da dobrowin： Leeds United have been handed a blow as it has emerged that one member of their squad will miss the next seven games as they battle for the Championship title under Daniel Farke.

Leeds in pole position for Championship title

da lvbet： Despite their FA Cup defeat to Millwall, Leeds United are still on for a successful season after play-off heartbreak last time around.

Farke’s side are sitting pretty atop the Championship, two points clear of Sheffield United in second and a further three ahead of Burnley, meaning that they sit in pole position to be promoted back to the Premier League come the end of the campaign.

They have been the best side in England’s second tier when it comes to finding the back of the net, while they also unsurprisingly have a strong defence which has helped them keep 19 clean sheets already this campaign, the second most in the division.

Related Bigger talent than Chambers: Leeds have another teen set for the first team

Leeds United have a player in their academy who could be an even bigger talent than Sam Chambers.

Posts 2 ByDan Emery Feb 9, 2025

With 15 games of the season left, the Yorkshire outfit are firm favourites to be promoted, but they will be wary of previous slips and their terrible record in the play-offs, with the memory of their 1-0 defeat to Southampton last season still fresh.

Now, they have been dealt a blow on the injury front as they hunt for the title.

Farke confirms Leeds injury blow

Now though, Farke has confirmed a serious injury to one member of his Leeds squad.

That comes in the shape of defender Max Wober, who is now expected to spend a significant period on the sidelines. The defender was not part of the squad that fell to defeat in the FA Cup against Millwall and has had a setback.

And quizzed on the fitness of his squad, Farke confirmed that the Austrian international was now set to be sidelined until the next international break, missing seven games in the process.

“He has an ongoing knee problem and will need surgery as quickly as possible and will be out until after the next international break”, the Leeds boss explained. “He will have surgery and be out for six weeks.”

It leaves Leeds short in defence, with Joe Rodon, Ethan Ampadu and Pascal Struijk Farke’s only senior centre-back options for the foreseeable future, which could mean that bowing out of the FA Cup could prove to be a blessing in disguise.

Games Wober will miss through injury

Watford (Away)

Sunderland (Home)

Sheffield United (Away)

West Brom (Home)

Portsmouth (Away)

Millwall (Home)

QPR (Away)

Though he had only featured six times this season, Wober earned high praise from the Leeds boss in December after filling in at left-back in their win over Derby County.

“Many compliments to Max. Not the easiest start to the season for him with many injuries. He’s normally a centre-back and not naturally made for the left-back role, but he put a shift in and was rock solid defensively,” Farke eulogised after the victory.

Though he was not allowed to leave the club in the summer window, his future is likely to be revisited this summer as he enters the final two years of his £35,000 a week deal at Elland Road.

For now though, his injury means that added pressure will be put on the remaining defensive options to stay fit in order to avoid the season derailing in the late stages and barring Leeds’ return to the Premier League.

Plays of the day from the first T20 between Zimbabwe and India at Harare Sports Club

Nikhil Kalro18-Jun-2016Winded through the solar plexusIn the sixth over of Zimbabwe’s innings, Jaydev Unadkat landed a good-length delivery on middle stump, but the ball jagged back in prodigiously and sprung off the pitch as it darted to Richmond Mutumbami, who shaped for a prod into the cover region. Did the ball hit a crack or the seam? Mutumbami wasn’t bothered because it thudded into his right hip, near the solar plexus, to leave him winded. Writhing in pain, Mutumbami hobbled off the field, having faced only four balls. He did not return to keep wicket, either.Full circle in seven daysIn the first ODI against Zimbabwe, KL Rahul, on debut, struck an unbeaten 100 to help India take a 1-0 lead. One week later, Rahul was taking guard on his T20 debut. Chasing 171, Donald Tiripano’s first ball was a full outside off. Rahul tried to open his bat-face, attempting a dab to third man. Instead, the ball swerved back enough to take Rahul’s inside edge and hit the stumps. Rahul chopped on for a golden duck.Baptised by EltonElton Chigumbura had sparked Zimbabwe’s innings with a sensational display of clean six-hitting. Bowling the penultimate over of the innings, debutant Unadkat missed his length. He erred by pushing one full on middle stump; Chigumbura would not have preferred it anywhere else. He cleared his front foot and smashed it over long-on. So clean was the hit that the ball landed on the roof and bounced out of the ground. Unadkat leaked 21 runs in that over and returned figures of 4-0-43-0.Axar v Dhoni to Axar and DhoniThe last time MS Dhoni batted, he blitzed 23 off the last over of Axar Patel to seal a tense win in Rising Pune Supergiants’ last game of IPL 2016. In the first T20 against Zimbabwe at Harare, both combined with the bat to bring the equation down to 8 off 6 balls. Neville Madziva, bowling the last over, did what Axar couldn’t earlier, by executing wide yorkers to keep Dhoni quiet. He also had Axar caught at long-off to help deliver Zimbabwe’s two-run win.

Leeds United have moved five points clear at the top of the Championship table, for now, after they beat Coventry City away from home on Wednesday night.

The Whites took the lead in the match after just 17 minutes when Manor Solomon provided a deft flick through to Joel Piroe, who buried a clinical finish into the bottom corner with his left foot.

Jayden Bogle provided the second goal for Daniel Farke’s men with a marauding run down the right that eventually led to the goalkeeper spilling the ball right back to the defender, who poked it into an almost-empty net.

It was an impressive team performance from the West Yorkshire outfit, but there were some individuals within that who let themselves down, including Brenden Aaronson.

Brenden Aaronson's performance against Coventry

The USA international, who Football FanCast suggested should have been dropped, was selected in the number ten position, and struggled to have a positive impact on the match.

Aaronson was described as ‘wasteful’ in the final third by the Yorkshire Evening Post’s Graham Smyth in his player ratings piece, which summed up the attacking midfielder’s performance perfectly.

The former Union Berlin loanee had several big chances to play the right pass to send a teammate through on goal in a two-on-one situation and failed to get it right, ending the match without any ‘big chances’ created.

Chalkboard

Aaronson, who also failed to register a shot on target in the game, was not the only poor performer on the night, though, as Dan James’s display also left plenty to be desired.

Why Dan James should be dropped

The Wales international should be ruthlessly dropped by Farke for the FA Cup clash with Millwall on Saturday after an underwhelming showing on Wednesday night.

James played 86 minutes against the Sky Blues and failed to do enough to justify his continued inclusion in the starting line-up with a cup clash, which provides the manager with a chance to rotate his team, on the horizon.

The forward had fewer touches (28) than his goalkeeper Illan Meslier (44), which offers an insight into how little of an impact he had on the match, and was not directly involved in either of the goals.

Minutes

86

89

Shots on target

1

0

Big chances created

0

0

Big chances missed

1

0

Possession lost

10x

11x

As you can see in the table above, both James and Aaronson failed to offer much in the way of quality at the top end of the pitch for the Whites against Coventry.

The Welsh speedster missed his ‘big chance’ to find the back of the net and did not create a single opportunity for his teammates, whilst he also completed just 69% of his attempted passes.

These statistics show that James was as bad as Aaronson, who also struggled and was wasteful in possession, and that is why Farke should use the upcoming cup clash to ditch both of them from the XI.

Leeds must regret selling 20-goal ace who could have been their own Buendia

Leeds United dropped the ball when ditching this attacker prematurely.

ByKelan Sarson Feb 5, 2025

The last couple of years have been rough for Tottenham Hotspur.

The North Londoners were finally forced into selling club icon Harry Kane, and while Ange Postecoglou’s side have still been able to score plenty of goals, the results have been inconsistent at best.

Fortunately, with the signing of Dominic Solanke, it appears as if the club have found their new starting number nine for the next few years, as after two and a half campaigns of injuries and lacklustre displays, it’s become crystal clear that Richarlison is not that.

The Brazilian forward can never be accused of not trying, but he’s simply not clinical enough in front of goal, and now his valuation has fallen below that of a former youth player the club lost almost seven years ago who is now a regular starter in the Premier League.

Richarlison's Spurs career

Spurs decided to pay Everton £60m for Richarlison in the summer of 2022.

While it was probably too much at the time, it wasn’t totally absurd, as in just 33 appearances for a subpar Toffees side, he managed to score 11 goals and provide five assists.

However, it didn’t take long for the move to look like a mistake, as by the end of his first campaign with the Lilywhites, the Nova Venécia-born forward had only managed to rack up a paltry record of three goals and four assists in 35 appearances, which comes out to a dire return of a goal involvement every five games.

His sophomore season in the capital wasn’t quite as bad as the 27-year-old marksman managed to score 12 goals and provide four assists for Postecoglou’s side, but injuries limited him to just 31 appearances and have been a constant problem during his time in N17.

For example, the former Watford star has already missed 33 games for the club this term, but even when he has played, he’s been underwhelming; in the 14 first-team appearances he’s only been able to make for the Australian, he’s only scored three goals and provided one assist.

In all, a mix of persistent injuries and disappointing performances have seen Richarlison’s valuation plummet since 2022, as according to Football Transfers, the Brazilian is only worth up to €38m, which comes to about £32m, or £28m less than he cost the club two and a half years ago.

Moreover, the former Goodison Park icon is now worth millions less than an academy player Spurs lost back in 2018.

Appearances

35

31

14

Games missed due to Injury

11

10

33

Goals

3

12

3

Assists

4

4

1

Goal Involvements per Match

0.20

0.51

0.28

The Spurs academy star worth millions more than Richarlison

While this season has been something of a disaster for the first team, one of the few positives has been the emergence of academy stars like Mikey Moore, who’s already scored for the first team, Jamie Donley, who’s tearing it up for Leyton Orient and Lucá Williams-Barnett, who looks like he could be a future superstar.

Moreover, it looks as if the club will be keeping a hold of all three young stars for some time to come, which they weren’t able to do with Noni Madueke.

The Barnet-born dynamo was a part of the Lilywhites’ youth set-up until the summer of 2018 when he joined Eredivisie giants PSV Eindhoven, despite the North Londoners’ best efforts.

In the Netherlands, the youngster went from strength to strength and, in 80 first-team appearances, racked up an impressive haul of 20 goals and 14 assists, which was good enough to secure a £30m move to Chelsea in January 2023.

Despite initially struggling to assert himself in West London and break into the starting lineup, the “elite talent,” as was described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is now a key member of Enzo Maresca’s first team squad.

Appearances

80

74

Goals

20

17

Assists

14

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.42

0.32

Before the potential hamstring injury he picked up on Friday, he had racked up a brilliant tally of eight goals and four assists in 38 appearances, totalling 1653 minutes.

That comes to an average of a goal involvement every 2.33 games, or every 137.75 minutes, which is why Football Transfers now value the Englishman at up to €58m, which comes to about £48m, or £16m more than Richarlison is now worth.

Ultimately, Spurs did try to keep a hold of Madueke in the past, so his exit cannot really be blamed on them, but it’s still likely frustrating for them to see him flourishing at Stamford Bridge, while one of their most expensive attacking signings most certainly is not.

Sold for £8m: Spurs' "dreadful" Poch flop is now outscoring Kulu & Maddison

The talented attacker just couldn’t get to grips with life at Spurs.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 18, 2025

Everton displayed their powers of recovery when they dug deep to find a late goal in the Merseyside derby, James Tarkowski lashing beyond Alisson Becker in the final frame of injury time.

It’s remarkable how the Toffees rise to the occasion when pitted against noisy neighbours Liverpool, losing just one of their past eight meetings at Goodison Park.

But under David Moyes, Everton have quickly shaped into a team capable of beating many opponents, with their recent draw actually ending a three-match winning run in the Premier League.

Crystal Palace are up next, waiting at Selhurst Park. The 16th-place Toffees will sit level on points with Oliver Glasner’s side should they win, but it won’t be easy, not least because the Everton medical room gets more and more packed.

Everton missing key players

Abdoulaye Doucoure will serve a one-match suspension after his involvement in the post-match ruckus against Liverpool, who also saw Curtis Jones and head coach Arne Slot dismissed.

He joins an existing list of absentees that is anything but short: Nathan Patterson, Orel Mangala, Seamus Coleman, Dwight McNeil, Youssef Chermiti, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Armando Broja are all out.

The major concern, of course, is that star attacker Iliman Ndiaye is set for a spell on the sidelines after jarring his knee in the first half. Moyes has confirmed that the former Marseille man has suffered a “medial knee ligament injury”.

While Jack Harrison performed well in his stead on the left flank, the loanee has yet to score or assist a single goal this season, the same as Jesper Lindstrom on the right.

Everton might need to look for offensive support from elsewhere, and wouldn’t it be the perfect time to inculcate Charly Alcaraz into the starting line-up?

Everton's answer to Eberechi Eze

Everton brought Alcaraz in from Brazilian club Flamengo last month, tying him down to a loan move with an obligatory buy clause worth about £13m.

Racing Club

83

12

5

Southampton

48

8

5

Flamengo

19

3

2

Juventus

12

0

1

Everton

2

0

0

He’s a combative and animated midfield presence, capable across a range of roles but at his best when playing off the centre-forward. With Doucoure sidelined, it feels like number ten has his name on it in south London.

Such an electric and dangerous skill set will be needed to overcome Palace’s own midfield maestro: Eberechi Eze.

The England international is one of the silkiest and most dynamic players in the Premier League, ranking among the top 4% of positional peers in the division this term for shots taken, the top 12% for shot-creating actions and the top 16% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.

With Ndiaye sidelined, Everton will need another flashy star to step up and drive forward play. That could be Alcaraz, who himself ranked among the top 2% of positional peers in the Brasileiro Serie A 2024 campaign for shots, the top 7% for shot-creating actions, the top 6% for progressive carries and the top 8% for successful take-ons per 90.

Some might feel that the loss of Ndiaye puts the writing on the wall for a Blues side that has suffered so much misfortune in recent years, but something feels different with Moyes back in the dugout.

Everton are playing with purpose – and maybe, even, gusto.

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp described Ndiaye as a forward capable of “dynamite” moments, and he’s indeed been integral over the past several weeks, netting in all three of Everton’s wins with their new manager in the dugout.

Alcaraz is effectively dovetailing into a squad plying with unbridled joy, readying themselves for an abiding partnership with one of the most revered figures on the blue patch of Merseyside.

It’s worth noting that he’s only featured two times for his new English outfit, but has made an impression in both contests. Against Bournemouth in the FA Cup, Alcaraz was a bright spark off the bench, neat in possession and hungry to win the ball off opponents.

His cameo against Liverpool saw him complete his one attempted dribble, win both ground duels and make a tackle, as per Sofascore, instrumental in piling on the pressure and sparking a late-stage comeback that sent Goodison into a frenzy of euphoric madness.

Alcaraz, moreover, played 19 games in the English top flight with Southampton, scoring four goals and supplying two assists for a team that was tail-spinning out of control and into the second tier back in 2022/23.

This potency could be realised with Everton now that Doucoure and Ndiaye are set to miss out later on today. This may feel like it’s to the detriment of Everton’s overall fluency, but it does present Alcaraz with a glorious opportunity to come up trumps and prove to Moyes that he deserves to play a big part over the coming months.

Everton have clearly got a top talent on their hands; when he moved to Italy on loan with Juventus last year, a buy option was inserted into the deal that totalled £40m. This makes a firm comment on his high-ceilinged future, albeit it was a move that failed to reach that permanent point.

Hailed as “one of the biggest talents” to have come from Argentina in recent years by scout Jacek Kulig, Alcaraz is gearing up to play a big role in Moyes’ Everton squad, with the glut of recent injuries set to fast-track him into a prominent role.

Ndiaye upgrade: Everton wanted £67m Liverpool star but Rafa refused

He’s one of the Premier League’s best forwards.

ByAngus Sinclair Feb 14, 2025

20-Aug-2016When things got under way, Kagiso Rabada struck a career-best 32 not out and frustrated the New Zealand quicks•AFPTrent Boult ended the resistance when he had No. 11 Dane Piedt caught behind and South Africa were all out for 263•AFPSouth Africa had early success when Tom Latham edged Dale Steyn to first slip in the seventh over•Gallo ImagesA fired-up Steyn then trapped Martin Guptill lbw with a deceptive inswinger and New Zealand were 12 for 2•AFPKane Williamson and Ross Taylor just about survived three tough overs together before rain came down in Durban again•Gallo ImagesSouth Africa and Steyn, with figures of 6-4-3-2, went into lunch happy. Rain consumed the rest of the day and New Zealand finished on 15 for 2, trailing by 248 runs•Gallo Images

Everton are keen on signing a “very interesting” attacking player during the January transfer window, according to a fresh transfer update.

Everton transfer news

The Blues are looking to strengthen their squad this month, ensuring that David Moyes has enough quality to steer his side away from the relegation zone in the Premier League.

Ben Chilwell is one player who has been mentioned as a loan option for Everton before the end of the month, with the Englishman a hugely experienced player who could add quality and depth in an important position. He hasn’t made a single league appearance for Chelsea this season, finding himself completely out of favour under Enzo Maresca.

Right-back is arguably an even more important position for the Blues to strengthen this month, with Seamus Coleman and Ashley Young both at the end of their careers. For that reason, Southampton ace Kyle Walker-Peters has been linked with a move to Goodison Park, no doubt potentially wanting to stay in the top flight if Saints are relegated to the Championship in May.

An interesting move for former Chelsea and Arsenal winger Willian has also been mooted recently, with the Brazilian a free agent who might like the idea of returning to the Premier League. At 36 years of age, his best days are admittedly behind him, but he could be an effective squad option for Moyes.

Everton "have made moves" to sign international ace

According to a report from Calciomercato in Italy [via Sport Witness], Everton “have made moves” to sign Juventus attacker Timothy Weah in the January window.

Eintracht Frankfurt are battling the Blues for the 41-cap and six-goal USA international’s signature, with the Merseysiders knocking on Juve’s door and awaiting a response from the Serie A giants.

Weah could be a brilliant option for Everton this mnonth, with Juve manager Thiago Motta lauding his quality this season:“I like all he does. Especially the fact that he scores goals.

“Strikers need to finish an attack. He does many other things well, and it’s very interesting because he offers alternative solutions. He can play on the left, on the right, or as a striker. He helps, and he’s responsible. He understands what the team needs and his duties. We are happy he’s in good form, he must continue like this, whether he starts or not.”

Weah has scored five times in just eight starts in Serie A this season, but the fact that he hasn’t been a regular for the Turin giants shows why a move away could appeal to him.

The 24-year-old is adept at playing on either flank and also in a central attacking role, so it is understandable to see why Moyes or Dan Friedkin could see him as an ideal acquisition.

Better than Ndiaye: 8/10 Everton star has made himself undroppable to Moyes

Everton’s 8/10 star was everywhere against Spurs in emphatic first win for Moyes

By
Connor Holden

Jan 19, 2025

Additional attacking firepower is badly needed for Everton in January, especially if Beto’s likely departure goes through, and the American could add exactly that.

England will need at least one new face in the batting line-up for the third Test against South Africa after Gary Ballance suffered a broken finger

Andrew McGlashan19-Jul-2017Mark StonemanThe Surrey opener, who moved from Durham over the winter, appears the frontrunner for a call-up. He was close to selection for the beginning of the series after an impressive start with his new county. He is averaging 58.53 from eight Championship matches, including three centuries with a high score of 197, but it is also the runs he scored for Durham, often in seamer-friendly conditions at Chester-le-Street where he averaged over 53 last season, which stand him in good stead. At 30 he has had time to groove a well-rounded game.Dawid MalanMalan has moved up England’s red-ball pecking order over the last few months despite not having the most stand-out figures among the batting contenders. It has been Malan’s character as much as his runs which has impressed. He made his England debut last month in the deciding T20 against South Africa, where he starred with a series-winning 78 off 44 balls in Cardiff. Like Stoneman, he was a contender at the start of the Test series before the selectors went for the more conservative option of recalling Ballance.Tom WestleyOften mentioned as a potential Test player over the last couple of seasons, Westley has enjoyed a timely prolific run with three centuries in his last six first-class innings, the most recent being an unbeaten 106 for England Lions against the South Africans. That hundred continued a notable record of making runs against touring sides: last season he scored 108 against the Sri Lankans to follow a 99 against the same opposition in 2011, while in 2015 he scored 144 against an Australian attack including Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Peter Siddle and Nathan Lyon.Haseeb HameedHameed looked to have the opening berth sewn up for the foreseeable future after a polished start against India, where his composure stood out. However, a broken finger in suffered in Mohali – which didn’t stop him making a defiant 59 not out in the second innings – meant he missed the final two Tests of the series. He returned for England Lions in Sri Lanka but didn’t pass 15 in four innings and the lean run continued in the County Championship for Lancashire, where he hasn’t reached fifty this season. He isn’t the first young player to have suffered second-season syndrome but there is also the concern that a few technical issues may have been exposed. With the Championship currently suspended for the T20 Blast, his chances to impress are limited, but he did score a century for the 2nd XI this week.Sam RobsonAnother player with previous Test experience – having played all seven Tests in the 2014 season against Sri Lanka and India, including a century in his second match – Robson remains a prolific county scorer who is pushing hard for a second chance at the top level. He has scored 534 runs in nine innings this season, either side of suffering a hamstring strain, and was part of the England Lions side. His tally would have been even more impressive but for a pair in his most recent outing against Warwickshire.

Chris Wilder has now penned a new deal to extend his Sheffield United stay until 2028, with the Blades faithful no doubt pleased by this news when you consider their current high standing in the Championship.

Indeed, the South Yorkshire club look revitalised this season under the popular boss despite a troubling relegation having the potential to leave a hangover, with the second automatic promotion spot in the division in their clutches.

Regardless of these many positives, Wilder will want to see some more activity in through the door between now and Monday’s final day of the transfer window to aid his team’s promotion chances, with one midfield recruit being eyed up to potentially link up with Hamza Choudhury.

What Hamza Choudhury brings to Sheff Utd

Before delving deeper into who could line up next to Choudhury, the 27-year-old is more than a welcome addition to Wilder’s ranks.

The promotion hopefuls are somewhat threadbare in the holding midfield positions with Ollie Arblaster out with a serious injury, whilst the likes of ex-Everton man Tom Davies battles with his own fitness concerns.

Therefore, Choudhury’s addition would have been received with open arms when the loan signing was officially confirmed, with Wilder already familiar as to what the midfield battler will offer his team having previously managed him at Watford.

Whilst he didn’t contribute with a single goal or assist in the league during the 2022/23 season, Choudhury shone with his grit and determination more than anything else for the Hornets, with 5.1 duels won on average per league contest.

Last season before his Leicester City journey went south, the 27-year-old also played his part in the Foxes winning promotion up to the Premier League, with those at Bramall Lane hopeful he can add another to his CV in the near future.

He could line up next to a fresh midfield partner too if a move gets over the line before deadline day, as the Blades continue to flex their muscles in the market.

Sheff Utd could land dream Choudhury partner

As reported earlier this week, the promotion chasers could be back in for Beskitas ace Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, with the Blades previously linked with the ex-Liverpool man earlier in the window.

The report states that Oxlade-Chamberlain would be keen on returning to England with both Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City pondering a loan-to-buy deal alongside Wilder’s men.

With such a lack of game time coming his way in Turkey as of late, with just two league starts tallied up for his current employers during 2024/25, he could look to the Championship side as a way to boost his confidence and minutes over a Premier League switch.

After all, despite struggling for action this campaign, Oxlade-Chamberlain has shone previously at Beskitas with his Super Lig numbers last season sticking out.

Oxlade-Chamberlain’s league numbers for Beskitas (23/24)
Stat – per 90 mins*	Oxlade-Chamberlain
Games played	20
Goals scored	4
Assists	1
Touches*	34.5
Accurate passes*	21.3 (87%)
Stats by Sofascore

Looking at the table above, Oxlade-Chamberlain could come in and be an experienced and composed head in the middle of the park with an 87% pass accuracy average, on top of the fact he also helped himself to an impressive five goal contributions.

The “outstanding” – as he was once labelled by Jurgen Klopp – 31-year-old could also complement Choudhury’s more attritional game well, with both loanees linking up to gift the Blades more steel but further quality centrally.

The former Champions League winner might not immediately break into the starting XI but adding in the versatile figure feels like a smart buy to make, as Wilder goes about adding in quality here and there to give his side the best fighting chance at an instant promotion.

Their next McBurnie: Sheffield United in the race to land "heroic" talent

Sheffield United could strike gold snapping up this new recruit.

By
Kelan Sarson

Jan 28, 2025

Only 12 batsmen have been unbeaten in the 290s in first-class matches so far, including Deepak Hooda who scored 293 not out against Punjab in the fourth round

Bharath Seervi31-Oct-20163 Team scores in the Ranji Trophy lower than Himachal Pradesh’s 36, against Hyderabad in this round, which did not result in a defeat for the side. The lowest total to not end in a defeat in Ranji is Eastern Punjab’s 31 against Railways in 1958-59, followed by 33 for Kerala against Andhra in 1969-70 and then again 33 for Andhra against Kerala in 1997-98. All matches, including the Himachal Pradesh-Hyderabad game, ended in draws. The score of 36 was also Himachal’s lowest in first-class matches; their previous lowest was 64 against Services in 1986-87.12 Batsmen who were unbeaten in the 290s in first-class cricket. Deepak Hooda became the 12th player, when he ran out of partners and was stranded seven runs short of a triple-century against Punjab. The previous instance of a player remaining unbeaten in the 290s was Fawad Alam, who finished on 296 in a Quaid-e-Azam Trophy match in 2008-09. Two other players were stranded in the 290s in the Ranji Trophy – Shantanu Sugwekar (299*) and Gursharan Singh (298*), both in the 1988-89 season. Hooda’s innings is the second-highest individual score for Baroda, after Gul Mohammad’s 319 in the 1946-47 final.

Players stranded in 290s in first-class cricket

Runs	Batsman	Team	Against	Venue	Season
297*	H Moses	New South Wales	Victoria	Sydney	1887/88
292*	VT Trumper	New South Wales	Tasmania	Sydney	1898/99
295*	JT Tyldesley	Lancashire	Kent	Manchester	1906
292*	A Sandham	Surrey	Northamptonshire	The Oval	1921
290*	A Ducat	Surrey	Essex	Leyton	1921
299*	DG Bradman	Australia	South Africa	Adelaide	1931/32
299*	SS Sugwekar	Maharashtra	Madhya Pradesh	Pune	1988/89
298*	Gursharan Singh	Punjab	Bengal	Kolkata	1988/89
294*	DM Ward	Surrey	Derbyshire	Kennington	1994
295*	AD Brown	Surrey	Leicestershire	Oakham School	2000
296*	Fawad Alam	National Bank of Pakistan	Pakistan Customs	Karachi	2008/09
293*	D Hooda	Baroda	Punjab	Delhi	2016/17

3 Centuries for Hooda in three matches this season. He is the only one to score three centuries in this edition so far, and has scored one in each game he has played. He had scores of 118, 46 and 100 not out in the first two matches before his 293 not out in this round. Hooda had scored three centuries in his first 25 first-class innings, while his three recent centuries have come in only four innings.209 Yuvraj Singh’s previous highest first-class score, which he surpassed with his 260 against Baroda in this round. He made his fourth first-class double-century and his first in the Ranji Trophy; two of his previous double-hundreds came in the Duleep Trophy and one in the Irani Cup. His previous highest in Ranji Trophy matches was 187, against Gujarat last season. His innings is also the highest by a Punjab captain, trumping Navjot Sidhu’s 259 not out in 1995-96.343 Runs added by Manan Vohra and Yuvraj for the third-wicket – the highest third-wicket stand for Punjab. The partnership eclipsed the 284 runs added by Ravneet Ricky and Dinesh Mongia against Uttar Pradesh in 2003-04. The 343-run stand is the fourth-highest for any wicket for Punjab in first-class matches.6 Tamil Nadu players who have scored a century on first-class debut, including Narayan Jagadeesan who hit 123 not out against Madhya Pradesh in this round. The previous player to do so was Arun Karthik in 2008-09.7/50 Rishi Dhawan’s returns in the first innings against Hyderabad – his first-class best. His previous best was 7 for 93 against Tripura in Agartala in 2014-15.10/112 Ashok Dinda’s figures against Railways – his second-best match figures in first-class cricket. He took five wickets in each innings of the match and has taken three five-wicket hauls in the season so far, the most by any bowler. He also reached the milestone of 250 Ranji Trophy wickets in this match. No other bowler has taken more than 200 wickets for Bengal since Dinda’s debut in 2005-06.36 Innings without a century for Gautam Gambhir in first-class matches before his 147 against Odisha. His previous first-class hundred was scored in December 2014. Since then he made 12 fifties in 36 innings, including five dismissals in 90s. In ten first-class innings since August this year, he has scored 50 or more six times.