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Everton’s chances of making a move for an England international have been revealed, with a January transfer potentially taking place.

Everton in need of more attacking firepower

The Blues were beaten 2-0 away to Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, with chances coming at a premium at the Eithad, and Erling Haaland’s two goals downing them.

For Everton striker Beto, it is now only one league goal in eight appearances this season, with James Tarkowski trying to show his support for him after the City game, having nearly found the net.

“I’ve just seen it back, to be fair. [Beto’s] movement is brilliant to get away from the defender; he just got a toe but just couldn’t get close enough to it.So he’s working very, very hard, Beto. He always has done and he always will, so he’s trying his best for us and I’m sure the goals will come soon.”

While there is much to be positive about for Everton under David Moyes this season, a lack of firepower is an issue, with only nine goals scored in their eight league matches in 2025/26 to date.For that reason, a new striker could be looked at when the January transfer window rolls around, and a key update has emerged in that respect.

Everton backed to sign England international Ivan Toney

Writing for The i Paper [via Goodison News], journalist Daniel Storey backed Everton to potentially sign Ivan Toney in January, with the 29-year-old currently plying his trade at Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League.

“The answer – what about Ivan Toney in January? West Ham are very keen, but if I were Toney I’d be very enthused about having chances created by Grealish et al and giving me an outside run at a World Cup place next summer.”

Toney would be an intriguing choice for Everton, even if it was only a loan signing, with the former Brentford man surely eyeing a place in England’s 2026 World Cup squad.

His chances of being selected in the squad will only be enhanced if he returns to the Premier League, given the down down in quality in the Saudi Pro League, and it is easy to see him flourishing under Moyes, having been lauded by City manager Pep Guardiola in the past.

“He is so dangerous. He’s a master at using his body for the second ball… Good finishing. You can link with him; he’s one of the best I’ve ever seen (at that hold-up play).”

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He struggled again…

ByTom Cunningham Oct 18, 2025

Toney could hold the ball up similarly to Beto, but also be a far more reliable source of goals, having scored 36 times in 85 Premier League outings, and Everton should take a punt on him in January, should he show signs of wanting a move.

كشف مصدر بنادي الزمالك، عن سبب قرار الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم “فيفا”، حرمان الفريق من القيد للمرة السادسة، والذي صدر اليوم الأربعاء.

وقرر فيفا إيقاف قيد الزمالك لـ3 فترات جديدة، ويستمر سريان القرار حتى يتم تسوية النزاعات المالية المرتبطة بالقضايا المرفوعة ضد النادي.

طالع.. عاجل | إيقاف قيد الزمالك للمرة السادسة

وعلم بطولات من مصادر خاصة، أن إيقاف قيد الزمالك جاء بسبب مستحقات متأخرة للتونسي فرجاني ساسي بقيمة نصف مليون دولار والحكم بات نهائيًا وإلا سيستمر الإيقاف.

وكان الزمالك قد تلقى عقوبة من الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم “فيفا” بإيقاف القيد، بسبب مستحقات مدربين ولاعبين سابقين، من بينهم فرجاني ساسي.

وكان الزمالك قد تعادل مع كايزر تشيفز الجنوب إفريقي بهدف لكل فريق، بالمباراة التي جمعت بينهما يوم السبت الماضي، ضمن منافسات دور مجموعات كأس الكونفدرالية.

Chelsea are weighing up the possibility of an early January move for one ‘magnificent’ forward with an agreement already in place for his arrival next year.

Liam Delap succumbs to another Chelsea injury blow

Liam Delap’s Chelsea career has descended into frustrating misfortune following another significant injury setback.

The 22-year-old suffered a suspected dislocated shoulder during Saturday’s goalless draw at Bournemouth, leaving the field in obvious discomfort after landing awkwardly following a challenge with Marcos Senesi.

Medical staff immediately applied a makeshift sling before Delap trudged directly towards the tunnel, his arm immobilised to prevent further damage.

Enzo Maresca then delivered a concerning post-match update that confirmed initial fears.

Reports suggest Delap faces approximately six to eight weeks sidelined, which comes as another devastating blow for the young forward after he was previously out of action for weeks with a hamstring injury.

Chelsea signed Delap from relegated Ipswich in June, beating the likes of Man United and Newcastle to his signature after an impressive maiden Premier League season.

The Winchester-born striker finished as Ipswich’s leading scorer with twelve goals across thirty-seven appearances last term, accounting for thirty-three percent of their total output despite their eventual drop to the Championship.

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Delap also earned a PFA Young Player of the Year nomination and convinced Maresca – who previously managed Delap during his tenure overseeing Man City’s Elite Development Squad – that he represented an ideal target man.

However, the Englishman has since struggled to establish himself at Stamford Bridge, managing just sporadic appearances whilst failing to register a single Premier League goal for his new employers.

Chelsea’s Strikers

Player

Pedro

Guiu

Delap

Games

18

8

11

Minutes

1377′

280′

453′

Goals

4

1

1

Assists

3

1

0

All Stats via Transfermarkt

His only Chelsea strike this season arrived against Barcelona in the Champions League, providing brief optimism before this latest injury.

Marc Guiu replaced Delap against Bournemouth but was rusty throughout, highlighting Chelsea’s lack of alternative options, and it has led to suggestions that Strasbourg striker Emanuel Emegha could arrive earlier than anticipated.

Chelsea weigh early January move for Emanuel Emegha

According to TEAMtalk and journalist Graeme Bailey, Chelsea chiefs are evaluating whether to bring forward Emegha’s arrival from their sister club following Delap’s injury blow.

The Blues confirmed a deal worth around £22 million several months ago, that was scheduled to deliver Emegha to Stamford Bridge in the summer.

However, Delap’s absence has prompted internal discussions about accelerating that timeline to January.

Strasbourg initially resisted any mid-season departure for their captain, but circumstances have shifted considerably.

Argentine forward Joaquin Panichelli has emerged as Liam Rosenior’s first-choice striker, demonstrating excellent form which suggests the Ligue 1 side could accommodate Emegha’s premature exit.

The 22-year-old Netherlands international stands at a towering 6 foot 5 and recently earned his maiden senior caps for his country, establishing himself as one of France’s most promising attacking talents.

Should Chelsea trigger the January switch, they would also likely compensate Strasbourg by funding an immediate replacement through BlueCo’s multi-club network.

Emegha, who’s been called ‘magnificent’ by critics, scored 14 French top flight goals last season and ended the campaign as one of Ligue 1’s top scorers.

He’s also bagged seven goals across 11 appearances in all competitions this season, so he’s a man bang on form right now regardless of Panichelli’s rise.

Tottenham Hotspur endured their most embarrassing defeat of the campaign to date yesterday, but doing so against bitter rivals Arsenal at the Emirates.

Thomas Frank’s men suffered a 4-1 loss at the hands of Mikel Arteta’s side, with former transfer target Eberechi Eze netting a hat-trick during the one-sided contest.

Richarlison’s phenomenal long-range effort was overshadowed by the result, with the Dane having a huge task on his hands to prevent such a result from occurring in the near future.

Such a result was the Lilywhites’ first away defeat of the Premier League campaign, but the nature of the North London Derby will be the biggest concern to the supporters.

Numerous players also failed to make a positive impression against the Gunners, which could see their places in the starting eleven be at huge risk in the upcoming fixtures.

Spurs’ poor performers against Arsenal yesterday

Attacker Mohammed Kudus was missing for the last couple of Spurs outings through injury, but the Ghanaian was recalled to the starting eleven for the North London Derby.

However, the 25-year-old struggled to make the desired impact at the Emirates, with his performance one that ultimately failed to impress the fanbase.

He featured for 78 minutes of the contest and was only able to register 30 touches of the ball and ultimately was unable to notch a single effort on David Raya’s goal.

Kudus’ lack of impact will no doubt have been aided by the struggles of the midfield two, with Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur operating at the base of Frank’s side.

The pair were far too ineffective during the defeat to Arteta’s men, subsequently only registering a single pass into the final third between them during the embarrassing display.

The Uruguayan international also lost 100% of the duels he entered against the Gunners, often being dominated by the opposition and being unable to have the desired impact on proceedings.

The Spurs star who had fewer touches than Vicario against Arsenal

Spurs’ display against Arsenal was nothing short of a disgrace, with Frank’s decision to switch to a back five massively restricting the side within forward areas of the pitch.

The defeat against the Gunners has now extended the Lilywhites’ dismal run away from home in such a fixture, with the club now only winning one away game out of their last 33 in the NLD.

Frank’s men only achieved a total xG of 0.07 during the 90 minutes at the Emirates, with Richarlison’s long-ranger goal just one of two shots on target during the contest.

The defensive setup led to the toothless showing yesterday, with the manager needing to take huge responsibility for making such a significant call in a vital clash.

He did hand Wilson Odobert the chance to impress from the off at the Emirates, but like many of his teammates, the Frenchman failed to deliver during the defeat.

The 20-year-old featured for a total of 66 minutes against the Gunners, but he only managed to achieve a total of 23 touches in the process – the lowest of any Lilywhites attacker.

His subsequent tally was lower than that of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, with the Italian racking up a total of 57 as he tried to prevent the onslaught from the hosts.

As for Odobert, his lack of quality within the final third was evident by his underlying figures, which further showcase his inability to impress during his rare league start.

The Frenchman failed to complete any of his two attempted crosses, whilst also failing to register a single effort on Raya’s goal – subsequently being unable to cause the opposition any trouble at all.

Wilson Odobert – stats against Arsenal

Statistics

Tally

Minutes played

66

Touches

23

Passes completed

7

Crosses completed

0

Shots taken

0

Possession lost

9x

Aerials won

0

Match rating

3/10

Stats via FotMob

Other numbers, such as zero aerials won and nine times possession lost, further highlight his struggles in North London, with the manager potentially wanting to drop the youngster after such a showing.

As a result of his lack of positive impact, Odobert was handed a measly 3/10 match rating by Football London’s Alasdair Gold – topping off a dismal afternoon for the attacker.

His lightweight nature ultimately wasn’t suitable for the Derby Day clash with Arsenal, subsequently highlighting another glaring error made by Frank at the Emirates.

Frank desperately needs to learn from such a selection mistake in the games ahead, otherwise, he could seriously find himself struggling to maintain his position as manager of Spurs.

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Tottenham Hotspur fell to a humbling 4-1 defeat against Arsenal in the North Lodnon Derby this evening.

Posts 1 ByEthan Lamb Nov 23, 2025

He might not have the big trophies just yet, but Mikel Arteta has already achieved a lot at Arsenal.

He has taken a club that was spiralling into competitive irrelevance and turned them into serious contenders for the Premier League and Champions League.

Furthermore, on several occasions, he has helped revitalise the careers of players most considered to be done at the very highest level.

He has done the same this year, with someone who only last year received some particularly scathing criticism.

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When it comes to redemption stories at Arsenal, the one everyone will think of first, and rightly so, is Granit Xhaka’s.

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The Swiss international famously fell foul of the Emirates faithful in late 2019 when, as he was being jeered, he threw the armband and his shirt to the floor while swearing at the supporters.

At the time, it looked like his time in N5 was up, and were it not for the Spaniard, it probably would have been.

The midfielder would later tell the press that “my suitcases were packed, but I had a meeting with Mikel when he came” and that “he [Arteta] is the reason why I’m still at this football club.”

Over the next few years, the passionate international would slowly win the fans back onside, and by the time his final game came at the end of the 22/23 season, the entire Emirates was singing his name, and seemed desperate for him to stay.

Another player whose career has been revived in N5 is Kai Havertz.

The German wasn’t taken particularly seriously when he made his surprise move to the club in 2023, and the fact that he struggled to have an impact in the first half of that season certainly didn’t help.

In fact, just a month into the campaign, former professional Gabby Agbonlahor described the former Bayer Leverkusen man as a “joke.”

However, a move up front completely changed the game for the struggling player, and in 18 starts as a centre-forward, the “magnificent” ace, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, scored eight goals and provided seven assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.20 games.

Then last season, despite being ruled out halfway through, he still managed to score 15 goals and provide five assists in 36 games.

In all, Havertz might not be Arsenal’s best player, but his revival under Arteta is undeniably impressive, and now another player previously written off is starting to show his best form again this season.

The Arsenal star who is now undroppable

The good news for Arsenal is that there are more than a handful of players who are currently undroppable, although few would have expected Leandro Trossard to be among them at the start of the season.

Now, the £90k-per-week Belgian is an undeniably talented player, but it would be fair to say that he underwhelmed last season.

While it took him just 46 games to produce 20 goal involvements the previous year, it took 56 games to produce the same number last season.

Moreover, the former Brighton & Hove Albion star was simply having less of an impact on games, unless, of course, you include the red card he picked up against Manchester City, for which Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville blasted him. The latter notably labelled the situation as “ridiculous.”

The 30-year-old was such a disappointment that by the end of the season, fans seemed alright with moving him on to sign someone more dynamic, and based on reports, it looked like that might have been the club’s plan.

However, such a move never transpired, and fans should be delighted about that, as so far this season, he has been utterly superb.

For example, in just 14 appearances, totalling 832 minutes, the Waterschei-born “little magician,” as dubbed by Arteta, has scored four goals and provided four assists.

In other words, he is averaging a goal involvement every 1.75 games, or every 104 minutes, which is a rate of return not even Bukay Saka can match at the moment.

It’s not just his raw numbers that have improved, though; he is also having far more of an influence in games.

For example, while his thunderous effort against Sunderland caught everyone’s attention, he played brilliantly throughout.

Ultimately, it’s early in the season, but as things stand, Trossard is utterly undroppable and looks like another player Arteta has revived.

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By
Emilio Galantini

Nov 13, 2025

Shohei Ohtani enjoyed a record-breaking 2024 season for the Los Angeles Dodgers that wiped away any lingering doubt that he may not be worth the historic, record-breaking contract he signed in free agency last offseason. Recording the first 50 home run, 50 stolen base season in baseball history will do that.

But this time of year is the reason the Dodgers wanted Ohtani, and why Ohtani chose the Dodgers: Playoff baseball. The Japanese mega-star had never played in the postseason heading into 2024, and Los Angeles kept falling short after a 2020 World Series title.

On Saturday, Ohtani suited up for his postseason debut and the Dodgers were immediately in need of his services. The visiting San Diego Padres jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the opening frame. Then Ohtani came up in the bottom of the second inning with two men on base. He delivered, mashing a huge game-tying home run for his very first postseason trip around the bases.

And he celebrated in emphatic fashion, flinging his bat to the side as he let loose a joyous yell.

Shohei Ohtani playing October baseball. What a majestic sight. For anyone other than Padres fans, anyway.

A very cool moment for one of the greatest players the game has ever seen.

SA will be without many of their main players, including regular captain Bavuma, Markram and Rabada

Mohammad Isam05-Jul-2025Big picture: South Africa missing their big gunsSouth Africa posted a 328-run win in the first Test against Zimbabwe, but they will be depleted in the second Test by the absence of Keshav Maharaj, who has been ruled out with a groin strain.As a result, Wiaan Mulder will take over the captaincy even though he has no prior experience of leading a side in first-class cricket. Having played 20 Tests, Mulder is the second-most experienced player in this South Africa squad behind Kyle Verreynne, who has played 26. They are without many of their main players, including regular captain Temba Bavuma, Aiden Markram and Kagiso Rabada.Related

Stats – Pretorius, youngest to score 150 in men's Tests

Maharaj ruled out of second Zimbabwe Test

In total, South Africa have 93 caps, including Zubayr Hamza, who didn’t play the first Test. Lesogo Senokwane and Prenelan Subrayen, meanwhile, are still uncapped at this level.But South Africa have some exciting players in their ranks. Lhuan-dre Pretorius struck a barnstorming 153 in the first Test, while Corbin Bosch struck a century and took a five-wicket haul. As for Mulder, he scored 147 and had a four-wicket haul. After having impressed in IPL 2025 and the T20 Blast, Dewald Brevis hit 51 off 41 in his maiden Test innings.In contrast, Zimbabwe will be banking on experience. Sean Williams struck a sublime 137 in the first Test and has an average of 68.22 since 2020. Wellington Masakadza made a fourth-innings fifty in the first Test. But Zimbabwe will need more from their captain Craig Ervine, who scored 36 and 49 in that match.Blessing Muzarabani will lead the bowling attack with Tanaka Chivanga bubbling with confidence after taking a match haul of 6 for 159 in the first Test. Legspinner Vincent Masekesa produced some magic deliveries, too, but he will have to provide more control if Zimbabwe are to turn the tables on South Africa.Form guideZimbabwe LLLWL
South AfricaWWWWWSean Williams has been Zimbabwe’s standout batter in Test cricket over the past five years•Zimbabwe CricketIn the spotlight: Sean Williams and Corbin BoschSean Williams has been Zimbabwe’s best Test batter in the last five years. In the first Test, he once again bailed his team out of trouble with his simple but effective technique. Williams’ short back-lift allows him to drive comfortably and he is arguably Zimbabwe’s best player of spin, thanks to his variety of sweeps.Corbin Bosch’s double of five wickets and a century in the first Test was the first for South Africa in 23 years. Bosch is a hit-the-deck bowler who is capable of hitting 140kph. He usually bowls with the old ball and his century batting at No. 8 was a throwback to South Africa’s heydays of Shaun Pollock and Lance Klusener.Team news: Muthusamy may get a gameBrian Bennett, who suffered a concussion during the first Test, could miss this Test, and Prince Masvaure, who was his concussion replacement, could keep his place in the XI. Trevor Gwandu, Clive Madande, Kundai Matigimu and Newman Nyamhuri are the other options on the bench for Zimbabwe.Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Prince Masvaure, 2 Takudzwanashe Kaitano, 3 Nick Welch, 4 Sean Williams, 5 Craig Ervine (capt), 6 Wessly Madhevere, 7 Tafadzwa Tsiga (wk), 8 Wellington Masakadza, 9 Vincent Masekesa, 10 Blessing Muzarabani, 11 Tanaka ChivangaMaharaj’s injury opens up a place for Senuran Muthusamy. They also have Hamza, Senokwane and Subrayen as options in the squad.South Africa (probable): 1 Matthew Breetzke, 2 Tony de Zorzi, 3 Wiaan Mulder (capt), 4 David Bedingham, 5 Lhuan-dre Pretorius, 6 Dewald Brevis, 7 Kyle Verreynne (wk), 8 Corbin Bosch, 9 Senuran Muthusamy, 10 Codi Yusuf, 11 Kwena MaphakaPitch and conditions: A lively surface on the cardsFor a change, pace dominated spin in the first Test at the Queens’ Sports Club. The scoring rate, too, was higher than usual from both sides, though the pitch slowed down considerably later in the Test. The weather remains chilly, at times slipping to around 13-degrees Celsius.Stats and trivia: Williams second only to Andy Flower At 19 years and 93 days, Pretorius became the youngest to hit 150 in men’s Tests. Williams, who began his international career 13 months before Pretorius was born, also made a century in the first Test in Bulawayo. It got him level with Grant Flower and Brendan Taylor on the centuriion’ table for Zimbabwe in Test cricket. Only Andy Flower is ahead of Williams now. This will only be the third Test since September 2017 where South Africa will be without Rabada, Bavuma, Maharaj and Markram.

Omar Henry, the former South Africa cricketer and convener of selectors, is expected to be ratified as president of Cricket Scotland by the organisation’s member clubs on July 30. Henry, who played for Scotland between 1989 and 1992, has accepted a two-year term with the option of extending to a third year in what will be an ambassadorial role to further the aims of Scottish cricket, particularly in terms of diversity, equity and inclusion.”I am honoured to have been nominated as President-Elect of Cricket Scotland,” Henry said in a statement. “It is a privilege to serve the Scottish cricketing community, and I am grateful for the trust placed in me. I look forward to supporting the continued growth and progress of the game across the country.Related

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“During my term, I aim to champion the development of cricket at all levels — from local clubs to the national stage — and to help foster a game that is inclusive, sustainable, and forward-looking. Engaging directly with clubs, volunteers, and communities will be at the heart of this effort.”I am particularly encouraged by Cricket Scotland’s new four-year strategy, Uniting People and Communities through Cricket. Its focus on inspiring women and girls, promoting equality, achieving sustainable success, and strengthening Cricket Scotland as a governing body reflects a bold and necessary vision for the future. I am committed to supporting its implementation, especially in helping to build a more inclusive and accessible game for all — one where diversity, equality and inclusion are embedded at every level.”To all clubs and members of our cricketing community, thank you for your continued dedication. I look forward to working with you in the months ahead to help bring this shared vision to life and shape a positive future for cricket in Scotland.”Henry, who was South Africa’s first player of colour post-readmission, moved to Scotland in his early 20s to play club cricket and seek opportunities that were not available to him at home. As a non-white player, Henry could not represent South Africa during the Apartheid era. He built a successful career in Scotland. He played 62 games for Scotland, captained them 14 times, and was named in their Hall of Fame in 2018. When South Africa’s sporting sanctions ended post-Apartheid, Henry made his debut for the national team at 40, and played three Tests and three ODIs in 1992 and 1993.He has since gone into administration and worked as the CEO of Boland Cricket and then on South Africa’s national selection panel. In 2021, he gave emotional testimony at the Social Justice and Nation Building (SJN) Hearings about feeling excluded from his own community when he played for a white club in the 1970s, and then again at the 1992 World Cup. His experiences of dealing with racism and speaking out about it have also led to his championing the case for inclusion and his passion for working in development. Henry will spend the next two summers (2025 and 2026) in Scotland and will also occasionally travel with the national teams abroad.

Fielding coach James Pamment and strength and conditioning coach Nathan Keily have also withdrawn

Mohammad Isam21-May-2025Nahid Rana is among three members to withdraw from the Bangladesh touring party bound for Pakistan next week. New fielding coach James Pamment and strength and conditioning coach Nathan Keily have also pulled out.According to BCB’s cricket operations chairman Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, Rana may have taken the decision after facing a difficult situation when trying to get out of Pakistan earlier this month, following escalating border tensions between India and Pakistan.Rana was in the Peshawar Zalmi squad when the players had to be withdrawn from the PSL. Rana’s teammate Rishad Hossain was also among the overseas group that had to leave Pakistan, although Rishad is touring with the Bangladesh side this time.Related

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Fahim said that a few other Bangladesh players were also hesitant to tour, but changed their mind after finding out that most of the squad were going to Pakistan.”What Nahid Rana and Rishad faced recently, you can’t blame them for being traumatised. Which is probably why Rana has withdrawn from the tour. Among the coaching staff, James [Pamment] and Nathan [Keily], who are our fielding coach and trainer, aren’t going. The rest are ready to go there,” Fahim said.”There were hesitations among few other players. But later, when they saw others are going, they felt that it might not be difficult to go there and they changed their initial position.”Fahim said that Pakistan provides the highest form of security measures during cricket tours. “I saw during the Champions Trophy how much security is provided in Pakistan. I don’t think you can do more than that. The PCB chairman (Mohsin Naqvi) assured us to give the highest security,” he said.Bangladesh’s tour of Pakistan is now a three-match T20I series, reduced from the initially announced five-match affair. The three matches will be held in Lahore on May 28, 30 and 31.

Kishan says the team was going for the record, after his unbeaten 106 got them to within two runs of the all-time highest IPL total

Shashank Kishore23-Mar-20252:46

Rapid fire: Are Kishan and SRH a perfect match?

Ishan Kishan said he picked up the phone quite soon after being bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for INR 11.25 crore (USD 1.34 million approx.) at the IPL 2025 mega auction. He wanted to know what it would be like to play for the IPL’s most explosive batting side.”I straightaway called Abhishek [Sharma] and asked, ‘what are you guys expecting, do I have to come and hit each and every ball?’ He was like, ‘on point, yeah, that is your job, you come here and you hit each and every ball, you just enjoy in this team.’ And that is the best part.Related

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The high-way – the highest team totals in the IPL

Archer bowls the most expensive IPL spell on return

“I could actually see, and I could actually feel it before we played this game,” Kishan said after his 106 not out off 47 set up SRH’s win against Rajasthan Royals. “It’s not that I got a hundred and I’m talking about it. But yeah, when I got here, the message was very clear. ‘If the ball is there, just go for it, have your fun, have your moment’ and that’s how I think we’re going to play the tournament. Even if we are in a very good phase, we would do the same thing each and every time.”Kishan’s century off 45 balls was the third-fastest by a Sunrisers batter after Travis Head (41 balls) and David Warner (43). His partnerships with Travis Head (85 off 38 balls) and Nitish Reddy (72 off 29 balls) helped Sunrisers post 286, two short of being the all-time record for the highest total in the IPL, which would have broken Sunrisers’ own record. They now have four of the top-five highest scores in the league’s history.”Someone came in the middle with a water bottle and said we need to cross this total [their record of 287],” Kishan said. “I was like, I did not know if there was a target set or something, but yeah, when you don’t achieve the goal, it’s something like you want to do it again. We did not do it today, so it’s good to have that target goal for us coming back. Some days [when] we get a good start, batters are set, we will try and definitely get a record total.”Ishan Kishan slammed what was his first IPL hundred•BCCIKishan came into the IPL on the back of middling form in domestic cricket. His record in IPL 2024 wasn’t outstanding either – a solitary half-century in 14 innings for 320 runs. At Sunrisers, he was to play at No. 3, a slight deviation from his role as an opener at MI. Asked about the role change, Kishan said he got clarity from the captain and coach.”They keep it very simple, to be very honest,” Kishan said “Like Pat [Cummins], he keeps it very simple, he knows if the player likes to attack from the beginning, he just backs it up. It’s not like if you go in there and get out trying to hit, it adds up any pressure. That’s the best part for any youngster.”If you watched Aniket Verma playing his first game, at that moment he was not thinking about coming back not out. He just went for each and every ball, so that is the sort of confidence when you get from your support staff, or I would say captain, it makes a huge difference. And that is what something every player is looking up to, so I would say it helped us a lot.”Kishan’s roaring start at SRH comes after a tricky year for him. Last year at this time, just prior to the IPL, he had been stripped of his BCCI central contract for seemingly not prioritising domestic cricket. Asked how that affected him, Kishan said: “Whatever the situation was, I think I was never a person who was thinking about those bad moments. I was very much in the present, like what’s needed. Yeah, I need to perform, I need to do good for me, whatever I’ll do, it will help me end of the day. So I just planned to get all the negative thoughts out and just think about what’s ahead, like IPL was coming up.”So, yeah, I was just doing my hard work and, like I said to my loved ones, it was more about my family, the fans who were always there, the ones who are here supporting me today. Like I said, my brother was there. So it was just for them. Coming to SRH, playing in Hyderabad, the first game, setting up a good total for the team, so all together it was a very happy moment for me.”