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His penchant for scoring big in big tournaments stood out, especially in ODI cricket

Ashish Pant24-Aug-20241:37

Dhawan’s top 10

Early signs of something special

At the 2004 Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh, Dhawan gave a glimpse of the kind of batter he would turn out to be. He smashed 505 runs, at an average of 84.16 and a strike rate of 93.51, to finish as the highest run-getter in the tournament, clear of second-placed Alastair Cook by more than 100 runs. In seven innings, Dhawan hit three centuries and a fifty, and was named Player of the Tournament for his role in India’s run to the semi-final. Dhawan’s tally was a record for the most runs in a single edition of the U-19 World Cup until South Africa’s Dewald Brevis bettered it by one run in 2022.

A Test debut to remember

Dhawan made his India debut in an ODI in 2010, but it wasn’t until 2013 that he got a proper run in the national side.It started with his Test debut against Australia in March 2013. He admitted being nervous remembering his ODI debut, which was also against Australia, where he fell for a two-ball duck. But there was no sign of nerves as he went about scoring a sparkling century in Mohali.Coming off 85 balls, it remains the fastest century by a Test debutant. He finished on 187, which is the highest score by an India batter on Test debut and the eighth-highest overall.”I wasn’t really playing in a hurry,” he said afterwards. “The fours were coming on their own after the ball hit the bat. I felt my shot selection was good and I played according to how I’d assessed the wicket. I didn’t feel that I rushed things. There was no strategy, I was hitting the ball well, I was middling the ball very nicely and the runs came on their own.”Shikhar Dhawan savours his century on Test debut•BCCI

India’s Champions Trophy hero

Before the 2013 Champions Trophy in England, Dhawan had played five ODIs in two-and-a-half years – all between 2010 and 2011 – and scored 69 runs. That would change soon. He began with back-to-back centuries against South Africa and West Indies. Then came a 48 against Pakistan, 68 against Sri Lanka and 31 off 24 balls against England in the rain-affected final. He finished the tournament with 363 runs in five innings, at an average of 90.75 and a strike rate of 101.39. India won the title.”I’d dreamt of this, I’m really happy with it,” Dhawan said after collecting the player-of-the-tournament award. “The bouncy tracks suit my game. I worked hard in practice and in the warm-up games. It makes it more special because I was out of the side for a few years.”

A List A high

The year 2013 was Dhawan’s through and through. Riding a wave of confidence from his Test and Champions Trophy exploits, Dhawan turned out for India A away against South Africa A, and ran the hosts absolutely ragged in Pretoria.Related

• 'A guy who punched well above his weight'

• Shikhar Dhawan, the king of global ODI tournaments

Batting first in a List A game, he smashed 248 off just 150 balls with 30 fours and seven sixes as India A piled on 433 for 3 in 50 overs. When Dhawan was dismissed there were still 32 deliveries left in the innings and Dhawan later admitted “if I had batted till the end, I had a chance to score a triple hundred”.It was an innings that left everyone impressed, from then head coach Lalchand Rajput to the opposition captain Justin Ontong, who described the innings as a “highlights package”.Dhawan’s 248 at the time was the second-highest List A score in the world and currently ranks third for an India batter behind N Jagadeesan’s 277 against Arunachal Pradesh and Rohit Sharma’s 264 against Sri Lanka in an ODI.

India’s go-to man at ICC tournaments

Dhawan soon developed a penchant for big scoring in big tournaments.After the Champions Trophy, he topped the run chart for India at the 2015 ODI World Cup and the 2017 Champions Trophy. In the 2019 ODI World Cup, he smashed a century against Australia before being ruled out of the tournament with a fractured thumb. Among those who scored at least 1000 runs in ICC’s ODI tournaments – the World Cup and the Champions Trophy – Dhawan has the highest average: 65.15. In 20 matches, he scored 1238 runs, with six hundreds and four fifties.Not to forget, Dhawan was India’s highest run-getter even at the 2014 and 2018 Asia Cups – talk about saving his best for the big stages.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Prolific in the IPL

Dhawan represented five teams in the IPL: Delhi Capitals (and Delhi Daredevils), Mumbai Indians, Deccan Chargers, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings. He finishes as the second-highest run-getter in IPL history, with 6769 runs in 222 games at 35.25 and a strike rate of 127.14.It took him 167 IPL innings to score his first IPL century, against Chennai Super Kings in 2020, and he quickly added another one in the next game against Punjab Kings, becoming the first to score back-to-back IPL centuries.He also holds the record for the most fours (768) in the IPL and is third on the list for the most 50-plus scores: 53.

Cal Raleigh has become arguably the most valuable player in baseball.

Yes, Aaron Judge still exists. But it's worth considering the positional value the Seattle Mariners catcher brings to the table. The average major league catcher these days is below average at the plate. Meanwhile, Raleigh has been destroying the poor saps he's facing on the mound. He's on pace to make some serious history in the process.

Through 78 games, Raleigh is slashing .277/.382/.658 with an MLB-best 32 home runs and 69 RBIs. Yes, Judge's numbers are better overall and he's likely headed for his third MVP award in the last four years, but Raleigh's relative value is through the roof. He also won a Platinum Glove in 2024 as the American League's best defender at any position. The 28-year-old is a legitimate two-way star.

We decided to go inside the numbers put up by the man they call the Big Dumper during his remarkable first half.

32 — Raleigh's home runs through 78 games.

34 — Raleigh's career high in home runs, set last season.

17 — Number of home runs by the next closest catcher, Los Angeles Angels backstop Logan O'Hoppe. Only six catchers are in double figures, meanwhile, the switch-hitting Raleigh has 21 from the left side of the plate alone.

28 — Home runs hit in the first half of the 1970 season by Hall of Famer Johnny Bench, which was previously a record for catchers.

39 — Barry Bonds's record for home runs before the All-Star break, set during his BALCO-fueled 2001 season.

48 — Record for home runs in a season by a catcher, set by Salvador Perez in 2021.

20 — Percentage of batted balls Raleigh hits on the barrel, which is in the 98th percentile across MLB.

5.4 — Raleigh's fWAR in 153 games during the 2024 season, tied for the best among catchers.

5.4 — Raleigh's fWAR through 78 games in 2025, which ranks second behind Aaron Judge (6.1) among all players.

3.1 — fWAR of Dodgers catcher Will Smith, who ranks second at the position. There are only three qualified catchers with an fWAR higher than 1.8.

.658 — Raleigh's slugging percentage, which ranks second in baseball behind Judge.

194 — Raleigh's wRC+, which ranks second in baseball behind Judge, again.

1.030 — Raleigh's OPS, which ranks second in baseball behind… you get it.

.702 — OPS of the average major league catcher in 2025.

1.026 — Raleigh's OPS when batting left-handed.

1.110 — Raleigh's OPS when batting right handed.

.382 — Raleigh's on-base percentage, which ranks 12th in MLB and second among catchers (behind Smith).

.401 — Raleigh's xwOBA, a statistic that uses MLB’s Statcast system to determine a player’s expected weighted on-base average, a catch-all advanced metric for overall hitting performance. Only 10 hitters have higher xwOBAs, and none are catchers.

105 million — Value in dollars of the six-year contract extension Raleigh signed with the Mariners before this season, and he almost certainly wishes he hadn't. The 28-year-old was set to enter free agency after the 2027 season. Given the season he's having, he could have sought upwards of $30 million per season on an extension or eventual free agent contract, perhaps double the $17.5 million he'll make on average per year.

What Raleigh is doing is flat-out remarkable. He's punishing pitching from both sides of the plate while playing Gold Glove-caliber defense behind the plate. He's on the verge of setting records and shows no signs of slowing down.

There's little argument over the notion that he’s rapidly become one of baseball's most valuable players, if not the AL’s most valuable player.

Afghanistan left-arm wristspinner Noor Ahmad has joined the Desert Vipers squad for the fourth season of the ILT20. The 20-year-old was signed by the franchise as a replacement for Wanindu Hasaranga, who will be unavailable for the tournament due to commitments for Sri Lanka.Noor has a wealth of experience in the franchise T20 circuit, having played in the IPL, Hundred, CPL, SA20, BBL and PSL among other leagues. He has also appeared in the ILT20 once before, in its inaugural season in 2022-23, when he played seven matches for Sharjah Warriorz.Noor has played 14 T20s in the UAE, of which 10 were for Afghanistan. He has 15 wickets in the country at an average of 23.73 and economy of 6.84. He joins two other Afghanistan players spinner Qais Ahmad and fast bowler Faridoon Dawoodzai in the Vipers squad.”I played in the first season of the competition and so I know what to expect from conditions,” Noor said. “With two other Afghanistan players in the squad there will be some familiar faces for me as soon as I walk through the door.”Desert Vipers have reached the finals of the ILT20 twice – in the previous edition and the first one in 2022-23 – but lost on both occasions. They lost to the Gulf Giants in the first final, while the Dubai Capitals won the title in a final-over finish in the 2024 edition.Vipers and Capitals will play the opening match of this year’s tournament in Dubai on December 2, in a repeat of the previous year’s final. Noor is expected to be available for the whole tournament.

Nitish Kumar Reddy, who suffered a knee injury on the recent England tour, also makes a comeback

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Sep-2025Shreyas Iyer will lead a 15-member India A side against Australia A in two multi-day matches later this month in Lucknow. Nitish Kumar Reddy, who suffered a knee injury on the recent England tour, has also been included.First-choice Test players KL Rahul and Mohammed Siraj were named in the squad as well, but only for the second match.Iyer last played a Test for India in February 2024, against England in Visakhapatnam. This is an opportunity for him to present his case for the two-match Test series at home against West Indies, which starts on October 2. Reddy had played the second and the third Tests of the England series in July before being ruled out with the injury. On Saturday, he bowled a lengthy spell to Sai Sudharsan and Ishan Kishan at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.Related

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Konstas, Peake, McSweeney in Australia A squad for India tour

Prasidh Krishna, Sai Sudharsan and Abhimanyu Easwaran – all part of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, which India drew 2-2 – have also been named in the A team. N Jagadeesan, who was called to England for the final Test, also makes it. Wicketkeeper batter Dhruv Jurel, who was injured and unable to play the Duleep trophy quarter-final and semi-final, has been named vice-captain. He had an extended training session at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence on Friday.Ayush Badoni, who scored a double-hundred against East Zone in the ongoing Duleep Trophy, has been rewarded with a call-up. That was the second double-hundred of Badoni’s first-class career. Currently playing his 16th match in the format, he has 1370 runs at an average of 65.23.Khaleel Ahmed, Yash Thakur and Gurnoor Brar are among the seamers; Manav Suthar, Harsh Dubey and Tanush Kotian are the spin options. Among the notable absentees are Karun Nair, who is recovering from a finger injury, Shardul Thakur and Sarfaraz Khan.The first game starts on September 16 and the second on September 23. That will be followed by three one-dayers, all in Kanpur.India A squad for Australia seriesShreyas Iyer (capt), Abhimanyu Easwaran, N Jagadeesan (wk), Sai Sudharsan, Dhruv Jurel (vice-capt, wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Harsh Dubey, Ayush Badoni, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Tanush Kotian, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Khaleel Ahmed, Manav Suthar, Yash Thakur, KL Rahul*, Mohammed Siraj*

Afghanistan, Pakistan and UAE will get more matches to prepare for the men’s T20 Asia Cup when they compete in a T20 tri-series hosted by the Emirates Cricket Board in Sharjah in August-September.The Asia Cup runs from September 9 to 28, also in the UAE.As such, based on the ICC’s future tours programme, Pakistan were expected to host Afghanistan for three T20Is in the window that has now been allotted to the tri-series.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Each team will play the other twice in the round-robin stage of the tournament, with the top two contesting the final. All the games will be played from 7pm local time. Pakistan are the highest-ranked side among the three on the ICC rankings at No. 8, with Afghanistan at No. 9, and UAE at No. 14.Pakistan are currently engaged in a bilateral white-ball series, where they have won the first game, against West Indies, and play their first match of the Asia Cup, against Oman on September 12. Afghanistan have not played a T20I since their bilateral series in Zimbabwe at the end of last year, and play their opening match of the Asia Cup, against Hong Kong on September 9.Both the teams qualified directly for the T20 World Cup in 2026, to be played in India and Sri Lanka – Afghanistan as one of the top-seven teams (excluding the hosts) in the previous T20 World Cup and Pakistan based on their ranking on the ICC table at the cut-off date of June 30, 2024. UAE, meanwhile, have not yet confirmed their spot at the World Cup. They have to go through the Asia-East Asia and Pacific qualifiers, to be played in Oman from October 8 to 17, to get there if they can.

Sunderland dive headfirst into a tricky set of fixtures in the Premier League later today as a trip to Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea awaits Regis Le Bris’ determined underdogs.

The Black Cats’ last detour to London saw them pick up a plucky 0-0 draw away at Crystal Palace, with the Frenchman looking for more of the same against the Blues, who are just fresh off a 5-1 demolition job of Ajax in the Champions League.

After this difficult tie, the Wearside giants then face off against Everton and Arsenal at home to kickstart November.

Le Bris will be largely satisfied with what he saw from his troops last time out in a comfortable 2-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Still, he could be forced into making some slight alterations anyway, with this first-team presence already being ruled out through injury…

Sunderland team news for Chelsea

Away from Habib Diarra being in the Stadium of Light treatment room for the foreseeable future, Omar Alderete looks as if he will also be missing from the game in West London, due to concussion protocol.

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Luke O’Nien could well get the nod to start over the Paraguayan, therefore.

Reports also suggest that Noah Sadiki might well be touch-and-go for a starting spot against Maresca’s hosts, having battled back well from an injury sustained on international duty to play against Vitor Pereira’s basement side, only to look sheepish come full-time.

Renilido is also back and available for selection after serving a suspension, with Le Bris perhaps in need of some more options in the left-back spot, as Dennis Cirkin remains sidelined next to the injury-stricken Diarra.

It’s not all just injuries that will impact Le Bris’ decision-making heading into the tense clash at Stamford Bridge, though, with Bertrand Traore seriously in danger of being axed from the starting XI, after putting in a poor showing during the 2-0 win.

Traore vs Wolves

Stat

Traore

Minutes played

63

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

23

Shots

0

Accurate passes

11/16 (69%)

Successful dribbles

2/3

Possession lost

7x

Total duels won

3/9

Stats by Sofascore

Having amassed a forgettable 23 touches against a porous Old Gold defence, it does appear unlikely that the Burkina Faso international will be trusted to start down the right channel again, particularly against a far sterner Chelsea test.

It could well result in Le Bris chucking this promising Black Cats star into the starting lineup over Traore, who is seemingly becoming more and more used to the pressures of the Premier League with every passing game.

How Sunderland can replace Traore vs Chelsea

Thankfully, while Traore has struggled to get going in his new Sunderland shirt, other, more settled faces up top have made the jump up to the Premier League not look as daunting.

Indeed, Enzo Le Fee – who was key to the Black Cats’ promotion up to the top-flight – already has one goal to shout about from his five league starts so far, while Wilson Isidor has continued to lead the line with venom, after collecting 13 Championship goals last season, with three put away in the division above.

Annoyingly for Traore, though, his competition down the right wing is a new addition who hasn’t looked fazed by the bright lights of the Premier League whatsoever, in promising 20-year-old attacker Chemsdine Talbi.

Hailed as “electric” by scout Antonio Mango when collecting 12 goal contributions on the books of Club Brugge, many would have been expecting the Morocco international to take some time to get adjusted to the English game.

Instead, however, the £18m signing has blown Traore out of the water, with a standout cameo against Wolves perhaps enough to push him into the starting lineup later today.

From just 27 minutes of action against Wolves, Talbi would strike fear into the opposition defenders far more than Traore managed, with one gung-ho dart forward right at the death resulting in a late own-goal sealing the 2-0 victory.

With an assist also collected on the opening day against West Ham United, it’s clear that the 20-year-old is capable of offering far more sudden magic than the disappointing number 25, with Sunderland journalist Phil Smith also stating recently that Talbi has “really grown into the Sunderland shirt” with his “dangerous” front-foot approach.

This might well be a change that catches Chelsea out, with Talbi’s “fast-forward” mentality – as he was once also dubbed in Belgium – a useful weapon for Le Bris to deploy heading into a tough patch of fixtures to come.

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He’s started seven of eight Premier League games this season…

Posts ByTom Cunningham Oct 23, 2025

Chelsea have reportedly thrown their full support behind Enzo Maresca's heavy rotation policy despite growing scrutiny following a 2-2 draw with Qarabag in the Champions League. Club executives insist the Italian is managing a young squad exactly as intended and believe his strategy will deliver long-term success despite short-term inconsistencies.

Blues boss continues to make changes

Per , Chelsea have publicly and privately backed Maresca’s approach to squad management following another heavily rotated lineup in midweek European action. The Italian made seven changes for the 2-2 draw with Qarabag, extending his streak to five consecutive matches with at least seven alterations to his starting XI. Despite surrendering points to the Azerbaijani side, who claimed their first-ever draw against English opposition, senior Chelsea figures remain convinced that Maresca’s methods are both necessary and effective for the long term.

The decision to shuffle personnel so frequently has been met with mixed results; Chelsea’s 4-3 win over Wolves and a 1-0 triumph at Tottenham showed the policy can yield results, but defeats like the 2-1 loss to Sunderland and the midweek stalemate have prompted external questions about rhythm and chemistry. Internally, however, there is little concern. Chelsea’s leadership view rotation as a key part of their strategic plan to protect the fitness of their young, evolving squad and to manage a demanding schedule across four competitions.

Wednesday’s draw in Baku again highlighted both the benefits and risks of such an approach. A rotated side, averaging just 23 years of age, struggled for cohesion early on, falling behind before Alejandro Garnacho salvaged a point.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportClub understand importance of building long-term cohesion

Chelsea’s hierarchy have made it clear that Maresca’s management style aligns with the club’s modern footballing strategy under co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart. Their vision is centred around youth development, tactical adaptability, and minute management to avoid burnout across a gruelling schedule that includes the Champions League, Premier League, Carabao Cup and the FA Cup, and all these commitments come after a summer of Club World Cup action.

The policy also serves a practical purpose. With a squad rebuilt around players aged 18 to 25, many of whom are in their first or second Premier League seasons, the coaching staff are deliberately pacing their development. Maresca’s willingness to rest stars like Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, and Reece James, even for high-profile fixtures, is viewed as responsible rather than reckless. The club’s analytics department has reportedly provided strong data in support of the approach, suggesting fewer long-term injuries and improved physical output among regular starters.

Chelsea continue to build-up fringe players' fitness

The Qarabag draw may have tested that belief, but the context provides insight into Chelsea’s thinking. The fixture came just three days after a draining Premier League win at Tottenham and required a 5,000-mile round trip to Baku, an intense turnaround that left several players nursing minor knocks.

Romeo Lavia’s early injury meant Caicedo entered after just eight minutes, while Fernandez was introduced at halftime to stabilise a shaky midfield. Still, there were flashes of Chelsea’s potential amid the chaos. 18-year-old Estevao, now the club’s top scorer this season, struck early, and Garnacho’s late equaliser salvaged a point in an otherwise uneven performance. Chelsea’s rotation-heavy approach has also yielded positives across the wider campaign, including increased game time for promising prospects like Tyrique George, Jorrel Hato, and Jamie Gittens, all of whom are expected to form part of the club’s long-term core.

Critically, Maresca’s relationship with Chelsea’s multi-director structure has been described as strong and communicative. He is said to meet weekly with the sporting leadership team to align on squad planning and player workloads, ensuring that decisions around selection are made collaboratively.

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AFPLikely to rotate against Wolves as well

Chelsea’s immediate focus turns back to domestic competition, where they face Wolves at Stamford Bridge this weekend. The club expects Maresca to continue with his rotation-heavy model, albeit with tweaks to ensure balance and stability as the team pursues Champions League qualification. The coaching staff believe that once key players regain fitness and younger stars find rhythm, results will begin to mirror performances more consistently.

Abhishek also picked up a 25% fine for his involvement in the incident

ESPNcricinfo staff20-May-2025Digvesh Rathi, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) spinner, has breached the IPL’s Code of Conduct for a third time this season, leaving him suspended for one game alongside a 50% fine of his match fee. Rathi picked up the infraction in LSG’s home game against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), following his dismissal of Abhishek Sharma.The incident happened in the eighth over of the chase after Rathi dismissed Abhishek. He gave the batter a send-off with a wave and an entry in his “notebook” which was followed by an exchange of words with the batter, needing the intervention of umpire Michael Gough. Rathi has now accumulated five demerit points for the season, due to which the suspension has kicked in. He will miss LSG’s next game against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Thursday.Rathi’s five demerit points this season are all under Article 2.5 of the IPL Code of Conduct. According to the code, four demerit points add up to one suspension point, meaning players are forced to sit out one match when that mark is reached. Since the demerit points remain on an individual’s record for a period of 36 months, Rathi will have to be careful even in the upcoming seasons, since eight demerit points would result in a two-game suspension and 11 demerit points would result in a three-game suspension.Rathi had earlier picked up one demerit point for his celebration and charge towards Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) Priyansh Arya on April 1 and two demerit points for his celebration against Naman Dhir of Mumbai Indians (MI) on April 4, both involving his “notebook” send off. After his first offence against PBKS, Rathi was told by the match officials about why he was penalised. When Rathi was pulled up against MI three days later, he said that he was under the impression that the first time he was sanctioned for charging towards the batter.What is Article 2.5?

Article 2.5 includes any language, action or gesture used by a Player and directed towards a batter upon his/her dismissal which has the potential to provoke an aggressive reaction from the dismissed batter, whether or not any reaction results, or which could be considered to disparage or demean the dismissed batter, regardless of whether the batter him/herself feels disparaged or demeaned

Abhishek was also fined 25% of his match fee for his involvement in the incident. This was his first infraction of the season. Despite the heated moment between the game, the two players appeared to be in better spirits after the match. The two shook hands after the game and were seen joking around with each other as the teams caught up after the match which SRH won by six wickets and ten balls to spare.From the contest’s perspective, Rathi will be missed by LSG against table-toppers GT. He has been LSG’s highest wicket-taker with 14 scalps in a forgettable season for their bowlers. He will be available, though, for LSG’s final league game of the season on May 27 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

Zimbabwe beat Bangladesh by three wickets in an exciting finish on the fourth evening of the first Test in Sylhet to go 1-0 up in the two-match series. It was Zimbabwe’s fifth overseas Test victory, which came after they completed their highest successful chase in the fourth innings. It was also their first win in the last 11 Tests and each of their last three wins have come away from home.Blessing Muzarabani was the architect of the victory with a nine-wicket match haul, but it needed Wessly Madhevere and No. 9 Richard Ngarava to push Zimbabwe over the line after they collapsed when needing less than 50 runs in their chase. Mehidy Hasan Miraz orchestrated the collapse when he picked up his second five-wicket haul in the Test. He also took his 200th Test wicket on the way to a ten-for. Madhevere reverse-swept him to the boundary to get Zimbabwe to their 174-run target.Openers Brian Bennett and Ben Curran got Zimbabwe off to a rollicking start with a 95-run stand in just 21 overs. Curran, who struck seven fours in his 44 off 75 balls, was out to Mehidy, skying him to mid-off. No. 3 batter Nick Welch fell lbw to Taijul Islam for 10, before Sean Williams misread the bounce against Mehidy in the 31st over. He top-edged a simple catch to Najmul Hossain Shanto at cover for 9. That’s when trouble started, at 127 for 3.Mehidy Hasan Miraz sent jitters in the Zimbabwe camp with his second five-wicket haul in the Test•AFP/Getty Images

In the next over, Bennett was done in by Mehidy’s spin and was caught by Mushfiqur Rahim at deep mid-on. The big shot he attempted was a risky move in that situation as he was batting well on 54. He struck seven fours and a six in his 81-ball stay.Taijul next struck when he had Craig Ervine caught behind off a delivery that was sliding down the leg side. Mehidy convinced captain Shanto to take the review, Ultra-Edge showed a spike, and Ervine walked off for 10. Mehidy struck again first ball of his next over when he clean bowled Nyasha Mayavo for 1. Zimbabwe were now 145 for 6.Wellington Masakadza, however, settled Zimbabwe’s nerves with boundaries in consecutive overs from Taijul. He struck a big six down the ground soon after he arrived at the crease, before slamming him past mid-off for a four. But his innings was ended by a Mehidy beauty – pitching on a length around off stump from around the wicket and turning ever so slightly to bowl him for 12.After defending his first two balls, Ngarava smashed Mehidy for four over wide mid-on to reduce the target to nine runs. Madhevere hit Taijul for another four off the first ball of the next over. He repeated the dose against Mehidy before the win that will go into Zimbabwe cricket folklore was sealed.The Test win will, however, be most remembered for Muzarabani’s bowling excellence. He has now taken five-wicket hauls in his last three Tests, which has helped him equal Heath Streak’s record for the fastest to 50 Test wickets for Zimbabwe. His match figures of 9 for 122 is the best by a Zimbabwean in Bangladesh. Muzarabani also found great support at the other end, with fellow quicks Ngarava and Victor Nyauchi and left-arm spinner Masakadza taking the remaining four wickets in the second innings.Blessing Muzarabani shows off the match ball after his six-wicket haul•AFP/Getty Images

Rain gave Bangladesh a bit of reprieve as the fourth day began 75 minutes late. Zimbabwe, though, attacked from the get-go, taking three wickets in the first 5.3 overs of the morning session. Bangladesh were eventually bowled out for 255, having lost 6 for 62 on the day.Muzarabani struck with the second ball, dismissing Shanto on the pull. Nyauchi dived forward at fine leg to catch the top edge, ending Shanto’s innings at 60 off 105 balls. Mehidy followed his captain back to the pavilion soon after, edging Muzarabani to gully. Bennett took a simple catch as Muzarabani completed his five-for. Ngarava got into the act from the other end, removing Taijul in the next over.Hasan Mahmud’s rearguard action – 12 off 58 balls – stemmed the batting collapse. He added 35 runs for the eighth wicket with Jaker Ali, before holing out to mid-off where Muzarabani took an easy catch. Khaled Ahmed gave Ervine a catch next ball, as Masakadza again proved lethal for the Bangladesh tail.Muzarabani completed Zimbabwe’s dominant morning with Jaker’s wicket, when he top-edged a slog to deep midwicket. Jaker had been farming the strike for the previous hour, before opening up with just one wicket left. He had hit one six among his five boundaries and was eventually out for 58 off 111 balls.

Leeds United failed to deliver on what Daniel Farke wanted from the end of the summer transfer window, as he wanted further attacking reinforcements added to his squad.

The German head coach wanted the 49ers to bring in more quality to bolster his options at the top end of the pitch, to add to Noah Okafor, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Lukas Nmecha.

Speaking ahead of the deadline, the manager said: “In defence and midfield, goalkeeper position and full-back position, we’ve done really good business. But we spoke quite open and honestly about it, we would need to add some more quality up front. We need to stay awake until the last hour of this window.”

Leeds were interested in a deal to sign Facundo Buonanotte on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion, before Chelsea swooped in to sign him on loan to push the Whites out of the way.

The Argentine attacking midfielder reportedly earns £25k-per-week and could have been a shrewd and cost-effective signing for the Championship champions on loan.

Why Buoanotte would have been a value-for-money signing for Leeds

When you consider some of the wages that are being paid by Leeds within their current first-team squad, Buoanotte could have been a value-for-money addition to the group on a season-long loan.

Per Capology, for example, Jack Harrison is the top earner in the squad on a weekly wage of £90k, despite the fact that he scored one goal in the Premier League on loan at Everton last term and is not currently a starting XI player for Farke.

Whilst it is worth noting that Noah Okafor (£72.5k-per-week) is the only new signing whose wage is reported on Capology, Harrison does not appear to be providing value-for-money for the output that he offers on the pitch.

Particularly when you consider that Buonanotte scored five goals on loan at Leicester, per Sofascore, in the top-flight last season and only earns £25k-per-week, suggesting that he would offer more value for money than the English dud does.

Top 10 Leeds earners (excluding new signings)

Player

Weekly wage

Jack Harrison

£90k

Dan James

£70k

Pascal Struijk

£50k

Brenden Aaronson

£45k

Joe Rodon

£40k

Ethan Ampadu

£40k

Wilfried Gnonto

£30k

Illan Meslier

£30k

Jayden Bogle

£30k

Karl Darlow

£30k

Wages via Capology

As you can see in the table above, Brenden Aaronson, Karl Darlow, and Illan Meslier also feature within the top ten earners who were at the club at the start of the window, yet they have not started any games this season in the Premier League.

Aaronson, though, has at least come on as a substitute in all three of the team’s league matches so far, which shows that he is still part of Farke’s frontline plans.

The same cannot be said for Meslier, though, as the French goalkeeper has not made any of the matchday squads in any competition for the first-team this season.

He currently earns £5k more per week than Buonanotte does at Brighton/Chelsea, which emphasises how little the Whites are getting back for the wages they are paying him.

Wage Burners

Football FanCast’s Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.

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The 49ers should be pushing to cash in on Meslier before the transfer windows in other countries around the globe slam shut, so that they can save roughly £1.5m-per-season on the shot-stopper.

Why Leeds should sell Illan Meslier

Leeds missing out on signing Buonanotte at £25k-per-week, when he scored five goals in the Premier League last season, puts into perspective how little the club are getting back from the wages that they are spending on some of their current squad.

As aforementioned, Meslier has not even made the bench for a match this season, with Lucas Perri and Darlow both ahead of him in the pecking order as it stands, yet he is earning even more than the promising Argentine playmaker.

This is why the 49ers should be pushing to sell him to any potentially interested clubs, whether that is in Turkey or elsewhere, in the coming weeks, if not then in the January transfer window.

Leeds United managing director Robbie Evans told The Athletic that there was some interest in Meslier before the English window slammed shut, but that it was not as strong as he expected for “a player of his calibre”.

Whilst the club are entitled to value the Frenchman as they wish, there has to be a degree of realism because the left-footed dud was unlikely to attract much high-level interest, in terms of clubs or possible transfer fees, after being dropped last season and demoted to third-choice at the start of the current campaign.

The 25-year-old dud made three errors that directly led to goals and conceded 2.73 more goals than expected in the Championship before being dropped for Darlow, per Sofascore, which speaks to how underwhelming his performances were.

Meslier’s struggles in the 2024/25 campaign were far from unpredictable, though, as he has rarely been an impressive or consistent shot-stopper in his career at Elland Road.

Illan Meslier’s shot-stopping form before 2024/25

Season

Goals conceded

Post-shot xG minus goals conceded

23/24 (Championship)

40

-3.1

22/23 (Premier League)

67

-12.4

21/22 (Premier League)

79

-16.2

20/21 (Premier League)

52

-3.4

Stats via FBref

As you can see in the table above, the French flop conceded a staggering 32 goals more than the post-shot xG expected him to in his three seasons in the Premier League.

This is why there needs to be some realism around a potential sale of Meslier because other teams will look at these performances, and the fact that he has dropped to third-choice this season, and wonder if it is worth spending millions to sign him for their club.

The left-footed goalkeeper, who was once dubbed a “massive liability” by journalist David Kent, has been too poor for too long between the sticks for Leeds, hence why he has found himself in this awkward position at the start of the season.

Therefore, the 49ers must finally try to work out a deal with any of the aforementioned interested teams that Robbie Evans mentioned, if their respective transfer windows are still open, in order to part ways with Meslier.

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It may have to wait until January when more teams are available to snap him up, but the lack of quality performances, or any performances at this moment in time, on the pitch shows that the club are not getting value for money out of his wages.