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Wayanad’s star has walked a difficult path to get to the big stage, and she made it count

Shashank Kishore24-Feb-20242:32

Yastika Bhatia: ‘Sajana is the Kieron Pollard of MI women’s team’

She has a degree in Political Science. She’s featured in a Tamil film as a support artist. She was football captain of Wayanad district in Kerala in her teenage years, and a track-and-field champion in college. And on Friday night, S Sajana announced herself on the cricket field with a sensational first-ball act in the 2024 WPL season opener at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.As Sajana swung powerfully and cleared the long-on boundary with Mumbai Indians needing five runs off the final delivery, Biju George sat in the Delhi Capitals dugout soaking in an emotional moment that may have been bittersweet.Biju, a renowned state coach in Kerala, has seen Sajana travel an arduous path from Wayanad where she once was also a cricket-throws champion. Modelled on shot-put, the competition at her school rewarded those who threw a cricket ball farthest. Sajana impressed local cricket coaches with her athleticism and, in 2013, she was invited to train at Wayanad’s residential women’s academy run by the Kerala Cricket Association, with Biju overseeing the camps. More than a decade later Biju, now the Capitals’ fielding coach, watched Sajana beat his team.Related

• Asha, Sajana earn maiden call-ups for Bangladesh series

• Muzumdar: Want to create a pool of 20-25 players from WPL

• Bengaluru ready to jazz up women's cricket through WPL

• Debutant Sajana takes Mumbai home with nerveless last-ball six

Sajana’s career had been on the upswing until disaster struck in 2018. Only three weeks before the floods in Kerala washed away her home, Sajana had scored the fastest hundred in age-group women’s cricket in India, which earned her a call-up to a women’s NCA camp.The year before, she had led Kerala Under-23 to the inter-state T20 title, leading to a call-up to the senior Kerala team when she trained once again under Biju. She was named KCA’s women’s player of the year two years in a tow.S Sajana roars in delight after slamming her first ball – the last of the innings – for six to take Mumbai Indians home•BCCIBut when the Covid-19 pandemic struck in 2020, it set Sajana – like it did many others – back.Sajana’s father, Sanjeevan, an autorickshaw driver in the scenic Wayanad hills didn’t have much of an income due to pandemic restrictions, especially with tourism in the region coming to a standstill. Her mother, Sarada, worked at the municipality in Mananthavady. The lack of a regular income was tough on the family.At this time, Sajana received assistance from Nazir Machan, secretary of the Wayanad District Cricket Association, who let her stay at KCA’s residential facility free of cost so that her cricket training would be unaffected by the pandemic.”Sajana was a natural athlete, so there was never a question of her having to put in more hours on her fitness,” Nazir told ESPNcricinfo. “She only needed guidance, which she got when she joined the KCA academy. She made use of the opportunities to excel even though there were numerous hardships like losing her home.”Ahead of WPL 2024, Sajana trialled with three franchises. Biju had even recommended her to Capitals, who couldn’t bid at the auction because they had exhausted their purse. Sajana had also been to trials with Mumbai and Gujarat Giants, and eventually got bought by Mumbai for INR 15 lakh.Sajana’s first act on the field on Friday night was the stuff of nightmares: she dropped a sitter at point with Alice Capsey on 72. Shabnim Ismail, the bowler, vented her frustration.Her shot at redemption came in the final act of the game. Sajana had no time for sighters. With five to get off the last ball, she swung, and smacked it straight out of the middle.”She’s like the Kieron Pollard of our women’s team,” Yastika Bhatia said after the match. “She has that role [of a finisher]. Credit to her. She has got an inspiring story. She has come from a humble background and we’re very happy and proud. Her family would be really proud she hit that six.”Sajana’s six showcased what the WPL can offer in India. In one ball, Sajana went from being an unknown woman cricketer who’d toiled for a decade to the person who ensured the WPL’s champions began their title defence with a thrilling victory on an evening of high drama and glamour.

He’s batting as well as ever, but teams are packing the leg side and making him work much harder than ever before

Alex Malcolm21-Mar-2022Something is not quite right with Steven Smith, and yet he’s not playing badly by any stretch.There are a number of players in this series who would gladly sign up for scores of 78, 72, and 59 in three innings. David Warner is chief among them. Marnus Labuschagne, with two inexplicable ducks in four innings, is another, while Travis Head is the only Australia batter on tour who hasn’t passed 30.Related

Left-field choice Naseem Shah builds his reputation on slow Lahore surface

'If Steven Smith was Indian, his technique would just be accepted'

The curious case of Steven Smith

Deciding Test finely balanced after Pakistan hit back following Khawaja's 91

Maybe we expect too much of Smith. But it seems he’s no longer Superman, piling up centuries at will, and no one can quite work out why.Smith himself looked bewildered as he trudged off after being trapped lbw in Lahore. He was so plumb he walked before Ahsan Raza had a chance to raise his finger. It was his 7th 50-plus score in his last 14 Test innings without a century. Since the 2019 Ashes, Smith’s opus, he has passed 50 on 10 occasions in 26 innings but has only registered one three-figure score. In total, he has just one century in his last 29 Test innings dating back to his epic 211 in Manchester in 2019.Lahore looked the venue where his 14-innings drought would end. Smith has long been Australia’s man for a crisis, but he has not often entered in a crisis since the emergence of Labuschagne.Here he entered at 8 for 2 after Shaheen Shah Afridi burst through Warner and Labuschagne in the same over to leave Australia reeling after winning the toss. Smith looked like a man on a mission. He caressed three glorious boundaries in his first 15 balls, including two sumptuous off-side drives. The mannerisms were back. The senses were heightened. He even spotted the roving camera moving at deep midwicket while playing a defensive stroke off Hasan Ali.When Smith stroked his third dazzling drive, off Hasan, to move to 19 from 27 balls the headlines were being readied.Smith was lbw off Naseem Shah, with his bat getting stuck behind his back pad•AFP/Getty ImagesBut what happened next was indicative of what has plagued Smith for two-and-a-half years. He stopped scoring. He went 22 balls without a run. That included a dropped catch when he attacked Nauman Ali’s first ball to him. Smith crushed a drive at a catchable height back to the bowler, but it was too hot to handle.Smith broke the shackles by lofting Nauman straight down the ground in the 18th over for his fifth boundary. But that would be the last boundary he would score until the 51st over. He scored just 30 runs from 106 balls in that period. Usman Khawaja, on his way to another outstanding 91, struck seven fours and a six during that time.Run-scoring has become a grind for Smith, even accounting for surfaces as slow as these in Pakistan. Where once he cruised through the middle overs of an opening day, rotating the strike at will and finding the boundary with ease, he has now been made to earn every run and it is taking a toll.Since the 2019 Ashes, Smith has a strike-rate in Test cricket of just 40.80. Up until the end of the 2019 Ashes, his career strike-rate was 56.38. For Smith to score a century at a strike-rate of 40.80, he needs to face 246 deliveries, approximately, whereas previously it took, on average, just 177.Since the 2019 Ashes, he has faced 177 balls or more in six innings, including in the first two Tests of this series, and has just one Test century to show for it. On the previous 27 occasions when he faced 177 balls or more in Tests, he posted 24 centuries, and he added two more hundreds in innings where he faced fewer than 177 deliveries.Teams have become better at containing Smith. They have been smarter with their leg-side fields to cut off his scoring zones. His main batting coaches, Trent Woodhill and Michael Di Venuto, had set him up technically to score heavily from good length balls in the fourth-stump channel. His back-and-across movement and unique grip set him up to pick opponents apart through the leg side as they tried to hit his pads.Teams have become smarter at blocking the leg side, which was previously Smith’s most productive area•AFP/Getty ImagesBut the slowness of the surfaces in this series and the canny field settings have caused Smith’s scoring to grind to a halt. The challenge of facing an extra 69 balls to score the centuries he so desperately craves is taking a mental toll.It’s forcing mistakes Smith would not previously make. In Rawalpindi, he tried to sweep a length ball from outside leg and gloved a catch down the leg side. In Karachi, he tried to force off the back foot through cover point with only minutes remaining in the day, and edged to slip. And today, he got his bat tangled against his back pad while trying to work a ball off middle stump from Naseem Shah and was plumb lbw, having ground his way to 59 from 169 deliveries.”I thought he batted really well today,” Khawaja said. “He was stiff. His bat got stuck in his pad.”You bowl that ball against Steve Smith he’s hitting it 99 out of 100 times.”I’m sure it’s frustrating in some respects. He is in my opinion the greatest batter I’ve seen in my era, averaging 60 throughout pretty much his whole Test career.”It’s so funny. We’re talking about Steve Smith probably not scoring hundreds but he seems to be getting 70, 80 every game and doing it very easily. That’s just the class that Steve Smith has. I’m sure there’s a big score coming and then once he gets a big score there will be more big scores.”The odds say that he’s going to get a big one very soon.”

أعلن حلمي طولان، المدير الفني لـ منتخب مصر، التشكيل الرسمي لمواجهة الإمارات، في المباراة التي تقام بينهما اليوم السبت، ضمن منافسات كأس العرب 2025.

ويلتقي منتخب مصر مع الإمارات، في إطار مواجهات الجولة الثانية من مباريات دور المجموعات لبطولة كأس العرب المقامة في قطر.

وتنطلق المباراة، في تمام الساعة 8:30 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، وتنقل عبر قنوات “إم بي سي مصر 2 وقناة الكأس وقناة بي إن سبورت المفتوحة بالإضافة إلي قناة أبو ظبي الرياضية”.

ويلعب منتخب مصر المباراة، وهدفه تحقيق الفوز من أجل الاقتراب من التأهل إلى الدور القادم لمنافسات كأس العرب، بعدما كان قد تعادل في لقاء الجولة الأولى أمام الكويت.

ويتواجد منتخب مصر، حاليًا في المركز الثاني من المجموعة الثالثة برصيد نقطة، بينما يتصدر الترتيب منتخب الأردن برصيد 6 نقاط حاسمًا التأهل من المجموعة قبل لقاء الجولة الختامية.

ويقود هجوم الفراعنة ثلاثي هجومي، بقيادة مصطفي سعد ميسي ومعه ومروان حمدي وإسلام عيسي.

طالع | بدلاء منتخب مصر أمام الإمارات في كأس العرب 2025 تشكيل منتخب مصر اليوم أمام الإمارات

حراسة المرمي: محمد بسام.

خط الدفاع: أكرم توفيق – رجب نبيل – ياسين مرعي – يحيى زكريا.

خط الوسط: محمد النني – غنام محمد – عمرو السولية.

خط الهجوم: مصطفى سعد “ميسي” – مروان حمدي – إسلام عيسى.

Newcastle United will need to show they can pick up results on the road consistently to continue their fine start to December.

At St James’ Park so far this month, which is the Magpies’ dependable fortress, Eddie Howe’s men have collected a draw and a win, with only two losses from eight matches coming their way on their own turf this season so far.

In stark contrast, three losses have been tallied up away from home, with only one away win next to their name sticking out as a worrying fact.

In their defence, the only success on the road this season saw them emphatically get the better of Everton 4-1 in the Premier League, which might well stand them in good stead against Bayer Leverkusen and Sunderland to come.

Howe will hope his team’s up-and-down nature has been rectified by the time the January transfer window swings back open, with a potentially busy month ahead for the Toon in terms of incomings.

Newcastle looking to sign new midfielder

The unpredictability of January could also see Newcastle offload a couple of players, too, with reserve centre-forward option William Osula alleged to be keen to move away from St James’ Park.

There are also rumours bubbling away about fresh faces joining the building, with former Leicester City ace Bilal El Khannouss just one of many options catching the Toon’s eye in the middle of the park. On top of him, a cut-price £13m move for Ferencváros TC star Alex Tóth could be on the agenda.

The Daily Mail’s Craig Hope has added more fuel to the fire by revealing that Howe and Co are set to make a move for rising AZ Alkmaar star Kees Smit, with the reported transfer fee floating about for his services coming in at the £30m price range.

The inconsistent Toon have long been admirers of the well-rounded Dutchman, and with Manchester United and Liverpool circling, this would be seen as a statement move in January, as Newcastle prepare to spend the big bucks once more. Hope has already described the youngster as “one of Europe’s most exciting teenagers” so this one is certainly something to kick and scream about.

How Smit can be Howe's future Guimaraes

Howe will hope, by landing Smit, that he wins himself a future Bruno Guimaraes, which will be music to the ears of the devoted Tyneside fanbase, after the much-loved Brazilian only affirmed his legendary status at the club more with that audacious strike versus Burnley.

The 28-year-old is now synonymous with Newcastle, with his corner kick effort sailing straight over the head of Martin Dubravka, further backing up comments by his manager that he is a “difference-maker”.

Of course, Smit has some way to go before he’s pulling off screamers like Guimaraes’ ingenious effort regularly in the Premier League, but the 19-year-old does have a powerful effort up his sleeve, with his ability to conjure up a moment of magic from a very early age also seeing scout Jacek Kulig laud him as a “super talent.”

Indeed, this sumptuous effort in the U19 Euros in the summer shows off a star who is incredibly confident and assured in front of goal, with Smit now up to ten goal contributions in the senior ranks at AZ. Newcastle’s beloved captain is up to 27 goals and 29 assists himself in the senior picture at St James’ Park, with Howe hopeful that Smit could reach these levels in time, so he can replace the 28-year-old down the line.

It’s not just their output in terms of goals and assists that makes the two talents in question similar, however, with Smit’s energy and determination centrally also placing himself on the same pedestal as the industrious South American, which has led to the AZ number 26 even being branded as a “duel monster” by analyst Ben Mattinson, a tag regularly placed on Guimaraes’ shoulders.

Games played

18

14

Goals scored

0

2

Assists

0

2

Touches*

38.8

62.7

Accurate passes*

23.3 (85%)

42.7 (89%)

Key passes*

1.3

1.8

Big chances created

3

3

Ball recoveries*

3.3

5.7

Total duels won*

2.9

3.3

Smit has certainly grown into being more of a lively performer centrally this season in the Eredivisie, when looking at the table above, making 5.7 ball recoveries and winning 3.3 duels per game.

In constract, the Newcastle skipper has made 5.1 ball recoveries, but he does blow Smit out of the water in the duels department, having won a fierce 5.4 duels so far this campaign in the demanding Premier League.

Still, with the upward trajectory the table outlines, he could reach Guimaraes’ commanding levels very soon, as Howe prepares to win himself a standout talent for the future in January, by securing Smit’s coveted services.

Newcastle star was entering Obertan territory, now he's their "best player"

This Newcastle United star is now beginning to turn around his underwhelming Premier League season.

ByKelan Sarson Dec 8, 2025

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been dealt another blow with an injured star now facing several weeks on the sidelines.

Arsenal navigate plethora of injuries to top Premier League table

Considering the sheer number of key first team players who’ve been sidelined at various points already this season, Arsenal’s position at the top of the Premier League table is all the more impressive.

The Gunners have endured a torrid season with injuries, much like last campaign, which has severely tested Arteta’s squad depth.

While Arsenal have still begun the campaign very strongly, and are unbeaten in their last 18 matches across all competitions, their relentless succession of fitness problems has affected big-name personnel across multiple positions.

Arsenal’s unbeaten run in all competitions since defeat to Liverpool

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-1 Tottenham

Arsenal 3-1 Bayern Munich

Chelsea 1-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Brentford

August proved particularly damaging, with Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Ben White and William Saliba all sustaining injuries.

Odegaard’s MCL knee injury against West Ham in early October proved especially problematic, keeping the captain out for nearly two months and robbing Arsenal of their creative heartbeat during crucial fixtures.

Gabriel Magalhaes remains absent for weeks following a thigh injury sustained during Brazil’s November friendly against Senegal. His regular partner Saliba has battled recurring problems, missing recent matches against Chelsea and Brentford due to an unspecified knock.

Related Arsenal handed Declan Rice injury twist after pre-Aston Villa update

The England international has been their arguable player of the season.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Dec 5, 2025

Summer signing Cristhian Mosquera compounds Arteta’s concerns after suffering a ‘complicated’ ankle injury that will require further testing to determine his recovery timeline.

Declan Rice provided fresh worries after limping off late against Brentford with a calf problem, and while the England midfielder insisted he felt “fine” ready to play against Aston Villa this afternoon, Arteta suggests he’s subject to a late fitness test.

Leandro Trossard has missed matches with muscular issues but should return within ‘days’ according to Arteta’s latest briefing, with the same going for Saliba.

Havertz suffered a setback in his knee rehabilitation and won’t return until possibly late December, while Gabriel Jesus finally returned to contention recently after missing nearly a year recovering from an ACL tear.

Summer signing Noni Madueke was out for two months after knee damage against Man City in September, though scans cleared him of cruciate ligament damage. The winger has since returned to action, providing Arteta with a renewed attacking threat.

That is a staggering 10 first-team stars who’ve been sidelined at various points, or still are, with a pretty concerning update now coming to light on Mosquera’s condition.

Cristhian Mosquera facing eight weeks out after Arsenal injury blow

The Spaniard was forced off early doors during Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Brentford in midweek, and according to BBC journalist Sami Mokbel, Mosquera now faces ‘at least’ six weeks out through injury in ‘another blow’ to Arsenal.

The key phrase there is ‘at least’, and it could be as long as two months, with Saliba’s fitness now becoming more crucial than ever.

If the Frenchman is still unable to start, then Arteta will have little choice but to play Jurrien Timber alongside Piero Hincapie for this afternoon’s crunch clash against Villa in the Midlands.

White would then likely be handed his second consecutive league start at right-back for the first time since May, with Arsenal’s strength in depth now set to play an even more pivotal role in their quest to win a first league title in 22 years.

It is important to note that the timeframe for Mosquera’s injury lay-off are initial concerns from within Arsenal, with the ex-Valencia starlet set for further testing to determine his exact recovery timeline.

It is a blow for the centre-back personally after his fine start to life at N5, despite having to contend with being a back-up to Arteta’s first-choice centre-back pairing.

Arsenal believe Mosquera could become one of the best centre-backs in world football in a few years, according to some reports, and nothing we’ve seen so far disproves that theory.

A spectator at PNC Park in Pittsburgh fell from the stands in right center field onto the field of play in the bottom of the seventh inning on Wednesday night as the Pirates hosted the Chicago Cubs.

Play was stopped for several minutes as the fan was attended to by medical personnel. The fan was eventually carted off the field.

The Pirates released a statement on the incident after the game.

"Tonight, during the seventh inning of the game at PNC Park, an adult male fell from the right field bleachers onto the field of play,” the statement read. “Pittsburgh EMS, as well as the Pirates and Cubs athletic training teams and other PNC Park personnel reacted and responded immediately and administered care. He was transported to Allegheny General Hospital. No further information is available at this time. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family."

Ezri Konsa has been linked with a move away from Aston Villa, with Liverpool keen on him, and now a fresh update has emerged regarding his future.

The 28-year-old has matured into such an important player for the Villans, becoming a key starter and coming right into the prime years of his career.

In fact, Konsa will even be hoping of starting for England at the 2026 World Cup, with he and John Stones likely to battle to play alongside Marc Guehi in the right-sided centre-back spot for the Three Lions.

Worryingly, the Englishman has been linked with various clubs in recent weeks and months, with the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City mentioned as potential options for him.

Konsa isn’t out of contract at Villa until the summer of 2028, and now a new update has dropped regarding his future at the Premier League club.

Key latest on Konsa's Aston Villa future

Speaking to Football Insider, former scout Mick Brown claimed that Aston Villa won’t even entertain the idea of allowing Konsa to leave in the near future, with the player himself happy at the club.

“Aston Villa have been an example in recent years of how to build a team. It’s a testament to Villa’s recruitment that so many of their best players are attracting interest. The players they’ve brought in, like Konsa and Rogers for example, have reached new levels since they arrived and proved to be very important players for them.

“So Konsa, for example, has impressed at Villa and got himself into the England team. That only invites more interest, because he’s playing on a bigger stage, attracting more eyes on his performances, and that leads to more speculation. So Villa then have a hell of a job behind the scenes trying to keep him at the club.

“From what I’m told, they’re not massively concerned about his future, because by all accounts he’s happy at Villa and he’s been a crucial part of their success. Emery has no plans to let him go because of how important he is to Villa, and I think Villa will be confident that they can keep him. Even with teams like Liverpool or Chelsea looking at him, that won’t chance Villa’s position.”

Appearances

8

Starts

8

Minutes played

696

Clearances per game

3.4

Aerial duel wins per game

1.1

Pass completion rate

95.7%

Goals

0

Assists

0

This will come as a relief to Villa supporters, with Konsa arguably now one of the first names on Unai Emery’s team sheet, recently being hailed as “excellent” by Troy Deeney.

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ByDominic Lund Oct 28, 2025

As mentioned, he now feels like he is at his peak, which should remain the same for another three or four years or so, and if Villa are to continue heading in the right direction, they cannot afford to sell their best players to teams who are higher than they are in the table.

Liverpool learn true price for Ezri Konsa as PSR forces Aston Villa's hand

MatériaMais Notícias

Lucas Veríssimo, zagueiro do Corithians, criticou o pênalti marcado para o Santos nos acréscimos da segunda etapa. Em entrevista após o empate em 1 a 1, o camisa três disse que conhece o Soteldo dos tempos de Peixe, e que Daronco, árbitro do duelo, “deve ter ido na dele”.

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+ Tudo sobre o Timão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Corinthians

– Conheço o Soteldo, sei da jogada dele, esses toques curtos. Acredito que ele deu uma cavada e infelizmente o Daronco deve ter ido na dele – disse o zagueiro.

Nos minutos finais, Soteldo, pelo lado esquerdo do campo, partiu para cima de Bruno Méndez, que derrubou o atacante dentro da área. Depois de muita reclamação por parte dos jogadores do Peixe, Daronco foi ao VAR e assinalou penalidade máxima. Mendoza cobrou e igualou o placar.

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O zagueiro elogiou a postura do Timão durante a partida, principalmente na primeira etapa, mas lamentou as chances perdidas pela equipe ao longo dos noventa minutos.

– A gente viu o lance com o Daronco no telão… Acredito que não tenha sido pênalti, depois vou ver com calma. Fizemos uma boa partida, um grande primeiro tempo, mas perdemos muitas chances, precisamos converter elas. Lamentamos o empate, mas tenho certeza que a equipe vai crescer e sair dessa zona desconfortável – finalizou Veríssimo.

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Com o empate, o Corinthians permaneceu na décima quarta colocação, com 37 pontos conquistados. Na próxima rodada, a equipe do Parque São Jorge encara o Athletico, na quarta-feira (1º), em Itaquera.

Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez faces a major selection dilemma as Portugal heads into decisive 2026 World Cup qualifiers without injured star Nuno Mendes, a player the coach calls "the best in the world". With the Paris Saint-Germain full-back sidelined, Martinez admits there’s “no natural replacement” and turns to Diogo Dalot and Joao Cancelo to fill the void.

• Roberto Martinez calls Nuno Mendes irreplaceable

  Mendes suffered a left knee sprain during PSG’s Champions League clash with Bayern Munich in midweek, ruling him out for two crucial international fixtures. The 22-year-old has been central to Portugal’s defensive structure, combining pace, defensive stability and an ability to drive attacks down the left flank.

  “My assessment of Nuno Mendes is subjective, he’s like a son,” Martinez said. “There’s no other left-back who can defend one-on-one, make overlapping runs, and play inside or outside with the ball. He's a complete player, he can play centre-back. He's a decisive player for his club and for me, right now, he's the best in the world. Other coaches don't have to agree with me."

  With Nuno Tavares also sidelined, the absence leaves Portugal without a natural left-back, forcing Martinez to turn to tactical adjustments and versatile defenders.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Martinez calls Dalot and Cancelo to share the load

  To address the gap, Martinez is expected to deploy Dalot and Cancelo in hybrid full-back roles. Dalot, thriving at Manchester United under Ruben Amorim, has evolved into a reliable two-way defender known for his composure, fitness and ability to play on either flank. Dalot was earlier the go-to left-back for Portugal but has since dropped in the pecking order with a loss in form and Mendes rise at PSG last year. Dalot has played 32 matches for Portugal across all competitions.

  Cancelo, meanwhile, offers Portugal creative flair and width. A natural right-back at Al-Hilal, he often drifts inside to dictate play, operating almost like a midfielder. While his offensive instincts differ from Mendes’ balanced profile, Cancelo’s experience and versatility make him vital to Portugal’s adaptability. Cancelo has played 62 games for Portugal across all competitions and has also scored two goals in the competition.  

  “We need to find solutions, to find balance on the wing, with Cancelo and Dalot,” Martinez explained. “We need to build on the chemistry we already have, there’s no time for drastic experiments before two important games.”

• Portugal will miss Mendes' impact

  Before his injury, Mendes had been a cornerstone of Portugal’s qualifying campaign. Featuring in all six matches, he provided crucial defensive stability and attacking thrust. His pinpoint assist to Cristiano Ronaldo in the 2-2 draw against Hungary not only saved a point but also helped the forward set the record for most goals in World Cup qualifying history with 41 goals.

  Mendes’ influence extended beyond numbers. His pace in recovery, ability to overlap in transition, and composure under pressure have been essential to Martínez’s system. Portugal have yet to lose with Mendes on the pitch in these qualifiers, which speaks volume about why the manager didn't really have to bother with an alternative in that space.

  His injury arrives at a delicate moment, with Portugal needing positive results against Ireland and Armenia to secure top spot and automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup.

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  Portugal’s road to qualification and the test ahead

  Portugal enters the final stage of World Cup qualifying unbeaten, with four wins and two draws from six games. They top Group F with 10 points, comfortably ahead of their nearest rivals Hungary. Ronaldo continues to lead by example being their top-scorer in the competition with five goals.

  Despite their strong position, Martinez acknowledges the challenge ahead: “We must adapt quickly and stay focused. Every player knows their role, we can’t depend on one individual, no matter how special he is.”

  As the team faces Ireland in Dublin on November 13 and Armenia on November 15 in Porto, Portugal’s depth and resilience will be tested. All eyes will be on Dalot and Cancelo to maintain Mendes’ standards, ensuring Portugal’s fluid wing play and defensive strength remain intact.

Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals won the title, winning the final by six wickets at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jun-2025Shreyas Iyer’s SoBo Mumbai Falcons fell short in the Mumbai T20 League final on Thursday, edged out by the Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals at the Wankhede Stadium. This marked back-to-back defeats for Iyer as captain of a T20 side, coming as it did within ten days of Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the title clash of IPL 2025 in Ahmedabad.Iyer himself scored just 12 off 17 as SoBo made 157 after being put in to bat. Maratha Royals, led by Siddhesh Lad, achieved the target with four balls to spare and six wickets in hand. Iyer ended the tournament with just 62 runs in five innings, with a best of 25.”Don’t want to pinpoint any incident – overall, the boys were brilliant with their effort,” Iyer said after the final. “We just lost one game en route to the final. Just a one-off game, where you can’t single out anyone. It’s basically backstabbing [if you criticise someone], and I don’t enjoy that.”It’s pretty common to feel dejected after a final loss. It must hurt [the players]. But when they come back next year, they’ll have that extra motivation and confidence. They should be proud of their effort.”Iyer has had an excellent and highly successful time as captain. Before making the IPL 2025 final and the Mumbai T20 League final, he had led Kolkata Knight Riders to their first IPL title in a decade in 2024, and also guided Mumbai to victory in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He was part of Mumbai’s triumphant campaigns in both the Ranji Trophy 2023-24 and the subsequent Irani Cup, and in March this year, he played a pivotal role in India’s successful run to the Champions Trophy title.