Prasidh Krishna of Gujarat Titans (GT) took one wicket on Sunday to get to 21 wickets, and CSK’s Noor Ahmad joined him there after returning 1 for 42 from three overs against RR. For Noor, though, such expensive figures was of no help, as he continued to remain behind Prasidh on the table with an inferior economy rate as well as average. Prasidh is going at 7.85 and 17.57, while Noor’s corresponding figures are 8.41 and 18.42.Josh Hazlewood, who hasn’t played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) since April 27 and may or may not play a role in the remainder of the tournament as he recovers from a shoulder injury, is still in third place with 18 wickets. But Trent Boult could go past him and close in on the table-toppers when Mumbai Indians (MI) play Delhi Capitals (DC) tonight, though there is rain around and the game could be affected.
Orange Cap table
Suryakumar Yadav will get a chance to close in on the top three on the Orange Cap list if the MI vs DC game goes ahead, and goes ahead for long enough. He is at No. 4 currently with 510 runs, but the table-topper, GT’s B Sai Sudharsan, is over 100 runs away with 617, and second-placed Shubman Gill is also quite a distance away from Suryakumar with 610 runs. Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored 36 in 19 balls in RR’s win over CSK, is at third with 559 runs.Also in action tonight will be KL Rahul, the DC batting frontman, but he is further behind Suryakumar at No. 7 with 493 runs.Here’s what ESPNcricinfo’s MVP table looks like.And here are some other IPL 2025 tables that show the season’s best performers in different aspects of the T20 game.
Matt Henry, who had been included in New Zealand’s squads for the fourth and fifth T20Is against Pakistan despite an injured shoulder, has been officially ruled out, and will continue “his injury rehabilitation programme,” New Zealand Cricket said on Saturday.Zakary Foulkes, who had been selected only for the first three games of the series, has been retained for the last two games as Henry’s replacement. Foulkes was persisted with after returns of 1 for 11 (three overs) in the first game and none for 32 (three overs) in the second game, both of which New Zealand won.In another tweak to the squad, Kyle Jamieson, who was Player of the Match in the first T20I for his returns of 3 for 8 but was expensive (none for 54) in the third game, which Pakistan won, has been left out for the last two games. Will O’Rourke, who had originally been picked only for the first three games, has been added to the squad in Jamieson’s place.Henry had injured his right shoulder while diving in the outfield during the Champions Trophy semi-final win over South Africa earlier this month, which put him out of the final against India, and has also been managing an ongoing left-knee issue.Of the New Zealand quicks, Jacob Duffy has played all three matches of the series, and leads the wicket-takers’ list with seven strikes, while James Neesham and Ben Sears have played two games each. Ish Sodhi and captain Michael Bracewell, the two spinners, have also played all three games.New Zealand lead the series 2-1, with the fourth and fifth games to be played on Sunday (in Mount Maunganui) and on Wednesday (in Wellington).
New Zealand squad for last two T20Is vs Pakistan
Michael Bracewell (capt), Finn Allen, Mitchell Hay (wk), Tim Robinson, Tim Seifert (wk), Mark Chapman, Zakary Foulkes, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Jacob Duffy, Will O’Rourke, Ben Sears, Ish Sodhi
It will be Jos Buttler’s last match in charge, as England face a shake-up after an early exit from this tournament
Firdose Moonda28-Feb-20257:21
Steyn on SA’s chances against England: ‘Be careful of the wounded buffalo’
Big picture: All eyes on ButtlerWhat could have been a quarter-final is all but a dead rubber as Group B closes out with the meeting of two heavyweights. England are already out of semi-final contention, and will soon have to go down a spiral of introspection over their poor ODI showings, starting with the decision of Jos Buttler to step down as captain. South Africa are all but through to the last four (all but the the most outlandish of heavy defeats will see them through ahead of Afghanistan following Friday’s washout), and it will be their third successive appearance in the knockouts of an ICC event. It will also vindicate white-ball coach Rob Walter’s assertion that when they have a full-strength squad available, they can challenge the best.Related
Decline and fall: England face up to scale of ODI rebuild
Buttler goes down with the ship as England journey comes full circle
Jos Buttler quits as England's white-ball captain after Champions Trophy exit
McCullum: Buttler's successor will need 'right support' to lead rennaissance
'Possible it's my last ICC tournament' – van der Dussen
Some may not even consider England worthy of the label at the moment, but they are the highest-ranked opposition South Africa will actually play against at this tournament so far, after their fixture against Australia was also washed out. South Africa’s first match was a week ago against Afghanistan, who they beat comfortably in Karachi, the same venue as this game. England, though, lost to Afghanistan for the second successive time in a big ODI event, and will wonder if the gulf between themselves and South Africa is as wide as the margin of results against Afghanistan suggests.The evidence of the last World Cup hints at that, after South Africa galloped to a 229-run thrashing of England in Mumbai. Before that, South Africa beat England 2-1 in an ODI series thrust into the middle of the inaugural SA20 which ensured their qualification for that World Cup. In some ways, that series signalled a turning point for both sides: South Africa began rebuilding, and results have largely been positive, while England – though they won ODI series against Bangladesh, New Zealand and Ireland in 2023 – have lost their last four bilateral contests and appear out of sorts at major tournaments.They won’t want to leave this one without having some say. An attack of Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid and Liam Livingstone will be a challenge for South Africa, who will hope to hit back by solidifying their own batting strategy ahead of a likely semi-final.Joe Root’s century against Afghanistan was his first in 40 ODIs since 2019•ICC/Getty Images
Form guide South Africa: WLLLL (last five completed matches, most recent first) England: LLLLLIn the spotlight: Joe Root and Wiaan MulderAfter leading the run-scoring list at one stage in the SA20 and ultimately finishing eighth, Joe Root became a fan favourite in South Africa – and especially among Paarl Royals supporters – and they would like to take some credit for his current form. He is currently third in this year’s Champions Trophy’s batting charts, and has already contributed a fifty and a hundred – the latter his first in 40 ODIs since 2019. But Root would love to be able to make a significant score in a winning cause. He is as familiar with South Africa’s attack as they are with him, and may see this as an opportunity to show his dominance against them and in an England line-up set for a shake up.Wiaan Mulder has gone from a fringe player to one of the must-haves in a South Africa side which already has one seam-bowling allrounder in Marco Jansen. Mulder plays a completely different role to Jansen, whose left-arm angle, express pace and ability to generate bounce is one of South Africa’s premier modes of attack. Mulder, meanwhile, offers seam movement and a hint of swing, and has worked hard on both his consistency and his batting, which gives South Africa the luxury of a fourth seamer and a lengthened line-up. There were some glimpses of his batting ability with his brief innings of 12 from six balls against Afghanistan, where he also took 2 for 36 in nine overs in an under-rated but important contribution.Team newsInjuries continue to mount for England. Mark Wood is set to see a specialist in the UK next week after suffering a left knee injury against Afghanistan. Saqib Mahmood could play his 13th ODI in Wood’s place. And, of course, this will be Buttler’s last game in charge.England (probable): 1 Phil Salt, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Jamie Smith (wk), 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Jos Buttler (capt), 7 Liam Livingstone, 8 Jamie Overton, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Saqib MahmoodHeinrich Klaasen was declared fit after he missed the match against Afghanistan due to an elbow injury•PCB
Heinrich Klaasen has been declared “fine and available for selection” by Walter after he missed the match against Afghanistan due to an elbow injury. With Klaasen slotting into the middle order, that will force South Africa to leave one of their top-order players out. On form, that is likely to be Tony de Zorzi, with Ryan Rickelton partnering Temba Bavuma at the top, and Rassie van der Dussen to slot in at No. 3. South Africa’s attack could remain unchanged, though, which means space for only one specialist spinner.South Africa (probable): 1 Temba Bavuma (capt), 2 Ryan Rickelton, 3 Rassie van der Dussen, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 6 David Miller, 7 Wiaan Mulder, 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Lungi NgidiPitch and conditionsThe most important news, given the way things have gone over the last few days, is that a clear day is forecast for Karachi, which has thus far also been a high-scoring venue. In the two previous matches played there in this tournament, the team batting first has scored over 300 and won the game convincingly. South Africa were one of those teams, and they believed they could have topped up their 315 for 6 against Afghanistan and know what’s possible after their experience in these conditions in a tri-series over the last month. England have been involved in two high-scoring games and fallen short both times, and may be wondering how much is enough. In their last hurrah, they may want to reinforce that their batting blueprint is not just entertaining but successful as well.The last time England and South Africa met in the Champions Trophy was in the semi-final in 2013•Getty Images
Stats and trivia The last time these two teams met in the Champions Trophy was in the semi-final in 2013. England were comfortable winners over South Africa, whose batting collapsed in what turned out to be coach Gary Kirsten’s final match in charge. England, though, went on to lose the final to India. Liam Livingstone is set to play his 100th international match across formats. So far, he has played one Test, 38 ODIs and 60 T20Is. Phil Salt is 20 runs away from 1000 in ODIs.Quotes”If you look at the quality of the players, the English players are quality. In league cricket around the world, they do well, which should suggest that they’re adaptable. If you look at the names on the sheet, there’s some quality players there. There’s no doubt about that. Cricket can be fickle and sport can be fickle, and sometimes that results in you losing. There’s good cricketers that, to be honest, could turn out tomorrow and deliver an international standard performance against us.” South Africa white-ball coach Rob Walter on why his team is expecting a fight from England in their final appearance at this year’s Champions Trophy
Chelsea are now preparing a £43m offer for a “world-class” Real Madrid target, who could be brought in as a replacement for Levi Colwill, according to a report.
Blues readying bid for centre-back after Colwill blow
There were always concerns that competing in the Club World Cup may have a negative knock-on effect going into the new season, and the Blues have already suffered a major injury blow, with Colwill set to miss most of the campaign due to an ACL injury.
Since then, Enzo Maresca has hinted that another centre-back could be brought in to account for the loss of the 22-year-old, with the manager saying: “It depends – we will wait and see.
“You know in our way, how important Levi has been. I spoke with him yesterday and I told him that if we achieve what we achieved last year, it is also because of him – and he was a main player for us.”
It has since been revealed that the west Londoners are expected to make a bid for Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo imminently, but a Premier League centre-back has also now entered the frame as a potential option…
That is according to reports in Spain, which state Chelsea are now preparing a €50m (£43m) offer for Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate, who is also being targeted by Spanish heavyweights Real Madrid.
Madrid are confident about securing Konate’s signature on a free transfer next summer, upon the expiration of his contract, but the Blues have now entered the race, and they are willing to pay the exact amount Liverpool are looking for.
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Dominic Lund
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At present, however, a move to Real Madrid is still the most likely outcome, given that the Reds are reluctant to strengthen one of their direct Premier League rivals, and the player himself is leaning towards a move to the Santiago Bernabéu.
"World-class" Konate would be major coup for Chelsea
In truth, it seems unlikely that the Blues will be able to get a deal done, considering the French defender has no reason to leave the reigning Premier League champions, and Liverpool are hesitant to let him move to Stamford Bridge.
However, the Reds are at risk of losing the 26-year-old on a free transfer if they don’t cash-in this summer, which means it could be tempting to sanction a sale, and he could be a fantastic acquisition for the Blues.
The France international played a major role in Liverpool’s 2024-25 Premier League title triumph, making 31 appearances, and journalist David Lynch believes he is now “world-class”.
Konate is clearly entering the prime of his career, and it would be a major coup if Chelsea were able to get a deal done, but it seems extremely unlikely that Arne Slot’s side will agree to a sale, given that they are already light on centre-back options.
“If given the responsibility, I would be more than happy to take it on,” Venkatesh says about the KKR captaincy
Vishal Dikshit24-Nov-20244:23
INR 23.75 crore for Venky Iyer – Moody ‘shocked’
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) were among the two franchises – along with Rajasthan Royals (RR) – who came into the mega auction without any right-to-match (RTM) options in the bag, and they are getting close to retaining a majority of their core, although with the unexpected amount of INR 23.75 crore they shelled out for Venkatesh Iyer. But by spending a combined INR 5.60 crore on opening batters Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Quinton de Kock, the defending champions have “balanced off” after breaking the bank for Venkatesh.Along with their retentions of Rinku Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Harshit Rana and Ramandeep Singh, and by buying Anrich Nortje again, they have nine players of ten from the squad that won IPL 2024.”Auctions are this way only,” KKR CEO Venky Mysore said of splurging on Venkatesh. “At the end of the day it’s about the player you want and the type of player you want in the set-up. Of course, prices have a meaning within a certain band and so it surprises you all the time. When you have salary caps like this going up (INR 120 crore compared to 100 crore last auction), obviously [player] prices will also expand. For us it was about trying to keep our core. We’ve kept six players and brought 2-3 players back from last year. that was always the kind of thinking and as far as he (Venkatesh) is concerned we definitely did’t want to find ourselves in a situation where we may not be able to bing him back. But it always balances itself. When you look at Quinton de Kock (INR 3.60 crore) and Nortje (INR 6.50 crore) that we’ve picked, it balances off in many ways. On an overall basis, it all works out.”They’ve proven on the field what they can do. You saw in a championship year, and one year we went to the final as well, in 2021. He (Venkatesh) was highly instrumental and terrific guy in the team. He had clearly given us an ultimatum that, ‘If you don’t pick me, I will be very sad’. So we didn’t want him to be sad, and we’re also very happy.”The first day of the auction saw as many as three players bag deals of over INR 20 crore each, with two of them – former KKR captain Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant – breaking the previous record of the biggest IPL deals. When asked if he was surprised by the big price tags this time as many big-name players wanted to explore the market, Mysore said, “Not really, to be honest. Players put in their base prices only, we’re the ones who are raising the paddle. It’s always a function of what the availability of the purse is and in that situation and timing what not. I still maintain that the RTM rule should have been the old rule.”
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Venkatesh Iyer ‘more than happy’ to be KKR captain”I had the opportunity to captain the side in Nitish Rana’s absence when he was unfortunately injured, and I was the vice-captain as well,” Venkatesh was quoted as saying by . “I’ve always believed that captaincy is just a tag, but leadership is about creating an environment where everyone feels they can play for this team and contribute. If given the responsibility, I would be more than happy to take it on. Together, we will aim to defend the championship and continue our winning campaign.”Venkatesh became the third-most expensive buy at the IPL 2025 mega auction behind Pant and Shreyas.”To be honest, I’m at a loss for words, but I’m elated to be part of the KKR team once again,” Venkatesh said. “The KKR coach [Chandrakant Pandit] was also my coach in Madhya Pradesh. We were discussing how I felt nervous about coming back to KKR. But again, it’s a message of the franchise’s focus on winning championships and player development and how much they value its players. I’m thrilled to play for KKR again and happy they’ve shown so much confidence in me.”
Graham Potter has enough credit in the bank as a Premier League-proven manager to turn around West Ham United’s fortunes.
During his final full season at the helm of Brighton and Hove Albion, the 50-year-old would guide the Seagulls to a fantastic ninth place in the league standings, with the Hammers jumping for joy at a potential top-half finish themselves, after an unsatisfactory 14th spot was sealed last season.
Those watching on week after week at the London Stadium might have expected Potter to hit the ground running with speed when joining last campaign, but with a transfer window soon to be under his belt, he should be able to stamp his authority on proceedings more effectively to try and make his Irons stay a success.
Kyle Walker-Peters is the standout addition so far this summer, having just been picked up on a free transfer deal from Southampton, with another purchase from a recently relegated side looking to be in the works.
West Ham enter race for Premier League star
West Ham are also scouring the rest of the Premier League, away from just looking to raid the unlucky clubs that have unfortunately fallen through the relegation trapdoor.
Harvey Elliott celebrates for Liverpool
Indeed, James McAtee is reportedly on their shopping list from Manchester City, although his £35m valuation might prove to be too steep, whilst Harvey Elliott is also allegedly on the Hammers’ radar from City’s rivals in Liverpool.
They are also setting their sights on Leicester City when attempting to add in some fresh bodies centrally, with journalist Ben Jacobs recently revealing, when talking to talkSPORT, that Potter and Co. are keen on Wilfred Ndidi’s services.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Jacobs does state that there could be an intense race ahead for the Nigerian’s in-demand signature, owing to the likes of Manchester and Everton also keeping an eye out on the 28-year-old as a potential recruit:
“A quick word on West Ham United because now that they’ve sold Mohammad Kudus to Tottenham, I expect West Ham to have a little bit more financial leeway to really get going. My expectation is that Graeme Potter is going to be pushing this window for an attacking midfielder and also a number six.
“And the latest player that I’ve heard on the radar for number six is Wilfred Ndidi, who has been discussed by Manchester United, Everton, Real Betis and Juventus and even Saudi. There are so many clubs in for Ndidi that my feeling is that it will resolve itself relatively quickly.”
Declan Rice
Yet, if West Ham wants to finally fill the void left behind by Declan Rice’s exit in the middle of the park, they might have to flex their muscles and advance to the front of the queue for Ndidi.
How Ndidi can help West Ham to finally replace Rice
Expecting the £75k-per-week talent to instantly be West Ham’s new answer to the England international straight away is a lot to ask.
He is well accustomed to the pressures of the Premier League already, though, having notched up 220 top-flight appearances for the Foxes to date, meaning he should be able to perform with the same confidence centrally that Rice showed in spades when he was still situated in East London.
Before taking his game to an unbelievable new level at Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal – with the £105m talent now not looking out of place against world beaters Real Madrid – Rice was well-known as a vibrant and lively midfield option at his boyhood employers, with a split second ability to fire home a stunning strike in his locker, just like this one he arrowed home back in 2021 for the Hammers.
But, he also had a bite present in his game that made him a formidable foe to come up against, as seen in him winning a high 4.4 duels on average in league action during his swansong campaign at the London Stadium.
Ndidi’s league numbers for Leicester (24/25)
Stat – per 90 mins*
Ndidi
Games played
28
Goals scored
0
Assists
5
Touches*
53.2
Accurate passes*
29.5 (82%)
Ball recoveries*
4.5
Total duels won*
6.3
Stats by Sofascore
Looking at the table above, Ndidi seemingly operated in a very similar manner to a much rawer Rice for his relegation-doomed side last campaign, with a willingness to push up the pitch and get involved in attacks seen in his five assists, away from his further seven goals across his entire Premier League playing days.
However, it’s also his desire to get stuck in from deep, away from just bombing forward, which makes him an ideal candidate to finally fill that Rice-shaped hole, with a hefty 6.3 duels won on average.
In contrast to the “absolute monster” of a midfielder – as described by ESPN’s Colin Udoh – despite being in the form of his life now at the Emirates, the ex-Hammers number 41 would only win 3.4 himself across the same span.
Labelled as a “first-class” talent by Brendan Rodgers when the pair were together at the King Power Stadium, West Ham might well deem winning the services of Ndidi as a more important venture now than replacing Mohammed Kudus, especially if it finally allows for the heartbreak of Rice’s departure to be put to bed.
Their new Kudus: West Ham open first talks to sign "intelligent" £30m star
West Ham United could snap up their next Mohammed Kudus by signing this £30m attacker.
Manchester United are exploring deals to improve their squad during the summer transfer window, as they look to add to the signing of Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers last month.
The Red Devils are reportedly confident that they will be able to complete a deal to sign Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch.
In the 2024/25 season, the Cameroon international delivered 20 goals and seven assists in all competitions, which suggests that he could add a huge threat to Ruben Amorim’s side next term.
Whilst the signings of Cunha and Mbeumo, if the latter goes through, show that United are looking for Premier League proven performers to help them kick on, the Red Devils are also looking further afield.
Man Utd eyeing up LaLiga ace
As well as wanting to improve their options at the top end of the pitch, by signing players who can score and assist goals, the club would like to improve their midfield.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
According to Caught Offside, Manchester United are one of a number of teams in the race to sign Barcelona defensive midfielder Marc Casado this summer.
The report claims that Amorim’s side are interested in a deal to bring the Spaniard over to England, but they have not made contact with the LaLiga champions yet.
FC Barcelona's MarcCasadocelebrates scoring their second goal with teammates
It reveals, however, that their Premier League rivals, Chelsea and Arsenal, have spoken to Barcelona to enquire about a potential swoop for the 21-year-old talent.
Caught Offside adds that it will take a fee of around £43m to tempt the Spanish giants into cashing in on the midfielder, despite him having an £86m release clause.
Man Utd could find their next Carrick
If United can get a deal over the line for the Barcelona star this summer, Amorim could unearth his own version of Michael Carrick in the middle of the park.
The former Red Devils star, who recently managed Middlesbrough, was a metronome in midfield for the club during his playing days with his fantastic ability to dictate play with his quality on the ball.
From the 2009/10 season onwards (from when the data became available), the England international completed 88% of his attempted passes in 272 games before the end of his career.
In Casado, United could find a young midfielder with similar qualities to Carrick. However, at the age of 21, he is still very raw and needs time to develop and hit his stride at senior level.
Barcelona's Marc Casado against Benfica.
He made 23 appearances for Barcelona in their LaLiga title-winning season last term, leading talent scout Jacek Kulig to hail his “incredible” form, and showcased the kind of qualities that you would associate with the former United midfielder.
24/25 LaLiga
Marc Casado per 90
Percentile rank vs CMs
Passes attempted
76.37
Top 5%
Pass accuracy
89%
Top 10%
Progressive passes
5.98
Top 18%
Assists
0.17
Top 22%
Passes into the final third
7.71
Top 6%
Passes offside
0.00
Top 4%
Stats via FBref
As you can see in the table above, he ranked highly among his positional peers in a host of possession-based metrics, with both his pass accuracy and progressive passing statistics pointing to his efficiency and effectiveness with the ball at his feet.
These statistics suggest that Casado could be moulded into a Carrick-esque figure for Amorim, as a deep-lying midfielder who can move the ball around and dictate games, whilst being progressive in doing so.
However, Casado only won 53% of his duels, including 28% of his aerial battles, and he may need to improve the physical side of his game to truly thrive in England.
This is why he may not be the finished article right away for Manchester United in the Premier League, but he does have the attributes to potentially develop into Amorim’s own Carrick in the future, or straight away if he can hit the ground running.
Amorim's own Haaland: Man Utd make "world-class" £60m CF their top target
Manchester United appear to be making moves for a new forward in the transfer market.
Sri Lanka’s interim coach also says people need to give Asalanka some time as captain before judging him
Shashank Kishore01-Aug-2024Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka’s interim coach, wants his team to channel the criticism they have received after the T20I series loss to India to turn things around during the 50-overs leg of the tour.”I tell them that I have been at this place too during my 20 years as a player,” Jayasuriya said ahead of the first ODI in Colombo. “A lot of you have just started. You have to be able to accept this criticism, and then be able to come out and play well. If you play well the fans will love you. What they say to you is because of the hurt they are feeling, and that’s temporary.Jayasuriya said the Sri Lankan team was putting in “huge efforts” at training, and the batting collapses they suffered in all three T20Is was simply a case of things not clicking. Two nights ago, they lost 7 for 27 as India took the third T20I into the Super Over despite the hosts cruising towards their 138-run target at one stage. In the first T20I, they lost 9 for 30 after setting themselves up for victory at 140 for 1 in 14 overs while chasing 214.Jayasuriya said it wasn’t a lack of skill or commitment that led to the meltdowns. He felt his players’ “cricket awareness” needed sharpening. “We have created a system where top-order batters could bat for two or three hours during training,” he said. “Kamindu Mendis batted for more than 600 balls during our training. Kusal Perera batted for over 700 balls and that’s quite a number of overs.Related
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“I don’t see a lack of commitment, but they have got to tackle pressure better. Their cricket awareness also needs sharpening. We are taking the responsibility; you can’t go away from that. As long as they realise that, and make sure that, we’ll have to keep giving them the confidence and support.”Jayasuriya elaborated on the “cricket awareness” aspect by citing how it was acceptable to not be a six-hitting team.”When you talk about power hitting, I don’t think you need that much,” Jayasuriya said. “If you hit enough fours and enough twos, you get the total that you need. The [Sri Lankan] grounds are a little bigger. There’s no reason why you can’t hit boundaries, or twos, or threes. If you can do that, you can get by without hitting so many sixes.”Jayasuriya also backed new captain Charith Asalanka to come good, while underlining the importance of giving him time to settle into the new role before being judged. Since his debut in 2021, Asalanka has risen to become one of Sri Lanka’s more consistent ODI batters, averaging 43.59 with a strike rate of almost 90 across 52 innings.”Charith Asalanka is one of our best players in this format, and we need to remember that,” Jayasuriya said. “But when you get the captaincy, there is some pressure. I’ve been there too. You have got to give them a little time in that position.”There are ten more players in the side, and 16 in the squad. We all have to get together and give him the confidence too. At any moment, the captain could click. Charith Asalanka is someone who works really hard. He’s very professional and communicates well.”The Sri Lanka players have been hit by injuries and illnesses in the lead-up to the ODI series. The list is rather long – Binura Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka, Dushmantha Chameera, Matheesha Pathirana and Nuwan Thushara are all unavailable.”We have brought Pramod Madushan into our squad,” Jayasuriya said. “There’s also a viral flu in the team and we need to account for that. Maheesh Theekshana was sick and he recovered enough to play. Wanindu Hasaranga also had it. There were several who caught it and in the end, we even had to admit Binura Fernando to the hospital.”The absence of key players, though, is not something Jayasuriya wants to use as an excuse. He insists there’s plenty to play for and has spoken to players individually about placing an emphasis on being “mentally in the right place”.”I’m interim coach and I’ve only got these two series, but that’s not how I think,” he said. “When I was playing, and even now, I hate to lose. The players who are around now know that too. When I talk to them, I tell them that fans in this country love the game, and a lot of us, including me, have brought cricket into this country to a certain place.”I’ve spoken about that a lot individually with players and as a team. In terms of facilities and practice, I’ve tried to do as much as I can. What I want is to create a good environment so they can be mentally in the right place and can play with confidence.”
It is set to be a busy summer transfer window at Aston Villa, especially throughout the month of June.
The Claret and Blue Army’s 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford against Manchester United on the final day of the season condemned them to sixth place, missing out on Champions League qualification, thereby having to settle for a spot in the Europa League.
This, as outlined by Steve Sutcliffe of BBC Sport, only increases the financial pressure on Aston Villa, who may be forced to sell key assets before 30 June to avoid breaching Profitability and Sustainability Rules.
So, with at least one first-team figure seemingly heading out the exit door, Unai Emery should be pushing hard to sign a “magical” replacement.
The latest on Leon Bailey's future
According to a report by The Telegraph, Leon Bailey is being ‘targeted’ by a number of Saudi Pro League clubs who are hoping to tempt him to move this month.
Aston Villa's Leon Bailey in action with Juventus'AndreaCambiaso
Rahman Osman of the Sun adds that newly-promoted Neom SC, who have former-Premier League players Saïd Benrahma, Ahmed Hegazi and Mbaye Diagne on their books, have already ‘held initial discussions’ with Bailey, and a £25m move is expected to be finalised this week.
Bailey was not included in Jamaica’s squad for last week’s Unity Cup in West London after, as outlined by Elias Burke of the Athletic, a public falling out with the JFF last year, thereby highly unlikely to feature in the Reggae Boyz’s World Cup qualifiers this week, nor the CONCACAF Gold Cup later this month either.
The winger joined the Villans from Bayer Leverkusen for a reported £25m four years ago, but his role in the team has diminished as the table below outlines.
Bailey season-by-season Villa career
Statistics
21/22
22/23
23/24
24/25
Appearances
18
36
52
38
Starts
7
27
35
25
Minutes
755
2,124
3,197
2,072
Times an unused sub
2
Zero
1
7
Goals
1
5
14
2
Assists
2
4
14
4
All stats from Transfermarkt
As the table highlights, Bailey endured a massive drop-off in form, importance and output from last season to this campaign, underlining the fact now is the right time for Aston Villa to sell, so should they target a replacement who will be rather familiar to supporters?
Aston Villa's dream Bailey replacement
Marco Asensio arrived at Aston Villa on loan from Paris Saint-Germain in January and was certainly a roaring success, scoring eight goals in 21 appearances, bagging braces against Club Brugge, Chelsea and Cardiff during victories at Villa Park.
Ali Tweedale of Opta’s the Analyst believes the Spanish international added a ‘sprinkling of stardust’ to Villa’s attack, noting that Emery, who he believes to be a ‘huge fan of his compatriot’, would surely be eager to sign him permanently.
Well, with Spanish publication Sport claiming that he is valued at €15m (£13m) by the newly-crowned champions of Europe, he could head back to Villa with Birmingham Live’s John Townley revealing that Asensio is said to be ‘open to returning to Villa permanently’.
Described as “magical” and a “truly impressive talent” by Juan Pericas, who was his youth team coach at Mallorca, he’d certainly be an expert replacement for the departing Bailey.
Asensio vs Bailey 2024/25 Aston Villa comparison
Statistics
Asensio
Bailey
Appearances
21
38
Minutes
1,119
2,072
Goals
8
2
Assists
1
4
Big chances missed
6
3
Big chances created
2
7
Shots
43
20
Shooting accuracy %
66.45%
44.51%
Passing accuracy %
86.35%
77.04%
Take-on success %
60.31%
46.01%
Touches per 90
44
45
Average Sofascore Rating
7.02
6.77
Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt, SofaScore and Squawka
As the table outlines, albeit from an admittedly small sample size, Asensio largely outperformed Bailey in claret and blue this season.
The Spaniard scored six more goals, despite playing around 900 fewer minutes, while registering a higher percentage of his shots on target, completed passes and successful take-ons. In short, he’s just a far more dangerous player.
Leon Bailey celebrates with Marco Asensio for Aston Villa.
Thus, if Villa are able to sell the Jamaican winger for £25m and sign Asensio for around half that, this would appear to be excellent business.
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The Villans have now asked for information about a defender, who is attracting widespread interest from the Premier League.
Leeds United are looking to sign a “fantastic” defender as a replacement for Junior Firpo this summer, with the left-back potentially leaving the Whites, according to a report.
Firpo's time at Elland Road may be coming to an end
Firpo played an important role in Leeds’ promotion from the Championship last season, with the Dominician Republic international picking up four goals and ten assists in 32 league appearances.
However, it now looks as though the left-back’s time at Elland Road could be coming to an end, with the 28-year-old’s contract set to expire this summer, and he has been attracting interest from the likes of Lazio and soon-to-be Premier League rivals Everton.
Last week, there were reports that Daniel Farke’s side have submitted a contract offer to extend the defender’s stay in Yorkshire, but a more recent update indicates that Firpo is set to depart, with the Whites now identifying a Premier League defender as a potential replacement.
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According to a report from Football Insider, Leeds are now looking to sign Liverpool defender Kostas Tsimikas, who would go straight into Farke’s starting XI, with the Reds likely to accept a bid of around £12m – £15m for the left-back in the summer.
With Arne Slot’s side making moves to sign AFC Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez, they won’t stand in Tsimikas’ way if a suitable offer is received, potentially opening the door for a move to Elland Road.
Liverpool's KostasTsimikascelebrates after winning the Premier League
Transfer correspondent Pete O’Rourke also offered a further update on Firpo’s future, saying: “Leeds are going to be in the market for a new left-back in this summer’s window with Junior Firpo likely to leave… [Tsimikas] could come straight into that team and improve them.”
Tsimikas could be "fantastic" Firpo replacement
The Greek defender didn’t exactly play a major role in Liverpool’s Premier League title triumph, making 18 appearances throughout the campaign, but he has impressed for the Reds in the past, having once been dubbed “fantastic” by journalist Ian Doyle.
With Leeds looking to avoid relegation from the top flight next season, it could be important to bring in players with top-level experience, and the 29-year-old fits the bill, receiving the Man of the Match award against RB Leipzig in the Champions League last October.
The Liverpool ace is also strong at winning back possession, ranking in the 95th percentile for interceptions per 90, and the 79th percentile for tackles, when compared to other full-backs over the past year.
Of course, it would be a shame to see Firpo leave, given the role the defender played in Leeds’ promotion last season, but there are plenty of signs that Tsimikas could be a solid replacement, and a fee of £15m wouldn’t break the bank.