one of the smallest purses, were willing to fork out nearly half that on the duo of Shami and Kishan.

Niko Kovac held up Manchester City star Phil Foden's 'smooth control and finish' as an example for Dortmund forward Karim Adeyemi after yet another disappointing performance on the pitch. Foden starred with a brace, while Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki also found the back of the net as City thrashed the Bundesliga side 4-1 in a Champions League clash on Wednesday at Etihad Stadium.

Foden regains confidence and form

After a disappointing 2024-25 campaign in which he struggled both physically and mentally, Foden has regained his form and confidence with consistent performances this season. The English winger already has four goals and three assists across all competitions this season and has also made a comeback in the England national team. The 25-year-old, who has not featured for the Three Lions since March, was recalled to the team by manager Thomas Tuchel alongside Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham. 

After starring against Dortmund in the Champions League, the City star told : "I'm loving it. I just need to play with a smile on my face, which I'm doing. Last year was tough, not just for myself but for everyone. There is a new togetherness this season and you can tell. Today Dortmund caused us some problems, they are a great team, but we stuck to the plan and broke them down with our talent up front. You learn a lot from it when you go through a tough patch. We have great captains in our team and we speak about how we can get back on track. And we've added great players to the squad as well and that's brought real hunger and togetherness. It was just about trying to be the team we used to be and this season we are seeing glimpses of that."

AdvertisementAFPKovac lists Man City star as example for Adeyemi

While speaking about Adeyemi's poor run of form this season, Kovac held up Foden as an example to inspire the attacker as he said: "I'd like to keep it general: City's passing quality was better than ours. With Phil Foden's goals, you could see how smoothly he controlled the ball and then finished. Karim had a few chances, but he didn't quite make it. He lacked precision and accuracy. But that's something we're working on. We need to find the net; then the chances are higher. But I'm pleased that he even created the opportunity."

He added: "Karim has his own way of putting it. We're working hard, we've had a lot of games and can't train as regularly as we'd like. Sometimes balls go in that shouldn't, and vice versa. Against City, we conceded three goals from the edge of the penalty area. Karim is 23 years old, he has a lot of potential and needs to improve a few things. But we're working on that."

Kovac spoke highly of Man City

Kovac further heaped praise on Pep Guardiola's side in general as he told reporters: "We’re certainly a very good team in the Bundesliga and we reached the Champions League quarter-finals. But you have to say and acknowledge that this is a world-class team. We're not yet at that level, that has to be said. That's not a bad thing, because we have to be honest. We want to get there. To achieve that, we have to improve and work every day.

"We didn't create the chances we would have liked. Then we were simply too passive, conceding three goals from outside the penalty area. A deserved defeat. You could see the difference. City's passing was much cleaner than ours. Against teams like this, you have to defend better."

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GettyLiverpool test up next

After humbling the German opponents in Europe, Guardiola's side will now shift focus on the Premier League as they next face reigning champions Liverpool at home on Sunday. City, who are training league leaders Arsenal by six points, need to win the game at Etihad Stadium to close their gap with the high-flying Gunners, while also extending their lead over the Reds. 

Australia’s middle-order veteran understands the entertainment aspect of the power surge but feels it is hindering the development of players

Alex Malcolm13-Dec-2024One of Australia’s T20I middle-order mainstays Marcus Stoinis says the BBL should revisit the rules around the shortened powerplay and power surge as he believes it is detrimental to developing middle-order T20 batters.The new Melbourne Stars captain is uniquely qualified on the subject having become an outstanding middle-order T20I batter for Australia and a highly sought-after player for that role in franchise cricket around the world, including the IPL, after making his name as an opener in the BBL.Stoinis, 35, was a key match-winner at No. 5 and 6 in Australia’s 2021 T20 World Cup triumph and was one of the best performed batters at the most recent T20 World Cups for Australia in 2022 and 2024. But Australia’s middle-order was a weak-point overall in the 2024 edition, compared to 2021, as they failed in two chases against Afghanistan and India and missed the semi-finals.Related

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On Thursday he was asked if there was a rule within the BBL he would like changed and Stoinis diplomatically suggested the surge should be revisited.”I usually steer clear from this sort of stuff,” Stoinis said. “But I think, personally, if we’re building towards our Australian T20 team being as good as it can, I think having the surge and shorter powerplay at the start. I think that sort of makes it hard for middle-order batters in the Big Bash to push a case for international cricket, and to learn the way to play through those middle-overs in international cricket.”I understand why they’ve done it, and I understand the entertainment aspect, but I think it’s probably a question that needs to be spoken about.”The power surge is a unique rule to the BBL competition having come in as part of three new rules that were introduced in 2020-21, alongside the X-Factor and the Bash Boost.The surge was designed to create a different dynamic in the second half of the innings, with the standard six-over powerplay reduced to four overs at the start and two surge overs, with just two men allowed outside the circle, to be used any time after the 10-over mark of the innings.It has been a hit with fans, but the issue from an international standpoint is that middle-order/death batting in T20I and IPL cricket has become a power game with specialists needed to score at well in-excess of 10 runs per over with five men out. The surge has allowed less powerful middle-order players to face 12 deliveries against an older ball with just two men out.Jordan Silk is someone who has had a significant role in the power surge•Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesPlayers have been able to find the boundary more freely without needing to clear the men on the fence, like they would in international cricket. International middle-order batting is even harder in Australia compared to overseas because of the size of the grounds. But the surge lessens that challenge in the BBL.The leading runscorer in the power surge since it was introduced has been Jordan Silk, scoring 233 runs off 139 balls. But he has struck just three sixes off those 139 balls, instead finding the rope 31 times and also scoring three threes, which are incredibly rare in T20 cricket. Stoinis smashed five sixes in his most recent T20I innings in Australia, when he scored 61 not out off 27 balls against Pakistan, with all five sixes being struck while Pakistan had five men on the rope.The BBL has been flexible with the rules and open to feedback. The competition leadership was happy to abandon both the X-Factor and Bash Boost as it was felt neither were having the impact they were initially designed to have.But the surge has remained as it has been a hit with fans and broadcasters. The BBL are adding to the entertainment factor this year both inside the stadium and on the broadcast after success during the WBBL, with young kids involved in hitting a ‘Surge button’ at the venue to light-up the stadium and announce the surge overs. There has not been a discussion within the BBL to have the surge reviewed at the moment.Stoinis’ sentiment highlights the ongoing push and pull between the ‘entertainment’ of the BBL and the development of Australia’s domestic talent for international cricket.Australia’s selectors and coaching staff are already looking to regenerate the T20I side ahead of the 2026 after long-time No. 7 Matthew Wade and opener David Warner retired at the end of the last World Cup. Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell, 36, could well be involved in the 2026 World Cup but will almost certainly not play beyond that.The middle-order axis of Maxwell, Stoinis, Tim David and Wade, which has been the bedrock of Australia’s T20I side at the last two World Cups, will need to be completely reshaped in the near future. In the case of Stoinis and Wade, both men developed their middle-overs and death batting skills at T20I level or in franchise cricket overseas in part because of how they were used by their BBL sides.But there is a concern the surge isn’t helping the next generation of players, like Aaron Hardie, get true middle-over experience at BBL level with five men out, with Hardie scoring 109 runs from 55 balls in the surge for just two dismissals.