She also said she believed in her replacement Shafali Verma to do “something special” in the final

Edited PTI copy07-Nov-2025India opener Pratika Rawal, who missed the semi-final and final of the World Cup due to injury, said that she believed in her replacement Shafali Verma to do “something special” in the final. Rawal, who joined India’s celebrations after winning the final against South Africa in a wheelchair, also received her medal, which had initially not been given to her because she was ruled out of the tournament.”I have my own medal now,” she was quoted as saying by PTI Videos. “One of the support staff had lent me theirs temporarily because mine hadn’t reached on time. Jay [Shah, ICC chairman] sir has sent me a medal, someone told me. I was so happy but people made a big deal of it online, it will take some time but will come to me.”Shafali partnered with Smriti Mandhana at the top of the order in the crucial semi-final against Australia as well as the final against South Africa, where she finished as Player of the Match, scoring 87 and also picking up two wickets. Rawal revealed the conversation she had with Shafali before the game.Related

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“Shafali doesn’t need motivation. She plays with instinct and belief,” Rawal said. “Before the final, she came up to me and said, ‘I’m really sorry you can’t play,’ and I told her it’s fine, these things happen. I had a feeling she would do something special that day.”Rawal, who had scored 308 runs in the tournament, finished fourth on the list of highest run-scorers after South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt (571), Mandhana (434) and Australia’s Ashleigh Gardner (328). She injured her ankle and knee while fielding against Bangladesh in the last league game. Being a psychology student, she said it was easy for her to process the setback.”…as someone who has studied psychology, it really helped me to understand human emotions better – including my own,” she said. “The first thing is to accept what’s happened. You can’t undo it. Once I accepted the injury, I focused only on what I could control – recovery, sleep, nutrition, and supporting the team.”There was disappointment, yes, but no breakdown. My dad was there, my coach (Shravan Kumar) kept checking on me, my mom and brother called every day. I have such a good support system. They didn’t let me spiral or feel alone,” she said.Her father took the injury harder than she did. “I don’t show emotions easily, but my dad cried a lot – I had to calm him down,” she said.On her recovery, Rawal sounded optimistic. “I’m feeling a lot better now. My X-ray is due in a few days, and I’m doing most things on my own. I’ve started light mobility work too. Once the doctors clear me, I’ll start batting again. I’m very excited to return – I miss holding the bat,” she said.”My next target is to complete rehab properly and come back for the domestic season. I don’t like rushing recovery. I’m a person who can bat all day and still not get tired – I want to get back to that zone.”Since her debut in 2024, she has scored 1110 runs in 24 ODIs with two centuries and seven fifties at an average of 50.45, numbers that underline her growing stature. But there was some criticism from the outside about her strike-rate, though India coach Amol Muzumdar had dismissed that concern during the tournament. Commenting on her batting approach, Rawal said she doesn’t believe in fixed roles.”Every match demands something different. If Smriti gets out early, I’m told to anchor and stay long,” she said. “If we need to score runs quickly, I’m asked to accelerate. For me, it’s never about personal milestones, it’s about the team’s rhythm.”

Will the start of yet another new era off the park lead to one on the pitch for Rangers?

On Monday, it was announced, somewhat out of the blue, that both chief executive Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell had been sacked, just weeks after they had been publicly backed by Andrew Cavenagh and other members of 49ers Enterprises.

Thelwell and Stewart oversaw the hiring and swift firing of Russell Martin, as well as appointing his successor Danny Röhl, with the power vacuum upstairs likely to see the German head coach have a rather large say when it comes to January recruitment.

Before the transfer window opens, Rangers have eight more matches to play, with Röhl still attempting to build a cohesive team out of the mishmash squad he has inherited, but which big-money signing should find himself on the bench against Falkirk on Sunday?

Danilo's continued poor performances

Rangers have signed plenty of players who have not lived up to their price tag in recent years, with Danilo right towards the top of that list.

Since arriving from Feyenoord in the summer of 2023 for a reported fee of £6m, the Brazilian striker has made just 67 appearances for the Light Blues due to injury problems.

However, when he is on the pitch, he is not delivering either, scoring just 15 times for the club, of which three have come this season, putting in a very underwhelming display during Thursday’s 1-1 draw with Braga, as the table below documents.

Danilo’s statistics vs Braga

Stats

Danilo

Match rank

Shots on target

1

3rd

Expected goals

0.15

6th

Successful dribbles

2

7th

Accurate passes

14

18th

Passing accuracy %

71%

17th

Touches

34

18th

Stats via SofaScore

As the table documents, Danilo made little impact on the night’s proceedings.

His major moment came just after the half hour mark, played in-behind by Mohamed Diomandé, but tamely shooting straight at Lukáš Horníček, lacking any semblance of confidence or conviction, never appearing to believe he was going to score.

In the Brazilian’s defence, he was deployed out of possession on the left-wing so, with that in mind, Röhl surely must start his forgotten special young talent when Falkirk visit Govan on Sunday instead.

Rangers' youngster with an exciting future ahead

Amazingly, 26 matches into this season across all competitions, only two Rangers players have scored four goals or more, namely Djeidi Gassama and James Tavernier.

Just below them on three goals is Findlay Curtis, despite the fact he has barely featured for three months.

The teenaged academy graduate made his senior debut against Fraserburgh in the Scottish Cup in January, but was one of the stars of Martin’s ill-fated tenure, scoring three times before 24 August.

The pick of the bunch was this rocket to secure a 2-0 victory over Panathinaikos in a Champions League qualifier back in July.

Overall, Curtis has seen 244 minutes of action this season, but just 17 minutes of this have come since the start of September, not featuring at all in 12 of Rangers’ last 15 fixtures.

He was given a nine minute cameo by Röhl during the defeat to Roma earlier this month, this the only time he has been seen under the new manager.

Despite this, Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout asserts that he has an “exciting future ahead”, while Kai Watson asserts that he “looked really bright” every time he is called upon.

Curtis’ direct dribbling and fearlessness is something Rangers severely lack, especially with Mikey Moore currently sidelined, while fellow wingers Oliver Antman and Thelo Aasgaard simply are not offering enough.

Thus, with games against Falkirk, Dundee United and then Kilmarnock up next, Röhl surely has to reintegrate Curtis, or risk him becoming the latest Rangers youngster who is forced to depart in search of first team opportunities.

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Posts ByBen Gray Nov 28, 2025

Both Kohli and Gaikwad accessed similar areas in the field to help India score risk-free runs in the middle overs

Alagappan Muthu03-Dec-20254:31

Gaikwad: I decided I’d try to be consistent in any game this year

At the halfway stage, on a pitch that wasn’t completely straightforward to bat on, Virat Kohli was 51 not out. Considering he was playing two games in one that was pretty good going.As soon as the coin fell against them, India had to play both the ball in front of them – which in the first innings was holding up on the surface – and the ball that lay in wait – when dew in the second innings would make run-scoring a much more appealing occupation.A one in a million event – losing 20 tosses in a row – set the stage for a one in a million player. Kohli made his 53rd ODI century. South Africa haven’t been able to keep up with him. But someone else was.Related

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At the halfway stage, on a pitch that wasn’t completely straightforward to bat on, Ruturaj Gaikwad was 51 not out as well. When the ODI squad for this South Africa series was announced, it seemed like he would be more of a bench player. The back-up if one of the openers got injured. Except, on training day in Ranchi, he batted with Kohli. Shadowed him, almost. On match day, it became clear that India saw him in a different role. Eighty-one of his 88 List A innings may have come at the top of the order but here this team saw him as a No. 4. Or maybe, somewhere way out in the future, a No. 3.It is only one innings – played in Shreyas Iyer’s absence who will very likely get his spot back once he recovers from his injury – but right the way through, it mirrored one of the greatest of all time. Gaikwad being in such good sync with Kohli actually became vital to his health because there were a couple of blistering on drives that came straight at him and would’ve taken him out if he were even a step off.Virat Kohli gives Ruturaj Gaikwad a pat on the back after the latter tonned up•AFP/Getty ImagesThe two of them accessed similar areas in the field to further the same agenda. India needed regular, risk-free runs through the middle overs so that the wickets they ended up saving could help them launch at the back end (which they did, scoring 200 runs in 25 overs). Kohli directed it all. When the two of them got together in between overs, he kept pointing to the field in front of the wicket and gesturing “tap and run”.”Well, obviously a dream to bat with him and, you know, have a wonderful partnership,” Gaikwad told the broadcaster in between innings. “He helped me a lot throughout [our time in] the middle about how to access gaps, what lengths the bowler might be bowling and how you can adjust your technique and score some runs by taking less dot balls. So definitely very helpful and good learning for me.”Gaikwad followed suit so well that when they brought up their fifties, their underlying stats were almost identical: 24 singles and three twos for the master vs 23 singles and three twos for the protégé accessing areas in front of the wicket because the pitch was two-paced and searching for runs behind square was too risky.”I think we kept thinking about five-five overs,” Gaikwad said about how they broke their 195-run partnership. “We had set small targets and we just thought that five overs we have to achieve this, five overs we have to achieve this. Once we felt that we were really comfortable in the middle and there came a phase where the ball wasn’t doing much and it was coming really nicely onto the bat. And I just said that I’ll back my instincts, whatever it is, and let’s see how it goes on.”Gaikwad went from fifty to hundred in 25 balls. His boundary count nearly tripled, from five to 14. The moment came after a tiny bit of teasing. Deep midwicket tracked a pull shot placed past mid-on. Sixty-thousand people went “oooohhh” as the ball skipped across the outfield. Gaikwad himself couldn’t take his eyes off the ball even though he was in the middle of running between the wickets. When it hit the rope, all that tension melted away. The crowd went up in a roar. So did Gaikwad. Kohli stood back, letting his junior enjoy his moment, and when he was ready, the two of them embraced.All round the country – when Kohli landed in Mumbai, when he trained in Ranchi, when he batted in Raipur – people have been begging him for some attention. It was kinda funny that the one time he was instigating the PDA, he ended up having to wait. A first ODI hundred is always special but one made in the company of the king, matching him shot for shot, must feel even better. Unfortunately for him, this one suffered the same fate as his other international century, with the opposition pulling off a record chase.

Bayern Munich have agreed to splash the cash to buy a new stadium as part of the club's commitment to their women's team. The Bayern women's side currently play in the stadium at their training ground, which only has 2,000 seats. The women's team have won the German top-flight league for the past three seasons, which has prompted the management to make significant investment on the side.

Bayern's new stadium

According to , the reigning Bundesliga champions have agreed to spend a whopping £6.5 million (€7.3m) on the Sportpark Unterhaching, which is located in the southern outskirts of Munich. The arena, which has a capacity to hold 15,000 people, will be used by the club as the new home for their women's team. It is a significant infrastructure improvement for the women's side, who earlier played their matches at Bayern's training ground stadium, which only has 2,000 seats.

The Sportpark Unterhaching is also the home ground for German fourth-tier club SpVgg Unterhaching, who once played in the Bundesliga between 1999 to 2001. Sportpark Unterhaching had the opportunity to buy the stadium permanently last summer, but they pulled out of the deal due to finances. The venue has hosted several Bundesliga, women’s national team, youth team and German Cup matches in the past. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportClub chief confirm new stadium

Speaking to the press recently, Bayern's honorary president Uli Hoeness confirmed: "In Spain or England, top games are packed. “Here, you must bang the drum to get 20,000 spectators. And when they do come, we hug each other with joy. (Increasing attendance) is not so simple. (I’m a) friend of women’s football. Today they really can play well."

On passing up on buying the venue earlier this year, SpVGG Unterhaching president Manni Schwabl said: "Floodlights, lighting parameters, safety issues, pitch heating. All of that requires investment. We weren’t sure we could manage it."

How is it going for Bayern's women's team?

The Bayern women's side, who, like the male counterpart, dominate the German top-flight, are off to a flying start in the 2025-26 campaign. They have remained unbeaten in the league thus far, winning 11 out of their first 12 matches and are six points clear at the top of the table. 

In the Women's Champions League, they have won three out of their first four matches and will be back in action on Wednesday against Atletico Madrid in a home fixture.

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Getty Images SportBayern out of Salah race

Meanwhile, following Liverpool star Mohamed Salah's infamous public outburst, the Egyptian winger has been tipped to move away from Anfield next month and several top clubs in Europe, including Bayern Munich, and the Saudi Pro League, have been linked with the winger. 

Amid links to Munich, Bayern chief Max Eberl has ruled out the possibility of the Reds forward joining them, as he told : "We have an outstanding talent in Lennart Karl. Putting someone ahead of him now makes absolutely no sense. We've talked about the squad before – we have players coming back [from injury]. The transfers are coming from within. There are no plans to bring in any new players right now; the squad is homogeneous and balanced. A new player could also cause unrest because roles would shift."

And how many women have fifties from No. 10 in a World Cup match?

Steven Lynch14-Oct-2025Who’s scored the most runs at the women’s World Cup over the years? Is it Mithali Raj? asked Anjuli Desai from India
That’s a decent guess, as Mithali Raj is currently second on this list with 1321 runs in all editions of the women’s one-day World Cup. But she’s some way behind the leader, New Zealand’s Debbie Hockley, who made 1501 runs in 45 World Cup matches between 1982 and 2000.The leading current player is another New Zealander, Suzie Bates, who started this year’s competition with 1179 runs. Nat Sciver-Brunt’s 117 against Sri Lanka in Colombo last weekend – a record fifth World Cup century, passing the four of Bates and England’s Jan Brittin – put her in sight of four figures with 974 runs.How many women have scored a half-century from No. 10 in a World Cup match, as Alana King did against Pakistan? asked Melanie Crozier from Australia
Alana King’s staunch 51 not out against Pakistan in Colombo last week, which helped Beth Mooney rescue Australia from 115 for 8 and take them to a match-winning 221 for 9, was not only the highest by an No. 10 in the women’s World Cup – previously 42 not out by Yulandi van der Merwe for South Africa against India in Christchurch in 2000 – but also the highest in any women’s white-ball international (Kim Garth also made 42 not out for Australia vs South Africa in North Sydney in 2024).There have been three bigger scores from No. 10 in women’s Tests, the highest being Shelley Nitschke’s unbeaten 81 for Australia against England in Hove in 2005.I noticed that Ricky Ponting scored more than 1000 Test runs at four different grounds. Has anyone else done this? asked Michael Chesterton from Australia
Ricky Ponting scored 1743 Test runs in Adelaide, 1480 in Sydney, 1338 in Melbourne and 1335 in Brisbane. The only other man to reach 1000 on four different grounds is Jacques Kallis, with 2181 in Cape Town, 1267 in Centurion, 1266 in Durban and 1148 in Johannesburg.Seven men made more than 1000 Test runs on three different grounds: Hashim Amla, Allan Border, Greg Chappell, Javed Miandad, Brian Lara, Kumar Sangakkara and Steve Waugh. Sangakkara’s long-time Sri Lanka team-mate Mahela Jayawardene only did it at two grounds, but made it count with 2921 at the Sinhalese Sport Club in Colombo (his home club) and 2382 in Galle. Those are the two highest aggregates at any single venue: Jayawardene is the only player to make 2000 Test runs on two different Test grounds.Rather surprisingly perhaps, the England opener Jack Hobbs didn’t make 1000 Test runs on any home ground, but he did amass 1178 in Melbourne: he’s still the only man to pass 1000 at an away venue.Jacques Kallis has over 1000 runs at each of four grounds in South Africa, including 2181 at Newlands, Cape Town•Getty ImagesHarry Brook has a healthy Test average of 57 after 30 matches. Where does he rank among batters after their 30th Test? asked Vinod Nair from India
England’s new vice-captain Harry Brook goes into the Ashes with a batting average of 57.55 after 30 Tests. It turns out there are 40 men who averaged 50 or more after 30 matches, and Brook lies 18th among those, not far behind Jack Hobbs (57.77), Viv Richards (58.21) and Steve Smith (58.52).Way out at the top, as regular readers will probably already have guessed, is Don Bradman, who averaged 92.30 after 30 Tests. Next comes England’s Denis Compton with 64.10, just ahead of another Australian, Michael Hussey (64.05). Six other men averaged over 60 after 30 Tests: Javed Miandad (62.38), Herbert Sutcliffe (62.33), Everton Weekes (61.21), Neil Harvey (60.92), Marnus Labuschagne (60.82) and Adam Gilchrist (60.38).I noticed that David Warner scored exactly 100 in a T20 international on his 33rd birthday. Has anyone else made a birthday ton in a T20? asked Kyle Morton from Australia
Australia’s David Warner hit 100 not out against Sri Lanka in Adelaideon October 27, 2019, his 33rd birthday. He was the second (and last to date) to score a T20 international century on his birthday, after Afghanistan’s Mohammad Shahzad, who hit 118 not out against Zimbabwe in Sharjah on January 10, 2016, his 29th birthday.Seven men have scored a birthday century in a one-day international: Vinod Kambli, Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar of India, Tom Latham and Ross Taylor of New Zealand (against Pakistan in Pallekele during the 2011 World Cup), Sanath Jayasuriya of Sri Lanka (on his 39th birthday in 2008, against Bangladesh in Karachi) and Mitchell Marsh of Australia.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Leeds United secured a sensational win in the Premier League on Wednesday night. Daniel Farke’s side beat title challengers Chelsea 3-1 at Elland Road, to pick up a huge three points in their quest for top-flight survival.

The game started in perfect fashion for the West Yorkshire outfit.

Defender Jaka Bijol rose highest from a corner to head home, after making a darting run from the edge of the 18-yard box to the corner of the six-yard box before unleashing his powerful header.

Chelsea did not really threaten despite dominating possession, having 71% across the game. Leeds were able to double their lead on the stroke of half-time, thanks to a sublime effort from Ao Tanaka.

The ball broke to Jayden Bogle on the edge of the box, who laid it off to Tanaka. The midfielder smashed it in from range to put his side 2-0 up.

Enzo Maresca’s men were able to pull a goal back just five minutes after the restart through Pedro Neto. However, Leeds resisted their pressure and managed to get a third goal after a calamitous mistake from Chelsea allowed Dominic Calvert-Lewin to score.

It was a superb win for Leeds, with some standout performances across the pitch.

Leeds’ best players vs. Chelsea

One of the most impressive things about this Leeds victory was how hard everyone worked. That was certainly the case for captain Ethan Ampadu. Playing against his former club, the Welshman was the dominant force in midfield.

His stats from the game reflect how well he performed, both on and off the ball. Ampadu had 54 touches of the ball and had an 86% pass accuracy. He also won six duels and made six ball recoveries.

It was an all-action showing from the Wales international.

Another player who shone for the Whites was right wing-back Bogle. He was a real handful for Chelsea going forward, with his performance earning him an 8/10 rating from Graham Smyth, journalist for the Yorkshire Evening Post.

Smyth praised the fact that he ‘drove Leeds forward’, with the defender a real threat in attack.

That all came to a head with his assist for Tanaka, where he pounced on a loose ball before a Chelsea player could reach it, and quickly found his teammate with a first-time pass.

Ampadu and Bogle played well, but they were arguably outshone by one of their teammates.

Leeds’ best signing since Raphinha

It seemed to be a good night for wing-backs at Elland Road. Bogle was not the only one who stood out, with left wing-back Gabriel Gudmundsson one of the best players in a White shirt against Chelsea.

He enjoyed plenty of success defensively, coming up directly against the electric Estevao, and offered a threat going forward.

Gudmundsson won an exceptional 12 from 19 duels and five from eight tackles, as well as creating two chances.

Touches

55

Ground duels won

12/19

Tackles won

5/8

Ball recoveries

6

Crosses completed

2

Key passes

2

The excellent performance from the Swede was noticed by Smyth, who gave him a 9/10 for his efforts. The journalist praised him for how well he got forward, and credited him for the fact that he ‘got back in to defend and do his bit’.

As far back as September, the left-back was being called “the best” player in the Premier League in his position by journalist James Marshment.

The 26-year-old has made a brilliant start to life at Elland Road, featuring in all 14 of their top-flight games so far, and playing 90 minutes nine times.

There is a case to be made that the defender is Leeds’ best signing since Raphinha. The Brazilian was exceptional for the West Yorkshire side, and really hit the ground running in the Premier League. He managed 15 goals and assists in his first top-flight season.

Chalkboard

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

Well, Gudmundsson is making an equally fast start. To be branded as one of the best players in the league so soon is a testament to how well he has performed.

There haven’t really been any Leeds players who have started this fast, especially on the top-flight since Raphinha, with several of the players they have signed in previous Premier League campaigns now having left the club.

Farke will be desperate for this form to continue, and for Gudmundsson to prove he is one of their best signings since Raphinha.

Better than Calvert-Lewin: 9/10 hero had his best game for Leeds vs Chelsea

This Leeds star shone in their 3-1 win over Chelsea

ByJoe Nuttall Dec 4, 2025

Riyan Parag is not thinking about the prospect of being appointed Rajasthan Royals captain, but is ready to take on the responsibility if the management wants to give him the job.He could be among the candidates to take over as RR captain after the franchise traded Sanju Samson to Chennai Super Kings ahead of the IPL 2026 auction in December.”There haven’t been any discussions about captaincy at RR yet,” Parag said. “Manoj (Badale) sir (the team owner) has told us that the decision will be made only after the auction. I’m not thinking about it right now either. If I start thinking about it now, it will mess with my mindset, and a significant amount of mental space will be occupied by just one thing – captaincy, captaincy, captaincy.Related

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“If the team and management feel that I’m the right fit for the captaincy role, then I’m more than ready. Similarly, if they feel that I can contribute more effectively to the team as just a player, I’m ready for that too. My main goal is to have a season where I score 500-600 runs and take 10-15 wickets and help the team win the trophy.”Parag stood in as RR’s captain for eight games in IPL 2025 when Samson was injured, with the team winning two of those matches. He has also captained Assam across formats in domestic cricket, first given the role in T20s in 2021. In this year’s SMAT, Assam have won two of their five matches so far and are fifth in Elite Group A.Parag said the experience has helped him improve as a player and a person.”Last year, I captained in seven or eight IPL matches, and I don’t know what people outside think, but when I went into the dressing room and analysed my decisions with the coaches and data analysts, about 80 to 85% of my decisions were correct,” he said. “You learn a lot from that, and when you go to the big stage, you don’t feel the pressure of how to captain or how to manage the team and the field. Overall, I always enjoy captaincy, and it has helped me evolve a lot as a person.”Parag is also not concerned about RR heading into the IPL 2026 auction on December 16 without picking a captain.”In RR, any major decision that is made involves all of us. Any big decision is made only after consulting everyone. For example, now that Jaddu (Jadeja) has joined, he will definitely be a part of our leadership group,” he said. “There are around four or five people in this leadership group. If we need to trade a player in the team, or if we need to bid for a player in the auction, we discuss it with this leadership group and the coaching staff, and only then do the team owners make a decision. So I don’t think we need a captain before the auction to go there and raise the paddle for us.”Riyan Parag captained Rajasthan Royals in eight games in IPL 2025•BCCI

Parag also spoke about his close bond with Samson. “Sanju has played a huge role in my career. I don’t want to think about him leaving because if I do, I’ll feel bad,” he said. “I was very close to him, and when I first joined the team, he never made me feel like I was just a 17-18-year old kid from Assam. Perhaps that was also because he had a similar background and had also come from Kerala as a young player of 16-18 years old, a place from where not many cricketers emerge.”He has taught me a lot and given me a lot of love. In the last few years, whenever Jos bhai (Jos Buttler, who was with RR from 2018 to 2024) would go back to England before the playoffs, [Samson] would make me his vice-captain, tell me to attend team meetings, and take the lead in team meetings, deciding what to discuss and what the team should do. So I’ve learned and understood a lot from him.”Parag has been going through a lean patch in domestic cricket, but he is confident of being back in India’s white-ball plans once he completely heals from a shoulder niggle.In September, he had scored three List A half-centuries for India A against Australia A but his form dipped in the unofficial ODIs against South Africa A. Then, in three Ranji Trophy games, he made just 100 runs, averaging 20. In the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), he made scores of 5, 15, 14, 0, and 5.Riyan Parag hasn’t fully recovered from a shoulder injury•PTI

“Having played in the IPL and domestic cricket for so long, I’ve gone through these phases (of bad form) many times. Just because I’m not scoring runs here doesn’t mean I won’t score runs in the IPL,” he said. “There have been three or four instances where I’ve struggled in the domestic season but then performed well in the IPL. There have also been two occasions where I scored runs at an average of 45 or 50 in seven SMAT matches, but in the same season, I couldn’t even manage 70 runs in 14 IPL matches.”I even cried in the bathroom wondering why I wasn’t scoring runs. I used to think, ‘what should I do? Should I practice a little extra, or not practice at all, or just go on a holiday?’ I’ve tried everything. Now I don’t think about all that too much. Now, my frame of mind is the most important thing for me, and I focus on enjoying my game and my life; the runs will come eventually.”So I wouldn’t say this form is a cause for concern for me. I don’t see any technical issues in my batting at the moment either. If there were any problems, my dad would tell me; he watches all my matches. It’s just that I’m coming back from a shoulder injury, so I have to play a little cautiously. I think it’s because of this injury that I’m not currently in the Indian team. Otherwise, I think I can play in both formats of white-ball cricket. As soon as my shoulder is completely healed, you’ll see me back in the Indian blue jersey again, because I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong or played bad whenever I’ve been given an opportunity in the Indian team.”Parag made his T20I debut in July 2024 and has played nine games. His lone ODI appearance came in August 2024.

England batter trades playing in franchise league for off-field role but remains contracted for her country

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Dec-2025Heather Knight has opted out of playing in next year’s Hundred to take up a role as London Spirit’s first women’s team General Manager.In a move that signals Knight, the former England captain, could be considering taking a larger step back from her playing career after the 2026 T20 World Cup on home soil, her new franchise role involves offering technical support to coaching staff as well as acting as a sounding board for the on-field leadership team from the dugout on match days. She will work closely with Mo Bobat, London Spirit’s Director of Cricket.”I’m delighted to take up this new role with London Spirit,” Knight said. “I have absolutely loved my time at the franchise, as a player and also as a coach in last year’s edition of The Hundred.In addition to the T20 World Cup, England will also host the first Women’s Test match at Lord’s, against India in July, and Knight expects to play a key role in both under her ECB contract, which has another year to run.”I am still very much committed to and passionate about playing for England and Somerset, but this is a huge development opportunity for me,” she added. “It gives me the chance to learn from one of the best minds in the global game, in Mo, and broaden my experiences outside of my playing career. I am so excited for everything to come, on and off the field, in 2026.”Related

• Heather Knight departs as England captain after nine-year reign

• Age is just a number – the women's World Cup XI of seniors

• Heather Knight: Hamstrung no longer after slow road to recovery

Knight captained London Spirit in the first four editions of The Hundred, including to the 2024 title. Her new off-field role is a progression from the 2025 season when she acted as a team mentor and coach while recovering from a serious hamstring injury.Knight lost the England captaincy in March after a nine-year stint which ended with a winless Ashes tour of Australia at the start of 2025. She tore her hamstring tendon from the bone while batting against West Indies in May which sidelined her for much of the home summer but she recovered to be England’s leading run-scorer at the World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. She finished with 228 runs at 48.00 and a strike rate of 85.71 as her side exited in the semi-finals.Knight had foreshadowed a move into sports administration in 2023, when she completed her Masters of Leadership In Sport at the Institute of Sports Humanities, co-founded by former England Men’s national selector Ed Smith. Her dissertation focused on balancing traditional international interests with the growth of domestic franchise leagues in the women’s game.Bobat described Knight as “an asset in every sense of the word”.”Heather’s deep understanding of the women’s game, and of what is required to perform at the highest level make her the ideal person to be our first Women’s General Manager,” Bobat said. “She knows what it takes to win The Hundred and the franchise will benefit from having one of the game’s leading current players in such a key role.”I’m looking forward to working closely with Heather and excited at the prospect of her forming a trusted partnership with our Women’s Head Coach. It’s also great to be able to support Heather with her long-term ambitions and future career transition. I know how passionate she remains about playing for England and her unwavering commitment to representing her country.”

The allrounder was preferred ahead of Shoaib Bashir as England’s only spinner for the day-night Test

Vithushan Ehantharajah02-Dec-20252:10

England hedging their bets on Will Jacks is ‘worrying’

Allrounder Will Jacks will make his first Test appearance in three years after leapfrogging Shoaib Bashir as England’s spinner for the second Ashes Test in Brisbane.Jacks, a left-field pick for the tour of Australia, will replace fast bowler Mark Wood, who was ruled out through injury. It will be the Surrey allrounder’s third Test cap, having earned his first two in Pakistan in 2022, taking 6 for 161 on debut in the first Test in Rawalpindi.The 27-year-old was one of multiple spinners on both those occasions but now finds himself not just thrust into an Ashes with England 1-0 down, but as their primary spinner in the day-night Test, which begins on Thursday.Jacks has played just five first-class matches in the last two seasons, and took just five wickets in three County Championship appearances in 2025 at an average of 38.80. Should he pick up a wicket in the upcoming Test, it will be only his 50th in first-class cricket since debuting in 2018.Related

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He has been used intermittently as a spinner in limited-overs cricket, with 50 caps across ODIs and T20Is with just nine wickets. It helped his case for selection on the tour that he had spent the summer working with head coach Brendon McCullum upon his return to the limited-overs set-up in May. Jacks was subsequently awarded a two-year central contract in October.”It’s something I’m really looking forward to,” told the ECB’s in-house media. “To be on an Ashes tour in the first place is something I wouldn’t have been expecting a few months ago. But it’s been amazing to be here, be around this team… to be in the XI is a dream come true, to play an Ashes series away from home.”Personally, I’ll just be looking to add a little bit to the team in each three facets of the game. I know I can effect the game in a positive way like that, and I’ll just be doing my best to support whenever the team needs me.”Obviously I play a lot of white ball cricket under lights and hopefully that will suit me and the conditions won’t feel too foreign to me. Mostly, I’m just looking forward to getting out there and trying to do my best.”Will Jacks was included in England’s side for the second Test•PA Images/Getty

Though primarily a tactical decision to opt for Jacks given he is a far superior batter to Bashir, it marks a significant moment in the latter’s career. Since becoming Ben Stokes’ No.1 spinner from the start of the 2024 summer, debuting in India earlier that year, this is the first time Bashir has been left out.The 21-year-old missed the last two Tests against India this summer with a broken finger on his left hand, though he did take the final wicket in a thrilling victory at Lord’s having suffered the injury in the same game. That bravery further enamoured him to Stokes, who has been Bashir’s biggest advocate since spotting him two years ago on social media bowling to Alastair Cook on first-class debut for Somerset against Essex.He has since gone on to earn 19 caps, taking 68 wickets at 39.00 but is now without a county after his deal with Somerset expired at the end of the season, though he is on a central contract. After making England’s 12-man squad for the first Test at Perth, Bashir now finds himself lower down in the pecking order.Ironically, part of the attraction to Bashir is his high release point and the over-spin he imparts on the ball – characteristics England deem vital in Australia based on Nathan Lyon’s success. That Lyon boasts an impressive record across his 13 day-night Tests – 43 dismissals at 25.62 – has prompted England into changing their all-pace tactic from the first Test.”Talking about the tactical element of a day-night game, you do try to look at Australia,” Stokes said. “They play a lot of day-night cricket here, how they use their spinner as an attacking option, or more to give the bowlers an easier rotation and to get through the overs quicker to have more time with the new ball under lights. There’s both those elements we will consider with how a spinner is to be used in a day/night game.”England XI: 1 ⁠Zak Crawley, 2 ⁠Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 ⁠Harry Brook, 6 ⁠Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Jamie Smith (wk), 8 Will Jacks, 9 Gus Atkinson, 10 ⁠Brydon Carse, 11 Jofra Archer

Liverpool manager Arne Slot’s future at Anfield has come into question after his team dropped points in their 3-3 draw with Leeds United in the Premier League on Saturday.

The Dutchman, who won the title in his first season, has lost ten of his 23 matches in all competitions, including six in the top-flight, this term.

On top of that, Mohamed Salah has claimed that his relationship with the manager has broken down after being on the bench for the third straight game against Leeds.

The Salah situation and the poor results this season have put pressure on the former Feyenoord tactician, with the club reportedly looking at potential replacements.

Liverpool have admiration for national team manager

Dave OCKOP reports that Steven Gerrard has been sounded out as a potential interim to come in and steady the ship if FSG decide to part ways with Slot in the coming days or weeks.

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The report claims that Liverpool are also admirers of Germany national team head coach Julian Nagelsmann, previously of Bayern Munich and Hoffenheim.

It adds that the 38-year-old manager is expected to lead his country to the World Cup in America, Canada, and Mexico next summer, though, which means that he will not be available immediately.

Dave OCKOP suggests that the German tactician may be available after the World Cup, though, which is where Gerrard stepping in as an interim option could make sense.

If Liverpool were to eventually bring Nagelsmann in as their long-term replacement for Slot, he would be the perfect appointment to get the best out of Florian Wirtz.

Why Nagelsmann would be perfect for Wirtz

To say that Wirtz has not lived up to expectations in a Liverpool shirt so far would probably be an understatement, as he has yet to deliver a single goal or assist in the Premier League, per Sofascore.

The Reds splashed out £116m to sign the attacking midfielder from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer transfer window, and he has racked up no goals and three assists in 19 appearances in all competitions.

Slot has simply been unable to get the best out of the huge-money signing, who produced 16 goals and 14 assists for Leverkusen last term (Sofascore), but Nagelsmann could come in to get him flying at Anfield.

Wirtz’s form for Germany at international level is proof that he could shine for the Reds if Nagelsmann replaces Slot in the dugout, because he has proven that he can perform in that system.

As you can see in the table above, the Liverpool attacking midfielder has been the most impactful attacker of the manager’s reign with the national team, providing more goals and assists combined than any other player.

For further context, Wirtz scored no goals and provided three assists in his first ten caps for Germany before Nagelsmann took the job, which shows that the ex-Bayern boss can get the best out of him.

The 38-year-old boss was once described as the “best young coach in Europe” by reporter Josh Bunting in 2022, and it is still hard to argue with that assessment in the present day.

Mikel Arteta, 43, and Xabi Alonso, 44, are two of the brightest young coaches in the game, managing Arsenal and Real Madrid, yet they have won as many league titles combined (one) as Nagelsmann has, having won the Bundesliga with Bayern, and he is five and six years younger than them.

The German boss won 2.31 points per game during his time with Bayern, per Transfermarkt, whilst Slot has won 2.00 points per game across 79 matches with Liverpool to date.

This suggests that Nagelsmann could come in as an upgrade on the Dutchman as an all-round manager, whilst also being the perfect appointment to get the best out of Wirtz at Anfield.

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Therefore, it could be a good move for FSG to bring Gerrard in as an interim appointment with a view to landing Nagelsmann next summer, if they decide that parting ways with Slot is the route that they want to go down in the coming weeks.