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Both sides have struggled with their opening combinations and will be looking to address it sooner than later

Shashank Kishore03-May-2023Big picture – Can Brook rekindle Eden memories?Two misfiring teams that currently make up the bottom half of the points table clash to keep their IPL campaigns alive. Kolkata Knight Riders need to win every game from here on to get to 16 points, which is generally considered a safe number. Sunrisers Hyderabad also have just six points at this stage but they have the cushion of an extra game in hand and the home advantage to boot for Thursday’s game.Another thing that’s common is that both sides have struggled with their opening combinations. KKR have tried six pairs so far, the most among all teams, while Sunrisers have shunted Harry Brook and Abhishek Sharma up and down based on conditions and match-ups.Brook, though, will have happy memories of hitting a hundred against KKR when they met at Eden Gardens earlier in the season. It was a high-scoring game that Sunrisers pulled off. It’s all the more significant for Brook given he has contributed precious little with the bat since. Abhishek came good as an opener in the previous game against Delhi Capitals, so he’s likely to continue there, and Brook in the middle order.Related

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KKR are yearning for a good start from their openers. Jason Roy missed the Gujarat Titans game with a back niggle; his return could inject some positivity as he had scored two sprightly half-centuries in two games before that. Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh and Nitish Rana have been doing the heavy lifting in the middle order but Andre Russell has shown only glimpses of the destructive force he can is known to be.When two sides that have very little to lose compete, there’s often an inherent sense of freedom. And that could make this a compelling contest.Form guideSunrisers Hyderabad: WLLLW (last five matches, most recent first)
Kolkata Knight Riders: LWLLLTeam news – Shardul available, Umesh to miss out againBoth sides have had players troubled by hamstrings injuries. Umesh Yadav will continue to sit out for KKR. Sunrisers haven’t replaced Washington Sundar, who is off to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru to nurse his hamstring injury. But don’t have any other injury concerns. KKR have called up West Indies’ Johnson Charles to replace Litton Das.Impact Player strategySunrisers will possibly stick to what they did in the previous game – using T Natarajan as an additional seamer and swapping him with Abdul Samad in the batting innings.Sunrisers Hyderabad (probable XII): 1 Mayank Agarwal, 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Aiden Markram (capt), 5 Harry Brook, 6 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 7 , 8 Akeal Hosein, 9 Mayank Markande, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Umran Malik, 12 Jason Roy is set to return for KKR•AFP/Getty ImagesRoy should slot back in to open with Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who is likely to take over the wicketkeeping gloves from N Jagadeesan. Jagadeesan may be subbed out for either Harshit Rana or Vaibhav Arora when they bowl.Kolkata Knight Riders (probable XII): 1 Jason Roy, 2 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 3 , 4 Venkatesh Iyer, 5 Nitish Rana, 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Sunil Narine, 10 , 11 Varun Chakravarthy, 12 Vaibhav AroraStats that matter – should Russell bat higher up? Rahul Tripathi once shared the KKR dressing room with him but has now faced the second-most balls (48) without being dismissed by Sunil Narine in T20s. Tripathi has scored 71 runs off those balls at a strike rate of 147.91. Russell vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar in T20s has so far been a no-contest. Russell has walloped him for 72 off 34 balls for two dismissals. His strike rate of 211.76 is the second-best to Rishabh Pant’s 239.39 among those who have faced a minimum of 25 balls from Bhuvneshwar . Bhuvneshwar, however, has had the wood over Roy, having dismissed him three times in 11 innings while conceding just 64 off 70 balls. That could make KKR consider using Roy in the middle order, as they did against Chennai Super Kings when he made a bruising 26-ball 61 in a chase of 236. Since IPL 2022, Russell has performed better when has come in before the 13th over, scoring 348 runs in 11 innings at a strike rate of 171 with six scores of 30 and above. This is against the 129 he has made in ten innings at 152 when he has walked in after the 13th over. Maybe then, there’s a case to promote him a spot higher?Pitch conditionsHyderabad has been lashed by intermittent showers over the past three days. Cloudy skies are expected on Thursday. That means the surface, which has been under the covers for much of the build-up to the game, may have some moisture that fast bowlers could exploit. As such, spinners have been slightly more successful at this venue this season: an economy of 7.70 and strike rate of 19.3, compared to 8.18 and 19.7 respectively for fast bowlers.The big question

The left-arm wristspinner grew up idolising Rashid Khan. Now the two are team-mates and Noor is forever in Rashid’s ear

Nagraj Gollapudi02-May-2023Noor Ahmad chuckles nervously. The 18-year-old Afghanistan left-arm-wristspinner who plays for Gujarat Titans in the IPL is worried about his English-speaking ability as we sit down for a chat. He is learning the language on the fly, on the road, as he travels the world playing in T20 franchise leagues in both hemispheres.Noor went to sleep around 6am the day we met. He did not forget to say his prayers before shutting down, he says, and now he says a quick prayer before our interview begins too.About a minute into the conversation, any concerns he might have had about his English melt away as he settles fluently into talking cricket. His eyes twinkle and his face, which has hints of a beard, lights up with big smiles.Related

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The previous evening, playing a home game in Ahmedabad, Noor, along with his mentor and senior Afghanistan and Titans team-mate Rashid Khan, threw a wrench into Mumbai Indians’ plans soon after the powerplay. As they chased a steep 208 to win, Mumbai only managed 29 runs for the loss of opener and captain Rohit Sharma in the first six, and were 58 for 3 at the halfway stage.In the next over Noor took the wickets of Mumbai’s Aussie-made weapons of mass destruction, Cameron Green and Tim David, sending the home crowd into raptures. Mumbai’s last hope lay in Suryakumar Yadav.Though Suryakumar took 15 runs off the 12th over, from Rashid, off the second ball he faced from Noor in the 13th, he attempted to push at one that was turning in, having pitched on good length, and popped a return catch.”That was like a dream wicket,” Noor says. “I wanted to take that kind of batsman’s wicket. I decided to pitch back of length because he is very good at sweeping and slogging.”2:05

Noor Ahmad: ‘My brother broke a door when I took my first IPL wicket!’

Noor managed to take the low catch before, full of excitement, trying to throw the ball up to celebrate, losing hold of it, and catching it more securely.In addition to the three Mumbai wickets, Noor’s tally for the season so far is: Sanju Samson (Rajasthan Royals), Nicholas Pooran and Krunal Pandya (Lucknow Super Giants), and Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Rinku Singh (Kolkata Knight Riders). Having made his debut as an impact player, Noor is now part of Titans’ first XI.

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It was in 2018 that the first turning point of Noor’s career arrived. He participated in an open selection trial in Kabul, organised by the Afghanistan cricket Board to pick grassroots U-19 talent. Former Afghanistan batter Raees Ahmadzai, who headed the board’s Under-19 wing and was a coach-cum-selector, realised Noor was a bowler with the X-factor he was looking for. “I wanted to have a left-arm wristspinner who could offer a different bowling style and different variation,” Ahmadzai says. “The way he bowled, the way he showed confidence in what he did, he impressed me.”About 125 youngsters attended the trial. That group was culled to 75, then 40, and finally a squad of 15 was shortlisted, based on cricketing and physical skillsets. Noor made the cut.In 2019, when he was 14, he threw his name into the hat for the IPL auction the first time. He went unsold that year and again the following year, but he did not stop serving notice of his talent.”I know IPL is a very big stage in cricket. The more I enjoy, the more I will succeed”•Associated PressAt the Under-19 50-over Asia Cup that year, he starred in a thriller against India, who escaped with a narrow win. Defending 125, Noor finished with 4 for 30 in his ten overs – among his victims were India captain Dhruv Jurel (now with Royals) who was trapped lbw, and Tilak Verma (now Mumbai Indians), bowled.Ahmadzai, who was Afghanistan’s head coach for the tournament, speaks of his Indian counterpart, Rahul Dravid, being impressed by Noor at the time. That same year, Noor made his first-class debut.Two years later, early in January of 2021, the day he turned 16, Noor played his second game in his debut BBL season, representing Melbourne Renegades. He had never bowled on such a big stage, against some of most destructive batters around, including Liam Livingstone. Renegades lost that game to Perth Scorchers, but Noor made his birthday special, taking Livingstone’s wicket, stumped. “It was a googly and he didn’t pick it. I bowled a little away from his [batting arc]. There was some bounce in the wicket and that helped me,” he remembers.At the mega auction ahead of the 2022 IPL, Titans picked Noor up for his base price, Rs 30 lakhs ($40,000 approximately). It was a memorable day for the teenager, who had grown up watching the IPL, to be faced with the potential of bowling alongside his idol, Rashid.Noor didn’t play last year, and got his first IPL match, against Royals, a couple of weeks ago, when he was brought in as impact player with six overs to go. Royals needed 77 from 36 deliveries. Sanju Samson smacked the fourth ball of the over, a googly wide outside off stump, for a six. The next ball, a legbreak well outside leg stump, was happily dismissed for an easy four past short fine leg.Noor jumps into captain Hardik Pandya’s arms after taking the wicket of Sanju Samson in his debut IPL game•BCCI”I was sure he will try to hit a six again,” Noor says. “So I thought, if I try bowling a little bit away, there’s a chance he might mistime. And that’s exactly what happened.”There was pressure in the first match, but I just wanted to enjoy it because it was a totally new experience for me. I know IPL is a very big stage in cricket. The more I enjoy, the more I will succeed. I want to bowl to the top players and have got some of them out. I am just enjoying bowling to these guys.”If Noor was nervous and excited on his IPL debut, his family was no less so, back in Afghanistan. “The amazing thing was in the first match when I got the Samson wicket, one of my brothers got up and punched a door and broke it,” Noor says, laughing. “The whole door!” I asked him why. He said, ‘I was not having control over my emotions.'”Noor is the youngest of eight children – four boys and four girls. The family live in Lakhan district in Khost in south-eastern Afghanistan. Noor was good at studies growing up, and his father, Mohammad Amir, wanted him to stick with them rather than take a punt on cricket.”I had topped grade ten in school, and that’s when I started professional cricket. [Dad] said I was in a good position at the school and he was afraid I would not reach a high level in cricket.”Pressure to think twice before embarking on a cricket career came from outside the family too. “Sometimes the school teachers, including the principal, came and spoke to my father and told him, ‘He is a good kid in school, he is talented, so please don’t let him play cricket. Bring him to school.'” It is a common predicament for every talented Afghan athlete, Ahmadzai says.Big match, big wicket: Noor celebrates getting Liam Livingstone in the BBL on his 16th birthday•Cricket Australia via Getty ImagesIf Noor has one person to thank for playing a key role in convincing his father to allow him to play cricket, it is his brother Mohammad. “He was trying to convince my dad all the time and he supported me in playing cricket.”These days the family enjoys watching Noor every IPL game. His father, Noor says, is “very happy”. “After the match when we talk, they tell me they don’t have any words to describe their emotion.”

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Like other Afghans, Noor too started out playing tape-ball cricket. That was where he learned the basics of spin bowling. “It was the start of my legspin bowling,” he says. “And by the end I was bowling the ball that goes away,”Noor’s teenage years coincided with the arrival of Rashid onto the global stage. As Rashid mystified batters in T20 leagues around the world, youngsters like Noor watched and grew enamoured of his magic. Though he is a left-arm wristspinner himself, Noor realised he could pick things from Rashid’s bowling to incorporate into his own. “I saw him and wanted to bowl like him.”The legbreak, googly, and a slider that is more of a quick legspinner, are the variations Noor currently uses. The mystery comes from the different grips he uses to deliver them at varying speeds. He has a brisk approach to the crease and a whippy action. His bowling speed is one of his strong points. At the 2022 Under-19 World Cup, where Afghanistan finished fourth, Ahmadzai was head coach and remembers keeping to Noor in training. “He was very quick, like a medium-pacer – he was bowling at 115-120 kph. I felt like that. I knew this guy would not be easy to hit, especially if he doesn’t bowl short or give any width to play the cut or pull. If he bowled in the right areas, it wouldn’t it be easy to hit him.”Noor thinks his pace helps in that it leaves batters short of reaction time. “The batsman won’t have so much time to play the ball. Pace and a bit of turn is a good combination,” he says.Noor bowls in the 2020 U-19 World Cup, in a game against South Africa•Louis Botha/Getty ImagesHe looks to pick up cues from batters to help with his bowling plans. “My aim is, I should be able or at least try to read the batsman’s mind – what is the situation, what the team needs, what the batsman will do. It is all about me staying confident.”If there is one person who is as happy about Noor’s success as his family, it is Rashid. Speaking to the broadcaster after the win against Mumbai, Rashid was effusive about Noor’s performance. “That little kid, he just wants to learn,” he said. And he’s working so hard. Last year he was working, bowling lots in the nets, and kept asking questions.”Even when I was having gym, he was coming to the gym and saying, ‘Let’s just bowl here in the gym.’ At 1am, 2am, he was coming when I was in the gym during Ramzan, and he was bowling with me in the gym. That much he wanted to get better, that much he wanted to perform.”He has got the opportunity now and he has been delivering. I am so, so happy he has been delivering. It’s great news for GT as well as for Afghanistan cricket.”It was Rashid who handed Noor his first IPL cap. Noor looks back at the conversation then. “He [Rashid] said, ‘Finally you get a chance to play at this kind of big level, which is every player’s dream. It is your hard work and your determination which gives you this place.'”With a laugh, Noor confirms what Rashid says about him picking his senior team-mate’s brains about bowling whenever he wants to. “It is true – even when we are eating food together, I am asking questions to him. I always ask questions whenever I am with him. He is like Google for me!Celebrating a wicket with Rashid. “I always ask questions whenever I am with him. He is like Google for me,” Noor says of his team-mate and idol•Associated Press”I have learned so much from Rashid, both on the field as well as off the field, about life. One of the most important is to have the belief in yourself anytime and face the challenge coming in front of you – never give up.”Noor says he now understands that he needs to use a lot of his body to drive the pace and he is learning the nuances of that by talking to more experienced spinners as he plies his trade in the T20 leagues.He has played just the one ODI, against Sri Lanka on the tour there late last year, but Ahmadazai believes it will not surprise him if Noor is picked for the ODI World Cup later this year in India.He has also shown batting smarts in pressure situations. “He is a brave person,” says Ahmadzai. “I remember the way he played against Naseem Shah and other fast bowlers in the Under-19 Asia Cup on a green top in Sri Lanka. He made 17 crucial runs and we won that match.”Noor thinks his IPL experience will strengthen his case for inclusion in Afghanistan’s squad for the World Cup. “It’s always been my dream to play for my country. Win matches for my country. So I am really looking forward if I get a chance. Inshallah.”The IPL started three years after Noor was born. He came to grow fond of Royal Challengers Bangalore over the seasons. His two favourite players were AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli, before Rashid came along. These days, he is playing alongside his idol and bowling against the likes of Kohli. What will he like to take back from his maiden IPL season?”I want to see myself become better and have some star players’ wickets,” he says.Star players like Kohli? “Of course, I want,” Noor says.I wish Noor the best for his future. “And best of luck to my future English,” he says with a laugh.

Premier League CEO Richard Masters says discrimination is "leaking into football" after Antoine Semenyo reported being racially abused at Anfield.

Semenyo reports racial abuse by fanPolice arrest individual after Liverpool gamePremier League CEO issues statementFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Liverpool's Premier League clash with Bournemouth was briefly halted in the first half of their 4-2 win on Friday after Semenyo flagged the mistreatment to the referee. Now, Masters has said that nobody should "suffer that sort of abuse", explained the turn of events that transpired after the incident, and that this is a "problem for society".

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT MASTERS SAID

He told BBC Sport: "No Premier League footballer should ever have to, in their workplace or online, suffer that sort of abuse. It is important that we keep saying that. We have offered our support to Antoine, as has everybody. I think everyone can see the protocol is being overseen and was affected yesterday. Once Antoine had made it clear to the match official about what had happened, Anthony Taylor brought the game to a halt and talked to both managers, and spoke directly to the stadium’s security official. That allowed them to identify the individual and escort the person off the premises, and I understand he was detained by the police. That’s the way it should work. It is a problem for society. It leaks into football, and it shouldn’t happen in a football stadium. It shouldn’t happen online. It makes people like me and other football people in charge of the game think twice about what else we can do to ensure that these things don’t happen in the future."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Merseyside Police later said a 47-year-old man from Liverpool was identified, removed from Anfield following the report, and then arrested on Saturday on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence – before being taken into custody. Bournemouth star Semenyo, who scored twice in the game, later said that "football showed its best side" following the support he had received but this is a problem that is unlikely to go away completely.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

As Masters alluded to, Premier League figureheads will likely take this incident under consideration in a bid to find a way to stop instances like this from happening again. Harsher bans for those found guilty could be one deterrent, but eradicating this entirely is not an easy task.

Already closing in on a deal to sign James Trafford, Newcastle United are now reportedly eyeing a move to sign a towering midfield star who their scouts have already seen in person.

Newcastle "closing in" on James Trafford

It has been far from routine, but Newcastle look set to welcome their second signing of the summer following Antonio Cordero’s earlier arrival. As reported by Fabrizio Romano, the Magpies are “closing in” on securing Trafford’s signature in a deal that will see those at St James’ Park land a long-term target at long last.

Following an incredibly impressive season in the Championship, in which he played a key role in Burnley’s promotion, Trafford looks destined to become Newcastle’s new No.1 ahead of Nick Pope in the coming months.

The England international, who is still just 22 years old, represents an instant upgrade on the ageing Pope and will hand Eddie Howe one of the most promising young goalkeepers that European football has to offer.

It’s not just upgrades between the sticks that Newcastle are targeting this summer, however. Having already missed out on Joao Pedro and given up on their pursuit of Bryan Mbeumo amid his preference for Manchester United, the Magpies have set their sights on some fresh names.

That reportedly includes Anthony Elanga. The Nottingham Forest man instantly entered Newcastle’s radar following Mbeumo’s rejection and they’ve since had an offer rejected by those in the Midlands for his signature. Even after that rejection though, a deal could still take place with those in Tyneside expected to return with an improved offer.

That said, it’s not just Elanga on the shortlist with reports now suggesting that Newcastle have set their sights on signing a towering midfield star this summer.

Newcastle considering Amir Richardson move

According to NUFC Blog, PIF are now considering a move to sign Amir Richardson after Newcastle completed their scouting mission on the Fiorentina midfielder.

A player with a “freak athletic profile” according to analyst Ben Mattinson, Richardson stands at a staggering 6’5 yet remains an impressive technical player and one that Newcastle should push to sign.

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At just 23 years old, the Fiorentina star would be making his biggest move yet by swapping Italy for the Premier League and St James’ Park. Whether he would sink or swim is the big question, but all signs are pointing towards a player full of potential. As Newcastle look to add depth to Howe’s squad, Richardson could be one to watch this summer.

Sajid and Noman shared 19 out of 20 wickets to leave their batters chasing a target of only 36

Vithushan Ehantharajah26-Oct-2024Pakistan 344 (Shakeel 134, Sajid 48*, Noman 45, Rehan 4-66, Bashir 3-129) and 37 for 1 (Masood 23*) beat England 267 (Smith 89, Duckett 52, Sajid 6-128, Noman 3-88) and 112 (Root 33, Noman 6-42, Sajid 4-69) by nine wicketsThe wait is finally over. For the first time since 2021, Pakistan have won a Test series at home, coming back from 1-0 down to confirm a 2-1 success over England.A comprehensive nine-wicket win on day three of the third and decisive Test in Rawalpindi arrived before lunch, achieved with so little fuss that England’s victory by an innings in the opening match feels like it belongs in a different series altogether. It is only the second time Pakistan have come from behind in a series and the first time they have done so at home.Just as it was in the first innings, and indeed the victorious second Test at Multan, Noman Ali and Sajid Khan ran riot, bagging all 10 wickets as England were snuffed out for 112 in a listless second innings performance. It was Noman’s turn to pocket the match ball with 6 for 42, a sixth five-wicket haul, while Sajid’s 4 for 69 registered a second 10-wicket match of his 10-Test career after 6 for 128 on the first day.That left a nominal chase of 36 on the table, which was still enough for beleaguered home skipper Shan Masood to indulge in a cathartic 23 from six deliveries. He clouted four successive fours against Jack Leach upon his arrival to the crease after Saim Ayub was trapped leg before, then sealed victory with a towering six off Shoaib Bashir.Prior to Masood walking off with Abdullah Shafique, Noman and Sajid had done so hand in hand, basking in the glory of instigating England’s day three collapse in which the final seven wickets fell for just 46, and the fact their introductions turned the series on its head. Since being drafted into the squad after the tourists took a 1-0 lead, they have managed 39 wickets between them – Noman’s left-arm spin taking 20 at 13.85, Sajid’s off breaks 19 from 21.01.And yet, things began serenely enough for England. They started Saturday 53 behind on 24 for 3, but in Root and Brook, they had two batters capable of chipping off that deficit, and then some.Related

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When Brook began the 13th over by striking Sajid for back-to-back fours – first through cover, then over mid off on the charge – the more pessimistic Pakistan fans might have been wondering if the Yorkshire pair were about to embark on another match-tilting partnership. After all, it was these two who combined for all of 454 in the first Test at Multan.However, that was before Sajid and Noman entered the series. And after the former adjusted his line to keep Brook honest, the latter followed up a slow delivery with one far quicker that was cut late into the gloves of Mohammad Rizwan. Pakistan’s lead had been cut to 11, but the first domino had been toppled. Others duly followed.Stokes’ troubles against spin continued, inexplicably leading a straight delivery from Noman, expecting turn from over the wicket that never came. Jamie Smith’s charge to Sajid was almost as bad, bowled off stump through a wild swing that belied the sensibilities he had displayed with a load-bearing 89 in the first innings.It was only four balls after Smith’s dismissal that England went ahead, and what hopes they had of extending that in a meaningful way ended when Root was snared by a pearler from Noman with a lead of eight. Perfect dip onto a length to drag the right-hander forward from around the wicket, before just enough spin – it was a delivery the 38-year-old had served up a few times but only Root was good enough to nick. ASajid tagged in to lop off the tail, yorking Gus Atkinson before knocking back Rehan Ahmed’s leg stump for his second 10-wicket match haul. And he looked to have bagged a second five-for in the match when Shoaib Bashir was given out LBW on the sweep.A cursory DRS review came back in the No.11’s favour, with the impact onto the pad coming outside off stump. The reprieve only brought an extra two runs, as Noman caught Leach lacking on the charge, firing one wide of the advancing left-hander, stumped smartly by Rizwan.A lead of 35 was always going to be light work on a pitch that was far from demonic, but it was Masood’s introduction that ensured formalities were completed inside 3.1 overs. Ayub began the chase with a brace of fours at the end of the first over before Leach pinned him in front, confirmed via DRS after another erroneous call from umpire Sharfuddoula.But even his dismissal brought some icing to the cake, as Masood took the team charging over the line for his first series win as captain. After starting his tenure with six straight defeats before the second Test of this series, It was hard to begrudge him that honour.

He went from being their top wicket-taker to being benched in the space of two IPL seasons, but the mystery spinner believes this is his year to bounce back

Deivarayan Muthu31-Mar-2023Varun Chakravarthy burst onto the cricketing scene in 2018 as a mystery spinner with a bagful of variations, but his life – and career – has had more twists and turns than there are variations in his repertoire.He started his career as a wicketkeeper-batter who wanted to become the “next Dinesh Karthik”, then had a cameo as an actor in a Tamil movie, , when he was trying to break through as an assistant director. Somewhere along the way he ditched cricket and movies for architecture. He then returned to cricket again as a mystery spinner who could turn the ball both ways at a quick pace.Related

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It was those abilities, a prized and uncommon skill set, that gave Kolkata Knight Riders’ attack a potent point of difference in the 2020 and 2021 IPLs. Soon after, Varun played for India in the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE. However, in IPL 2022, his form and rhythm plummeted so much that he was benched for three games. The ball wasn’t quite turning both ways or he wasn’t giving it much of a chance to do so by uncharacteristically tossing it up too full, which allowed batters to get underneath the length and pump him over the top. The mystery in his bowling seemed to have disappeared.

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There is one constant theme in Varun’s life: he has bounced back from setbacks – both on and off the field. In 2017, for example, he started his own architecture business, but the floods in Chennai that year damaged his sites, resulting in heavy losses. He managed to find a way to overcome that disappointment. If anything, setbacks have been catalysts for him to bounce back. Just like when he decided to switch his career path to cricket from architecture.Having experienced such lows in life, Varun didn’t allow a few bad games in the IPL last season to send him into a shell. “Yes, obviously, I take the lessons [from life],” he says. “Cricket is part of my life and whatever happens in life also affects cricket. So I try to implement life lessons into my cricket as well and what I have understood is that even during your ups and downs, you should be level, and the only people who will always be with you are your family.Varun went wicketless in the three T20 World Cup matches he played in the UAE in 2021•Aamir Qureshi/AFP/Getty Images”I know that I’m not foolproof or damage-proof and I was expecting this kind of an [IPL] season at some point. Everyone will go through a low time, but it’s about coming back.”Sriram Krishnamurthy, Varun’s coach at Madurai Panthers in the Tamil Nadu Premier League and a former coach with Northern Brave Men in New Zealand, credits Varun with maintaining an equilibrium in both his cricket and life. “Even though he had that IPL season he had, one good thing about Varun we’ve seen from day one is, he never gets too high and never gets too low,” Sriram says. “While his confidence was dented after the last IPL, he wasn’t broken, and that comes down to the person that he is. He’s very practical and realistic about understanding the game and life per se. That’s a big strength of his because I feel like for someone who has had the life he has – being a late entrant into cricket – and how far he has gone, for anyone else, it could have taken them away from reality. We’ve seen other players get lost after this sort of quick success, whereas I feel with Varun, he is always focused on what he has to do and I feel the mental element of bouncing back from failures is there with him.”

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What went wrong with Varun last season?Having worked his way up from a tennis-ball background, he previously hadn’t played or practised as much as he did in the last five years. As a result, he veered away from his strengths and some undesirable technical changes also crept into his bowling. His run-up became slower, his lengths fuller, and overall his bowling lost some of its fizz.In the UAE, Varun got some of his fuller ones to skid or hold off the pitch, but on fairly easy-paced hit-through-the line Indian tracks last season, batters lined him up easily. According to ESPNcricinfo’s logs, he conceded 107 runs off 48 full balls last IPL.Around the time he was relegated to the sidelines by the Knight Riders, he sat down and watched his old videos to remedy his bowling. “After those games, I had a break,” Varun says. I was basically trying to flight the ball, which was not my expertise. I [now] bowl quicker and that has worked for me. It was better sticking to that. Personally, I worked on my run-up as well. I realised it quite late, but I came to know that was a mistake.Sriram Krishnamurthy, Madurai Panthers coach: “If, with his pace, Varun ensures the batsman doesn’t have much time to think, I feel that will set him up well”•BCCI”I [had] just started running slower because… if a cricketer practises for a long time again and again, there are a few basics you might forget, which you usually get right. It was a case of that and then when I watched previous videos of my bowling, I realised I was running slow. Then my run-up was quicker, like what it was before, and I feel that was the difference. The last three matches for KKR went well for me after the break.”Once he returned to action for Knight Riders in the last stretch of IPL 2022, Varun hit the pitch much harder, increased his pace, dragged his length back, and denied batters easy access to the boundary. He stuck to his guns in the TNPL 2022 that followed and he and Sriram tried to recreate what had worked for Varun when he first broke into the IPL.”I remember having a conversation with him about what he was doing well when he was going well, in terms of the pace and length he bowled,” Sriram recalls. “By being slower through the air and bowling fuller, he was also giving batsmen an opportunity to sort of get to the pitch of the ball, and when you’re doing that you take away the element of [doubt about] which way the ball is going to go. From that perspective, we discussed how he was successful by bowling that length or slightly back of a length, which made the batsmen play him pretty much only off the pitch. The quicker pace with which he bowls means batsmen will have slightly less time to react.”He did go towards doing something different in the last IPL. For a player to evolve, he has to constantly keep working, and that was probably the journey Varun was going on as well. On the basis of performance, it didn’t necessarily reflect too well on how he did for KKR in that IPL, which again dented his confidence a little bit. But again, the clarity he had about his own bowling and whatever the conversation we had was not about me telling him what to do, but it was a process of rediscovering what he did well before, and to his credit, he was fully aware of his strengths. So he recreated that confidence. [Also] there is a difference in the quality of batting in TNPL and IPL. So it gives him a bit more space and time to get his confidence back, so to say.”With the IPL returning to the home-and-away format, Varun is set to play for KKR at Eden Gardens for the first time. He is usually not a big turner of the ball and particularly relishes bowling on bouncier or even flatter pitches. With Eden Gardens no longer the turner that it once used to be, Sriram thinks Varun has the tools to be penetrative at the venue.After his three-game break in the IPL last year, Varun returned to take two wickets in two games•BCCI”Varun is slightly taller than most average spinners and the other thing is his high release point,” Sriram says. “That release point helps him get bounce off the wicket. He has to bowl that length to extract that bounce. If he uses his height and release point… like he said, maybe he’s not a massive turner of the ball, but he turns the ball enough. If he ensures that the batsman doesn’t have too much time to sit back and think, which comes down to the pace at which Varun bowls, then I feel that will set him up well.”Varun has tuned up for the new IPL season after getting ample game time with Tamil Nadu in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Madurai Panthers in the TNPL, and Vijay CC in the Chennai league during the city’s oppressive summer.”At Tamil Nadu and in the TNPL, they’ve been using me as a death bowler, so it’s something that challenges me and hopefully I’ll be able to do the job in the IPL as well,” Varun says. “KKR have shown a lot of faith in me, which is important for any player. The KKR management has always been in constant touch with me on how I’m doing and all those things. I’ll always be grateful to KKR for what they’ve bestowed upon me and the responsibility that they’ve given me.”Right after the end of the IPL, we had another camp at the KKR academy. Normally people have a camp before the IPL, but the same players were part of another camp. You don’t know if you will be retained or not, but still we trained with the same bunch of guys. That’s something I liked about what they did last year, and it basically helped our preparation for Syed Mushtaq Ali [Trophy]. Regardless of whether they’re going to retain that player or not, they called all the Indians for the camp again. Hopefully, I can live up to the expectations this IPL.”As a retained player, the expectations on Varun to deliver are even greater this IPL and whichever way this season goes, it could well add another twist to his career.

“My mind wants to keep going, but my body can no longer endure the pain, the breakdowns, and the strain”

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Sep-20241:58

Pollard: Champion Bravo has given cricket his all

Dwayne Bravo has confirmed his retirement from all cricket after his final season in the CPL was cut short by injury.Bravo, 41 next month, is the leading T20 wicket-taker in history. He had previously called time on his international career in 2021, and stepped away from the IPL last year, as he began to move into coaching – in the last 12 months he has worked with Chennai Super Kings and the Afghanistan men’s team.”My mind wants to keep going, but my body can no longer endure the pain, the breakdowns, and the strain” Bravo said in a post on Instagram. “I can’t put myself in a position where I might let down my teammates, my fans, or the teams I represent.”So, with a heavy heart, I officially announce my retirement from the sport. Today, the Champion bids farewell.”ESPNcricinfo LtdIn an 18-year career, Bravo helped set the benchmark in T20 cricket, winning titles at the IPL, PSL and Big Bash, as well as becoming a two-time world champion with West Indies. He finishes with 631 wickets in the format from 582 appearances – second only to compatriot Kieron Pollard.Bravo announced before the ongoing edition of the CPL that it would be his last. He had been due to play in the third season of the UAE’s ILT20, having been retained by MI Emirates, but has decided to bow out after suffering a groin injury playing against St Lucia Kings in Tarouba on Tuesday.Bravo was the most decorated player in CPL history, having won five titles in all, including three with Trinbago Knight Riders alone. He had led TKR to back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018 before captaining Patriots to their first title in 2021.Related

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In a number of T20 leagues around the world, especially at the CPL, Bravo has been harnessing his experience to nurture youngsters, settling into a role like MS Dhoni has been fulfilling for CSK for a while. During CPL 2021, for example, he took allrounder Dominic Drakes under his wing and helped transform him into a match-winner. Drakes came away with the Player-of-the-Match award in the CPL 2021 final and continued to work with Bravo in other leagues, including IPL (CSK) and T10 (Delhi Bulls).Bravo has also worked closely with Ali Khan, the USA fast bowler, who also often fronts up to bowl at the death for TKR. Bravo had first spotted Khan in the US Open T20 tournament and signed him on for the Winnipeg Hawks in the Global T20 Canada, before recommending him to TKR.

The success enjoyed by Tom Brady and Ryan Reynolds could lead to Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods exploring takeover options at Manchester United.

Famous faces flocking to British footballNBA & golf legends could be nextMore investment & documentaries mootedFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

That is according to Matt Jansen, who spent time on the books at Wrexham during his playing days and once saw a transfer to Old Trafford speculated on. He is now watching on from afar as celebrity investors generate plenty of buzz in British football.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALTHE BIGGER PICTURE

NFL legend Brady is part of the board at Birmingham, while Hollywood actor Reynolds is working alongside Rob McElhenney in North Wales. A number of other famous faces are involved with EFL clubs, with the promise of more takeovers to come.

DID YOU KNOW?

NBA icon Jordan and golf GOAT Woods boast the personal fortunes required to move into club ownership, and it is claimed that they may be tempted to tread a similar path to Brady and Co – with Jansen talking up deals for United and his former employers at Blackburn.

GettyWHAT JANSEN SAID

Jansen, speaking to , said of more A-list investment and money-spinning documentaries: “I think Tom Brady is a good one. Maybe Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods, people who’ve been at the top of their sport. The number one in their sport will always be impressive, and can relate a little bit more to football than the music industry.

“It could be any club, couldn’t it? But the likes of Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods would probably be looking at Liverpool, Chelsea or Man United, those kinds of clubs. They’re that big a star. So is Tom Brady, but Birmingham are really putting their money where their mouth is. I think they'll be a force this season.

“They could target clubs in the EFL. Look at what Wrexham started and they've been a success. It'll be other people putting it to the likes of Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods, rather than them approaching clubs.

“They'll see whether it’s worthwhile investing their time. It’s certainly worked for the two at Wrexham, and it’s worked for Tom Brady at the moment. How far it'll go, who knows?

“I could see them buying Manchester United. The fans are unhappy with Ratcliffe at the minute, and there are protests. You couldn’t put it past somebody like that coming in, and his aura could bring success.

“They'd certainly welcome them at Blackburn. They're in a bit of a mess with the Venky’s at the moment. It's a sorry place compared to the great days from Jack Walker’s era when I was playing. It's fallen quite far, and they’d definitely welcome some positive publicity.

“I’m a big Tiger Woods fan, so for me a documentary of him at Blackburn or Manchester United would beat any before it. Woods is a global superstar and it would certainly be one series I’d be looking forward to. It would be incredible if it happened.”

West Bromwich Albion’s Championship season derailed at a worryingly quick pace last campaign.

Heading into Christmas last year, the Baggies were just about holding onto a playoff spot in sixth position, but right after Carlos Corberan’s exit to Valencia was confirmed, West Brom’s promotion push fell off a cliff.

Their woes on the pitch weren’t helped whatsoever by their demoralising striker situation, as the majority of 2025 in the second tier for the Baggies had to be endured without 12-goal menace Josh Maja leading the line owing to injury.

He will be back and raring to go under Ryan Mason’s guidance, but more strength in depth is desperately needed up top just in case Maja suffers from another season-ending setback, with Leyton Orient goalscoring sensation Charlie Kelman now reportedly on the shopping list.

West Brom's ongoing pursuit of Kelman

With Daryl Dike also prone to a long-standing issue in the Hawthorns treatment room, it’s no shock to see West Brom are attempting to be proactive in adding more stars to their often depleted centre-forward department.

Journalist Darren Witcoop first revealed at the tail-end of June that West Brom were keen on adding the Queens Park Rangers outcast to their squad this summer after an explosive loan stint with Richie Wellens’ O’s.

Even though Orient would come up short in their bid to win promotion to the Championship, Kelman would still manage to come out on top as the division’s top goalscorer, with a lethal 26 strikes coming his way in all competitions.

Yet, the 23-year-old has seriously struggled in the second tier previously – with no goals next to his name from 23 appearances in the unforgiving league – meaning other targets might well be sought after by Mason and Co, with one loanee also on the Baggies’ radar potentially even more exciting than the golden boot recipient joining the club.

The "phenomenal" attacker who is more exciting than Kelman

One bonus of having Mason in the dug-out is his connections to the Premier League, with the 33-year-old perhaps able to raid ex-club Tottenham Hotspur for some of their top, young assets.

Will Lankshear is certainly one up-and-coming talent that could tick many of West Brom’s boxes in their search for a deadly, new striker, with reports recently suggesting a move for the 20-year-old to return to the Hawthorns on a loan basis is on the cards.

Of course, there may be some hesitancy on West Brom’s end about diving back in to land the promising striker – considering he netted zero times last season during a brief loan stint – but it’s clear he has more to give away from these struggles, having already bagged a senior strike for Spurs.

Indeed, Lankshear was arguably shoved into the deep-end last campaign at the height of West Brom’s problems on the pitch, with his unbelievable goal record at youth level in North London potentially ready to come to the surface in men’s football now, especially as a familiar face in Mason – who worked closely beside him at Spurs in youth circles – would be by his side.

Games played

61

209

Age

20

23

Goals scored

32

47

Assists

5

11

Staggeringly, despite playing 148 games less than Kelman, the four-time England U20 international is only 15 goals off matching the ex-Orient loanee’s entire career goal tally, albeit from primarily playing Premier League 2 football.

Still, with Kelman only managing a meagre 13 goals from 101 clashes away from his celebrated O’s spell, the “phenomenal” youngster – as he was once labelled by football journalist John Wenham – could well be deemed as the better option.

After all, the QPR reserve attacker would also cost a significant fee to win, which makes the move even riskier when assessing his patchy goalscoring record away from East London.

Whereas, Lankshear would be picked up temporarily, with the 20-year-old no doubt eager to right his earlier West Brom wrongs if he were to join as the Baggies gun for promotion glory.

West Brom can secure perfect Swift replacement by signing "incredible" star

West Bromwich Albion could instantly respond to John Swift leaving the Hawthorns by snapping up this EFL ace.

ByKelan Sarson Jul 2, 2025

He took over during a crisis, but has helped script a series of successful mini-chapters

Shashank Kishore02-Oct-2024Sri Lanka have been on an unprecedented high. The team hasn’t looked in a better shape than they are currently, having come off a historic first-ever series win in England followed by the Asia Cup triumph.There’s boisterous energy around the group that stems from “having walked the talk” in the words of Rumesh Ratnayake, their head coach, ahead of their women’s T20 World Cup opener against Pakistan in Sharjah.In February 2023, weeks before the previous T20 World Cup in South Africa, Ratnayake was summoned from the academy to steer a team that appeared to have been stuck in a rut of insipid results and lack of direction within the leadership. Ratnayake wasn’t sure if he’d continue for long, but a week of being with the team convinced him there was enough to work with.Related

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Sri Lanka’s upset of South Africa on the opening night in Cape Town was mere validation of his intuition. It set the ball rolling for a fruitful association that has seen several successful mini-chapters along the way. Like the Asia Cup and England triumph.The SLC mandate when he took over was “do it your way.” Ratnayake explains he was big on inclusivity. “By that, I mean involving everyone in decision making, not merely me giving instructions and them following,” he explains. “This included all staff as well as playing members. It was never like ‘this is my way of doing.'”Everyone had to show the same level of commitment and fit into the culture we wanted to create. We’ve come a long way since, but it’s an ongoing process. We made them believe first that they could grow. For that, along with skill enhancement it needed a commitment to fitness. We’ve worked towards achieving that.”Ratyanake had to hit the ground running, having little time to familiarize himself with the group. It wasn’t ideal, but he had the complete backing of Chamari Athapaththu, the captain, and SLC. The women’s setup, in a way, has been a deviation from the norm: of coaches coming and going. And recent results are merely a byproduct of that faith and continuity.”We have a good leader in Chamari. I also had the backing of the board, which was huge,” he says. “The entire group also quickly bought in to the direction we wanted to take. And it was to be fearless, and not take the safe way. Not being intimidated by the bigger teams.”A team like New Zealand for example, anyone would be overawed by their build. But we knew cricket’s not a game of physicality. It’s about skills, execution and mindset. You can win with smart options. We spoke about what those smart options were. Mind you, it was a hard road. It certainly wasn’t as easy as people picture it to be.”Taking good decisions in the middle when you have little time to decide involves training in a certain way. We’ve tried to take fear out of the minds. After almost two years now, I can say that it certainly happened in a way which now makes it seem like a picture-perfect walk.”Ratyanake’s primary goal in his time as coach is to develop players. It annoyed him that the team’s chances were always dependent on Athapaththu. “When I came into the system, when Chamari did well, Sri Lanka did well. There’s truth to it no doubt, but it sort of ignited me to make sure others elevate their standards to get to where Chamari had.”When I came into the system, when Chamari did well, Sri Lanka did well. There’s truth to it”•Sri Lanka Cricket”So, in every aspect, especially in batting, we made plans, specific scenarios we worked on at training. We worked on what we wanted to achieve and how we were going to. I’m not saying we’re fully close to it yet, but yes, we are somewhat there, where we can say, even if Chamari fails one particular day, there are others who can win games for us.”Ratyanake exudes cautious optimism around Sri Lanka’s chances. He knows they’re in the “stronger group.” And the only way to think they can progress is by thinking “every game is a final.””We want to win those moments,” he says. “We want to concentrate on building a set of small moments together. We’ve tried to instill that into our thinking. This is a very happy bunch of players. They’re united and looking after each other. That’s something you can’t instill; it has to come naturally. Aa coaches we’re fortunate to have that culture.”It’s huge for us. I believe they know their tasks to deliver at the right moment. But there’s no guarantee. And when we get the small things, we hope that we’ll do well to string them together to win the big moment.”