Mumbai Indians (MI) batting coach Kieron Pollard is ecstatic that his prediction about Rohit Sharma has come true.Rohit has turned his season around with back-to-back 70s in his last two innings, both coming in comfortable wins for MI. But it was hardly this rosy at the start of IPL 2025 for the former MI captain.He had scored just 82 runs in his first six innings and was also struggling with an injury, which forced him to miss a game. It was around this time that Pollard was grilled about the form of MI’s most experienced batter. He had at the time said that Rohit should not be judged after a few low scores and that he would bounce back. As he has.Related
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“If my memory serves me right, at the start of this competition, that question was different,” Pollard said when asked about Rohit’s surge in form. “I said sitting right here, we are also going to be singing his praises as an individual. For us, we always had that belief that he is going to come good.”There are dips. There is low confidence. But for someone who has played this sport for a long time, you have these moments. Sometimes you just need that extra support from people. Now we are singing his praises. We are all very happy in the Mumbai dressing room. We were happy at the start as well, knowing that it is going to happen, and long may it continue.”The headlines are going to be about that. But for us, in our entire batting unit, we look for guys to perform at different junctures in a tournament. We are not going to individualise it.”MI had a torrid run at the start of the season, losing four of their first five games. Since then, though, they have won four in a row. It is not the first time that MI’s season has started slowly before they have picked up pace. Pollard said it was down to some teams gelling faster, while some teams take time. He also said MI have now “found a sort of a method”, which was working for them.”There is no ‘more important’ part in IPL,” Pollard said when asked if the second half of the season carried more significance than the first half. “It all depends on form and confidence of the team. In the second half, you build a bit of momentum. You will tend to say now is more important. But you have 14 games in a tournament. Each and every game is important. Some teams gel faster than some or they start off pretty quickly. Some teams build the momentum and come into the back end.”The most important thing is trying to qualify for the playoffs and get into the final and see if you can win. That is important.”Pollard also heaped praise on MI captain Hardik Pandya, particularly the way he’s handled himself after last season. Hardik had an acrimonious start to his MI captaincy stint where he was welcomed with loud boos wherever he went. However, things have been much smoother this year.Hardik Pandya has proven to be an able leader•AFP/Getty Images
With the bat, Hardik is striking at 170.49 so far in IPL 2025, while with the ball, he has 12 wickets in nine innings at an economy of 9.08.”It is great to see a human being that has been challenged in different facets of not only cricket but of life come out and continue to show what cricket and what winning means to him as a human being,” Pollard said. “I know he is enjoying cricket as we have all seen from international cricket, winning World Cups, to Champions Trophy. It is an individual that has gone through a lot.”For me, I am happy to see where he is at right now. And as I said previously, we are all human beings in this world. So sometimes we need to give a bit of leeway to some individuals at certain times.”Who says he won’t have another down? And who says he is not going to have another up as well? So that is what life is about and that is what the journey is about. So I am happy for Hardik.”
To qualify, Scotland and West Indies need to win their next matches by big margins and hope Bangladesh lose badly to Pakistan
Firdose Moonda17-Apr-2025
Pakistan secured their fourth win of the World Cup Qualifier•Associated Press
Pakistan confirmed their participation at the Women’s ODI World Cup after beating Thailand by 87 runs to secure their fourth win of the qualifier. Pakistan, with eight points, are at the top of the table and can only be matched by Bangladesh, who they play on Saturday and are in pole position to take the second World Cup spot.Two other teams – Scotland and West Indies – are also in contention. In order to qualify, Scotland and West Indies need to win their matches against Ireland and Thailand respectively by big margins and hope Bangladesh lose badly enough to Pakistan to dip below them in net run rate terms. Bangladesh can qualify for the World Cup even if they lose to Pakistan and both Scotland and West Indies win their final matches because of their net run rate advantage.Pakistan will be thrilled to have avoided the intricacies of calculations like these after they booked their World Cup places with a game to spare. They are also unbeaten on home turf and have rediscovered their form. Before the qualifiers, Pakistan had last won an ODI in December 2023 and were on a five-game losing streak. In the last week, they put that right and reeled off four straight wins, albeit not always easily, and will now play in their fifth successive World Cup.Related
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Their participation will require additional logistics for the tournament, scheduled for India from late September. In keeping with the hybrid model agreed by the BCCI and PCB ahead of this year’s Champions Trophy, Pakistan are unlikely to travel to India for the tournament and will play their matches at a yet-to-be-decided neutral venue.Pakistan will not worry about that for now as they celebrate their qualification run led by their captain Fatima Sana. She injected energy into a pedestrian innings that was meandering at 119 for 4 after 40 overs – a scoring rate of under three runs an over – with a quickfire unbeaten 62 off 59 balls. Sana and Sidra Amin, who posted her third fifty-plus score of the qualifiers with 80 off 105 balls, shared a run-ball 97-run stand and Pakistan scored 86 runs in the last ten overs to give themselves a defendable total.Take nothing away from Thailand’s bowlers, who were disciplined for the bulk of the innings and created several chances. Two of them were off Sana’s bat and she was caught twice off the bowling of offspinner Onnicha Kamchomphu but the deliveries were judged no-balls and Sana continued batting. Without her contribution, Pakistan may have been concerned especially as Thailand’s batting has improved as the campaign has gone on.They scored 259 chasing 306 against Ireland two days ago which was their highest ODI score and would have believed that even though they had never successfully chased a target above 200, they could give it a good go. Thailand were hard done by when opener Chanida Sutthiruang was given out stumped off Sadia Iqbal when replays seemed to suggest her foot was grounded behind the line when Sidra Nawaz broke the stumps. But they could not complain when Sana, who came on to bowl in the tenth over, sent down a delivery on a perfect offstump line and Nattaya Boochatham edged behind. Two balls later, Nannapat Koncharoenkai was bowled by offspinner Rameem Shamim and at 44 for 3, Thailand’s chances looked grim.They worked their way to 100 before Sana struck again. She bowled Thipatcha Putthawong and Suwanan Khiaoto to pick up 3 for 39 and is now the joint second highest wicket-taker of the qualifiers, three wickets behind Hayley Matthews. Thailand were bowled out for 118 in the 35th over. They remain winless from their four matches so far and sign off against West Indies on Saturday in a match West Indies will be looking to win by as large a margin as possible.West Indies still in contentionWest Indies kept their World Cup hopes alive with a three-wicket win over Bangladesh, who suffered their first loss of the campaign. The result came against the run of play against a West Indies’ side that seemed to be unraveling especially in this match.Aaliyah Alleyne starred with four wickets•Getty Images
Early on in the Bangladesh innings, an on-field collision between Matthews and Chinelle Henry as they both tried to get under a skied ball, took them both off the field for a period of time and shortly afterwards, West Indies coach Shane Deitz had been gesturing in frustration to his bowlers. Matthews and Henry returned with no damage done and Deitz had calmed down but Bangladesh were comfortably positioned on 134 for 1 in the 28th over and West Indies looked out of ideas. Sharmin Akhter had registered her third half-century of the tournament and overtaken Nigar Sultana Joty at the tip of the run-scorers’ list. In the circumstances, Bangladesh were in complete control.Then, Fargana Hoque popped a chance back to Aaliyah Alleyne, who took a good, low catch in her follow through and a procession began. Alleyne bowled Sharmin Akhter two balls later and Bangladesh’s two set batters were both dismissed but they still had Nigar Sultana in hand. It was when Alleyne also bowled her, for 5, that Bangladesh would have started to wonder where the big runs would come from. Afy Fletcher took two wickets in two overs, Matthews took two in three overs and Alleyne finished off with career-best figures of 4 for 39. She is now the second leading wicket-taker at the event, behind Matthews. Bangladesh lost eight wickets for 80 runs and their total of 227 did not seem enough.West Indies brought Qiana Joseph back into the team after she missed the Pakistan match and she appeared in much better touch than before. Her 39-ball 31 ensured West Indies had a good start. They were 60 for 2 when Joseph was dismissed and 140 for 3 in the 30th over and progressing steadily. Marufa Akter’s stunning double strike took out both Matthews and Stafanie Taylor – fantastically caught when Marufa stuck her left-arm above her head in her follow-through – and at 147 for 5, Bangladesh would have been eyeing victory.Henry and Shabika Gajnabi shared a 50-run sixth-wicket stand to keep West Indies in the hunt. As the senior partner, Henry took control, scored quickly and was aggressive in her strokeplay. She was on 33 off 40 balls when Gajnabi was caught on the deep mid-wicket boundary and would have known it was up to her to close the game out. Henry went on to bring up her fourth ODI half-century, hit two sixes and got West Indies to the total with four overs to spare.With this result, West Indies moved up to four points, level with Scotland but with a worse net run-rate.
A £20m Arsenal player who Mikel Arteta called “exceptional” now “wants to leave”, and a move across Europe is “very likely”.
Arteta praises his side after victory at Old Trafford
The fixture list handed the Gunners a tricky start to the 2025-26 campaign, as travelling to Old Trafford is always a daunting task, but Arteta’s side got the job done courtesy of a first-half header from Riccardo Calafiori, and the manager was pleased with the performance.
The Spaniard was particularly impressed with his side’s “phenomenal” display from a defensive standpoint, while he also praised the way in which they were able to handle the occasion, given the raucous atmosphere at Old Trafford.
William Saliba and Gabriel were, of course, at the heart of the defence, as the centre-back duo usually are if they are both fit, which means the north Londoners’ back-up options only receive limited game time.
That may not be too much of an issue for younger players, such as new signing Cristhian Mosquera, but defenders in the prime of their career are unlikely to want to play second fiddle.
As such, there is a feeling that Jakub Kiwior could now be heading for the exit door this summer, with Włodarczyk recently taking to X to reveal the Polish defender “wants to leave”, amid interest from FC Porto.
In fact, a move to the Liga Portugal club is deemed “very likely”, as they “haven’t given up”, after submitting an official offer back in July.
The 25-year-old, who joined the Gunners for £20m back in 2023, was left out of the squad that travelled to Old Trafford, and talks over an exit are currently “ongoing”.
Losing "exceptional" Kiwior could be blow for Arteta
Given that Saliba and Gabriel are almost nailed on to start in the Premier League if they are available, it is always going to be a difficult task for the Poland international to force his way into the side, but he has impressed when given the opportunity.
Indeed, with Gabriel sidelined due to injury, the former Spezia man was given the nod against Paris Saint-Germain the Champions League semi-final last season, and he certainly caught Arteta’s eye with his performance.
The Arsenal boss said: “He deserves a lot of credit because he hasn’t played too much throughout many months, and suddenly he’s been thrown into the most difficult context, at the highest level, playing against the best opponents, when you haven’t had the physical rhythm or the confidence to do it, and I think he’s been exceptional.”
Dependable back-up options are hard to come by, so it would be disappointing to lose Kiwior this summer, although not the end of the world, given Mosquera’s arrival.
West Ham United have now intensified contact to sign a “phenomenal” player, who is also being targeted by rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
West Ham keen on attacking midfielder amid Paqueta uncertainty
There have been widespread reports that West Ham could now be willing to cash-in on Lucas Paqueta this summer, should they receive an offer of £60m, and Tottenham have now joined the race for the Brazilian’s signature.
Indeed, with Spurs missing out on Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze, they could now look to raid their London rivals once again, having already signed Mohammed Kudus earlier in the transfer window.
The Hammers have a big decision to make when it comes to Paqueta’s future, having stuck by the 27-year-old during the investigation into spot-fixing allegations, which he has now been cleared of.
Lucas Paqueta in action for West Ham vs Brighton.
However, during that time, the 55-time Brazil international hasn’t exactly been at his best, failing to kick on last season after impressing in his opening two campaigns at the London Stadium.
Season
Appearances (all comps)
Goal contributions
2022-23
41
12
2023-24
43
15
2024-25
38
6
With Paqueta’s future up in the air, West Ham are now stepping up their efforts to sign a new attacking midfielder, having intensified contact over a deal for AS Roma’s Lorenzo Pellegrini, according to a report from Italy (via Sport Witness).
Pellegrini, who is also being targeted by Tottenham, is set to be allowed to leave Roma for just €10m (£9m) this summer, making him a low-cost addition to Graham Potter’s squad, and the Irons have now made an approach.
Roma sporting director Frederic Massara has confirmed the decision to sanction the 29-year-old’s departure, saying: “As soon as I arrived, I informed Pellegrini that we would not be renewing his contract; it’s a decision we shared. For this reason, in order not to lose the player for free and because of Lorenzo’s wishes, we are seeing if there are opportunities for him.”
"Phenomenal" Pellegrini has impressive record at Roma
In many ways, it is a surprise that Roma have been unwilling to extend the Italian’s contract, given that the playmaker has been a regular source of goals and assists throughout his time with the club, chipping in with 114 goal contributions in 316 outings.
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However, the Rome-born midfielder fell below his usual standards in the 2024-25 campaign, picking up just two goals and two assists in the Serie A, which suggests he may not be much of an upgrade on Paqueta.
That said, it could still be worth pursuing the 36-time Italy international, given that a deal would not break the bank, and the maestro is versatile, having regularly featured in both attacking and defensive midfield roles throughout his career so far.
As such, while West Ham shouldn’t sanction Paqueta’s departure, especially to Tottenham, Pellegrini could be a solid addition to Potter’s squad, which evidently needs a fresh injection of quality, given the torrid start to the campaign.
It is expected that Shreyas Iyer will, however, continue to lead the side
PTI01-Dec-2024India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav will be back in action for Mumbai’s next Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) game, against Andhra on December 3 after taking a two-week break to attend a family function. He is expected to play the remainder of the tournament and also feature in the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy starting December 21.It’s likely Suryakumar will not lead Mumbai in SMAT with Shreyas Iyer in charge till now and expected to continue in that position. It is understood that Suryakumar is fine with Iyer continuing as the captain and is ready to bat at any position that the team management feels is suitable for him.Suryakumar, who led India to an emphatic 3-1 series win over South Africa recently, will link up with the Mumbai squad in Hyderabad on Monday and is expected to turn up for the next game. Placed fourth in Group E, Mumbai have won two of their three games so far and have two league games left after Sunday, when they play against Nagaland.The ongoing SMAT has seen a number of high-profile names participate after the T20I tour of South Africa, such as Hardik Pandya, Iyer, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Varun Chakravarthy, and others. Suryakumar had also played one round of the Ranji Trophy in October before leaving for South Africa.
The BCB has appointed Mohammad Salahuddin as the senior assistant coach of the Bangladesh men’s team. His contract will run until March 15 next year much like head coach Phil Simmons’. Salahuddin’s first assignment will likely be Bangladesh’s tour of the West Indies, which begins with a four-day warm-up match in Antigua.Salahuddin has previously served as Bangladesh’s assistant and fielding coach under Dav Whatmore and Jamie Siddons. He also worked as a specialist coach in the BCB’s national cricket academy from 2010 to 2011 before becoming Singapore’s head coach in 2014. He holds an ACC-Cricket Australia Level 3 accreditation.Regarded as one of the foremost cricketing voices in Bangladesh, Salahuddin has had a contentious relationship with the BCB in recent years. He was appointed as a batting consultant in 2017 only for them to change their decision at the last minute. He has often been critical of the board’s position with respect to pitches and selection.Salahuddin is also regarded highly by most players in Bangladesh, having started his coaching by developing the likes of Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal when they were young. He is also influential in the growth of the current crop of cricketers like Jaker Ali and Mahidul Islam Ankon.BCB president Faruque Ahmed said Salahuddin ticked a number of boxes for the role. In his first press conference as the board chief, Faruque had said that he was in favour of promoting Bangladeshi coaches.”When I took over as BCB president, I made a commitment to provide opportunities for deserving candidates to contribute to the national team set-up,” he said. “Salahuddin brings with him a wealth of experience, pedigree, and knowledge, making him the ideal candidate for this role. I firmly believe it is time to integrate more capable Bangladeshi coaches into the system.”
Rest of India agreed to settle for a draw after being set a 450-run target with little time left in the game
ESPNcricinfo staff05-Oct-2024Tanush Kotian scored his second first class century on the fifth day of the Irani Cup as Mumbai won the title on the basis of their first-innings lead, lifting the trophy for the first time since the 1997-98 season.Kotian added 94 runs to his overnight total of 20 as Mumbai batted through the day, declaring with a 450-run lead when Rest of India agreed to end the match as a draw. Kotian became the first batter to cross fifty twice in an Irani Cup game while batting at No. 8 or lower. Offspinner Saransh Jain picked up a six-wicket haul, but Rest of India were unable to bowl Mumbai out with enough time to have a crack at their total.Mumbai began the day with a 274-run lead, with Kotian at the crease with Sarfaraz Khan. Saransh trapped Sarfaraz lbw in the fourth over of the day, and two overs later, had Shardul Thakur stumped.But Kotian and Mohit Awasthi batted 200 balls, adding 158 runs, to seal Mumbai’s victory.Rest of India turned to eight bowlers in total, including Ishan Kishan, Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal, but could not add to their two strikes early in the day.Kotian, who made 64 in the first innings, hit ten fours and a six as he batted out 150 balls for his unbeaten 114.Awasthi, meanwhile, hit a six of his own and stroked four fours as he scored his maiden first class half-century.
Tasmania offspinner Jarrod Freeman has taken an indefinite break from cricket to manage his mental health.Freeman, 23, has played in all Tasmania’s Sheffield Shield matches over the last two seasons, taking 40 wickets at 46.00, and was part of the side that reached the final in the 2023-24 campaign.Last October he also played a key role with the bat in a famous Tasmania win as they chased down 432 against Queensland.”Cricket Tasmania extends its support to Jarrod during this leave period and values the importance of mental health,” Cricket Tasmania said in a statement. “The organisation hopes to see him return to cricket in the future.”Cricket Tasmania continues to support all athletes with appropriate mental health training and education, acknowledging the challenges professional athletes can face throughout their careers.”Tasmania have bolstered their spin resources in the off-season with the signing of Test left-armer Matt Kuhnemann from Queensland and Australia Under-19 offspinner Raf MacMillan on a rookie contract.Kuhnemann, who was recently on standby for Australia’s T20 World Cup squad, has moved states in a bid for more red-ball cricket having only played four first-class matches (three for Durham and one for Australia A) since featuring in the Test series against India early last year.Legspinner Mitchell Swepson was Queensland’s spin option in the Sheffield Shield last season although the pair played together as a key part of Brisbane Heat’s BBL title-winning side. Kuhnemann will remain with Heat for the 2024-25 season.
Birmingham City’s move for a “technical” player is now as much as “95%” complete, according to a positive update from journalist Sebastiao Sousa-Pinto.
Who do Birmingham want to sign?
The Blues know the importance of building on their League One title win and cementing their place in the Championship next season, with new signings required to take Chris Davies’ side to the next level, perhaps following Ipswich’s lead after their back to back promotions.
The financial influence of Tom Wagner and Tom Brady has aided Birmingham greatly in recent years, and supporters are understandably excited to see what the next step will be at the club this summer.
Luton Town centre-back Teden Mengi has been linked with a move to St Andrews in recent days, following a solid 2024/25 season from the former Manchester United player that saw him average 3.9 clearances per game across 20 Championship appearances.
Meanwhile, NEC winger Sontje Hansen has also been mentioned as an exciting target for Birmingham in the summer window, with the 23-year-old representing the Netherlands across five different youth age groups, winning a combined tally of 46 caps. Now, it looks like one player is very close to securing a move to the Midlands.
Birmingham's move for midfielder "95%" done
Speaking on his YouTube channel [via Sport Witness], Sousa-Pinto claimed that midfielder Kanya Fujimoto’s move to Birmingham from Gil Vicente is nearly complete, with the Japanese set to join on a free transfer.
“I’m talking about Kanya Fujimoto, the midfielder whose contract with Gil Vicente ended and who is now a free agent and, as far as I can tell, 90%, 95%, has been agreed with Birmingham City. The clock is still ticking to seal the deal. We’ll have to keep waiting, but the feeling has been very positive for a few weeks now.
“The feeling is still very positive for the transfer to be completed, but we’re still taking it one step at a time until we can close this deal, and Kanya Fujimoto can then join the Championship team as a free agent, once again after his contract with Gil Vicente ended.”
This is great news for anyone of a Birmingham persuasion, with Fujimoto a player who has now proven himself at a high level, making 156 appearances in the Primeira Liga.
The 25-year-old has scored 12 goals and registered 20 assists in Portugal’s top league, while analyst Ben Mattinson has hailed his “technical” quality.
Fujimoto has represented Japan in six age groups, further highlighting his pedigree, and he is a player who could be an instant hit for Birmingham, adding so much quality in midfield areas.