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Delhi Capitals, meanwhile, are assured of a top-two spot but are sweating on the fitness of Marcus Stoinis

Nikhil Kalro07-Oct-20211:41

Has de Villiers been underutilised by RCB?

Big picture A botched chase against a deflated Sunrisers Hyderabad team on Wednesday meant Royal Challengers Bangalore will not be able to finish in the top two this season. A result like that could prove to be an inflection point in a team’s season because the difference between finishing in the top two and the next two is so stark in the IPL.Royal Challengers will now have to be perfect in two matches in the playoffs just to make the final. Before that, they will have a dead rubber against Delhi Capitals to finalise their combination and regain their lost confidence while chasing a total.With 20 points in 13 matches, Delhi Capitals are assured of a spot in the top two, deserved reward for their consistency this season. There are still a few points to sort out ahead of the playoffs, including the form of Shreyas Iyer and the health of Marcus Stoinis. The latter is especially crucial for Capitals after recent evidence of a faltering middle order.In the previous match against Chennai Super Kings, Capitals collapsed from 71 for 2 to 99 for 6 in the space of 37 balls. Capitals’ spinners have been effective in the UAE leg of this season, using subtle changes in pace and length to rack up dot balls. Their batters have also been unable to counter that same control in the middle overs from opposition spinners. That seems to be Capitals’ only weakness in an otherwise settled line-up.Related

Bhuvneshwar ruins Royal Challengers' shot at a top-two spot

Maxwell's middle-overs maturity redefines RCB's success

In the news George Garton’s lines were errant against Sunrisers. He finished with 1 for 29 in two overs, the only bowler to have an economy rate of over 10 on a slow pitch. Royal Challengers have options for that No. 8 slot, including legspinner Wanindu Hasaranga and fast bowler Kyle Jamieson. It might make prudent sense to bring in a horses-for-courses bowler that they expect to play in the eliminator in Sharjah on Monday. At this point, that seems like Hasaranga.The only question for Capitals is the fitness of Stoinis. If he is fit, he should slot right back into No. 5 come the playoffs.Cricket on ESPN+

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Likely XIs Royal Challengers Bangalore (probable): 1 Virat Kohli (capt), 2 Devdutt Paddikal, 3 Srikar Bharat (wk), 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 AB de Villiers, 6 Dan Christian, 7 Shahbaz Ahmed, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Mohammed SirajDelhi Capitals (probable): 1 Prithvi Shaw, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Shreyas Iyer, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt & wk), 5 Ripal Patel, 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Axar Patel, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Avesh Khan, 11 Anrich Nortje Strategy Punt Glenn Maxwell has been at his destructive best against spin this season. Part of his success is down to his form. His template has been to give himself a few balls at the start but after he gets accustomed to the pace, or lack of, he has been using reverse or switch shots to force spinners off their lines. He has scored 237 runs at an average of 59.3 against spin and a strike rate of 163 with a boundary every 4.8 balls this season. It is a fairly logical strategic choice to hold back the raw pace of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje for Maxwell.Royal Challengers could utilise Daniel Christian and Maxwell to fill up the quota of the fifth bowler. That will allow them to play an additional batter, and more importantly, allow de Villiers the freedom to bat higher up the order instead of as a specialist finisher. Stats that matter Against R Ashwin, de Villiers has been dismissed five times while Maxwell averages 57.5 with a strike rate of over 200. Maxwell is 48 runs away from 2000 IPL runs. Prithvi Shaw is averaging 11.3 at a strike rate of 115 in the UAE leg of this IPL season. In India earlier this year, he had an average of 38.5 at a strike rate of 167.

Liverpool reportedly remain interested in completing the signing of a summer transfer target, potentially bringing him in for less than his £68m release clause.

Liverpool transfer news

There is still some transfer news doing the rounds with the Reds, despite the window being shut, with both incoming and outgoing rumours emerging in recent weeks. Darwin Nunez is struggling to be a key man under Arne Slot and the Uruguayan has been linked with a move to Barcelona. The La Liga giants are even believed to be preparing an offer for him, potentially ending his time at Anfield in one of the next two windows.

Borussia Dortmund attacker Karim Adeyemi has emerged as a rumoured incoming target for Liverpool, with club scouts said to be scouting him, possibly viewing him as a long-term successor to Mohamed Salah, whose future continues to be up in the air.

One young player who has caught the eye in 2024 is Adam Wharton, with the Crystal Palace midfielder excelling since joining from Blackburn Rovers and even getting in England’s squad for Euro 2024. The Reds are seen as one of the clubs in the mix to acquire his signature.

Liverpool eye £50m signing of "unbelievable" ace

According to Football Insider, Liverpool are still interested in signing Palace star Eberechi Eze, having shown a willingness to snap him up during the summer transfer window.

The report states that the England international’s £68m release clause “will become available in the summer of 2025”, but with just two years left on his deal at that stage, teams are hoping to bring that price down in negotiations with the Eagles. Palace could end up with between £50-60m for him, according to this update, even though they are reluctant to sell.

Eze may not have the most earth-shattering start to the season for a struggling Palace team, bagging one goal and zero assists in seven Premier League appearances so far, but there is no denying that he would be a great addition at Liverpool.

The 26-year-old has stood out as one of the best attacking players in the league over the past 12 months or so, netting 11 times in the division last season, while Palace manager Oliver Glasner has lauded him in recent weeks.

“Who’s a better player than Eze? For me he’s absolutely top, if he was luckier this season he would have five or six goals. He’s always dangerous because he has the quality and ability at 1-1, he’s such an unbelievable finisher, in some situations he can improve, he’s a guy who can always score and he’s someone who everyone likes.”

Admittedly, Liverpool aren’t crying out for more attacking players, but with Nunez and Salah’s futures not exactly feeling secure, the England ace should be viewed as a great option to come in.

Liverpool wanted £235m star in the making but signed Szoboszlai instead

Liverpool’s midfield would have been taken to another level with this addition.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 7, 2024

The fact that the Reds could perhaps get him on the cheap – relative to his clause – is an added bonus, while his flair and versatility will surely appeal to Slot, with the Palace man capable of excelling out wide or in an attacking midfield role.

Buttler, Sodhi, Jordan and Finch among the other big movers after good turns at the T20 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Nov-2021Babar Azam and Wanindu Hasaranga have climbed to top spots in the ICC’s latest rankings for T20I batters and bowlers, respectively, with the latter achieving the feat for the first time in his career.Babar, who has been crucial in Pakistan’s run to the semi-finals with a four-in-four record, is the third-highest run-getter in the ongoing T20 World Cup, with 198 runs from four innings. That has helped him return to the top for the sixth time after last securing the spot in January 2018. Babar’s tally of 834 rating points has him 36 points ahead of second-ranked Dawid Malan. The England batter had been at the top since last November.Full rankings tables

Click here for the full team rankings across formats

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The latest rankings update also sees Jos Buttler move from 17th to his career-best ninth on the batting chart on the back of his match-winning 101 not out against Sri Lanka. He has accumulated 214 runs in the UAE so far.Among the other batters moving up, Aaron Finch has gone from sixth to third, and just outside the top 50, Temba Bavuma has risen a remarkable 35 spots to No. 52.In the T20I bowlers’ rankings, Hasaranga, on the back of his twin three-wicket hauls against South Africa and England, overtook Tabraiz Shamsi of South Africa to reach the top spot. He is also the leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 14 strikes from seven matches.Adil Rashid, meanwhile, has replaced Rashid Khan at third place with a career-best 730 rating points.South Africa’s pace mainstay Anrich Nortje, who is the fourth-highest wicket-taker in the T20 World Cup with eight scalps from four matches at the moment, also moved up by 18 places to be seventh. Other bowlers who have gained in the rankings include Dwaine Pretorius (up 65 places to 34th) and Shoriful Islam (up 77 places to 38th). Within the top 20, Chris Jordan has moved up four slots to ninth, Ish Sodhi is up six places to tenth, and his spin twin Mitchell Santner has gone up four places to 17th.In the allrounders’ list, Mohammad Nabi has caught up with No. 1 Shakib Al Hasan on 271 rating points. Hasaranga has climbed to fourth.

Aston Villa star Jhon Duran has completed a lucrative move to Al-Nassr despite the club claiming earlier in January that they won't sell the striker.

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Aston Villa sold DuranColombian striker has moved to Al-NassrJoined the club on a five-and-a-half-year dealFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Villans received a whopping €77million (£64.5m/$80m) transfer fee for the 21-year-old forward, who has completed a move to Al-Nassr and will now link up with elite players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane and Aymeric Laporte in the Saudi Pro League. Duran has penned a five-and-a-half-years contract and will earn £16.7 million ($21m) per year.

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Throughout the first half of January, the Villans maintained that they would not part ways with their star forward, however, according to , the club decided to sell him once they came to know that the player had agreed personal terms with the Saudi giants. To comply with the Profit and Sustainability Rules of the Premier League, the club were compelled to sell one of their star players. The report also adds that the English side can now avoid selling stars like Boubacar Kamara in the next summer transfer window and can also go after Chelsea's Joao Felix.

Getty ImagesDID YOU KNOW?

The Colmbian’s rise has been rapid since he joined Aston Villa in 2023 from Major League Soccer outfit Chicago Fire in a deal worth around $18 million (£14.75 million). Duran has been one of Villa’s most promising players this season, netting 12 goals in 29 appearances across all competitions.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR JHON DURAN?

The player could make his debut for Ronaldo's club on Monday when they take on Al Wasl in an AFC Champions League clash.

Newcastle United have shaped into an excellently run club, and though there’s been some frustration around the rather uninspiring summer transfer window, it’s a world away from the one-time pit the Magpies were bogged in, under the iron fist of Mike Ashley.

Eddie Howe has led the Toon to a Champions League campaign and a domestic cup final, having improved St. James’ Park with players such as Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon, Bruno Guimaraes and Sven Botman.

Heightened expectations accentuate issues that seek to pull the side away from prominence, and the PSR issues that seeped across from exceeded spending over a three-year limit led to some damaging departures.

Newcastle sold some top talents this summer

Newcastle did not welcome any high-priced additions this summer, notably failing to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace despite offering a fourth bid worth £65m for the England international.

The Tynesiders did, however, manage to keep a hold of Gordon, Guimaraes and Isak, all of whom were courted by elite-level outfits. Why? Because some younger, more marginal talent was trimmed.

Yankuba Minteh was sold to Brighton & Hove Albion for a fee of £30m in July, turning a healthy profit but failing to complete an appearance for United, plying his trade under Arne Slot with Feyenoord last year.

More painfully, the Newcastle faithful had to say goodbye to one of their own, Elliot Anderson, for the 21-year-old midfielder joined divisional rivals Nottingham Forest in a £35m move and has since been likened to none other than Lionel Messi by Sky Sports pundit Alan Smith during the Tricky Trees’ victory over Palace on Monday evening.

These are costly sales, but good deals in the grand scheme: Newcastle’s biggest hitters remain on the books. There’s a young talent, sold not too long ago, whose departure actually predates that of Howe and PIF’s advent, and he might prove to be the biggest fumble of the lot.

Newcastle already sold their biggest talent

A little over three years ago, Newcastle sold Bobby Clark to Liverpool in a deal worth £1.5m. He was 16 years old, a talented winger with properties that called for a career in the centre of the park.

Described as “Newcastle’s most promising youngster” by the Chronicle’s Lee Ryder, a lack of ambition from Newcastle, under the rule of Ashley, proved to be one of the defining points in Clark’s decision to jump ship at that nascent stage of his career, with Bayern Munich and Tottenham Hotspur also interested.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

Ryder had even drawn parallels between the youngster and the one and only Paul Gascoigne, saying: “You have always go to be very careful with comparisons but for me – and I don’t talk about this lightly – but at the same sort of age, you had a young Paul Gascoigne at Newcastle.”

After completing 14 senior appearances for Liverpool and a bagful more at youth level, the 19-year-old completed a £10m transfer to Austrian behemoths RB Salzburg, aggravating Newcastle’s blunder, of losing him for so little.

Matches (starts)

2 (2)

Goals

0

Assists

0

Touches*

53.5

Shots (on target)*

1.0 (0.5)

Pass completion

93%

Key passes*

1.5

Ball recoveries*

3.0

Tackles + interceptions*

5.0

Total duels won*

5.0 (71%)

Salzburg, led by Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool assistant Pep Lijnders, have flattered to deceive so far this season and have lost their opening Champions League fixtures by an aggregate scoreline of 7-0, but Clark’s efforts have showcased his quality.

Still a teenager, he’s proving that he has what it takes on Europe’s biggest stage, having made a marked impact on Liverpool’s season amid an injury crisis in 2023/24, crucial in winning the Carabao Cup.

Given that he’s already seen a 566% rise in value – when referring to his £10m fee – and has so much scope for growth over the coming years, it must be frustrating to think that such a player was allowed to leave, not convinced of the club’s vision.

Of course, Newcastle’s vision was myopic at that stage. He left before the lucrative PIF takeover rewrote the Toon’s future, and perhaps would be plying his trade under Howe’s leadership, had he only stayed on for another year and seen the loping strides taken.

Alas, it can’t be changed now. Though the words of those such as journalist Charlie Bennett, who called it one of Ashley’s “costliest blunders in recent times”, ring painfully true to this day, with the short-term rush from a £1.5m payday negated now, looking at the figure that could have been collected.

There’s a good chance that Clark would have stayed on the books anyway. Liverpool let him go, sure, but did so with the insertion of an affordable buyback clause, having recognised the calibre of prospect that they had grudgingly let go, with Slot aware that he would simply be scrapping for one minute, two, amid the high-class quality of the first team.

He’s got flair and panache, a boyish avidity that, if sustained, hardened, could be utilised as an almighty weapon in a dynamic and all-encompassing midfield role.

A lad for the big occasion, he proved his European credentials last season, with Liverpool, and consolidated them now, with Salzburg. Last year, across two Europa League fixtures, he scored, won 82% of his duels, completed 90% of his passes and won six tackles, as per Sofascore.

With the likes of Lewis Miley proving his talent in Newcastle’s senior set-up and Anderson now blooming out in Nottingham, there’s a pleasing amount of academy talent starting to emerge from the youth ranks on Tyneside.

It’s just a shame that Clark’s still not there, a core part of that revolution.

Newcastle must regret deal for £15m flop who's now worth millions less

Newcastle must surely regret the move for the flop.

1 ByEthan Lamb Oct 24, 2024

A report has revealed that Atletico Mineiro sacked Savinho's Under-14s coach after the manager left the winger out of his team.

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Savinho shining at Man City this seasonFormer coach reveals Atletico Mineiro storyCub sacked U14 coach for benching SavinhoFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Savinho has been one of few bright sparks at Manchester City this season as the defending Premier League champions have struggled for consistency from the start. The Cityzens signed the winger from sister team Girona for a reported fee of £21 million ($26m) last summer and Savinho has made 29 appearances for the side.

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Savinho's former coach, Joao Paulo Alves de Paula, has revealed to that Atletico Mineiro sacked the winger's U14 coach for benching the uber-talented winger constantly as he did not like the starlet. The top brass of the Brazilian club were afraid of losing Savinho to another club if he wasn't happy and therefore proceeded to part ways with the coach immediately.

WHAT DE PAULA SAID

Speaking to The Sun, De Paula said: “Savio was in a group of 20 kids and the only one we picked. He was only 12, a year younger than the others but overwhelmingly the best. Back then Atletico Mineiro did not have an Under-12s, so he was against older kids from the start. And he stood out above everyone. When I saw him on trials day I almost fell over. His technical ability and dribbling were extraordinary for a child of that age. I was so excited to see him with the ball at his feet.

“Over the next three years he took huge strides, made decisions in seconds and finished like an adult — all with boundless confidence and a smile. But it wasn’t all a walk down the red carpet because when Savio moved to the Under-14s, the coach just didn’t like him. He kept leaving him on the bench. He barely played and when he did, it was at left-back. My hair was standing on end.

“Savio can play on either side but he’s a winger. I couldn’t believe what the coach was doing. That mistake, that lack of judgment, could have cost Savinho his football career and seriously damaged the club. So, with such crazy things and wrong decisions, the coach was fired and I took over the Under-14s. The smile was back on Savio’s face.”

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR SAVINHO?

The Brazilian has quickly become a favourite for Pep Guardiola at Manchester City and will be in action next when they take on Arsenal in the Premier League later today, in what could be a crucial clash for both sides.

Daniel Hughes half-century the only shining light for NSW on a rain-affected second day

Alex Malcolm06-Nov-2021New South Wales lost 4 for 4 in a disastrous final-session collapse to give Victoria a huge first innings ascendency on a rain-affected second day at the MCG.Victoria lost Jon Holland in the opening session to concussion following a heavy blow to head while batting. Holland was replaced by concussion substitute Wil Parker and will take no further part in the game.But the home side bowled superbly with Scott Boland, James Pattinson, Will Sutherland and Mitchell Perry all playing a part in New South Wales’ collapse late on day two as they slumped from 3 for 98 to 9 for 132 in the space of 16 overs before a heavy downpour ended play with an hour remaining.Daniel Hughes had played very nicely in the face of sustained pressure from the Victoria quicks to reach 59. He scarcely made an error in his 132-ball stay. But his first error was a huge one after he played a ball into the gully region and started to run before Sutherland made a diving save. A mix-up ensued with Hughes stuck mid-pitch ball-watching as Jack Edwards responded to his call and Sutherland’s throw to Pattinson beat Hughes’ desperate dive.Pattinson and Sutherland then ripped through the middle order, rewarded for a fuller length on an MCG surface with a lot of bounce, carry and sideways movement. Edwards, Lachlan Hearne and Sean Abbott all fell to outside edges as the Blues lost 4 for 4 in 15 balls. Boland returned to pick up some reward for his outstanding work earlier in the day. He finished the day with 3 for 33 having made the first breakthrough of the innings. Trent Copeland came out to bat at No. 11 with a runner after injuring his lower calf on day one and struck a powerful blow down the ground. He will start day three alongside Peter Nevill in the hopes of limiting the Blues’ first-innings deficit.Earlier, Victoria’s tail lasted just 12 overs after Liam Hatcher and Nathan Lyon wrapped up the innings. Hatcher finished with career-best figures of 4 for 86 and also delivered the bouncer that ended Holland’s match. He was hit flush on the helmet attempting a pull and was immediately concussed. Victoria declared and Holland was ruled out of the game.”He’s gone home, a bit of a headache,” Boland said post play. “So we wish him well and hopefully he comes good in a couple of days.”

Glasgow Rangers will be hoping to return to winning ways on Thursday evening as they take on Romanian side FCSB in the Europa League.

The 1-0 Premiership loss vs Kilmarnock wasn’t a shock, especially considering how poor the Light Blues played during the tie. Philippe Clement must make several changes to his starting XI this evening, otherwise it could be another defeat.

There wasn’t a single standout performer at Rugby Park, as even those who have been bright recently struggled to break down Killie, including left-back Jefte.

Jefte’s performance against Kilmarnock

The Brazilian has impressed in spells since deputising for Ridvan Yilmaz on the left side of the defence, but he wasn’t quite at the races against the Ayrshire side at the weekend.

While he certainly was dynamic, succeeding with three of his five dribbles, making one key pass and delivering an accurate cross, things didn’t seem to click, especially from a defensive viewpoint.

Indeed, the youngster won just seven of his 14 attempted ground duels, lost possession a staggering 23 times and was dribbled past once during the 90 minutes.

He was given a match rating of 5/10 for his display by Scotsman journalist Matthew Elder, and it was a fair reflection of how he performed.

Dribble attempts (successful)

5 (3)

Ground duels (won)

14 (7)

Touches

81

Key passes

1

Possession lost

23

Tackles

4

Clement could drop him to the bench to unleash another one of his summer signings, one who shone during the Gers’ opening Europa League tie against Malmö last month – Neraysho Kasanwirjo.

The Rangers star who can replace Jefte

Signed on loan from Feyenoord during the dying embers of the summer transfer window, the Dutchman’s versatility was expected to be a big bonus for Clement, as he can play across the entire back four.

He made his first start against the Swedish side in what turned out to be a routine 2-0 win for the Gers.

Kasanwirjo played the full 90 minutes and finished with a pass success rate of 89%, while also delivering eight accurate long passes from ten attempts, indicating a wonderful passing range.

Defensively, the Dutchman won two of his three contested duels, made one tackle and lost possession just six times, delivering an extremely solid display on his very first start for the club.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

He could even have added a goal during the final minutes, missing a fairly straightforward chance by blazing his shot over the crossbar.

Since then, he has been forced to make do with substitute appearances, but against FCSB, Kasanwirjo has to be unleashed from the start.

Following his performance, writer Gavin Kelly hailed the defender, saying:

“Kasanwirjo has to start against the better teams now for me. Instantly more aggressive with his defending and gave less space and time for wingers to get going.”

Clement is a man under pressure, no doubt about it. Will he continue to play with the same starting XI? Or will the Belgian make a few changes this evening?

Whoever starts, three points is an absolute must tonight.

Clement could save his job by unleashing Morelos-like Rangers star

The Rangers attacker has not had many chances to impressive Clement so far.

ByDan Emery Oct 22, 2024

Veteran Luke Wright helps add 116 for first wicket in eight-wicket victory

Aadam Patel25-Nov-2021Rahmanullah Gurbaz was just five years old when Luke Wright made his debut for England against India. After two consecutive defeats for the Delhi Bulls, the pair combined magnificently with youth and experience to carry their side up to second place in the Abu Dhabi T10, with a brutal 116-run opening partnership against the Northern Warriors.Sport has its way of telling tales and on the eve of his 20th birthday, Gurbaz took centre stage with a ruthless 70 off 32 balls as the Bulls inflicted a fifth defeat out of six on the reigning champions. Gurbaz made his debut for Afghanistan aged just 17 and it was a special knock from a special talent as he cut, lofted and slogged the Warriors bowling attack around the Zayed Cricket Ground.”On the pitch, when there is experience with you, you will be even more confident,” Gurbaz said post-match and in Wright, his partner was someone who had masses of experience. Wright himself was just playing his second game of the competition, having flown in a day before the tournament. But the Englishman showed exactly what he can do with the bat, with an unbeaten 40 off 18 deliveries. He ensured that he was there at the end alongside Eoin Morgan, who hit a six off the penultimate delivery to seal victory.For the Bulls, it was a return to winning ways. After Rovman Powell, the top scorer of the tournament thus far, blasted 56 off 22 balls to propel the Warriors to 128, they were in for a tricky chase. Yet, Gurbaz and Wright ensured that the likes of Mohammed Hafeez and Dwayne Bravo were given a night off with the bat as they smashed their way to a hundred partnership in just 38 deliveries.The 19-year-old, who was the youngest player at the T20 World Cup, played with the class and poise of a man with bags of experience, as he pierced the gaps and struck the ball beautifully in a knock which included six fours and five sixes. By the time the wicketkeeper batter, who has signed for Leicestershire next season, was dismissed, the game was all but done. He was met by joyous smiles from the Bulls dugout and a massive hug from his skipper, Bravo.For Bravo, despite the loss of Jason Roy pre-tournament and an injury to Rilee Rossouw, he was full of praise for his opening pair. “Luke Wright is a class player, he’s proved that over the years. He came in today in just his second game and showed his dominance,” said Bravo. He added, “But a big special mention to Gurbaz because that kid has a special talent and the world is getting to see what he has to offer.”Such was the confidence in Gurbaz that the first ball he faced from Imran Tahir was not defended or nudged away. Instead, the Afghanistan batter audaciously smashed the 42-year-old – who had made his first-class debut before Gurbaz was even born – over long-off for six in the second over. Asked about his mindset going into that particular battle, a buzzing Gurbaz said, “I don’t think about who is the bowler against me, I try just to wait for the loose ball and watch the ball clearly.”Oshane Thomas, who had taken the first hat-trick of the tournament the night before, was brought back down to earth by Gurbaz as he was lofted over square-leg off his first legitimate delivery, before the youngster hit him for two more sixes in the seventh over. The West Indian’s first appearance of the Abu Dhabi T10 had been one to remember as he sealed the Warriors’ first win, removing Mark Deyal, Tion Webster and Curtis Campher to claim a memorable hat-trick. Courtesy of Gurbaz and Wright however, his second appearance will be one he will want to forget in a hurry.This format allows batters to tee off to a degree rarely seen elsewhere and, after belting 30 off 10 in the opening match of the Abu Dhabi T10 against the same outfit, Gurbaz’s combined tally of 100 off 42 against the Warriors alone, highlights just how dominant he has been against the defending champions.”That’s the beauty of T10 that players really get to express themselves and showcase their talent,” Bravo said, and Gurbaz mentioned how a word of advice from his coach, Andy Flower, had allowed him to do just that.”My confidence was a bit low [after the last two games] but he [Flower] told me you have this ability, so just show it… the coach told me that the other team should be under pressure and not you, because we have some very big legends in our team” said Gurbaz. “So yeah, it’s easy for me.”

Robert Lewandowski has reportedly agreed a contract extension with Barcelona that will see him stay at the club until the summer of 2026.

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Lewandowksi agrees new Barca dealSet to stay at club until 2026Plans to retire in CataloniaFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The striker was set to activate an extra year with the La Liga giants by featuring in half of their matches this season, a hurdle he will clear by playing against Rayo Vallecano next Monday. But, according to Mundo Deportivo, Lewandowski has already agreed fresh terms with the club, guaranteeing him an extra season in Catalonia.

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Lewandowski will be nearly 38 by the time his new contract at Barcelona ends but it is clear to see why the club are so keen to renew his deal. The Pole's prolific career shows no signs of slowing down, with 31 goals in 33 appearances this season, while he is the joint-top goalscorer in the 2024-25 Champions League with nine strikes.

DID YOU KNOW?

Lewandowski is the third-highest goalscorer in the history of the Champions League, sitting behind only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi on the competition's all-time list. He is also just 10 goals short of 100 in a Barcelona shirt, an achievement that would see him break into the club's top 20 goalscorers despite the fact he only signed one month short of his 34th birthday.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR LEWANDOWSKI AND BARCELONA?

Lewandowski's new deal is reported not to include the option for a further season beyond 2025-26 but the forward still sees his future in Catalonia. His family are said to be settled in Barcelona and intend to continue their lives there once he hangs up his boots, with his wife Anna holding several business commitments in the city. For now, Lewandowski will be hoping to spearhead Barca's charge towards the La Liga title, Champions League and Copa del Rey under Hansi Flick.