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Allrounder admits he could miss depending on the make-up of Australia’s top six but is hopeful he can play a part in the Ashes if selected

Alex Malcolm28-Oct-2025Allrounder Beau Webster agreed that he could be squeezed out of Australia’s XI for the first Ashes Test depending on the make-up of the batting line-up, but he feels that he can contribute in the series if given the opportunity.Webster’s role in the Australia side has been a topic of discussion despite being one of the most reliable performers over the past seven Test matches. Webster had played as the sole allrounder in the XI across all of those matches since replacing Mitchell Marsh in January.But Cameron Green’s return to bowling, after playing as a batter only at No. 3 in the last four Tests, as well as Marnus Labuschagne’s return to form and questions around the need to pick another specialist opener, have created uncertainty about the make-up of the top six for Perth.Related

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George Bailey, the chair of selectors, guaranteed Webster would be in the squad for the first Test, saying “everyone can relax.” But there is a way Webster could be squeezed out of the XI if the selectors opted to reinstate Labuschagne at No. 3, either retain Sam Konstas or pick another opener in his place to partner Usman Khawaja, and move Green back to No.6, given he is expected to be fit to bowl again despite a slight setback in his workload progression.Webster had missed the first two Sheffield Shield games of the summer due to an ankle injury, which only added to the speculation. Speaking after day one of his return for Tasmania against Victoria at Junction Oval, where he took 1 for 26 with the ball from 12 overs, Webster hoped that “I’ll be thereabouts”.”We’ve obviously got a potential hole around the top of the order there, and see who fills that,” Webster said. “If they see me as a pure middle-order [batter], then I’m probably going to get squeezed out. That is what it is. I hope I’m still in the conversation, certainly as a batter only, and if not, if it’s just the makeup of the team I’ll plug the way back in first-class cricket. There’s a there’s a lot of Test cricket coming up in the next two years. I hope I’ll be thereabouts.”Webster, 31, has done very little wrong in his first seven Tests. He has four half-centuries from 12 innings, averaging 34.63, which does not do him justice given the difficulty of the surfaces he has played on. He also has eight wickets at 23.25 with the ball, striking at 45.1, and has taken 12 catches in the field, where he has been a huge asset, especially in the slips cordon.Beau Webster has done little wrong since his Test debut•AFP/Getty ImagesHe said it was nice to hear Bailey guarantee his spot in the Perth squad, but he had not been given the same guarantee about being in the XI.”That depends who you ask,” Webster said. “I’d obviously love to be in the XI. I think I’ve got a lot to contribute there, and especially this Ashes series, I feel like I’m playing the best cricket of my life at the moment. So I certainly want to be there. Sometimes it’s the make-up of the team and the balance and the overs and who bats where. It feels like this series has probably got more questions over that than any before.”Webster admitted he felt some rust on return for Tasmania. He took the new ball to front end his overs having come into the game on a 16-over limit from Cricket Australia’s [CA] medical staff. He used 12 of those on day one in four spells. He picked up the wicket of former Test opener Marcus Harris with a delivery that pitched back of a length outside leg and nipped sharply across the left-hander to scratch the outside edge. Webster later took a sharp catch at slip but dropped one he would normally take.”If I could sum my day up today, a few no-balls and a drop catch at first slip, it probably felt like I was five or 10% off what I usually am,” Webster said. “I mean, that comes when you have probably three weeks of not playing. I felt like I was probably just slightly off it. But to get out there today and bowling 12 overs and get some more time in the slips is always beneficial.”Webster said the time off was helpful to freshen up mentally and also to do some strength work in the gym, having played nearly a full winter with Australia and Warwickshire in the county championship.”I think there’s some benefits, no doubt,” Webster said. “I think looking back, I did play a lot of cricket in England, and that’s by choice. I play my best cricket when I’m constantly playing. To have a three-week gap there, it was nice to get back in the gym and do some running and probably freshen the body up physically, ready to go for a big summer.”

Marc Cucurella has helped Estevao along massively since the teenager arrived at Chelsea, contributing to his explosion of form. The Blues agreed a deal with Brazilian side Palmeiras to sign the youngster last year but he was unable to move to Stamford Bridge until after his 18th birthday back in April. Estevao has since made a huge impact in west London, quickly established as a fan favourite.

Estevao was instrumental as Chelsea downed Barca

Estevao scored his fifth Chelsea goal of the season in midweek as the Blues eased to a 3-0 home win over Barcelona in the Champions League. Chelsea went ahead midway through the first half through a Jules Kounde own goal following some good work from Marc Cucurella down the right.

The Brazil international doubled Chelsea's advantage 10 minutes after the break before Liam Delap confirmed the home triumph over Barcelona, who were reduced to 10 men shortly before the interval after Ronald Araujo received his marching orders. Estevao rightly received praise for his showing on the right flank against the Blaugrana, but it was Cucurella who was named Player of the Match in the Stamford Bridge success.

The Spanish left-back was instrumental in minimising compatriot Lamine Yamal's impact down the Barcelona right. Yamal managed just one shot and created only two chances before he was replaced by Dani Olmo with 10 minutes to play.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportCucurella told Estevao to 'put shin pads on' to prepare for Yamal showdown

And Estevao faces off against Cucurella in training, which the notes the Spaniard "takes serisously" despite being one of the biggest jokers in the squad. When the youngster's one-vs-one battle in training is often tougher than actual games, it is incredibly helpful.

It meant that the Brazilian came in for the same treatment that Yamal was on the receiving end of in the capital on Tuesday night. Cucurella even joked that he'd use Estevao in the days beforehand as practise for Chelsea's game against Barcelona as the defender geared up to face Yamal at Stamford Bridge.

While Cucurella insisted that Chelsea's game against Barcelona was "not Yamal vs Cucurella, it's Chelsea vs Barcelona", the Blues star finally relented. When asked about his preparation in training for his battle against Yamal, Cucurella said: "I told Estevao to put shin pads on this week because I’m going to be practising on him."

Cucurella made good on his word to stop Yamal by any means necessary, making five tackles and committing four fouls on the way to Chelsea's 3-0 win. Estevao, meanwhile, created three chances and completed two dribbles to go with his goal a the Brazilian winger tormented Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde.

Cucurella set for another tough task on Sunday

Cucurella can expect another tough test on Sunday afternoon when Chelsea host league leaders Arsenal. Six points separate the pair at the top of the table with the Gunners looking to land a first Premier League title in over 20 years having finished second in each of the last three league seasons.

And the Spaniard is set to face off against Bukayo Saka on home turf to round weekend's Premier League action. And ahead of the game, Blues boss Enzo Maresca lavished praise upon Cucurella, stating that "the more players you have like Marc, the better it is".

"It is the focus and attention he has for 95 minutes," Maresca said of Cucurella ahead of Sunday's London derby. "For defenders you can be good for 94 minutes and then you can drop the attention for one minute and concede something."

The Italian boss then jokingly added: "The good thing about Marc is that for 95 minutes he is always focused – apart from Tottenham away [last season] when we conceded two goals in two minutes because of him! Overall, Marc has always been top, and he is always thinking how he can defend better."

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Getty Images SportMaresca praise for Cucurella ahead of Arsenal showdown

Maresca also praised Cucurella's impact for the club both on and off the pitch. A number of Chelsea stars have commented that the former Brighton man is a big personality in the dressing room, a quality that has impressed Maresca.

"He is the biggest joker, for sure, one of the characters inside the building, and he has the capacity to switch from laughing and joking to being serious," the Italian added. "I want all the players to have that mentality. The more players you have like Marc, the better it is."

Chelsea can close the gap to Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table to three points with a win over the Gunners this weekend. The Blues, though, have drawn their last two home games against their London rivals, and have failed to win their last six home league meetings with Arsenal, losing three times.

A proud part of Arsenal’s DNA has long been their development and promotion of young academy talents.

This has been especially true over the last few years, with the emergence of players like Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly and, of course, Bukayo Saka.

The latest player who seems ready to make the leap from the youth sides to regular senior football is Max Dowman.

However, the talented 15-year-old certainly won’t be the last, and there is already one youngster making waves in the academy who could soon find himself in the first team.

Dowman's rapid rise to stardom at Arsenal

Even before this season, Arsenal fans have been at least somewhat aware of Dowman.

After all, respected talent scout Jacek Kulig boldly proclaimed him as the “most exciting prospect” he had seen “since Lamine Yamal.”

That might sound absurd, but over the course of last season, the youngster ended up scoring 19 times and providing five assists in just 23 appearances, totalling 1945 minutes, for the youth sides.

Appearances

23

Minutes

1945′

Goals

19

Assists

5

Goal Involvements per Match

1.04

Minutes per Goal Involvement

81.04′

That comes out to a sensational average of 1.04 goal involvements per match, or one every 81.04 minutes, made all the more astonishing by the fact he was playing for the u18s and even the u21s.

With performances like that in age groups well above his own, it wasn’t much of a surprise to see the Chelmsford-born dynamo included in the first team’s pre-season tour.

The 15-year-old made his debut against Newcastle United, and in the words of analyst Ben Mattinson, spent his short cameo “humiliating Premier League players.”

His competitive debut came at home to Leeds United in the Premier League, and then he became the youngest player to ever start a game for the club against Brighton & Hove Albion in the League Cup.

The superstar in the making then broke another record in the Champions League a week later, and was described as “a miracle player” by Slavia Prague defender David Zima.

In all, it certainly seems like Dowman is destined to reach the top of the game with Arsenal, although he might be joined by another academy gem this season.

Hale End's next superstar

It’s been a good season for Hale End this year, as on top of Dowman, Andre Harriman-Annous has also been given his full competitive debut by Mikel Arteta.

It could get even better, though, as there is another youngster in the system, who, like the record-breaker, could find himself becoming more involved with the senior side as the campaign goes on: Ife Ibrahim.

The 17-year-old has been with the club since May 2016, and while he started out as a striker, he has since moved back down the pitch, into defensive midfield.

However, he’s not limited to just one position, as the highly rated youngster has also played at right-back, in central midfield, and even as a centre-back.

It’s no surprise that he has been used in the defence before, as even though he’s still so young, the versatile prospect is huge and towers above some of the first team in pictures taken of the time he trained with them. It is no wonder that analyst Harvey Diamonds said that he has a “languid frame like [Patrick] Vieira and [Abou] Diaby.”

Don’t let his size and physicality fool you, though; the Hale Ender is no slouch on the ball.

In fact, academy expert Will Balsam described him as someone who makes everything look so “effortless.” Moreover, this and his height mean “he eats up space, recovers the ball, and glides past players with ease.”

He has also made an impression on U23 scout Antonio Mango, who has described him as “composed, technically talented in possession and calculated out of possession.”

Overall, while he plays in a totally different position to Dowman, Ibrahim sounds like the sort of Hale End product who could come in and have a serious impact on the first team soon enough.

Zubimendi upgrade: Arsenal chasing "the best CM in the world" for £114m

The incredible international could already be a significant upgrade on Zubimendi for Arsenal.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 11, 2025

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred discussed a handful of topics with reporters on Wednesday at league headquarters, including the latest with the Oakland Athletics' proposed relocation to Las Vegas.

The A's played their final game at the Coliseum in the East Bay in September and plan to play the next three seasons in Sacramento as their proposed ballpark is built on the site of the Tropicana Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

However, shovels have yet to hit the ground to begin construction of the stadium that is supposed to be ready for Opening Day in 2028. Questions remain about the A's finding the funds to start constructing the $1.5 billion project.

Manfred affirmed Wednesday the A's planned move to Las Vegas remains as scheduled.

"I understand there seems to be some sense of doubt that persists out there, but [owner] John Fisher is completely committed to the process," Manfred said [via ]. "The building’s been demolished. The site’s available. They are on track for a 2028 opening. They’ve gone through the process of demonstrating that whether or not he takes local [investment] partners, he has the capacity to build the stadium. We’re full speed ahead."

A's executive Sandy Dean said in October that Fisher plans to invest $1 billion of his own money into construction of the stadium, which is expected to begin next spring.

The A's plan to present the proof that they have the necessary funds at an authority meeting on Dec. 5.

Sri Lanka are only two wickets down but are 43 runs ahead at the SSC. Another 150-ish runs will help them dominate the match, says Kusal Mendis. He is yet to bat, and in fact three further wickets likely have to fall before he is required to.But having kept wickets for 79.3 overs, and having played plenty of his cricket at the SSC, Mendis has some idea of how the pitch is behaving. The plan, he said, is to go big in the second innings, and put as little pressure on their batting in the second dig as possible.”What we’re trying to do is to bat long enough now that we don’t have to bat in a fourth innings, and to give them a good target from here,” Kusal said. “Tomorrow we are trying to bat as long as possible and put 150-200 runs on the scoreboard.”Related

• Sri Lanka surprised by uneven bounce on 'unusual' SSC pitch

• Nissanka 146*, Chandimal 93 put Sri Lanka in control

• Don't jump off the Nahid Rana hype train just yet

The aversion for batting last is down to the expectation that this pitch will dry substantially from here. On day two, there was some turn for the spinners, but that turn is expected to get faster and more pronounced if the pitch continues to dry out through the course of the Test.”We think it’s going to turn on day four and five, so we need to make the most of this batting opportunity,” Kusal said. “Even the grass that was quite green is dry now, so we expect it will get better for spin. If we can get to those runs quickly, that will give us options.”Driving Sri Lanka forward again is Pathum Nissanka, who is not out on 146 off 238 balls overnight. This was his fourth Test hundred, having also made 187 in the first innings of the last match.”Pathum’s been among the runs for a while,” Kusal said. “He missed his 200 in the last match, but I think he’ll get there in the next innings. In recent times he’s the only opener who has been scoring runs. He’s scoring across formats. He puts a lot of effort in.”

Paris Saint-Germain’s 1-1 draw with Lorient on Wednesday evening was overshadowed by a devastating sight as Desire Doue had to be stretchered off the pitch in tears. The 20-year-old appeared to suffer a serious right thigh injury just after the hour mark, which has caused significant concern in the PSG camp as he is one of the key players in Luis Enrique's setup.

• PSG’s night turns sour as Doue collapses in agony

  It was supposed to be another routine night for the French champions after their commanding 3-0 win over Brest last weekend. Doue had been in dazzling form, scoring in back-to-back games and looking every inch the superstar PSG fans had been waiting for. The first half offered little drama, with chances at a premium at both ends. Joel Mvuka tested Lucas Chevalier in the PSG goal, while Yvon Mvogo denied Nuno Mendes and Ibrahim Mbaye at the other end. 

  The best of the match was saved for the second half. Just four minutes after the restart, PSG struck first. Doue whipped in a precise cross from the right, which was met by Mendes’ header. Although Mvogo initially saved it, the Portuguese full-back slammed in the rebound. But their joy was short-lived. Barely two minutes later, Arsene Kouassi’s cross caused chaos in PSG’s box, with Chevalier unable to fully clear his lines. The rebound fell kindly to Igor Silva, who made no mistake to equalise. Then came the nightmare moment. Around the 60th minute, Doue went down clutching his hamstring and collapsing in agony. The young Frenchman pounded the turf in frustration as tears streamed down his face. PSG’s medical team rushed to his aid, but the injury was serious and he had to leave the pitch on a stretcher.

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  Leaving on crutches spark fears of a long layoff

  According to reports, Doue was seen leaving the Stade du Moustoir on crutches. It’s a gut-wrenching blow for a player who had only just returned from a calf injury suffered while on international duty with France in September. His manager, Luis Enrique, cut a sombre figure after the match.

  "It's always bad news when there are injuries," said the PSG boss. "It's a strange injury; I don't know exactly his condition. I hope it's not a serious injury."

  Doue’s rise over the past year has been nothing short of spectacular. Last season, the gifted winger scored 16 goals and registered 16 assists across 61 matches, playing a pivotal role in PSG’s historic treble when they clinched the Ligue 1 title, French Cup, and most importantly, the club’s first-ever Champions League trophy. He was unstoppable in the European final against Inter, scoring twice and providing an assist in a man-of-the-match display. After a promising start to this campaign, Doue seemed to be hitting top gear once again. Just last week, he scored two stunning goals in PSG’s 7-2 thrashing of Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League, followed by another in the 3-0 win at Brest over the weekend. Everything was going in the right direction until Wednesday night’s cruel twist of fate.

• Another injury crisis for PSG

  This latest setback compounds PSG’s mounting injury concerns. Fellow French international Ousmane Dembele, fresh off his Ballon d’Or win, only recently returned from a hamstring injury himself, having been sidelined for several weeks. With Doue now facing an uncertain recovery timeline, Luis Enrique’s squad depth will once again be tested. It is believed that Doue could be facing another lengthy spell on the sidelines, potentially ruling him out of PSG’s next Ligue 1 clash against OGC Nice and their blockbuster Champions League meeting with Bayern Munich. Fortunately, the Parisians have a wealth of attacking options to call upon, with the mercurial Khvicha Kvaratskhelia likely to step into the left-wing role. 

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  PSG’s title race still alive

  Despite the disappointment of dropping points against Lorient, PSG’s position at the top of Ligue 1 remains secure, thanks to a favourable result elsewhere. Marseille squandered the chance to go top, conceding a stoppage-time equaliser in a chaotic 2-2 draw with Angers. Teenage sensation Robinio Vaz had scored twice to give Marseille the lead, but Ousmane Camara’s 96th-minute strike stunned the Velodrome and allowed PSG to stay ahead in the standings. Meanwhile, Monaco leapfrogged Marseille into second after a wild 5-3 win at Nantes. For now, PSG breathe a sigh of relief, but the real test will come in Europe, where Bayern Munich await on November 4.

MatériaMais Notícias

A expectativa de ver oBotafogorevigorado passa pelos pés de Marlon Freitas. Marcado por se desdobrar entre o estilo combativo e a missão de ser o elo para a equipe engatar os ataques, o camisa 17 tenta ganhar novo fôlego e manter sua precisão na sequência do Campeonato Brasileiro.

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São 86% de passes certos por partida, sendo 90% deles na área alvinegra e 81% deles perto do setor ofensivo da equipe. As informações são do site “Sofascore”.

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+ Marçal detalha preparação do Botafogo no período de Data Fifa e projeta jogo com Atlético-MG

Além disso, Marlon Freitas tornou-se um dos atalhos para o Glorioso tentar jogadas em busca de Victor Sá e Tiquinho Soares. São 71% de aproveitamento ao tentar lançamentos, que fazem com que seu entrosamento com Tchê Tchê regresse à rotina de jogos ainda mais afinado.

O jeito combativo do jogador de 28 anos também tem sido essencial para a equipe de Bruno Lage arrancar pontos preciosos. O atleta venceu 51% das disputas de bola, além de 58% dos duelos aéreos nos momentos nos quais a bola rondou a área alvinegra.

+ Veja a tabela do Brasileirão

O atleta também luta para comprovar sua capacidade de se fortalecer mesmo em momentos difíceis. Diante do Flamengo, o camisa 17 acabou marcando um gol contra ao tentar interceptar uma bola. Passado o susto inicial, porém, Marlon Freitas entrou no jogo e lutou até o fim, mas não conseguiu evitar a derrota por 2 a 1.

Dedicado, o jogador de 28 anos se empenha para retornar com força e perspicácia. O Botafogo volta a campo sábado (16) para, às 21h (de Brasília), medir forças com o Atlético-MG, na Arena MRV.

Gujarat Titans may be facing an over-reliance on the top order they need to sort out

Shashank Kishore01-Apr-20253:42

Knight: RCB attack good for home venue, spin the only question

Big PictureVirat Kohli and Sunil Chhetri, two of India’s biggest sporting icons, will be playing within 2kms of each other on Wednesday evening. This prospect has the traffic cops working overtime to ensure seamless traffic management in Bengaluru.Inside the Chinnaswamy, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Gujarat Titans (GT) were queuing up for sessions for range hitting in their respective halves. The centre of the surface was cordoned off for the curator, who it seems has also worked overtime.The WPL finished three weeks ago, but the heat and dryness has only meant the pitches here have looked a lot browner than usual. If it remains that way, RCB won’t mind that. They come home on the back of two straight wins to kick-off the season. This has happened only twice earlier, in 2014 and 2021. Along the way, their performances have elicited questions on the (lack of) “home advantage” factor in Kolkata and Chennai.In any other season, this perceived lack of home advantage may have been telling for RCB. This time promises to be different. It was at the Chinnaswamy that RCB sealed an unreal run to the playoffs last year – winning three out of their last six games back-to-back at home.This year, RCB believe they have built a squad that can take these unforgiving pitches out of the equation. A gun pace attack, a defensive spinner who sticks to a set template, and a line-up that bats deep. It’s for them to prove now that home advantage is real.It’s amid the deafening crowd support for RCB that GT will have to sift through several combinations. Is there a case for Jos Buttler to open with Shubman Gill just to give their powerplay a bit more impetus? There’s also a sense their middle order is slightly undercooked, perhaps Nos. 4 and 5 are spots a tad high for Shahrukh Khan and Sherfane Rutherford.With David Miller not retained and Rahul Tewatia not in the same hitting form he once was, there could be an over-reliance on the top order they need to mitigate. The bowling, though, is capable of stepping up. Prasidh Krishna comes back home – he plays for Karnataka – and Mohammed Siraj returns to a venue that was his IPL home for the last seven years. Rashid Khan is capable of doing Rashid Khan things irrespective of whether there is grip or turn.1:30

Aaron: Siraj vs Kohli will be fun to watch

New loyaltiesSiraj, the man RCB fans affectionally call ‘Miyaan’ or ‘DSP’, is now with GT. Siraj was RCB’s joint-highest wicket-taker in IPL 2024. Anuj Rawat, Sherfane Rutherford and Mahipal Lomror have all played for RCB previously. Since leaving, this will be the first time they will face off against their former franchise.Team news and likely XIIRCB will only probably have to ponder whether Suyash Sharma fits into their plans as an Impact Sub. It’ll likely be a toss-up between him and Rasikh Dar, who brings with him improved death-bowling skills.Royal Challengers Bengaluru (probable): 1 Virat Kohli, 2 Phil Salt, 3 Devdutt Padikkal, 4 Rajat Patidar (capt), 5 Liam Livingstone, 6 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 7 Tim David, 8 Krunal Pandya, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Yash Dayal, 12 Suyash Sharma/Rasikh DarGT will have a close watch on Sai Sudharsan, who appeared to have injured his hamstring while fielding against MI. If he isn’t fit to play, they could bring in Anuj Rawat.Gujarat Titans (probable): 1 Sai Sudharsan/Anuj Rawat, 2 Shubman Gill (capt), 3 Jos Buttler, 4 Sherfane Rutherford, 5 Shahrukh Khan, 6 Rahul Tewatia, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Kagiso Rabada, 9 R Sai Kishore, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Prasidh Krishna, 12 Ishant SharmaBig questionSince IPL 2023, the Chinnaswamy has the fifth-worst average and third-worst economy rate for legspinners. It’s under this backdrop RCB may wonder if they should hold back Suyash Sharma, while trusting Liam Livingstone and Krunal Pandya to do the job. This could allow them to bring in either Swapnil Singh or Rasikh Dar as the Impact Sub.In the Spotlight: Devdutt Padikkal and Shubman GillAfter struggling for rhythm and stability at Lucknow Super Giants and Rajasthan Royals, Devdutt Padikkal returns to RCB with renewed impetus on big-hitting from get-go. Traces of this were amply on display against Chennai Super Kings, when he took on the spinners to make a quickfire 14-ball 27. Padikkal has been designated to play the role Shivam Dube plays for CSK. Only time will tell if he is able to deliver with the same kind of consistency.2:12

Cricinformed: Gill’s powerplay intent up for a test in away games

Shubman Gill’s start to this season has been promising; he is striking at 173.17 after two games. His struggles in the powerplay and away games, where he averaged just 20.75 with a strike rate of 115.28, hurt GT last year. However, he returns to a high-scoring venue, where he previously scored a 52-ball 104 in 2023.Pitch and conditionsTeams haven’t experienced much dew over the past two days. As far as the surface goes, Mo Bobat, RCB’s director, expects it to be a “typical Bengaluru pitch” full of runs. For what it’s worth, 200 wasn’t breached even once in seven knockout games of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s here in December. Ditto with the seven WPL games, where spinners were able to extract some bite off the surface.Key stats RCB have a 50% win record at home in IPL since 2023. This is the sixth best among all teams. CSK and MI top the charts with a win percentage of 64.70 and 60 respectively. Among the 15 batters who scored 175 or more runs in the powerplays in IPL 2024, Gill’s strike rate of 131.08 was the lowest. This year in two games, he is striking at 203.12 in that phase. For someone with Tewatia’s ability, he faces fewer deliveries than he should. In 2022, he averaged 12.3 balls per innings. It was 5.7 in 2023, and 14.3 in 2024. With Miller not part of the squad, is there a case for him to bat higher?Next three fixturesRCB don’t play more than two continuous home fixtures in the first half. After Wednesday, they play Mumbai Indians away on April 7 before returning home to play Delhi Capitals on April 10.After the game against RCB, GT hop on a short flight to play Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 6 before returning home to Rajasthan Royals on April 9.Quotes”He’s so very calm, inwardly and outwardly. He rarely, if ever, takes a backward step. And we’ve seen that with his batting, particularly against CSK. And he seems to have coped with all the other stuff that comes with captaincy really well. So at the minute I think he’s been excellent.”
“As much as I try to tell myself that it’s just another tournament, just another game, I did feel that I’m coming in after a few years and especially coming in not having played a lot of T20s in the last two years. Because the pace of the game has changed from 2022 to 2025.”

Thomas Frank has confirmed that he would love Tottenham to re-sign Harry Kane from Bayern Munich. The England captain departed north London in 2023 and has won the Bundesliga in Germany, but Frank has now confirmed that he would be more than willing to welcome him back with open arms, should the opportunity arise.

• A clause in Kane's contract

  Football.London has reported that Kane is believed to have a release clause in his contract worth just under £57 million ($77m) that kicks in next summer, provided the striker confirms his desire to leave before the end of the January window. Spurs also have first option on their former talisman, having negotiated the clause when he was sold. 

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• Getty Images
  

  Could he make emotional return?

  Kane is only 47 goals shy of Alan Shearer's Premier League goals record, and there are said to be fears within Bayern that he could leave before the end of his four-year contract. The 32-year-old has won the trophy he long craved in Germany, and may now be minded to return to his homeland. 

• Frank fans flames

  Spurs boss Frank has insisted that he would love to have Kane in his squad, should he become available. 

  He said: "I think there’s a lot of Tottenham fans including myself who would like to see Kane back. He’s a top player. Personally, I don't think he will do it right now, if I’m honest, he’ll probably stay in Bayern and continue performing well.

  "He was top scorer last year and won the championship, he’s doing fantastic now. I don’t know what he’s thinking. Myself, I’m a traveller, I like to travel, I like to explore things as well. He’s been here for many years so why not enjoy the time at Bayern a little bit more.

  "But he’s welcome. If he wants to join us, he’s more than welcome."

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  Twists and turns to come

  Kane's future is likely to be in the spotlight until January, given the apparent existence of the exit clause in his contract. He will next be in action when Bayern play Werder Bremen on Friday. Spurs, meanwhile, are set to face Doncaster in the third round of the League Cup on Wednesday night.

نجح منتخب العراق في الفوز على نظيره إندونيسيا، في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما، ضمن الملحق الآسيوي المؤهل لنهائيات كأس العالم 2026.

والتقى منتخب العراق مع نظيره إندونيسيا في تمام الساعة العاشرة إلا ربع بتوقيت القاهرة، ضمن مباريات الجولة الرابعة من المحلق الآسيوي المؤهل لنهائيات كأس العالم 2026. 

طالع.. فيديو | العراق يفوز على الأردن في تصفيات كأس العالم 2026

وتمكن منتخب العراق من الفوز على إندونيسيا، بهدف دون رد، أحرزه اللاعب زيدان إقبال في الدقيقة 76 من عمر المباراة. 

ويقع منتخب العراق في المجموعة الثانية من المحلق الآسيوي المؤهل لنهائيات كأس العالم مع السعودية وإندونيسيا.  ترتيب مجموعة العراق والسعودية في تصفيات كأس العالم 

1- السعودية – 3 نقاط (مباراة واحدة)

2- العراق – 3 نقاط (مباراة واحدة)

3- إندونيسيا 0 نقاط (مباراتان)

ولعب منتخب العراق مباراة وحيدة بالتساوي مع منتخب السعودية، بينما منتخب إندونيسيا لعب مباراتين وتلقى الخسارة أمام السعودية والعراق ليودع الملحق الآسيوي المؤهل لنهائيات كأس العالم 2026. 

وسيواجه منتخب العراق في مباراته المقبلة منتخب السعودية يوم الثلاثاء المقبل، في تمام  الساعة العاشرة إلا ربع مساء بتوقيت القاهرة في مباراة الجولة الثالثة والأخيرة لحسم التأهل بشكل رسمي بينهما.