Tag Futebol

Former Manchester United star Jesse Lingard signed off as an FC Seoul player in style as he scored in his last-ever game for the South Korean club before bidding an emotional farewell after two 'fantastic' years. Lingard had confirmed that the AFC Champions League meeting with Melbourne City would mark his final appearance for the side he joined in February 2024.

Lingard ends FC Seoul stint with a goal

Lingard has finally bid farewell to the club after two successful years. In his final game for Seoul in their AFC Champions League league stage clash against Melbourne City, the former United attacker scored from Choi Jun's cross in the 31st minute. Takeshi Kanamori, though, equalised for the visitors in the 74th minute as the Australian side snatched a point.

After the match, Lingard took to social media say his final goodbye to FC Seoul and their supporters, as he wrote: "Farewell @fcseoul it’s been an honour to represent this club. You will always have a place in my heart."

AdvertisementWatch the clipLingard announced his departure last week

Last week, Lingard confirmed his exit through a heartfelt message on social media as he wrote: "After positive discussions with FC Seoul, we have mutually agreed that I will be leaving the club at the end of the 2025 season, with my final game on December 10th. This wasn’t an easy decision. My time in South Korea has been unbelievable — the football, the atmosphere, and the passion around this club have been top-class. The love, support and the appreciation you have shown towards me for these last 2 years has been truly amazing. Playing football here has been an unforgettable experience and one I will always value. I want to thank FC Seoul, my teammates, the staff, and everyone associated at the club for trusting me and welcoming me from day one. I’ll always be grateful for the opportunity to play for such a massive club."

The former England international's departure concludes a tenure that brought no trophies but did lift FC Seoul back into competitive relevance. During his debut season, he played a pivotal role in steering the club to a fourth-place finish in the K League, their best finish since 2019, while the most recent campaign ended with the team in sixth. Across 66 matches, Lingard recorded 18 goals and 10 assists.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

What comes next for Lingard?

For now, Lingard wants to spend Christmas with his family and enjoy the holiday period before taking the next step in his career. After his farewell game, the 32-year-old told reporters: "It's been a fantastic two years. I want to say 'thank you' to everyone once again. I need a break after a long season. I will spend Christmas with my family. The next chapter, who knows, really."

The spinner also credited Gambhir and T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav for his international comeback

Abhimanyu Bose07-Oct-2025

Varun Chakravarthy, the top-ranked T20I bowler in the world, says India head coach Gautam Gambhir has fostered a “Spartan mentality” in the team, leaving “no option of losing”. He also credited Gambhir and T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav for his international comeback, after spending nearly three years out of the team.”Definitely one thing which I can say about [Gambhir] is he brings a Spartan mentality to the team where there is no option of losing. You just have to bring your best and give everything on the ground and later on, whatever happens, happens,” Varun said on the sidelines of the CEAT Cricket Rating Awards in Mumbai on Tuesday.”When he is around, there is no mediocrity – you can’t be mediocre in the field, that’s what I feel.”Related

Varun Chakravarthy takes top spot in men's T20I bowling rankings

Varun made his India debut in July 2021, but after enduring a tough campaign in the 2021 T20 World Cup, he was dropped and only played for India again in October 2024.Since then, Varun has been a regular fixture in India’s T20I XI and has also made his ODI debut and played a key role in helping the team win the Champions Trophy earlier this year.”When I made my comeback again, Surya and GG [Gambhir], they spoke to me and they told me that we are looking at you as one of the wicket-takers. And they have backed me throughout. For that, I have to give them the credit.”When he is around, there is no mediocrity,” Varun says of Gautam Gambhir•Getty Images

“I was out of the team for more than three years, but I did have a consecutive good IPL. For them to recognise that and bring me into the team was great for me.”Varun, who has been left out of India’s ODI squad for the Australia tour, spoke about the things Gambhir wants him to work on to enhance his chances in one-day cricket.”Basically, the conversations were around bowling longer spells. Because in T20, you maximum bowl two overs back-to-back. But in ODIs, you have to bowl five to six overs back-to-back, which I did work on and I was able to do it in the Champions Trophy.”And he wants me to bat a little more up the order in domestic circuit and improve on my batting.”Varun was also full of praise for fellow spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who finished as the leading wicket-taker at the Asia Cup.”Kuldeep is definitely one of the most experienced bowlers right now in the pool of players that we have and he has done amazingly well,” Varun said. “I bowl at the speeds of 95kph and he bowls around 85kph, so we kind of complement each other. He has more revs and more turn, I have more speed and bounce, so till now it’s been working well for us. Hopefully, we can do the same thing in the World Cup also.”

Struggling Manchester United star Kobbie Mainoo has been told that Arsenal is the perfect place for him to get his career back on track. Mainoo established himself as a regular starter at Old Trafford under former Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag, but he has fallen out of favour since the arrival of Ruben Amorim, and serious questions are being asked of his future.

• AFP
  

  Mainoo linked with January transfer

  After clocking only 138 minutes on the pitch in the Premier League this season under Amorim, Mainoo has been strongly linked with a move away from United in the January transfer window. A loan exit has been mooted for Mainoo, which would provide him with an opportunity to impress Thomas Tuchel before the German coach picks his final England squad for the 2026 World Cup in North America. 

  Several clubs have been linked with a move for the English midfielder, including Serie A champions Napoli and West Ham, however, no concrete offer has been made yet. 

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Mainoo told to join Arsenal

  Former Arsenal star Stefan Schwarz has advised Mainoo to join Arsenal, with Mikel Arteta deemed to be the ideal manager to bring the best out of him. Schwarz told : "Arsenal have the best conditions for young players. And they have a manager in Mikel Arteta that is not afraid to give responsibility to them and give them opportunities when he feels they are ready. It's just about preparing them in the best way and that's what Arsenal have done very well the last couple of years."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  'Rice is a good leader'

  One more aspect from the Arsenal transfer that could benefit Mainoo is playing alongside England team-mate Declan Rice in the Gunners' midfield. Rice is a natural leader and his experience and guidance could help Mainoo improve his form.

  Lavishing praise on Rice, Schwarz added: "Declan Rice is a very good player. I like him a lot. He's a good leader. He can play in different positions, he's versatile and so solid. You know what you get from him every week. His delivery is unbelievable, and he has a great work rate and ethic. He is one of the leaders at Arsenal. He rarely gets injured, and he's a good character. He looks out for and takes care of his team-mates. He is also very good when talking to the media, which is very important and is an understated skill. He’s so important to Arsenal. If he was to get injured it would be a huge setback, they could cope in the short term thanks to the size of the squad but losing him for a couple of games wouldn't be a problem."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Why isn't Mainoo getting enough game time?

  United boss Amorim explained earlier this month why he has not been providing Mainoo with more game time, telling reporters: "We need to go to Europe because of everything. Our club needs to be in Europe, it’s hard to have a very, very good squad. Imagine for me to have Mainoo with that (many) minutes that he’s playing, he needs more games for me to make a rotation because, with one game (a week), it’s really hard. I have to take one of the guys that is playing to put another. When you have more games, you can divide, you can manage the group in a different way. We are trying to use the time that we have to train to be a better team, we need to be prepared in the future to have European games. But the target doesn’t change. We have to go to Europe. To be in the top four is really hard for our moment, but we never know, we just need to focus on winning the next one."

  Mainoo will hope to feature when United take on Everton in the Premier League this weekend.

He has transformed himself and his multi-faceted team to prioritise winning above all else

Alagappan Muthu03-Oct-20242:35

Manjrekar: ‘This is the legacy Rohit Sharma will leave as captain’

A century is a sacred thing. Everybody understands its significance, its pull. When Sachin Tendulkar was touring the world with 99 of them in his pocket, all anyone wanted to talk about was that next one, which would’ve been fine except he was trying not to think about it. It became awkward every time he went down to breakfast and they were giving him his tea with a side of knowing looks.The hundred is the most recognisable feature of our sport, to the extent that others have found reason to tap into it to generate that sweet, sweet engagement. Premier League champions Manchester City marked the occasion of their star striker, Erling Haaland, scoring 100 goals by putting a picture of him in full cricket gear on their socials.India just finished a Test match that flew in the face of all that. In Kanpur, Yashasvi Jaiswal not only had the chance to bring up three figures but do so quicker than anybody else from his country. He could’ve walked it in singles. Bangladesh had spread the field all the way out. Instead, he saw a little gap at third and went for the ramp shot. Now, there weren’t a lot of reasons for him to be in such a hurry. The one he had, though, was extremely compelling.Related

• Rohit hopes 'exceptional' series against Bangladesh doesn't go 'unnoticed'

• Rohit: 'We were ready to get bowled out for a low score to force a result'

• Stats – India extend dominance at home, at breakneck speed

• Rohit Sharma and the sixes that woke up a dead game

“When we gathered inside [the dressing room] for a small huddle, Rohit Sharma mentioned that we are going to go hammer and tongs and try and make, you know, 400 runs, probably, in 50 overs,” R Ashwin said after India found a way to win a five-day game in half that time. It involved a lot of risk. It wasn’t going to happen without a collective buy-in, especially from the batters, particularly the out-of-form ones.KL Rahul came into this series with an average of 34.08. He has only one century at home, a casualty of overarching plans to make the most of spin-friendly conditions. He might have liked to bed in at Green Park. The pitch wasn’t doing very much and time at the crease is a magical thing. It can erase all the doubt that had ever been cast on you, not from the outside, but also on the inside. It just settles you.Under a less adventurous captain, with a less willing group of men, facing a better quality of opposition and no pressure of World Test Championship points, India would’ve got in a bit of batting practice and left with a draw.”Rohit walked out and just tonked the first ball for a six,” Ashwin said. “So when you walk the talk, I think obviously the dressing room doesn’t have any other choice but to follow that same pattern. We had 50 runs out of three overs. There was no looking back after that.”Rahul made 68 off 43. He had two boundaries within the first ten balls and he was charging and reverse sweeping by the 15th.India have had many captains that have transformed the way they play. Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi yanked them out of defeatism. Kapil Dev won them their first world title. MS Dhoni ended the wait for another one. Sourav Ganguly made being bad look sexy. Rahul Dravid broke the ODI chasing curse. Anil Kumble stood up right against wrong. Virat Kohli triggered a fast-bowling revolution. Rohit might just be outdoing them all because he is cutting right into one of the core values of Indian cricket.1:14

‘India exhibited a kind of dominance we’ve never seen before’

Batting means scoring big. You’re almost excused if you get out for a duck but if you get a start and then throw it away, you’re less than nothing. Rohit actually comes from the one place in India where this is basically gospel. He is Mumbai , which means come rain or shine, famine or plague, if you have a bat in hand, you have a responsibility not to get out. You are obliged to score those grand, daddy hundreds that utterly break the oppositions and make them question why they ever woke up that morning. His three double-tons in 50-over cricket are a tribute to this method and its far-reaching consequences. His next best score caused a bit of a flutter too.Rohit made 171 in Perth during a series where India faced questions about whether they cared more for milestones than victories, because their batters kept slowing down and it did have an impact on the final scoreline. Back then, the team was heavily reliant on its top order and so they had to play with a great deal of caution. It is only with time and effort and investment and experience that they now have a batting line-up with threats all the way down.In 2023, Rohit wanted to maximise that, weaponise that. So a man who used to set up to bat the full 50 overs went into a home World Cup and showed a very different side of himself. He kept hitting from ball one because he thought that was the best way for India to win. By then, he’d found strong influences that backed his beliefs.

“In the past, I know of players who have got a fifty in a game like that, they might have just walked out 52 not out. He chose to go for the gallery shot. It is just in his head to see the ball and hit it”R Ashwin on Yashasvi Jaiswal

“When Rahul Dravid was here,” Ashwin said, “he used to mention you will not remember the runs and the wickets that you take but you will definitely remember the memories that you create.”That’s so old school, right? Especially in 2024 where athletes have discovered they aren’t just people, they’re brands. There is incentive to putting themselves first; to safeguarding their success and minimising their risks. The power of a simple individual – let alone those with global acclaim – is sky high right now. It isn’t ludicrous for them to want to cash in, or at the very least have questions when their captain says things like “we’re gonna score 400 in 50 overs”. No one did in Kanpur. Even though the same social-media phenomenon that makes them walking bags of money opens them up to incredible rebuke whenever they fail. And this had potential for failure.Green Park is by no means a template. India will not be scoring at nine runs an over when they go to Australia. But even so, for Rohit to convince his men to follow him like that, in merely the hope of a result, and for them to do it, is no small thing. It’s been a hallmark of his captaincy, across formats. He helped Kohli reassess the price he puts on his wicket in T20s. He protected Jaiswal, genuinely worried he might jinx the opener during his coming-of-age performances against England. In that same series, when Sarfaraz Khan finally broke into the national team, Rohit spent an entire training session looking after him. He has been rewiring his own generation and encouraging the next one to put the win above all else.1:56

T20 champs for a reason? India break batting records in Kanpur

In Kanpur, it meant playing fast-forward cricket, the kind that didn’t just put pressure on the opposition, it caught them completely by surprise. Bangladesh admitted to needing a couple of overs to realise what was happening on that fourth afternoon when India, having batted for less than three hours, had enough on the board for a first-innings lead. Then they came out with similar intent to chase a target of 95, Jaiswal helping himself to another better-than-a-run-a-ball fifty.”It’s just the way he plays,” Ashwin said. “In the past, I know of players who have got a fifty in a game like that, they might have just walked out 52 not out. He chose to go for the gallery shot. It is just in his head to see the ball and hit it.”It’s probably the next generation of players and they are going to be like that. It’s us that need to be able to adapt to their style and be able to facilitate them with the best environment for them to be nurtured for them to prosper.”There are much sterner challenges ahead – the Border-Gavaskar Trophy starts in November and then there’s the Champions Trophy in February and, very likely, the WTC final in July. Each of them will require India to dig deep in various ways. They may come up short. It can happen. But they won’t die wondering. If there’s a chance – even the slightest, most outlandish one – they’ll grab it and they’ll run with it. Rohit won’t let them settle for anything less.

The Apertura 2025 final features the two teams that set the pace all season. Toluca topped the table with 37 points and rolled past FC Juárez and Monterrey, while Tigres finished just behind them on 36 before ousting Xolos and Cruz Azul. Now, Antonio Mohamed’s Diablos chase a bicampeonato and a 12th star, as Guido Pizarro’s Tigres look to claim their ninth league title.

Getty Images SportWhat’s at stake?

The first leg will be played Thursday at Estadio Universitario, the always-demanding home of Tigres. The return match follows Sunday at Estadio Nemesio Diez – one of Liga MX’s most intimidating venues and a true “Infierno” where Antonio Mohamed’s Toluca has been nearly untouchable. Both sides will face hostile conditions, but the title may ultimately hinge on who handles the heat in Toluca.

AdvertisementAFPHistory on the line

A Toluca championship would secure the club’s 12th league crown, pulling the Red Devils level with Chivas as the second-most decorated team in Liga MX history. Tigres, meanwhile, are pushing for a ninth title – a milestone that would move them past Cruz Azul and further cement their status as a modern powerhouse.

Two contenders with heavyweight ambitions now stand one series away from Apertura 2025 glory.

Getty Images SportKey to Success

Tigres – Key to Success
Guido Pizarro’s side must contain Toluca’s attacking firepower and prove why they finished the Apertura 2025 as the league’s best defense, allowing only 16 goals. However, their road form remains a concern: they lost 3-0 to in the first leg of the quarterfinals and drew 1-1 at Cruz Azul in the semifinal opener. Tigres must be a significantly better visiting team if they want to lift the trophy on Sunday at Toluca’s fortress.

Toluca – Key to Success
Toluca enter the final as slight favorites. They have been the most consistent and well-balanced team in Liga MX throughout 2025. Their only major concern is the possible absence of their best player, Alexis Vega, who has yet to recover from an injury that has sidelined him for the entire Liguilla. His absence would be a significant blow, but Antonio Mohamed has managed the playoffs impressively without him. Even so, Vega’s potential return – whether in the first leg or the decisive match – could tilt the balance in Toluca’s favor.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

AFPPlayers to Watch

Player to Watch: Juan Brunetta
The Argentine playmaker has been one of Tigres’ most decisive threats this postseason, scoring three goals – including two in the dramatic 5-0 comeback against Xolos and another in the clinching win over Cruz Azul. Alongside Ángel Correa, Brunetta is a true difference-maker capable of tilting the final on his own.

Player to Watch: Paulinho
The Portuguese striker captured his third straight Liga MX Golden Boot and has added two more goals in the playoffs. Toluca will lean heavily on his finishing in the final, as Paulinho’s form could be the factor that determines whether the Diablos claim another league title.

Despite flat-track preferences, this was a victory that displayed skill and nous

Cameron Ponsonby20-Oct-2025When the going’s good, this England team is great.The common critique of Harry Brook’s team, and Jos Buttler’s before him, is that they are flat-track bullies. The best in the world when the odds are in their favour but one-dimensional when they are not.The opening T20I at Christchurch hinted towards that. They slipped to 81 for 5 on a wicket that was lively, only to be bailed out by Sam Curran and New Zealand’s lasagne hands. A total of 153 may look under par, but at the lowest scoring ground in the country, where the average run rate is 7.8 (aka, a final score of 156), it was a step in the right direction for a team aiming to add brains to their brawn.Cut to 48 hours later and, while the match was on the same wicket, it was a different pitch. Less live grass plus two days of sun had both captains scratching their heads at what to do. Mitchell Santner said bowl, but wasn’t sure.”We’ll see if there’s anything there,” Santner said at the toss. “And if there’s not it might be more of a challenge.”It was more of a challenge.England’s 236 for 4 blitzed the previous highest score at Hagley Oval by over 30 runs. In the history of international T20 cricket at the venue there had only ever been four scores above 170. All things considered, this was an anomalous performance. And a close-to-perfect one at that.”The boundaries are way back,” Curran said after the first match. “A couple of balls you smack and it goes nowhere.”But while England did pack their biceps, striking ten sixes, they also packed their running shoes, scampering 16 twos across the innings. Brook and Phil Salt’s partnership cruised along in fifth gear but took different forms. The boundary may be big, but that means the outfield is too.”He’s very good at playing the field,” Santner explained after the match. “Both him and Salt were very smart using the wind and were able to run hard and hit the pockets on the big side. I think they had 20-something twos (16) and when it’s tough to find dots, when you go two, then four, you’re leaking.”Despite unfurling his ramp once more, Brook’s strengths came down the ground•AFP/Getty ImagesBrook had spoken about this innings before he played it. Ahead of the series he explained his “disappointment” at his white-ball returns. For all the glamour of his roly-poly ramp shots in the Hundred, they weren’t where he believed his strengths lied. He wanted to stand there. And hit straight.”That’s one goal for me this series,” he said, one day out from the first match. “Just to try and play on instinct as much as possible.”All five of Brook’s sixes came from the City End, where the leg-side was to the shorter boundary and had the wind in assistance. Two landed in the stands, one dropped onto the roof, and two went over it.Related

• Finisher Banton is back where he started as career comes full-circle

• Curran comes in from the cold with several points to prove

• Salt, Brook fireworks set up crushing England win

• Rain ruins Christchurch opener after Curran claws England to 153

• Brook parks Ashes chat to train focus on New Zealand

Salt had been on 39 off 21 when Brook arrived at the crease. But when it became clear Brook was the man of the moment his strike-rate slowed as he focused on getting his captain back on strike. From his next 35 balls he made just 46 runs but England continued to motor.Salt is on four T20I centuries. Only Glenn Maxwell and Rohit Sharma have five, a stat of which Salt is aware, but one he put to one side.”The difference between me going on and getting that score or not was getting Brooky on strike,” he said afterwards. “And, 100 times over, I’d like to be at the other end watching that again.”That’s batting, isn’t it? You have to take the ego out of it.”This was as complete a performance as England could have hoped for. A coach’s dream, in which all parties played their role. Two batters batted big, and those that didn’t, did so quickly. All of Jacob Bethell (24), Tom Banton (29*) and Sam Curran (8*) struck at above 200.”It’s warming to be able to say ‘lads, you go do your thing’,” was Brook’s conclusion at the close.Rashid and Dawson benefitted from England’s willingness to attack their catches in the deep•Joe Allison/Getty ImagesEngland’s perfect day extended to ball in hand as well. Brydon Carse took two up top, before the spin duo of Liam Dawson and Adil Rashid killed the game in the middle. Dawson bowled four through the middle, counterintuitively bowling to New Zealand’s left-hand-heavy middle order to the shorter side, but keeping his line wide. Until Santner got a hold of him in his final over, it worked. After 3.4 overs his figures were 2 for 18. Somehow, his final two legal deliveries conceded 20 runs. We’ll brush over that bit.”Dawson bowling to the short side,” Santner said afterwards. “I thought that was very smart, keeping it off the batsman.”Even Rashid’s four-fer, all of which were caught in the deep, came with thought attached, as those on the large square boundaries were instructed to settle five or ten metres in from the rope.”That’s something we spoke about,” Brook said of his fielders roaming around. “There’s a lot of balls plinked into the outfield and if our fielders were on the rope they’re probably not carrying. So that’s another positive move about taking wickets.”So much of T20 cricket comes down to volatility. One player executing on the day and wrenching the match in one direction or the other. England’s joy this evening will be their success at the bits that are repeatable. Plans were made. And plans were executed.”That’s part of being a team,” Salt concluded. “You have to take the ego out of it. Everything is team first and team orientated. And long may that continue.”

Chelsea have now reportedly joined Arsenal in the race to sign a rising Ligue 1 talent, who’s been billed as the second coming of William Saliba.

Maresca: Chelsea must "switch off" before Arsenal clash

Chelsea couldn’t have asked for a better warm-up before their crucial clash against Arsenal this weekend. The Blues brushed Barcelona aside as Estevao Willian stole the show in front of Lamine Yamal. Two of the world’s best teenagers commenced battle at Stamford Bridge and it was the Brazilian who came out on top.

Now, Enzo Maresca’s side have the small matter of playing host to the Premier League leaders. Victory would see Chelsea move to within three points of Arsenal and lay down a marker in the title race. Defeat, meanwhile, would leave them nine points adrift of their London rivals.

Maresca will be well aware of the importance of Sunday’s game, but has told his players to “switch off” in the build-up – telling reporters: “I’ve told the players, next 48 hours, completely switch off,” he said. “Have a rest. Recover the energy.

“Because next Sunday we have Arsenal. My message after the game was just: recover the energy. That, in this moment, is the most important thing.

“Then, on Friday, we start to think about Arsenal. We need to keep the momentum because it’s very nice — and it’s much easier to recover energy when you win games.”

Related 23-year-old wants to leave Chelsea in January as clubs start to make contact

He’s eyeing the exit door.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Nov 27, 2025

It’s also worth noting that it’s not just on the pitch that Chelsea and Arsenal are set to do battle. In the transfer market, the two clubs are also reportedly set to go head-to-head to welcome a defensive reinforcement.

Recent reports have claimed that the Blues have now joined the race to sign Stade Rennais defender Jeremy Jacquet in an attempt to deal Arsenal a frustrating blow.

Chelsea join race to sign Jeremy Jacquet

As reported by Caught Offside, Chelsea have joined the race to sign Jacquet alongside Arsenal, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace and RB Leipzig.

The 20-year-old defender will reportedly be available for as little as €30m (£27m) in 2026, handing those at Stamford Bridge a crucial opportunity to reinforce their backline at a bargain price.

Dubbed the next Saliba by The Standard when Arsenal’s interest emerged in August, Jacquet’s rise has been coming for a few years. His old development coach at Rennes, Pierre-Emmanuel Bordeau, even went as far to describe the defender as the “technical leader of his generation”.

League stats Per 90

Jacquet

Saliba

Minutes

1,170

814

Progressive Passes

3

4.44

Tackles Won

0.92

0.56

Ball Recoveries

4.46

3.89

It’s easy to see why comparisons have been made with Saliba. Statistically speaking, Jacquet has even outperformed the Arsenal star out of possession so far this season, whilst also impressing on the ball.

It would be quite the move from Chelsea if they didn’t just land the next Saliba, but a player capable of exceeding Mikel Arteta’s top defender in years to come. Amid so much competition for Jacquet’s signature, though, the Blues will have to act quick.

Shades of Estevao: Chelsea have another "left-footed magician" out on loan

Sciver-Brunt scored century in a game where India’s batting collapsed in the absence of senior players

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Sep-2025Without Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, and Pratika Rawal, India’s batting order crumbled against England at Bengaluru’s Centre of Excellence ground in a warm-up fixture ahead of the ODI World Cup. Chasing 341, India were all out for 187, with Arundhati Reddy not coming out to bat due to a leg injury she sustained while bowling.Wicketkeeper Uma Chetry, who was included in the squad in place of the injured Yastika Bhatia, made a promising 45, while captain Jemimah Rodrigues top-scored with 66 off 68 balls. Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma, and Sneh Rana combined to make just 43 runs in the middle order.Related

• Reddy suffers blow to knee during warm-up match against England

Sent in to bat, England, propelled by captain Nat Sciver-Brunt’s brisk 120 and Emma Lamb’s 84, piled up 340. India’s pace spearhead Renuka Singh struck in her first over to remove Tammy Beaumont, and the hosts had both Amy Jones and Heather Knight back before the halfway stage. However, Sciver-Brunt and Lamb’s 173-run stand put England in front, despite Kranti Goud’s three-wicket haul later in the innings.Shafali Verma notched up 70 off 49•Getty Images

Shafali Verma, left out of India’s World Cup squad, scored a blistering 49-ball 70 in India A’s four-wicket win over New Zealand in a rain-affected fixture.After New Zealand posted 273 for 9 on the back of Izzy Gaze’s unbeaten 101 at No. 7, multiple rain interruptions left India chasing a revised target of 225 in 40 overs. Shafali’s brisk knock – which included 11 fours and a six – gave the innings early momentum. Captain Minnu Mani remained unbeaten on 39, while wicketkeeper Madiwala Mamatha contributed a crucial 56 not out off 60 balls at No. 8.Earlier, Sayali Satghare, the reserve seamer for India at the World Cup, picked up three wickets. India A had New Zealand reeling at 146 for 7, but Gaze’s counterattacking century helped the Sophie-Devine-led side post a competitive total.In Colombo, both the Pakistan-Sri Lanka game and South Africa’s match against Bangladesh were washed out. Sri Lanka were 33 for 1 in 7.3 overs when play came to an end, while in the other contest, South Africa had reached 45 for 3 in nine overs before rain intervened. Bangladesh’s young pacer Marufa Akter dismissed both Laura Wolvaardt and Annerie Dercksen, while Nahida Akter bowled Marizanne Kapp – a dream start for Bangladesh.

Change to visa rules mean Australian seamer will be available for first half of red-ball season

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Nov-2025

Nottinghamshire have confirmed the return of Australia A seamer Fergus O’Neill for the first half of both the 2026 and 2027 seasons.O’Neill claimed 21 wickets at 17.90 in four matches at the start of the 2025 summer, helping set Nottinghamshire on their path to winning the County Championship. He had been expected to make a return and the club have now announced that he has signed a two-year deal.While O’Neill was only eligible for a short-term visa last season, limiting him to a four-week stint, changes to the UK’s visa rules to cover appearances in first-class cricket mean he will be available for the first block of Championship games from April through to June.It was O’Neill who purchased the “MOM” blazer that became a feature of Notts’ title win, and he will now be back to help with the defence.”I’m keen to come back and make sure our momentum keeps rolling,” O’Neill said. “Trent Bridge is a great place filled with great people, where I’ve had success.”With all the success I had, and we had as a team, it was a simple decision for me to sign on for not just one, but another two years. Success is what I play for, so for as long as I’m a part of Nottinghamshire, I’ll be putting my best foot forward for us to win another Championship title.”O’Neill has twice been picked for Australia A, including on their recent tour of India, and has started the Sheffield Shield season in good form, with 15 wickets at 21.80. He could come into contention for the Ashes, although is currently behind the likes of Brendan Doggett and Michael Neser among back-up quicks.”Every now and then, you seem to sign a player who fits into the team perfectly, and Fergus was that man last year,” Nottinghamshire’s head coach, Peter Moores, said. “His impact on the field was clear for everyone to see, though it was his impact off it that also made a real difference.”His energy and excitement to play were infectious, as was belief in his own ability. That belied spread into everyone else in the team and was a real catalyst at the start of our season.”His ability to move the ball laterally and control line and length were perfect for English conditions, and it’s great news that the change in regulations will allow him to take on a fuller role next season.”We can’t wait to get him back to continue the promising start he has shown to his Notts career and to positively influence the defence of the title.”Notts have also secured the services of South Africa Test wicketkeeper-batter Kyle Verreynne for 2026. Verreynne, who has enjoyed productive spells at Notts in each of the past two seasons and hit the runs that secured the title, is expected to be available for a full summer of County Championship due to South Africa’s limited international commitments.

The bowling combination and the identity of their reserve batters are in focus at the start of the home season

Karthik Krishnaswamy23-Sep-20251:48

Chopra: Don’t see Bumrah playing the first Test

On Wednesday, India will pick a 15-member squad for the two-Test home series against West Indies, which begins on October 2 in Ahmedabad. It’s a deceptively tricky selection, with India about to feel the full force of R Ashwin’s retirement for the first time (he didn’t miss even one of India’s 65 home Tests during his career), with Jasprit Bumrah’s workload still needing to be managed, and with questions still lingering from the unexpected, unprecedented 3-0 defeat to New Zealand last year. Here are five that Ajit Agarkar’s selection panel will need to answer.

Pick Bumrah or rest him?

The first Test in Ahmedabad begins four days after the final of the Asia Cup, which India have an excellent chance of featuring in. Four members of their Asia Cup squad – Test captain Shubman Gill, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Bumrah – would ordinarily be certainties in a Test squad for a home series, but the circumstances around one of them are far from ordinary.Bumrah only played three out of five matches in India’s last Test series, in England, and that ratio of participation looks set to continue into the foreseeable future given his history of serious back injuries. So do India pick Bumrah for both Tests against West Indies, or just one of them? Or do they rest him for the entire series?In a similar situation a year or two ago, India may not have found it especially difficult to rest Bumrah. But their bowling resources at the moment aren’t quite what they’re used to having in home conditions. There’s the absence of Ashwin, for one, though you would expect a spin attack of Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep, Washington Sundar and Axar to cope with it.Jasprit Bumrah in action•Getty ImagesLast year’s defeat to New Zealand may have led India to ponder the kind of pitches they want to play their home Tests on, and potentially prompt a shift away from square turners to flatter surfaces that produce bigger first-innings totals. Any such shift, however, will also mean a bigger role for the fast bowlers. And India could have issues on that front if Bumrah isn’t around.India haven’t felt the overt impact of phasing out Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav – for so long their go-to quicks in home Tests – but it’s not hard to imagine a situation in the near future where they feel a desperate need for a bit of experience and know-how with an old ball on a bare surface. Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep have only played 19 home Tests between them, and Prasidh Krishna is yet to play one.Related

• Rishabh Pant to miss home Tests against West Indies

India would dearly love to have Bumrah in this scenario, but against this desire they will have to weigh the demands of a packed schedule. After this series India have a white-ball tour of Australia in October-November followed by an all-format home series against South Africa, and then a white-ball series against New Zealand in early 2026 in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup in February-March.

Is there room for Nitish Kumar Reddy?

Over his first seven Tests in Australia and England, Nitish Kumar Reddy gave India a glimpse of the high-ceiling seam-bowling allrounder he could become in the future. He’s an exceedingly useful player even in the present when India travel away from Asia, but do they need him in home conditions?In Jadeja, Washington and Axar, India have three high-quality spin-bowling allrounders for Indian pitches. A fourth allrounder who might not bowl all that much could be hard to fit into a squad of 15. But given the push for batting depth that’s defined Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as head coach so far, India may still try hard to find a place for Reddy.This could mean picking either one fewer middle-order batter in the squad, or one fewer frontline seamer.2:05

Is there a role for Nitish Kumar Reddy in home Tests?

What happens to Abhimanyu Easwaran?

Abhimanyu Easwaran has played 31 first-class games for India A, captained them eight times, and been part of five Test squads, but he’s yet to get his hands on the Test cap. Now it seems likely that he won’t be part of the squad for the West Indies series, because there may not be room for a specialist reserve opener.With Rishabh Pant ruled out with the foot injury he sustained in England, Dhruv Jurel looks set to be India’s first-choice keeper in Ahmedabad, with N Jagadeesan – who joined the team in England after Pant was sidelined – as his understudy.Jagadeesan can also open the batting, and he’s been in terrific form doing that. His last two first-class games, at the time of writing, have brought him 197 and 52* for South Zone in the Duleep Trophy and 64 for India A against Australia A, in a match where he alternated keeping duties with Jurel.Abhimanyu opened with Jagadeesan in that India A game, and made 44. When KL Rahul came into the India A side in the second unofficial Test against Australia A, he replaced Abhimanyu rather than Jagadeesan. A clear sign of things to come?Devdutt Padikkal has been in good form since recovering from a hamstring injury•PTI

Who are the reserve batters?

If they’re all fit, six of India’s top seven pick themselves: Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Gill, Jurel, Jadeja and Washington. That leaves the No. 3 slot, for which the incumbent B Sai Sudharsan appears the frontrunner, having firmed up his credentials with a 73 in the first unofficial Test against Australia A.If India also pick Reddy in their squad, it leaves either no space for another middle-order batter, or just one spot, depending on how many fast bowlers they pick.That one spot, if it exists, could go to Devdutt Padikkal, who was ruled out of the England tour after injuring his hamstring during the IPL. Padikkal, who made his Test debut against England last year in Dharamsala, also played the first Test of the 2024-25 Australia tour in Perth – he wasn’t part of India’s original squad there, but was added to it following impressive performances on the shadow India A tour.Padikkal has been among the runs since recovering from the hamstring injury, scoring 57 for South Zone in the Duleep Trophy and 150 for India A in the first unofficial Test against Australia A.If Padikkal is picked, it would be at the expense of his Karnataka team-mate Karun Nair, who played four of the five Tests in England but was ruled out of contention for the India A squad by a finger injury. Nair had a strange tour of England, getting to 20 in five of his eight innings but only managing a top score of 57. There were periods of pristine strokeplay, but also uncertain moments against the rising ball, and India may have expected better returns overall from a 33-year-old making a comeback in good batting conditions.Sarfaraz Khan could have been in contention for this middle-order role too, but the Mumbai batter has been out of action since May, and has been recuperating from an injury – quadriceps, according to reports – at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.Sourav Ganguly presented Akash Deep with an award for his performance in England•Garima Agarwal

How many fast bowlers, and who?

Given that West Indies’ biggest strength is their fast bowling, it is unlikely that conditions in either Ahmedabad or Delhi will have too much help for the quicks. Given this, India are unlikely to play more than two seamers in their XI, which means their squad is likely to contain no more than four frontline quicks – potentially just three plus Reddy.Whether Bumrah is one of them remains to be seen. Siraj, Prasidh and Akash Deep, the other three frontline quicks who played at least three Tests each in England, would be the main names in contention now, but one of them has struggled with fitness issues over recent months.Akash Deep was less than fully fit during two of the three Tests he played in England, and has been out of action since his return. He was originally part of the East Zone squad for the Duleep Trophy but missed the tournament after being advised rest – he later told that he was dealing with an “impact” injury that he suffered in England and not a fresh one. There is a chance that his lack of recent match time – he isn’t part of the India A squad either – could count against his selection, at least for the first Test.Siraj and Prasidh, the heroes of India’s series-levelling win at The Oval, are playing the unofficial Tests against Australia A, and have no known fitness issues.If India don’t pick Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana, who were part of India’s squad in England and are currently at the Asia Cup, could come into the picture. Punjab’s towering Gurnoor Brar, whom India called up as a net bowler ahead of the Test series against Bangladesh last year, and who is currently playing for India A, is a possible left-field selection.

Possible India squad for two-Test series against West Indies

Shubman Gill (capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, B Sai Sudharsan, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah (possibly for one Test only), Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Devdutt Padikkal, N Jagadeesan (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy/Akash Deep/Arshdeep Singh.