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Shahbaz Ahmed waged a battle with the bat in a tall chase but ran out of partners in the end

Himanshu Agrawal11-Dec-2024It was a tale of two birthday boys in Bengaluru. Baroda’s left-arm quick Lukman Meriwala celebrated by nabbing three top-order wickets in the same over, before Bengal allrounder Shahbaz Ahmed kept his side alive with a half-century in the chase of 173. Shahbaz ran out of partners though, and Baroda beat Bengal by 41 runs to book their place in the semi-finals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.Bengal were off to a steady start with 28 runs on the board after three overs, before Meriwala’s dream over. He had Karan Lal chopping on for 6, trapped Sudip Kumar Gharami lbw for 2, and took a stunning return catch to dismiss Writtick Chatterjee for a duck.Next over, Atit Sheth added to the damage by having a dangerous-looking Abishek Porel caught at mid-on for 22 off 13 balls. That is when Shahbaz walked out at No. 6, and joined hands with Ritwik Roy Chowdhury. Despite being 31 for 4 in a tall chase, Chowdhury and Shahbaz counterattacked by cracking four boundaries and a six off the first nine balls of their partnership.Shahbaz then swung Sheth for six and also drove him for a boundary in the eighth over, while Chowdhury whacked Hardik Pandya for six over fine leg in the tenth. But next ball, Hardik had Chowdhury caught behind, leaving Bengal at 88 for 5 at the halfway stage, and Shahbaz with too much to do. Although Shahbaz kept losing partners, he smacked 55 off 36 balls with three fours and four sixes before falling to Sheth in the 18th over.The base for Baroda’s total of 172 was laid by their openers Shashwat Rawat and Abhimanyusingh Rajput. They had taken their time to settle in on a slow pitch, with Rajput riding his luck in the powerplay. First, he was dropped on 4 by Chowdhury off Mohammed Shami in the opening over of the game (Shami would finish with the expensive figures of 4-0-43-2). Then, with Rajput on 16, Bengal’s review for a not-out on-field call for lbw off Kanishk Seth returned umpire’s call.Rajput and Rawat upped the rate with 50 runs on the board after the powerplay and all ten wickets intact. Shahbaz was slashed over extra cover for four and reverse swept for six. In the eighth over, Rajput swat-pulled Saksham Choudhary for six over long-on, before Rawat heaved and Rajput slapped Shahbaz for six and four more.Their stand ended on 90 in the tenth over, and that started a phase where Baroda lost 4 for 23 within five overs. But handy cameos from Shivalik Sharma (24 off 17), Bhanu Pania (17 off 11) and Vishnu Solanki (16* off 7) ensured Baroda posted 51 in the last four overs. In the end, the 172 they took their side to proved more than enough.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola now wants to sign an “ice cool” player, amid concerns over the performances of a current starter, according to a report.

On paper, Man City should have been no match for Al-Hilal, and they certainly had the better of their opponents, creating more chances and having over double the amount of shots on target throughout the match.

However, the Blues ultimately ended up crashing out of the Club World Cup after a shock 4-3 defeat, with Al-Hilal goalkeeper Yassine Bounou putting in a phenomenal performance, making eight saves from inside the box to keep Guardiola’s side at bay.

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The City boss refused to be too critical of his players in the wake of the result, while also singling out Bounou for praise, saying:“It is a pity. We have been on incredible journey together and were in a good place. The vibe was really good. I cannot thank the players enough for training and playing how they have been.

“But it was a difficult game. The margins were minimal. We created a lot and (Yassine) Bounou made incredible saves but we were so open.”

However, behind-the-scenes, Guardiola is still planning to make some changes to his squad, with a report from Spain revealing the Man City manager has made it clear that he wants to sign Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen.

With Ederson not the player he once was, having lost consistency in his performances, there is a desire to bring in a new goalkeeper, and Guardiola believes Ter Stegen could be an ideal fit, believing that he has the qualities to succeed in the Premier League.

Barca would be willing to sanction a departure if a good offer comes their way, as the La Liga side are looking to reduce their wage bill, and the German rakes in a sizeable £105k-a-week.

"Ice cool" Ter Stegen has track record of success

The 33-year-old has won 20 major honours throughout a glittering career, having been an important player for Barcelona over a number of years, making a total of 422 appearances for the Spanish side.

That experience at the top level could be very useful for a Man City side which needs to start winning again, having endured a rare trophyless season during the 2024-25 campaign.

The “ice cool” goalkeeper is also comfortable in possession of the ball, which could make him a good fit in a Guardiola system, with counterpart Thibaut Courtois describing the Barca shot-stopper as the “best in the game” with his feet.

Ter Stegen could be a fantastic signing for Man City, but there may be some concerns over the fact the goalkeeper is already 33-years-old, making him two years older than Ederson, which indicates he is unlikely to be a long-term replacement for the Brazilian.

Liverpool find themselves in the hunt for reinforcements and could look to swoop under the nose of rivals Everton to land an attacking target, according to a report.

Liverpool set to trigger more business after Kerkez announcement

After Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz were confirmed by the Reds, Milos Kerkez is also now set to join in a £40 million move from Bournemouth. The Hungary international joins Arne Slot’s revolution and signs on after weeks of negotiations by all parties to find agreement, as confirmed by Fabrizio Romano.

Moving on, Liverpool have turned their attention to Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi and an agreement over personal terms is said to be close as he enters the final year of his contract at Selhurst Park.

Talking up a potential deal, Keith Wyness believes Guehi moving to the red half of Merseyside would suit all parties as Oliver Glasner will be keen to cash in before losing the England international on a free becomes a distinct possibility.

He stated: “It would be a no-brainer for them (Liverpool) if they can get hold of him, and all the noises coming out of the Marc Guehi camp are that he’s keen to go.

“I think it’s a fantastic deal. I think Palace also recognise that I think he’s got just another year left on his contract. So they’d like to cash in as well. All parties could be very happy.”

While Liverpool’s summer business is bubbling away, they could now bid for a midfielder who has already been firmly on the radar of their closest rivals.

Liverpool could hijack Everton to sign Merlin Rohl

According to reports in Germany via Sport Witness, Liverpool could move for SC Freiburg midfielder Merlin Rohl this summer despite Everton having already made two bids to sign the Germany Under-21 international in January.

Newcastle United and Crystal Palace are also in the frame to sign the Berlin-born star, who registered a solitary assist in 20 appearances over the course of last season.

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Labelled “very dangerous” by Antonio Di Salvo, Rohl managed to create nine chances in action for Freiburg on Bundesliga duty and also completed 12 dribbles despite suffering a ligament tear that limited his scope to make a lasting impact.

Nevertheless, he is now back fit and firing and has even scored at the UEFA Under-21 European Championships in a 3-2 win for Germany against Italy.

Admittedly, Liverpool have strong competition for places currently in the middle of the park, though it would be intriguing to see who could make way if Rohl were to arrive at Anfield, potentially at the expense of arch-rivals Everton.

In what would be the ultimate statement of intent from INEOS, Manchester United are now eyeing a shock move to hijack a Champions League megastar ahead of Arsenal after Real Madrid lowered their asking price.

Who Man Utd could target after Bryan Mbeumo

After launching a fresh bid worth more than £60m to sign Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo, all signs a pointing towards success for Manchester United in their chase to sign the winger. In another big money deal, the Red Devils look increasingly likely to welcome their second attacking reinforcement of the summer following Matheus Cunha.

It always needed to be a big summer at Old Trafford, however, and INEOS may not be done after Mbeumo. Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his team have also set their sights on improvements in goal, in midfield and further attacking additions to round off an excellent summer of business.

On the goalkeeper front, the main name mentioned in recent weeks has been Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez. The Midlands club have PSR troubles hanging over their head and will likely need to sell a player before the June 30 deadline – potentially allowing United to take full advantage.

Meanwhile, when it comes to midfielders it is Ardon Jashari who has found himself among recent headlines. The Belgian Pro League’s Player of the Season has reportedly attracted the interest of United, who could land an instant upgrade on Casemiro.

It’s going forward that INEOS could save their best work once again though, with reports now suggesting that United may yet hijack Arsenal’s move to sign a Real Madrid megastar.

Man Utd eyeing shock Rodrygo hijack

As reported by Caught Offside, Manchester United are now eyeing a shock move to sign Rodrygo from Real Madrid this summer in what would see them hijack Arsenal’s pursuit.

It looks as though the Brazilan’s Real Madrid departure is a realistic possibility this summer as he continues to be overshadowed by the work of Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham.

Arsenal are chasing his signature, which will now cost around €85m (£73m) following Madrid’s price drop from €110m (£94m), but United’s interest could now complicate things for the Gunners.

It would be some statement if INEOS managed to beat Arsenal to Rodrygo’s signature, albeit an expensive statement at that. Not only would United be spending another £73m to secure his signature, but the Madrid man also currently earns around £10.5m-a-year at the Bernabeu to form what would be Ratcliffe’s biggest deal yet.

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Previously described as a “special” player by former manager Carlo Ancelotti, there’s a strong argument to be made that Rodrygo would be worth every penny of that £10.5m-a-year contract.

The talented winger may be an afterthought at Madrid at times, but there’s no denying that he’d instantly become the biggest star at Ruben Amorim’s disposal if he joined Manchester United this summer.

Every year, the top goalscorer in the Premier League has the honour of taking home the Golden Boot.

Despite goals being the ultimate currency in football, the winner of this particular accolade does not point towards top-flight success. Indeed, in 2023, Erling Haaland became the first player in 10 years to put a Premier League winners’ medal alongside his Golden Boot.

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2024/25 saw Mohamed Salah take home a fourth Golden Boot, something only Thierry Henry has done in the Premier League era. Pre-1992, Jimmy Greaves (6) and Derby County forward Steve Bloomer (5) are the only other players to be the English top tier’s top scorer four times or more.

So, who have been the previous winners, who has won the award the most times, and who has done it with the most goals? All that information and more can be found here.

Here is a list of every Premier League Golden Boot winner, alongside a detailed look at the most recent recipients of the award, including the best goal from their winning seasons.

Season

Player

Club(s)

Goals

1992/93

Teddy Sheringham

Nottingham Forest, Tottenham

22

1993/94

Andy Cole

Newcastle

34

1994/95

Alan Shearer

Blackburn

34

1995/96

Alan Shearer

Blackburn

31

1996/97

Alan Shearer

Newcastle

25

1997/98

Chris Sutton, Dion Dublin, Michael Owen

Blackburn, Coventry, Liverpool

18

1998/99

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Michael Owen, Dwight Yorke

Leeds, Liverpool, Man Utd

18

1999/00

Kevin Phillips

Sunderland

30

2000/01

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink

Chelsea

23

2001/02

Thierry Henry

Arsenal

24

2002/03

Ruud van Nistelrooy

Man Utd

25

2003/04

Thierry Henry

Arsenal

30

2004/05

Thierry Henry

Arsenal

25

2005/06

Thierry Henry

Arsenal

27

2006/07

Didier Drogba

Chelsea

20

2007/08

Cristiano Ronaldo

Man Utd

31

2008/09

Nicolas Anelka

Chelsea

19

2009/10

Didier Drogba

Chelsea

29

2010/11

Carlos Tevez, Dimitar Berbatov

Man City, Man Utd

20

2011/12

Robin van Persie

Arsenal

30

2012/13

Robin van Persie

Man Utd

26

2013/14

Luis Suarez

Liverpool

31

2014/15

Sergio Aguero

Man City

26

2015/16

Harry Kane

Tottenham

25

2016/17

Harry Kane

Tottenham

29

2017/18

Mohamed Salah

Liverpool

32

2018/19

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah

Arsenal, Liverpool

22

2019/20

Jamie Vardy

Leicester

23

2020/21

Harry Kane

Tottenham

23

2021/22

Mohamed Salah, Son Heung-min

Liverpool, Tottenham

23

2022/23

Erling Haaland

Man City

36

2023/24

Erling Haaland

Man City

27

2024/25

Mohamed Salah

Liverpool

29

Robin van Persie (Arsenal & Man Utd) 2011/12 (30 goals), 2012/13 (26 goals)

Dutchman Robin van Persie picked up each of his two Golden Boots in consecutive years, distinctively doing so for two different clubs: Arsenal and Manchester United.

He hit 30 in the 2011/12 season for the Gunners, emulating Thierry Henry in the process. But after his strikes were only enough to steer Arsenal to third that year, he arrived at rivals Manchester United the following summer keen to add team honours to his collection.

His move was vindicated when his 26 goals secured United what is still their most recent league title to date.

Best goal: It has to be the one that helped seal the title for United, as Van Persie sumptuously smashed home Wayne Rooney’s cross-field ball against Aston Villa.

Luis Suarez (Liverpool) 2013/14 (31 goals)

While the 2013/14 campaign ended in heartbreak for Liverpool, it was a record-breaking year for Luis Suarez.

Despite entering the season under the cloud of a recent (but not his last) biting incident, not to mention a heavily publicised and failed move to Arsenal, he equalled the Premier League record set by Cristiano Ronaldo in 2007/08 with 31 goals.

The Reds may have ended as runners-up that year, but Suarez would move on to better things off the back of this campaign, winning the Champions League with Barcelona 12 months later.

Best goal: Smashing the ball over a hapless John Ruddy from 40 yards (before scoring three more against Norwich City).

Sergio Aguero (Man City) 2014/15 (26 goals)

It may be something of a surprise to note that Sergio Aguero only took home one Golden Boot – particularly in a year when Manchester City did not win the title.

But he saw off the challenges of Harry Kane and Diego Costa to comfortably claim the top scorer award amid a disappointing defence of City’s Premier League crown.

Best goal: While his best strikes came in other seasons, his superbly curled effort against Spurs capped a marvellous afternoon as he scored all four goals.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal) 2018/19 (22 goals)

One of three different winners in this particular year, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang managed to take home a Golden Boot in his first full season at Arsenal.

The Gunners fell short in their pursuit of a Champions League place, but the Gabon ace was often on hand to help their cause, with two strikes against Burnley on the final day sealing his place in the top-flight history books.

Best goal: His equaliser in the north London derby proved what a clinical finisher he could be, even from range.

Sadio Mane (Liverpool) 2018/19 (22 goals)

The second of the three winners in 2018/19 was Sadio Mane, who picked up his only Golden Boot during his time at Liverpool.

Often seen working prolifically alongside Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino, Mane was at his best while that Liverpool trio tore almost every Premier League defence to shreds.

Best goal: His backheel against Watford was unlike anything we have seen before or since (at 2:12 in the video below).

Jamie Vardy (Leicester) 2019/20 (23 goals)

Although his best season will undoubtedly have been amid Leicester City’s title win in 2015/16, Jamie Vardy was far from the peak of his powers.

He continued to terrorise defences up and down the country, and got the Golden Boot that his goalscoring exploits deserved by scoring 23 times in the 2019/20 campaign.

We’ll never know how the curtailed season due to the pandemic affected things, with Leicester’s form tailing off as they missed out on a top-four place. Vardy scored four times post-restart to edge ahead of Aubameyang and Danny Ings, his closest competitors.

Best goal: A simply superb strike lofted over Bournemouth’s Aaron Ramsdale early in the campaign.

Harry Kane (Tottenham) 2015/16 (25 goals), 2016/17 (29 goals), 2020/21 (23 goals)

Had he played in another era, Harry Kane may well have had twice the amount of Golden Boots he ended up with, but three while playing for a Tottenham Hotspur side who seldom challenged for the title itself is not bad going.

That said, they came closest to the title in two of Kane’s Golden Boot seasons, with back-to-back gongs coming his way after the Lilywhites secured finishes of 3rd and 2nd in the 2015/16 and 2016/17 campaigns respectively.

With only Alan Shearer ahead of him in terms of all-time goals, it is difficult to understate Kane’s success in the Premier League, but there’s no doubt he’d have swapped a Golden Boot or two for a trophy with his beloved Spurs.

Best goal: A classic strike to put Spurs 2-1 up against Arsenal all but killed off the Gunners’ title hopes as both teams chased Leicester down.

Son Heung-min (Tottenham) 2021/22 (23 goals)

While Harry Kane got most of the plaudits during their time together at Spurs, Son Heung-min finally got one over on his teammate by not only beating his personal tally for the season, but everyone else’s, too (well, bar Salah).

Tottenham flourished that season, particularly after Antonio Conte arrived in north London, as they secured Champions League football on the final day – with Son grabbing two goals to draw level with Liverpool’s Egyptian.

No doubt an accolade worthy of the South Korean’s efforts in Tottenham colours, he has continued to lead by example as Spurs captain following Kane’s exit.

Best goal: Son has made the outside-the-box curler something of a trademark, and his effort against Leicester in May 2022 is certainly one of his finest.

Erling Haaland (Man City) 2022/23 (36 goals), 2023/24 (27 goals)

There are few superlatives left to describe Erling Haaland, not least after he arrived in the Premier League by smashing record after record and winning everything in sight with Manchester City.

With such an impressive goalscoring record at Borussia Dortmund (86 goals in 89) preceding him, he would’ve been expected to be right amongst the goals after his switch to City.

The Norwegian not only ended up with the Golden Boot and the PFA Player of the Year award in his first season, but he did so by reaching a record 36 goals – averaging over a goal a game in the Premier League, proving he is truly one of a kind.

Understandably, he wasn’t quite able to reach those standards again, but with some time out injured during the most recent campaign, he still put in another solid return of 27, with a late-season four-goal blitz steering him clear of Chelsea’s Cole Palmer.

With another Premier League title and Golden Boot in the bag, Haaland seems far from finished…

Best goal: While he makes finishing look easy, Haaland’s acrobatic effort against Southampton in 2022/23 (at 4:04 below) was arguably the pick of the bunch during his first season at City.

Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) 2017/18 (32 goals), 2018/19 (22 goals), 2021/22 (23 goals), 2024/25 (29 goals)

One of the greatest Premier League goalscorers in recent times, Mohamed Salah had no problems re-adapting to the English top flight after returning as a Liverpool player in 2017.

His first season back saw him notch a Premier League record of 32 goals for the Anfield club, becoming the second African player (after Didier Drogba) to sit top of the goalscoring charts.

In 2019, he shared the award with two fellow Africans in Aubameyang and teammate Mane, before tying for the award once more in 2022.

He won it outright again in the 2024/25 season as he steered Liverpool to a second league title since joining, picking up awards for the most goals and assists, as well as the Player of the Season award, to go along with the Premier League trophy.

Best goal: There are plenty to choose from, but we’ve gone for his rocket against Chelsea in the 2018/19 season, which made even Martin Tyler sound rather excited (at 1:59 for those in a hurry).

England international and former star Kalvin Phillips is reportedly interested in a move to Leeds United, who sealed their return to the Premier League on Bank Holiday Monday.

Leeds back in the big time

After a two-season hiatus from the Premier League, Leeds United sealed their return to English football’s top flight this week. Having thrashed Stoke City 6-0, Leeds then watched on as Sheffield United failed to beat Burnley in the afternoon kick-off, losing 2-1 at Turf Moor. That result confirmed the Blades’ place in the play-offs and, at the same time, ensured automatic promotion for both Leeds and Burnley.

Unsurprisingly, the promotion sparked widespread celebrations across the city, with thousands of fans gathering outside Elland Road to revel in the moment.

The players joined in the celebrations too, popping bottles of champagne and belting out the traditional chant: “We are going up!”

Speaking after the full-time whistle, Leeds defender Joe Rodon told the Yorkshire Evening Post: “For me it hasn’t sunk in yet. I don’t think it will until the end of the season, but I’m just delighted for everyone involved with the club, the fans and what it means to them. It’s what everyone has worked for all season and I’m buzzing.”

Skipper Ethan Ampadu added: “It’s amazing. If you look at the scenes here, as it was after the final whistle, just pure excitement. Within ourselves we’ve got another target, so we can enjoy this now, but we’ve got another target we want to achieve. But right now, it’s very good.”

Phillips wants Leeds return

Just a day before Leeds’ promotion to the Premier League was confirmed, Football Insider reported that Kalvin Phillips is now interested in a sensational return to Elland Road on the assumption they would indeed go up.

Phillips, a product of the Leeds academy, made his name with the Whites before securing a £45 million move to Manchester City in the summer of 2022.

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Since then, however, the England international’s career has been on a steady decline. Despite earning over £20 million in wages thanks to his big move, Phillips failed to establish himself at the Etihad. Underwhelming loan spells at West Ham United and Ipswich Town followed, where he again struggled to make an impact, and City are now braced to accept a huge loss on the fee they paid.

Football Insider claims the 29-year-old is pushing for a return to Leeds in a bid to revive his career. He also reportedly hopes that a move back to Elland Road can reignite his chances of an England recall, having not featured for the Three Lions since 2023, before which he racked up 31 caps.

Speaking about Phillips’ potential return to Leeds, former Manchester United and Blackburn chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider: “To me, he’s a Leeds United player, he suits the club and he’s comfortable playing there, the fans love him and he feels at home there.

“That’s why he’s struggled since the move away, so a return would make a lot of sense. We’ve seen similar before with Wilfried Zaha at Crystal Palace, some players suit certain clubs, they get the backing from the fans and it allows them to perform beyond their usual standard.”

Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace have largely been in excellent form since the start of 2025, only losing three times in their last 11 Premier League matches, keeping eight clean sheets in all competitions this calendar year and earning themselves a spot in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.

The Eagles didn’t start the campaign at 100mph. After losing the likes of Michael Olise and Joachim Anderson in the summer, Palace had to reassemble their tools, find ways to recruit and replace those players and then begin to build.

After the first ten matches of the season, Palace found themselves 17th, only picking up seven points in that time.

But due to their excellent form since then, Palace now find themselves in mid-table in the Premier League, with the top seven not too far out of reach.

So why did it take a while at the start of the season, and how much did Glasner’s side miss Olise?

Michael Olise's creative burden

Olise was sold to Bayern Munich in the summer, joining the German giants for a fee of around £50m. Since joining Bayern, Olise has been in sublime form, making 43 appearances, scoring 13 goals, and providing 16 assists.

But, the Frenchman was key in his time at Palace, making 90 appearances in his three years at the club, netting 16 times, providing 25 assists and totaling 5,782 minutes played.

Having Olise on the right and Eberechi Eze on the left made it tough for teams to contain the Eagles, with the duo often combining to create chances out of nothing.

With Olise gone, more focus being solely on Eze and a right-hand side that had to be re-invented, it was always going to take some time to find the best way to replace the French wingers’ presence.

That being said, Glasner has certainly found a way to do it.

Chalkboard

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

Glasner's "spectacular" duo have replaced Olise

Crystal Palace signed Ismaila Sarr from Marseille in the summer, joining for a fee of around £12.6m. The 27-year-old was the clear signing destined to take the spot of Olise on that right-hand side, but the difference in overall quality is clear, and therefore, a new dynamic on that side would be needed.

Daniel Munoz, working in tandem with Sarr on the right, has been Glasner’s key weapon to replacing Olise’s output, with both players proving to be very direct, making clever runs in behind and stretching play for their teammates. This right side has proven to be a key outlet for Palace this season.

Goals

0.17

0.29

Assists

0.14

0.11

xG

0.15

0.33

xAG

0.14

0.26

Progressive Carries

1.51

2.52

Progressive Passes

2.44

2.91

Shots Total

1.04

1.93

Key Passes

1.22

1.41

Passes into Pen Area

0.72

1.41

Shot-Creating Actions

2.29

3.85

Successful Take-Ons

0.61

0.60

When looking at the pair’s underlying metrics this season, you can see how their combined effort has helped to replace the French star, both getting forward and getting shots off, both putting balls into the box, chipping in with output and contributing in build up.

Munoz was described as “spectacular” by Jefferson Lerma and that is certainly one way to describe the pair down that right-hand side, working in tandem to attack in a direct fashion and create chances for the team.

Whilst Olise will never fully be replaceable, losing a world-class talent is always tough to replace, even more so when you are a mid-table Premier League side.

Therefore, Palace fans must be fairly happy with their right-side rebrand, with Glasner proving he can make it work.

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Monday was an emotional day for S Asha. At 33 years and 51 days, and after waiting out a heavy downpour and storm in Sylhet, the legspinner made her maiden India appearance, becoming the country’s oldest debutant in women’s T20Is. Asha is a living example in this sport that your wildest dreams can and do come true when you don’t limit yourself.”I have no words to describe the feeling I’m going through,” Asha said in an almost empty press-conference room after the game. “I was pretty emotional, of course. 2012 was the year when I came into probables for the first time in India. From there, if you see, it’s like touching 13-14 years. So, I am feeling so happy.”Related

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Spinners, Harmanpreet seal comfortable win for India in rain-hit match

Asha’s journey, in fact, has been longer than 13-14 years. She made her debut for Kerala in 2006, at the age of 15. In 2011, she made the step up to Railways, the most formidable domestic side in Indian women’s cricket, and played there for a decade, before leaving in 2022. At one time, she even took up a commentary gig during a men’s T20 tournament in Puducherry. Eventually, she agreed to lead a young Puducherry women’s team in the 2022-2023 season. It was during her time in Puducherry that Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (now Bengaluru) scouts were impressed with her bowling and decided to rope her in for the inaugural WPL season in 2023.She stole the limelight in WPL 2024. She ended the competition – during which she also became the first Indian to take a five-wicket haul – as the second-highest wicket-taker with 12 scalps at 15.41, with an economy rate of 7.11. These displays for RCB, who eventually won the title, helped her earn her maiden India call-up for this tour of Bangladesh.On Monday she starred with two wickets as India went 4-0 up with a match to spare with a 56-run win in the fourth T20I against Bangladesh. She had finally arrived, after all those years of anticipation, patience, downturns, hardships, passion and dreams.Despite Asha bringing a bucketload of experience from domestic cricket, India waited until they had taken an unassailable 3-0 lead to unleash her at this level. For Asha, it was worth the wait.Asha was the second-highest wicket-taker of WPL 2024•BCCI”I have been through so many struggles and [put in a lot of] hard work. It was worth this moment. Really happy,” Asha, who was handed her India cap by Mandhana, said. “It was not easy for me to make [my] debut at the age of 33. But the credit goes to BCCI, selectors, captain, vice-captain, all the team members, coaches and management for having faith in me and giving me the opportunity to play at 33. The kind of faith they showed [in] me, that’s amazing.”[WPL] was an amazing journey, playing under Smriti in WPL. Coming along with Smriti and Harry [Harmanpreet Kaur] , the most experienced player at the moment, it’s an amazing feeling. At one point in time, I thought I could never make it to the national side. But WPL gave us that opportunity and showed us that everybody can dream, and dream is not that far, and we can always achieve it. So WPL changed my life.”It was also a special day for her captain Harmanpreet, who at 35 became the second Indian woman after Mithali Raj to play 300 international games. Having watched Harmanpreet play from a young age, Asha said it was a “nice feeling” to play alongside her in Indian colours.”I am feeling so blessed to share some time with some elite athletes of our country,” she said. “They know [when to] switch on and switch off really well. They are very free [with] us, they come to us and talk. At the same time, they know when to switch on. Next moment, they are that serious team player. I am watching Harry from my 18 years. I never thought I would be playing with her.”Asha’s debut also made her the third player from Kerala, after Minnu Manni and S Sajana, to make her way to the India Women side. A year ago, none of the three had represented India. And before Asha, only two over-30s had debuted for India in T20Is. Acknowledging what she has achieved at her age, she only had one message to those putting in the hard yards behind the scenes: Never stop dreaming.”If it’s a long journey, don’t give up. That’s what I want to say,” Asha said. “Sometimes what happens is in the journey ahead, we will think, ‘oh, it’s a long journey. I might want to take a break. Maybe I will quit.’ But don’t do that. You never know what’s going to happen next. So, the way WPL changed my life, anything can happen to anyone. And never stop dreaming. Dreams are not so far to achieve.”Maybe, Asha’s dream of “playing a World Cup for my country” isn’t far away either.

England are one win away from the start of yet another exciting period in their white-ball cricket

Andrew McGlashan12-Nov-20223:41

Buttler: ‘The consistent message to the team is to take the game on’

Shortly after England’s 10-wicket mauling of India in Adelaide, Jos Buttler walked towards Sky Sports’ Ian Ward for the latest in his line of post-match interviews. As he came into frame, he was embraced by Eoin Morgan, the sort of hug team-mates give each other after a resounding performance. It also felt a little like the baton being passed from master to apprentice.It has been a fascinating dynamic having Morgan as part of the commentary team in Australia given he was so recently involved with England. Not being part of the side by the time of this tournament was not wholly unexpected, but his retirement did come suddenly during the English season after a series in the Netherlands and thrust Buttler into the job little more than four months before a World Cup.Related

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Buttler was the heir apparent, and it would have been a huge shock if anyone else had got the job, but it’s hard to overstate the position he was coming into. Morgan had been central to revolutionising England’s white-ball cricket, and arguably world cricket. Could Buttler make it team?Perhaps unsurprisingly, given there had also been the arrival of a new coach in Matthew Mott, it was not an easy start during the English season: three out of the four limited-overs series against India and South Africa lost. When Buttler opted to hand over the wicketkeeping gloves during the Hundred there were even the odd murmurings as to whether he had too much on his plate.To compound things, Buttler then suffered a calf injury which ended his tournament early and would go on to rule him out of the England’s seven-match series against Pakistan. However, significantly, he went on that tour as a non-playing member as Moeen Ali captained them to a 4-3 win. There was an ambassadorial role about it, given the significance of the tour, but he also recognised the importance of continuing to build towards the T20 World Cup.Now he stands on the eve of the final having had his two best games as England captain, victories against New Zealand and India, sandwiched either side of a tense affair against Sri Lanka, where he has both delivered with the bat and marshaled the team outstandingly in the field.On top of the world: Jos Buttler celebrates a famous win over India•Getty Images”I think it’s part of my own journey as a player and as a person to now be at this stage of my career where I’m a captain, learning at something very new that I haven’t done before, and that’s exciting to get the chance to do that,” Buttler said. “As frustrating as the summer was in terms of results, I think I actually learned a lot through that period, with the benefit of having a few months to reflect on things I probably would have done differently or what certain situations arose and how they made me feel and how I reacted to them. I feel like I’m growing into the role day by day.”There had been promising signs in the warm-up series against Australia when in his first innings for nearly two months he hit 68 off 32 balls in Perth with England coming out on top in a high-scoring game (the type that has not been seen at this World Cup). There were more runs in the last match after the series was secured with a tactically smart display in the second fixture, not least the work with Sam Curran to get Tim David bowled behind his legs.But the pressures at a World Cup are very different. The consequences of decisions or bad days so much higher. England had a very bad day against Ireland at the MCG, not just in losing the game but seemingly being tactically off the pace when the rain was looming. It is probably over-stating the situation to say things were on the brink for Buttler, but an early exit from the tournament would have left a lot of questions.Against New Zealand at the Gabba, he accelerated at the key moment to push England towards a match-winning total then used a couple of tactical match-ups to good effect: Moeen opened the bowling and conceded just four runs, while Curran removed the dangerous Finn Allen. Glenn Phillips nearly took the game away, but England held their nerve.Buttler was even better in the semi-final against India, and the aforementioned interview with Ward and Morgan highlighted some of his tactical moves in the field. Buttler said that fielding first had been based as much on knowing how India like to chase as anything else, and his use of Adil Rashid earlier in the innings was because he was aware of Rishabh Pant’s presence on the middle order. Rashid had an outstanding evening, taking 1 for 20, removing the pivotal figure of Suryakumar Yadav.He took a gamble in leaving Chris Jordan with three overs to bowl in the final five during his first outing of the competition, but the earlier decisions had kept India quiet enough that even Hardik Pandya’s late damage did not prove to be a game-changer.”Hopefully I’ve got more time ahead myself as a captain and with Matthew Mott we can hopefully shape the next era of English white-ball cricket,” Buttler said. “Of course, we’re still reaping the rewards of Eoin Morgan’s tenure and the changes that have happened in the white-ball game in England, and that’s clear to see in the strength and depth of the talent we now have.”When Buttler lofted Mohammad Shami straight down the ground for six it put the most emphatic statement on the most emphatic of personal and team performances. One more win and the transition of the Morgan legacy into the Buttler era will be complete.

Phehlukwayo’s fitness will be crucial, as will the management of Sipamla’s talent

Firdose Moonda03-Dec-2020Being without Faf du Plessis and Kagiso Rabada will give South Africa the opportunity for younger players to gain international experience even as it leaves questions over how they will balance their XI against England.Du Plessis is being rested for the upcoming ODI series after a period in which he played at the IPL, PSL and in the three T20Is while Rabada has been ruled out with a groin strain. South Africa have also released Pite van Biljon, Bjorn Fortuin and Reeza Hendricks from their 23-man group, leaving them with a squad of 18 and similar questions about their combinations as they had in the T20Is.At the top of South Africa’s priority list is getting a pace-bowling allrounder into the XI and for that, they need Andile Phehlukwayo to pass a fitness test. With Dwaine Pretorius ruled out of the entire tour with a hamstring concern, Phehlukwayo is the only option for this position but was unavailable for the T20s. He returned to training on Sunday and should slot straight into the one-day side if he gets the green light to play, chiefly because he provides South Africa with an additional bowler.”If you’ve got six bowlers in the team it gives you another option and in 50-over cricket he has been great for us. His one-day record is special,” Charl Langeveldt, South Africa’s bowling coach said. “He gives you that option bowling at the back end as well. If he is fit, we are going to have a look today, and then we will make a judgement on if he will be able to play on Friday.”Phehlukwayo’s inclusion will also help South Africa address their other selection conundrum – transformation targets. As of this season, the national team is required to field, on average, a team that is made up of 25% black African players, which equates to between two and three black African players in an XI, and three more often than two. In the three T20Is, South Africa met that target in each match (although they missed the overall player-of-colour target, which requires six non-white players) by fielding Rabada, Lungi Ngidi and Temba Bavuma. With Rabada out of the series and Bavuma competing with Janneman Malan for the openers’ spot, Phehlukwayo will be a welcome addition.However, the bigger question might be what South Africa will do if Phehlukwayo still needs some time to get match fit. They will likely have to lean on one of their left-arm-spinner allrounders – George Linde and Jon-Jon Smuts – and carry a longer tail which could start as high as No.7. Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Junior Dala and/or Lutho Sipamla and Tabraiz Shamsi are the likely frontline bowlers. Of those Dala and Sipamla are the least experienced international cricketers, on opposite sides of the domestic spectrum.Dala is 30 years old and is into his 10th season of cricket. He has 158 domestic and international white-ball appearances to his name, was the leading wicket-taker in the 2018-19 one-day cup and the fifth-highest wicket-taker in last season’s MSL. South Africa see him as a new-ball bowler, perhaps to partner Nortje. “Junior bowls hard lengths, he is aggressive and when you’ve got two bouncers (per over) and two white balls, I see him very much as part of our 50-over plan,” Langeveldt said. “We worked on trying to up-skill him as well, get him to play slower balls and work on his yorkers.”Lutho Sipamla’s talent is undisputed, but the way he is managed needs to be more closely considered•Gallo Images/Getty ImagesSipamla is 22, a former national Under-19 player and by all accounts a prospect to be nurtured for the future. He finished third on the wicket charts in the inaugural edition of the MSL, which earned him an international call up in the 2018-19 season. His most recent appearance was in the final T20I against England, where he went for 45 runs in 2.4 overs.That Sipamla is talented is undisputed, but the way he is managed needs to be more closely considered. Sipamla had not played any cricket, in any format, between an ODI in March and the T20I against England, having sat out the first two rounds of domestic cricket. At Newlands on Tuesday night, he looked a lonely young man, as none of his team-mates offered advice or empathy while Jos Buttler and Dawid Malan tucked in. Langeveldt conceded that South Africa needed to offer Sipamla more support but not that Sipamla should be held back until a less aggressive opposition comes to town.”It’s been hard on Lutho. You know with a top team like that they are always going to target him. You need to speak to him, analyse his own game, try and calm him down in the situation. We tried to prepare him as much as we could, but we all saw in the game it’s hard when you are put under pressure, especially against a top-quality team,” Langveldt said. “We try to get the team to rally around him, to support him. That’s the big thing, to get one of your senior bowlers, even one of your senior players just to back him and say, ‘forget about that ball, it’s all about the next execution and just be clear in your game plans.’ That’s a thing we speak about a lot.”But no one came to Sipamla’s side at the end of what was a demoralising defeat for South Africa. And this is where they need to be careful. Throw Sipamla into the deep end too many times and he could easily become a casualty of a transformation policy intended to do exactly the opposite. And if they are going to use the sink-or-swim policy for Sipamla, the least that needs to happen is that he has a few lifesavers around. Quinton de Kock wasn’t one on Tuesday and usually that’s where Faf du Plessis, or Rabada, would come in. Neither of them will be able to in the ODIs, which seems set up to be another test of South Africa’s ability to juggle their combinations before they even begin to work out how to take on the team they are playing against.Langeveldt tried to see the positives in the situation. “For a young bowler, it’s a great opportunity to test the mental aspect of the game. England are going to come hard at you. That’s the nature of the way they play T20 cricket and fifty-over cricket. So mentally you need to be strong,” he said. “When you are under pressure, you need to be able to execute and they will learn from this. We’ve got work to do with our bowlers.”Ultimately, South Africa have work to do all round because “we have a lack of international experience,” as Langeveldt put it. Maybe then it’s not such a bad thing to be without du Plessis and Rabada, for if nothing else, it gives younger players the chance to wrestle with the challenges they come up against, at the highest level.