With the top order coming unstuck on the big night, it fell on Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube to win it for India, and they did just that

Shashank Kishore29-Sep-20252:49

Was Haris Rauf’s 17-run over the turning point?

Shivam Dube is a T20 World Cup winner. But the impact of his cameo – a 16-ball 27 – in the final against South Africa in Barbados was lost amid the euphoria of Suryakumar Yadav catch and the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja soon after.He had been picked to play a certain role: destroy spin in the middle overs. Because, between January 2023 and April 2024, Dube’s numbers were elite. He had hit 367 runs in 26 innings at a strike rate of 166 while being dismissed just five times. But after that, his numbers began to drop alarmingly. Between May 2024 and midway through the Asia Cup, the strike rate had dropped significantly, to 120, while he had been dismissed 13 times.Also, hardly bowling in IPL 2025 because of the Impact Player rule didn’t help his cause. Dube needed big performances at the Asia Cup.Related

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But his three innings leading into Sunday had brought him only 17 runs. And then he was faced with his toughest job yet: a quad injury to Hardik Pandya needed him to step in as a frontline bowler after the team chose batting insurance in the form of Rinku Singh ahead of an extra bowler in Arshdeep Singh. Then Suryakumar handed him the new ball. He didn’t do badly – 3-0-23-0 was respectable enough.Set 147 to win, Dube wouldn’t have known that his biggest contribution was to come yet. He played his part with a match-defining 33 off 22 balls, which was arguably at par with, if not better than, his Barbados cameo.

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Tilak Varma’s twin hundreds in South Africa last November ought to have put to rest any doubts over his ability as a top-order batter. But when his strike rates were questioned at IPL 2025, and he was even retired out on one occasion, it seemed like a mini setback.A county stint in England brought the confidence back leading into the Asia Cup. And through scores of 31, 29, 30*, 5 and 49*, he had shown sparks of that old consistency. Yet, there was a sense that the one defining knock hadn’t come.On Sunday, in Round Three against Pakistan – in a final, no less – with India’s top order having floundered and the scoreboard reading 20 for 3, there was that defining knock, an unbeaten 53-ball 69 that helped India get past the wobble to blaze past the finish line.

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Between the end of the IPL and the start of the Asia Cup, Dube had prioritised fitness to help improve his pace. He also worked on his variations, while also fine-tuning several facets of his batting. His specific target areas were to get better against spin and be effective against high-pace, short-pitched bowling. Essentially, it was a proper reboot.2:55

Aaron: ‘Dube is one of those priceless players’

Last week against Bangladesh, the spin-basher aspect of his game was tested when he was promoted to No. 3 to be a good match-up against left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed and legspinner Rishad Hossain. But when he was out for 2 off 3, miscuing a googly to long-off, there was a sense he had missed out again.On Sunday, Dube was held back. To be a finisher, rather than an enforcer.India had relied all tournament on Abhishek Sharma’s big starts that covered for the underwhelming returns from Shubman Gill and Suryakumar.In the final, Abhishek was out in the second over, leading to a proper top-order meltdown.Dube had a job to do when he walked out with the side needing 70 off 46. It was the kind of situation where a cameo would only do so much, but a false shot could prove catastrophic. He needed to be the consolidator and the finisher.And so he stood, facing up to scoreboard pressure, the pressure of the occasion and the charged setting, and the pressure of having to prove himself again.Dube scratched around early – three off five balls – and then nearly ran out Tilak before something clicked. Haris Rauf’s high pace and width allowed him to flick a switch as he slapped the bowler through the covers to break the shackles. Suddenly, the shoulders loosened and he was away.It helped that Tilak managed to accelerate too. Getting 47 off 30 wasn’t going to be a cakewalk, but Dube had at least got his eye in. And the moment Abrar Ahmed bowled length into him, the elite spin-hitter from 2023 took over. Dube unlocked the six-hitter he has always been known to be, muscling one with the spin over deep midwicket.When Rauf returned, his famed bat-swing and long levers helped make sweet connection with a low full toss as he clobbered another over deep midwicket to bring the equation down to 17 off 12.Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube’s brisk stand took India to the doorstep of victory•Getty ImagesEvery time India needed a big hit, he provided one to ease the pressure on Tilak. Dube was reasserting himself in the role he had been picked for. But when he fell, caught at long-off, with India needing ten off six balls, he was distraught.Sat on the edge of the steps to the dressing room, face looking down as his forehead rested on the bat handle, Dube wasn’t making eye contact with those around him.Two balls into the final over, when Tilak walloped Rauf over deep square for six, Dube was still distraught, running through the what-ifs possibly. It wasn’t until Rinku hit the winning runs that the pent-up energy burst forth – there was wild fist-pumping, high-fives, back slaps. Dube was back on his feet.He hared out of the dressing room, not particularly running in any one direction – the elation was visible.

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Dube’s relief was as palpable as Tilak’s joy at having seen this chase through, but he was nearly not the man for India on the night.In the 14th over, after he had done the hard yards and given himself, and India, a chance to breathe, he lay flat on his stomach, scrambling every possible inch he could with his long reach to make the crease with a full-length dive.As the dust off the turf flew into his face, he didn’t want to look up the replays on the big screen. Tilak might have thought that his bat had dangled in the air briefly before he was inside the crease. Unaware, of course, that there was a minuscule portion of his blade that was in safety zone.2:03

Chopra: Tilak understood the need of the hour

It helped that Mohammad Haris may have been a tad late to break the stumps. Tilak had a second chance. He had been on a near run-a-ball 37 at that point, but with the equation down to 64 off 36, he needed to change gears.That started in the following over, when he backed away to first slap Rauf past mid-off for four, and then play a nonchalant pick-up flick to send the ball over deep-backward square-leg – a shot that was all hands and Rauf’s pace. That 17-run over brought it down to 47 off 30.This was when Dube began to feed off Tilak’s form. But with Dube gone, with an over left, it was all left to Tilak. When he hit the second ball – a slower delivery on a length – off Rauf deep into the stands at backward square-leg with a ferocious pull, Gautam Gambhir’s stoic expression changed to full-blown fire, the coach thumping the desk in front of him wildly.And when the job was done, Tilak went on a celebratory run, towards the dugout – pointing to the India crest, saluting the fans and the dressing room… And just like that, any inkling of doubt had gone far away. He was India’s hero on the night, who had unlocked the finisher in him, in the most extreme pressure, of the kind he hadn’t faced in international cricket until that point.For Dube, it was a night that yet again served as a reminder of what he could still bring to this team. With the ball in the powerplay and with the bat under pressure. For Tilak, it was the night he stopped being the promising kid and became the man for the big occasion.

Old-school knock steers tricky chase and makes it goodnight, Bangladesh

S Sudarshanan07-Oct-20253:25

Knight to the fore as England overcome spirited Bangladesh

Heather Knight was drenched in sweat. Two days in a row. Once under lights, once under the hot, baking afternoon sun.In each of the two training sessions England had before their Women’s World Cup 2025 match against Bangladesh, Knight batted long and worked particularly hard on getting her sweep shots right. She faced a mix of throwdowns and net bowlers bowling left-arm spin, offspin and legspin. All that effort culminated in her Player-of-the-Match effort of 79 not out off 111 balls on Tuesday, which headlined England’s jailbreak.On match eve, Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana had called upon her team to “show our capabilities so that teams like England and Australia show interest in playing against us”. It was only the second time Bangladesh were playing England in an ODI. Her team-mates responded by reducing England to 78 for 5 and 103 for 6 in defence of 178. Marufa Akter once again set the tone with a fiery new-ball spell, accounting for both the English openers. She had Knight twice but the DRS came to the former captain’s aid on both occasions. Then the spinners, led by leggie Fahima Khatun, applied the squeeze.Related

• Heather Knight: Hamstrung no longer after slow road to recovery

• 'At first look, I thought it was out' – Knight on the catching reprieve

• Knight scraps to help England overcome Bangladesh scare

The track at the Assam Cricket Association Stadium in Guwahati wasn’t the most batting-friendly. It had a darkish look to it, played a little slow and aided spinners without really turning square. In Knight’s words, it was the “inconsistency of the turn” that made life tough for the batters. The wickets were proof, in that none of the England batters actually fell for spin.Nat Sciver-Brunt shunted a full toss straight to midwicket. Sophia Dunkley played down the wrong line, was beaten on the inside and out lbw. Emma Lamb was done in by the dip and miscued one to mid-on. Alice Capsey missed her shot across the line with an angled bat and was trapped leg before.Only Knight was able to apply what she thoroughly practised. This was Knight’s first international innings after returning from a hamstring injury and first in ODIs since January. She was in at the start of the second over and, understandably, a bit slow to start off. The hallmark of her innings was that she was willing to bide her time. She was willing to go old-school since the conditions demanded. For a large part of her innings, her strike rate hovered under the 50 mark; she did not score on 24 of her first 26 balls and on 65 of her 111.Heather Knight uses the sweep against spin•Getty Images”[I] didn’t find it my most fluent [knock], particularly at the start,” Knight said. “It was just a case of trying to get through. The conditions were tricky; obviously. Marufa got a huge amount of swing at the start. She was really tricky and [I] just tried to find a method just to get through the period.”I knew that if we had a set batter that was able to bat through, I probably had to be a little bit more attritional than I would have liked. I started to find my feet and my rhythm in that middle period, which was really nice. The hardest thing sometimes coming back from injury is that the rhythm of batting in the middle can take a little bit of time to get back. Delighted that I was able to spend a little bit of time out there, get through that pressure.”Since they played Pakistan in Kuala Lumpur in 2019, England had not played an ODI in the subcontinent up until this World Cup. It was down to Knight’s experience and muscle memory: it was her 28th ODI in this part of the world. She used the sweep to telling effect to score 14 off five balls using the traditional sweep, and a four with the one reverse sweep when England were in sight of their target. A couple of fours she hit against legspinner Shorna Akter stood out – when she rolled her wrists to get the ball behind square and then when she used her reach to nail the shot in front of square. When the sweep was out of question, she charged down the track to launch the bowler in the ‘V’.”It was really hard to pierce the off-side ring,” Knight said. “[It] felt like I had to take a few risks and get the feet going. The sweep shot is obviously one that’s really strong for me and when the bowling is a little bit slower, not a huge amount of pace on the ball, it can be one that I go to. Picking what works for which bowler [matters], so some of the left-armers it felt a lot easier to go down the ground. Being really clear on what I was going to sweep, what I was going to hit down the ground and when I had to soak up pressure and trust my defence as well [was important].”England had an inkling of what to expect after flexing their spin mettle in the afternoon. Their spinners, led by Sophie Ecclestone, had picked up nine of the ten Bangladesh wickets and Knight knew it was “going to be hard work”. Yet, it came down to a good Knight knock for England to have a good night in Guwahati.

Liverpool are now reportedly pushing to sign a Celtic youngster in what could deal the Hoops a frustrating blow ahead of Wilfried Nancy’s arrival.

O'Neill: Celtic have restored "confidence"

As far as interim managers go, Celtic couldn’t have done a lot better than Martin O’Neill. There would have been concerns that the 73-year-old was out of ideas in the modern game, but he’s since proved any doubters wrong by getting the Bhoys back on track and rolling back the years.

Signing off in style in his final European game, Celtic secured a much-needed victory against Feyenoord on Thursday evening and O’Neill admitted that “confidence” has been restored in the squad.

The veteran manager told reporters: “Judging from last season, the format, you are looking for 10 or 11 points to qualify. It won’t be easy, but Celtic have two home games and the confidence is in the side now.

“I told my two brothers who came to the game to start my chant, so they must have done so. Might as well enjoy it while it lasts. In the dressing room, the lads are full of it.

“It’s hard to say what I thought [when I took charge]. My two daughters were all in on going for it, but my wife said I would probably mess it up. I haven’t messed it up so far. It’s been great. The results are what you live by and they’ve been terrific.

“[The new manager] has got some players who are big winners, which is great. I’m sure he will lean on some of those lads and then it’s about improving some of the other players.

“The restoration of confidence is big and it’s keeping it going after that. Winning away from home is terrific – it’s not easy away from home in Europe. It gives them belief that they can come and compete.”

The job will now be passed over to Nancy, who could be about to lose one of his best academy stars right away amid Liverpool’s interest in Derek Jikiemi.

Liverpool pushing to sign Celtic gem Jikiemi

As reported by The Daily Record, Liverpool are now pushing to sign Celtic gem Jikiemi after sending their scouts to watch the 15-year-old Parkhead wonderkid. The central defender is one of the most talented players in Celtic’s academy, but could be about to follow in Ben Doak’s footsteps by swapping Glasgow for Merseyside.

Although Jikiemi is one for the future, losing him would represent where Celtic currently find themselves in the European pecking order. They won’t be expected to compete Liverpool in the market, but they must do better to keep hold of homegrown talent.

Nancy must unleash Celtic's most frustrating player since Engels

Wilfried Nancy must unleash this Celtic star who is their most frustrating player since Arne Engels.

1 ByDan Emery Nov 26, 2025

If the teenager did complete a move to Anfield then Celtic would only receive compensation for the years that he came through their system in an added blow.

The Hoops can, however, secure their young star to professional terms at the end of the season when he’s 16 years old. Whether they get the chance to do that remains to be seen, however.

Celtic now confident they'll beat Man City to history-making first signing for Nancy

Jude Bellingham’s treatment with the England national team may have put him off “from playing in the Premier League”, claims ex-Manchester City, Chelsea and Three Lions star Shaun Wright-Phillips. Bellingham has seen some of his behaviour questioned by those in his homeland, which could lead to the Real Madrid midfielder shunning a future return to his roots.

• Birmingham native Bellingham now a 'Galactico' in Madrid

  Bellingham stepped out of his comfort zone when leaving boyhood club Birmingham for German giants Borussia Dortmund in 2020. He is now a ‘Galactico’ at Santiago Bernabeu with La Liga and Champions League titles to his name.

  The 22-year-old has also earned 46 senior caps for his country, becoming a talismanic presence for England, but continues to attract criticism for supposed character flaws – with Thomas Tuchel having previously admitted that his mother finds some of Bellingham’s on-field antics “repulsive”.

  While some have been quick to knock Bellingham down, others continue to talk him up. Arsenal legend Ian Wright sits in that camp, with the former England striker claiming that some people are not “ready for a black superstar” before going on to say that Bellingham’s potential “frightens these people because of his capability and the inspiration he can give”.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Will Bellingham shun future interest from the Premier League?

  Wright-Phillips stands by those comments from his father and admits that a global superstar may start to ask questions of whether he ever wants to play club football in his homeland again.

  The Premier League title winner told : “If I was Jude Bellingham, I think it could put me off from playing in the Premier League, definitely. In England we seem to target a player ahead of a big tournament, like they’re dying to break one of them down.

  “I’ve just never understood why. You want your players going into a tournament full of confidence. Arrogant, almost. You want them knowing and thinking they can win. The press should big them up, help them, not tear them down like this. The press causes problems and puts doubts in their head, and changes the way they think.

  “I think if you change a player’s personality, you change how they play. That’s not always good. Far from it. I think the players need to just concentrate on what they're doing. So if I was Jude, why would I come back when I can stay at Real Madrid and enjoy life at the same time, without bad press that comes for no reason.

  “I think he’s the go-to man for England, and I sometimes do not understand why he is in the crosshairs. He’s not perfect, but he’s performing well for club and country. It’s not like he has some huge arrogant attitude, or plays badly. They should leave him be and let him prepare mentally.”

• Selection headache: How do England fit everybody in?

  Amid reports of Bellingham potentially being left out of England’s 2026 World Cup squad, Wright-Phillips added on the problem that Tuchel faces when it comes to getting so many creative talents into his team: “My approach would be first of all to tell the players that this is England, so there’s no shame around being a substitute for the team at the World Cup. It’s about getting the best team out on the pitch, not necessarily all your best players.

  “I feel like England miss a maverick at the moment. They need a creative No.10, someone who creates something from nothing, and the closest to that is Cole Palmer. Then I’d pick two wingers, maybe [Marcus] Rashford, [Jarrod] Bowen or [Bukayo] Saka.

  “But if not Palmer, then [Phil] Foden and [Morgan] Rogers are great options. At eight, you have Bellingham and then Declan Rice at six, with Elliot Anderson ready to come in for him. Bellingham has the running power, as does Declan, so they can both be up and down on the pitch. Then you have your players ahead of those two to just terrorise the opposition. You need a back four who can stop the counters. England have so much potential. I don’t think it matters too much whether it’s Foden or Palmer in that role, as long as the team is set up properly.”

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  2026 World Cup draw: When England will discover their opponents

  England, with Bellingham still very much part of the fold for now, will discover their initial 2026 World Cup opponents when the group stage draw takes place on Friday – with Tuchel preparing to piece together plans for another shot at global glory.

Dwarshuis is back in Australia’s squad for the final two T20Is while Reddy may be ready to return to action for India

Andrew McGlashan05-Nov-2025

Mitchell Marsh and Suryakumar Yadav exchange smiles•Cricket Australia via Getty Images

Big Picture: Who will strike gold on the coast?

It’s not often an India series is overshadowed but, in many Australian cricket circles at least, this T20I series is not the major talking point, although it is far from insignificant for those involved. The day before the fourth match, with the series locked at 1-1, the Ashes squad dropped and it will likely continue to be picked over in the days ahead.There are even fewer links in Australia’s squad for this series to the upcoming Ashes with Travis Head and Sean Abbott having been released. Josh Inglis, who will have a quick turnaround into Sheffield Shield cricket after the series is done, is the only one who remains who is among those to be involved in Perth.Related

• Short outlines clear pathway to next T20 World Cup

• Arshdeep, Sundar help India level the series against Australia

• Arshdeep's career highlights the balancing act T20 cricket imposes on India

• Head leaves T20I squad for red-ball Ashes preparation

India were excellent in leveling the series in Hobart. The chase was an example of their immense batting depth in T20 cricket. Only Tilak Varma had a strike-rate below 125, Washington Sundar, playing his first game of the series, hurried the game to a conclusion with some powerful strokeplay and Jitesh Sharma played with confidence having also come into the team.Tim David batted brilliantly for Australia, a continuation of his evolving role higher up the order which has the makings of a critical change to the team’s T20 plans heading into the World Cup. His 74 off 38 included one of the biggest sixes seen. However, the home side couldn’t quite recover from losing Mitch Marsh (who had only faced 14 balls by the eighth over) and Mitch Owen in consecutive deliveries against Varun Chakravarthy, although Marcus Stoinis’ well-constructed 64 was another positive for them.For Australia the last two matches of this T20 series played across Thursday and Saturday bring an end to an intensive run in the format. They are the last before the selectors will need to name a T20 World Cup squad although BBL form may yet play a part.

Form guide

Australia LWWWW
India WLWWWBen Dwarshuis brings left-arm variety to Australia’s attack•Getty Images

In the spotlight: Ben Dwarshuis and Abhishek Sharma

Left-arm seamer Ben Dwarshuis put together an impressive run of games against West Indies and South Africa earlier this year, but has had some niggly injuries the past month which has limited him to one T20I out of the last six. But he is back in the squad for the final two games against India, replacing Abbott, and will bring valuable variation to the attack. With Mitchell Starc having retired from T20Is and Spencer Johnson working through a long-term injury, Dwarshuis is the leading candidate to fill the left-arm pace role at the World Cup.If Abhishek Sharma hasn’t tried to hit every ball for four and six, then he’s come close. On a more serious note, he did show the layers to his game with the superb 68 at the MCG in tough conditions. He is the only India batter with over 100 runs in the series and they have come at a strike-rate of 167.16. However, in Hobart he was out-thought by Nathan Ellis’ bouncer. He needs 39 runs for 1000 in T20Is. If Abhishek reaches the mark in this match he would equal Virat Kohli’s record of 27 innings as the fastest for India and he would become the fastest globally balls faced. Suryakumar Yadav is currently the quickest from 573 balls; Abhishek has currently faced 500.

Team news: Eyes on Maxwell, Reddy may be ready

Head’s departure from the series creates a vacancy for Matt Short to return to his favoured opening position. Glenn Maxwell wasn’t quite ready to return from his wrist injury in Hobart but it’s understood he is expected to be available. Dwarshuis would appear a logical addition to the pace attack unless Mahli Beardman is handed a debut.Australia (possible): 1 Matt Short, 2 Mitchell Marsh (capt), 3 Josh Inglis (wk), 4 Tim David, 5 Mitch Owen, 6 Marcus Stoinis, 7 Glenn Maxwell, 8 Xavier Bartlett, 9 Ben Dwarshuis, 10 Nathan Ellis, 11 Matt KuhnemannIndia may consider the role Shivam Dube is currently playing after an expensive three overs in Hobart although they have all bases covered with their plethora of allrounders. Nitish Kumar Reddy may be available again after injury. “He did all his work that was needed or expected of him in fielding, batting, and bowling,” bowling coach Morne Morkel said. “He ticked all of that, so we will find out now after assessment where he is at.”India (possible): 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill, 4 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Axar Patel, 6 Washington Sundar, 7 Jitesh Sharma, 8 Shivam Dube, 9 Arshdeep Singh, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Jasprit Bumrah

Pitch and conditions

There have only been two previous men’s internationals at Carrara – and one became a 10-over game – so previous evidence is limited. In the BBL the ground has the sixth-highest batting strike of venues to have hosted at least 10 matches.

Stats and trivia

• Glenn Maxwell needs one wicket for 50 in T20Is, Marcus Stoinis needs two. They could each be the first Australia men’s player to complete the 1000 runs/50 wickets double in T20Is.
• Nathan Ellis needs three wickets for 50 in T20Is.
• Tilak Varma needs nine runs for 1000 in T20Is.

Quotes

“You need to have options available. Every team across the world are playing around with options. In this game, you need to be adaptable and where certain players can give you options in different roles.”

USA Cricket (USAC) has terminated their commercial agreement with American Cricket Enterprises (ACE), the parent company of Major League Cricket (MLC), which is three seasons old. ACE, in reply, called the termination “unlawful” and “wrongful”. ACE further said it has “fully complied” with their contractual obligations under the agreement with USAC, who have “no grounds to terminate the agreement”.USAC cited multiple material breaches of the agreement signed between them in May 2019, and said in a media release issued on August 21 that ACE failed to “fulfill its contractual and fiduciary obligations” despite “extensive dialogue, the issuance of formal breach notices, and repeated opportunities to cure defaults.””The breaches span critical areas, including financial commitments, infrastructure development, organizational structural, and governance responsibilities,” the release said.Venu Pisike, USAC Board chairman, further said: “USA Cricket entered into this partnership with ACE in good faith, with the shared vision of building sustainable infrastructure, providing competitive opportunities for our athletes, and creating commercial growth for the sport in America. We are supportive for the growth and success of Major League Cricket and Minor League Cricket. But, when it comes to USA Cricket, ACE has consistently failed to meet its obligations under the agreement, which has jeopardized the broader development of cricket in United States. After years of engagement and repeated breach notices, USA Cricket has no choice but to terminate this agreement to protect the best interests of the sport and its stakeholders. Additionally, we also raised concerns around the circumstances under which ACE was given the contract and the usage of USA Cricket intellectual property.”USA Cricket is resolute in ensuring that American cricket has a strong, sustainable future. We will continue to work closely with the International Cricket Council, domestic stakeholders, and partners to deliver on this vision.”The release further said USAC is open to “renewed discussions” with ACE for new terms and conditions that ensure “full alignment with the organization’s vision and long-term development objectives, including support for national team programs, player development, and grassroots initiatives.”ACE issued a statement in reply to say: “ACE is disappointed that USAC has selfishly chosen, on the eve of the 2025 MiLC (Minor League Cricket) season, to wrongfully terminate its agreement with ACE. USAC’s conduct undermines the hard work and dedication of all players, staff and team personnel involved in U.S. cricket, and the continued development of the sport in this country. It also jeopardizes MiLC, men’s, women’s and youth national team activities, and preparations for upcoming ICC events and the LA28 Olympics.”Indeed, based on information that has come to light, USAC may have been advised against terminating the agreement. Despite what has been stated about ACE’s performance, ACE has exceeded its financial obligations under the agreement. ACE has not only provided USAC with direct payments in full compliance with its obligations, but has also repeatedly provided USAC with additional discretionary funding and financial support to help USAC achieve its objectives and purposes. ACE recently made advanced payments, at USAC’s request, so that USAC could meet its staff salary obligations. ACE has also complied with its infrastructure obligations. In fact, USAC has recognized and relied upon ACE’s high-performance facilities for national team events, training and workshops.”USAC is hypocritically alleging contractual noncompliance while requesting that ACE immediately negotiate a new agreement. ACE views USAC’s improper conduct as nothing more than a cynical attempt to serve personal and political agendas, at the expense of the U.S. cricket community.”Consistent with previous ICC and USOPC recommendations, ACE urges the USAC board to resign immediately and allow professional independent board members selected by the ICC and USOPC to steer USA Cricket forward.”Nonetheless, ACE will not allow USAC’s tactics to undermine its continued development of a thriving, elite cricket ecosystem. ACE remains focused on advancing U.S. cricket and serving the best interests of the cricket community.”ACE is prepared to take all necessary steps to protect its stakeholders, safeguard the progress it has made over the last seven years, and ensure the long-term success of cricket in the U.S.”Last month, the ICC had proposed the USAC Board resign as part of roadmap for Olympics certification in the lead up to the 2028 Olympics that are to be held in Los Angeles. The ICC had initiated steps to “reset” and overhaul the leadership and governance structure at USAC at the behest of US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC).USAC and ACE had launched the MLC in the USA with six teams in 2023, three of which are owned by IPL team owners, and another owned by an investor group that includes the owners of Delhi Capitals. The first two seasons were played across two grounds, in Morrisville (North Carolina) and Dallas (Texas), before the tournament expanded to Lauderhill (Florida) and Oakland (California).

Manchester United have been boosted by the news that key centre-back Lisandro Martinez has returned to full training after a long injury absence.

After a concerning start to the season, things really feel like they are falling into place for the Red Devils, following three wins in a row in the Premier League, including memorable victory away to rivals and champions Liverpool.

Ruben Amorim has overcome a hugely testing period and now feels like the right man to take United forward, and having as many players available as possible can only be a good thing, with one game a week this season and no European football helping in that respect.

One player who Amorim has had to do without for many months is Martinez, with the Argentina World Cup winner not featuring since damaging knee ligaments at the beginning of February, in a cruel blow for the defender.

The 27-year-old is arguably United’s strongest centre-back, so not having him available for such an extended period of time has been far from ideal, but ahead of the trip to Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon, some great news has emerged regarding his fitness.

Martinez to return to Man Utd action in November

Taking to X on Thursday, Fabrizio Romano confirmed that Martinez is now back in training for Manchester United, aiming for a return on the pitch in November.

This is fantastic news for anyone of a United persuasion, with Martinez’s tenacity, quality and winning mentality such a loss over the past eight months or so. It has also left Amorim delighted, with the manager saying: “It’s really good. He gives use that edge in every training session, that is also really good for us.”

The Argentine is a hugely popular figure at Old Trafford, playing with so much passion, and Casemiro has heaped praise on him as a character.

“Licha is on the final straight. He is a soldier who works so hard. He is always in the gym working hard. He is a machine that works so hard. He is one of those players that loves to work hard. It is a pleasure to have him here, he works so much. We arrived [today] at 9am and it is now 4pm and he continues working.”

Where Lisandro Martinez ranks among Man Utd's highest-earning players

It is clearly going to take Martinez some time to get back to his very best, given the severity of his injury, but assuming he makes a full recovery and returns as the player of old eventually, he can continue to be a huge player for United for years to come.

Man Utd now targeting Angelo Stiller as Jason Wilcox personal involvement revealed

Man United are looking to strengthen in the middle of the park, and Stiller has now emerged as a target.

By
Dominic Lund

Oct 31, 2025

He is tailor-made to thrive in Amorim’s back three, bringing the ball out with quality and purpose, and he even has the characteristics to potentially be a future captain of the Red Devils if Bruno Fernandes moves on before him, endearing himself to the fans with his love for the club.

شارك النجم المصري عمر مرموش في مباراة مانشستر سيتي، مساء السبت، ضد نظيره سندرلاند، في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

واستضاف ملعب “الاتحاد” مباراة مانشستر سيتي وسندرلاند في خضم منافسات الجولة الخامسة عشر من الدوري الإنجليزي، موسم 2025/26، حيث حقق السكاي بلوز فوزًا بنتيجة 3/0.

ودخل عمر مرموش كبديل في الدقيقة 69، بعدما دفع به المدرب بيب جوارديولا ليحل محل النجم إيرلينج هالاند.

وسنحت فرصة لـ عمر مرموش في الدقيقة 73، بعدما تلقى الكرة ولكنها جاءت أطول من اللازم بالنسبة له، لتصل أسرع إلى حارس مرمى سندرلاند.

ومرر ريان شرقي الكرة ولكنها تخطت عمر مرموش، لتصل إلى تيجاني ريندرز الذي سددها بجوار القائم، في الدقيقة 74.

وشتت دفاع سندرلاند كرة كانت في طريقها إلى عمر مرموش، في الدقيقة 81، وسط محاولات من المصري للتواجد داخل منطقة الجزاء لاستغلال أي فرصة سانحة للتسجيل.

وتلقى عمر مرموش الكرة وانطلق من الناحية اليسرى للملعب، وأراد التسديد من تلك الجهة ولكن أحد مدافعي سندرلاند ضغط وشتت الهجمة، لتتحول إلى ركنية، في الدقيقة 86.

كما جاءت فرصة جديدة لصالح مرموش في الدقيقة الثالثة من الوقت المحتسب بدلًا من الضائع للشوط الثاني، بعدما تلقى كرة داخل المنطقة وتعامل معها بشكل جيد ولكن ضُغط عليه بطريقة قوية من جانب الدفاع.

Manchester City are now willing to make an unexpected decision about Rodri’s future at the club in an attempt to sign Jude Bellingham from Real Madrid in 2026.

The Citizens were in a ruthless mood against Liverpool before the international break, with Pep Guardiola overseeing his 1000th game as a manager in classic, dominant style.

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It was the first time that the Citizens have sent a damning statement to the rest of the Premier League about their title credentials this season and former player Micah Richards believes that they could yet beat Arsenal to the crown once again.

What has made City’s quietly impressive form even better is the fact that they’ve coped without Rodri. In the Spaniard’s absence last season, they looked a shadow of their controlled best. This time around, as Rodri continues a stuttered recovery from an ACL injury, Nico Gonzalez has provided Guardiola with the perfect replacement.

It’s allowed City’s Ballon d’Or winner to slowly work his way back to his best, but has also welcomed some interesting reports about his long-term future at the Etihad. Some in Spain have even gone as far as to suggest that Rodri could yet be sacrificed as part of another £100m+ deal.

Man City willing to spend £100m+ to sign Bellingham

According to those reports in the Spanish media, Man City are now willing to spend €150m (£133m) to sign Bellingham in 2026 and could be prepared to use Rodri as a makeweight in any potential deal with Real Madrid.

There’s been more unrest at the Bernabeu since the arrival of Xabi Alonso, with Vinícius Jr particularly struggling with the Spaniard’s call for discipline, and that has opened the door for a number of potential exits.

Whether Bellingham is among those is the question that many will be asking. There’s no doubt that he — as one of the best midfielders in the world — would take City back to the level that resulted in Premier League dominance not so long ago.

Former Real boss Carlo Ancelotti has been one of many iconic names to hand Bellingham plenty of praise in recent years, having told Gary Lineker on the Rest is Football podcast earlier this week: “I think Jude is a fantastic player.

“If I have to compare, we were talking about Kaka. He is this kind of player, a really intelligent player, who is physically really strong, fantastic to arrive in the box at the right time.”

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