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Arsenal have the perfect chance to secure their first Premier League title since 2003/2004 this season, with the Gunners sitting pretty at the top of the table, five points clear of Manchester City.

Mikel Arteta has managed to develop his side over the last couple of seasons and his persistence has paid off, while his signings in the transfer market have also been excellent, with Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Martin Odegaard certainly adding something extra.

The Spaniard appears to be looking towards the future too, with the ultimate aim of building a dynasty that could dominate English football. With this in mind, the north Londoners have recently been linked with a move for Lille midfielder, Carlos Baleba.

The 19-year-old has burst onto the scene this season and the Ligue 1 side will be looking at a fee of around £30m for any team hoping to secure his signature and this could well turn out to be a bargain.

If Arteta does manage to sign Baleba, the 40-year-old could uncover his answer to a hugely influential figure in the club's history – Patrick Vieira.

Who is Carlos Baleba?

Vieira arrived at Arsenal as a young fresh-faced midfielder from the continent having impressed in his first few first-team appearances for AC Milan and Wenger saw enough talent to land the promising youngster for just £3.5m in 1996, subsequently turning him into one of the finest players in Europe.

Baleba has limitless potential and his Lille teammate Remy Cabella recently lauded the teen sensation, saying: "He's a monster, his big strength is power. On the ball, he has incredible strength (…). I think it's very, very hard to stop him."

He already appears to be embodying the qualities that Vieira had in abundance, a powerful runner who could create plenty of chances for his teammates, along with a stubborn defensive ability.

Indeed, this season, the Cameroonian has won ten tackles and 72.7% of his challenges while generating 2.62 shot-creating actions per match and completing 83.9% of his attempted passes this season in only 12 appearances.

Arsenal have been missing a player in Vieira’s mould for the previous 15 years and although there is no guarantee Baleba could hit the same heights, his potential combined with the chance to develop further under Arteta, there could be plenty of scope for the 19-year-old to turn into one of the finest talents in the country.

Down 1-2 in the series, this was a must-win game for Pakistan, and the pressure of the situation showed in the manner in which they approached their innings

On the Ball with S Rajesh16-Feb-2006Down 1-2 in the series, this was a must-win game for Pakistan, and the pressure of the situation showed in the manner in which they approached their innings. The Indian bowlers showed exemplary discipline early on, but Pakistan contributed with their attitude. The first couple of overs were maidens, and when the runs came, they were in trickles, interspersed with plenty of dot balls. The early defensive mindset of the batsmen allowed the bowlers to settle into a rhythm on a pitch which didn’t offer them too much assistance.The batsmen’s approach eventually resulted in a rash of poor strokes, so that after 15 overs their total read a miserable 38 for 4, from which there was no coming back. The pie-chart below shows just how much of a stranglehold the Indian bowlers had in the first 15: there were 32 defensive shots, while 18 balls were left alone. A comparison with the number of deliveries left alone in the earlier three games tells the story: in the previous match the number was six, while the figure from the first two games was three. Pakistan played 75 dot balls and managed just three fours in the first 15, and ultimately, that’s where the match was decided.

Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Inter Miami were held scoreless for a second-straight preseason game as the Herons fell 1-0 to FC Dallas.

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Inter Miami goes scoreless againSuarez makes second appearance back alongside MessiFerreira scores winner for DallasGetty/GOALTELL ME MORE

All eyes were obviously on Inter Miami's superstars, but it was FC Dallas' homegrown striker that immediately set the tone in front of a hometown crowd. Just three minutes into the match, Ferreira netted the game's opening goal with the USMNT striker providing a composed finish, kickstarting his preseason with a cheeky strike against Messi and co.

Ferreira's finish turned out to be the game's lone goal, with Inter Miami largely controlling the play from that point forward. Tata Martinos's side had a bulk of the possession but didn't quite create the chances needed to score. One of their best looks came off the foot of Messi in the first half, but FC Dallas goalkeeper Maarten Paes was able to dive to make the save. The Argentine also nearly put in an Olimpico, but Paes denied him once again.

Miami had a few chances in the second half, with both Luis Suarez and Leo Campana going close, only to see the offside flag raised anyway. The ex-Barcelona trio of Messi, Suarez and Sergio Busquets lasted 64 minutes before being subbed off, having gone 45 minutes in the 0-0 draw with El Salvador last Friday.

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He's fallen down the pecking order a little bit with the USMNT, but Ferreira seems intent on starting this season with a bang after scoring in the win. The FC Dallas striker scored 13 league goals last season, down from 18 the year prior, but anyone who watches MLS would say the 23-year-old forward is among the best attackers in the league. Can he take a leap forward this season, though? If he does, it would be huge for FC Dallas, on the field and perhaps off of it should European clubs come sniffing.

GettyTHE BIG LOSER

We aren't worried just yet, but the Inter Miami attack is struggling big time through two games. Suarez hasn't quite looked himself through these first two matches and has struggled to really get going and generate chances in the final-third. It'll surely come, particularly with Messi feeding him, but, at least so far, it's been made pretty clear that even the Barca bunch have some rust to shake off heading toward the regular season. Another question to be raised is if Martino's 5-3-2 is the most beneficial system for their roster at the moment, especially considering the chemistry that Robert Taylor and Messi had last campaign.

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GettyWHAT COMES NEXT?

Inter Miami's globe-trotting preseason will now head to Saudi Arabia, as they gear up for matches against Al-Hilal and, of course, Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr. After those two matches on January 29 and February 1, Miami will head to Asia to face the Hong Kong XI on February 4 and Vissel Kobe on February 7 before wrapping up the preseason with a visit from Messi's childhood club, Newell's Old Boys, on February 15.

They added 197 for the second wicket, eclipsing the their country’s previous best stand in the Intercontinental Cup made by Mohammad Nabi and Mohammad Shahzad in 2010

The Report by Peter Della Penna in Abu Dhabi29-Nov-2017
ScorecardPeter Della PennaBack in the late 1990s during The Rock’s heyday with the WWE, he developed one of his trademark promo routines.The Rock would bring out a rival wrestler that he’d most likely be facing at an upcoming Pay Per View and then set him up with a basic inquisitive question such as “What’s your name?” or “What do you think about this?” Before the opponent could get more than a few words out, The Rock would embarrass his opposite number by cutting him off shouting, “IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT YOU THINK!”At the toss on Wednesday for Afghanistan’s final Intercontinental Cup encounter, UAE captain Rohan Mustafa sent Afghanistan in to bat, telling the TV commentary crew that the pitch had a tinge of green to it and he wanted to take advantage of early conditions. Though not nearly as arrogant as The Rock, when Afghanistan captain Asghar Stanikzai was asked how he felt about losing the toss, he responded much like the People’s Champ, saying, “It doesn’t matter who wins the toss.”Such is Afghanistan’s swagger nowadays when hanging around the Associates that they are leaving behind following this match. It is justified too. Whether it is because the pitch was flat and there was little to no movement on offer for the UAE bowlers, or because Afghanistan is just so dominant in this tournament with four innings victories in a row, the toss was of little consequence to Stanikzai. Bat first, bowl first, Afghanistan will set out to seek and destroy their opponents.That’s how day one played out at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium. Following the early wicket of Javed Ahmadi – suckered into hooking to long leg – Ihsanullah and Rahmat Shah batted in metronomic fashion to grind 197 for the second wicket – a record for Afghanistan in the Intercontinental Cup.The pair came together in the seventh over and were circumspect early as Amjad Javed tried to build pressure. He ended his sixth over with figures of 0 for 14 and three maidens when drinks were called after 13 overs. But after play resumed Javed’s focus wavered when he dropped short to be cut behind point. Three balls later, Javed overcorrected and Ihsanullah drove him past mid-off for the second boundary of the over. From there, a long day of toil lay ahead of Javed and the rest of the UAE bowling attack as the medium pacers posed little threat while the spinners received scant assistance on a flat pitch.There was nothing audacious about Ihsanullah’s strokeplay. The 19-year-old batsman was borderline robotic in his methods, programmed to block anything on the stumps and only drive when width was offered outside off. Rarely did he play across the line to open up scoring options on the leg side. It was simple, but effective. His innings could best be described as mature, especially for someone playing just his fourth first-class match, and just the kind of temperament needed for Afghanistan’s entry into Tests.Peter Della PennaEntering the day, Ihsanullah’s best first-class score was 63, coming last month in Hong Kong. He nearly doubled it by the time he was done. He had a willing ally in Rahmat for much of the journey to ease the load.Rahmat was more adventurous, particularly against the spinners. After taking his time to see off the rest of the new ball, Rahmat treated the 100 or so Afghanistan fans who turned out to a nifty display of footwork, regularly using his feet to come down the wicket to Ahmed Raza and Rohan Mustafa.When Ihsanullah reached his half-century off 77 balls, Rahmat was only on 20 and by the time the junior batsman reached the 90s, Rahmat was still comfortably behind him. But after Rahmat reached his own fifty off 102 balls, he sprinted down the pitch to UAE’s slow bowlers with regularity to speed up his scoring rate.In the 57th over, a shimmy down the pitch to scoop Mustafa over his head followed by a thumping cover drive took Rahmat into the 90s. He overtook Ihsanullah in the following over after another charge at Raza helped him clear mid-on for another boundary. Rahmat then clipped a couple through mid-on in the final over before tea to bring up his second first-class ton. In the process, Rahmat and Ihsanullah eclipsed their country’s previous best stand in the Intercontinental Cup. Mohammad Nabi and Mohammad Shahzad had added 178 for the fourth wicket in their epic fourth-innings chase of 494 against Canada in Sharjah in 2010.Shortly after play resumed, the stand ended three short of 200 when left-arm spinner Raza had Rahmat slicing a thick edge to Chirag Suri at point. Having watched from the stands as Rahmat and Ihsanullah ground down the UAE bowling unit, Stanikzai then backed up his “It doesn’t matter” stance by tearing into the hosts early and often through the off side, cruising to 67 not out by the end of play.At the other end, Ihsanullah continued to churn out runs through the off side until he brought up his maiden ton off 165 balls by clipping Raza off his pads for two. Though the second new ball was taken immediately, the movement on offer was as negligible as the first and Ihsanullah looked set to bat on. It took a spectacular effort from Mohammad Naveed, who plucked a one-handed grab low in his follow through to intercept a firm punch down the wicket, to dismiss Ihsanullah for 124.

The opener scorched his way to a 54-ball hundred – his second in T20Is this year – to break India and force the series into a decider in Thiruvananthapuram

The Report by Deivarayan Muthu04-Nov-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:16

Agarkar: India need to look past Dhoni in T20Is

Colin Munro scorched his way to a 54-ball hundred – his second in T20Is this year – to break India and force the series into a decider in Thiruvananthapuram. He made excellent use of four chances to launch New Zealand to 196 for 2 after they had opted to bat and though Virat Kohli made a vintage 65 in response, the rapidly rising scoreboard pressure was just too much to overcome.India were forced into a situation where they had to score more than two runs a ball in the last 10 overs. Even the best finishers struggle to maintain such a high pace for such a long time. Hardik Pandya, new to the role, fell for 1 and even an old hand like MS Dhoni never got going. At a stage when the asking rate was nudging 15, he was playing a run-a-ball innings, unable to hit Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi off their plan of attacking his pads.A better fielding effort could have helped the hosts as well. Bhuvneshwar Kumar dropped a very tough chance at deep midwicket – the kind where a player has to decide whether to take the catch or save a six. Munro was on 36 then. He gave a far simpler opportunity to Shreyas Iyer at long-on but the ball was parried the ball over the rope for six. A wayward throw from Rohit Sharma came to Munro’s rescue in the 12th over. And finally, on 79, he was dropped by Chahal running back from cover.Given so many lives, Munro capitalised. His batting is founded on a simple strategy: stay leg side of the ball and belt it and an easy-paced hit-through-the-line Rajkot pitch was right up his alley. He crunched seven sixes – all in the arc between deep midwicket and long-on. The carnage began when he welcomed Mohammed Siraj into international cricket with a punched four to the backward point boundary. Siraj then switched to slower offcutters, but Munro waited for those and carted a brace of sixes. By then New Zealand had passed their first fifty opening stand in the limited-overs tour of India.At the other end, Martin Guptill played a Jekyll-and-Hyde innings. He laboured to 14 off 22 balls against pace and hit 31 off 19 balls against spin. Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar had shackled him with seam movement and bounce, but he broke free against Chahal, who oddly bowled into the batsman’s hitting arc. Guptill simply planted his front foot down and took the legspinner for three successive boundaries in his first over, including a signature loft that sailed into the sightscreen. Chahal, however, recovered to best Guptill for 45 with a front-of-the-hand flipper. Three overs later, Siraj had Kane Williamson holing out to deep square leg for 12.But even with six bowlers, India couldn’t stop Munro. Axar Patel and Pandya were also lined up and sent over the boundary. Munro reached his first fifty off just 26 balls – after Iyer’s drop – and brought up his second off 28 balls. This meant he joined Brendon McCullum – his former captain and someone he still seeks out for advice – in elite company. They, along with Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis, are the only batsmen with two T20I tons.Munro had a job to do with the ball too. He introduced the world to his knuckle ball and snaffled a skier of a return catch to cut short Iyer’s innings at 23. The Mumbai batsman had added 54 for the third wicket with Kohli to give India hope after Trent Boult’s double-strike in his first over. The left-arm quick first burst through the gate of Shikhar Dhawan with a nip-backer and four balls later, he coaxed an outside edge from Rohit with extra bounce. When Pandya was fooled by a googly from Ish Sodhi for 1, India were reduced to 67 for 4 in the 10th over.The early wickets, however, did not bother Kohli. He forayed down the track and drilled Boult over his head. Then he targetted Santner and hit him for three boundaries in five balls, including a shovelled six over long-on. However, as the ball got older, it began to grip in the pitch and that brought Sodhi into the game big time. A peach of a legbreak in the 13th over very nearly had Dhoni stumped for 8.Spin continued being New Zealand’s trump card through the middle overs as they tied down one end which kept piling the pressure on Kohli at the other.An equation of 85 off 30 balls needed both batsmen to fire but try as Dhoni might, he couldn’t find his range. He came down the track but rarely got the leverage he was looking for. He nudged the ball into the deep to steal twos but the fielders were wise to that trick. He even swung right across the line but nothing worked. He was 28 off 28 at the end of the 18th over.To compensate for that, Kohli charged out to Santner and was caught behind. Boult then took over, picked up a couple more wickets and wrapped the game up with a career-best 4 for 34. He had recorded his worst ODI and T20I outings over the past week but found a way to raise his game when New Zealand needed it most.

Renato Sanches has appeared to remove all links to Roma from his Instagram bio after being left out of the squad to face Napoli on Saturday.

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• Sanches left out of Roma squad
• Mourinho's side beat Napoli 2-0
• Roma references removed from Instagram bio

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Following Sanches' snub by manager Jose Mourinho for the Napoli game, the Paris Saint-Germain loanee no longer has Roma references in his Instagram bio. His profile picture is relatively blank, the text beneath that merely states 'gamer', but he still has photos from his stint with the Italian side.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Sanches' spell with Roma has not been a particularly happy one. The 26-year-old has played just nine times this season, although a hamstring issue has restricted his game time, too. The Portuguese international has been repeatedly criticised by manager Mourinho, who apologised just a week ago for taking the substitute off after just 18 minutes during the 2-0 loss to Bologna. His future at the club after this latest move may be more uncertain now.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  In Sanches' breakthrough season in 2015-16 at Benfica, he helped them them win the league and cup double, and was awarded the division's breakthrough player and the Golden Boy award in the process. He then joined Bayern Munich in the summer of 2016 for £30 million.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Sanches will return to Serie A action on December 30 away to title chasers Juventus. The January transfer window opens in just over a week and it remains to be seen if Sanches will stay with Roma for the second half of the season.

PSV Eindhoven boss Peter Bosz said USMNT star Malik Tillman put in a near "scarily good" display in their 1-1 Champions League draw against Arsenal.

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• PSV Eindhoven draw 1-1 with Arsenal
• Both teams into UCL knockout stages
• USMNT ace Tillman praised for display

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  A much-changed Arsenal side were held to a 1-1 draw with PSV on Tuesday night as Yorbe Vertessen cancelled out Eddie Nketiah's opener. The Dutch side held their own against Mikel Arteta's men and Bayern Munich loanee Tillman was one such player who particularly impressed on the night. After the match, manager Bosz heaped praise on the attacking midfielder.

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  WHAT PETER BOSZ SAID

  "I almost found Tillman scary, so good," said Bosz during his post-match press conference. "I really enjoyed that sitting on the bench. I really enjoyed playing that. That's just beautiful to watch."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Tillman, 21, is seen as one of the next big hopes for the United States. He impressed last season on loan to Rangers and now he is shining in the Dutch top-flight – after proving to be too good for the club's reserve side. He is yet to make his breakthrough for parent club Bayern but performances like this are likely to help towards that ultimate goal.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR BOTH TEAMS?

  Eredivisie's runaway leaders PSV travel to AZ Alkmaar on Sunday whereas Arsenal host Brighton in the Premier League on the same day.

Arsenal have been linked to Serie A hitman Dusan Vlahovic, however, the Gunners could miss a potential disaster by avoiding signing the striker.

Mikel Arteta’s side were the second-highest-scoring side in the Premier League last season, however, links to the big-money forward could reinforce that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

Are Arsenal linked to Dusan Vlahovic?

Sources in Italy mentioned earlier this year the north Londoners in relation to the potential destiny of Vlahovic, claiming that the Gunners have ‘never given up’ on the prospect of signing the 23-year-old.

The report comes from the angle that the forward is ‘no longer’ considered to be ‘untouchable’ in terms of Juventus’ value of the goalscorer, making Arsenal’s rumoured interest a subject to be cautious over.

How many goals has Dusan Vlahovic scored?

A 23-year-old with 95 domestic career goals is never going to be short of attention in the transfer window, however, the Serbian has struggled with a dip in form since trading Fiorentina for Juve, signalling a risk for potential Premier League suitors.

In his first two seasons in Turin, Vlahovic has hardly been the "monster" that Carlo Garganese bestowed on him, netting 17 goals in Serie A in a decline compared to his form at Fiorentina in where he scored 38 goals in his final two Serie A campaigns.

While it takes time to adapt to new surroundings, the striker made the move to a side with more attacking prowess around him while remaining in the same league that he dominated just one season prior.

It has been a recurring narrative for prolific players from fellow top leagues in Europe are unable to hit former heights in the Premier League, a trait that Arsenal know too well.

The Gunners’ current record signing Nicolas Pepe signed for the club back in 2019 from Lille, where he caught the eye of Unai Emery after registering a monstrous 33 goal contributions in 38 Ligue 1 games in 2018/19.

Four years down the line and the winger is set to return to the club after a season-long loan at Nice after a poor opening three years in north London.

In three campaigns, the £72m forward scored 16 Premier League goals before falling down the pecking order and being replaced rightly by Bukayo Saka.

The Ivory Coast international has shown little promise of living up to his lucrative price tag since trading Ligue 1 for the Premier League, in a risk that has not paid off for Arsenal. Indeed, in his final season before being loaned back to France, he found the net on just three occasions for the Londoners.

Signing high-cost players from abroad is an area that the Gunners should tread carefully around, with warning signs flagging around the interest in £70m Vlahovic, who has already shown frailties to his consistency in Serie A.

The 'unsettled' striker should be a player for Arsenal to steer clear of, with Arteta having the foundations to bolster his side without having to risk spending sensational money on players that aren’t guaranteed to perform.

Edu should revise the past mistakes made in the transfer of Pepe when considering the clubs’ interest in the Serbian, who has averaged fewer non-penalty goals per 90 to Gabriel Jesus over the past year, with 0.35 to the Brazilian’s 0.39, via FBref.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details5:25

Bangar: Tewatia’s introduction turned the match

A sensational display of end-overs bowling from Mohit Sharma and strangulation by legspin from Rahul Tewatia, playing his first game this season, helped apply the choke on Kolkata Knight Riders. By securing one of three wins they needed, Kings XI lived to fight another day.In what was an engaging last five overs off which Knight Riders needed just 50, Mohit brought out all his slower variations – the knuckleball, back-of-the-hand slower deliveries and offcutters – and delivered them with precision to deny Chris Lynn, who wiped out half of Knight Riders’ 168-run target off just 52 balls, and Manish Pandey. The pair’s dismissal off successive deliveries off the 18th over helped close out a tight game, with the Sharmas – Mohit and Sandeep – defending 29 off the 12 deliveries to ensure three playoff spots were still up for grabs.Knight Riders’ productive first sixKings XI made four changes, two of those being forced. One of them – Hashim Amla – had just smashed a 60-ball 104, his second century of the season, in the previous game. Even so, the rest of the batsmen stuttered as they finished with just 189 when they should’ve posted 210. Now, without Amla, who along with David Miller was unavailable because of national duty, Kings XI needed a robust beginning from the openers. Manan Vohra, who had earlier in the tournament shunted up and down the order to accommodate both Shaun Marsh and Martin Guptill, sparkled briefly, but his dismissal brought about a restrained approach. The first six overs fetched just 41 for the loss of the openers. Knight Riders had begun well.Maxwell, Saha keep the innings aliveOn a surface where the ball was deviating just about enough to keep the medium-pacers interested, Chris Woakes and Colin de Grandhomme bowled six overs in tandem, conceding just 22 off the first four immediately after the Powerplay. Kings XI limped to 63 for 3 in the first half. They went 17 deliveries without a boundary after Shaun Marsh’s dismissal in the ninth over, before Maxwell cut loose – hitting de Grandhomme for two successive sixes off legitimate deliveries to trigger a surge. Maxwell’s picking of lengths was impressive as he played the pull effectively against the pacers. Wriddhiman Saha, on 10 off 17 at one stage, pinched crucial boundaries to move to a run-a-ball 26. At 115 for 3 with five to play, Kings XI needed big back five overs. But they were denied.Kuldeep Yadav, returning in place of Piyush Chawla, was rewarded for his willingness to flight the ball as he had Maxwell caught at wide long-off in an attempt to hit him for a third successive six. In his next over, he had Saha stumped after being biffed across the line one ball earlier. A cameo from Tewatia lifted them to 167, not underwhelming but not match-winning either.Getty Images

Narine tees off, Lynn consolidatesTwo quiet men, who don’t believe in intimidating opponents with words, let their blades talk. Sunil Narine’s no-frills approach fetched him four fours in a 10-ball 18. Lynn, playing in only his second game after returning from a shoulder injury that kept him out for three weeks, didn’t show signs of “not being a 100 percent” as he revealed during a flash interview. Time and again, he was tested against the short ball, only for the deep midwicket and wide long-on boundaries to be peppered with regularity.The best shot of his knock – a flat-batted swat off Matt Henry which he fetched from outside off – showed how brutally effective he can be even if not at full tilt. Yet, this wasn’t as brutal a knock as the one against Royal Challengers Bangalore. By bringing up a half-century off just 29 deliveries, Lynn ensured Gautam Gambhir’s struggle against spin – he scratched around 17 deliveries for 8 before mistiming a slog to deep midwicket – didn’t deeply disturb the asking rate.Tewatia spins a webOne ball after sending back Gambhir, Rahul Tewatia, playing his first game this season, saw off Robin Uthappa, but to not give any credit to Axar Patel would be doing injustice to his efforts. Running around from straight deep midwicket, he covered quick ground before putting in a dive to catch the dipping slog sweep inches from the ground near deep square leg. Now, the choke was on. Axar followed it up by conceding just three in his next over. The spinners – Tewatia along with Axar and Swapnil Singh – at that stage had combined figures of 2 for 30 off six overs. Knight Riders needed 86 off 54 balls.Maxwell’s punt on Mohit pays offBy leaving two overs of Mohit in the last five, Maxwell gambled. Considering the form Lynn was in, it was a tough proposition. But the pressure applied by the spinners left Knight Riders with a steep task against a bowler, who justified the INR 6.5 crore investment, at a crunch moment when the game was on the line and Kings XI’s chances of staying alive was hanging by a thread. That he bowled just three overs may have been a decision Kings XI could have rued, but on the night, it was his experience that prevailed.

Manchester United are in pole position to sign Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana, according to reports.

What’s the latest Man United transfer news?

The Red Devils could be extremely busy during the summer transfer window despite the ongoing takeover saga, with rumours of moves for players all over the pitch.

A new striker appears to be high on the agenda, with those at Old Trafford plotting a move for Atalanta’s Rasmus Hojlund. When it comes to a midfielder, Chelsea’s Mason Mount is seemingly the top target, with a £40m offer made for the England international.

A new defender has also been speculated, with reports previously claiming that Napoli’s Kim min-jae agreed to move to Manchester, although he now looks on course to move to the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich.

To finalise the transfer rumour mill, a new goalkeeper in Onana for Erik ten Hag’s side had also been rumoured, and a further update has emerged. According to The Evening Standard, Chelsea have pulled out of the race to sign the Inter Milan goalkeeper and will move on to other targets.

As a result, Manchester United are in pole position to sign Onana, who is expected to cost around £50m, where he could be reunited with Ten Hag.

Is Andre Onana better than David De Gea?

Onana, a Cameroon international, made 145 appearances under Ten Hag at Ajax and joined Inter Milan last summer. The 27-year-old starred in his first full season in Serie A, keeping 19 clean sheets in 41 appearances.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is also a fan of the £67,000-a-week player, hailed the shot-stopper’s ability on the ball following the Champions League final earlier this month.

“When you have a goalkeeper like Onana who can read perfectly where everyone is to pass to, with Calhanoglu and Barella, then the strikers hold it up and move the ball around. It is very, very difficult. It would be a tiny bit easier without this goalkeeper, but still very tough.”

There is a bit of history between Ten Hag and Onana, though, with the manager leaving the goalkeeper out of a cup final with Ajax last year before they both moved on, but with the futures of David de Gea and Dean Henderson up in the air, signing someone like Onana could be a wise move ahead of the new season, and by the looks of it, United are in a good position to get a deal over the line.