“She was telling me, ‘It’s high time you get a century in T20Is, you keep getting out in the 70s, 80s and you are not doing justice to your talent’,” says Mandhana

Valkerie Baynes28-Jun-20252:22

Mandhana: The girls were really hard on me about the century

Challenge accepted, Radha Yadav. That was the message behind Smriti Mandhana’s beaming smile and pointed finger trained directly at her cheeky – but in hindsight exceptionally clever – team-mate as India’s stand-in captain raised her maiden T20I century.At the 143rd time of asking and after more than a decade waiting, Mandhana became the second India woman to reach the milestone in an innings of 112 off 62 balls, which crushed England in the opening match of India’s tour.The first was Harmanpreet Kaur, for whom Mandhana learned two hours before the start of play at Trent Bridge she would be filling in as the regular captain recovers from a head knock sustained during Wednesday’s warm-up game.Related

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Mandhana’s score was the highest for India in women’s T20Is, eclipsing Harmanpreet’s 103 against New Zealand at the 2018 World Cup. She also became the first for her team to score centuries in all three formats, joining Heather Knight, Tammy Beaumont, Laura Wolvaardt and Beth Mooney on the list.This felt like a long time coming. In her previous 12 T20I innings, Mandhana had reached 50 seven times. Over the course of her career, she has amassed 30 half-centuries. So it seems Radha had decided now was the time to give her acting skipper a little pep talk.”Three days back, me and Radha Yadav, we were having a conversation,” Mandhana said. “These girls are really hard on me sometimes. She was telling me, ‘It’s high time you get a century in T20Is, you keep getting out in the 70s, 80s and you are not doing justice to your talent’ and all of that stuff.”I was like, ‘okay, Radha, I’ll see now, this time I’ll try and get it in one of the matches in the series’.”After Mandhana brought up the milestone, off just 51 balls with back-to-back fours off Lauren Bell, she removed her helmet, smiled broadly, and pointed towards the changeroom.Smriti Mandhana gestures towards the dressing room after her hundred•Getty Images”I did not think that it would come in the first match, but the finger was towards her, that ‘see, I got it today’,” Mandhana said. “Because it’s pretty frustrating to get out in the 70s and 80s over the last ten years and when you had that opportunity to take the team through. So I’m happy that I could stay and take the team to the 19th and the 20th over.”Mandhana’s knock led India to an imposing 210 for 5, their second-highest total in T20Is, and a thumping 97-run victory over England, bowled out for 113 as debutant spinner N Shree Charani claimed 4 for 12.Smiling back at Mandhana and applauding as she soaked in the moment was Harmanpreet, who had been in doubt when she missed the pre-match press conference. Mandhana covered for her in that instance, too, and prepared for the prospect of doing so on-field by making plans with her bowlers on the eve of the game.”Harman was getting assessed over last night and this morning and there were a few scans to be done,” Mandhana said. “We had a 50-50 idea, so I had a chat with the bowlers around what the plans are and I was pretty ready last night but the confirmation came today.”As a batter, it doesn’t change a lot. You don’t think that you are captaining and you bat differently. Whenever you have the bat in hand, you have to do the job for the team regardless of the position you are in, so I’m really happy that I could contribute today.”

“We saw what she could do in the WPL a little bit. She was always looking like a really good bowler. But today the way she actually bowled was amazing, as did all the bowlers”Smriti Mandhana on N Shree Charani

Mandhana did captain very well, using her spinners to devastating effect. She capitalised on Danni Wyatt-Hodge’s struggles against fingerspin this summer – she was bowled three times in as many matches against West Indies by left-arm spinner Zaida James – and the experienced Deepti Sharma and Radha helped reduce England to 62 for 4.Then she trusted in Charani, who came into the game with just five ODIs to her name after making her international debut during the tri-series against Sri Lanka and South Africa in April.Charani removed Alice Capsey, who spooned lamely to short third, fellow left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone, who made a comeback to forget with an expensive 1 for 43 at 14.33 an over before holing out to midwicket on 1.She then claimed the big wicket of Nat Sciver-Brunt, the only England batter to stand tall with 66 off 42 balls as wickets fell all around her, and took the final wicket of tailender Bell.”The way the bowlers bowled and executed the plan, it was just amazing,” Mandhana said. “That makes our job very, very easy when they bowl like that and they all were really focused, they knew their plans.Shree Charani picked up 4 for 12 on debut•Getty Images”Especially Shree, to come in the first match and bowl. We saw what she could do in the WPL a little bit. She was always looking like a really good bowler. But today the way she actually bowled was amazing, as did all the bowlers.”After a few wickets fell and Nat was on the one end, the plan was pretty clear – to try and execute our best ball to Nat and give a single to her, which they did brilliantly throughout.”One thing that didn’t quite go India’s way was Shafali Verma’s return, where she reprised her opening role with Mandhana. Shafali struggled to get going and made 20 off 22 balls, albeit in a 77-run stand with a batting partner who could do no wrong.”I’ve seen Shafali bat in the last seven-eight days amazingly well in the nets,” Mandhana said. “So I don’t see a big knock too far because of the way she’s been hitting the ball. Sometimes coming back into the Indian team and coming into the first match, of course, there are a different kind of nerves. I’m sure this match is going to take those nerves away for her.”The way she’s playing in the nets, she’s just timing the ball really well. So the only thing which I said to her was just keep timing the ball and play the ball, don’t think about anything else. I see a big knock coming in the next four matches from her.”

Managing director Vikram Banerjee on tournament’s challenges ahead of transformative sixth edition

Matt Roller28-Aug-2025The Hundred’s squads will be overhauled ahead of the 2026 season in a “reset” evoking the IPL’s mega-auction, marking the arrival of new investors in the eight franchises. Vikram Banerjee, the tournament’s managing director, expects the move to prove unpopular with coaches but believes it is necessary to maintain the league’s competitive balance.Teams were allowed to retain up to 10 players from their 2024 squads for the ongoing season, which concludes at Lord’s on Sunday. Women’s squads were overhauled between the second and third seasons but some men’s teams – most notably Oval Invincibles, who are hunting a third successive title – have kept a consistent core throughout the Hundred’s short history.The ECB have started to discuss retention rules with teams, with some new investors pushing for an auction model to replace a draft. The regulations are yet to be finalised, but Banerjee – who has spent every day of the Hundred’s fifth season at a match – believes the timing is right to refresh squads as he bids to “supercharge” the tournament in its new era.”I’d like next year to be a bit of a reset,” Banerjee told ESPNcricinfo. “All these leagues do it over time, and next year should be one of those. There are three things that are non-negotiable. You want to make sure whatever you do brings the very best players in; whatever the mix is between draft, auction, direct signings, retentions, the very best players in the world choose to play here.Related

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“But you also need competitive balance… That ‘Any Given Sunday’ philosophy, that you don’t know who’s going to win this game, that’s a good thing. Coaches won’t like that, but from a league level, that’s an important thing. The third thing is that it has to work [for both] men and women, and that’s really important to us.”A handful of men’s players signed contracts this year aligning with new investors – such as Rashid Khan at the Invincibles (Reliance) and Steven Smith at Welsh Fire (Washington Freedom) – and that trend is likely to accelerate, with the four IPL owners involved seeking greater continuity across their global networks of franchises.The risk of a “reset” is that significant player turnover will further dilute the identities of teams that have only existed for five years. The Hundred will undergo significant change over the next 11 months, with centralised kit manufacture (New Balance) and sponsorship (KP Snacks) deals expiring. At least three team names are set to change, along with some colourways.But Banerjee believes the 2025 season has shown that the “tribalism” he hoped would develop around Hundred teams has started to emerge. “I stand by that objective,” he said. “I love the amount of yellow [in the stands] when I go to Nottingham, or green when I go down to Southampton… That fan affinity is something that we need to keep building on.”He was buoyed by the occasional needle between teams, most evident when Liam Livingstone, riled by Tom Curran allegedly calling him a “fat slob”, blazed a match-winning 69 not out: “I can’t condone the exact choice of words, but the fact that this means something to them is great… It’s so important for the high-performance element that this is the [league] that they love playing in.”The glut of flags in the Hollies Stand at Edgbaston has been a sign of the Hundred’s growing ‘tribalism’, according to Banerjee•Matt Lewis/ECB via Getty ImagesWhile new investors will not assume operational control of their franchises until October 1, they have all attended games this season: Sanjiv Goenka rang the bell at Emirates Old Trafford, the ‘Tech Titans’ posed for photos on the Lord’s pitch, and Akash Ambani visited the dressing room after an Oval Invincibles home win.”We take a lot of what we do for granted, but a full house at The Oval or Emirates Old Trafford, or 6,000 flags in the Hollies Stand, is something special,” Banerjee said. “We’re having some great conversations already about the tournament in general and while the 2026 season will come around fast, we’ve got a decent amount of time.”I would like us to be the unmissable event of the summer for families… If we can be that, then in season 20 – or whatever the number is, season 50 – I would love us to be standing shoulder to shoulder with all of the great sports brands… If I ask you what the very best sporting leagues are in the world, I would like us to be in that list [with] NFL, IPL, Wimbledon.”It is a lofty ambition, and one that many believe will only be possible if the Hundred becomes a T20 tournament. The 100-ball format does have some advantages – it suits the double-header model well, shaving an hour off each matchday, and fits into a tighter broadcast window – but has also proved unexpectedly bowler-friendly.While overwhelming support for a shift to T20 among new investors could, in theory, prompt the ECB to attempt to change ongoing broadcast contracts, a change appears highly unlikely for at least three more seasons. “People have bought into a product that is hugely successful,” Banerjee said. “[The format] allows it to go onto the BBC… It’s quite a complex conversation.”Richard Gould, the ECB’s chief executive, set a long-term target to sell out a women’s Hundred match earlier this year, but the double-header model will remain for next season. Banerjee said he is “absolutely not” concerned that investors will only focus on the men’s competition: “The excitement, growth and equality that we’re trying to drive, they have all bought into that.”

I can’t condone the exact choice of words, but the fact that this means something to them is greatBanerjee on the ‘fat slob’ spat between Curran and Livingstone

Slow pitches remain a concern, with groundstaff stretched by the sheer volume of fixtures staged at major venues by the time the Hundred starts. “It’s easy for me to say, in my position, that I’d like, on every pitch, the ball to fly through at 90mph and scream into the middle of everyone’s bat so it goes flying out of the park,” Banerjee said. “They have a lot on their plate.”This season has been something of a holding year for the Hundred, the bridge between the tournament’s inception as a product run entirely by the ECB and its reincarnation as a league between privately-owned franchises from 2026. But Banerjee believes it has been the best edition yet, citing strong ticket sales and high attendances at women’s fixtures.”We were really keen that it wasn’t a transition year and it wasn’t a nothing year. Actually, I think this year has been the best year. It’s important that the tournament that people have bought into continues to grow, continues to be successful… It is a great tournament and it’s great fun to be at. I’m very pleased that it’s not really been a ‘transition’ [season]. It’s been a great start.”I see no reason why we can’t be that unmissable event of the summer… We need to be brilliant at knowing our fanbase on TV, digital, and in-bowl, and serving them brilliant cricket and brilliant entertainment… If we continue with our fan-first approach and philosophy and continue to invest in the things that are important to us, we can achieve that aim.”

He hasn’t done well in limited-overs cricket down under, but given his phenomenal Test numbers, it’s going to be fascinating to see how he goes in the Ashes

Matt Roller12-Nov-2025Long before the build-up to this Ashes series became a plume of hot air, Josh Hazlewood made a telling observation. Perhaps he was merely being diplomatic when describing England’s batting line-up as “unbelievable”, but his identification of a key threat was still notable: “A fresh face like Harry Brook might find it easier [than others],” he said. “He’ll be a tough challenge.”Brook arrives in Australia with a phenomenal record. After 30 Tests, he is averaging 57.55 while scoring at a strike rate of 87.52; he did not score a hundred in his only Ashes series, two years ago, but still left a mark with four rapid fifties. He also holds the unusual distinction of having a far stronger record away than at home: seven of his ten centuries have come overseas.That fact comes with a significant caveat: three years into his Test career, Brook has still only played in three countries. It is a quirk of circumstance: England toured Pakistan and New Zealand in 2022-23, and then again in 2024-25. Brook pulled out of their tour to India in 2023-24 on compassionate leave.But it means that he is yet to play a Test in either of the two countries generally seen as the most challenging for English batters. As a result, his performance this winter will be scrutinised even more closely than usual: a successful series would confirm his status among the world’s elite Test batters; anything less will be held against him.Related

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This is Brook’s first away Ashes series but his fourth trip to Australia. They have been a mixed bag: as a 19-year-old he scored 1001 runs in grade cricket for the University of New South Wales; three years later he had a “horrendous” (his word) Big Bash season; the following winter, he was an ever-present as England won the 2022 T20 World Cup, but his top score was 20.His time in the Big Bash was a rare setback in his career. He arrived late due to England Lions commitments, missed two games having had “close contact” under Covid regulations, and left early to make his international debut in the Caribbean, having joined a long list of Hobart Hurricanes overseas players to struggle in purple.”Brooky was fresh onto the scene: he definitely didn’t know his game as well as he does now,” recalls Ben McDermott, who played alongside him at Hurricanes. “It won’t have any bearing on the Ashes at all. He’s come a long way since, and has elevated his game to be one of the best in your country.”His quiet campaign at the T20 World Cup in late 2022 came immediately after his breakthrough white-ball tour to Pakistan, and left him with a grim T20 record in Australia: 113 runs at 8.07 in 14 innings. “I just kept finding the fielders out on the boundary,” he later reflected.” The grounds are so big out there. I’ve been to Australia twice now and have struggled.”

Marizanne Kapp is heading into her fifth ODI World Cup. She and Annerie Dercksen, her young successor, talk role models, work ethic, and more

Firdose Moonda01-Oct-2025Nobody wants to be reminded of one of their worst moment but perhaps Marizanne Kapp won’t mind this one:”It was the 2017 World Cup semi-final and – I don’t know if I should say this – there was a picture of Marizanne crying on the floor. I still see that vividly in my head,” Annerie Dercksen says. “That’s probably the first women’s game I’ve ever watched. And after that, I realised there’s women’s cricket in South Africa and thought maybe I could also play.”Six years later Dercksen was in the same squad as Kapp and had to pinch herself when she was at breakfast and Kapp was there in the flesh. “In an interview, I said that I could now take water to her on the field and it was just the moment of my life. I’m still like that daily,” Dercksen says.The hero worship brings out Kapp’s sterner side. “Dercky is young. She makes me tired,” she says, only half-joking, on the same call. “She is a very playful, busy person. I have to warn her and the other young ones every second night not to have their tea parties or coffee parties close to my room. They must go to the [room of the] person that’s furthest away from my room. They like to walk up and down in the corridor at night and make a noise. I’m asleep by then.”Before the casual observation that Kapp, all of 35 years old, is starting to sound like a senior citizen can be made, Dercksen says she would like to jump in and defend herself.Related

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“I’m a little socially awkward,” she says. “And obviously with Kappie being my hero, I’ve got to think when I have to ask her a question. I’ve got to prepare it, play it in my head first, and then I’ve got to go up to her. In the last couple of years, it’s been getting a bit easier to speak to her.”I really like her. She wants to pretend that she’s more serious than she actually is. There’s a little playful side of her that we’re going to get out of her. She started taking part in our soccer warm-ups now, which is cool. We’ve been told off quite a bit for being too loud, but if maybe she can go to bed a bit later, we can invite her to the tea parties.”Is it really tea that’s being drunk? “Yes, I had to bring 200 Rooibos bags from South Africa because we can’t find them anywhere else,” Dercksen says.Will Kapp consider joining? Probably not, because the badass image she gives off on the field is not a persona; it’s who she really is when she’s in work mode.”I get so annoyed with people when they judge me on how I am on the field,” she says. “This is my job. I’m not going to smile and laugh when people hit me for six or four. I want to do well. I want to win. So if you are judging me because I’m not smiling on the field, just know that this is competition.Kapp copes with the disappointment of losing the 2017 World Cup semi-final to England by two wickets•ICC”I’m just very focused, even at training. If we’re playing around, or it’s not structured, I immediately get so annoyed because I feel like I need to get something out of this training session. I’m not just here to spend time at the field. There has to be a purpose for me, otherwise I’d rather just leave it. I’m just that way in life as well. If I can’t do something, I’d rather just leave it. But if I am good at something and I can do something, then I give it 200%.”The tears Dercksen saw in that World Cup semi-final eight years ago serve to illustrate. They came when South Africa, playing on television screens for the first time, pushed hosts and eventual champions England so hard that they came within two balls of winning the match.They ought to have scored more than 218 for 6 in 50 overs but defended those runs with tenacity. Their last-over defeat left them devastated. Kapp sat alone in the outfield and then used her hands and her shirt to cover her face as she walked off. Though no one expected South Africa, then a relatively unknown force in the women’s game and only newly professionalised at international level, to get that far, the team had a quiet belief about them.”That was probably one of the best teams we ever had,” Kapp says. Dercksen could say that she and Kapp played in one of the others: the outfit that reached the T20 World Cup final last year.In six ODI innings in the subcontinent, Dercksen has scored 280 runs at 56, with one hundred and two fifties, but she’s now trying to focus more on her bowling with Kapp as her mentor•Matthew Lewis/ICC/Getty ImagesThat they were favourites to win that match is testament to their growth since Dercksen first watched them; that they didn’t win asks questions of both their ability to perform under pressure and their depth. In Dercksen, Kapp sees an opportunity for the side to start to address the latter, especially as her own career enters its twilight phase.”In South Africa, years ago we never had someone coming in to fill a spot,” she says. “If someone left, you almost had to start again, and then you ended up further behind Australia, India and England. Now it’s getting easier. Experience is something you can’t buy, but it’s such a good thing that we have youngsters coming in and they take the field with some of the seniors, and it just speeds up the learning for them. When we started back then, there was none of that.”Kapp has played in eight of Dercksen’s 13 ODIs and 16 of her 24 T20Is. She was rested from South Africa’s tri-series in Sri Lanka, where Dercksen scored two fifties and her first ODI hundred in six matches (but only bowled 14.5 overs and took two wickets). As someone who came up as a bowling allrounder, Kapp’s concern has been with Dercksen’s progress in that second department, and it was the focus of their pre-World Cup training camp.”Kappie gave me a good talking to – not a telling off, she was nice to me and she told me the truth, which is that I haven’t been working really hard on my bowling and I need to try and contribute a bit more there,” Dercksen says. “My stats probably show that my bowling has been going through a bit of a rough patch lately. Kappie’s been telling me that I cannot bowl a different ball every ball, which is probably what I’m trying to do. She said to just try to keep it simple and to understand that I should train in that way and be hard on myself, which I wasn’t being.”No Kapp: she ain’t comin’ to your tea parties, kids•Alex Davidson/ICC/Getty ImagesSince Shabnim Ismail’s retirement, South Africa have lacked a certain aggression with ball in hand, and a lot of pace. Dercksen, with her natural athleticism and height, could look to fill that gap but it will take work.”She’s so talented and I don’t want to see that go to waste,” Kapp says. “So I just told her what I do when I structure my overs when I’m at training: nail your top-of-off-stump ball first, and then move towards working slower balls, yorkers and death bowling. I gave her a bit of advice on how to structure overs in her training so she’s a bit more focused.”Whether the results of that will show at this year’s World Cup remains to be seen. Dercksen is one of six seam options in a squad that includes Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Tumi Sekhukhune, Nadine de Klerk and Masabata Klaas, and she is the least experienced of them. She will also be needed to do a job with the bat in a middle order that can sometimes seem brittle.Let’s not forget that she is only 24 years old, made her debut a little over a year ago, and is playing in her first ODI World Cup. Despite having received recognition – she was the ICC’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year in 2024 – Dercksen is still learning her trade. If South Africa are to go far in this tournament, it will likely be because of those who have already travelled the distance, like Kapp.The 2025 tournament will be Kapp’s fifth ODI World Cup. Her first ODI, in 2009, was also her first World Cup match, and she has since seen South Africa go from no-hopers to two-time semi-finalists.One of Kapp’s best performances in the ODI World Cup came against England in 2022: she took 5 for 45 and then scored 32 off 42 balls in a three-wicket win, but England went on to beat South Africa in the semi-final yet again•Fiona Goodall/Getty Images”I am a bit sad that I’m this age now because these kids are so blessed with where women’s cricket is at the moment,” she says. “They can just get better and better and it’s just going to get bigger and bigger. The few of us that started way back in 2009 had nothing and played for the love of the sport. It’s been hard. I’m not going to lie, it’s been tough over the years but I’m extremely blessed to still be sitting here and still playing for South Africa.”Dercksen does not take that history for granted. “We’ve got it better than they have,” she says. “The amount of work they’ve put in from when they started, and there weren’t even contracts… They stayed in places we probably would never stay now. They flew economy. So they did the hard yards for us.”As a thank you, Dercksen and many of her younger tea-party team-mates like Sinalo Jafta would like to give their seniors what they couldn’t a year ago. “At the last World Cup, I was more sad for the senior players like Kappie and Chloe [Tryon] and Aya [Khaka] than I was for myself,” Dercksen says. “They thoroughly deserve to win a World Cup. If this is Kappie’s last one, I’m hoping we can give a little bit of an extra effort to sort of make it special for them. And for the whole of South Africa.”Will it be Kapp’s last World Cup? “I don’t know. At the next one I’ll be 39, so that’s a bit far away.”Dercksen, of course, has to have the last word. “I think Kappie still has one more left in her.”

According to sources, he has told the franchise he doesn’t mind parting ways with them if he doesn’t fit their plans

Sidharth Monga11-Aug-2025Chennai Super Kings (CSK) allrounder R Ashwin has asked his team for clarity on how they intend to use him in IPL 2026, ESPNcricinfo has learnt. According to sources, he has told the franchise he doesn’t mind parting ways with them if he doesn’t fit their plans.Ashwin, who was acquired by CSK at the mega auction last year for INR 9.75 crore, played nine of 14 matches in a year that was seen as a homecoming. He was with the team that represents his city after eight seasons of playing elsewhere. This year’s IPL was the first time since 2009, Ashwin’s first season, that he played fewer than 12 games in a season. It was also his costliest year as he went for 9.12 runs an over, the first time that his economy went past 8.49.The deadline for releasing players usually depends on when the auction takes place, which hasn’t been finalised for IPL 2026 yet. The mega auction takes place every three years, but there is a mini auction every year. It is usually held anytime from November to February. If there is to be a player trade – as Ashwin did say jokingly in his interview with Sanju Samson – it can take place up to one week before the auction.Related

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“I played three years for RR,” Ashwin said on his Youtube show. “After my 1st year, I got an email from the CEO saying this is your performance, this is our expectation and we’re renewing your contract. It’s one plus one plus one – the contract renewal. After every season, it’s the responsibility of the franchise to communicate to the player if they’re retaining or releasing him.”With regard to news about me or Sanju – obviously a player has the right to express interest [if he wishes to be retained or no]. Every player seeks clarity. As things stand, it’s not in my hands. I’ve just asked for clarity. The situation we’re in, all the news floating around, none of it is coming from the players. Even with Sanju’s news, it’s rumours or it’s coming from the franchise’s side. I don’t know who is making this news.”Ashwin is the fifth-highest wicket-taker in the IPL. He started with CSK, and went on to represent the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant, Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals, before returning to CSK in 2025.CSK have other calls to make as well, including captaincy, which MS Dhoni took over mid-season after Ruturaj Gaikwad injured himself. The franchise has always tended to wait for Dhoni to provide them with clarity on his availability when he starts training towards the end of the year. Last year, CSK named Gaikwad as captain even in the presence of Dhoni, which should be the case next year as well, even if Dhoni continues playing.

Manchester City are now leading the race to sign a “generational talent”, having moved ahead of Premier League rivals Manchester United, Chelsea and Newcastle United.

Man City looking to improve attack amid Haaland overreliance

There have been suggestions that Man City have been too overreliant on Erling Haaland so far this season, with the Norwegian way out in front as the top goalscorer in the Premier League, having already found the back of the net 11 times.

No other City player has scored more than one goal in the top flight, which is likely to be a concern for Pep Guardiola, with some of his other attacking options still learning on the job and yet to realise their true potential.

One such player is Savinho, with Guardiola saying: “Savio is a top player who can play both sides and he feels comfortable on both sides. I said last season, being [in your] first Premier League season, it’s not easy to play a lot of minutes.

“Just the moment to make the steps to be a decisive player and add goals and assists, especially goals he will be a top-class player. Top class. He needs to make that step.”

Jeremy Doku has also been inconsistent, registering two assists in the 3-0 victory over Man United but failing to make much of an impact in other matches, and the Blues are now looking to sign a new winger.

That is according to a report from The Boot Room, which states Man City have now moved into pole position in the race to sign Leicester City’s Jeremy Monga, having overtaken Man United, Newcastle and Chelsea.

City are now preparing a fresh approach to sign Monga, who has been a long-term target, with the 16-year-old putting himself in the shop window after emerging as a first-team regular for Leicester this season.

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The Foxes are powerless to stop the teenager from leaving, as he is unable to sign a professional deal until he turns 17 in June.

"Generational talent" Monga could be future star

Lauded as a “generational talent” by journalist Graeme Bailey in the aforementioned report, it is a testament to just how talented the youngster is that he has already forced his way into first-team contention at Leicester.

The starlet has already made 11 appearances in the Championship this season, picking up his first professional goal in a 2-1 defeat against Preston North End back in August.

Scout Jacek Kulig clearly believes the five-time England U19 international has a big future ahead too, describing him as “one of the most exciting U-17 talents in England.”

Given his age, Monga may be some way off challenging for a starting spot at a club like Man City, but he certainly looks like a top prospect, so it is exciting news they have moved into pole position in the race for his signature.

Asif Khan looked destructive in his innings of 35-ball 77 but it came about far too late

Danyal Rasool30-Aug-2025Saim Ayub and Hasan Nawaz’s firepower overwhelmed UAE as Pakistan registered their second win in as many days: a 31-run thumping of the home side in Sharjah. The pair’s half-centuries did the lion’s share of the work as cameos around them kept Pakistan’s momentum ticking along through the first innings. A burst at the end from Faheem Ashraf and Hasan Ali carried them to 207, their joint third-highest men’s T20I total.UAE’s chase was highly dependent on what their captain Muhammad Waseem could do during the powerplay. Sure enough, a blistering start kindled brief optimism as he raced along to 33, but his innings was cut down in its prime after a horrible mix-up towards the end of the first six overs.Another wicket fell the following ball and the innings petered out as Mohammad Nawaz and Ayub squeezed the home side in the overs that followed, rendering the contest uncompetitive long before the outcome was made official. Asif Khan, UAE’s lower-order power-hitter, looked destructive in his innings, a 35-ball 77, but, like Rashid Khan’s the day before, it had come about far too late.Saim unleashesPerhaps this was the innings closest to the mould of a vintage Ayub knock since he returned from his injury at the start of the year. It all began with a 22-run third over where he carted Junaid Siddique for two sixes and a four. Boundaries were sprinkled through the powerplay but carried on even as the fielding restrictions lifted, as left-arm quick Muhammad Jawadullah found out. Ayub hit him for a four and a six, and then the same off the first two balls of the following over as the opener sped to a 25-ball half-century. While his team-mates were unable to cash in to the same degree from the other end, Ayub’s innings, which ended after being contentiously given out caught behind – there is no DRS in this series – for a 38-ball 69, had helped Pakistan maintain a run rate above nine.The smaller contributionsHasan Nawaz took Ayub’s baton and ran with it, becoming the destroyer-in-chief during the second half of the innings. It culminated in a thrilling dismantling of the UAE’s best bowler, spinner Haider Ali, who until then had gone for just 12 in three. The first three balls of his final over were dispatched for 18 runs before Nawaz miscued one, getting an inside edge to see a brilliant knock come to an end after he had plundered 56 off 26.Hasan Nawaz celebrates his half-century•Emirates Cricket BoardBut Pakistan were still in a slightly precarious situation. They had lost their sixth wicket with the score at 163, and there were still 26 balls left to utilise. Coach Mike Hesson has made no secret of his desire to have batters in the line-up to squeeze every last drop of run-scoring potential, even if it comes at the cost of specialist bowling. Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf and Hasan Ali each chipped in during this time with 25, 16 and 9 respectively. It all combined for 44 in the final four overs to take Pakistan beyond 200 and truly secure their position in case the UAE did something remarkable with the bat.Asif Khan’s brutal counterattackAsif Khan is the only UAE batter to boast a superior strike rate to his captain Waseem this year, and he showed why in a mauling of Pakistan’s bowlers late on in the game. That the contest was effectively over by this time felt cruel, because an innings of such power should not go to waste. Pakistan’s intensity may have dropped with spinners and seamers alike repeatedly bowling into his arc, but that wasn’t to detract from how consistently he dispatched them.He scored just 11 off the first 12 balls, but after smashing a six and a four off Sufiyan Muqim in the 14th over, he unleashed beast mode. Hasan Ali, poor with the ball for much of the day, fed him in the slot and paid for it with another 19 runs, and the hits just kept coming. Muqim conceded 17, Salman Mirza 18 more.None of it ever threatened to overturn the outcome; UAE had needed 122 in seven overs by the time Asif hit his stride. But it does take UAE above Afghanistan on net run rate, having lost to Pakistan by a smaller margin than Rashid’s men did on Friday. When Hasan returned in the final over and bounced him out, Asif had a wry smile on his face. His last 22 deliveries had produced 66 runs, and even with this outcome, he was entitled to a bit of satisfaction.