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Diana Edulji, the former India women’s captain, knew she was in the reckoning for the panel as Gopal Subramanium, the amicus curiae, had asked if she would be interested in such a role

Arun Venugopal30-Jan-2017In the afternoon, Diana Edulji had almost given up hope of anything definitive emerging from the Supreme Court hearing where a panel of administrators was due to be appointed. The former India women’s captain knew she was in the reckoning as Gopal Subramanium, the amicus curiae, had asked if she would be interested in such a role. But, while Edulji admitted to a tinge of expectation, the adjournment of last week’s hearing had made her “sceptical”. Now, she had seen no news of the hearing on television for nearly two hours and was going to turn it off when the phone rang.”I got a call from one of the channels congratulating me. I said, ‘There is no breaking news anywhere.’ Then suddenly, every channel started carrying the story one after the other,” Edulji told ESPNcricinfo. “Given the number of twists and turns this case has been taking, I was a little sceptical. This time also it [a decision] didn’t come up till 3.45 or 4pm. When the first time it didn’t happen [during the earlier hearing], I didn’t go deeper into it. I left it to God – if it is due for me, I will accept it. If it doesn’t come also, I am okay.”Edulji, who has played 20 Tests and 34 ODIs between 1976 and 1993, is the only cricketer on the four-member committee which also includes Vinod Rai, the former Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Ramachandra Guha, the historian and cricket writer, and Vikram Limaye, managing director and CEO of IDFC (Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation). She is also a part of the four-member steering committee, led by former union home secretary GK Pillai, that has been tasked with the responsibility of setting up a players’ association.Edulji felt her presence in the interim committee of administrators was symbolic of what the Lodha reforms aimed to achieve. “It is a very good thing because what I have wanted [to do], now I am in a position to implement it, if that is the role that is given to us,” she said. “I first thought it was the steering committee and the players’ association, but this is a bigger and more prestigious role given, that I am the only player in India to be nominated by the Supreme Court. I hope I will live up to the expectations.”Edulji hadn’t spoken with her colleagues yet – “I don’t even have their numbers” – and wasn’t sure about the nature of her role with the terms of reference of the panel yet to be issued. While she was aware it wouldn’t be an easy job, she was confident her experience as sports officer in the Western Railways would serve her well.”I was administrating 40 games and 40 teams there. Right from the recruitment to the promotions, to the practice sessions, to the departmental tournaments, everything was looked after,” she said. “It was a huge job but a very satisfying job. Tomorrow [January 31], I complete one year of my retirement – so this is my third innings, I would say.”Edulji also said she was prepared to handle the mudslinging – a possible occupational hazard of being an administrator, even if on a short-term basis – that might come her way. “I am quite used to it,” she said, adding that she would rather work “amicably” and hoped to be a bridge between the old administration and the new era.It helped that former board secretary Ajay Shirke and veteran administrator Niranjan Shah were among the first people to congratulate her. “In fact all MCA [Mumbai Cricket Association] office-bearers rang me up,” she said. “I immediately left for MCA. I wanted to be with them at this moment, because they have been so nice with me.”I got a message from the [BCCI] CEO, Mr Rahul Johri, congratulating me and looking forward to working with me. That was a good sign also. Because I am the only player, it may just work out in my favour, [everybody] may co-operate with me.”

India captain MS Dhoni blamed the absence of big partnerships for his team’s six-run defeat to New Zealand

Arun Venugopal20-Oct-20161:34

‘If anyone batted 15 minutes more, we would have won’

India captain MS Dhoni blamed the absence of big partnerships for his team’s six-run defeat to New Zealand on a Feroz Shah Kotla pitch that was slow and had variable bounce.After New Zealand had made 242, India stitched together sizeable partnerships in their chase but lost clumps of wickets on two occasions. First, Ajinkya Rahane and Manish Pandey departed in the space of four balls in the 19th over, and then Dhoni, Axar Patel and Amit Mishra fell in a nine-ball span during overs 40 and 41, with Martin Guptill accounting for the last two of those dismissals in his only over of the match.”If you see there were quite a few partnerships, but we kept losing wickets after every partnership,” Dhoni said. “When you are chasing a score like this it is important that you need to keep a few wickets because the runs were coming. Even if you need six or seven runs an over in the end it can easily be achieved but our problem was that we kept losing the wickets. In fact in the 41st over we lost two wickets.”It’s not about one batsman, I felt we lost wickets throughout. Any batsman could have said that had I contributed 10 percent more we would have won the game. So it was the responsibility of the whole batting unit. I felt the bowlers did well.”Dhoni said the pitch continued to slow down despite the dew, which generally ensured the ball came on to the bat better. “I felt it was best to bat in the day time as the game kept progressing the wicket got slightly slower and slower with a bit of variable bounce,” he said. “Also, if you lose one or two wickets that slows you down to an extent. Then, if you have that partnership and still lose a wicket again, again you have to start from scratch.”He defended the decision to bowl first and said 242 was a par score on the pitch. “If any of our batsman had batted 15 minutes more we would have won the game,” he said. “The bowlers did well to come back into the game. Initially it was difficult to contain their batsmen and they played some proper shots, not to forget we dropped two catches off [Kane] Williamson. That also has a bit of a bearing. Overall I was happy with 240-245, because that was very much something we could have achieved.”Dhoni also lauded Jasprit Bumrah’s ability to bowl inch-perfect yorkers, and said his consistency made him his go-to man, particularly at the death. After a tight spell up front, Bumrah returned to clean up New Zealand’s lower order with yorkers and slower deliveries and finished with figures of 3 for 35.”Right from the time he began his international career he has always been someone who can bowl yorkers at will, and that’s why he has been someone I can always bank upon,” Dhoni said. “A lot of times I had to see how every bowler is bowling and then decide who will bowl the last few but with Bumrah be it any condition or situation he has always been someone who gives me those last few overs. He practices that way, he has an awkward action. Still credit to him for consistently bowling those yorkers.”

Everton will host the highly-anticipated climax to the Premier League relegation battle at Goodison Park this afternoon in their clash with Bournemouth, and it will be a nail-biting 90 minutes for their loyal supporters.

The Toffees have their fate firmly in their hands with a victory today securing top-flight football for another season and will ultimately relegate their bottom-of-the-table rivals Leeds United and Leicester City.

Indeed, a draw could also keep them up if Leicester don’t take all three points from their clash with West Ham United, but Sean Dyche should not be willing to take the risk of sharing the spoils with Gary O'Neill's side and instead ensure his team can’t be caught with a win.

Since confirming their safety in the top flight, Bournemouth have lost their last three league outings so Everton will be hoping they can capitalise on their opponents' poor form to get the result they desperately need over the line.

The Everton boss has been dealt two major injury blows as Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Nathan Patterson will be unavailable for selection in the final fixture of the campaign, so it will be interesting to see how Dyche sets up his team, especially in the final third.

Having said that, Vitaliy Mykolenko is expected to be available for the clash after recovering from a thigh injury which will be a huge boost considering Ben Godfrey, Seamus Coleman and Patterson are all injured.

Will Vitaliy Mykolenko start vs Bournemouth?

The 23-year-old left-back has been a consistent feature in the starting eleven and his timely return could see him play a key role in keeping Everton up on the final day.

Over 34 Premier League appearances, the £58k-per-week gem – hailed “outstanding” by Frank Lampard – has averaged 49.4 touches, 1.4 interceptions, 1.7 tackles, 2.6 clearances and 3.4 duels won per game, proving that he is a strong defensive presence on the pitch.

Not only that, Everton have kept seven of their eight clean sheets this season when Mykolenko has been deployed in the left-back role, further demonstrating the positive impact the Ukrainian can provide in the back four.

A solid defensive performance will be just as important as a hungry attacking threat for Everton today and tallying up a ninth clean sheet against the Cherries would put the Merseyside club in a great position to survive relegation.

With that being said, it will be a no-brainer for Dyche to unleash Mykolenko in the starting eleven should he be ready to start this afternoon, as his dominance in his position could be integral in Everton’s survival.

Last year’s beaten finalists Surrey are up and running in the Royal London Cup after easing to a six-wicket victory over Sussex Sharks at Guildford

ECB Reporters Network14-Jun-2016
ScorecardLast year’s beaten finalists Surrey are up and running in the Royal London Cup after easing to a six-wicket victory over Sussex Sharks at Guildford.On a fast-scoring ground, a Duckworth-Lewis target of 235 in 43 overs always looked attainable, although Surrey briefly wobbled when they lost three wickets for six runs in 11 balls.But from 99 for 4 the innings was rebuilt by Rory Burns and Ben Foakes, who put on an unbroken 136 in 18.3 overs, although Burns rode his luck early in his innings when he was twice dropped by Ajmal Shahzad, once off his own bowling and then at mid-off, before he reached 30.Burns prospered thereafter and finished on 70 not out (59 balls) with five fours and two sixes, one of which landed in the road next to the ground. Foakes was undefeated on 61 from 60 deliveries (9 fours) as victory came in the 34th over.Sussex had been bowled out for 239 with nine balls unused after their innings was reduced to 45 overs following an hour-long stoppage because of morning rain.The Sharks, who had claimed their first win in the competition against Middlesex on Sunday, lost Chris Nash (0) to the third ball when he was squared up by Tom Curran and Ed Joyce (21), who was caught low down at second slip off Ravi Rampaul, having just hit the West Indian for successive fours and a six.Phil Salt (21) spooned a catch to mid-on in Stuart Meaker’s first over and Meaker struck again to end a promising innings by Harry Finch (31), who fatally chased width and was caught at slip.Sussex lost their fifth wicket in the 22nd over when Ben Brown (10) was smartly stumped by Foakes aiming to hit Zafar Ansari through leg, but from an unpromising 100 for 5 the innings revived thanks to two partnerships involving Chris Jordan.Both he and skipper Luke Wright struck the ball cleanly as they put on 69 in 11 overs before Wright was athletically held by the diving Jason Roy at point for 42. Jordan was then joined by South African David Wiese, who was making his competition debut as replacement overseas player for the injured Ross Taylor.Wiese is regarded as a bowler, but he struck the ball impressively while Jordan was moving to his maiden List A half-century. The England international hit six boundaries in his 55 from 60 balls only for his innings to end in a tame clip to midwicket off Matt Pillans.Kumar Sangakkara took a juggling catch on the midwicket boundary to remove Wiese for 41 off 31 balls (6 fours, 1 six) as Sussex’s last three wickets fell in 11 balls for the addition of just nine runs, Rampaul finishing with 4 for 47.Jason Roy and Steven Davies launched Surrey’s response with 65 in nine overs either side of a rain stoppage before Roy (32) was held on the mid-wicket boundary in George Garton’s first over.Shahzad bowled Kumar Sangakkara (20) off an inside edge and had Ansari caught behind for a duck the ball after Garton had picked up his second wicket when Davies (36) holed out to deep mid-wicket. But it was plain sailing for Surrey thereafter as Burns and Foakes posted a new fifth-wicket record against Sussex in List A games, beating the 89 between Graham Thorpe and Adam Hollioake at Horsham in 1995.

Despite Todd Boehly’s priorities lying in securing a new permanent Chelsea manager, there is still plenty of talk surrounding potential summer signings.

Indeed, according to Spanish outlet Diario AS, Chelsea have reportedly met with Barcelona youngster Gavi and his representatives in order to secure the signature of the player during the summer.

The 18-year-old only signed his first professional contract with the La Liga side which will keep him there until 2026, however, due to their ongoing financial problems, they have been forced to remove him from their registration of first-team players and this means the £160m-rated talent could remarkably become a free transfer this summer.

This is music to Boehly’s ears, with arguably one of the finest teenage stars in world football able to move without the need for a transfer fee and the American is aiming to make the midfielder one of the highest earners in the Premier League.

With Gavi being admired, it could well spell the end of Mason Mount’s time at the club. Liverpool have shown a keen interest as of late, and it could be time to cash in once the season is finished.

Could Chelsea sign Gavi this summer?

Chelsea certainly have the financial clout to lure Gavi to England there is no doubt about it, however, due to financial fair play regulations, there will surely have to be some major outgoings in order to balance the books with the Blues potentially set to ditch Mount.

The Englishman has featured 24 times in the league this term and with an average Sofascore rating of 7/10, he ranks as the ninth-best player in the squad according to overall rating.

It’s been a solid if unspectacular campaign for Mount, registering just five goal contributions and creating only three big chances. Therefore, it might be time to bring in someone who not only could improve the team but will also become a mainstay for the next few years.

Gavi was lauded by journalist Miguel Delaney as being “sensational” while Josh Bunting claimed the youngster is “excellent to watch” and there is no doubt that his feats over the previous 18 months have caught the eye of a lot of clubs.

He became the youngest-ever scorer for Spain in the World Cup when he netted against Costa Rica in the group stage victory and his statistics over the previous 12 months suggest he is one of the finest players on the continent.

Indeed, the 18-year-old ranks in the top 10% across Europe’s big five leagues when it comes to pass completion rate, interceptions, blocks, aerials won and touches in the attacking penalty area, suggesting his all-round ability would be crucial for Chelsea.

That final fact marks him out as someone who could well flourish in Mount's more advanced position. While not a natural goalscorer like the England star, the Barca youngster has proven his creative talents already by producing 12 assists at club level to date.

The next few weeks could be an interesting time for the club in their approach for the Spaniard and he could well be donning the blue of Chelsea come 2023/24.

India, who suffered a limited-overs series defeat against Bangladesh last year, are back in the country, with the added twist of Asia Cup and World T20 implications

The Preview by Alagappan Muthu in Dhaka23-Feb-2016Match factsWednesday, February 24, 2016
Start time 1930 local (1330 GMT)4:18

Agarkar: Good test for all teams ahead of World T20

Big PictureIt was all telenovela in 2015. MS Dhoni as the hero who had gone on to be perceived as villain. “If I am the reason for all the bad that is happening to Indian cricket, definitely I would love to step away.” R Ashwin was the steadfast sidekick. “If my captain asks me to die on the field, I’ll do it.” And Mustafizur Rahman was the shy, rising star; he had become a world-record holder after playing two ODIs and you could barely get two words out of him. All he would do was flash that big, toothy grin and say he was happy to perform for the team. There is no sign of a resumption of the ad wars, but the rest of the protagonists are back for season two, with the added twist of an Asia Cup and World T20 implications.Bangladesh’s limited-overs team has maintained their Mirpur stronghold jealously since failing to chase 106 against India in 2014. They have played 19 matches and won 14 of them. The trouble is, out of those five losses, three have come in T20Is. With their one-day cricket in prime order, the coach Chandika Hathurusingha has been concentrating on building skills that are vital to success in the shortest format. The team goes into the Asia Cup after a couple of camps in Khulna and Chittagong.India are not light on preparation either. They have been playing T20 cricket since the start of the year (the carnival continues through to May with the IPL) and are quite certain of their first XI. The only issue might be some of the players in that XI have not had enough match practice. Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and the returning Virat Kohli have been merciless in their plunder of runs that the middle order has not had much to do. Over six matches, Yuvraj Singh has faced only 26 balls and rookie allrounder Hardik Pandya 18. India do not seem to be worried though, as both Dhoni and Kohli have said their players are well tuned to T20 cricket thanks to the IPL.Form Guide
(last five completed matches)India WWLWW
Bangladesh LLWWLWatch out forYuvraj Singh signs in at the dotted line under returning old favourites. Fifteen years since his international debut, he is still madly sought after. The last three IPL auctions have netted him a whopping Rs 37 crores. At the team hotel in Dhaka, he was spirited aside by a few players from the Oman team to take some pictures and share some secrets. It is unlikely that anyone will ever forget what happened the last time he was in these parts, but with a Sri Lanka rematch and a clash with Pakistan around the corner, maybe he has the opportunity to do something about that.Mahmudullah signs in at the dotted line under captain’s understudy. He is seen as an option to take over Bangladesh after Mashrafe Mortaza having led Barisal Bulls, a team sans any big names, into the final of the Bangladesh Premier League. But he is not seen as the best fit for T20s. He tends to be grilled about his strike-rate a lot and when the question was put forward this time, he quipped that he will try to hit the first ball he faces in the Asia Cup for six.Team newsDhoni returned fitter and leaner after a rare break from international cricket just before the Australia tour in January, but suffered an onset of back spasms two days out from India’s first match of the Asia Cup and three weeks out from their first match of the World T20. The team management said he was recovering well and will be assessed before the match. If he is not fit, Parthiv Patel, who last played for India in 2012, has arrived as back-up. But if Parthiv is brought in, will he fit in the middle order or at the top where he’s had most of his success in domestic limited-overs cricket?India (probable): 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suresh Raina, 5 Yuvraj Singh, 6 MS Dhoni (capt & wk)/Parthiv Patel, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Ravindra Jadeja, 9 R Ashwin, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Ashish NehraCoach Hathurusingha was impressed by Mohammad Mithun in the Chittagong camp, so he could get a first look in ahead of Imrul Kayes. Both Taskin Ahmed and Abu Hider might miss out while Nasir Hossain too could be benched with Nurul Hasan taking wicketkeeping and late-hitting duties.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Soumya Sarkar, 2 Mohammad Mithun, 3 Sabbir Rahman, 4 Mahmudullah, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Shakib Al Hasan, 7 Nurul Hasan (wk), 8 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 9 Arafat Sunny, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Al-Amin HossainPitch and conditionsMirpur sprung a green pitch on India’s juniors at the Under-19 World Cup and more recently, the final game of the Asia Cup qualifiers played under lights helped the new ball dart around considerably. If the early phase is seen through, however, lots of runs are on offer. There is also the slim possibility of rain playing spoilsport.Stats and trivia Since 2014, Bangladesh batsman have scored at 132.33 in the last four overs, which is the worst among Full Members in T20Is. In the Powerplay, the Bangladesh batsmen’s strike-rate of 112 is second worst after Pakistan’s. In T20Is since 2014, India’s No. 5 to No. 7 have averaged just 16.78 – only Hong Kong, Nepal and Papua New Guinea have averaged worse.Quotes”As many different teams as we play before the World T20, it gives us an opportunity to assess what the teams are like, what the balance is like, what their strengths and weaknesses are and where we stand against them.”
“We had all our experiments done against Zimbabwe in January. There’s no room for any such experiments in the Asia Cup. This is a very important tournament ahead of the World T20.”

Chelsea's expansive Cobham academy has unearthed its fair share of talent over the years, but with such a steady flow of budding potential, several gems have slipped through before the club could tie them down to professional deals.

And none more regrettable than West Ham United phenom Declan Rice, who has forged his way into eminent standing on the Premier League scene and been instrumental in the Irons' ascension to European endeavours over the past few seasons.

Why did Declan Rice leave Chelsea?

Rice had spent much of his formative years earning his stripes among the academy ranks in west London, but, according to The Athletic, was released at just 14-years-old after concerns that his lack of physicality and vacillation from the coaches on where the young starlet's best position would be; indecisiveness and a heavy influx off players, resulting in his bitter termination.

Following a youth stint with Fulham, Rice found a home with West Ham where he earned his professional breakthrough and remains to this day.

Now 24 years old, the 39-cap England international has made 225 appearances for his east London outfit and scored 12 goals and assists apiece, and given the Hammers' qualification for Europe in both of the past two seasons, the club's rise to eminence coinciding with the emergence of the “monster” – as dubbed by ESPN’s David Cartlidge – comes as little surprise.

How much is Rice worth now?

How Chelsea must rue their decision.

Earlier this season, the £60k-per-week machine sent shockwaves through David Moyes' team by confirming to the club that he wishes to depart at the end of the season, hoping to taste coveted Champions League football for the very first time, and given his pedigree, his hopes of reaching the very top are probably justified, given the years he has devoted to ensuring West Ham return to the upper end of the Premier League.

Many of England's top outfits have expressed an interest, and among those Chelsea, who have reportedly been mulling over a move to complete their midfield with a superlative and iron-clad anchor, with his outfit demanding £100m to grudgingly grant his departure, although a fee of £70m now appears a more realistic proposition.

Hailed a "force of nature" by journalist Rob Blanchette, Rice could be the perfect cog to get the Stamford Bridge outfit whirring, with the Blues currently languishing in tenth place in the English top-flight and beset with a startling fall from grace.

As per FBref, the 6 foot 1 ace ranks among the top 7% of midfielders in Europe's top five leagues for pass completion, 11% for progressive passes, 11% for progressive carries and 5% for interceptions per 90, illustrating his refined scope and assurance as one of Europe's foremost industrious central engines.

Given Blues owner Todd Boehly has spent more than £550m on new signings since taking a seat at the head of Stamford Bridge's table last year, it would not come as a surprise to anyone if a formal offer were to be lodged.

But considering transfer funds needn't have been a discussion in the first place, had he just been granted time to continue his development and channel his ability into what it is at present, there will be an unequivocal and unanimous acceptance that the club had a nightmare on this particular prodigy.

The U.S. may need some help in midfield, and the answer to the team's problems may lie in Spain

The fear was already there, but Gregg Berhalter's recent comments only added to it. It's been a question that has been lingering for quite some time: what will the U.S. men's national team do if captain Tyler Adams isn't available this summer?

It's a big concern, for sure. The U.S. will play in not one, but two big competitions over the next few months. First will be the Nations League in March and, after that, the big one: the Copa America. As things stand, it's been about a year since we've seen Adams fully fit and, with those games looming, there's no guarantee we'll see the best version of him this summer.

So, with that being the big question, does the USMNT have an answer? It seems so, in the form of two players currently killing it in La Liga. Both Johnny Cardoso and Luca de la Torre could be the natural cover for Adams, and both have stepped up massively for their clubs in recent matches.

There's no replacing skipper Adams; no player in the pool is quite like him. However, a quick glace at what Cardoso and De la Torre are doing in Spain proves that the U.S. has two players that could capably fill in if Adams isn't good to go.

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  'Taking it day by day'

  By the time the Nations League kicks off, we'll have seen Adams play just one match over the last 12 months. In addition, he hasn't featured for the USMNT since the team's round-of-16 loss to the Netherlands at the 2022 World Cup. Yes, it's been that long.

  His initial injury came all the way back in March 2023 while at Leeds United. A hamstring injury led to surgery, knocking out for the rest of the season as Leeds fell to eventual relegation. Adams, though, moved to Bournemouth this summer, but saw his debut delayed by that injury. Shortly after his debut, Adams was forced to go under the knife again, in October.

  He is continuing to rehab and it seems he may be back on the field soon, but Berhalter says Adams' status isn't totally clear at the moment

  “I don’t know,” Berhalter told reporters on Tuesday. “We’re taking it the same way he’s taking it, and that’s day by day. And as we get information, we’ll be able to make decisions, but for us, it’s just supporting him, continuing to communicate with his club, and really not getting ahead of ourselves."

  The hope is that Adams can go, giving the U.S. their midfield lynchpin and, more importantly, their captain. If he can't though, a spot in midfield is there for the taking, and both Cardoso and De la Torre look poised to take it.

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  Cardoso rewarded for big move

  For most of his USMNT career, it's been hard to really figure out what to make of Cardoso. He's earned nine caps, but has started just twice: once in a B-team camp against Bosnia & Herzegovina and then again in a 4-0 beatdown of Ghana in 2023.

  With him playing in the Brazilian league on the club level, he felt hard to compare. How did his exploits with Internacional line up with what others were doing in Europe? The Brazilian league is good, for sure, but it's fair to say that it's rarely the focus of American soccer.

  In January, though, everything changed. The midfielder made his big move, signing with Real Betis and, just a month into his time with the club, he's already a key player.

  He was instantly tossed right into the club's XI and hasn't looked back. On February 9, in just his fourth start, he provided an assist in a 2-0 win over Cadiz to earn man of the match honors. Then, in the Europa League on Thursday against Dinamo Zagreb, he ran the show, leading all players on the field in dribbles and duels despite a 1-0 defeat.

  Betis sit sixth in La Liga at the moment and have an outside chance at pushing for a Champions League spot. The signing of Cardoso may just help get them there as the midfielder is raising his level in a big way.

  For some time, there have been calls for the USMNT to take a longer look at him, and those calls are growing louder as he's shown the ability to run games in a league as good as La Liga.

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  De la Torre as consistent as ever

  It hasn't been the easiest season for Celta Vigo. They sit 17th in La Liga, facing a real relegation battle. De la Torre, though, has been one consistent positive as the American has put together a solid second season with the club.

  After joining in the summer of 2022, De la Torre became a regular for Celta relatively quickly, playing 30 times in that debut season. He hasn't slowed down in this sophomore campaign, either, featuring 26 times in all competitions for the club to date.

  Early in the campaign, he revealed a new nickname: The Aldi Frenkie de Jong; an insult, in one way, but a compliment in others. Like the Dutchman, De la Torre is a player who can contribute in all facets of the game. It's never too bad to be compared to an elite player, even if you are called the Aldi version.

  De la Torre recently put in his best performance of the season, leading the way in a huge 3-0 win over Osasuna. After assisting Jorgen Stand Larsen in the 24th minute, he then scored a goal of his own just 60 seconds later.

  The strike was his third in five games in all competitions as De la Torre is really rounding into form. In total, he has five goal involvements this season, with four of those coming within the last month. One of those efforts came via an outrageous heel flick – a highlight reel goal, for sure.

  Despite his club's struggles, De la Torre's stock is rising, and it's rising at a good time.

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  The case for De la Torre

  It's safe to assume that Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah will start for the USMNT whenever healthy. But, if Adams can't go in March or, worst case, to the Copa America, who is the third midfielder?

  De la Torre could be the guy. He has been before. With 20 caps to his name, De la Torre has filled in plenty of times, playing as both a No.8 and a No.6. He was a member of the World Cup squad in Qatar, too, even if he didn't play.

  The Celta midfielder isn't a destroyer like Adams, but rather more of a ball-playing midfielder. He doesn't offer the physicality that Adams does, but what he does offer is significantly more passing range and the ability to move the ball up the field quickly once he gets it.

  Statistically, De la Torre is in the elite percentiles of ball carrying, offering a different sort of presence to the midfield. He's the natural replacement for Musah, realistically, but the U.S. could go with Musah and De la Torre in a more progressive role with McKennie sitting deeper. They could also interchange any of those names due to their flexibility.

  Against some teams, that type of setup is great, against others, not so much. But, either way, De la Torre has the quality and, now a regular in La Liga, the high-level experience, to step in.

Ex-Chelsea star Diego Costa has joined Gremio on a free transfer after the Brazilian side lost Luis Suarez to Inter Miami.

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• Costa joins Gremio until 2024
• Striker deemed successor to Suarez
• Left Botafogo at end of last year

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 35-year-old signed a contract with Gremio to revive his career in the land of his birth after a brief stint with Botafogo. He has penned a one-year deal until the end of 2024 with the Serie A outfit and will be tasked with filling the void left by Suarez, who chose to reunite with former Barcelona team-mates Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets at Inter Miami in MLS.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Costa had an underwhelming season with Botafogo in the last campaign as he scored just three goals in 13 matches. Over the past three seasons, he managed only 11 goals in 66 matches, including an underwhelming spell at Wolves in the English Premier League.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  In his prime, Costa was a force to be reckoned with as he netted 52 goals in 83 matches during his spell at Stamford Bridge and played a key role in inspiring the Blues to two Premier League titles and a League Cup. However, he is mostly remembered for his days in Spain with Atletico Madrid where he emerged as a feared striker under the guidance of Diego Simeone, scoring 83 goals in two spells.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Costa will land in Porto Alegre in the next few days to undergo a medical examination before putting pen to paper. Fans will be eagerly waiting to find out if the striker can reignite some of his old magic in the twilight of his career in the Brazilian league.

Sri Lanka knew Bangladesh would find it hard to chase down 222 runs on the Mirpur pitch, according to their captain Dinesh Chandimal. He described the pitch as a “tough” one, saying his batsmen understood the importance of sticking around till the 50th over quite early and batted accordingly. That confidence helped them blow Bangladesh away in a 79-run win in the tri-series final, a superb comeback after losing so poorly in the first two matches of the tournament.Chandimal said the competitive total went hand-in-hand with Sri Lanka’s growing confidence. “It was a tough wicket,” Chandimal said. “I prayed before the toss, I need to win the toss. It was a dry wicket. Credit goes to Upul [Tharanga] and [Niroshan] Dickwella, they put on a 70-run [71] partnership. That was a turning point. We knew after 20 overs that if we can get 220-230, that’s a winning total for us.”We all knew, as I said, they are really good, especially playing here. But we had a feeling that we have a good total, and that’s a winning total. As I said we have game plans and we always try to play competitive cricket. And the guys played some outstanding cricket all around – with bat, ball and in the fielding also.”It was a sweet turnaround in Mirpur for Chandimal too, who was standing in in place of the injured Angelo Mathews. Around four years ago, he sat out the World T20 final despite being the captain, eventually seeing Lasith Malinga lift the trophy.It was a happy occasion certainly, and walking around the Shere Bangla National Stadium, trophy in hand, must have pleased Chandimal. He however took little credit.”We are over the moon,” he said. “This is all about working hard, especially after you lose the first two games. It is difficult to get back in this kind of tournament. The guys put their heart and soul in the practices and then when they go to the middle they put their heart and soul. They had the plans and they executed well, and credit goes to everyone who played the series.”Sri Lanka’s tactics to bowl short to the Bangladesh batsmen paid dividends as Tamim Iqbal and Sabbir Rahman fell prey to that length once again. Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza said his team knew their opposition would use this length but couldn’t quite stave it off.”We have known in the last 8-10 days that they were bowling short,” Mashrafe said. “We have also spoken about it. But we cannot develop skills over seven days. One has to be mentally prepared. We talked about handling that length. We had the homework but we couldn’t deliver it.”Mashrafe also lamented the lack of support for Mahmudullah, whose 76 took Bangladesh to 142. “He needed support at the other end,” Mashrafe said. “He was the last man out. He had to play shots. If he got support from the middle order, he could have taken the chase deeper. In the Champions Trophy [win against New Zealand from a similar situation], he rotated the strike with Shakib [Al Hasan]. But playing shots and picking singles, all of it can’t be one batsman’s work.”