Leeds United are keen to strengthen their Premier League survival bid with signings and could now go all out for one of France’s most exciting young defenders.

The Whites have endured a frustrating start to the campaign and will know the size of the challenge that lies ahead for Daniel Farke, who has received his fair share of criticism lately following a recent shaky run of form at Elland Road.

Undoubtedly, the German boss has shown he is capable of leading his side into the top-flight from the Sky Bet Championship, a market he may be willing to raid in mid-season to bolster his flailing attacking line.

Coventry City forward Haji Wright is on Leeds’ radar and could be someone who arrives at Elland Road for a fee in the region of £20 million, helped by the fact that his contract at Frank Lampard’s men is set to expire in the summer of 2027.

Troy Parrott is also wanted by the Whites after his Republic of Ireland heroics. However, the AZ Alkmaar man has made a name for himself in the Netherlands, and it is difficult to envisage the ex-Tottenham Hotspur product moving to England amid Farke’s interest in Gonzalo Garcia of Real Madrid.

Not strengthening isn’t an option, given Leeds’ rivals are likely to bring in new additions in an attempt to beat the drop once the window opens for business.

With that in mind, the Whites are now looking to strengthen their backline with one of Europe’s rising stars being the subject of major attention.

Leeds eyeing move for Tylel Tati

According to On The Minute, Leeds have joined the hunt to sign FC Nantes defender Tylel Tati, who has become one of French football’s top young talents in recent times following his emergence in Ligue 1.

Laying plans to land future reinforcements, the Whites are set to face stiff competition from the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Bayer Leverkusen after his ‘poise in possession’ and tactical awareness won high praise from scouts across Europe.

Tylel Tati in Ligue 1 2025/26 (Fotmob)

Duels won

23

Pass completion rate

87.8%

Recoveries

31

Blocked shots

9

Dribble success

71.4%

Overall, the 17-year-old has made 11 senior appearances for Nantes and is growing in stature with every passing minute. However, he is under contract in France until the summer of 2028, and it remains to be seen how much first-team football he would earn elsewhere.

Primarily a central defender, he has also been capped three times at Under-18 level for his home country as his progress continues to be rewarded.

Leeds are also eyeing a move for a Premier League veteran

Being plunged into the potential event of a relegation battle may be a tough ask for a player at an early stage in his career, though Farke and company would hope he would relish the challenge.

The next Raphinha: Leeds to move for £17m star with a "magical left foot"

This attacker could add much needed final third creativity for Leeds

ByJoe Nuttall Nov 22, 2025

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is personally driving a move for Murillo, with Nottingham Forest’s stance on sanctioning a departure now being revealed.

The Blues have been solid from a defensive point of view in recent weeks, keeping clean sheets in their last three Premier League matches, most recently defeating Burnley 2-0 at Turf moor, with Tosin Adarabioyo and Trevoh Chalobah impressing at the heart of defence.

Adarabioyo particularly caught the eye, receiving a SofaScore match rating of 8.6, the highest of any player, courtesy of making six tackles, winning ten of the 12 duels he contested, while also completing a whopping 102 passes, including seven long balls.

Being assured in possession of the ball is an important attribute for any player in a Maresca system, and the manager is now keen on another centre-back who could be an ideal fit in the Italian’s backline…

Maresca now driving Chelsea move for Murillo

According to a report from Caught Offside, Maresca has now personally identified Nottingham Forest defender Murillo as a key defensive target, but it could take a huge offer to get a deal over the line, with the Tricky Trees looking to hold out for up to €90m (£79m).

Forest are hesitant to cash-in on one of their key players, but they could be tempted to sanction a departure if a huge offer is submitted, with some other huge clubs also showing an interest in the centre-back, namely Barcelona and Arsenal.

The Chelsea manager is said to be a fan of ball-playing defenders capable of creating chances from deep, which means the Brazilian could be the perfect fit in his backline, and he recently put in a fantastic display as Forest secured a shock 3-0 win at Anfield.

Liverpool’s struggles continued on Saturday, with Arne Slot’s side falling to a shock defeat against a side that had made a slow start to the season, and Murillo displayed his attacking prowess by opening the scoring just after the half-an-hour mark.

It was a solid all-round performance from the one-time Brazil international, winning five of the six duels he contested, creating one big chance, and making 19 defensive actions, the highest number of any player.

It wasn’t the first time the 23-year-old has put in a top performance against the Reds, receiving high praise after impressing against Slot’s men earlier this year.

As such, Chelsea should undoubtedly pursue a move for Murillo, and it is promising news that Nottingham Forest could now be willing to sanction a departure for the right price.

Chelsea now readying hijack to sign Gabriel and Saliba 'hybrid'

Chelsea now readying hijack to sign £44m 'Gabriel & Saliba hybrid'

The impressive international could be Chelsea’s answer to William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 21, 2025

Lyon, Abbott, Khawaja, Labuschagne and Carey all to feature in pivotal Shield round while Doggett and Webster miss again through injury

Alex Malcolm14-Oct-2025Incumbent Australia Test opener Sam Konstas is set to face another stern examination from Scott Boland this week when New South Wales face Victoria at the Junction Oval with the selection of the Ashes first Test squad just three weeks away.Nathan Lyon has also been named for NSW despite a thought during the pre-season that he might miss the clash at the Junction. It’s understood he is keen for some more overs after bowling just 31.5 across two innings against Western Australia at the WACA ground last week.Australia A allrounders Jack Edwards and Will Sutherland will return to captain their respective states while Sean Abbott will play his first red-ball game of the season to push his case to be considered for the Ashes after being left out of Australia’s ODI squad. Australia A spinners Todd Murphy and Tanveer Sangha have also been named in their first Shield squads of the season.Related

Ashes tracker: Labuschagne shines as Konstas stumbles

Who will be the spear to Usman Khawaja's shield for Australia?

Zampa, Inglis to miss Perth ODI against India, Kuhnemann, Philippe called up

However, Josh Philippe is unavailable for the Blues after being called into Australia’s ODI squad to replace the injured Josh Inglis while Alex Carey has been sent to play for South Australia against Queensland as part of his Ashes preparation.Usman Khawaja has been named for Queensland while Marnus Labuschagne is expected to remain at No. 3 for Queensland with Angus Lovell set to open alongside Khawaja in place of Matt Renshaw who is away with Australia’s ODI team.South Australia will be without Brendan Doggett for a second straight Shield match due to his minor hamstring issue but he is expected to return for round three. Nathan McAndrew will return after missing the opening the Shield round following his five-wicket haul in the One-Day Cup match against Victoria.Elsewhere, Beau Webster will miss a second straight match for Tasmania due to the ankle injury he suffered at training prior to the opening round against Queensland, but he is expected to return for round three. WA will be without Cameron Green who is playing in Australia’s ODI team while Joel Paris is missing with a hamstring injury.Boland is set to back up for Victoria after bowling 35 overs in Victoria’s opening round win over South Australia in Adelaide. Konstas is coming off scores of 4 and 14 at the WACA in New South Wales win over Western Australia but Lyon said that those performances should be disregarded because of the pitch.”I wouldn’t look too much into that,” Lyon said on Monday. “It was a very naughty wicket. “It was wet, there were some big divots and it was quite challenging, even though I got 40 runs on it. There are [two] more games to play out before the Test side gets picked.”Konstas did make an enterprising 40 off 28 in the One-Day Cup match on a better WACA surface last Thursday. But Boland will be a significant test for the 20-year-old opener. He has dismissed Konstas four times in Shield cricket, the most of any first-class bowler Konstas has faced, including twice in their last meeting at the SCG in February when Konstas was bowled trying to paddle scoop off the 13th ball of the match.The return of Sutherland and Murphy alongside Boland and Fergus O’Neill will give Konstas a chance to make a statement against an attack with two Test and two Australia A bowlers in it.Meanwhile, Abbott has the chance to push his case to be next Test fast bowling option for the Ashes behind Boland. Victoria will add Harry Dixon back in from Australia A duty at the top of the order alongside Campbell Kellaway with Marcus Harris to remain at No. 3 ahead of in-form middle-order duo of Peter Handscomb and Oliver Peake.New South Wales squad: Jack Edwards (capt), Sean Abbott, Ollie Davies, Matt Gilkes, Ryan Hadley, Liam Hatcher, Sam Konstas, Nathan Lyon, Blake Nikitaras, Kurtis Patterson, Will Salzmann, Tanveer Sangha, Charlie StoboVictoria squad: Will Sutherland (capt), Scott Boland, Harry Dixon, Marcus Harris, Sam Harper, Peter Handscomb, Campbell Kellaway, Blake Macdonald, David Moody, Todd Murphy, Fergus O’Neill, Oliver Peake, Mitch PerrySouth Australia squad: Henry Hunt, Conor McInerney, Nathan McSweeney (capt), Jason Sangha, Alex Carey (wk), Jake Lehmann, Liam Scott, Nathan McAndrew, Wes Agar, Lloyd Pope, Jordan Buckingham, Hanno JacobsQueensland squad: Marnus Labuschagne (capt), Jack Clayton, Benji Floros, Lachlan Hearne, Usman Khawaja, Angus Lovell, Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Jack Sinfield, Tom Straker, Mitchell Swepson, Hugh Weibgen. Jack WildermuthWestern Australia squad: Sam Whiteman (capt), Ashton Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Hilton Cartwright, Joel Curtis, Albert Esterhuysen, Sam Fanning, Aaron Hardie, Cameron Gannon, Jayden Goodwin, Liam Haskett, Matt Kelly, Corey RocchiccioliTasmania squad: Jordan Silk (capt), Gabe Bell, Jackson Bird, Nikhil Chaudhary, Jake Doran, Kieran Elliott, Bradley Hope, Caleb Jewell, Riley Meredith, Nivethan Radhakrishnan, Tim Ward, Jake Weatherald

Harry Kane has urged Bayern Munich to remain calm despite suffering their first defeat of the season in a 3-1 loss to Arsenal, insisting there is “no need to panic” after a subdued personal performance at the Emirates Stadium. The England captain endured a rare off night as Bayern’s unbeaten run collapsed, but he remains confident the German champions will bounce back strongly.

• Arsenal end Bayern's 18-game unbeaten streak

  Bayern Munich’s 18-match unbeaten streak came to an abrupt halt as Arsenal secured a convincing 3-1 victory in a Champions League showdown in North London. Vincent Kompany’s side initially competed well, weathering the early intensity before equalising through 17-year-old Lennart Karl after Jurrien Timber’s opener. However, the second half shifted sharply out of Bayern’s control as errors and fatigue allowed Arsenal’s substitutes to take over.

  Noni Madueke punished a misplaced Bayern pass to restore Arsenal’s lead, before Gabriel Martinelli capitalised on a misjudged charge from Manuel Neuer to slot into an empty net, sealing Bayern’s first defeat of the season. The German champions struggled to cope with Arsenal’s set-piece pressure, losing duels across the pitch and conceding territory repeatedly as the hosts grew increasingly dominant. Bayern’s own attacking play lacked fluidity, leaving their front line, particularly Kane, isolated and unable to influence the match.

  For Kane, it was a notably quiet return to North London. The former Tottenham striker was tightly marshalled throughout and failed to produce a single shot on goal during the 90 minutes, a rare occurrence for a forward in prolific form. Despite the frustration, both BKane and Kompany stressed the need to resist overreaction as they prepare for the remainder of the group phase.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Kane asks for calm as Bayern suffer at the Emirates

  Reflecting on the defeat, Kane admitted the performance fell short of Bayern’s usual standards but insisted the team remain composed. He said: “It was a tough game which is kind of what we expected. It was a good battle in the first half which was fairly even.”

  Kane added: “Second half we didn’t quite have the same energy or intensity and we lost too many duels. It’s our first loss of the season. We don’t want to panic too much about it. But we will learn about it for sure.”

  Despite the disappointing night, Kane remains confident Bayern will see Arsenal again deeper in the competition. He said: “I’m sure we’ll see them again in the later stages of the Champions League.”

• Bayern in a strong position but Kompany needs to iron out issues

  This loss marks a rare moment of vulnerability for a Bayern side that had previously looked imperious in both domestic and European competition. The defeat also disrupted their historically dominant record against Arsenal, having avoided losing in their previous five meetings. While the performance contained moments of composure, the crucial second-half collapse revealed structural issues Bayern will now need to address.

  The frustrations were compounded by a subdued performance from Kane, who has otherwise enjoyed a brilliant season with 29 goals for club and country. His muted impact was a testament to Arsenal’s disciplined defensive approach, which restricted him to peripheral involvement in possession and prevented progression through central channels.

  From Bayern's perspective, the defeat was characterised not only by Arsenal’s strength but also by self-inflicted errors. Losing possession in dangerous zones and failing to cope with second balls contributed heavily to the momentum shift. Kompany acknowledged post-match that Bayern must improve their “details” and intensity if they want to match Europe’s elite in high-stakes fixtures.

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  Easier UCL ties ahead for Bayern

  Bayern now turn their attention toward regrouping quickly, with Kane’s words of reassurance setting the tone; however, their remaining games in the Champions League will be much easier as they will face Sporting, Union Saint-Gilloise and PSV. The German champions remain in a strong position in Europe, meaning the priority will be correcting the lapses seen at the Emirates rather than dwelling on the defeat. Kompany is expected to assess tactical adjustments, particularly in managing transitions and set-piece pressure.

  The broader outlook for Bayern is still overwhelmingly positive. Although the loss exposed weaknesses, their consistency across competitions places them firmly among Europe’s contenders, and the squad’s experience should allow them to recalibrate swiftly.

The India batter said she did not know until very late that she was going in at No. 3 in a high-pressure chase

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Oct-2025

Jemimah Rodrigues was emotional after taking India to victory•ICC/Getty Images

On a historic night in Navi Mumbai, Jemimah Rodrigues said her match-winning hundred in a world-record chase to dethrone reigning champions Australia and secure India’s place in the World Cup final felt “like a dream” after enduring a difficult month filled with “a lot of anxiety”.”Today was not about my 50 or my 100, today was just about making India win,” an emotional Rodrigues said after accepting her Player of the Match award, having been dropped for India’s league game against England. “I knew I got a few chances, but I just felt God scripted everything. I believe if you do the right things, with right intentions, he always blesses. I feel everything that happened was just a set-up for this. It was really hard, this last whole month. It just feels like a dream and it hasn’t sunk in yet.”India chased down a target of 339, the highest successful chase in the women’s game, and Rodrigues was on the field for nearly all of it, having entered at No. 3 in the second over. She finished unbeaten on 127 off 134 balls as India won with five wickets in hand and nine balls to spare. Rodrigues revealed she didn’t know until very late that she was going to bat at No. 3.”I thought I was going to bat at No. 5,” she said. “I was taking a shower and when the discussion was happening, I told them ‘let me know.’ Just five minutes before entering I learnt I would be at No. 3.”But I didn’t think about me. It was not for me to prove a point, it was just to win the match for India because we have always lost in crunch situations. So I wanted to stay till the end to take us through.

“Last time [in 2022], I was dropped from this World Cup. This year I came in, I thought ‘OK, I’ll try.’ But things back-to-back just happened and I couldn’t control anything. I had amazing people around me who believed in me. I almost cried every day through this tour. I was not doing well mentally, going through a lot of anxiety. Getting dropped [against England] was another challenge to me. All I wanted to do was show up and God took care of everything.”Rodrigues was seen talking to herself all through her hundred in a high-pressure chase in exhausting conditions: “Initially I was just playing, talking to myself. But towards the end, I was quoting a scripture from the Bible because I had lost energy and I was very tired. I was drained. But the scripture says ‘just stand still, and God will fight for you.’ And that’s what I did. He fought for me.”India lost both their openers in the powerplay but Rodrigues was joined by her captain Harmanpreet Kaur and the pair put on 167 off 156 balls for the third wicket. She credited Harmanpreet and her subsequent partners for keeping her going. “When Harry di [Harmanpreet] came, all we spoke about was one good partnership. We knew runs were coming. But towards the end, I told Deepti ‘keep talking to me’, she kept encouraging me. When Richa came, she lifted me up. I am so blessed that when I cannot carry on, my team-mates encourage me to carry on. I cannot take credit for this. I know I have not done anything.About the winning moment, Rodrigues said: “It was hard but I tried to stay calm till the ball finished. At the end, when I saw ‘India win by five wickets’ I couldn’t stop myself. Navi Mumbai has always been special for me. And I couldn’t ask for anything better. I want to thank every member who chanted and cheered even when we were down.”Harmanpreet said later that Rodrigues’ “calculations” helped India stay on course in the chase, with a required run-rate of nearly 6.80 at the start.”Jemimah is someone who always wants to do really well for the team because she is someone who is always very calculative and wants to take the responsibility,” Harmanpreet said. “We always have that trust on her and today was a very special knock from her. Both of us had a very good time on the pitch. Whenever we were batting, we were just complementing each other and calculating. She was doing all the calculations there for me.”She is someone, you know, before I go [up to her when batting together], she kept telling me ‘we got five runs [in this over] we got seven runs [in this over] or [we have] two more balls left [in the over]. Before I tell her anything, she is already saying it to me.”So I think that shows how involved she is. I was just so amazed to see what she was thinking and how she was even pushing myself. So I think we should give lots of credit to her – the way she kept her nerves and held her nerves to keep batting for the team.”India play South Africa in the World Cup final on Sunday, when a first-time champion will be crowned in Navi Mumbai.

India’s first training session of the tour reinforced the idea that their spearhead could be the most pivotal player on either side even if he won’t play all five Tests

Nagraj Gollapudi08-Jun-20251:15

Watch – Shubman Gill’s India hit the nets ahead of England Tests

Jasprit Bumrah’s was the loudest voice heard around the Kent County Ground in Beckenham on Saturday. India’s premier bowler was full of energy as he not just made the ball do things but also engaged in spirited chatter with his team-mates and coaches on a windy afternoon that was alternately sunny and cloudy.It was the first day at training for India’s Test squad, which landed in London on Friday ahead of their five-match series against England, which starts on June 20 in Leeds. The one player on either side who can tilt results singlehandedly is Bumrah. He knows it. There is no arrogance in this.England has been a mostly happy place for Bumrah. In his first Test in the country, in 2018, he bagged a five-for in a comfortable India win at Trent Bridge, which helped them rebound from 2-0 down.Related

• Bumrah gave up thoughts of India Test captaincy because of 'workload'

• Bumrah confident India can take down 'ultra-aggressive' England

• Gambhir: Not taken a call on which three Tests Bumrah will play

• England-India series to be played for Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy

• Gill embraces clarity, security and comfort as Test captain

Trent Bridge was also the venue of Bumrah’s only other five-for in the country, in the first Test of the 2021 tour; India might have felt they had a slight edge going into the final day, which was rained off.In the next Test at Lord’s, in one of India’s most memorable Test wins, Bumrah stunned England with his… bat, putting on an unbroken 89 for the last wicket with Mohammed Shami before doing his usual things with the ball, including – who can forget? – the slower ball to Ollie Robinson, who might still be replaying it in his head.This is what Bumrah does. He lives in the batter’s mind. He comes to you in the middle of the night and jolts you awake. As Usman Khawaja admitted after the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy: “I was just Bumrah-ed.”What’s worse for the batters is that Bumrah doesn’t forget.2:30

Gambhir: ‘Enough quality in squad to replace Bumrah’

At training on Sunday, Bumrah could be heard telling India bowling coach Morne Morkel about his two Trent Bridge five-fors, and about how the Dukes was doing things in swing- and seam-friendly conditions on his first trip in 2018, and how, on his later tours, it became less responsive. But Bumrah has shown he has the ability to take conditions out of the equation. In Beckenham, Kent’s second home venue, Bumrah extracted good seam movement and continually tested the outside edge while keeping batters rooted inside the crease with his yorker-length deliveries.Watching him from 40-50 yards away, from behind his bowling arm, you would have never known this was the same bowler who was forced to stop bowling on the second afternoon of the New Year’s Test in Sydney owing to what was initially diagnosed as back spasms, but was eventually understood to be a stress reaction in his lower back.To avoid any worsening of the injury, the BCCI’s medical staff, in coordination with the selectors and team management, have decided Bumrah would need to be handled extremely carefully. So, on this England tour, he will not play all five Tests. As much as the fun will be rationed, the experience of watching Bumrah bowl at full tilt, filled with , is one to treasure.India, England, and Bumrah know that this once-in-a-lifetime bowler could be the most defining factor in this marquee series, soon to be christened the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Bumrah is ready for the England summer.

He has moved around the batting order of late, but being a finisher looks like Maxwell’s role in India and Sri Lanka next year

Andrew McGlashan17-Aug-2025

Glenn Maxwell reverse sweeps over short third•Getty Images

Ahead of the deciding T20I against South Africa in Cairns, Glenn Maxwell was asked whether having retired from ODIs had given him pause to consider an overall end date for his international career. The answer, delivered in good spirits, was a succinct “No.”If he so desires, next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka would be a fitting stepping-off point for one of the format’s great players. It’s difficult to believe he could go for two more years even though the 2028 edition will be co-hosted by Australia, alongside New Zealand.Related

The Carey question: Will Australia need wicketkeeping back-up for the T20 World Cup?

Magnificent Maxwell sinks South Africa in nail-biting T20I series decider

'Show off more' – Conrad tells his players after last-over defeat in final T20I

On Saturday evening he showed what he can still bring with the bat, expertly guiding an uncertain chase over the line with a masterful unbeaten 62 off 36 balls, having earlier snaffled a match-changing catch at long-on to cut off Dewald Brevis’ destructive innings. When calling time on ODIs, Maxwell cited being unable to sustain 50 overs on the field but, as a couple of recent parried boundary catches have reinforced, he remains capable of spectacular moments.Australia are shaping up well ahead of the World Cup and Maxwell will be a vital component of their bid to win the title for just the second time, in all three facets of the game. His offspin is a crucial cog in the balance of the side and could well be a powerplay option at the World Cup.With Australia tweaking their batting order in the last two series against South Africa and West Indies, Maxwell has moved around the line-up. He made 47 off 18 balls opening in St Kitts last month and was used in three different spots in this latest series. There will likely always be a degree of situational flexibility, but No. 6 and 7 looks like his home for the World Cup tilt.There are times with the bat when Maxwell looks uncomfortable and there will, as ever, continue to be moments that exasperate: the “oh, why did you do that, Maxi?” shot. But then there are the times, such as the decider against South Africa, when he gets it spot on and everything comes off.Glenn Maxwell has produced some spectacular pieces of fielding in the last few weeks•AFP/Getty ImagesThe way he backed himself to finish the chase was a window into a brilliant mind. Declining singles – even, briefly, when a very capable No. 8 in Ben Dwarshuis was with him – and trying to read what Lungi Ngidi would bowl in the final over as he won the game by reversing a full toss over short third having turned down runs off the previous two deliveries to leave four from needed two.”I was thinking about doing it probably the ball before,” Maxwell said. “[But] I just felt like he was going to bowl a slower ball the ball before so I could knock it into midwicket for two. As soon as it was pace on, I realised I’d probably made a mistake in not going. I hit it too well to get back for two so I was like, that’s fine, I’ll hit one of the last two balls, hopefully for four. I just felt like he wasn’t going to go to the slower ball.”Even though I was able to get one off him earlier, I didn’t think it was going to be as easy. I think the point was just a little bit finer. I thought I needed pace on to get it there. As soon as I saw it coming out of his hand, I was just like, get any bat on it and it’s going to travel. Got the ball I wanted and was able to execute.”Explaining his tactics when Dwarshuis came in during the 14th over, with Australia needing 51 off 37 balls, Maxwell said it was so he could take advantage of the shorter boundary with the wind.”I wanted to control that over as well as I could and then trust [Dwarshuis] from the other end where he had a few more options,” he said. “I think if I had taken a single the first ball [with him] just starting his innings, it might have been tough for him to get going or get off strike straight away.”I thought it might have been a bit of a risk if I was at the non-striker’s end for five balls of that over hitting to the shorter side as a right-hander. In the end, I think I got 11 off it, which is a win. It kept the momentum going. From then on, I trusted him basically [at] both ends.”When Maxwell took 15 off Kagiso Rabada’s final over – launching a six from a free hit after a huge beamer had slipped out of Rabada’s grip – the game looked decided with Australia needing 12 off 12. However, Corbin Bosch provided a twist with a double-wicket maiden in the 19th over. But Adam Zampa had done his part by surviving two deliveries and Maxwell had the strike. He knew exactly what he needed to do.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are both part of the squad for the ODIs in Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Oct-20258:14

Aakash Chopra: Didn’t see Gill’s appointment coming this soon

Shubman Gill has been appointed India’s new ODI captain, replacing Rohit Sharma, and will lead the side in the three-match series in Australia starting on October 19.Rohit has been picked in the ODI squad as a batter and, along with Virat Kohli, is set to represent India again for the first time since the 2025 Champions Trophy in March.The selection panel, headed by former India fast bowler Ajit Agarkar, met on Saturday in Ahmedabad, where India won the first Test of the series against West Indies by an innings and 140 runs. The reason behind the captaincy change was that the selectors wanted Gill to settle down well before the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. It is understood the decision was taken collectively by Agarkar in coordination with India head coach Gautam Gambhir and BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia.Related

• Tough but fair: selectors have prioritised future over sentiment

• Gill inherits the wealth of India's Rohit-Kohli era

“Obviously at some stage you got to start looking at where the next World Cup is,” Agarkar said at a press conference in Ahmedabad. “It’s [ODIs] also a format which is played the least now, so you don’t get that many games to actually give the next guy, or if there is going to be another guy, that much time to prepare himself or plan. We are two years away still, might look like a long time, but we don’t quite know how many one-day games we might play. Closer to the World Cup we might end up playing a little bit more than what we have, but the last one-day game we played was what, 8th or 9th March in Champions Trophy, and the next one we play is in October 19th, so it is a bit of a challenge with one-day cricket at the moment … It is very difficult to have three different captains for three formats, in terms of not just selectors but more importantly even for the coach, to plan with three different people is never easy.”Gill, 26, now holds formal leadership roles in all three formats as Test and ODI captain and vice-captain of the T20I team. “Hopefully not, he is still quite young,” Agarkar said when asked about the risk of Gill burning out given his workload. “We hope there is no burnout. It is true there is a lot of cricket coming thick and fast over the next few months in particular. We will try and manage it as best as we can, but you also want to, like I said, give the guy enough time to try and prepare going into that next World Cup, which is 24 months away, but may not be that many games, so we want to give him the best possible chance.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Rohit, 38, was India’s full-time ODI captain from December 2021. Overall, he led India in 56 ODIs, winning 42, losing 12, with one tie and another no-result. He led India to the 2018 Asia Cup title as stand-in captain, and then to the 2023 Asia Cup title as full-time captain. Under his leadership, India made the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup. His tenure culminated in India winning the Champions Trophy.Gill had also become India’s Test captain following Rohit’s retirement from the format in May ahead of India’s tour of England this summer. In his maiden series as Test captain, Gill led India to a 2-2 draw in England, and finished as the highest run-scorer with 754 runs at an average of 75.40.With Rohit and Kohli both retired from Tests and T20Is, the upcoming ODI series in Australia will be their first international appearance in more than seven months. After the three ODIs in Australia, their next opportunities to play for India are in the three-ODI home series against South Africa in November-December and against New Zealand in January.India play three ODIs in Australia on October 19, 23 and 25, followed by five T20Is from October 29 to November 8.

Eberechi Eze reacted with a sheepish grin and quickly moved on when asked about his failed move to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer, after the Arsenal star and boyhood Gunners fan scored a stunning hat-trick in a 4-1 demolition of Spurs at the Emirates. Eze came close to completing a move to Arsenal's biggest rivals in the summer, before a late hijack saw the former Crystal Palace star complete his dream £67.5million ($88m) transfer.

Eze avoids Spurs question after dream derby day hat-trick

Eze was understandably reluctant to answer when asked by Sky Sports at full-time about the possibility that he may have been wearing different colours for Sunday’s North London Derby if things had gone differently.

The 27-year-old England international completed his dream move to his boyhood club in August and put in the performance of a lifetime as he scored past arch-rivals three times to earn the derby day match ball, reaching five goals for his new club in the process.

Bagging his side’s second goal in controversial circumstances just before half-time, Eze struck two goals from the edge of the box in the second period to secure a huge victory for Arsenal, which puts the Gunners six points clear at the top of the Premier League table – with second-placed Chelsea to come next weekend at Stamford Bridge.

Speaking post-match, Eze was quick to brush past the question regarding his high-profile transfer saga in the summer, where the Gunners completed a stunning hijack to secure a game-changing signing.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportEze's hilarious response to Spurs transfer question

“Let’s not speak about that”, said Eze when asked if he could have been wearing the opposition colours for the derby, breaking into a smile after his cheeky response live on Sky Sports. “I thought you might say that”, responded the reporter.

“That’s a good [feeling],” Eze said of emphatic derby victory. “Enjoyable day, happy to help the team and to win today is special.

“It feels special, man. I’m grateful again, this is what I pray for. I prayed for it today, a hat-trick, and I got it today so I’m grateful to God.”

Eze reflects on his favourite goal of match-winning treble

“That was the prayer today, a hat-trick, and God gave it to me. That’s faith. All my family is here again, which makes it even more special to do it in front of them," Eze continued.

When asked for his pick of the goals, Eze said: “They were all good, I don’t know. Maybe the second one, that was my favourite.

“Just the timing of it, it was the right time,” he continued. “Honestly, it’s just special, all of them are good for me, because I know that I’ve been working on the process to get in those positions, so it’s worked out.”

On scoring his first professional hat-trick, he added: “Yeah, it is. Special one. As I say, words can’t explain this one today.”

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Getty Images Sport'Special day for us' – Arteta speaks

Mikel Arteta said to BBC Match of the Day:"It's a very special day for us. We knew the importance of the match and what it means to our fans. To be able to give them that joy, it's a beautiful day."

On Eze becoming the fourth-ever player to score a hat-trick in the North London derby: "That tells you about the difficulty and what he's done today. To be fair he could have scored four or five. He's a big player who can create magic moments which unbalance a team.

"We dominated every part of the game. We created massive chances and had a lot of actions that we were very close to scoring. We stayed patient.

"Whoever we put in there they do the jobs for us. This squad has the belief and quality to deliver consistently.

"We have really good momentum but you can see how difficult every game in the Premier League is. It's a long run, let's go game by game. Let's enjoy tonight, then we have Bayern here and Chelsea away. We have a tough week."

Josh Hazlewood is confident one Sheffield Shield game will be enough for him and Mitchell Starc before the Ashes, with the quick likely to skip three T20Is against India to play for New South Wales.Hazlewood and Starc were on Tuesday both named in Australia’s squad to face India in three ODIs later this month, which kicks off the main part of the home summer.Related

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• Hazlewood: England will bring an 'unbelievable' batting line-up for the Ashes

Five T20Is then follow, and while Starc has retired from that format, Hazlewood has been listed in the squad for the first two of those games on October 29 and 31.Australian officials are keeping an open mind to Ashes preparations, ahead of the first Test in Perth beginning on November 21.But the most likely scenario remains having the duo play for NSW against Victoria in a Shield match from November 10, before a one-week preparation into the first Test.”We’ve definitely had chats about fitting in a Shield game,” Hazlewood said at a Cricket Australia sponsorship announcement with Woolworths on Monday. “I do think it’s important when there’s time for it. You don’t want to squeeze things in or rush for it.”This year I’m going to miss a couple of T20s to do that. Which I certainly don’t like doing, missing games for Australia. But in the long run it is about getting the best prep for the Ashes as well. You can’t have everything and that’s the trade off at the moment.”Josh Hazlewood will work through ODIs and T20Is during October•Getty Images

It creates the potential for a star-studded NSW side to take the field at the SCG. Nathan Lyon is eyeing three out of the first four Shield matches before the first Test and is expected to miss the round two fixture at Junction Oval which would leave him to face Queensland at the Gabba then Victoria in Sydney.It’s understood that Steve Smith is also in line to play while Sam Konstas will likely line up, although by then he will know his Test fate with the squad due to be named after the third round of Shield fixtures.Pat Cummins will sit out the white-ball matches against India as he fights to recover from his back issues in time for the first Test.Hazlewood said playing the ODIs would also help with preparation, with three games in the space of a week offering a reasonable workload.There is a fine balance for the 34-year-old to strike, given he is still eying off playing in the T20 World Cup in February before another ODI tournament in 2027.”That’s why I put my hand up for as many tours as I can,” Hazlewood said. “Even if I only play two out of three on a tour, it just means I am still touching base with those formats.”My game doesn’t change too much. I have been around long enough to duck and dive in each format and chop and change.”Hazlewood said it was possible for him to play all five Ashes Tests, with lengthy gaps between the first three helping bowlers manage their fitness.