The much-maligned squad entered their series against the Miami Marlins this week carrying a record of 9-50. Somehow, some way, the Rockies defied their sad-sack reputation and swept the Marlins to move to 12-50 on the year. Just days ago they became the fastest team to ever get to 50 losses in a season.
Colorado finished off the sweep—its first of any team since May 2024—with a 3–2 win Wednesday afternoon. Left fielder Jordan Beck, center fielder Brenton Doyle, and designated hitter Hunter Goodman each drove in runs. Fittingly, pitcher Kyle Freeland—a franchise lifer who helped fuel the team's long-ago 2010s success—took the win.
The Rockies won the first game of the series 6–4 and the second game 3–2. With the losses, Miami dropped to 23-37 on the year—last in the National League East Division.
Colorado remains on pace to go 31-131, which would be the worst season in modern MLB history by leaps and bounds. Last year's Chicago White Sox, for comparison's sake, went 41-121.
However, as the saying goes, a journey of 1,000 miles—or in the Rockies' case, 25.5 games between them and the Los Angeles Dodgers—begins with a single step.
Tottenham have reportedly made an eye-watering initial offer to sign Real Madrid forward Rodrygo ahead of the January transfer window after contacting Los Blancos president Florentino Perez.
Rodrygo’s once-prominent status at Real has come under serious threat this season, with the Brazilian winger’s reduced role fueling speculation about a potential departure from the Bernabeu.
The 24-year-old’s situation has deteriorated rapidly since Xabi Alonso replaced Carlo Ancelotti in the dugout. Despite featuring in 13 matches this season, Rodrygo has managed just 359 minutes of playing time in all competitions, less than 18-year-old Franco Mastantuono, Arda Güler and the exit-linked Vinícius Júnior.
More tellingly, he hasn’t completed a full 90 minutes in any game at all this term, suggesting a serious fall down Alonso’s pecking order.
Rodrygo’s career at Real Madrid since joining from Santos
Appearances
283
Goals
68
Assists
53
Bookings
12
Red cards
0
Minutes played
16,512
Rodrygo has started just three of his 13 competitive matches in 25/26, including only one start in his last seven La Liga games, raising serious questions about his future at the club where he’s won two Champions League titles.
The former Santos sensation, speaking to reporters in Brazil’s mixed media zone earlier this week, opened up about his lack of chances and put on a dedicated front.
However, behind-the-scenes, whispers are indicating that a January exit could be on the cards for him.
Rodrygo was attracting interest from Tottenham in the summer, with north London rivals Arsenal also holding talks over signing the South American as far back as May, according to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg.
While a move to the English capital didn’t materialise for Rodrygo, it could well be revisited in January, with ESPN Brasil reporting that he’s privately open to leaving Real after growing dissatisfied under Alonso.
From Tottenham’s perspective, it is believed that Thomas Frank’s side are prepared to spend a club-record fee on bringing Rodrygo to N17, as per reports from Spain, and there’s now been another update on his future, again involving Spurs.
Tottenham make 'initial offer' for Rodrygo after contacting Florentino Perez
As per Spanish media sources, the Lilywhites have approached Perez with a proposal already.
Tottenham are now said to have made an ‘initial offer’ of around £75 million for Rodrygo, with £62 million to be paid in full plus a further £13 million in add-ons. Right now, they’re apparently showing the ‘most interest’ of any potential suitor, with Johan Lange and Fabio Paratici setting their sights on a statement signing.
However, that isn’t to say they’re alone in the race, as other unnamed Premier League clubs have inquired about Rodrygo as well.
The Lewis family recently backed Tottenham with a £100 million cash injection which could be put towards the club’s recruitment drive, and reports of this nature suggest that they’re looking to usher in a post-Daniel Levy era with real aplomb.
Tactically, he offers Frank exactly what the Dane has been missing — creativity.
His strengths include exceptional dribbling, key passing, finishing and crossing ability (WhoScored), providing that spark from wide areas which Tottenham have desperately lacked so far, bar Mohammed Kudus.
Rodrygo’s versatility across the front three would give Frank real tactical flexibility as well, given he’s capable of operating on either flank or even centrally.
The winger scored 14 goals and bagged 11 assists in all competitions under Carlo Ancelotti last term, with Jude Bellingham calling him their most ‘gifted’ and ‘underrated’ player.
Suryakumar Yadav had a poor tournament with the bat, scoring just 72 runs in seven innings, but he wasn’t fussed about it
Shashank Kishore29-Sep-20252:03
Chopra: Tilak understood the need of the hour
It was well past midnight on Monday in Dubai when Suryakumar Yadav walked into the press conference room. It had been a night mired in chaos and confusion. Who would present India the Asia Cup trophy? Would India accept it if it came from ACC chairman Mohsin Naqvi? Would Pakistan even turn up for their press conference, amid rumours that their team bus had already left? We got the answers by and by.Suryakumar had endured a poor tournament, and the non-cricketing issues may or may not have taken a toll on his form.There was the unbeaten 47 in India’s second game of the tournament, against Pakistan, but he had scores of 0, 5, 12 and 1 to end the Asia Cup with. On Sunday, his dismissal attempting to loft Shaheen Shah Afridi on the up left India precariously placed at 10 for 2 in their chase of 147.Related
Tilak seals thriller to give India ninth Asia Cup title
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The night Tilak and Dube went from promise to performance
“I feel I am not out of form, I feel I am out of runs,” Suryakumar said. “I believe more in what I am doing in the nets and my preparation. So in matches, things are on autopilot.”His record as captain, though, has been impeccable. Since becoming full-time T20I captain, he has racked up series wins over Sri Lanka, South Africa and England and now at the Asia Cup, where India won seven games in a row to win their ninth title.Having answered the question on his form, Suryakumar directed the mic jovially the other way, egging journalists on to direct some of the questions towards Abhishek Sharma, the Player of the Tournament who sat alongside him. “I’ve felt personally that when you are not scoring runs, it is difficult to take the team along. But Surya is the same irrespective of whether he has scored runs or not,” Abhishek said, throwing his weight behind his captain.Suryakumar had to contend with more than just cricket at the Asia Cup. It began with a handshake with Asian Cricket Council and PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi during the captains’ press conference – a routine gesture that quickly turned contentious and set the tone for what followed.Days later, at the toss on September 14, Suryakumar’s refusal to shake hands with Pakistan captain Salman Agha added fresh spark to the issue. Next came a series of gestures and confrontations from both sides, eventually forcing the match referee to step in for disciplinary hearings.”I feel it was not that difficult [to deal with],” Suryakumar said. “The boys took it in their stride. Since day one, I was just telling them to focus on cricket and enjoy the game. The boys took it in a positive way. We were very focused in every game.”Suryakumar stressed that despite everything that went on, there was a bigger sense of satisfaction around where India were at in the runway to the T20 World Cup early next year, where they are defending champions.Suryakumar Yadav pretends to carry a trophy he refused to receive•AFP/Getty Images
“What we wanted to achieve in this tournament, we have achieved,” he said. “There are a lot of things which you don’t get to achieve in a bilateral tournament. This was like a knockout tournament.”As soon as we entered the Super Four, I told the boys that let’s approach it like a quarter-final, semi-final and final. So we played a semi-final type of game against Sri Lanka, and then it was a perfect final. There are nerves, responsibility and pressure, and it was a perfect final.”When asked about half-centurion and Player of the Match Tilak Varma, the only name barely touched upon in an unusually long press conference, Suryakumar chose to throw the spotlight on the entire team.”I wouldn’t want to point out one player,” he said. “From the first game to the final, a lot of players came in and stepped up at crucial moments. Tilak played an unbelievable knock in the final. We’ve seen him do that before. Kuldeep [Yadav] and Varun [Chakravarthy] came back with the ball. This is just not about the final. Throughout the journey in the tournament, we’ve stepped up and seized small moments. This was a collective effort.”
O Corinthians foi atropelado pelo Bahia e perdeu, em casa, pelo placar de 5 a 1, em jogo válido pela 35ª rodada do Brasileirão. No intervalo e após a partida, a torcida do Timão vaiou e entoou cantos de protesto contra a equipe, em protesto pelo péssimo desempenho em campo. Após a derrota, o técnico Mano Menezes concede entrevista coletiva na Neo Química Arena. Assista no vídeo acima:
continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFora de CampoRizek detona atuação do Corinthians contra o Bahia: ‘Desrespeito ao torcedor’Fora de Campo24/11/2023CorinthiansNa véspera da eleição, sede do Corinthians é alvo de tiros e pichaçõesCorinthians24/11/2023NotíciasSabia dessa? Corinthians não perde para o Bahia como mandante desde 2008Notícias24/11/2023
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Five years ago, Jurgen Klopp watched his Liverpool team crumble as injuries overwhelmed them. They had just won the Premier League, and the year before, christened what was to be a historic chapter when the boss led them to victory in the Champions League.
Lightning has struck twice. Arne Slot dominated the English game last year and won the title with such confidence, but Liverpool have fallen apart after a summer of significant spending, faulty across any number of areas and bereft of fluency and coherence.
There is maybe a need for patience, and for allowing these new cogs to connect with the Slot machine, but then the flip side of that would be that there is no excusing the error-strewn displays, and inability to react to opposition approaches.
Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher called it a crisis, with the Merseysiders having lost four Premier League matches on the bounce.
And while many exciting attacking signings were made, with the full-back ranks reshaped, Liverpool are leaving so much to be desired defensively, and changes are surely needed.
Liverpool's need for centre-backs
Virgil van Dijk has for so long been a pillar of strength and leadership at Liverpool. Both things remain true, but the captain turned 34 in July and, while still immense, lacks the structure around him to give rise to his finest football.
To put that another way, Liverpool are a bit of a mess at the back, and Van Dijk has been carried along with the current across recent weeks.
Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes have overseen a stylistic restructure across Liverpool’s backline, and this has knocked things out of kilter. Questions must be asked of the strategy behind adding Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez to the ranks, neither of whom appear to be glove-tight fits.
And the fumbled deal for Crystal Palace centre-half Marc Guehi has aggravated the issue. Liverpool sold Jarell Quansah this summer, and Giovanni Leoni, 18, is out for the season after suffering an ACL injury on his debut. Guehi was needed, but Liverpool left it late, and the Eagles didn’t want to play ball after missing out on targets of their own.
With that in mind, it appears the Reds have set their sights on a bid for Bayern Munich defender Dayot Upamecano. According to Spanish sources, Liverpool joined by Chelsea, Barcelona and Real Madrid in angling for a move in 2026.
The France international is out of contract at the end of the term, and while the Bundesliga giants are desperate to seal his renewal, the 27-year-old may be tempted by lucrative offers from the Premier League and La Liga.
Why Liverpool want to sign Upamecano
Liverpool struck gold in the past when they landed a talented defender from the Bundesliga on a free transfer. Indeed, Joel Matip played a defining role in the Klopp era, playing 201 games for the club, scoring 11 goals and supplying six assists.
He won the Premier League and the Champions League among further honours, notably playing in Divock Origi for the Belgian’s conclusive goal against Tottenham in Madrid, six years ago.
It all started when the Cameroonian agreed to join Klopp’s nascent project in February 2016, arriving at the end of the 2015/16 campaign.
Van Dijk has had many partners at the back, but when Matip was fully-fit and firing beside him, Klopp’s behemoths formed quite the partnership.
Now, with Upamecano approaching the end of his journey at the Allianz Arena, FSG are desperate to capitalise once again.
Bayern signed the Frenchman from divisional rivals RB Leipzig in 2021 for a reported £38m fee. He had been described as an “elite talent and a joy to watch” by scout Jacek Kulig before his move to Bayern.
Bayern defender Dayot Upamecano
And he’s gone from strength to strength since. Indeed, the tough-tackling star has polished his skillset to a standard that would befit a starring, much-scrutinised role in Slot’s Liverpool side. Should Liverpool pull this off, they may even forget all about that botched bid for Guehi.
Hailed for his “sensational” defensive ability by writer Mohammed Butt, Upamecano has the experience, athleticism and technical quality to make his mark on the Premier League, perhaps even bringing a more complete brand than someone like Guehi.
Van Dijk will expect to captain Liverpool next season, and the Dutchman’s cultured shift into his veteran years suggests that, with a more stable framework around him, he could see his club achieve their goals.
Guehi might have the experience within the English game, but Upamecano would fancy himself a cut above, boasting a wealth of top-level experience and with much silverware in the bank.
In 2025, he has also, crucially, established himself as a starting centre-back for Didier Deschamps’ Les Bleus side, and with the World Cup on the horizon, this tells much of his quality and the faith of those above him.
Dayot Upamecano – Stats by Club
Club
Apps
Goals (assists)
Bayern Munich
164
5 (10)
RB Leipzig
154
4 (3)
France
34
2 (0)
FC Liefering
16
0 (0)
Data via Transfermarkt
A ball-playing defender, data-driven platform FBref suggest that there is a likeness between Upamecano and former Anfield star Quansah, though Slot would hope to bring in a more refined and cultured presence than the up-and-comer he deemed unfit for a starring role in his project.
FBref reveal that, over the past 12 months, Upamecano ranks among the top 4% of centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues for pass completion and progressive passes, the top 1% for passes attempted, the top 11% for shot-creating actions and the top 2% for recoveries made per 90. Clearly, he’s got the skills and physicality to succeed in the Premier League.
Though Liverpool remain in the mix for Guehi, his free agency will attract the biggest sharks across the continent.
Not only would the £166k-per-week Upamecano prove a worthy fallback, but he might even be the better pick.
The new Thiago: Liverpool "superstar" is becoming a "huge disappointment"
This Liverpool mainstay has flattered to deceive this season.
Everton will not be winning the League Cup this season after they were knocked out of the competition by fellow Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday night.
David Moyes made a host of changes to his starting XI to provide some of the fringe players within the squad with an opportunity to shine against a top-flight side.
Unfortunately, for the Scottish head coach, those players did not step up to show that they deserve more minutes in actual Premier League matches moving forward.
Summer signing Thierno Barry started up front and was substituted at half-time after the team failed to create a single ‘big chance’ for him to find the back of the net, per Sofascore.
The French centre-forward, who is yet to score his first goal for the Toffees, was far from the only player who failed to take his chance to shine against Wolves.
As well as Barry, Tyler Dibling was another one of the summer signings who came into the starting line-up and did not do enough to keep his place in the team.
Why Tyler Dibling should be dropped
The Toffees splashed out a significant fee of £40m to sign the 19-year-old attacking midfielder from relegated Southampton during the summer transfer window, but it was unlikely that he was going to make an instant impact at the Hill Dickinson.
Dibling scored two goals and did not register a single assist in 30 appearances in the Premier League with the Saints during the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, which shows that Everton were signing him for his potential, rather than any proven quality.
The teenage whiz also scored two goals in two matches in the FA Cup for Southampton last season, but he was unable to step up in the League Cup for the Blues on Tuesday.
Dibling was selected to start on the right flank, coming in for Iliman Ndiaye, and did not offer enough at the top end of the pitch to suggest that he should keep his place for the clash with West Ham United on Monday.
The left-footed forward ended his time on the pitch without a shot on target or a chance created to show for his efforts, as his team lost without scoring a goal, per Sofascore, which shows that he did not have any meaningful impact in the final third.
Vs Wolves
Tyler Dibling
Minutes
58
Pass accuracy
86%
Key passes
0
Dribbles completed
2/6
Crosses completed
1/1
Duels won
4/14
Tackles + interceptions
3
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Dibling did work hard to put himself about defensively, competing in 14 duels, and tried to make things happen by taking on opposition defenders with the ball.
Unfortunately, he was ineffective with the ball at his feet, as evidenced by the opposition winning the ball off him in four of his six attempted dribbles. That led to him being subbed off for Ndiaye just before the hour mark, and is why he should be dropped from the XI for the game against the Hammers.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Dibling, however, was not the least impressive performer on the pitch for the Toffees on the night, as Tim Iroegbunam showed why he should never start against top-flight opposition.
Why Tim Iroegbunam should never start for Everton
Since signing from Aston Villa in the summer of 2024, the English central midfielder has started in just one win against a Premier League side for Everton.
That includes one appearance in the cup and eight starts in the Premier League for the Toffees in that time, which shows that he has had plenty of chances to help his side to more wins.
Whilst Iroegbunam was not the sole reason why Everton failed to win most of those nine matches, it is a worrying pattern that is underpinned by some dismal performances from the former Villans academy graduate.
Tim Iroegbunam’s starts against Premier League opposition
Opposition
Result
Wolves (A)
2-0 loss
Aston Villa (H)
0-0 draw
Brighton (H)
2-0 win
Leeds (A)
1-0 loss
Arsenal (H)
1-1 draw
Aston Villa (A)
3-2 loss
Bournemouth (H)
3-2 loss
Brighton (A)
4-0 loss
Tottenham Hotspur (H)
3-0 loss
Via Transfermarkt
As you can see in the table above, the Toffees have won one and lost six of his nine starts against top-flight opponents since his move to the club last year, conceding a whopping 19 goals in those matches.
It is a dismal run of results for the 22-year-old midfielder and does not suggest that he is ready to control the engine room for Moyes, which was backed up by his performance against Wolves on Tuesday night.
The Athletic’s Paddy Boyland criticised Iroegbunam’s “sloppy” play in possession that gifted the ball back to Wolves on multiple occasions, leading to attacks for the home side.
He gave the ball away ten times, per Sofascore, throughout the 90 minutes, more than Dibling’s eight, despite not attempting a single cross or long pass, which meant that his short passing was far too sloppy for a central midfielder.
The Liverpool Echo handed him a player rating of 5/10 for his performance, noting that he failed to impose himself on the game, and even that may have been a tad generous as the midfielder failed to impress on or off the ball in the middle of the park.
Despite playing as a holding midfielder, Iroegbunam made fewer defensive contributions than Dibling. The winger made two clearances, one block, two tackles, and one interception, whilst the midfielder matched that bar the block. This shows that he was slightly less effective out of possession than a forward player.
On the ball, as aforementioned, he was sloppy and did not help to control the middle of the park for the Toffees, which contributed to the home side’s comfortable win on the night.
Worse than Tarkowski: 5/10 Everton man "was a difficult watch" vs Wolves
Everton were dumped out of the Carabao Cup after a 2-0 defeat by Wolves at Molineux.
By
Angus Sinclair
Sep 24, 2025
Therefore, Iroegbunam showed why he should never start for the Toffees unless injuries force Moyes into selecting him, because the club’s results when he started have been abysmal and his performance on Tuesday night was not far from abysmal.
Hosts collapse after being frustrated by stand of 173 between John Simpson and Fynn Hudson-Prentice
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay24-May-2025
John Simpson and Fynn Hudson-Prentice put on a stand worth 173•Dave Vokes/Hampshire Cricket
John Simpson’s 18th first-class century put Hampshire on the ropes before a batting collapse put Sussex on the brink of a Rothesay County Championship victory at Utilita Bowl.Skipper Simpson was superb to record back-to-back centuries, and his third of the campaign, as he scored 106 – which included a 173-run stand with 78-maker Fynn Hudson-Prentice. Sussex claimed a 143-run first-innings lead before six evening wickets tore through Hampshire – they closed on 114 for 6, still behind by 29.Simpson and Hudson-Prentice had shrugged off a slump on the first evening, after coming together at 83 for 5. They blocked, left and survived for 16 overs to close.The new morning brought overhead conditions seemingly perfect for bowling, but on a slow pitch where once you could get in as a batter, you could stick around; that is what the sixth-wicket pair did.Having been 44 runs behind at the start of the session, they quickly reached parity within an hour with sprightly cricket. Both reached half-centuries before lunch, Simpson in 111 balls, Hudson-Prentice in 116. Everything they did made the bowlers toil.If a wicketless first session was frustrating for Hampshire, the afternoon was unpleasant due to a bout of the butterfingers – something that has marred their season with 25 chances already grassed.Hudson-Prentice was put down off a regulation catch at first slip on 51 and at midwicket on 70 before he was finally pinned lbw as Brad Wheal found success with the new ball.Jack Carson was dropped on nought at square leg, before taking 18 deliveries to get off the mark, but once he did he was a fluent partner for Simpson – who had been dropped first ball the previous day.Simpson has taken to Division One cricket identically to Division Two. Having not reached three figures in 2023 with Middlesex, he pumped out five tons in 2024 to lead Sussex’s promotion charge before filing two going into this round of games.There was little surprise he converted once again, this time in 207 deliveries – even less surprising was that he reached the milestone by being dropped while pulling.Even when Hampshire thought they had held a catch – Simpson at first slip on 104 – it was clearly a bump ball.The first day had been headlined by two flurries of wickets, and another pair of collapses either side of tea proved the rule that this pitch was ripe for them. The last four Sussex wickets fell in 11 balls as James Fuller ended a 40-run stand when Carson was leg before, before the fast bowler castled Nathan McAndrew.Liam Dawson finished things off by getting Ari Karvelas caught at first slip and Henry Crocombe lbw, which left Sussex three runs shy of a second batting point.Fletcha Middleton and Mark Stoneman put on 38 in 14 overs to suggest they could bed in, but after Middleton was leg-before, things turned south for the hosts. Stoneman, Nick Gubbins and Tom Prest all departed in 13 deliveries. Stoneman tickled behind, Gubbins was unlucky to be lbw to one which stayed very low and Prest missed a straight on.Ben Brown, unbeaten in the first innings, was bowled by a flighty delivery from Carson to leave Hampshire 90 for 5, and still 53 in arrears. Toby Albert was also bowled by Carson to add to the malaise with a three-day Sussex victory almost inevitable.
After the perfect start against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Newcastle United’s Nick Woltemade has revealed how he’s similar to the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Bayern Munich star Harry Kane.
Howe "really pleased" with "humble" Woltemade
Eddie Howe couldn’t have asked for much more from his £69m striker on his debut last time out. The 6’6 forward rose highest to head home what proved to be the winning goal against Wolves, before wheeling away in celebration. After waiting all summer for a new striker, St James’ Park got the emphatic introduction that they had been desperate for.
Like the rest of those watching on in Tyneside, Howe was left delighted with Woltemade, telling reporters: “It was a great moment for Nick. I was very pleased with how he played today.
“You saw his qualities, his technical qualities that we’ve been discussing and his intelligence but most importantly for a striker, when the ball comes into the box, you need to be there and he was.
“It was a great finish. I’m really pleased for him personally because that just settles him down and relaxes him, he’s a very humble guy, he wants to do well and he’s delighted to be here — I think it’s a great start.”
Woltemade’s debut goal would have surprised no one back in Germany. There’s every reason why Bayern Munich were so keen to secure his signature and even more reason why he stole the show at the U21 Euros in the summer. Now, he’s the man that could make Newcastle forget all about Alexander Isak.
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It could be bad news for the Magpies…
ByTom Cunningham Sep 17, 2025
The 23-year-old is hardly short on confidence, either, and has already told Newcastle fans exactly what they can expect from him in the coming years.
Woltemade makes Ibrahimovic comparison
Revealing the players that he’s most similar to, Woltemade compared himself to the great Ibrahimovic. One inch taller than the former AC Milan star, the German’s comparison is a fair one to make, given how he still maintains his technical ability despite his height. Whether he eventually reaches the same level as the Swede is the big question.
Describing his style as “rare” for someone of his height, Newcastle can expect the unexpected from their new striker, who will be looking to follow up his debut goal with another against Barcelona this week.
“We’re going to witness many unbelievable innings throughout this IPL, but I promise you, by the end of the tournament, this will be in the top five,” Michael Clarke says
ESPNcricinfo staff25-Mar-20253:21
Was Shardul the better choice to stop Ashutosh at the death?
“Incredible.” “Phenomenal.” “This innings will be remembered for a long time.” Just some of the praise former cricketers showered on Ashutosh Sharma after he had wowed them with his 31-ball 66 not out to give Delhi Capitals (DC) an unlikely win over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Monday night in IPL 2025.Speaking on ESPNcricinfo’s T20 Time Out show, Ambati Rayudu, who knows a thing or two about playing pressure innings in the IPL, said, “The most impressive thing is that he was calm, and he was calculative. He was playing good shots. There was no sign of panic. We’ve seen that last year also [when Ashutosh was with Punjab Kings], he’s played some incredible innings.”This guy has calmness under pressure, and I feel he has the game as well. Especially the balls that are pitching up, yorkers, he has that whip. Breaks those wrists and…”Related
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There’s no question of disagreeing there. Ashutosh, after all, walked out at No. 7 in DC’s chase of LSG’s 209 with the scoreboard reading 65 for 5 in the seventh over. There was support, first from Tristan Stubbs (34 in 22) and then from IPL debutant Vipraj Nigam, who scored 39 in 15 balls and outscored Ashutosh in their seventh-wicket stand. But Ashutosh was the one who completed the job, something he hadn’t always succeeded in doing last season.”I was very normal at that time [with nine wickets gone] and told myself that if he [Mohit Sharma] takes a single, I’ll finish it with a six,” Ashutosh told the DC media team after the game. “I had full confidence in my ability. I really enjoyed being out there, and my hard work paid off.”[The mindset is to] just follow the basics and believe in my ability. I was just following the process and wanted to take the game as deep as possible. My plan was to accelerate in the slog overs and ensure I batted till the 20th over.” He did, finishing the job with a six in the third ball of the last over off Shahbaz Ahmed.”We’re going to witness many unbelievable innings throughout this IPL, but I promise you, by the end of the tournament, this will be in the top five,” JioStar expert Michael Clarke said. “That was a match-winning effort, single-handedly turning the game around. His team was out of the contest, gone, and he stood up on his own. All he needed was the strike – everyone knew he was either going to hit a six or a four. Honestly, you just have to sit back, applaud, and embrace that innings, no matter which team you support. It was phenomenal.”Vipraj Nigam and Ashutosh Sharma added 55 from only 22 balls•Associated Press
At one stage in his innings, Ashutosh was 20 off 20 balls. With two fours. When he finished, with a strike rate of 212.90, he had five sixes and five fours. The bowling – LSG are missing their entire first-choice Indian pace attack because of injuries – wasn’t great, and that might be something that bothers the franchise all season.”Once you’ve done it before, you enter the next season with even greater self-belief. He’s also played another season of domestic cricket, where he has been smashing the ball around and scoring plenty of runs, so he came in full of confidence,” JioStar expert Sunil Gavaskar said. “From the very first ball, he was striking it cleanly from the middle of the bat, sending it deep – these weren’t just occasional sixes clearing the boundary, they were landing in the stands, again and again. This innings will be remembered for a long, long time, not just because of the quality of stroke play, but because of the high-pressure situation.”DC next take on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on March 30, also in Visakhapatnam.