Beth Mooney made short work of the small chase after another underpowered effort from Pakistan
AAP26-Jan-2023Australia wrapped up a T20 series victory over Pakistan on the back of a clinical bowling effort and clean strikes from Beth Mooney.The hosts used nine bowlers on Thursday night at Hobart’s Blundstone Arena, restricting Pakistan to 96 for 7 and chasing down the target in 12.4 overs with eight wickets in hand.Mooney returned to the top of the order after not batting in the first game of the series because of soreness, and hit 46 from 29 balls. She shared a 60-run opening partnership with skipper Meg Lanning to iron out most of the total.The win clinches the three-game series for Australia, following their eight-wicket win in game one, with the final match to be played in Canberra on Sunday.Lanning shared the ball around in Australia’s final series ahead of the T20 World Cup in South Africa beginning in February.Spinner Alana King came on in the middle to late stages with great effect, picking up 2 for 10 from two overs. King dropped Ayesha Naseem in the 13th over, but made up for it in the 14th when she trapped her plumb lbw for 5.Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Jessica Jonassen, Grace Harris and Annabel Sutherland all chipped in with a wicket each.Star allrounder Gardner, who earlier this week expressed her discomfort with playing on Australia Day, was one of just two players to bowl four overs.Gardner, a proud Muruwari woman, said January 26 was a day of hurt and mourning for Indigenous people. Australia’s squad attended a smoking ceremony and completed a walking tour of kunanyi/Mt Wellington in Hobart, and wore an Indigenous jersey, socks and wristbands for the match.Megan Schutt, who took 5 for 15 in the first game, conceded 10 runs from her one over.Pakistan opener Muneeba Ali top-scored with 33 from 43 balls, but was one of only three in her side to reach double figures.There was an awkward moment not long before the first ball, with the on-field sprinklers briefly coming to life.
Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi is keen to head to Spain next year on a free transfer to complete a dream move to Real Madrid or Barcelona.
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Guehi could join Barca or Madrid for freeHas entered final year of his Palace contractEagles take on Man City in the FA Cup final on SaturdayFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Guehi, who has only a year left in his Crystal Palace contract, could move to La Liga next year as the player dreams of playing for Barcelona or Madrid, according to . Premier League clubs like Chelsea, Tottenham and Newcastle are also keen on signing the English defender, and while the Magpies are being considered favourites to land the centre-back, there is a possibility that he runs down his contract at Selhurst Park before joining one of the Liga giants as a free agent.
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As per La Liga rules, Spanish clubs can include only three non-EU players in their matchday squads. However, Guehi has reportedly renewed his Ivory Coast passport, which gives him a significant advantage in his move to secure a transfer to Spain. Players of African origins will be treated as Spanish players under the Cotonou Agreement — agreed between the EU and Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States.
WHAT MARC GUEHI SAID
Speaking to reporters about his future, Guehi told reporters: "I’m still on a contract, so my focus is always at this football club. The most important thing is just doing the best I can and seeing where the future holds. As far as I’m concerned, I’m a Palace player."
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The Eagles are all set to lock horns against former English champions Manchester City in the final of the FA Cup on Saturday at Wembley.
The secrets of Cristiano Ronaldo’s longevity have been revealed, with the 40-year-old Al-Nassr superstar indulging in “invisible training”.
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Evergreen frontman still going strong
Has no plans to retire any time soon
New challenge being mooted in 2025
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WHAT HAPPENED?
The Portuguese GOAT has spent over 20 years at the very top of the global game, having burst onto the scene after leaving Sporting for Manchester United in 2023. Records have tumbled around him across spells at Old Trafford, Real Madrid, Juventus and in the Saudi Pro League.
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There is no sign of CR7 slowing down, as he remains a prolific presence for club and country, with there a desire on his part to one day grace the same side as son Cristiano Jr – who recently made his international bow for Portugal’s U15 side.
WHAT LUIS CASTRO SAID
Ronaldo has been able to avoid serious injury across his career to date, allowing remarkable individual standards to be maintained, with the all-time great considered to be a pleasure to work with. Former Al-Nassr boss Luis Castro has told : “Very easy. Working with the best in the world is truly enjoyable. Cristiano has very ingrained routines, a strong culture of training, and great respect for practice and for the game itself. That makes daily work much easier.”
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Quizzed on what makes Ronaldo different from just about every other player on the planet, Castro – who helped to deliver Al-Nassr’s only trophy with CR7 in their ranks – added: “What sets him apart is what happens before and after training – the so called 'invisible training' that he does.
“His behavior is all tailored towards sports performance – his diet, his sleep, and his recovery. He is a person deeply concerned with eating well, sleeping well and preparing his body properly. In my opinion, this is clearly where Cristiano's longevity comes from.”
اقترب الاتحاد الإيطالي لكرة القدم من الإعلان رسميًا عن اسم المدير الفني الجديد لمنتخب إيطاليا، بعد رحيل لوتشيانو سباليتي، الذي أنهى مسيرته مع الأتزوري بعد نتائج سلبية خلال الفترة الماضية.
وبحسب ما أكده الصحفي الموثوق فابريزيو رومانو، فإن جينارو جاتوزو بات المرشح الأول لتولي المهمة، مع اقتراب الاتفاق من الاكتمال خلال الأيام القليلة المقبلة، مشيرًا إلى أن الصفقة في مراحلها النهائية ولم يتبق سوى بعض التفاصيل قبل توقيع العقد.
اقرأ أيضًا.. هولندا تكتسح مالطا بـ 8 أهداف نظيفة في تصفيات كأس العالم
🚨🇮🇹 Gennaro Gattuso, on the verge of becoming new Italy head coach with agreement due to be finalised in the next days.
Final details and then deal done. pic.twitter.com/56eToHTi3u — Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 14, 2025
ويُعد جاتوزو، البالغ من العمر 46 عامًا، من أبرز الأسماء التدريبية في الكرة الإيطالية خلال السنوات الماضية، وسبق له قيادة عدة أندية كبرى مثل ميلان ونابولي وفالنسيا وأولمبيك مارسيليا، ويمتلك خبرة كبيرة على المستويين المحلي والأوروبي.
ويأتي التوجه نحو جاتوزو في ظل رغبة الاتحاد الإيطالي في ضخ دماء جديدة في الجهاز الفني، مع الحفاظ على الروح القتالية والانضباط التكتيكي المعروف عن المدرب الذي كان أحد أعمدة منتخب إيطاليا المتوّج بكأس العالم 2006.
وكان سباليتي قد تولى تدريب إيطاليا في أغسطس 2023 عقب رحيل روبرتو مانشيني، وقاد الأتزوري في يورو 2024، لكن خسارة أمام النرويج 3-0 في تصفيات كأس العالم 2026، جعلته يستقيل من منصبه حتى بعد الفوز على مولدوفا 2-0 قبل 5 أيام فقط.
The Hoops are on course for a sixth domestic treble in just nine seasons, currently 16 points clear at the top of the Premiership, with only nine games to play, and their next league fixture is the small matter of an Old Firm derby on Sunday week.
Daizen Maeda
While Daizen Maeda, Nicolas Kühn and others have been taking the majority of the plaudits, one unsung hero deserves a mention, especially considering Celtic secured his services for a bargain price.
Massive fees paid for midfielders
The importance of central midfielders has never been appreciated more than it is now, underlined by the fact that Manchester City’s number six Rodri was presented with the Ballon d’Or last year.
Rodri celebrates scoring for Manchester City.
This is also reflected by some of the transfer fees paid for defensive and central midfielders by many of Europe’s wealthiest clubs in recent years, as the table below outlines.
Players
Selling club
Buying club
Year
Fee
Moisés Caicedo
Brighton
Chelsea
2023
£115m
Enzo Fernández
Benfica
Chelsea
2023
£107m
Declan Rice
West Ham
Arsenal
2023
£105m
Paul Pogba
Juventus
Man United
2016
£89m
Jude Bellingham
Dortmund
Real Madrid
2023
£88m
Aurélien Tchouaméni
Monaco
Real Madrid
2022
£85m
Frenkie de Jong
Ajax
Barcelona
2019
£65m
Rodri
Atlético Madrid
Man City
2019
£63m
Casemiro
Real Madrid
Man United
2022
£60m
Roméo Lavia
Southampton
Chelsea
2023
£53m
As the table outlines, not surprisingly, the vast majority of the most expensive transfers ever involving defensive midfielders have all come in the last three years, with Paul Pogba’s move to Manchester United the only one on the list from pre-2019.
While Chelsea and Real Madrid feature multiple times on this list, Declan Rice’s £105m move from West Ham United to Arsenal is possibly the most eye-catching, considering it smashed the Gunners’ transfer record, specifically the £72m splashed on Nicolas Pépé in the summer of 2019.
Sam Dean of the Telegraph believes Rice has been transformational for Arsenal, which is what you’d expect considering the outlay paid, but did Celtic sign a player comparable to Rice for just £1.4m?
Celtic's best bargain signing
Celtic signed Reo Hatate from J League side Kawasaki Frontale for a reported fee of £1.4m in January 2022, a deal former Hibs and Hearts midfielder Michael Stewart labelled “incredible”, adding that the midfielder is a “top-class player”.
Fair to say, Hatate settled in quickly, named man of the match on his debut against Hibs, scoring this screamer at Tynecastle a week later, before netting twice during a famous 3-0 Glasgow derby demolition the mid-week after that.
In total, Hatate has made 132 appearances in Hoops, scoring 23 goals and providing 24 assists, described by Declan McConville of Glasgow World as “exceptional”, while Andrew Smith of the Scotsman notes that he has been ‘central’ to Celtic’s recent success.
Meantime, earlier this season, manager Brendan Rodgers labelled the Japanese midfielder a “wonderfully gifted player”, so let’s see how he compares to Rice – a player he is deemed to be similar to among those in his position in the Champions League, as per FBref.
Statistics
Hatate
Rice
Appearances
66
37
Minutes
4,353
7,136
Goals
10
10
Assists
10
18
Shots per 90
99th
77th
Assists per 90
94th
95th
Progressive carries per 90
77th
94th
Take-on success %
85th
54th
Tackles per 90
36th
40th
Clearances per 90
81st
44th
As the table outlines, similar to Rice, Hatate ranks highly at both ends of the park, scoring goals and providing assists, but is also an exceptional ball carrier, while willing to get stuck in defensively.
In the past, Brighton have reportedly been interested in the Japanese international’s signature, while Keith Jackson of the Daily Record believes he could depart this summer.
If Hatate does depart, considering Transfermarkt currently value the 27-year-old at around £10m, Celtic would make a handsome profit on their initial investment, especially considering how much Premier League clubs are willing to spend on midfielders.
Rodgers can totally forget Jota by unleashing Celtic star who's "on fire"
Ahead of Sunday’s Scottish Cup tie against Hibernian, Brendan Rodgers should unleash Celtic’s “on fire” winger who’s outperforming Jota.
The January transfer window came and went without Arsenal adding any players to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch ahead of the second half of the season.
Mikel Arteta confirmed that the club were “actively looking” at potential recruits in the winter market, but the deadline passed at the start of February and the Gunners did not have any new players to compete in the forward department.
Arsenal manager MikelArtetacelebrates after the match
At the time of the January window, Arsenal already knew that they would be without Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka for months with knee and hamstring injuries respectively.
Gabriel Jesus
ACL
August 31st 2025
21
Bukayo Saka
Hamstring
April 1st 2025
18
Kai Havertz
Hamstring
June 30th 2025
14
Gabriel Martinelli
Hamstring
Unknown
1
Takehiro Tomiyasu
Knee
Unknown
29
As you can see in the table above, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli have since suffered hamstring injuries that have left them unavailable for action, with the former out for the remainder of the 2024/25 campaign.
This means that Arsenal are without four of their frontline attacking options for a large chunk of the second half of the season whilst they compete to win the Premier League and the Champions League.
Why losing Kai Havertz is a big blow
Havertz has been a Marmite figure throughout his Premier League career, with Chelsea and Arsenal, as he can be frustrating in some moments and brilliant in others.
The Germany international scored the winner in a Champions League final for the Blues, netting against Manchester City, but he also only managed a return of 32 goals in 139 appearances in all competitions in total.
Havertz has been similarly inconsistent in front of goal with the Gunners, as he has scored nine goals but missed a whopping 15 ‘big chances’ in the Premier League this season.
The left-footed attacker does, however, offer a constant threat at the top end of the pitch with his physical presence and his movement in-and-around the box.
Non-penalty goals
0.5
Top 26%
Assists
0.23
Top 16%
Shot-creating actions
2.94
Top 17%
Pass accuracy
78%
Top 10%
Progressive passes
2.56
Top 14%
As you can see in the table above, Havertz ranks incredibly highly among his positional peers in the top leagues across Europe in a host of key attacking statistics.
Whilst it is understandable for supporters to be frustrated with his wasteful finishing, as illustrated by his 15 ‘big chances’ missed this season in the league, the German dynamo’s injury is a big blow because Arteta could rely upon him to chip in with goals and assists fairly regularly.
Without Havertz or Jesus available, Arteta needs players in other positions to step up and provide the goals. He needs to unearth his own version of Aaron Ramsey, who was adept at scoring from midfield for the Gunners.
Aaron Ramsey's goalscoring quality for Arsenal
The Wales international, who moved on from The Emirates to sign for Juventus in the summer of 2019, was once a reliable goalscoring midfielder for the London giants.
Ramsey scored 64 goals and provided 60 assists in 369 appearances in all competitions for the Gunners during his time at the club, but he was particularly prolific between the 2013/14 and 2014/15 campaigns.
The Welsh star scored 26 goals and racked up 17 assists in those two seasons combined, which shows that he offered a regular threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals from a midfield position for Arsene Wenger in those two years.
As you can see in the clips above, Ramsey scored a great variety of goals in the Premier League for the Gunners, thanks to his technical ability and the timing in his movements.
The former Arsenal star was able to get himself into great positions to score by timing his runs into the box to be in the right place at the right time, and had the quality in front of goal to make the most of those situations when he got there.
Arsenal may have Aaron Ramsey 2.0
Arteta could hit the jackpot for the Gunners by unearthing the club’s new version of Ramsey in Spanish central midfielder Mikel Merino, who showcased his knack for goalscoring off the bench against Leicester.
Chalkboard
The former Newcastle United star, who joined from Real Sociedad last summer, came on as a substitute for the striker-less Arsenal side against the Foxes and won the match with the only two goals of the game.
As you can see in the highlights above, Merino positioned himself like an experienced striker to head in Ethan Nwaneri’s cross and to convert from close range from Leandro Trossard’s ball in.
The £130k-per-week star, who Jurrien Timber claimed has “exceptional” qualities, has never been a prolific scorer in his career, with no more than five league goals in any season for any of his previous clubs.
However, Merino did score five goals from an xG tally of 3.30 in LaLiga for Real Sociedad and he has found the back of the net four times from 2.90 xG for Arsenal in the Premier League this term.
Shots
2.05
Top 11%
Non-penalty xG
0.33
Top 2%
Non-penalty goals
0.46
Top 3%
Non-penalty xG + xAG
0.43
Top 8%
Shot on target percentage
44.4%
Top 6%
Non-penalty xG per shot
0.16
Top 4%
As you can see in the table above, the Spain international ranks incredibly highly among midfielders in the Premier League in a host of key goalscoring metrics.
He has only played 800 minutes, with eight starts in 17 matches, in the division, though, and this means that there is only a small sample size at the moment, but it does show that the potential is there for him to offer a huge threat as a goalscorer from midfield.
There is enough there and in his performance against Leicester, though, to suggest that Arteta could hit the jackpot with Merino by unleashing him as a regular starter in midfield and giving him the freedom to push forward into the box to pick up goalscoring positions.
Arsenal now submit £50m offer for "outstanding" Spurs target, claims report
The Gunners have now made a bid for a defender Tottenham tried to sign in January.
ByDominic Lund Feb 17, 2025
The Spaniard has the attributes to develop into a Ramsey-esque figure for the Arsenal manager and he could be the man to step up and fill the void left by Havertz and Jesus in the second half of the season.
Manchester United have now made contact to offer a big salary to a “monster” forward in the summer, according to a new report.
Amorim reacts to Man Utd defeat at Spurs
The Red Devils were unable to overcome a 13th-minute goal from James Maddison on Sunday afternoon, as they were beaten 1-0 by Tottenham Hotspur. It was another frustrating and bitterly disappointing day for United and Ruben Amorim, who said his job “is so hard” as he deals with an out-of-form squad and an injury list that now has 12 players on it.
Man Utd have unearthed their new Berbatov who "belongs to a different era"
The Man Utd star stood out against Spurs
By
Joe Nuttall
Feb 17, 2025
“I have a lot of problems,” Amorim told Sky Sports, via BBC Sport. “My job is so hard, but I am here to continue my job to the next week with my beliefs, and I will try to win again.”
The former Sporting boss went on to add that he is not worried about himself, he is focusing on his players and improving the team: “I am not worried. I understand our fans and what the media think about it. I hate to lose; that feeling is the worst.
Manchester United manager RubenAmorimapplauds fans after the match
“The rest I am not thinking about. I am here to help my players. I understand my situation and my job; I am confident on my work, and I just want to win games. The place in the table is my worry – I am not worried about me.”
Man Utd offer contract to Victor Osimhen
One aspect that continues to let United down week in and week out is lack of goals in the team, but that is something that INEOS are looking to address. According to Turkish journalist Yagiz Sabuncuoglu, relayed by Caught Offside, Man United have tabled a verbal contract offer to Victor Osimhen, as they look to sign him in the summer from Napoli.
Victor Osimhen celebrates for Victor Osimhen.
The Nigeria international looks set to leave the Italian side this summer on a permanent basis after his season-long loan spell at Galatasaray. As well as United offering a contract, Paris Saint-Germain are also interested in the forward and have offered Osimhen a similar deal.
Both clubs are ready to trigger his €75 million release clause, which is roughly £62 million, but at this stage Osimhen hasn’t given an answer to either to press ahead and speak to his club.
The 26-year-old was linked with a move to Chelsea or Saudi Arabia back in the summer, but a deal didn’t work out, and instead of being frozen out by Napoli, Osimhen decided to join Galatasaray on loan. The forward, who has been described as a “monster” by data analyst Ben Mattinson, has scored 12 goals in 17 Süper Lig games as well as being on form in the Europa League.
Victor Osimhen’s Galatasaray stats
Apps
23
Goals
17
Assists
5
For United, signing a new striker in the summer must be a top priority for Amorim and INEOS. Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee have both struggled to make an impact in front of goal, and, given Hojlund has not scored in the Premier League for over 10 games now, he is someone who the Red Devils could look to cash in on so they can bring in a player like Osimhen.
United need to move players on in the summer to raise funds, and despite his struggles, Hojlund could be someone who brings in a decent amount of money, given his age, and that could help United pay the £62 million release clause of Osimhen.
O Botafogo tem uma missão muito difícil pela frente. O Alvinegro foi derrotado pelo América-MG por 3 a 0 no primeiro jogo das oitavas de final da Copa do Brasil. O jogo de volta será nesta quinta-feira, no Estádio Nilton Santos, e o Glorioso tem um longo caminho a ser percorrido. Há, contudo, uma ‘inspiração caseira’ que o time pode tentar colocar como alento.
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+ Botafogo aumenta proposta por Martín Ojeda junto ao Godoy Cruz
No torneio de 2014, o Alvinegro conseguiu uma classificação heroica contra o Ceará, no Castelão. À época, o time comandado por Vágner Mancini – atual treinador do América-MG, por coincidência – fez dois gols em dois minutos para uma virada improvável diante do Vozão e um 4 a 3.
O contexto: o Ceará havia vencido o primeiro jogo, no Rio de Janeiro, por 1 a 0. O troco, no Castelão, até começou bem para o Botafogo, que abriu o placar com Edilson, mas logo a coisa mudou e o Ceará vencia a partida por 3 a 2 até os acréscimos.
Foi aí que os heróis improváveis apareceram. Wallyson chutou de fora da área, o goleiro Jailson soltou e, no rebote, Luís Ramírez soltou. Na saída de bola, Magno Alves teve a chance de colocar o Ceará de novo para frente, mas errou. Um chutão para frente fez André Bahia dominar, ajeitar e chutar de fora da área, acertando o cantinho. Era uma classificação histórica.
+Botafogo x América-MG: prováveis times, desfalques e onde assistir ao duelo pelas oitavas da Copa do Brasil
O time chegou a ser recebido por uma grande festa no Rio de Janeiro horas depois, em um aeroporto.
Time do Botafogo na ocasião: Andrey; Edilson, Bolívar, André Bahia, Junior Cesar (Júlio César); Bolatti (Tanque Ferreyra), Gabriel; Luís Ramírez, Daniel (Yuri Mamute); Wallyson, Emerson Sheik.
O contexto de 2022 é muito diferente, claro, mas o Botafogo tem próprios exemplos de superação em pouco tempo para virar um cenário adversário. Nesta quinta-feira, um longo caminho contra o América-MG.
Fast bowler takes four wickets after late blows from Hooda and Axar drag India to middling total
Sidharth Monga03-Jan-2023
Shivam Mavi took two wickets in his opening spell•BCCI
India prevailed in a low-scoring thriller thanks to late runs from Deepak Hooda and Axar Patel, and exceptional seam bowling from an attack missing Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Shami. The Wankhede pitch was anything but the batting paradise it usually is in T20 cricket: there was grip for spinners, which Sri Lanka used well, before the new ball seamed around for India’s quicks.Ishan Kishan got India off to a quick start before the spinners pulled them back. Hooda and Axar then added 68 in 5.5 overs to take India to 162. On the same pitch, India found assistance for fast bowlers with Hardik Pandya joining debutant Shivam Mavi, Umran Malik and Harshal Patel in causing damage.Sri Lanka had a brief recovery from 68 for 5 through captain Dasun Shanaka’s 45 off 27, but Axar managed to defend 12 in a last-over gamble.Related
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Theekshana, Hasaranga slow India downWith all three of KL Rahul, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma missing, India played only one anchor batter in debutant Shubman Gill. Kishan got them off to a rollicking start, taking 26 off the first two overs, but then the masters went to work. Theekshana hardly bowled anything to pull or drive with his subtle variations causing more jeopardy. Gill picked a carrom ball, but it landed on the leather to skid on with the angle to trap him lbw.Needing a big sixth over to salvage the powerplay, Suryakumar Yadav, finally getting to bat at No. 3, cue-ended the first ramp he attempted. This seam-up delivery had come on slowly off the surface.Looking at the grip available, Shanaka cleverly slipped in an over of Dhananjaya de Silva before introducing Hasaranga. In that over, de Silva had Sanju Samson mistiming two slogs, the second of which had him caught at short third man.Then Hasaranga spun his web during the partnership between Kishan and Pandya. Eventually Kishan, who had gone from 17 off 8 to 36 off 27, felt the need to slog-sweep everything. When that is happening, Hasaranga makes sure he picks up wickets. A wrong’un had Kishan caught at deep midwicket.When the returning Dilshan Madushanka had Pandya cramped for room and nicking off, India had lost half their side for under 100.Watch on ESPN Player in the UK
WATCH the first India vs Sri Lanka T20I replay
Hooda, Axar give India the finishing kickIt started with the first loose ball from Theekshana. Probably looking to get out of the spell, Theekshana dragged down an attempted wrong’un in the 16th over. Hooda got going with that pulled six. And what do you know, Theekshana then responded with driving length for the first time, and Hooda picked it up over midwicket for another six. Hasaranga had one over at the death, and Hooda managed to pull one six off him too as he went flatter to get out of that over.Kasun Rajitha and Madushanka closed out well but India managed 34 off the last three. Hooda ended with 41 off 23, Axar 31 off 20.Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya and Co celebrate after India’s win•BCCI
Fiery start from IndiaPandya bowled the first over and found movement off the surface. It then made sense to have Mavi share the new ball because Malik and Harshal don’t often stand the seam up. With his fifth ball in international cricket, Mavi had Pathum Nissanka bowled with seam movement back in. Pandya followed it up with a tight over, and Mavi responded with de Silva’s wicket, caught at mid-on.Pandya bowled through the powerplay, and Malik kept the pressure up with high pace and accurate radar. Charith Asalanka top-edged a pull, which Kishan ran back to take with a spectacular dive. Harshal was lucky that Kusal Mendis timed a cut so well it carried straight to deep cover. His second wicket was proper deception, though, with Bhanuka Rajapaksa tricked early into a shot.Shanaka threatens IndiaAmid all that, it appeared Shanaka was playing on a different surface. Everything he hit came sweetly off the bat. When Hasaranga joined him with two successive slog-swept sixes off Yuzvendra Chahal in the 14th over, Sri Lanka were well and truly back with 56 needed off the last six.This is when India’s bowling depth came in handy. They could have decided now to bowl no spin at all with 47 off four overs of spin till then. Mavi came back to have Hasaranga caught at mid-off, and Malik returned to have Shanaka caught at extra cover.The final twistIt seemed all over with 29 required off the last two with two wickets in hand, but Harshal bowled an ordinary 19th over to let Sri Lanka back. There was a no-ball, a wide, two full tosses and a half-tracker to let Karunaratne bring it down to 13 needed off the last over.Two curious events happened around the last ball of the 19th over. Karunaratne took the single off the last ball, which meant Rajitha would be on strike at the start of the next over. Then Pandya, who had an over left but had suffered a cramp earlier, asked Axar to bowl the last over. Karunaratne got an early six in to make it five off three. Axar, though, got a dot with a wide ball and then conceded just singles off the last two balls, not letting the batter get under the ball.
As Liverpool look to put their Champions League exit behind them and turn their attention towards the summer, they’ve reportedly been offered the chance to sign a former Premier League star.
Liverpool offered chance to land summer bargain
The Reds took Paris Saint-Germain all the way to penalties, limping over the line in extra-time before ultimately falling short in the shootout courtesy of misses from Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones. But they do not have time to stop and think about their European heartbreak. Instead, Liverpool must instantly put that behind them and turn their focus towards Wembley.
It’s there that they will meet a Newcastle United side looking to cause an upset in the Carabao Cup final. Arne Slot’s side have had an inevitability to them at times this season, but Eddie Howe’s outfit left a dent in their armour earlier this season when his side rescued a late point at St James’ Park. Now, he will be looking to compile their misery fresh from Champions League disappointment.
Off the pitch, meanwhile, those at Anfield haven’t had time to think about Tuesday night all too much. Their focus, at this stage, is seemingly set on the summer transfer window, which could yet see a star man return to English football.
Liverpool now ready to table stunning £85m offer to sign "magical" PSG star
He was the star of the show over two legs…
ByTom Cunningham Mar 13, 2025
According to The Boot Room, Liverpool have now been offered the chance to sign Leroy Sane on a free deal at the end of his current Bayern Munich deal this summer, with agents working on his behalf reaching out to various clubs to gauge their interest.
A former Manchester City star, the German hasn’t always hit the same heights at Bayern but his quality is still certainly there for all to see. As Mohamed Salah nears the end of his own contract and doubts also surround the future of Luis Diaz, Sane could yet emerge as an ideal option for those at Anfield.
Tackles
1.28
1.43
Interceptions
0.24
0.48
Blocks
0.53
0.39
Sane set for Anfield redemption?
Whilst he is a different type of winger compared to Salah and Diaz, Sane is a star in his own right when he is fit and firing on all cylinders. He’s a player that Liverpool already know all too well, of course, from how he often left his mark on Jurgen Klopp’s side whilst at Manchester City.
It was the German who found the winning goal in the 2018/19 campaign to give Pep Guardiola’s side a key advantage in a Premier League title race they went on to win. Now, years on from what many consider to be the highest-quality game in the league’s history, Liverpool could finally reap the benefits of Sane’s talents.
Earning plenty of praise over the years, former manager Thomas Tuchel told reporters when asked about Sane: “Physically he’s a machine. He can implement our instructions like almost nobody else.
“As well as his talent, his physical condition is top-class. It suits him when he starts quite wide. Currently he’s very strong on the left wing. His performances can’t be praised highly enough at the moment.”