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Virat Kohli feels his “whole game is coming together nicely” and is batting at a level he hasn’t in the last two-three years. Kohli stayed unbeaten on 65 in the ODI series decider against South Africa, which India sealed by a comfortable nine wickets with more than 10 overs to spare in a chase of 271.Kohli’s half-century came after he struck back-to-back centuries in the first two ODIs to finish the series with a tally of 302 and a staggering average of 151. Kohli now has four straight 50-plus scores after he had bagged two consecutive ducks in the ODIs in Australia, which was his first series since the IPL finished in June.”Honestly, just playing the way I have in this series has been the most satisfying thing for me,” Kohli said at the presentation. “I don’t think I’ve played at this level for a good two-three years now and I feel really free in my mind and just the whole game is coming together nicely, [it’s] very exciting to build on. And something that I’ve always tried to do as a player, maintain my own standards that I’ve set for myself and play at the level that I can make an impact for the team. I know when I can bat like that out there in the middle, then it of course helps the team in a big way because I can bat long, I can bat according to the situation and just being confident makes me feel like any situation out there in the middle, I have what it takes to handle that situation and bring it in favour of the team.”Related

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Kohli took home the Player-of-the-Series award for a record 22nd time in international cricket, and 12th in ODIs. He also smashed a record 12 sixes in the three games, easily his personal best in any ODI series, including World Cups. His series strike rate of 117.05 was also his best in an ODI series since January 2023.”Well, you know, when I play freely then I know I can hit sixes,” he said. “So I just wanted to have some fun because I was batting well, just take a bit more risk, just push my own boundaries and see where I go. There’s always levels you can unlock and you just need to take a risk.”Kohli further said that since he has been around for more than 15 years in international cricket, he has gone through “many phases where you doubt your ability” because as a batter it comes down to making one mistake. It is, he said, “a whole journey of learning”.”You tend to go into a space where you feel like maybe I’m not good enough, the nerves take over and that’s the beauty of sport, especially a skill like batting where you have to keep overcoming that fear every ball that you play and eventually play long innings and get into a zone again where you can start playing confidently. It’s a whole journey of learning and getting to know yourself better and becoming better as a person along the whole way. I can surely vouch for the fact that being a batsman and realising so much about myself, what kind of negative thinking patterns I have, where I can get into a zone where I don’t feel confident or when I’m feeling like myself, what are those small little details, it just improves you as a person in general and your whole temperament becomes much better and balanced over so many years. So, yes, I’ve had many phases where I’ve doubted myself and I haven’t been shy to admit that.”

Australia have vowed to learn lessons from their semi-final defeat and come back even stronger, just like they did in 2017

S Sudarshanan31-Oct-20252:14

Healy: ‘Feels a little bit un-Australian’

Australia’s semi-final exit from Women’s World Cup 2025 ended a chapter of incredible success: they had lost just three of the 30 ODIs they had played since the previous edition in 2022. What will the next ODI cycle look like for the seven-times champions? And what next for the stalwart trio of Alyssa Healy, Ellyse Perry and Megan Schutt?Healy is 35, and confirmed at the presentation on Thursday that this was her last ODI World Cup. Schutt, 32, had indicated earlier that this would be her last 50-overs World Cup too, though she will take a final call after the T20 World Cup next year. Perry will turn 35 in three days, and hasn’t yet spoken about her international future.Related

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“This next four-year cycle leading into the next World Cup is going to be really exciting for our group and potentially see some really cool opportunities for some of the younger players to get greater opportunities in this side,” Healy, Australia’s captain, said after their semi-final defeat to India.”The opportunity for some of our players to play in a really high-pressure situation like that is going to do wonders for our group. This same thing happened in 2017. We reflected on that and thought we could have done things a little bit better under pressure and where we can be better at little certain aspects of our game moving forward. And I think we made that shift moving forward and we’ve seen it over the last cycle doing that one in 2022.”Thursday’s defeat was Australia’s first in an ODI World Cup match since 2017. That previous defeat had also been a semi-final loss to India; after that result, Australia tore up their template and started afresh, pushing Healy up the order to open, and adopting a batting strategy of relentless attack. That method brought them an ODI-record 26-match winning streak. Healy saw the latest setback as another chance for a reboot.4:58

Krishnamurthy: India have done something extremely special

“This is just another re-ignition for our group to say, you know what, we can be better at little moments of the game,” Healy said. “For our group to experience that, to be put under pressure and see how we respond, is going to do great things for us moving forward. So that’s really cool.”I hope we see more one-day cricket on the calendar. I think that’s going to be really important in this cycle. We see a lot of teams in this World Cup that, obviously, we’re forced to play against in the Women’s Championship. But more bilateral series are going to be amazing for the global game in that regard and make sure that these World Cups are highly competitive.”And obviously the opportunity to see the next generation come through and play one day cricket the way that they are, the way that they can and really take the game on, which I think we’ve seen towards the back end of this World Cup. I think it’s really exciting times for the women’s game.”Given the quadrennial nature of the ODI World Cup, the end of an edition often feels like the end of an era, with a greater scope for long-term planning than in T20Is, where World Cups take place every two years. It’s clear that Australia’s journey in the next ODI cycle will be led by youngsters such as Phoebe Litchfield, Annabel Sutherland and Georgia Voll, with experienced hands in Tahlia McGrath, Ashleigh Gardner and Beth Mooney, all of whom are either in their late 20s or early 30s, still playing key roles.Young players such as Phoebe Litchfield will be key to Australia’s regeneration through the next ODI World Cup cycle•Getty Images”The state of the women’s game where it’s going is absolutely phenomenal,” Perry said in a press interaction after the semi-final. “This World Cup has been the toughest one yet, without a doubt and so competitive. The fact that in both the semi-finals, the team batting first posted over 300, and across this competition, it’s probably been more 300-plus scores than ever before.”We want to keep taking the game forward and that means that we’re not always going to be successful. At the same time, we play with a lot of enjoyment and application to what we’re trying to do. So it’s a pleasure to be a part of it. I feel very fortunate to see where things go.”Australia’s cricketing ecosystem is seasoned enough to keep producing players who look ready when they step up, with Litchfield, who scored a 93-ball 119 in the semi-final, a prime example. This ceaseless production line keeps head coach Shelley Nitschke calm about what the future holds.”We haven’t discussed about transition much, we had been just focussing on this World Cup obviously,” she said. “We’ve got some leaders in the last couple of years. We’re always moving and transitioning. I’m not sure if it’ll be a harder conversation or anything, but that’s forever a moving beast.”[Leadership] is something in due course we’ll sit down and have a discussion about. But I don’t think any decision will be made in the near future. We are always going to review and look to get better. We need to be better in the big moments.”Australia have already been the gold standard in women’s cricket. It is scary to imagine what their next chapter will look like.

Shan Masood is set to lead Pakistan in the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. The PCB reaffirmed its confidence in the current Test captain after Masood met with PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, along with Pakistan’s red-ball coach Azhar Mahmood.A PCB statement said Masood and Mahmood have been given “free hand” of the Test side, without elaborating what specifically that entails. The captain and coach are not in the selection committee for the Test side, which comprises a five-member panel including Aleem Dar, Aqib Javed, Asad Shafiq, and Azhar Ali.There was speculation on Masood’s future after the 2023-25 WTC cycle, where Pakistan finished bottom of the table. He was captain for the entirety of that cycle. Last month, when the PCB announced player contracts for the 2025-26 season, Masood was demoted from the ‘B’ category to ‘D’, the lowest rung of central contracts.Related

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In that time, the position of Pakistan’s Test coach underwent several changes, including the brief reign of Jason Gillespie, which ended on acrimonious terms. In that context, the PCB’s declaration of confidence in Masood represents a major upswing his fortunes and the possibility of a fresh start. He is Pakistan’s longest-serving current captain, with the ODI and T20I captaincy changing hands multiple times since he took over the red-ball side.While consistency with the bat has remained elusive, Masood made useful contributions at the top of the order, having established himself as an opener over the last four Tests following an extended stint at No. 3. Two big hundreds, one at home against England and one in South Africa, took his average into the mid 30s; it is higher as captain than it has ever been under any other skipper. However, Test wins have been in short supply under Masood, with Pakistan losing nine of 12 matches.Masood’s first test of the new WTC cycle is against defending WTC champions South Africa, who play two Tests in Pakistan in October.

Aston Villa are now exploring a move for an “extraordinary” goalkeeper as a replacement for Emiliano Martinez, with Unai Emery considered an admirer.

Villa looking to sign Martinez replacement

Martinez is undoubtedly one of the best goalkeepers in the world, winning the Yashin Trophy in 2023 and 2024, so it is no surprise that Emery has chosen to reintroduce the 33-year-old to the starting XI, despite him pushing for a move to Manchester United during the summer.

The Argentinian was keen to complete a move to Old Trafford on deadline day, but Man United ultimately ended up signing Senne Lammens, who kept a clean sheet on his debut against Sunderland.

However, having pushed for a move in the summer, the controversial goalkeeper’s future remains in doubt, with it recently being revealed that he has lost faith in Emery, amid the slow start to the season.

According to a report from Spain, Aston Villa have now set their sights on a new goalkeeper, with Martinez’s future in doubt, having identified Real Madrid’s Andriy Lunin as a target, and there are signs that a deal could be possible.

Lunin has made it clear he wants to leave the La Liga side, having been left frustrated with his role as a back-up to Thibaut Courtois, given that, at 26-years-old, he needs to be playing regular first-team football.

It is suggested that Madrid could hold out for around €30m (£26m) for the Ukrainian, making him a relatively affordable option for Villa, with it previously being revealed that Emery is personally keen on signing him.

"Extraordinary" Lunin could be fantastic Martinez replacement

Although the Madrid shot-stopper has fallen behind Courtois in the pecking order, he has previously proven himself at the highest level, making 12 Champions League appearances, including eight en-route to the Spanish side’s 2023-24 triumph.

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Courtesy of his performances that season, the former Zorya Luhansk man also received very high praise from CBS Sports’ Nico Cantor.

Whenever called upon over the past year, the Ukraine international has been solid, recording a clean sheet percentage of 42.9%, which places him in the 97th percentile, when compared to other goalkeepers.

Given his age, however, Lunin needs to be a first-choice goalkeeper, so a move to Villa Park would make perfect sense, and Aston Villa should no doubt make an approach if Martinez makes it clear he still wants to leave.

There is now a “real prospect” of Liverpool completing the signing of an “extraordinary” France international as they seek to break out of their recent rut.

Van Dijk's leadership breaks Liverpool slump

The Premier League champions are back in action away to Brentford on Saturday evening, looking to build on Wednesday’s 5-1 win away to Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk revealed after the win in Germany that he held a meeting with just the players at the start of the week, following a dreadful run of form.

“On Monday everyone was sad because we lost to Man United at home,” said Van Dijk. “It was tough under the circumstances so on Monday we came together but it wasn’t a crisis meeting. Nobody wants to lose four games in a row but it was the situation we faced.

“Obviously we also had a proper debrief with the manager but we also had a separate one as players. I wanted to say some things. It’s not something I do after every game. After my meeting everyone was happy!”

Away from Liverpool’s on-pitch duties, an exciting new transfer rumour has emerged, with FSG seemingly planning to spend their way out of their recent run.

Liverpool in race to sign Champions League winner

Speaking to TEAMtalk, journalist Dean Jones claimed that Liverpool have a “real” chance of signing Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, but face competition for his signature.

Camavinga has a €1bn release clause in his Real Madrid contract, but stands out as a wonderful option for Liverpool, should he and Xabi Alonso fail to fully click at Madrid, resulting in Los Blancos cashing in for a more reasonable figure.

The 22-year-old Frenchman has won two Champions League crowns in his career, as well as a couple of La Liga titles, while Carlo Ancelotti has called him an “extraordinary” player, which is high praise from a legendary manager.

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Camavinga would bring class, elegance and substance to Liverpool’s midfield, not to mention being able to shine at left-back, and given his age, he could mature into a genuinely world-class midfield at Anfield. Arne Slot does have great depth there, but if the chance arises to sign him, it would be foolish to say no.

Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White has hailed Ruben Amorim for masterminding an "incredible" Manchester United resurgence ahead of a crucial Premier League showdown at City Ground. At the end of September, United were being written off as a sinking ship. A humiliating 3-1 loss to Brentford left Amorim’s side stranded in 14th place and seemingly spiralling toward another season of disappointment. But after a sensational October, the narrative has flipped on its head.

AFPAmorim’s stunning turnaround

Amorim’s United have roared back to life after putting in a series of performances that have propelled them to sixth in the Premier League standings. They started October with a gritty 2-0 win over high-flying Sunderland. Many feared that the two-week international break would dent their momentum, but the Red Devils shocked their critics after churning out a historic 2-1 victory at Anfield to end a nine-year jinx. The squad started to believe, and then riding on the bright form, they dispatched Brighton 4-2 in a pulsating encounter at Old Trafford on Saturday. Suddenly, the Red Devils are back in the European mix and are just six points adrift of leaders Arsenal.

AdvertisementAFPGibbs-White wary of United threat

Gibbs-White has admitted he is an admirer of Amorim’s transformation job. Speaking to , the Forest playmaker was full of praise for how United have rediscovered their identity.

"It’s been incredible to see, obviously they’ve been going through a tough time in the past couple of years," he said. "But they’ve stuck with the gaffer [Amorim] and the past four or five games, you’re really starting to see how Man United should be playing, that grit and that determination to want to play for the badge. I feel like it’s been incredible to see, it’s something I feel like the league has missed."

However, while Gibbs-White respects United’s resurgence, he has warned that Forest must not get drawn into the hype.

"All we can do is focus on ourselves, we can’t focus on how Man United are doing and how their performances are because if we do that, we’re just almost bowing down to them," he added. "We’ve got to focus on what we want to do and how we can win the game. I feel like this week we’ve already started to implement some ideas, and obviously we’ve still got a few more days until the game, so I’m sure the gaffer [Sean Dyche] will have more ideas of how we can beat them."

Amorim's tactical evolution at Man Utd

A major reason for United’s revival lies in Amorim’s subtle but significant tactical tweaks. Early-season criticism was fierce, with fans tearing into his rigid 3-4-3 formation, accusing him of being too stubborn and naive in the Premier League. But instead of abandoning his philosophy, Amorim refined it. Without the ball, United now defend in a compact 5-4-1 shape, with Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro forming a disciplined midfield block. They get additional help from Luke Shaw, who has been instructed to step into midfield when out of possession, creating an extra body in the press. The changes have made United harder to break down, and the results are there for everyone to see. 

Club legend Rio Ferdinand, who lifted 14 trophies in his 12 glittering years at Old Trafford, is among those who has been pleased with the recent changes. On he hailed the manager's flexibility to tweak his ideas to suit the players. 

"I admire it to a certain extent. But like I said, I think he was playing Russian Roulette with his job. I don't think he's changed drastically; he's just tweaked," he said. "That's what a lot of fans were asking for. Just tweak what you've got. Maybe don't be so much on the front foot, maybe be a bit more conservative at times when we haven't got the ball. You can't press, press, press for 90 minutes, unless you're an absolute beast of a team. PSG do it. This manager couldn't do that with this squad."

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GettyA fourth victory on the trot at Forest?

While United climb the table with renewed purpose, Forest find themselves in dire straits. Ange Postecoglou has been shown the door after a disastrous spell, and Sean Dyche’s first Premier League game in charge ended in a sobering 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth, leaving Forest 18th with just one win from nine matches. A rejuvenated United side, brimming with confidence, might be licking their lips at the opportunity to register a fourth straight Premier League victory. This would mark United’s best run since February 2024 and indicate a genuine transformation from an early-season disarray to a top-four contender. However, Gibbs-White will be out to try and spoil the party.

Fakhar Zaman’s 60 and Salman Mirza’s four-wicket haul set up the win for Lahore Qalandars in the rain-interrupted game

Andrew Fidel Fernando19-May-2025Fakhar Zaman’s 60 off 36 set up the game for Lahore Qalandars, before Salman Mirza’s 4 for 31 sealed a rain-reduced 13-over PSL 2025 game in Rawalpindi on Sunday night. Peshawar Zalmi were guilty of overall sloppiness. They dropped at least four catches – including two off Fakhar – and their chase never left the ground, even if some late hitting narrowed the margin.The loss knocked Zalmi out of the competition, as they finished fifth on the table. For Qalandars, the win confirmed their place in the Eliminator, to be played on Thursday.Fakhar rocks the powerplayFakhar brought his most fearless self to the powerplay. His first six came off a bad short ball which he pulled for six. But the second big hit, one ball later, was imperious. He ran at Luke Wood and thumped him high over the long-on boundary.He would hit only one more six in his innings, but struck five fours, punishing errors in line in particular. By the end of the powerplay, he was 45 off 21 balls. Qalandars had sped to 80 for 1.Qalandar’s top order pitches inIt wasn’t all about Fakhar, though. In the first four overs, Mohammad Naeem was, in fact, the primary blaster, hitting three fours and a six in his ten-ball 22. Later, Kusal Perera contributed 17 off eight balls, before Asif Ali smashed 18 off six (the first two deliveries he faced sailed over the boundary).Vitally, all of those supporting batters continued to take risks and push the run rate, despite Fakhar’s success at the other end.Mirza’s powerplay strikes swing itAlthough Zalmi always needed to go at almost 11.5 runs an over, there was an outside chance they could have made a strong charge, given the batting-friendly surface and the damp outfield. Mirza effectively killed the chase in his first two overs.His first wicket was down to a little good fortune, Saim Ayub treading on his stumps trying to play a back-foot shot. But in his next over, Mirza bowled Mohammad Haris and Max Bryant off successive deliveries. The ball to Bryant was especially impressive, he curved it away from the batter from over the wicket, then jagged it back into his stumps.Mirza would also dismiss Ahmed Daniyal in his last over.

A dedicated fund and robust high-performance programme will be set up to help Afghan women cricketers

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Apr-20252:03

Mel Jones: This group of Afghanistan women are trying to rebuild their lives

The ICC has said it will form a “dedicated task force” to support Afghanistan women cricketers who have been displaced by the Taliban regime ruling the country.The initiative, which is in partnership with the BCCI, ECB and CA, will include “a dedicated fund to provide direct monetary assistance, ensuring these cricketers have the resources they need to continue pursuing the game they love,” the ICC said in a statement on Sunday. “This will be complemented by a robust high-performance programme offering advanced coaching, world-class facilities, and tailored mentorship to help them reach their full potential.”Related

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Jay Shah, the ICC chairman, said: “At the International Cricket Council, we are deeply committed to fostering inclusivity and ensuring every cricketer has the opportunity to shine, regardless of their circumstances. In collaboration with our valued partners, we are proud to launch this task force and support fund, complemented by a comprehensive high-performance programme, to ensure displaced Afghan women cricketers can continue their journey in the sport. This initiative reflects our steadfast dedication to cricket’s global growth and its power to inspire unity, resilience, and hope.”Since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, women have been forced to adhere to an increasingly restrictive range of laws barring them from most areas of public life, including sports. Shortly before that, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) had agreed to contract 25 women players, most of whom now live in exile in Australia.The exiled Afghanistan women’s team played their first game in Melbourne earlier this year•AFP/Getty Images

In July last year, former members of the Afghanistan women’s national team, no longer recognised as such by the country’s Taliban rulers, wrote to the ICC asking to be recognised as a refugee team. In January this year, an Afghanistan women’s XI played a T20 game against a Cricket Without Borders team in Melbourne.”I am delighted the ICC will provide strong support for Afghanistan women’s players including those now resident in Australia,” CA chief executive Todd Greenberg said. “We hope this will help enable the Afghanistan women to achieve their goal of improving their cricket and playing at the highest possible level.”We remain extremely grateful to all those in the Australian Cricket who have played a role in the resettlement of the Afghanistan women in Australia and in providing playing opportunities.”Richard Gould, the ECB chief executive, said: “We have been vocal in recent times around the need for meaningful funding to support female players from Afghanistan so that they can thrive despite not being able to play at home.”Having previously contributed a significant sum to the Global Refugee Cricket Fund, we are encouraged that this positive step from the ICC will go even further. We want the Afghanistan women’s team to continue being a beacon of hope for all women and girls.”While there has been pressure on the ICC to act against Afghanistan from the governments of some Full Member countries, it has not taken any action against the men’s team. In March, Human Rights Watch, which describes itself as an independent, international, non-governmental organisation, called on the ICC to suspend Afghanistan’s membership and ban the Taliban-run nation from competing in international cricket. The request came via an email addressed to Shah, dated February 3 and made public on March 7.

Arsenal’s summer transfer window once again blended big-money investment with their long-standing faith in youth.

After finishing second in the Premier League last season, and reaching the Champions League semi-finals, the club doubled down on its squad rebuild.

Major arrivals included Martin Zubimendi, Viktor Gyökeres, Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze, Cristhian Mosquera, Christian Nørgaard and Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Departures such as Jakub Kiwior, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Reiss Nelson cleared space in the squad, while Arsenal also leaned heavily on their Hale End academy graduates.

Ethan Nwaneri, now 18, continues to develop after becoming the Premier League’s youngest-ever debutant in 2022.

Myles Lewis-Skelly enjoyed a breakout season, and Max Dowman, still only 15, made his senior bow against Leeds.

That commitment to the academy has become a central pillar of Arsenal’s squad-building philosophy under Mikel Arteta.

Yet while several young prospects have been integrated, others have slipped away.

The balance between spending heavily and nurturing talent is once again at the heart of Arsenal’s defensive planning.

Who is Piero Hincapié, and Why Did Arsenal Sign Him?

When Arsenal announced the arrival of Piero Hincapié from Bayer Leverkusen on loan with a £45m option to buy, it was framed as a major upgrade on the left side of their defence.

At 23, the Ecuadorian international already brings European pedigree, with 32 Bundesliga appearances last season, contributing two goals and two assists.

Hincapié has been on Arsenal’s radar for years, valued for his ability to operate at both left centre-back and left-back.

With Gabriel undergoing hamstring surgery at the end of last season and Riccardo Calafiori struggling with fitness, versatility is essential.

Sporting Director Andrea Berta emphasised Hincapié’s tactical flexibility, and Arteta believes he is not simply cover but a genuine competitor for a starting role. His statistical profile backs up the excitement.

Matches Played

32

Progressive Carries

52

Progressive Passes

152

Tackles

52

Blocks

40

Aerials Won

65

Compared to positional peers, Hincapié ranked in the 96th percentile for progressive carries (1.69 per 90), underlining his comfort driving forward with the ball.

He also sat in the 86th percentile for progressive passes (4.94 per 90) and an eye-catching 94th percentile for key passes (0.54 per 90) – numbers that show how he can help Arsenal’s build-up from deep.

Defensively, he impressed in the 89th percentile for tackles won (1.29 per 90) and the 86th percentile for passes blocked (0.72 per 90).

This blend of defensive solidity and forward-thinking distribution makes him a natural fit for Arteta’s system, where centre-backs are expected to initiate attacks as much as they are to shut them down.

His arrival represents a continuation of Arsenal’s recent strategy: recruit players with multi-positional value while retaining the ability to progress possession.

Ayden Heaven could have been Hincapie 2.0

As Arsenal commit to potentially spending £45m next summer to make Hincapié’s move permanent, questions linger over whether they let a homegrown option slip through their fingers.

Ayden Heaven, once considered one of the Hale End academy’s brightest defensive prospects, departed for Manchester United in February for a fee of just £1m.

His departure came after limited opportunities at the Emirates despite being highly rated within the club. Analyst Ben Mattinson once described Heaven as “highly unique,” and he has quickly shown why.

Drafted into United’s first-team picture earlier than expected after Lisandro Martínez’s season-ending injury, the 18-year-old has already made eight appearances for the Red Devils.

He has looked composed in possession, comfortable carrying the ball out from defence, and tactically assured despite his age.

United moved quickly to secure him on a long-term deal running until 2029, amid reported interest from Barcelona, Frankfurt and Marseille.

Heaven’s profile, a left-footed defender who is confident on the ball, is precisely the type of player Arsenal are now looking to integrate through Hincapié.

The irony is hard to miss.

Where Hincapié ranks among Europe’s best for progressive actions, Heaven has showcased similar traits in his early United outings.

His poise on the ball and ability to step into midfield mirrors the qualities Arteta demands from his defenders.

For a club that has prided itself on giving opportunities to youth, losing Heaven for such a modest fee may come to be seen as a misstep.

The comparison is not to suggest Hincapié is the wrong signing – his experience and proven metrics make him a high-level addition.

But for a side that has successfully nurtured Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly, the case of Heaven highlights the fine margins of squad planning.

Arsenal could soon pay £45m for a defender to fill the very role that a Hale End graduate, now at a Premier League rival, may have slotted into seamlessly.

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Kohli set up India for a semi-final spot and all but crossed out Pakistan from the 2025 Champions Trophy

Alagappan Muthu23-Feb-2025

Virat Kohli brings up his 51st ODI century•Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images

In the biggest match of the year, with his mortality showing more than it ever did before, Virat Kohli proved he’s still got it, that maybe, just maybe, the little he’s lost isn’t going to define him. He ticked off 14,000 runs in ODI cricket, brought up his 51st ODI century, set up India for a semi-final spot, and all but crossed out Pakistan from Champions Trophy 2025. The holders and hosts need other results to go their way to stay alive in the tournament now.India went into the game as favourites. They were worthy of that seeding, limiting Pakistan to 241 with Hardik Pandya putting in the kind of performance that should make him illegal. An allrounder capable of dismissing the opposition’s best batter and then coming back to take down their top-scorer isn’t just a name on the sheet. He is the secret sauce.Related

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Rizwan after India loss: 'We can say for now that it is over'

'Happy with the template' – Kohli and the comfort of the chase

And Kuldeep Yadav was the spice. His left-arm wristspin is so rare and he made it rarer by finding a way to be quick through the air without compromising on turn or accuracy. So that means unless batters pick him out of the hand, they are always going to be guessing. Three Pakistan batters guessed wrong. All three were end-overs wickets. Pakistan were setting up to explode at the death. Kuldeep just wouldn’t let them. The injury hasn’t affected his menace.Pakistan were able to produce moments. Shaheen Shah Afridi sending down a 143kph inswinging yorker to shatter Rohit Sharma’s stumps. Abrar Ahmed conjuring a carrom ball from hell to get rid of a rampaging Shubman Gill. But when it came to capitalising on them, they just couldn’t. The result: a world champion side that was renowned for pulling games out of the fire now seems to do the first part right – they definitely got into trouble in Dubai – but the other part, the important part, is going so very wrong. Pakistan were 151 for 2 in the 34th over before they were bowled out for 241 with the most inexperienced member of the India side dictating terms, Harshit Rana and his slower balls were just impossible to hit.A game in an ICC event and a rivalry with history bursting out of every pore eventually became so one-sided that its last few moments were dominated by an individual pursuit. Axar Patel turned down an easy two so Kohli could get to his hundred. The crowd in Dubai loved that. There were 12 runs to get for India’s victory and 12 runs to get for their hero’s century and they chanted his name over and over. Pakistan were nowhere to be found. Ever since a collapse of 3 for 11 in 19 balls, this game turned pear-shaped for them.1:10

Manjrekar: Hardik always delivers on the big stage

Mohammad Rizwan had banked on the innings going so differently. He came in at 47 for 2 and hit his first ball for four and then decided run-scoring was not for him. He was 24 off 50. He barely hit the ball in anger. He point blank refused to. At the other end, Saud Shakeel was at least making an effort to turn the good balls he was facing into singles. When he got to fifty, he had weathered only 29 dot balls. At the same time, Rizwan at the other end, had racked up 40. India did well by denying him spin to start his innings. But still, this was a better pitch than the opening game in Dubai a few days ago. It wasn’t flat, but it had a little more pace in it, and it got better under lights. Rizwan, though, batted like it was cursed. He was worried bad things would happen if he tried to hit the ball hard.And it kinda did. Rizwan fell trying to hit Axar out of the ground and his wicket triggered a collapse. Shakeel fell in the next over and Tayyab Tahir followed soon after. India, having spent 320 deliveries across two matches searching for a wicket in the middle overs, had found three in the space of four. Pakistan were 165 for 5. Soon they would be 200 for 7, having to negotiate the last 7.1 overs of the innings with their tail exposed.India’s discipline never let Pakistan off the hook and leading the way was Hardik, banging the ball just short of a length on a pitch that was offering a bit of grip and some tennis-ball bounce. He took out Babar Azam at a time when India’s lead fast bowler, Mohammed Shami, was off the field with a shin problem, and he did Shakeel for lack of pace just after the left-hand batter had smacked him for four. He always knew what to do to exploit the conditions and make the batter’s life miserable. On the back of his work, Kuldeep and Rana bowled 6.4 death overs for 28 runs and picked up four wickets.1:54

Urooj: Pakistan have let themselves down again

Gill was the star of India’s chase early on, a conscious effort to keep his front foot from moving too far forward and across leaving him excellently placed to take advantage of Afridi and his full-length deliveries when there was no swing on offer. When he rammed the fast bowler down the ground and then one-upped it by coming down the track and lifting the ball into the sightscreen, it looked like it was going to be his day. Abrar intervened with a ball that drifted in, tempting Gill to close the face of his bat, and turned away to rattle middle and off stump. Gill was stunned.Kohli, too, offered a shrug of his shoulders. He looked vulnerable against Abrar too and was almost bowled playing back to him. But against the quicks, he was vintage. He went past 14,000 runs with a crisp cover drive off Haris Rauf. All of Pakistan’s best bowlers offer pace on the ball. And that is Kohli’s happy place. A batter of his quality needs to be made uncomfortable at the crease when he is new. He had been dismissed five times in his last six ODIs by legspin. Pakistan had one of those and they felt they couldn’t go to him.2:07

Manjrekar: Shreyas now looks comfortable against the short ball

Shreyas Iyer helped himself to a half-century. A little change in his technique where he holds his bat higher and waves it as the bowler approaches, creating momentum into his shots, is helping him deal with an earlier weakness against the short ball. He clubbed Rauf for four in front of square to prove it. But there was no taking the spotlight from his senior partner.Kohli was setting the tempo. Pakistan had allowed him to do so. Though he only hit three of his first 62 balls to the boundary, he already had fifty runs to his name. He knows how to score quickly without looking for big shots. The ball wasn’t stopping on the surface as much under lights. Things were working in his favour again. He almost knew he was going to get a hundred. He demanded an explanation when Axar turned down a second run off a wide in the 42nd over when it was clear to everybody else that all he was doing was make sure Kohli had the best chance to get to three figures with time running out. When he did, off the last ball of the match, Kohli looked to the dressing room and literally said, “I told you. Relax.” That was how easy this was. That was how inevitable he was.