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As the Friedkin Group look to make their mark once again, Everton are reportedly already working on a £21m deal to sign an attacking talent ahead of Merseyside rivals Liverpool this summer.

Everton transfer news

The Toffees have certainly had more reason to be positive since the return of David Moyes, having steered clear of the relegation zone and onto likely safety in the Premier League. Meanwhile, Friedkin haven’t exactly had a bad start away from the action – welcoming Carlos Alcaraz on loan from Flamengo in what should hand Moyes an exciting player in central midfield.

Whilst defeat in the FA Cup did bring their momentum to a frustrating halt, the Toffees have the perfect chance to bounce back when they host the final ever Merseyside derby at Goodison Park on Wednesday. It’s there that they’ll have the chance to prevent rivals Liverpool from going as many as nine points clear in the Premier League title race – at which point it would undeniably be theirs to lose.

It’s not just on the pitch that those at Goodison Park could stand in the way of the Reds, however. According to reports in Spain, Everton are already working on a deal to sign Rayan Cherki ahead of Liverpool this summer in a transfer that would be worth €25m (£21m). Reportedly in pole position, the Toffees look set to swoop in on a player who has long been linked with their rivals.

His value has risen £35m: Everton will rue selling "monster" Ndiaye upgrade

This former Everton talent has turned into a superstar of a player.

ByAngus Sinclair Feb 11, 2025

The young attacking midfielder, who can also play on both the right and left-hand side of a front three, looks destined to leave Lyon even after he was denied the chance to do so and join Borussia Dortmund in the January transfer window.

Given Lyon’s desperate financial situation, they won’t be able to remain firm forever and will likely have no choice but to sell if the likes of Everton come calling. With Liverpool also reportedly interested, meanwhile, the French club could quickly commence quite the race between the two Merseyside clubs.

"Special" Cherki would ignite Everton's attack

Whilst Moyes has so far managed to get an electric tune out of what was a choir-like attack under Sean Dyche, there’s no denying that he still needs fresh faces within his frontline. And that’s where Cherki should come in.

The 21-year-old has been one of the most highly-praised talents in European football at times this season, including from Ben Mattinson. The analyst went as far as to say that the Lyon man is a “special creator” who is “creative from all areas of the pitch” last month.

The stats certainly only add credit to that verdict too. In a struggling Lyon side, Cherki has been involved in 17 goals in all competitions so far this season – finding the back of the net six times himself and creating another 11 goals.

The Frenchman looks destined for the top, which could yet feature a summer switch to the Premier League and Everton.

Klaasen and Verreynne hit double-centuries, while Dean Elgar scored his first ton in a year

Firdose Moonda18-Nov-2022Dean Elgar, Heinrich Klaasen and Kyle Verreynne warmed up for South Africa’s Test tour of Australia with big hundreds in the domestic four-day competition.Elgar, South Africa’s Test captain, scored his first century in exactly a year, with 137 for the Titans against the Knights. His previous hundred came in November 2021, when he scored 117 against Western Province. Elgar’s next best score since then is an unbeaten 96 against India at the Wanderers.Related

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In the same match, Klaasen, who was recalled to the Test squad in place of Ryan Rickelton (who had an ankle injury which made him ineligible for national selection but is playing in this round of domestic matches), hit a career-best 292 off 240 balls.Klaasen has only played one Test for South Africa, on their 2019 tour to India, where he scored 11 runs, but has been part of their white-ball teams since.Klaasen is travelling as the back-up wicketkeeper but the incumbent, Kyle Verreynne, made sure he made a statement too. He scored a double-hundred of his own for Western Province against Paarl Rocks at Newlands and finished on 201*.There was less luck for Test opener Sarel Erwee and middle-order batter Khaya Zondo, who made 11 and 15 respectively for the Dolphins against the Warriors.Keegan Petersen, who would have played in that match too, has been ruled out of action until next year with a torn hamstring. But his most likely Test replacement, Rassie van der Dussen, returned to action after being sidelined for the last two-and-half-months with a broken left index finger. Van der Dussen scored 45 for the Lions against the Dragons.Heinrich Klaasen made a first-class career-best 292•Cricket South AfricaTemba Bavuma, South Africa’s Test vice-captain, is also part of the Lions outfit but, along with Kagiso Rabada, is not required to play a four-day match before traveling to Australia. Bavuma, who endured a torrid white-ball run and is contemplating his future as T20I captain, has been given a break while Rabada, despite his poor T20 World Cup, is having his workload managed.Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Marco Jansen and Keshav Maharaj, who is recovering from a groin injury, will play in next week’s round of matches while Gerald Coetzee, Glenton Stuurman and Simon Harmer have played both fixtures so far.Coetzee bowled to Elgar in the opening stages of his innings at SuperSport Park and finished wicketless from 22 overs, in which he conceded 147 runs. He took 1 for 16 in last week’s drawn match against the Dragons.Stuurman is also without reward in this round of matches so far, with 0 for 42 from 10 overs but took nine wickets in the Warriors’ victory over Boland last week. Harmer took 1 for 63 in a rain-affected fixture against Western Province last week.

Tottenham could face competition from the Saudi Pro League for Marco Silva, who has been linked with Spurs' manager role if Ange Postecoglou leaves.

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Fulham boss Silva receives Saudi offerPostecoglou linked with Tottenham exitJorge Jesus has left Al-HilalFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Al-Hilal have made a non-binding offer to Fulham manager Marco Silva to take over at the Saudi Pro League club, who recently parted ways with Jorge Jesus, according to talkSPORT. The former Everton and Hull boss has been linked with a move to Tottenham should the north London side decide to sack Ange Postecoglou after a torrid Premier League season.

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Silva has reportedly impressed figures at Tottenham during his current spell with Fulham, helping the Cottagers challenge for European qualification. He brushed off rumours of succeeding Postecoglou last month, but could still remain a target if the Australian is given the boot by chairman Daniel Levy. Spurs' hopes of potentially appointing the 47-year-old are set to be rivalled by Al-Hilal, though the Saudi Arabian giants are still said to be weighing up their options. Simone Inzaghi and Nuno Espirito Santo are also thought to be candidates in the running for the job.

DID YOU KNOW?

Fulham have fallen behind the contenders for European qualification in the Premier League, dropping to 11th and nine points behind seventh-placed Aston Villa. Spurs, meanwhile, are all the way down in 16th but have the chance to save their campaign through the Europa League, having taken a 3-1 first-leg lead in the semi-finals against Bodo/Glimt.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR SILVA?

While he could be targeted by Premier League or Saudi Arabian clubs once the season ends, Silva still has three more matches to oversee before the end of Fulham's campaign, starting with Saturday's Craven Cottage showdown with Everton.

Australia legspinner didn’t quite know the Law while Sydney Thunder secured a big win out west

Tristan Lavalette08-Jan-2023Zampa’s contentious run out attemptThey say any publicity is good publicity and the BBL has not been short of controversial moments this season that have stirred global debate. Just two days after Michael Neser’s contentious juggling catch on the boundary, chaos ensued when Stars skipper Adam Zampa attempted to run out Renegades batter Tom Rogers at the non-striker’s end. Zampa had been left frustrated moments earlier after he believed Rogers was running out of the non-striker’s crease to gain an advantage.After Rogers again left his crease early, Zampa quickly whipped off the bails and appealed for the wicket but it was given not out after replays showed that his bowling arm was past vertical. Zampa, who was jeered by some of the 38,500 crowd, later doubled down although admitted he didn’t totally understand the laws.”I was well within my rights to do it, it’s in the rule book,” he said. “I didn’t know the [vertical] rule, I thought you actually had to let the ball go.”Amid the furore, Cricket NSW voiced its support of the polarising mode of dismissal with chief executive Lee Germon saying it needs “to be supported in upholding the relevant laws of the game”.Related

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Short and Lynn power Strikers to highest successful BBL chase

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Rogers fired-up after Zampa incident While the attempted run out hogged the headlines, it did fire up Rogers who was visibly unhappy with the incident and traded words with Zampa. He roused his best efforts with the ball as the quick led Renegades’ superb defence of a modest 141 for 7 in the Melbourne derby.With his first legal delivery, Rogers bowled opener Joe Clarke and he was just getting started. Conjuring menacing movement, Rogers was almost unplayable to finish with 5 for 16 in the best figures in Renegades’ history. Only Strikers quick Henry Thornton’s remarkable 5 for 3 in Thunder’s capitulation for 15 bettered Rogers’ figures this season.There were flashier off-season signings, but the recruitment of Rogers has been key in Renegades’ revival. The 28-year-old, who holds down a day job as a high school teacher, enjoyed a breakout last season with Hobart Hurricanes, where he claimed 20 wickets, and he’s gone up another level. Right now, Rogers is the leading wicket-taker in the BBL with 17 wickets in nine games at an average of 16.35.

Adam Zampa's attempt at a run out was deemed by the Third Umpire as not out#BBL12 pic.twitter.com/cvhlLBwig5

— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) January 3, 2023

Thunder’s rejuvenation complete at Scorchers’ fortressAn improved Sydney Thunder faced a litmus test against Perth Scorchers, who were riding an eight-game winning streak at Optus Stadium stretching three years. Scorchers made a modest 142 for 9 batting first but that type of total is usually enough for their strong attack to defend. The usual script appeared set when Alex Hales and Rilee Rossouw fell early as Thunder slumped to 10 for 2.But Ollie Davies continued his eye-catching form with 58 before Alex Ross’ blistering 18-ball 41 in Thunder’s confident chase down with three overs to spare. It was their fourth straight victory – and their best this season – after three straight losses marked by the embarrassing 15 all out which appears to have galvanised them.Ollie Davies has fired in Thunder’s middle order•Getty ImagesRichardson’s untimely injuryTo further compound Scorchers’ defeat to Thunder, quick Jhye Richardson suffered a hamstring injury to continue his injury-plagued season. Fortunately it was on the lower end of the scale but Richardson is likely to miss the rest of the regular season. His latest setback comes on the back of a nagging heel injury which saw on the sidelines for an extended period ahead of the BBL season.Richardson had been in hot form with 15 wickets in seven games marked by rapid bowling nudging 150kph. He was issuing a reminder to national selectors having slid down Australia’s crowded pace pecking order, but his latest injury casts fresh doubt on his ability to stay on the field.Turner is proving the ultimate finisherJust when his shorthanded batting order needed it, Scorchers skipper Ashton Turner has wound back the clock this season. After a couple of lean seasons, which has seen him on the fringes of Western Australia’s Sheffield Shield team, Turner has rediscovered his big-hitting ability. He’s been in superb touch all season and this week was the only Scorchers’ batter to fire against Thunder with a 37-ball 60.A composed Turner has been at his best finishing a match and he did so again against Brisbane Heat with 23 not out from 12 balls to ensure Scorchers ran down the target of 172 with ease. Turner, who played nine ODIs and 18 T20Is for Australia from 2017-21, is highly regarded for his tactical nous and is seen as arguably the best skipper in the BBL. He could well be coming under consideration for a return to international cricket with Australia currently experiencing a dearth of leadership options in the shorter formats.

The @StrikersBBL chase down 230 to win! WOW

Matt Short take a bow!#BBL12 pic.twitter.com/y5uAktZneq

— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) January 5, 2023

Harper ends droughtRenegades have noticeably struggled in recent years but have put a lot of work into their younger players. Wicketkeeper-batter Sam Harper has benefited with a sustained run but badly struggled this season with the bat. He scored just six runs in four innings, including three ducks, heading into the match against Hobart Hurricanes. Chasing 163 at Marvel Stadium, Harper rediscovered his best with 89 off 48 balls, which included seven sixes. Harper was particularly devastating at the finish against quick Joel Paris before narrowly falling short of a maiden BBL century in a confidence boosting innings.Performance of the week: Short fuels Strikers’ record chaseThere have been some remarkable feats this season and Adelaide Strikers added to the list after their record chase against Hobart Hurricanes at home. Chasing 230, Matt Short and Chris Lynn smashed a blistering partnership worth 124 runs off 58 balls as Strikers produced the greatest run chase in BBL history.Short capped his captaincy debut with a 59-ball century to end a frustrating rut for the allrounder who enjoyed a breakout last season. But he’s generally having some type of impact with Short’s handy offspin often used in the powerplay. Amid a likely transition of Australia’s T20 team, Short looms as an intriguing option with his allround skill marked by hard-hitting batting he memorably unleashed against Hurricanes.

Sunderland have now suffered another injury blow regarding a “brilliant” player alongside the recent issues for Enzo Le Fee and Dan Ballard.

Latest Sunderland news

The Black Cats are preparing for another important Championship assignment later this week, with Regis Le Bris’ side making the trip to Sheffield Wednesday on Friday evening.

Sunderland are arguably playing the Owls at a good time, however, following back-to-back defeats to Coventry City and Burnley, and the visitors will know that only a win will do, in terms of keeping their fading hopes of automatic promotion alive this season.

Injuries are proving to be an issue for the Black Cats currently, with key figures such as Le Fee and Ballard among those who are unavailable, as well as long-term absentee Alan Browne, who suffered a broken leg last year.

When it comes to recent transfer news, Ahmet Gurleyen has been linked with a summer move to the Stadium of Light, with the centre-back plying his trade at Hansa Rostock. On the flip side, Leeds United are thought to be eyeing a move for Wilson Isidor at the end of the season, which would be a blow for Le Bris.

Big injury setback for Sunderland

According to the Roker Report, Sunderland loanee Jayden Danns may not play at all between now and the end of the season because of injury.

The update claims that “sources inside” the Black Cats’ academy believed the 19-year-old’s campaign could be over, due to the back problem that has seen him return to Liverpool to undergo rehabilitation.

This would be an enormous blow for everyone concerned, not least Danns, who left Anfield during the January transfer window in order to pick up some invaluable experience.

Instead, the young striker is yet to make a single appearance for Sunderland, robbing the Black Cats of a talented player who Marc Albrighton hailed earlier this year, following a goal for the Reds against Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup third round: “Jayden Danns loves a goal and getting in those positions.

“That was brilliant from start to finish. He expected the rebound and he finished it well first time. You can see how much it means to him – a great moment for the young lad.”

For Sunderland, it is a major setback, considering Danns was brought in as a player who could add precious firepower to Le Bris’ squad between now and May, having scored 24 goals in 33 appearances for Liverpool’s Under-18s.

Instead, it now looks like the teenager may end up not playing a single minute for the Black Cats, instead staying put on Merseyside and potentially earning a loan move elsewhere in the summer when he is fully fit again.

Sunderland now eyeing summer swoop to sign 25 y/o defender in bargain deal

The Black Cats could make their move…

ByTom Cunningham Feb 21, 2025

While Sunderland could arguably again try to snap him up at that point, this current situation may act as a word of warning to them, meaning they look elsewhere at loan options.

Jude Bellingham has posted a personal message to Carlo Ancelotti on his Instagram, thanking the Italian coach for everything he has learnt.

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Bellingham sends thank you to AncelottiCoach departs to take Brazil jobXabi Alonso set to replace ItalianFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The English midfielder was signed by Ancelotti in 2023 and, under the tutelage of the Italian, shot to stardom from a more advanced position. Los Blancos won both La Liga and the Champions League as Bellingham established himself as one of Madrid's most important, and the world's best, players. The 21-year-old played in both in midfield and as the Madrid number nine under Ancelotti and his growth in the Spanish capital was epitomised when he provided the winning assist for Vinicius Junior at Wembley to clinch the European crown.

AdvertisementAFPWHAT BELLINGHAM SAID

In a post dedicated to Ancelotti, Bellingham said: "Mister, thank you for everything. It was a pleasure and great experience to learn from the most successful manager of our club and one of the greatest of all time. What you have taught me about life and football will stick with me always and I will be forever grateful. Good luck on your next journey, I wish you, your staff and your family nothing but happiness!"

DID YOU KNOW?

Ancelotti has agreed to become the boss of Brazil as he suggests his time in domestic football may have come to an end. The Italian explained: "I don't feel like coaching another club, or I didn't, after Madrid. That's what I've said and I maintain. In the future… I don't know. But the most immediate thing is to do well with Brazil."

Xabi Alonso has agreed to take over from the Italian at Real Madrid. The Bayer Leverkusen boss will come in immediately and be in charge of the squad ahead of the Club World Cup.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR BELLINGHAM?

Bellingham will play his final game under Ancelotti on Saturday against Real Sociedad before the Italian departs. The Englishman will feature at this summer's Club World Cup before potentially facing Ancelotti again next year at the World Cup.

Paul Stirling has not been picked in the Test squads for the games against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Feb-2023Former Zimbabwe international Peter Moor has been picked in Ireland’s Test squads for upcoming matches against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka while senior batter Paul Stirling misses out.However, Stirling will lead Ireland in the ODIs against Sri Lanka in the absence of rested captain Andy Balbirnie, who is set to captain his country across all formats in Bangladesh and the Test in Sri Lanka.Ireland tours of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka

Three ODIs (Sylhet), three T20Is (Chattogram) and one Test (Dhaka) vs Bangladesh: March 18-April 8

One Test (Galle) and two ODIs (Colombo) vs Sri Lanka: April 18-28

Ireland will also be without left-arm seamer Josh Little, who will play only the ODIs against Bangladesh, after which he is due to fly to India for his first IPL stint with defending champions Gujarat Titans. Little will also play for Multan Sultans in the PSL just before Ireland’s tour of Bangladesh.The Test in Bangladesh will be Ireland’s first since July 2019, when they played England at Lord’s. Ireland have played only three Tests – the others being against Pakistan and Afghanistan – since obtaining Full Member status in 2017.Moor had qualified to play for Ireland last October, though he was overlooked for the tour of Zimbabwe last month. Moor, 32, has represented Zimbabwe in eight Tests, 49 ODIs and 21 T20Is, with his last appearance for them coming in a T20I in October 2019.”He’s [Moor] played a bit of Test cricket in Bangladesh and gives us some experience in that middle order,” Ireland coach Heinrich Malan said. “He has played international cricket [before], and it’s nice to have someone with that calibre in and around our environment.”Ireland squadsODIs and T20Is against Bangladesh: Andy Balbirnie (capt), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Graham Hume, Matthew Humphreys, Barry McCarthy, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Ben White, Stephen Doheny (ODIs only), Josh Little (ODIs only), Andrew McBrine (ODIs only), Ross Adair (T20Is only), Conor Olphert (T20Is only), Craig Young (T20Is only)One-off Test against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka: Andy Balbirnie (Capt), Curtis Campher, Murray Commins, George Dockrell, Graham Hume, Matthew Humphreys, Andrew McBrine, Barry McCarthy, James McCollum, Peter Moor (wk), Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Ben White, Mark Adair (Bangladesh only), Matthew Foster (Sri Lanka only)ODIs against Sri Lanka: Paul Stirling (capt), Curtis Campher, Murray Commins, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Stephen Doheny, Matthew Foster, Graham Hume, Matthew Humphreys, Andrew McBrine, Conor Olphert, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Craig Young

Celtic’s dream of winning another domestic treble took another step closer to becoming a reality when they beat Hibernian 2-0 at Parkhead in the SFA Cup on Sunday.

The Hoops are 16 points clear in the Scottish Premiership table, and they beat Rangers to win the League Cup earlier this season, which means that winning the SFA Cup will likely clinch a treble.

Brendan Rodgers’ side secured the win over Hibs thanks to a first-half strike from Daizen Maeda and a stoppage-time finish by substitute Adam Idah, but they were not the only strong performers on the day.

January signing Jeffrey Schlupp, who is on loan from Premier League side Crystal Palace, put in an impressive performance at left-back for the Scottish giants.

Jeffrey Schlupp's strong Celtic impression

The Ghana international caught the eye with a strong showing on the left flank against Hibs, earning a player rating of 8/10 from 67HailHail and an 8/10 rating from GlasgowWorld, who wrote that he was a ‘real threat’ with his attacking play.

Chalkboard

Schlupp started for the third match in succession in all competitions and has continued to catch the eye with his fantastic performances for his temporary club.

The Eagles loanee had just come off the back of a sensational showing against St Mirren in Celtic’s last Premiership match, as he produced a goal and an assist in the 5-2 win, and this latest masterclass may have just sealed Greg Taylor’s fate.

Why Greg Taylor's fate may be sealed

The Scotland international was an unused substitute and played zero minutes in the quarter-final win over Hibernian, with Rodgers opting for Schlupp ahead of him for the entire 90 minutes.

That came off the back of him being an unused substitute in two of the previous three games, making it three of the last four, and he was hauled off at half-time against Hibs in the league in the match he did play.

This suggests that Schlupp is firmly ahead of him in the pecking order, given that the 32-year-old star has been keeping him on the bench, and that spells bad news for his long-term future at Parkhead.

Taylor’s current contract is due to expire at the end of this season and his place in the starting line-up being taken by a new signing does not suggest that he is likely to earn a new one before the summer.

Cameron Carter-Vickers

£37k

Callum McGregor

£37k

James Forrest

£19k

Daizen Maeda

£18k

Alistair Johnston

£16k

Reo Hatate

£16k

Arne Engels

£16k

Adam Idah

£16k

Luis Palma

£16k

Greg Taylor

£15k

As you can see in the table above, the former Kilmarnock man is among the highest earners at the club – earning even more than exciting forward Nicolas Kuhn, on £12k-per-week.

When you consider that Kuhn has racked up 18 goals and 13 assists this season, the Hoops are not getting much value for their money if Taylor is an unused substitute more often than not.

Celtic may not want to keep a player who is now deemed a back-up option by Rodgers on an extended deal when his wages do not reflect his current status at the club.

After O'Riley: Celtic now have a £25m star who will be their next big sale

Celtic could be in line to make a stunning profit in the years to come…

ByRobbie Walls Mar 9, 2025

Therefore, Schlupp’s impressive performances and his grasp on the starting jersey suggest that Taylor’s time at Glasgow may well be coming to an end later this year, unless there is a dramatic twist in the final weeks of the campaign.

Jorginho is poised to join Flamengo from Arsenal after posting a heartfelt farewell to the Gunners faithful on social media.

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Jorginho set to move to BrazilMade just 15 league appearances33-year-old to embark on new challengeFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Jorginho is set to move to Flamengo this summer after spending two years at Arsenal. He saw his playing time severely limited under Mikel Arteta this season, making just nine Premier League starts, and is now poised to embark on a new challenge in Brazil.

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Per reports, the Italy international has already signed his Flamengo contract and the midfielder has posted a touching farewell on Instagram, insisting that when he joined the Gunners he joined a "family".

WHAT JORGINHO SAID

Jorginho wrote: "Thank you, Arsenal."

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The midfielder is poised to head to South America. In the meantime, Arsenal are scheduled to begin pre-season against AC Milan on July 23.

CSK seem to have run out of gas after being the pace-setters early on, but are still in the top four on the table

Deivarayan Muthu05-May-20235:48

Can Mumbai’s in-form batters overcome resurgent Jadeja and Co?

Big picture – MI have the wood on CSK at ChepaukThe last time Chennai Super Kings lost two home games in the league stage of an IPL season was way back in 2013. After they suffered a last-ball defeat to Punjab Kings last weekend, CSK’s head coach Stephen Fleming suggested that the Impact Player rule has allowed teams to go harder at oppositions this IPL – both Adam Zampa and Prabhsimran Singh, who had been brought in as Impact Players for the two games, messed with CSK’s plans and set them up for rare home defeats.But even before the introduction of the Impact Player, Mumbai Indians had breached CSK’s fortress multiple times. In fact, MI have a dominant 6-2 win-loss record against CSK at Chepauk, and are on a six-match winning streak against CSK at the venue.Related

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Suryakumar shows why he is so difficult to bowl to

MI’s recent form is also encouraging: they’ve won five of their last seven games, with their middle order, in particular, dripping with explosive power and class. Suryakumar Yadav, Tim David and Tilak Varma have all contributed handsomely to MI becoming the first IPL team to hunt down 200-plus totals in back-to-back games. MI also have depth in their spin attack, which will be handy if Chepauk rolls out a black-soil turner.As for CSK, they seem to have run out of gas after having been the pace-setters in the first half of the season. Ravindra Jadeja, Ambati Rayudu and Moeen Ali are yet to properly fire with the bat while Tushar Deshpande has leaked runs at the death although he has the knack of taking wickets in clusters. Deepak Chahar, who had pulled up injured when CSK and MI last met at the Wankhede, is fit again and could lend some experience and powerplay bite to their attack.A win for CSK on Saturday could potentially take them back to the top two, while a win for MI could see them break away from the mid-table logjam and enter the top half of the standings.The big questionTeam news – Hrithik Shokeen could return for MIMI are usually big on match-ups, so they might bring back offspinner Hrithik Shokeen against a left-hander-heavy CSK line-up. There is no official news from CSK’s camp on whether Ben Stokes is available for selection – he has been batting and bowling in the nets over the past week. Sisanda Magala has also resumed both batting and bowling in the nets, but with Matheesha Pathirana establishing himself as CSK’s go-to death bowler, there is no room for him.Form guideChennai Super Kings: NRLLWW
Mumbai Indians: WWLLWImpact Player strategyAs far as the Impact Player is concerned, CSK have followed a fairly consistent pattern, with Rayudu replacing one of the bowlers when they chase. They could start with Deshpande if they bowl first and replace him with Rayudu in the second innings, or vice versa.CSK Probable XII: 1 Devon Conway, 2 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 3 Ajinkya Rahane, 4 Shivam Dube, 5 , 6 Moeen Ali, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 MS Dhoni (capt, wk), 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Maheesh Theekshana, 11 Matheesha Pathirana, 12 If the Chepauk pitch plays true to its nature, MI could consider using left-arm-all-sorts spinner Kumar Kartikeya as an Impact Player and strengthen their spin attack even further. Suryakumar might make way for Kartikeya if MI go down this route.MI Probable XII: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Ishan Kishan (wk), 3 Cameron Green, 4 , 5 Tilak Varma, 6 Tim David, 7 Nehal Wadhera, 8 Piyush Chawla, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Hrithik Shokeen, 11 Akash Madhwal/Arshad Khan, 12 Matheesha Pathirana has been a revelation for CSK at the death•AFP/Getty ImagesStats and Trivia David has a strike rate of 199 between overs 16 and 20 this season – the highest among batters who have faced at least 60 balls in this phase. Jadeja, in comparison, has struck at only 146 in this phase. MI have the worst death-overs economy rate (13.36) in the IPL. CSK have fared much better in this phase, conceding 10.47 an over. Piyush Chawla has a good head-to-head record against Rayudu in the IPL, having dismissed him six times in 13 innings while giving up only nine boundaries in 53 balls against him. Rohit Sharma holds the unwanted record of having bagged the joint-most ducks in the IPL. Dinesh Karthik, Mandeep Singh and Sunil Narine have also collected 15 ducks each in the tournament.Pitch and conditionsWhile the Chepauk pitches in this IPL have offered some purchase for spinners, the true bounce has allowed batters to hit through the line. The overhead conditions were overcast when MI and CSK started training on the eve of the game and there’s also some rain forecast for Saturday evening.Quotes”We’ve played [Lasith] Malinga in the nets when I came here in Mumbai Indians and that gives us a lot of confidence. He was a legend and we did practice well when he was bowling, so we will just look to watch the ball and play our own game.”