It's hard to argue against the fact that Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge are the two faces of MLB. After their teams met in the World Series last year, in which the Dodgers took care of business against the Yankees in a five-game series, it doesn't seem as if there's any animosity between the league's two brightest stars.

Both were the top recipients in MLB's fan voting process, earning automatic spots in the All-Star starting lineups, not that they wouldn't have found their way there without the fan vote. Judge checked in for an appearance on which was filming live in Atlanta ahead of Monday night's Home Run Derby at Truist Park.

McAfee jokingly asked Judge whether he and Ohtani had ever gotten into an altercation behind closed doors, to which the star outfielder responded by laughing and praising the Dodgers' two-way superstar. He did say, however, that he's hoping to get revenge for the World Series loss at some point in the future.

"He's a great guy, a great ambassador for this game. We're gonna get him back though. We'll see him down the road," said Judge with a grin.

A rematch of the 2024 World Series is certainly possible this season, though there are plenty of other teams making noise at the midway point. Whether or not it happens this year, based on the way the two teams are constructed, a rematch between Los Angeles and New York feels like it's bound to happen at some point in the coming years.

Judge made clear he has nothing but respect for Ohtani and all he does for the sport, but also didn't hesitate to say that he's hoping for another shot at the Dodgers in a future World Series showdown.

Chelsea midfielder Roméo Lavia had only just returned to fitness and Enzo Maresca was easing him back into the team gently, but the Belgian could now be set for another spell on the sidelines in what is a frustrating blow.

Chelsea’s Champions League campaign continued on Wednesday night with a hard-fought 2-2 draw away to Qarabag, a result that leaves the Blues frustrated but relieved after squandering a 1-0 lead and facing a difficult fightback against the Azerbaijani minnows.

Maresca’s side started brightly and took an early lead through teenage sensation Estevao after dominating possession and probing Qarabag’s defence.

However, just before halftime, Qarabag stunned Chelsea by turning the game on its head. The visitors struggled to contain Qarabag’s growing threat, and they capitalised with two goals in quick succession. Qarabag’s first equaliser came from a well-placed finish, and 10 minutes later, a second goal from the penalty spot put them unexpectedly 2-1 ahead at the break.

The swift turnaround rattled Chelsea, with the home side taking advantage of poor defensive lapses.

Estevao

8.2

Alejandro Garnacho

7.5

Leandro Andrade

7.4

Matheus Silva

7.0

Marko Jankovic

7.0

via WhoScored

Luckily for the west Londoners, half-time substitute Alejandro Garnacho was quickly on hand to spare their blushes with a clinical finish into the bottom corner just minutes after the restart. Estevao, Enzo Fernández and Facuno Buonanotte all made attempts to win the game for Chelsea, with Garnacho also seeing an added-time effort saved from inside the area.

It was close but no cigar for Chelsea who ended up sharing the spoils, and Garnacho saved them from what would have been an historic loss, as no English team has ever lost to the Azerbaijani side before.

It was an evening of serious reflection for Maresca, who watched on as his side struggled defensively yet again amid reports that Chelsea are prioritising the signing of a centre-back in January.

The occasion was also marred by yet another injury blow for Lavia.

The 21-year-old was given his first starts of the season against Nottingham Forest and Ajax recently as Maresca slowly edged him back into the fold after his recovery from a muscle strain. Chelsea’s boss handed Lavia the nod again at Qarabag, but Lavia was hauled off after just eight minutes with what looks like a quadricep injury.

Going by the player’s own reaction, Lavia’s latest injury might not be minor.

What Roméo Lavia did moments after being taken off against Qarabağ

The Belgium international looked in visible disarray after being taken off against Qarabağ.

Lavia was spotted throwing a water bottle in anger as he made his way for Chelsea treatment, and given how much action he’s missed since joining Chelsea, this could also be put down to pure frustration on his part.

The midfielder, who was signed for around £58 million from Southampton in 2023, missed almost all of his debut season – bar 32 minutes against Crystal Palace – with ankle and hamstring problems. He was forced to sit out a grand total of 226 days last term as well, with Maresca and supporters now anxiously waiting for a more definitive update on his condition.

It’s a crying shame for a player who Maresca branded one of world football’s “best midfielders” when fit and available, but his patches of readiness to play are simply too few and far between.

For BlueCo and the board, an uncomfortable conversation may need to be had soon.

Fit, adaptable and supremely confident, England’s Test team continue to walk the talk

Matt Roller11-Oct-20241:26

Miller: England have found perfect tempo to be ruthless

It was a collapse that could only be explained by its context. Pakistan lost this Test on the fourth evening when they slipped first to 41 for 4 then 59 for 5 and 82 for 6 in the third innings. Impressive as England’s bowlers were across the match, these were unexpectedly easy wickets to come by on a blameless pitch.But Pakistan’s batters were beaten by the time they had even reached the crease, run down by the dual burdens of their recent struggles and 150 overs being run ragged in the field. Saim Ayub spooning Brydon Carse’s first ball to mid-off was the worst of a series of grim dismissals, which were the culmination of mental and physical exhaustion.It is one thing to spend around 150 overs in the field, as both sides did in their first bowling innings. It is another for them to be spread across three days, and to spend them chasing after the ball as the opposition score at more than five runs per over: England scored 478 non-boundary runs in their first innings, compared to Pakistan’s 276.Related

• Pakistan, a graveyard for Test bowlers – in numbers

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• Stats – Rare England innings win in Asia, Pakistan losing streak continues

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• England further expose Pakistan's mental and tactical fragility

Joe Root and Harry Brook’s partnership ground them down, a 454-run epic spread across 86.3 overs. Brook’s gear change after lunch on the fourth day – he hit 99 off 65 balls in the second session – compounded Pakistan’s weariness, and left them floundering in the mid-afternoon heat. “It had a massive effect, which is what Test cricket is about,” Chris Woakes said.”Here in the subcontinent, you can have three supposedly dull days and then the game can happen quickly. That was always the plan: once we were able to get ahead and run them ragged in the field, it was always going to be hard for them, even on that surface. We know how much it takes out of you.”Root and Zak Crawley’s partnership across the final 18.4 overs of the second day was a vital phase in the match – not least after Aamer Jamal’s spectacular catch to dismiss Ollie Pope. It enabled Brook to start his innings fresh on the third day, and gave Ben Duckett’s thumb time to heal before he came out to bat at No. 4.”The way that Ducky and Creeps [Crawley] go about their business has such a good impact on the changing room,” Brook said. “Watching them go out there and put immense amounts of pressure on their two best bowlers in Shaheen [Afridi] and Naseem [Shah]… it gives you comfort going out there, thinking that the pitch is probably better than what it is.”Touring the subcontinent as an England cricketer in 2024 is completely unrecognisable to what it once was: the team are travelling with their own chef, and are staying on a luxury hotel with a neighbouring golf course. There is still a mental adjustment to make from playing in front of full houses back home to the banks of empty seats this week, which England made impressively quickly.Harry Brook and Joe Root laid the platform for England’s innings win•Getty ImagesThis win was testament to their players’ fitness, and their ability to adjust from the start after coming from a wet, cold autumn back home to the stifling heat of Multan. England insisted in the build-up that three tough training sessions would be enough for them to acclimatise and so it proved, as they coped far better than Pakistan with the oppressive conditions.Brook worked tirelessly on his fitness in the early months of this year, when he missed England’s tour to India and the IPL to be with his grandmother on her deathbed. By his own admission, this was not an innings he could have played without that dedication: “If I hadn’t done that, I’d have probably got to 150 and just slogged one up in the air.”None of England’s seamers had played a Test match in Pakistan before but Woakes, Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse comprehensively outbowled Afridi and Naseem. Carse was particularly compelling on debut, bowling at high pace and finding some reverse-swing: England have moved on from James Anderson and Stuart Broad with impressive speed.The Test match run has lost its value almost as quickly as the rupee in Pakistan, but even in the context of a high-scoring match on a lifeless surface, England’s total of 823 for 7 declared was remarkable. There were seven sessions between them losing Pope to his second ball in response to Pakistan’s 556 and their winning moment on the final morning.But just as Pakistan’s third-innings failure carried an air of inevitability after their recent results, England’s players were not intimidated by a big score. This was the third time since Brendon McCullum took over as coach two-and-a-half years ago that they had conceded more than 500 in an innings: they have now won all three.”You take confidence from those previous performances, when you’re that far behind in the game,” Pope said. “We try not to think about the end result too much during the game, especially if we’re behind… That’s allowed us to go and put together these performances and good wins in situations where potentially, in the past, we wouldn’t have got over the line.”England’s series results under McCullum have been a mixed bag: they have beaten teams they would expect to, drawn with Australia, and lost heavily in India earlier this year. But it is their style and approach that has made them such a compelling team to watch: asked if this was his favourite Test win, Pope claimed it was “definitely top three” – and then named three others.Along with their victories in Rawalpindi two years ago and in Hyderabad in January, England have won three Tests in Asia that few other sides could hope to. McCullum has dismissed the idea that Bazball has been “refined” in any way beyond personnel but this was a reminder of its central tenet: that athletes perform at their best when imbued with immense self-belief.It is not totally foolproof, and there are times when England’s tactical approach has overstretched. But they have now won 20 of their last 30 Tests – and there remains an intoxicating sense that the best is yet to come.

Aston Villa have now joined the race to sign an “insane” new striker, having identified the need to have greater strength in depth in attacking areas.

Villa keen on new striker amid Watkins' struggles

Villa are very much back on track in the Premier League, having made it five wins in a row courtesy of the 1-0 victory over Manchester City at the weekend, but there are still a few problems for Unai Emery to deal with beneath the surface.

There has been plenty of discussion about the manager’s decision to omit Harvey Elliott from the squad entirely on Sunday, while Jeff Stelling was less than impressed with the decision to substitute Jadon Sancho in the second half, claiming “it was wrong.”

There will also be concerns about some of Ollie Watkins’ performances, with the striker scoring just one goal in nine Premier League games so far this season, and he was once again ineffectual against Pep Guardiola’s side.

The 29-year-old recorded an xG of just 0.13 prior to being replaced by Donyell Malen with just under five minutes left to play, finishing the match with a SofaScore match rating of 6.3, the joint-lowest of any Villa player.

Perhaps with that in mind, Aston Villa have now joined the race for a new striker, according to a report from Caught Offside, which credits them with an interest in Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee, amid his uncertain future at Old Trafford.

It has been revealed that Zirkzee wants to leave Man United, having only played a limited role this season, and his current employers could choose to cash in for a fee of around €35m – €40m (£31m – £35m).

Aston Villa take hilarious swipe at Haaland after victory against Man City

The Villans defeated Pep Guardiola’s side 1-0 at Villa Park on Sunday.

ByDominic Lund Oct 27, 2025

A January exit is deemed likely, and there is no shortage of interest in the centre-forward’s signature, with a number of Serie A clubs set to battle it out, while Brighton & Hove Albion are also keen, and West Ham United have made initial contact.

"Insane" Zirkzee may need fresh start

Despite being lauded for his “insane” quality by scout Ben Mattinson, the 24-year-old has been unable to force his way into Ruben Amorim’s plans, having featured for just 82 minutes across four appearances in the Premier League this season.

However, it is always difficult to make an impact when predominantly featuring as a substitute, and there are signs the Dutchman could flourish if given more regular game time, having regularly chipped in with goals and assists for Bologna across the 2023-24 campaign.

Competition

Appearances

Goal contributions

Serie A

34

16

Italian Cup

3

3

That said, the former Bayern Munich man’s unhappiness stems from a lack of game time, so it would be a questionable decision for Villa to sign him, given that Watkins is likely to remain ahead of the United ace in the pecking order.

While the Englishman hasn’t been at his best this season, he is Premier League-proven, unlike Zirkzee, having scored 76 top-flight goals, which indicates it may only be a matter of time before he rediscovers his top form.

Andy Robertson has now reportedly made his decision on returning to Celtic with Parkhead chiefs already preparing to commence talks with the Scotland captain as early as January.

The Hoops could certainly do with his experience on the European stage, having been well-beaten once again in midweek. This time, it was Midtjylland who reaped the rewards, easing to a 3-1 victory in a game that saw them take a three-goal lead before half-time. Whilst Martin O’Neill has managed to turn things around so far domestically, he could do nothing to stop the rot in the Europa League.

The defeat laid bare the task that the next permanent manager has on their hands and those at Celtic Park are yet to even discover who that will be.

O’Neill once again distanced himself from the job when questioned, telling reporters: “I will be here as long as the football board wants me, it’s as simple as that. That could be at the end of the week, it could be after the Kilmarnock game. I just don’t know.”

Related Celtic schedule first interview with 37 y/o manager who dreams of Hoops job

The Bhoys are still on the hunt for their Brendan Rodgers replacement.

Posts ByTom Cunningham Nov 6, 2025

Whoever is next in the hotseat – whether it be Nicky Hayen, Kieran McKenna or another name – must turn towards the transfer window to welcome some much-needed experience and quality.

Andy Robertson makes Celtic return decision

As reported by TeamTalk, Robertson is now open to making a return to Celtic and signing a pre-contract agreement as soon as January. Sources told TeamTalk that “it’s a move that would make total sense for him personally” and the Hoops are now ready to swoop in to strike an early deal.

If the Scottish giants are after experience and quality, then Robertson is their man. The iconic Liverpool left-back arguably still deserves the starting spot over new man Milos Kerkez at Anfield, but has less than 12 months remaining on his current contract. Given that the Reds bought Kerkez to act as Robertson’s successor last summer, a new contract seems unlikely at this stage.

That, as things stand, should allow Celtic to seal a bargain deal for a Champions League winner who, even at 31 years old, would take the Scottish Premiership by storm.

Once dubbed the “complete player” by former Liverpool left-back Fabio Aurelio, Robertson would be one of the signings of the summer if the Bhoys secured his arrival on a free deal.

Their academy graduate has won it all in English football and is now open to coming full circle and returning to end some unfinished business in Scotland.

Celtic now considering McKenna move

Ilan Meslier’s long fall from Leeds United’s undisputed starting position to a goalkeeper searching for a lifeline has pushed his agent, Pini Zahavi, to attempt to engineer a move to Serie A. With both AC Milan and Inter monitoring the situation, Leeds run the risk of losing a once-elite Premier League talent for far less than they hoped, while Meslier weighs a fresh start to revive a career derailed by dwindling confidence.

• Meslier frozen out as his agent pushes for a Serie A escape

  Meslier has not started a competitive match for Leeds since April, a dramatic decline for a goalkeeper once regarded as one of the club’s most valuable assets. His role has diminished to the point where he is now effectively out of the picture, watching from the sidelines as Lucas Perri and Karl Darlow occupy the first-team spots. With his contract expiring in 2026 and Leeds unwilling to keep a high-earning third-choice goalkeeper, the club is open to selling him in January.

  According to Tutto Sport,sensing the urgency of the situation, his agent Zahavi has moved aggressively. Zahavi, who maintains strong relationships with Milan and Inter is positioning Meslier for a switch to Serie A. Both Milan clubs are interested, attracted by the possibility of signing a young, technically gifted keeper who once ranked among the Premier League’s brightest prospects. But while Leeds want a January sale, both Milan and Inter prefer to wait until summer to sign him for free, setting up a standoff that could deprive Leeds of a transfer fee entirely.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  From Premier League standout to a sudden collapse in form

  Meslier’s decline has been gradual but unmistakable. At his peak in the 2020–21 Premier League season, the Frenchman was electric, producing extraordinary reflex saves, commanding his box with confidence and playing a crucial part in Leeds' ninth-place finish under Marcelo Bielsa. He looked every bit the modern goalkeeper being calm in possession, agile under pressure, and brave in one-on-one situations.

  But the seasons that followed exposed the fragility of both Leeds' defensive structure and Meslier’s still-developing decision-making. As Bielsa’s chaotic, high-risk style increasingly stretched the defence, Meslier faced more dangerous situations than almost any keeper in the league. His shot-stopping numbers plummeted, errors multiplied and the pressure mounted. During Leeds’ relegation campaign he conceded well over expected goals against and ranked among the poorest shot-stoppers in the division.

• Leeds' dilemma: sell now, risk losses or hold on to a fading asset

  Leeds now find themselves in a difficult position. They see Meslier as a player whose value has dropped but still carries Premier League experience that should, in theory, command a meaningful fee. Yet the market is unforgiving for goalkeepers who have lost their starting role, and European clubs know Leeds are under pressure to sell. The club has explored offers in previous windows but has not received anything close to their valuation.

  Adding to the complexity is that Leeds had once considered offering Meslier a new contract, largely to protect his transfer value. But the emergence of Perri and the reliability of Darlow have pushed Meslier further down the depth chart, making a renewal both financially unwise and sporting unnecessary. If Milan and Inter insist on waiting until the summer to sign him for free, Leeds risk losing him without compensation just two years after rejecting offers that would have earned them substantial profit.

  The club must now decide whether a cut-price January sale is better than clinging to an asset whose value and playing time are evaporating by the month.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  What Meslier needs

  For Meslier, a move away from England may be the only path to rediscovering the promise that once made him one of Europe’s most exciting young goalkeepers. Serie A, with its emphasis on tactical organisation and structured defensive systems, could provide the stability he has lacked since Bielsa’s final seasons at Leeds. Milan and Inter offer environments where keepers have time to rebuild confidence and refine fundamentals without the relentless chaos and pace of English football.

He is finally reaping the rewards for his consistency and fitness but can he sustain this intensity for longer formats for India?

Sidharth Monga10-Apr-20251:36

What’s working for Prasidh Krishna this season?

Gujarat Titans (GT) have shown themselves to be a pretty ruthless and unemotional side.Washington Sundar finally got a chance to play – the Impact Player rule has ruined it for even slightly imperfect allrounders – in the last match, put in a match-winning innings that had commentators and experts calling him too good to be left out, but when GT returned to a red-soil pitch at home, they left him out. They didn’t get carried away. They trusted M Shahrukh Khan, a specialist batter, to do the job. They also saw the conditions called for an extra fast bowler. They didn’t try to accommodate Washington.R Sai Kishore was GT’s second-highest wicket-taker before this match. “Probably the best spinner in the tournament so far,” according to their mentor Parthiv Patel. He didn’t get to bowl until this match against Rajasthan Royals (RR) was practically over as a contest.Related

Team combination continues to be a problem for Royals

Sai Sudharsan and Prasidh lead GT to the top of the IPL table

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Samson fined INR 24 lakh for RR's second over-rate offence

This is a squad that has lost Kagiso Rabada after three games, and yet they seem to be able to field different attacks for different conditions almost effortlessly. They go to Bengaluru where new-ball movement can be crucial, they add Arshad Khan. They see the one sluggish track in Hyderabad being used, and they bring in Washington. They roll out the slow and low black-soil pitch at home, they go for taller bowlers. On red soil, back comes Arshad. And Shubman Gill almost always has six nearly genuine bowlers at his disposal.However, apart from the resurgent Mohammed Siraj and the all-time-great Rashid Khan, there has been one constant in the GT side that has made this versatility and ruthlessness possible. He is tall, finally fit and quick, he goes by Skiddy on Instagram and with his team-mates, but he is anything but. This version of Prasidh Krishna is the one that India hoped for when they backed him.

The reaction Prasidh is getting from the pitch is a sight for sore eyes. The bounce is steep and unbecoming of the lengths he is bowling, drawing poor connections from the batters

Without taking anything away from Siraj, he does get the new ball to play with. Prasidh is playing the other role of making something out of nothing when the movement has died, and you need some other point of difference. He has now had four straight matches in which he has gone under seven an over. He has taken wickets in each of these games.Nothing quite sums up Prasidh’s impact more than GT’s last two home games. Against Mumbai Indians (MI), they played on the black-soil pitch because MI are used to the red soil at Wankhede and are built for quick and bouncy surfaces. His figures: 4-0-18-2. Against RR, GT went back to the pace and bounce of red soil. His figures: 4-0-24-3.A lot of top-level cricket is about feeling good about your body and executing your plans well, but don’t underestimate the value of knowing what to do in different conditions. In these two games, Prasidh has shown the awareness of his own game that only comes with experience. On the slower, grippier surface, Prasidh went into the surface more and bowled more slower balls. Both his wickets in that match came off slower balls. Every fourth ball he delivered in that game was a slower one.Prasidh Krishna enjoyed a productive outing against his old team, Rajasthan Royals•IPLOn the quicker pitch, not only did Prasidh crank up the pace, he also didn’t bother with the slower balls. He tried just one against RR as against seven against MI. Six balls went above 145kph and 14 above 140kph against RR, as against just one and eight against MI. Against MI, he went short of a good length 15 times, against RR only 12.Reaping the rewards for his consistency and fitness, Prasidh has probably been the best fast bowler outside the powerplay in this IPL so far. Even if it is over a period of four overs, the reaction Prasidh is getting from the pitch is a sight for sore eyes. The bounce is steep and unbecoming of the lengths he is bowling, drawing poor connections from the batters. The pace is up perhaps because he feels good about his physical fitness.Too often, India have been edged out of Test matches because their bowlers are shorter and skiddier, thus extracting less from the surfaces in South Africa, New Zealand, England and Australia. India’s next big Test tour is in England, two months away. Can Prasidh sustain this consistency and intensity for longer formats?

Glamorgan 265 and 41 for 2 trail Lancashire 374 (Wells 78, Jones 62, Balderson 51) by 68 runsLancashire have left Glamorgan with much to do to force a positive result after gaining a three-figure lead at Sophia Gardens.Luke Wells’ dogged 78 to pass 1,000 runs for the season along with a much-needed 62 for Scottish international Michael Jones and George Balderson took Lancashire to 374. Several other starts, including Keaton Jennings’ 1,000-run landmark, also boosted the visitors to a 109-run lead.Allrounder Timm van der Gugten’s involvement in his 100th first-class match wasn’t finished with a half-century on day one as he took the reigns to take 5 for 85, Glamorgan fighting back with the final four wickets inside nine overs with the second new ball.Resuming overnight on 55, openers Wells and Jennings resumed momentum with the expectation to bat all day. Jennings’ half-century looked inevitable before being removed on 49 as Van der Gugten’s first victim despite Jennings’ tall stature batting outside his ground on a rising delivery.George Bell was next to fall short of a half-century with a stylish 45 while Wells remained quiet since pulling a boundary to bring up his thousand-run season.Partnerships of substance without kicking on continued to be the theme. When Wells eventually was undone by Mason Crane finding some turn, a chance to rip through the middle order looked possible, Jones struggling to line up Crane initially in a good battle. Even after two sixes in quick succession from the Scot, Sam Northeast persevered with bowling the former England leg-spinner who created numerous chances in a long spell which deserved more than his 2 for 109 suggests.Ned Leonard hobbling off two balls into a spell left more pressure on Glamorgan. Jones’ second half-century of the season came after just 42 balls and Hurst was the next to fall short of the milestone.Tom Hartley pleasantly drove the first ball of the 89th over (Glamorgan’s first with the new ball) for four, giving warning signs of more to come at 337 for 6 – but Van der Gugten’s experience to gain his 300th first-class Glamorgan wicket, and one for Harris, was enough to wrap up before more potential damage on a variable pitch.Similar to the previous day, the opening pair would need to negate 17 overs as the sun lowered at Sophia Gardens. Zain Ul Hassan avoided his pair and stuck out the day after an important spell of bowling claiming both Jones and Hurst, who put together 88 in the afternoon.Asa Tribe and nightwatcher Harris couldn’t grind out Lancs’ seamers despite a positive start from the former; a low ball making him the latest to succumb to that method on the deteriorating Cardiff pitch.

India scored just 56 in the last eight overs as Bangladesh fought back valiantly

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Sep-2025Abhishek Sharma continued his magnificent tournament, following up his 39-ball 74 against Pakistan with a 37-ball 75, but Bangladesh still held India to a total of 168 for 6 after sending them in.India’s innings followed a pattern not unlike Pakistan’s against their bowlers on Sunday: a strong start followed by a dramatic slowdown when the ball became older and harder to time. India scored 95 runs in overs 4-11, when Abhishek ran rampant, and just 73 runs in the 12 overs either side of that stretch.Bangladesh made things difficult for Abhishek and Shubman Gill with new-ball swing in the first three overs, and then by varying their pace and using the grip on offer when the ball got old. In between, Abhishek played an incandescent innings, hitting five sixes to jump up to joint No. 7 on India’s all-time T20I six-hitting charts. He has now hit 58 sixes in just 21 innings; Suresh Raina, with whom he drew level, hit 58 in 66 innings.It’s a different sport now, and Abhishek lives on its cutting edge, and Bangladesh seemed to have no answers when he was cutting their bowling to ribbons. They could, however, have dismissed him for 7 off 8 in the third over, had the wicketkeeper held on to an edge off Tanzim Hasan Sakib, who came into an XI with as many as four changes and bowled brilliantly with the new ball, swinging it prodigiously while also hitting the deck hard.The wicketkeeper who shelled that chance – and Bangladesh’s captain on the night – was Jaker Ali, standing in for Litton Das who was ruled out with a side strain.That miss seemed to be costing Bangladesh dearly when India were 112 for 2 at the start of the 12th over. But a brilliant bit of fielding from Rishad Hossain – diving to his left to stop a dab from Suryakumar Yadav and springing up, ready to throw, in one motion – sent Abhishek back, run out, and changed the complexion of the game. India only scored 56 runs across their last nine overs. Hardik Pandya – who was out off the last ball of the innings for 38 off 29, did the bulk of the scoring.Their slide looked worse for coming against the backdrop of batting-order changes that didn’t come off on the day. India promoted Shivam Dube to No. 3, and sent in Hardik, Tilak Varma and Axar Patel above Sanju Samson, who did not get to bat at all.With batting usually a little easier in the second innings in Dubai, Bangladesh have a genuine chance of tripping India up and firming up their hopes of getting into Sunday’s final.

Glasgow Rangers were hit with a big blow during the summer transfer window when Hamza Igamane moved on from Ibrox to sign for Ligue 1 outfit Lille.

The French side swooped in to sign the Morocco international for a fee of £10.4m, thanks to a release clause in his contract, after he spent just one full season in Glasgow.

Igamane showcased his quality on a regular basis in the 2024/25 campaign, as shown in the graphic above, and that is why it was such a blow for the Scottish Premiership giants to lose him in the summer.

The right-footed centre-forward arrived at Ibrox in the summer of 2023 as a 21-year-old and inexperienced striker, and Philippe Clement provided him with the chance to play regular football and develop.

Igamane, as evidenced by his goal tally last season, took advantage of the chances that Clement, and later, Barry Ferguson, offered him on the pitch, which earned the striker his big-money move to Lille.

Unfortunately, replacing the Moroccan centre-forward has proven to be a task too difficult for Kevin Thelwell, as the club’s current striker options have struggled this season.

Ranking the first-team striker options at Rangers

Rangers swooped to sign Youssef Chermiti from Everton for a fee of £8m, the most they have paid for a player since the £12m move for Tore Andre Flo in 2000, and agreed a deal worth up to £4.2m to bring Bojan Miovski in from Girona.

On top of signing Chermiti and Miovski to make up for the departures of Igamane and Cyriel Dessers, the Light Blues decided to keep hold of Brazilian forward Danilo, leaving Russell Martin with three centre-forward options.

Danny Rohl has inherited those three options and it still remains to be seen which of those three is his preferred option. Danilo has started four games, Chermiti has started three games, and Miovski has started three games across the manager’s six games in all competitions.

The Brazilian striker has been the most effective option, so far, with a return of two goals in three Scottish Premiership appearances under the German tactician, whilst Miovski is yet to score for him and Chermiti has scored once.

James Tavernier

2.9

4

+1.1

Bojan Miovski

2.16

1

-1.16

Thelo Aasgaard

1.63

1

-0.63

Djeidi Gassama

1.43

1

-0.43

Nicolas Raskin

1.07

1

-0.07

As you can see in the table above, only Miovski ranks within the top five players with the highest xG in the Premiership this season, and he has underperformed his xG by 1.16 goals.

It is hard, therefore, to rank the Macedonia international any higher than bottom of the pile because he has had enough chances in front of goal to have more than one league strike to his name.

Chermiti ranks in second place, as he also has one Premiership goal but has only started one match, and that leaves Danilo in first place, with three goals and one assist in all competitions, per Sofascore.

The fact that the former Feyenoord ace can be considered the best striker option at the club with three goals to his name in November, though, shows that the club have failed to replace Igamane’s influence in the final third.

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It is, therefore, unfortunate that there is a former Rangers academy graduate, who left the club for nothing, currently shining and looking like he would have been their next Igamane at Ibrox.

The former Rangers star who could have been their next Hamza Igamane

Robbie Ure, per Transfermarkt, left Glasgow on a free transfer to sign for Anderlecht’s academy in the summer of 2023 at the age of 19, after only making three appearances for the first-team.

The then-teenage Scottish centre-forward scored one goal in three games for the senior side. After his first senior goal, against Queen of the South, teammate Scott Arfield described the striker as “magic” in their post-game interview.

Ure had scored 17 goals in 37 B team matches and five goals in ten Youth League games at academy level, per Transfermarkt, but was not given more than three appearances for the first-team, despite scoring in one of them.

The Scotland U21 international went on to score 12 goals in 38 games for Anderlecht’s Futures team in 18 months in Belgium, before sealing a move to Swedish side Sirius to play regular first-team football.

Since his move to Sweden, Ure has made a name for himself with a return of 11 goals and four assists in 28 starts in the Allsvenskan in the 2025 campaign for Sirius, per FotMob.

xG

10.54

Top 9%

xG on target

11.13

Top 9%

Goals

11

Top 11%

Chances created

44

Top 1%

Assists

4

Top 11%

Touches in the opposition’s box

116

Top 9%

Duels won

157

Top 7%

Duel success rate

43.5%

Top 30%

As you can see in the table above, the former Rangers marskman ranks incredibly highly among forwards in the division for scoring goals, creating chances, and winning duels.

This shows that he has been outstanding technically and physically at first-team level in Sweden. Now, if Rangers were linked with a promising 21-year-old striker with his statistics this season, supporters would surely be excited by the prospect of that signing.

The Gers already had him on their books, though, and did not give him enough opportunities to shine at senior level before he decided to move on at the end of his contract in 2023.

Rangers just lost an incredibly exciting and talented young goalscorer, in Igamane, and they could have had their next version of the Moroccan if they had kept hold of Ure and given him chances to impress at Ibrox.

He scored goals at youth level at Ibrox, he scored in one of his three senior outings for the club, he scored goals for Anderlech’s academy, and now the youngster is scoring goals regularly at first-team level in Sweden.

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Rangers, therefore, already had their next Igamane in the making at the club, but they were unable to convince him not to walk away for nothing in 2023, which they will surely regret in hindsight.