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The confidence he has gained out of performing against the big names in the IPL has helped Ambati Rayudu climb to the top of his game once more, after a few troubled years

Amol Karhadkar29-Apr-2013Ambati Rayudu hails from Hyderabad and represents the franchise from Mumbai. But there’s something about the team from Bangalore that ensures Rayudu is in the headlines when playing against them.In 2011, his match-winning, unbroken partnership of 110 with Sachin Tendulkar against Royal Challengers Bangalore was followed by the master batsman asking Rayudu to join him at the presentation ceremony to share the Man of the Match award. Last year, his ugly spat with Royal Challengers’ Harshal Patel resulted in Rayudu being fined his entire match fee for the game.This year, again, Rayudu, the only regular without an international cap in the Mumbai Indians’ star-studded line-up, was in the thick of the action during Mumbai Indians’ high-profile duel with Royal Challengers. If his controversial run-out, which resulted in the Wankhede Stadium crowd booing Royal Challengers captain Virat Kohli all through the night, wasn’t enough, Rayudu waited and waited with his breath held before latching on to a skier from Chris Gayle just a few inches inside the boundary rope. It may not have looked as spectacular as some of the other catches so far in IPL 2013, but in terms of its impact on the game Rayudu’s catch was right up there at the top. No wonder then that as soon he had regained his balance after completing the catch, he burst into a wild, celebratory sprint. The catch turned out to be the catalyst for Mumbai Indians’ mauling of Royal Challengers.If one has to draw up a list of domestic cricketers for whom the IPL has turned out to be more of a boon than bane, Rayudu would feature at the top. His fall was as sharp as his rise as the next big thing in batting from the stables of Hyderabad. He went from being the most promising youngster around in 2002, to being discarded by both the domestic teams from the state by 2007, and joined the Indian Cricket League. And then came the IPL. Once Rayudu returned to the BCCI’s fold following ‘amnesty’ in 2009, he was signed by Mumbai Indians, then led by Tendulkar and coached by Robin Singh, both of whom rated him highly despite the middle-order batman failing to make optimal use of his phenomenal talent on the field. A decent debut IPL season in 2010 was followed by a better one: in 2011 he finished Mumbai Indians’ second-highest run-getter after Tendulkar.”IPL definitely worked for him in many ways. Once he started performing well against the international players and in front of big crowds, it made him really confident,” Sanath Kumar, who has been the coach of Baroda – Rayudu’s domestic team – for the last two seasons, said. “That is when he started believing all over again that he can come back and play for the country. During our numerous conversations, he always says ‘money will come and go sir, but representing the country is the main goal’. I am sure he is not very far from achieving the goal since he has been doing all the things right.”Once his confidence was restored, it reflected in his performances for Baroda. He gained in consistency, something that he had badly lacked for almost a decade prior to that. This ensured he became a permanent fixture in the India A squad over the last two years. And the big dream of the boy who had led India’s Under-19 World Cup team in 2004 was achieved ahead of last year’s twin Twenty20s against England, when he was named in India’s squad. Rayudu might not have played in the series, but the call-up rubberstamped the fact that he had risen to the top again after his falling away.Two years ago, during an interaction with this writer, Rayudu had mentioned Robin Singh was one of those people who stood behind him like a rock, even during his difficult days. “Robin has been the one who has been guiding me all these years,” Rayudu said. “He has been telling me to spend time in the middle. ‘You will eventually make many runs and you will personally be surprised with the runs that you get’ he says.” Now that backing is paying off for Mumbai Indians.Over the past four IPLs, Rayudu has played a role similar to what Rahul Dravid did for India’s ODI side a decade ago. From an opener to No. 8, he has been floated all across the line-up. He has also donned the gloves when the team was struggling to find a batsman-wicketkeeper.During this year’s edition, his role has changed again. The gloves are off but Rayudu is being utilised more at No. 6 with a decision being taken to use Kieron Pollard ahead of him. He didn’t seem to take much time to get adapted to his new role of a finisher, as his cameo against Delhi Daredevils showed – that was the first game in which he was slotted in at No. 6 this season.Rayudu has not really surprised himself with his performances, but he certainly has forced quite a few of those who had written him off earlier to have a rethink.

Thrown in at the deep end in the mid-2000s, Chris Mpofu nearly fell by the wayside, but now he’s back, with a freshly minted offcutter, and ready to lead by example

Firdose Moonda15-Sep-2011The dusty towns of Kimberley and Bloemfontein in the heartland of South Africa are not destinations for people in search of self-realisation. The cricket pitches at both venues are flat and unresponsive, and fast bowlers are particularly unlikely to discover themselves at either. But Zimbabwe’s Chris Mpofu did.He toiled on both surfaces during Zimbabwe’s short tour of their neighbour in October last year, recording unflattering figures of 1 for 59 in a Twenty20 in Kimberley and 0 for 59 in an ODI in Bloemfontein. His was not the most expensive return, but it was the most disappointing because he was expected to perform as the senior seamer and failed to do so.”Robin Jackman came and spoke to me after those two performances and said if I wanted to succeed in international cricket, I had to learn to bowl a slower ball,” Mpofu told ESPNcricinfo. “He said it’s not all about speed, it’s also about variation. Even if you hit the same areas over and over again but don’t change your pace, batsmen will find a way to succeed against you.”Mpofu had bowled some cutters in the nets before that but “did not have the belief” to try them in a match situation; he had also not found the need to. Only after bending his back on the batsman-friendly strip in Bloemfontein did he start to ponder what Jackman said, and his choice to take the advice seriously represented the turning point of his career.”The most difficult part was getting him to realise that he needed to add to his repertoire, but once he acknowledged that, it was quite easy to teach how,” Heath Streak, Zimbabwe’s bowling coach, said. “In cricket you need a range of balls, over and above your stock delivery. Once Chris knew that, he was happy to learn, and we worked in the nets for over a month to develop his offcutter.”Streak and Mpofu have a special relationship as the only two members of the current national set-up who come from Bulawayo. They have known each other since Mpofu first turned up to bowl in the nets against the national team in the early 2000s, when he had only just discovered an interest in cricket. Mpofu was a late starter in the game, having played as a goalkeeper for his school’s football team and participated in athletics. “I only started watching cricket during the 1999 World Cup,” he said.Zimbabwe fielded one of their strongest sides in that tournament and beat both India and South Africa to advance to the Super Eights. They were labelled the giant of the smaller teams and it’s easy to see why a youngster like Mpofu may have been inspired to take up the sport. Five years later he got his wish, but not in the way he would have imagined.The 2004 player walkout left glaring gaps and Mpofu was one of the youngsters who was fast-tracked onto the international stage. He was 19 at the time and although it was his dream to represent his country, he was not comfortable doing so in that environment.”It wasn’t easy for any of us. We had no one to lead us and we didn’t know what the future would hold,” he said. “Some days we would come into the change room and not know what we were doing, and even when we thought we were doing well, things weren’t going our way.”He stuck it out, though, like Hamilton Masakadza, Vusi Sibanda, Prosper Utseya, Tatenda Taibu and Brendan Taylor. It was probably tougher for him than for any of the others because he was often the lone seamer among a clutch of spinners. Mpofu had the essentials – his height allowed him to get good bounce and his action was technically sound – but he had no one to help him work on consistency and discipline. As a result he was often wayward and expensive and the target of opposition batsmen.His poor performances seemed a symptom of the malaise that had crept into Zimbabwe cricket, and there were times when walking away looked an attractive option. “There was a game against Pakistan when I took 1 for 75 and I had to ask myself if it was worth it.”The answer only came much later, after things had started to change in Zimbabwe cricket. When Alan Butcher was brought in last year, with Streak as his bowling coach, Mpofu could sense that things were stabilising. As if in validation, he had a handful of decent performances in the tri-series against India and Sri Lanka and the matches against Ireland. He went off the rails after that, though.”The tour of South Africa was one of the toughest times in my life,” he said. “When I was doing that badly, I thought of Mick Lewis in the 438 game against South Africa and how I had not seen him play for Australia again, and I wondered if I would ever play for Zimbabwe again.”It was Streak who helped him believe he would. Mpofu said that because Streak speaks his mother tongue, Ndebele, it made it easier to talk to and relate to him.”He had been more willing to open up and discuss issues with me, whereas in the past he may not have been as comfortable with other people,” Streak said. It was probably the sense of familiarity that Mpofu felt around Streak, whom he describes as his cricketing hero, that made him receptive to Streak’s mentorship in developing the slower ball.”Streaky is the master of the offcutter,” Mpofu said. His desire to learn to bowl it like the master took over. “It was an easy thing to teach because he has the ability,” Streak said. “And the good thing is that his action doesn’t change too much when he bowls the offcutter, so that element of deception is there. We had to be quite careful that he didn’t lose his quicker ball, but he has done very well.”The special celebration jig with Ray Price•AFPMpofu showed great improvement at the 2011 World Cup, where he took seven wickets at an average of 22.71 and eased into a more senior role for Zimbabwe. He began to symbolise the new era of Zimbabwe cricket, one that is not scared to experiment and innovate.He formed another special friendship during that tournament, with his new-ball partner Ray Price, and the two invented a special heel-touching jig to celebrate their wickets. “We saw some of the Kenyan guys doing it and we decided to make our own version,” Mpofu said. “Ray taught me to celebrate every wicket, because you never know when you may take another one. He said, ‘Even if a team is 300 without loss and you take the first wicket, you should celebrate it.'”Recently Mpofu has not had as much to celebrate as two of Zimbabwe’s new young seamers, Brian Vitori and Kyle Jarvis, have done. Since they debuted against Bangladesh, the spotlight has shifted to them, but instead of envying them their easier passage into international cricket and their early successes – which he did not have – Mpofu is quietly thrilled they are involved. “Having them makes my job easier,” he said. “In Tests if they open the bowling, by the time I come on, I would have had time to see what the pitch is doing. I know if they do well, I have to continue that, and if they don’t, I have to fix it.”Streak is pleased with the way Vitori and Jarvis have combined with Mpofu. “It’s good to have that competition in the squad, and there will be days when he [Mpofu] has to take a back seat to them and vice versa. But he has taken on the more responsible role,” Streak said.Mpofu may seem to have been around for a while, but he is just 26 and is the senior seamer in the attack. Streak thinks his maturity at such a young age means Zimbabwe can look forward to a dynamic future with the three quick bowlers. “Their best years are ahead of us, and by the next World Cup I think the three seamers will be quite a handful.”Mpofu has set himself some lofty goals. “I would like to play in the Indian Premier League or the Sri Lankan Premier League, or maybe even in England – a big league; that would be a real achievement for me.” But ultimately it’s not the personal accolades but the collective ones he wants to reel in, having seen how resilient his team-mates have been over the last few years. “We have been through a lot but the guys haven’t got too affected by it,” he said. “We lost matches day in and day out and now we’re probably three-quarters of the way there. We can’t stop now.”

Sidharth Monga looks into the reasons why domestic batsmen come up short on sporting pitches

Sidharth Monga in Vadodara07-Jan-2008

A wicket fell every 13.2 runs in one of the shortest semi-finals in the Ranji Trophy – played between Uttar Pradesh and Saurashtra at Moti Bagh Stadium in Vadodara. Fifty-four was the highest partnership, 21 overs the longest wicketless spell, and 32 of the 40 wickets fell to medium-pacers. The semi-final ended in all of 191.2 overs, and the question everyone would want to ask is: was the wicket so bad or has India found new sensational bowlers? The answer to both will be negative; UP’s Sudeep Tyagi, though, has the promise but a long way to go.The wicket was helpful, the bowlers smart, and the batsmen incompetent. The surface was firm, had some grass, there was a little moisture, and it afforded seam movement throughout the game. At worst the wicket was merely difficult, and at best sporting.The batsmen, all virtually born and brought up on paatas [flat tracks with no lateral movement], just did not show the application to tackle the moving ball, and never looked at ease. That none of the 40 dismissals came from a shot played early shows that the ball didn’t stop on the batsmen. Nine of the 14 caught-behind dismissals came off deliveries could have been left well alone.That runs could be scored on this wicket was shown by Mohammad Kaif and Jaydev Shah, the two captains, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Kamlesh Makvana, the tailenders who showed the application and the will to hang on with the better batsmen. Kaif is not the owner of the best technique, but he showed the determination to negate the difficult conditions. He cut down on his strokes and once he got used to the movement, he accelerated. It took a special catch from Shah at mid-off to get him out.India have picked many a batsman based on the numbers in domestic cricket only to find them exposed as soon as they play at the international level – against better attacks on better wickets. When dropped, those batsmen have come back and continued to score heavily in domestic cricket.. That, and what happened at Vadodara, is a statement on the kind of wickets domestic cricket in India is played on and the quality of players it generates.Dilip Vengsarkar, chairman of the national selection committee, who watched the game, was singularly unimpressed. “There is nothing wrong with the wicket; they haven’t shown any application. They are playing way too many shots.”Kaif seemed to agree. “Domestic batsmen are used to playing on flat wickets. The moment they are given a wicket better than that, they seem to struggle,” Kaif said. “And when one or two fall to an inside edge, the others also go with the mindset that the wicket is not good to bat on.”It is interesting to note here that this is the first time the semi-finals are being played at neutral venues. At the same venue earlier this season, Bengal were 221 for 0 on the first day against Baroda, and in another match Baroda drew against Orissa. On both occasions, the team winning the toss had chosen to bat first. Here for the semi-final, when there was no home team around, the Moti Bagh Stadium track, which has a reputation of being helpful to the fast bowlers, returned to its characteristic self.It is obvious and an open secret that no association wants bowler-friendly wickets for its home matches and the curator has to work accordingly; unless the team is in dire need of an outright win, the tracks are all flat.The home captain has a big say in the kind of wickets prepared. Is it a surprise, then, that of all the 15 teams in the Super League, not one has a bowling captain?

The ICC has been preparing a back-up pitch at The Oval for the World Test Championship final, as a precaution against the threat of potential disruptions by activists from Just Stop Oil. The move to prepare another pitch is to guard against a worst-case scenario and the strip that will be used for the Test, which begins on Wednesday, remains the same one which has been tended over the past few days.The move comes after a series of disruptions by Just Stop Oil activists, a coalition made up of environmental action groups fighting to raise awareness about climate change, at sporting events across UK over the last year. Premier League football, the World Snooker Championships and Premiership Rugby Union have all been affected.Last week the England men’s team bus, en route to Lord’s for the one-off Test against Ireland, was held up briefly on the first morning after being blocked by activists. On Monday morning, the Australia team bus was similarly delayed, stuck in traffic because of Just Stop Oil protests, as they headed to The Oval for training.The ICC has updated its playing conditions for the WTC final with a clause accounting for the use of another pitch in case the one in use is damaged, or is deemed dangerous. The initial step in the playing conditions is to see if the existing pitch can be repaired and the match to restart from the point it was stopped subject to the surface not affecting either team.In case the original pitch cannot be repaired a new pitch will come into play. Only if it is not possible to resume the match on that other pitch will the match then be abandoned and deemed a no-result.Both teams have been informed by the ICC of the development. “It’s something we got in the security briefing a couple days ago,” Pat Cummins, the Australian captain, said. “I’ve heard that they’re aware of it and kind of keep an eye out. But that’s as much as we’ve heard.”So hopefully, it doesn’t happen, obviously. But I’ve heard there’s a few different events that have been affected.”Cummins has been a vocal advocate on the climate and formed the Cricket for Climate group along with fellow Australian cricketers to reduce the sport’s carbon footprint. “First of all I have to say I haven’t really followed it at all, so I don’t really know what these protests are about, but my view is always there’s right ways to go about things and potentially not the right way to go about things,” Cummins said on what he thought of method used by Just Stop Oil protestors. “Whenever anyone’s got any beliefs, you just hope you take the right option.”Security has been beefed up for both teams as well as for the Test, which is a sellout for all five days.

MatériaMais Notícias

O meio-campista Eduard Atuesta rompeu o ligamento cruzado anterior do joelho direito e passará por cirurgia nos próximos dias. O Palmeiras não trabalha com tempo de recuperação, mas a tendência é que o atleta desfalque o clube alviverde por, pelo menos, seis meses.

Atuesta se lesionou no último domingo (26), quando os atletas que não atuaram na vitória sobre a Ferroviária permaneceram em campo, no Allianz Parque, para fazer um treinamento. Na atividade, o colombiano sentiu a região lesionada. Já na última terça-feira (28), o jogador passou por exames que constataram a lesão.

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+Memes zoam Flamengo e Vítor Pereira após vice da Recopa para o Del Valle: “Cheirinho voltou!”

Contratado pelo Verdão no fim de 2021, por 3,7 milhões de dólares (R$ 20,7 mi, na cotação da época), por 70% dos direitos econômicos, o camisa 20 nunca foi titular, mas nessa temporada vinha ganhando chances no decorrer das partidas. Foram seis jogos disputados em 2023, sendo quatro saindo do banco de reservas.

+ Confira a tabela do Paulistão e simule a última rodada da primeira fase

Atuesta é o segundo volante que o Palmeiras perde neste início de temporada. Além do colombiano, o Palestra também negociou Danilo, que era titular da posição, com o Nottingham Forest, da Inglaterra, por 20 milhões de euros (R$ 110 mi, cotado no dia da venda). Assim, os volantes que integram o time principal palmeirense são: Fabinho, Gabriel Menino, Jaílson e Zé Rafael.

Kusal Perera was the most high-profile local player to not attract a bid

Andrew Fidel Fernando21-May-2024

Matheesha Pathirana has become the most expensive Lanka Premier League (LPL) player ever, commanding a US$120,000 price tag as he ended up with his old team, Colombo Strikers, for the 2024 edition of the tournament.The other big winner of the day was seamer Isuru Udana, who was bought by the new Galle Marvels franchise for $100,000, despite his base price being $30,000 and Marvels being the only franchise that bid for him. The auctioneer checked three times whether he had heard the bid from Marvels correctly. He had. They wanted to pay that much for Udana, who has not played for Sri Lanka since 2021.Dasun Shanaka also commanded a serious price tag, going to B-Love Kandy for $85,000. In his case, though, Jaffna Kings had been in a bidding war with B-Love.Related

Kandy have big names, Galle boast of power-hitters, and Dambulla bag the fast bowlers

As it happened – the Lanka Premier League auction

Among the fresh overseas signings, Afghanistan allrounder Karim Janat attracted the biggest bid, going for $80,000 to Dambulla Thunders, a franchise under new ownership this year. Rilee Rossouw was another headliner, joining Kings for $60,000.Afghanistan’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz – a wicketkeeper batter – and Hazratullah Zazai – a top-order batter – also got bids worth $50,000, going to Strikers and Thunders respectively. Spin-bowling allrounder Fabian Allen went to Kings for $32,000, and seam-bowling allrounder Dwaine Pretorius was bought by Marvels for $30,000.In general, it wasn’t a profitable auction for many overseas players. The likes of Lungi Ngidi, David Wiese, Martin Guptill, Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman, Shoaib Malik, and Mushfiqur Rahim went unsold.Local spin-bowling allrounders like Dhananjaya de Silva and Dunith Wellalage did okay, though, going for $50,000 to Kings and Strikers respectively. Kusal Perera was the most high-profile local player to not attract a bid, with even former Test captain Dimuth Karunaratne getting a gig for $10,000 with B-Love Kandy.This version of the LPL has two new sets of owners. Thunders have replaced last year’s owners Dambulla Aura, while Marvels have taken over from Galle Gladiators.Kings, Strikers, and B-Love Kandy are the surviving franchises from last year. Kings are the only owners that have been around since 2022 or before.B-Love Kandy
Wanindu Hasaranga, Angelo Mathews, Dushmantha Chameera, Kamindu Mendis, AndreFletcher, Kyle Mayers, Ashen Bandara, Dinesh Chandimal, Dasun Shanaka, Ramesh Mendis, Dimuth Karunaratne, Mohammed Hasnain, Chamath Gomez, Pawan Rathnayake, Chaturanga de Silva, Kavindu Pathirathne, Lakshan Sandakan, Sammu Ashan, Azam Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammed Ali, Kasun RajithaColombo Strikers
Chamika Karunaratne, Thisara Perera, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Nipun Dhananjaya, ShadabKhan, Glenn Phillips, Chamika Gunasekara, Dunith Wellalage, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Taskin Ahmed, Angelo Perera, Shevon Daniel, Garuka Sanketh, Binura Fernando, Matheesha Pathirana, Shehan Fernando, Kavin Bandara, Isitha Wijesundara, Muhammed Waseem, Allah GhazanfarGalle Marvels
Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Lasith Croospulle, Niroshan Dickwella, Maheesh Theekshana, Tim Seifert, Alex Hales, Janith Liyanage, Dwaine Pretorius, Sahan Arachchige, Lahiru Kumara, Prabath Jayasuriya, Sean Williams, Zahoor Khan, Malsha Tharupathi, Isuru Udana, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Sadeesha Rajapaksa, Mohommed Shiraz, Kavindu Nadeeshan, Mujeeb Ur Rehman, Chamindu Wijesinghe, Jeffrey Vandersay, Yuri KoththigodaDambulla Thunders
Dilshan Madushanka, Nuwan Thushara, Dushan Hemantha, Praveen Jayawickrama, Mustafizur Rahman, Ibrahim Zadran, Lahiru Udara, Akila Dananjaya, Danushka Gunathilaka, Iftikhar Ahmed, Nuwanidu Fernando, Nuwan Pradeep, Ranesh Silva, Sohan de Livera, Hazratullah Zazai, Karim Janat, Asela Gunaratne, Lahiru Madushanka, Rusanda Gamage, Mithun Jayawickrama, Ayana Siriwardhana, Sonal Dinusha, Haider Ali, Santhush GunathilakaJaffna Kings
Kusal Mendis, Avishka Fernando, Charith Asalanka, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, AzmatullahOmarzai, Noor Ahmad, Rilee Roussow, Fabian Allen, Dhananjaya de Silva, Pramod Madushan, Jason Behrendorff, Asitha Fernando, Vishad Randika, Lahiru Samarakoon, Wanuja Sahan, Eshan Malinga, Alex Ross, Ahan Wickramasinghe, Murvin Abinash, Arul Pragasam, Pathum Nissanka, Nishan Madushka, Theesan Vithushan, Nisala Tharaka

England's hopes of progressing to the semi-finals of the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 took a major hit after a nightmare first half saw them go two goals down to a sharp and clinical Sweden side. Supporters were left stunned as the reigning champions struggled to deal with the early intensity from the Scandinavians, who capitalised on two defensive errors from Jess Carter to establish control.

Sweden raced to a 2-0 lead within 25 minutesDefensive lapses cost England dearlyCarter had a horrific first halfFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Carter endured a torrid opening 45 minutes as both Swedish goals stemmed directly from her missteps. The first blow came early as Carter played a careless pass out from the back, gifting possession to the opposition in a dangerous area. Sweden needed no second invitation. Stina Blackstenius latched onto the loose ball, and with precise awareness, laid it off for captain Kosovare Asllani. The veteran midfielder remained calm under pressure and steered the ball into the net with a clinical angled strike.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

In the 25th minute, England were caught out again. This time, Blackstenius took matters into her own hands. Out-sprinting Greenwood with ease, she left Carter trailing as she charged into the box. With a composed finish past goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, she doubled Sweden’s lead, leaving the Lionesses with a mountain to climb.

WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

Supporters expressed disbelief over how quickly the game unravelled, especially given England’s pedigree as defending champions. Social media erupted in criticism, with many blaming Carter for putting the team in such a difficult position.

One fan, @joshrbirchall wrote: "GET JESS CARTER OFF THIS PITCH! #SWEENG #Lionesses #WEURO2025".

Another, @catsfootball_, wrote: "didn’t want to win the euros again anyways."

Whereas, @InfernalBore, said: "Hate to say it, but Sweden set out here with a gameplan to specifically target Jess Carter. And it's working like a charm. #WEURO2025 #SWEENG #Lionesses"

Meanwhile, an honest @beckytaylorgill admitted: "I am not having fun."

On the other hand, @em_sandy wrote: "Sweden fans are singing ABBA. Ouch."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND?

As the half-time whistle blew, England were left facing a daunting task. No team in the history of the Women’s European Championship has ever recovered from a two-goal deficit in a knockout fixture. All eyes will be on how Sarina Wiegman responds during the break and whether England can rally to stage a comeback.

MatériaMais Notícias

Antes mesmo de entrar em campo e empatar sem gols com o São Paulo na última rodada do Brasileirão, o Palmeiras já havia carimbado passaporte para a Libertadores de 2023. Com um novo recorde batido, Abel Ferreira e companhia podem começar a planejar 2023 com mais tranquilidade.

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>Abel Ferreira e Tite na lista: veja o ranking de melhores técnicos do mundo

Antes mesmo de entrar em campo e empatar sem gols com o São Paulo na última rodada do Brasileirão, o Palmeiras já havia carimbado passaporte para a Libertadores de 2023. Com um novo recorde batido, Abel Ferreira e companhia podem começar a planejar 2023 com mais tranquilidade.

Claro que todos os pontos somados pelo Verdão, que saiu sem somar nada em apenas duas oportunidades, diante de Ceará e Athletico-PR, fizeram a diferença para este feito. Contudo, foi a vitória do Flamengo por 1 a 0 sobre o Atlético-MG na 31ª rodada a responsável por classificar o Alviverde antecipadamente.

São apenas 18 em disputa nas últimas seis rodadas do Brasileirão. Logo, como o América-MG está na oitava posição, com 45 pontos, e o Atlético-MG é dono da sétima, com 47, nenhum deles consegue mais alcançar o Palmeiras, independente de G6 ou G8.

> Clique e confira a tabela completa da reta final do Brasileirão-2022!

Com mais uma participação confirmada pelos comandados de Abel Ferreira, o Verdão bateu o recorde de edições de Libertadores disputadas por times brasileiros, totalizando 23. Além disso, esta será a oitava vez consecutiva do Verdão na competição continental.

Vale lembrar que, entre os clubes do país, o time palmeirense ostenta o maior número de jogos no torneio (222), títulos (três), vitórias (125), vitórias em casa (75), vitórias como visitante (48), mais gols marcados (429), mais gols em casa (253) e mais gols como visitante (173).

Com uma pré-temporada mais tranquila, já que a participação já será diretamente na fase de grupos da próxima edição da Libertadores, o Palmeiras poderá se planejar para não desgastar seus jogadores e manter os principais do elenco. Além disso, pode ser uma grande chance para apostar ainda mais na base alviverde para a disputa do Paulistão, por exemplo.

O foco é descansar ao máximo, sem antecipar a pré-temporada, e encontrar brechas para que o trabalho de Abel Ferreira seja ainda mais especializado, mantendo o Verdão no topo das grandes estatísticas e competições.

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India have included both R Ashwin and Washington Sundar in their squad for the three-match ODIs series against Australia.With the World Cup looming and the team intent on testing more of their bench, regulars such as captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya and Kuldeep Yadav have been rested for the first two ODIs. In Rohit’s absence, KL Rahul will lead the side.For the third ODI, the selectors have picked the same squad that they will play with at the World Cup, plus Ashwin and Washington.Ashwin last played an ODI more than 18 months ago, and his selection is a chance for the team management to have him ready, along with Washington, should they need to replace Axar Patel, who has a left quadriceps strain that ruled him out of the Asia Cup final.Ashwin has been training at the NCA over the past week along with spin consultant Sairaj Bahutule, apart from regular physical conditioning work, even as the national team was away in Sri Lanka.Related

• Rohit on resting Kuldeep: 'We don't want to expose him a lot'

“We’re hoping Axar will be fit,” chief selector Ajit Agarkar said. “Washy was already part of the squad for the final. Ashwin brings experience, so it gives us options in case there is a need at some stage for us to look at those guys.”Rohit elaborated on the Ashwin selection a bit more when asked if the offspinner’s lack of match-time in the format could be a possible hindrance.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“With guys like Ashwin, game-time and time on the ground is not so much of a concern,” he said. “Which is why we thought if he is an option for us, we need to get him in. With the kind of experience he has, for guys like him, it’s all in the head more than the body. I thought getting him in could give is a chance to understand where he is at, how his body is and stuff like that.”It’s not like he has not been playing cricket for the last year or so. Yes, he hasn’t played in this [ODI] format, but he played Test cricket recently in the West Indies, and if I’m not wrong, in the TNPL as well. Of course, there’s no comparison but he has had some cricket there. The games against Australia will give us a chance to look at where he’s at.”Explaining the team management’s rationale behind naming two different squads for a short ODI series, Agarkar stressed the importance of giving the senior players a “mental break” given the short turnaround between their victorious Asia Cup campaign and the first ODI.”Luckily we got a fair amount of cricket at the Asia Cup,” Agarkar said. “If not, we would’ve looked at it some other way. More than physical, sometimes guys need a mental break, which isn’t a bad thing leading into a tournament like the World Cup.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“For the third game, everyone will be available. We will play our World Cup squad. This [squad for the first two ODIs] gives us a chance to give guys sitting outside a chance. It’s still a strong squad. Like I said, if we hadn’t got a lot of cricket at the Asia Cup, who knows, we may have thought differently.”With Rohit resting, India have the option of picking either Ishan Kishan or Ruturaj Gaikwad as an opener. Gaikwad has been training at the NCA along with the rest of India’s Asian Games contingent that will leave for China on September 27. Gaikwad, who is set to captain that team, will now link up with the rest of the touring group immediately after the second ODI in Indore on September 24.The Australia series, which begins on September 22, is India’s last ODI assignment before the World Cup and it presents a chance for highly-rated middle-order batter Tilak Varma to push his case at the highest level. He has been picked for the first two games.

India’s squad for Australia series

For first two ODIs: KL Rahul (capt), Ravindra Jadeja (vice-capt), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, Tilak Varma, Prasidh Krishna, R Ashwin, Washington SundarFor third ODI: Rohit Sharma (capt), Hardik Pandya (vice-capt), Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, Virat Kohli, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel (subject to fitness), R Ashwin, Washington Sundar

Rodrygo might have dropped potential hints about his future following Xabi Alonso's arrival as head coach, despite interest from Arsenal and Chelsea.

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• Rodrygo reveals his state of mind
• Brazilian linked with a summer departure
• Arsenal and Chelsea keeping tabs

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Winger Rodrygo has been constantly subjected to speculation in the past months, linking him with a summer departure. Premier League giants Arsenal and Chelsea have been credited with serious interest in the 24-year-old. However, he posted photos of himself in training under new head coach Xabi Alonso with a one-word caption: "HAPPY".

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Despite reports claiming that Rodrygo is looking to leave Madrid, and that the club are ready to cash in on the player this summer, Rodrygo has maintained a professional attitude and has taken part in all of Alonso's training sessions this week. In fact, Spanish media has suggested that the player wants to stay at the club and fight for his place under Alonso, with whom he is set to hold talks regarding where he fits into the manager's plans.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Alonso hailed Rodrygo as a "spectacular" player during his presentation press conference in May, adding that he is part of his plans. That, though, hasn't stopped other teams from pursuing a potential move for the Brazilian international this summer. In particular, Arsenal and Chelsea are the two teams who have been linked with Rodrygo the most in the past few weeks. If he were to leave this summer, Los Blancos will reportedly demand a figure between €80 million (£67m/$91m) and €100m (£84m/$114m).

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  WHAT NEXT FOR RODRYGO?

  The former Santos prodigy will be expected to be among the minutes at the Club World Cup that begins on June 14. Madrid will play their first game on June 18 against Al-Hilal.