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Manchester City are “close” to completing the signing of a “crazy” attacking player this summer, according to a new update from reliable journalist Joe Crann.

Man City not messing around this summer

Pep Guardiola’s side suffered a hugely disappointing by their high standards, with not winning a single trophy almost seen as a disaster after so much success under the Spaniard.

It’s fair to say that City have acted fast since the 2024/25 campaign reached its conclusion, with Rayan Ait-Nouri joining from Wolves to bolster Guardiola’s left-back options.

While Rodri’s return from injury will be huge next season, a new midfield signings was essential, not least considering Kevin De Bruyne has moved on, and Tijjani Reijnders has arrived from AC Milan in an exciting piece of business.

City’s most eye-catching addition of the summer so far is Rayan Cherki, however, with the former Lyon winger an incredibly talented player who Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has lauded: “I have never seen a player in history who dribbles as quickly as him, with both feet.”

Man City close to signing "crazy" striker

According to ]The Sheffield Star‘s Crann on X, Sheffield Wednesday teenager Caelan-Kole Cadamarteri is “close to finalising” his move to Manchester City, having bid for him earlier this year.

He adds that the 15-year-old striker is “now expected to complete a switch once he returns to the UK”, as City add another big talent to their ranks after their deal for Sverre Nypan, which has been widely reported.

At 15, Cadamarteri is clearly one for the future, but he has already made waves in his young career to date, standing out as one of Wednesday’s most exciting academy products in years.

After Reijnders: Man City now set to sign a new version of Phil Foden

Having already signed Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Aït-Nouri and Rayan Cherki, Manchester City are now set to snap-up another “exceptional” youngster.

Jun 12, 2025

The Englishman has been hailed as “crazy” by Crann, while 24 goals in just 23 appearances for the Owls’ Under-18s is a stunning return, as highlighted by his father and former Everton striker, Danny Cadamarteri.

For City, this should be seen as a major long-term coup, beating others to the services of Cadamarteri, and it will be interesting to see how he develops at the Etihad in the coming years.

England quick savours the emotions of his successful return after fearing he was a ‘burden’

Melinda Farrell06-Jun-2024Jofra Archer had tears in his eyes as he surveyed the scene at Kensington Oval, about to represent England but, for the first time, in his motherland. When his name was announced at the start of the second over, his first in the match against Scotland, the cheering could hardly have been louder or warmer than if he had been wearing maroon.The loudest applause came from a large group of children in yellow uniforms, students of Archer’s , Christ Church Foundation. They had been given the day off lessons, along with students from Chris Jordan’s former school, to join friends and family and fans alike in welcoming the not-so-old boys home.”Yeah, it was a little bit emotional,” Archer said, speaking at Windward Cricket Club, just a stone’s throw from his Barbados home. “I had a little bit of water in my eye, a bit of a cry but I was just settling.”The prime minister invited us up to the box when [the match] got cancelled, but she said she pretty much cancelled school, and CJ’s old school, so the kids could come and watch us. It was really, really emotional. As I said earlier, I had a little bit of water in my eye and it wasn’t the rain. It was really, really nice. I saw a clip of one of the reporters as well – she went to primary school with me – and she was going around to people in the ground, by the statue, and that was touching. I felt really supported. I felt unbelievable.”Archer had avoided talking to the media ahead the game, preferring to concentrate on getting his return to Barbados under his belt.”Once you get the first ball out of the way, any nerves are gone,” he said. “You tend to forget everything else and just focus. I feel that’s the best way. There’s so much surrounding the cricket before you bowl a ball. So much goes into playing a game.”Certainly, a lot has gone into getting Archer ready for this tournament, so great is his value to the England side. Since he flew home from last year’s IPL and underwent surgery on his right elbow, his return has been carefully managed with England’s T20 World Cup defence in mind, the caution sharpened by his history of back and elbow injuries.Jofra Archer in action during the Scotland match•Getty Images”It was just a little bit of luck because, you know, if we’d gone a little bit… it could have gone wrong,” he said. “Maybe I could peak too early and could have missed this. Or I didn’t get up to speed fast enough and I miss it again. So I just feel very lucky that everything had checked along with this block. Hopefully I can peak for all of it.”Archer raised eyebrows during England’s tour of the Caribbean last year when he was spotted playing a local league match for his old school during the Barbados leg of the series, apparently without the knowledge of the ECB. However, he said he had been careful to monitor his own levels to ensure a gradual return to action.”I’ve been playing cricket since November. I’ve been fit since November,” he said. “I’ve just been trying not to do too much or too little. Just trying to be okay for this period, for this summer. Just really glad that everything seems to be going all right. Not just this tour but to finish the summer and continue playing a part. Obviously it’s been a while. I don’t know how much rehab I have in me.”He signed a two-year contract with the ECB in October – he was offered three years but turned it down – and was anxious to return to the fold and repay the faith shown by England Men’s Managing Director, Rob Key.”I found it a little bit worrying, not really frustrating, because I was able to spend most of my rehab here,” he said. “I only live 150 metres from this ground right now, so being able to do your rehab, just get away from the noise back in the UK, was really good. I made a joke with Keysy as well earlier. I said ‘I’m really glad I’m back playing because I reckon I would have lost my contract in October’. And he laughed and said, ‘no you’re all right’.”Sometimes you feel like a burden not playing, and sometimes I’ve seen a few comments as well, people saying he’s on the longest paid holiday I’ve ever seen. You try to not let it get to you, but you can ignore 100 of them but sometimes that 101 is the straw that breaks the camel’s back. I’ve changed a lot of my social media stuff just so you don’t see a lot, but there’s a little that always filters through. But you’ve just got to keep going.”Jofra Archer speaks to the media ahead of England’s match with Australia•Getty ImagesIn March, Archer played his first competitive cricket since his elbow injury in Barbados. He felt he was fully fit from the first of five club matches. But it wasn’t until he bowled against Pakistan at the Oval in the fifth T20I that he knew his body was up to the rigours of international cricket.”It’s alright to train and it’s alright to play in games here, but to get that last 10% intensity and [feel] actually, the body is okay. You know when you are able to step it up and the body takes it, then that’s really, really refreshing.”Archer will not play Test cricket this summer. But his (hopefully) eventual return to Test cricket is being managed just as carefully as his rehab leading up to this tournament.”I’ve got a PDF file of every single game I’m supposed to play in from now till next summer anyway,” he said. “Yeah, they’ve really planned out almost everything. Probably the only thing they haven’t planned out is the showers I take. It’s been really, really good. Even when I wasn’t playing, they made me feel really involved as well. They sent me targets that I’d keep trying to tick off and it’s really nice that they’re actually falling into place, honestly.”Related

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England have one more match at Kensington Oval before moving to Antigua for the rest of their group matches, the highly anticipated clash with Australia that, after the washout against Scotland, may be crucial to their T20 World Cup hopes. The majority of fans will again be cheering, not just for England, but for one of their own. But there are a few extra guests Archer would like to sneak into Kensington Oval; his beloved dogs. Whether he can get them past security is another matter.”I can definitely try. I can put one of those service jackets on him and probably get caned, something like that.”The animal lover has added a couple of parrots to his menagerie, named Jessie and James. Not after the American outlaw, but for two characters in the Pokemon video game. They play for Team Rocket.England would dearly love to see Archer fire a few rockets of his own when they face Australia on Saturday.

Marnus Labuschagne top-scored with 93 as Glamorgan took control of their Vitality Championship match against Northamptonshire in Cardiff. Glamorgan reached the close on 390 for 8, 111 runs in front of Northamptonshire’s first-innings total.Kiran Carlson made 71 and Chris Cooke scored 58 as Glamorgan set about building a match-winning lead.Northamptonshire had a couple of chances that went begging and a few close lbw shouts that were unsuccessful, but Glamorgan maintained control for most of the day. Luke Procter’s 3 for 36 was the best return for the visitors.Glamorgan will resume with two first-innings wickets in hand and will be hoping to continue their push for a second Championship victory of the season.Glamorgan began day two on 36 without loss and Billy Root and Eddie Byrom did a good job at blunting what was left of the new-ball threat with a stand of 63. It was the introduction of the left-arm spin of Liam Patterson-White that brought about the first wicket when Byrom edged his second ball to Privthi Shaw who took a sharp catch at first slip.Root was dismissed by Justin Broad when he was trapped lbw by a ball that nipped back into him to leave Glamorgan 85 for 2. From there Labuschagne and Carlson batted brilliantly for a stand of 140 that took Glamorgan towards parity with Northamptonshire’s first innings.Labuschagne and Carlson were busy throughout their stand and ran well to put pressure on the Northamptonshire fielders, scoring at 4.5 runs an over. Labuschagne looked certain to make it to his 10th Glamorgan hundred, but he was also trapped by a Broad inswinger that hit him in front of the stumps.Sam Northeast hit his first ball to the boundary for four, but he edged Procter behind three balls later. When Carlson fell, Glamorgan had lost three wickets for 42 runs and were in danger of surrendering the strong platform they had built for themselves. With a relatively long tail in this match they needed some lower-order support to take them into the lead.Timm van der Gugten was promoted to seven and his stand with Cooke put on 68 runs and took Glamorgan into the lead. Van der Gugten was the aggressor, making 41 of those runs from 63 balls. His innings came to an end when he edged the new ball to the keeper McManus off the bowling of Procter.At the fall of van der Gugten’s wicket Glamorgan were 56 runs in front, a useful lead but not yet a match defining one. Cooke went some way to putting Glamorgan into a winning position with a 120-ball fifty with support from James Harris.Cooke fell in the closing stages of the day, but Harris and Mason Crane got Glamorgan to the close with the lead past three figures. Pitches in Cardiff have often flattened out as the match progresses, but Glamorgan are far enough in front to think they can push for victory.

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta is reportedly waiting for a green-light from the Kroenkes to seal his first major signing at the club, with an agreement for the player described as “done”.

Arsenal transfer plans as Mikel Arteta prepares for PSG

With their Premier League clash against Crystal Palace done and dusted on Wednesday evening, Mikel Arteta can now put full focus into their far more important Champions League semi-final first leg against PSG next Tuesday.

Fabrizio Romano says Arsenal "really" want £50m player, talks already held

The north Londoners are very keen.

By
Emilio Galantini

Apr 23, 2025

The Gunners face France’s champions in a mouthwatering European encounter which has the power to make or break Arsenal’s season, and Arteta’s side now have six days to prepare for their most crucial match of the season so far.

Arteta’s mind will only be on how to ge the better of Luis Enrique’s high-flying PSG side, who’ve seriously impressed both domestically and in Europe, but he’ll take comfort from the fact Aston Villa very nearly upset them in the last round.

Off the field, Berta and co are already making transfer plans for next season.

Arsenal are believed to be in the market for a second-choice keeper, full-back, midfielder, left-winger, right-winger and striker (GiveMeSport). It was also reported that they could bring in two midfielders, with Newcastle star Bruno Guimaraes linked.

However, it has since come to light that the north Londoners could extend Thomas Partey’s contract instead, following an impressive end to the campaign.

It is unclear how this will impact their ongoing attempts to sign Real Sociedad star Martin Zubimendi, but given Jorginho is still likely to leave the Emirates, Arteta will still be in need of reinforcements for the engine room.

Arsenal have been in talks to sign Zubimendi for months, and there is confidence that the Spain international will eventually arrive and depart his boyhood club for the Premier League, one year after he rejected a switch to Liverpool.

Arsenal agree Martin Zubimendi deal as Berta awaits green-light

According to journalist Juan Castro, writing in a column for Marca (via Sport Witness), Arsenal’s deal for Zubimendi actually seems to be “done”.

However, there are a few things holding up despite the alleged agreement, with one of them being Arsenal’s owners – Josh and Stan Kroenke. Berta is believed to be waiting on the club’s board members to sanction Zubimendi’s £51 million release clause payment, while Real Madrid could still come in to mount a late hijack.

If the Kroenkes refuse to green-light a move, it could collapse, with Los Blancos also posing some threat in the background, even if it is still unlikely Real pose a threat at this stage, with a deal very far down the line.

Zubimendi would be a stellar capture for Arteta, and has been described as the “perfect” midfielder for Arsenal, so supporters will be hoping the Kroenkes eventually give the go ahead.

With the summer transfer window approaching, Crystal Palace are now reportedly looking to shock a mega rich club in the race to sign one particular attacking talent for Oliver Glanser should he stay put.

Crystal Palace face Oliver Glasner concern

In his first full season in charge at Selhurst Park, it’s fair to say that Glasner’s impressive spell at Crystal Palace has not gone unnoticed. The Austrian is reportedly among the names on RB Leipzig’s radar as they look to welcome their replacement for the sacked Marco Rose. Having previously managed in Germany, there will be plenty of concern surrounding Glasner’s future in South London.

The Eagles have already suffered one major departure away from the pitch in the form of Dougie Freedman and the last thing that Steve Parish needs is to be left replacing both his sporting director and manager.

Of course, it wouldn’t be the first time that Europe’s top clubs came swooping in for Palace’s top talents. Just last summer, the headlines surrounded Michael Olise, who eventually swapped Selhurst Park for Bayern Munich.

Now, on top of Glasner, Eberechi Eze has also been linked with a summer exit amid links to the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. Given that Palace sit above both those sides in the Premier League this season, losing Eze to either would represent the most frustrating blow for Crystal Palace.

Potentially preparing for the worst, however, Palace have reportedly turned their attention towards a move to sign one particular Bundesliga talent ahead of Newcastle United.

Crystal Palace battling to sign "complete" Merlin Rohl

According to Bild in Germany, Crystal Palace are now shock contenders to sign Merlin Rohl from SC Freiburg this summer in a deal that will cost a reported €25m (£21m). With Liverpool and Newcastle also interested, there’s no doubt that the Eagles would be landing an impressive coup by signing the attacking midfielder in the coming months.

What would be most impressive if Rohl joined Palace over Newcastle specifically is how the finances of both clubs compare. These days, thanks to PIF, those at St James’ Park represent one of the richest clubs in world football and could put that billionaire status to good use this summer having managed their PSR issues over the last year. Meanwhile, Palace are often forced to sell before they can buy.

Just where Rohl’s next destination is remains to be seen, but his arrival would certainly ease any potential Eze exit blow for Crystal Palace this summer. The 22-year-old has earned plenty of praise during his Bundesliga rise over the years, including from former Ingolstadt coach Tomas Oral, who said: “Merlin’s the complete midfielder. He can do it defensively and offensively.”

With the Premier League calling, Palace will be desperate for Rohl to make his choice and join up with Glasner’s side this summer.

Series decider will draw curtain on English Test forays in Asia until 2027

Matt Roller22-Oct-2024England’s men do not play another Test in Asia for more than two years after Rawalpindi. It will therefore act as a decider in more ways than one, not only dictating the result of a gripping three-match series in Pakistan, but also informing long-lasting judgement on just how well equipped, or otherwise, Ben Stokes and his team are to compete in the subcontinent.It is a quirk of the schedule that after 17 Tests in Asia over the last four years, England are not due to return in the next two. Their white-ball sides will be back regularly, including for next year’s Champions Trophy and the T20 World Cup in 2026, but their next Test tour is not until February 2027, in the form of a two-match series in Bangladesh.Since Stokes took over as captain two-and-a-half years ago, England’s record in Asia is an even one: five wins and five defeats, with one of those victories coming under Ollie Pope’s leadership. They are not the only team to have struggled in India over the last decade, losing 4-1 earlier this year, but a second successive win in Pakistan would put the shine on their subcontinent record.Related

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Rawalpindi was the scene of one of England’s greatest wins two years ago, when their batters racked up 506 for 4 in 75 overs on the first day of the series, before their bowlers’ skill and Stokes’ ingenuity enabled them to take 20 wickets on a lifeless surface. They are braced for a significantly different challenge this time around, which is reflected in their selection.Their side is radically different to any that they will pick in the next two years: Rehan Ahmed returns as one of three frontline spinners, while Stokes will act as the second seamer alongside Gus Atkinson. Pakistan’s groundstaff have put in every effort to create a turning pitch, with Stokes suggesting on Tuesday that “a few rakes” had been used, along with fans and heaters.”It looks like it will be a pretty decent wicket for the first couple of days,” Stokes said. “There’s not too much grass on it to hold it together, so the reasoning behind three spinners was, as the game progresses, that will probably come into the game… It was just weighing up who we think will be effective as the game goes on.”It’s pretty obvious there’s been a few rakes put across it… I’ve never been a groundsman, but you’d think a rake would assist the spin. You look down it, and we can have a good guess which ends the Pakistan spinners will operate from.” When asked if only one end had been raked, Stokes clarified: “No, both have – but there are certain areas.”While the grass was cut short on the strips either side of the playing surface in the second Test in Multan, there are only three pitches cut across the square in Rawalpindi this week. “With the outfield being like it was, lush and green, and not too much [on the] square to work with, we’ll probably struggle to get reverse-swing,” Stokes conceded.Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum inspect the pitch while the fans do their work•Getty ImagesPakistan’s approach towards pitch preparation in the last two weeks has raised some eyebrows: the decision to recycle the same strip in Multan was unprecedented, and groundstaff have gone to great lengths to tailor the surface in Rawalpindi to suit Sajid Khan and Noman Ali. But Stokes has declined opportunities to complain, delivering a simple verdict on Tuesday: “It’s good, innit?”Brendon McCullum believed that the toss skewed the second Test “65-35” in Pakistan’s favour, and it will be significant again in the third. “The toss, out in the subcontinent, plays a bigger role than anywhere in the world,” Stokes said. “[But] I don’t think we’re going to have as extreme conditions as the game goes on: it will be a day-one wicket when we start, not day six.”Historically, England tend to under-adjust to overseas conditions and find themselves wondering why their medium-pacers are ineffective on pitches without a blade of live grass on them. This year, they have been much more open-minded – as evidenced by Rehan’s inclusion as a wildcard third spin option, who they hope will create chances even if the pitch is flat.”Adding Rehan’s free spirit and desperation to change the game every time he’s got the ball in his hand is a massive bonus for us this week,” Stokes said, while discarding the relevance of his quiet season for Leicestershire. “Legspinners have an amazing ability to break a game open… You’d rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.”The decider also presents Stokes with a final chance for some time to shift perceptions around his batting in the subcontinent: his batting average in Asia is 27.22, his lowest on any continent, with his single century coming on a Rajkot road eight years ago. In eight innings in Pakistan, he is yet to score a fifty.His farcical dismissal in Multan disguised the fact he top-scored in England’s second innings, and was the only batter to find a successful method by relying almost exclusively on his sweeps and reverses. For all his inspirational leadership, Stokes has not scored a Test century for 16 months: with the series on the line, he will be desperate to end that run.The success of the McCullum-Stokes regime will ultimately be dictated by their results next year against India and Australia, but this third Test will go a long way towards determining their team’s reputation in Asia. When asked how important winning would be, Stokes gave a one-word answer: “Very.” For all that England want to entertain, they have a singular focus this week.

“That’s driving me… It’s really good competition and it’s good for English white-ball cricket”

Matt Roller14-Aug-2022Will Jacks was on 94 when he decided that he would reach his hundred with a six. Every time he got back on strike in the 90s, the 21,677-strong crowd at the Kia Oval cheered, and Jacks decided they deserved a final flourish. “They were all screaming,” he said. “I thought to myself: I’ve got to get there with a six. For the crowd, I have to do that.”He crashed two singles to boundary-riders off Michael Hogan, and when Rehan Ahmed tossed one up, into his arc, he couldn’t resist: “I just had to go for it,” he said. He nailed the ball over wide long-on and punched the air as his home ground stood to applaud. After a hug with Sam Curran, he took a moment to let it all sink in, before putting his helmet back on and swinging Ahmed for six more to finish the game with 18 balls to spare.It was only four days ago that Will Smeed hit the first-ever Hundred hundred, also against Southern Brave, but Jacks’ innings was even more dominant. He scored just over three-quarters of Oval Invincibles’ 142 runs, 88 of his 108 coming in boundaries; Curran’s 11 not out was the second-highest score. “It was all about one man,” Sam Billings, their captain, said. “It was seriously special.”Related

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Jacks has been part of Surrey’s first team for five seasons, so it is easy to forget that he is still only 23 years old. He had never hit a T20 hundred before Sunday night – “it’s been one of my goals for the last three seasons, so it was nice to finally tick it off” – but has been a relentless run-scorer in the Blast, averaging 33.85 with a strike rate of 152.65 across the last three years.Blast crowds at The Oval are consistently among the best in the country, but Jacks has come into his own playing in the Hundred, relishing the occasions afforded by standalone, televised games: “It’s a great occasion every time you play in the Hundred,” he said. “I was really buzzing for tonight.” He is the third-highest male run-scorer across its one-and-a-half seasons to date, with an unmatched strike rate of 185.63 to boot.His success in Surrey’s Championship side this year suggests his form is sustainable, too, with a strong grounding in the first-class game and an orthodox style: 53 of his runs on Sunday night came in the ‘V’ down the ground, and his most productive shot was his textbook, high-front-elbow off-drive.Jacks started brightly against the swinging ball, twice punching George Garton through the covers before launching him for a huge six towards the gasholder at square leg. Shortly after easing his way to a 27-ball half-century, effortlessly finding gaps in the infield and clearing the ropes on demand, he was hit on the toe, and decided it was time to launch.”It was pretty painful,” Jacks said. “After that, I decided, ‘I’ve got to whack it here,’ because I didn’t really fancy running. I was seeing it cleanly, and was in control of my mind. When you’re in that zone, it doesn’t matter who is bowling.” He was right: he hit each of Brave’s six bowlers for at least two boundaries, and scored at a strike rate of 150+ against all of them.Jacks’ clarity of mind on the pitch is matched by his concision off it. “Like everyone else, I really want to play for England,” he said, straight to the point. “That’s driving me. I’m just really hungry at the moment. There’s a lot of players who are in that spot, guys who are playing well. It’s really good competition and it’s good for English white-ball cricket.Will Jacks played an inspired knock•Getty Images”I’m doing the right things at the moment. There’s so much competition around, and everyone knows that. It’s two innings, and that’s it. Every time, you’ve got to go out there with the mindset that ‘I have to score runs to put my name in that hat.'”There is no shortage of talent at the top of the order, but he is clearly highly regarded. He was part of the Lions squad that thrashed South Africa at Canterbury this week, hitting 34 off 26 from No. 7 – “my strike rate was pretty similar,” he joked – and would have been part of the 50-over squad earlier this summer but for Surrey’s reticence to lose another player from their Championship side.”He’s been knocking on the door for a while now,” Mahela Jayawardene, Brave’s coach, said. “It’s good for the tournament and it’s good for English cricket seeing all the younger guys coming here and showing the skillset that they have. That’s what it’s all about: giving them an opportunity with international cricketers. That exposure will obviously help them.”It is a cruel twist of fate that if selected for England’s tour to Pakistan in September, the man Jacks appears most likely to replace is his opening partner. Jason Roy’s second-ball duck against Brave, cleaned up by a hooping Garton inswinger, was his third in four innings so far in the Hundred. On the back of a grim T20I summer, he desperately needs a score.”Everyone is going to say he’s got another duck, but that was a fantastic ball,” Jacks said, quick to Roy’s defence. “It swung back beautifully and hit the top of middle. He’s an unbelievable player. I’ve stood at the other end from him for the last five years: I know just as well as everyone else what he can do.”He’s one of my good mates and I love batting with him. Everyone hopes he can find form. When he’s on form, nobody wants to bowl to him.”Whether Roy comes good or not over Invincibles’ final four group games, Jacks’ presence alongside him will ensure that no bowler in the competition is relishing the prospect to bowl to Invincibles’ opening pair.

One issue for each team to sort in the second half of IPL 2020

Gaurav Sundararaman13-Oct-2020Kings XI Punjab: Who are their four best overseas players?The Kings XI have used 18 players in the first half of the IPL – the joint-highest in the competition; only two overseas players in their squad haven’t got a match yet. By contrast, table -toppers Mumbai Indians and the Delhi Capitals have used just four and five overseas players respectively.The Kings XI did not play Mujeeb Ur Rahman until their sixth match and ended up bowling him after the powerplay against the Kolkata Knight Riders. Chris Jordan and James Neesham have not got consistent opportunities; Glenn Maxwell is yet to hit a six and Chris Gayle has not yet been tried. The Kings XI have swapped and changed a lot, and the clarity of roles for most players seem to be missing. With pitches slowing down, the Kings XI need to show more faith in their Indian spinners and decide which four overseas players they want to play in the next few matches which could allow them a consistent run.: Look to play Maxwell, Nicholas Pooran, Mujeeb and one player between Jordan and Neesham. Also, ensure these players perform roles earmarked for them in specific phases of a match.Chennai Super Kings: How can they end their batting woes? The Super Kings’ biggest challenge has been their frail and inconsistent batting. Barring Faf du Plessis, no other batsman has been consistent. The absence of conspicuous run-scoring intent at varying stages of an innings has hurt the franchise and that has played a part in the Super Kings’ failure to overhaul targets of 170 or less on three occasions. That they are the worst-performing batting line-up in the tournament this season can be gauged from their run rate in the powerplay and the middle overs: 7.14 and 7.61 respectively, worst and second-worst at the halfway mark among all teams.: Provide more batting time and opportunities to the likes of Sam Curran and Ravindra Jadeja and use newcomer N Jagadeesan as a floater.Kane Williamson waits for his turn to bat•BCCISunrisers Hyderabad: Williamson or Nabi? Kane Williamson has not done anything seemingly wrong to be dropped but the other three overseas players that the Sunrisers have in their mix are close to indispensable. So the only player who could be dropped among the cream is the New Zealand captain. With David Warner and Johnny Bairstow showing solidity at the top, playing Williamson at No. 4 seems like a surplus. Importantly, it is the weakness of their bowling attack that has contributed majorly to the Sunrisers’ defeats. Specifically, the bigger concern has been the fifth bowler, a role performed by the inexperienced spin twins Abhishek Sharma and Abdul Samad, who have conceded a combined 187 runs in 17 overs at 11 runs per over.: With Bhuvneshwar Kumar injured, the Sunrisers could considering deploying the experienced allrounder Mohammad Nabi – he can float in the middle order and strengthen the bowling unit with his offspin which can be influential on pitches that are steadily slowing down.Rajasthan Royals: Who can be the stable opening partner for Jos Buttler?The Royals have used four different opening pairs in seven matches and have added a highest of 27 for the first wicket. They average just 13.42. The Royals have lost the most number of wickets in the powerplay. This despite the presence of their captain Steven Smith and Buttler in the top order. Smith has looked awkward at the top and now the franchise has promoted Ben Stokes to open with Buttler. Will that lead to a stable partnership?: The Royals need to keep their faith in their decision-making and the batsmen they choose as Buttler’s partner.Rahul Tripathi during a fielding drill at the KKR nets•kkr.inKolkata Knight Riders: Have they identified their most effective batting order?Four wins from seven matches is not a bad start, yet the Knight Riders continue to shuffle their batting order. The primary factor behind the Knight Riders second-guessing themselves could be the weak batting form of Sunil Narine before his bowling action was reported. The extended dry run Andre Russell is going through and the lack of certainty around their captain Dinesh Karthik’s batting position are additional concerns.The Knight Riders, who are being coached for the first time by Brendon McCulllum, have played five batsmen at No. 4 in seven matches. Karthik has batted in four different positions during this period. Russell, too, has walked out at different positions while Rahul Tripathi has been juggling opening duties with batting at No. 7 every few games.: The Knight Riders have to figure out a combination comprising six bowlers and ensure the best players of spin bat up the order. The potential order could be: Tripathi, Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Eoin Morgan, Russell, and Karthik, along with five bowlers.Royal Challengers Bangalore: Should they continue to back Aaron Finch?Remarkably for a franchise that has finished in the lower rungs of the IPL for several years now, the Royal Challengers have identified their core group – made up of nine players – this season. Usually when teams are winning, they refrain from tweaking their combination. However, assuming that conditions are likely to favour spin in the second half of the tournament, there are two spots in the Royal Challengers’ XI that could be experimented with. One the domestic Indian player’s slot; the other, one of the two overseas recruits’ spots. With Chris Morris and Ab de Villiers expected to play all matches, either Isuru Udana or Finch could have to make way when required.Finch has not had a great run with the bat so far, averaging just 24.42 and striking at 114, although he has supported the up-and-coming Devdutt Padikkal in providing good starts. As the pitches get slower and bounce wanes, Finch might find it hard to score quick runs. In comparison, Udana’s variations might be more useful in the death, making him a more reliable pick ahead of Finch.: Replace Finch with Moeen Ali, who can offer four overs with the ball as well, at the top. Alternatively, play Adam Zampa instead of Finch and select an extra Indian batsmen, with Virat Kohli opening.Shimron Hetmyer reacts after falling to Kartik Tyagi•BCCIDelhi Capitals: Would they need a wristspinner in the second half?The Delhi Capitals’ bowling unit has been a treat to watch this season. The spinners and the pacers have been bowling exceptionally well in conditions that aren’t immensely bowling-friendly. The spinners conceded just 6.34 runs per over, striking once every 18 deliveries, in conditions that were initially perceived to be conducive to pace. With the pitches gradually starting to become sluggish and a slew of injuries plaguing their contingent, the franchise could look to play three spinners. However, their veteran wristspinner Amit Mishra has been ruled out of the tournament, meaning the Capitals’ bench strength will be put to test. They have just one spin-bowling replacement in their squad: Sandeep Lamichhane.: Replace Shimron Hetmyer or Anrich Nortje with Lamichhane based on the pitch, also with a view to adding variety to the spin department.Mumbai Indians: How to give Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard more batting time?The Mumbai Indians are easily the most balanced and arguably the strongest unit in the competition. The only possible challenge that the defending champions will want to address is figure out a way to give more batting time to Pandya and Pollard. Together they have played an average of 25 balls per match, which is just about 20% of the team’s innings, seemingly very low for the massive returns the pair can fetch.: With Pandya not bowling, he could be used to whack the opposition spinners in the middle overs while keeping Pollard for the death overs.

The Dodgers were able to win their second straight World Series title on Saturday night by beating the Blue Jays 5-4 in a legendary Game 7 at the Rogers Centre.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who pitched six innings in Los Angeles' Game 6 win on Friday night, entered Game 7 with one out in the bottom of the ninth and then worked 2 2/3 scoreless innings to lead the Dodgers to their dramatic victory. He was named the World Series MVP for his heroic efforts, which also included a complete game gem in Game 2.

The righthander had a very subtle classy move in the bottom of the 11th inning that the Fox Sports cameras were able to pick up. Yamamoto was seen tipping his cap to Toronto's Vlad Guerrero Jr. as the slugger prepared to step into the batter's box with his team trailing by a run.

Here's how that played out:

That was such a great moment at such a pivotal moment of the game. Guerrero would go on to hit a double but then Yamamoto was able to close things out thanks to a double play that was brilliantly turned by Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts.

Yamamoto gave up just one hit and had one walk in his relief appearance. He finished his second season with the Dodgers with a 12-8 record and then really became a force in the postseason. Along with his complete game in the World Series, he also had a complete game win over the Brewers in the NLCS.

Fans loved that hat tip from Yamamoto:

He is performing an entirely different role having been pushed down with Markram, de Kock and Bavuma forming the top three, but he’s coped well

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Dec-2025Matthew Breetzke’s ODI career started solidly as he consistently scored runs from the top of the order. In this ODI series, though – his first both in India and against India – he is performing an entirely different role.Breetzke has been pushed down to No. 4 with senior players Aiden Markram and Quinton de Kock and the captain Temba Bavuma forming the top three, and he’s coped well, scoring a match-winning half-century during South Africa’s chase of 359 on Wednesday.”Obviously, I’m just getting more experience now batting at four, which I’m starting to feel a little bit more comfortable in the role,” Breetzke said on the eve of the series decider in Visakhapatnam. “So that helps, and I think the more I play at number four and in this role, hopefully the better I’ll get.”Related

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The two games against India provided him with two different situations to deal with as well. In Ranchi, he went in with South Africa having lost a lot of wickets and in need of recovery. In Raipur, they were chasing a bigger total but had a solid foundation.”Obviously, the first game there was a little bit of trouble that we were in, so I had to sort of build the innings and then in the second game it was about just managing the guys that were coming in.”We lost obviously Aiden [after his century] and then I had to sort of manage [Dewald] Brevis there and then just managing those guys and letting them bat around me, they’ve got the explosive power – it was just about really looking to build a partnership with them.”Breetzke also highlighted the depth and power in South Africa’s batting line-up. “I think we’ve got a nice balance in our side with a couple of guys that are just proper batters, and then you’ve got powerhouses like Brevis and [Marco] Jansen that can sort of change the game on its head.”We’ve seen [Corbin] Bosh in the last two matches play some really special innings, I think as the top four, it gives you a lot of confidence; you can take a little bit more time because, you know, they’ve got that explosive power at the back end. So for us, it’s just about setting that platform up for them to come in at the end and do their thing.”There’s a lot of confidence in the batting group at the moment, but we will have to do it again tomorrow.”