Liverpool’s players were much improved in their 2-0 win at home to Aston Villa, but Dominik Szoboszlai was yet again his team’s star man.
The Reds picked up a vital three points at Anfield on Saturday evening, with Mohamed Salah and Ryan Gravenberch getting the goals, and Arne Slot was in positive spirits after the game.
“Happy with the result, with the performance and what I saw today, not only from the players but also the support we got from the fans, was what we needed today. Maybe we were a bit more on the lucky side than we’ve been in the last few weeks, where in my opinion we were also unlucky.
“So, the mistake of their goalkeeper and the deflection led to two of our goals. These are the margins we are talking about. I think in other games we’ve created more from open play than we did today. But in football it’s about results, not about the chances you create from open play.”
It was a night where so many Liverpool players found a new gear after poor form, including Mohamed Salah, who scored his 250th Liverpool goal, but it was Szoboszlai who stood out yet again.
Minutes played
90
Tackles won
2/2
Ground duels won
3/6
Recoveries
5
Pass completion rate
93%
Successful dribbles
1/1
Shots on target
2
Szoboszlai now Liverpool's "most important player"
Writing on X after the win over Villa, ESPN journalist Beth Lindop heaped praise on Szoboszlai, even calling him Liverpool’s “most important player” at the moment.
It is hard to argue with this assessment, with the Hungarian proving to be one of the biggest positives in an otherwise frustrating season to date.
While so many players around him have floundered, he has consistently reached his best level, providing incredible amounts of energy and showcasing his versatility by excelling in attacking midfield, defensive midfield and at right-back.
On current form, Szoboszlai is undroppable for Liverpool, giving Slot a conundrum when it comes to using the Reds’ second-most expensive signing in history, Florian Wirtz.
The German is still adjusting to life in the Premier League, and with the trio of Szoboszlai, Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister all doing well against Villa, it is hard to find a place for him currently.
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There is the option of playing Wirtz in the left wing in place of Cody Gakpo, but either way, Szoboszlai is a shoo-in for any Liverpool game, and has to be considered one of the first names on Slot’s team sheet.
Best game all season: Liverpool star was even better than Salah & Gravenberch
In case you haven't heard, Juan Soto didn't make the All-Star Game in his debut season with the New York Mets. And he's not happy about it.
But instead of citing the on-field reasons why he's disappointed about missing out on the Midsummer Classic, Soto, who signed the largest deal in professional sports history at $765 million in February, was bummed due to missing out on a bonus in his contract.
"What do you think?" Soto said to a reporter who asked if he's disappointed he didn't make the All-Star Game. "I think it's a lot of money on the table [if I make it]."
Michael Kay wasn't a fan of his response. In fact, he initially thought Soto's comments were a cringy AI video until he saw that the official SNY account on X (formerly Twitter) posted the clip.
"Oh, goodness gracious. Talk about being tone deaf," Kay said on his radio show on ESPN New York. "C'mon, Juan. … You're making a smidge under $47 million this season. And you're upset you're not making the All-Star Game because of an All-Star bonus that you have in your contract? Do you know how bad that looks that you said that? … Do you even realize how that makes you look?"
Soto would have made an additional $100,000 if he was voted into the All-Star Game, according to the Associated Press.
Soto got off to a rough start in his Mets career, logging a .752 OPS in April and batting just .219 in May. But he was scorching hot in June, hitting .322/.474/.722 with 11 homers and 20 RBIs in 27 games, which was enough to earn him the NL Player of the Month honors.
Ronald Acuna Jr., Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker will start in the outfield for the National League, while Corbin Carroll, Kyle Stowers, Fernando Tatis Jr. and James Wood will serve as the reserve outfielders.
Soto, meanwhile, will have to watch the All-Star Game from his couch—with no $100,000 bonus in his pocket.
If you didn’t believe that Manchester City were bona fide title contenders, well, you surely do now.
On Sunday, the serial champions crushed the reigning champions 3-0 at the Etihad, doing so with plenty to spare.
Despite the fact Erling Haaland saw an early penalty saved by Giorgi Mamardashvili, this merely momentarily delayed the Sky Blues onslaught.
Haaland headed home the opener soon after, before Nico González’s deflected shot deservedly doubled the Citizens’ advantage in first-half injury time, with Jérémy Doku curling home a clinching third; more on the brilliant Belgian in a bit.
The match marked Pep Guardiola’s 1,000th match in management and took his tally to 716 wins, which isn’t bad.
Now eyeing a seventh Premier League title, Manchester City are just four points adrift leaders Arsenal, after Mikel Arteta’s team were denied victory at the Stadium of Light on Saturday night by Brian Brobbey’s last-gasp equaliser for Sunderland.
if Man City are going to become champions of the land once again, they’ll need two of their stars from Sunday to continue to perform.
Jérémy Doku's performance against Liverpool
As noted by Opta, Jérémy Doku won 11 duels, completed seven dribbles, created three chances and registered three shots on target against Liverpool.
If you think that sounds impressive, well, that’s because it is. He is the first player to rack up such an impressive figure in a single Premier League game since Eden Hazard against West Ham in April 2019.
Doku’s thunderous strike capped off the victory as well as his own sublime display, with Gary Neville, speaking during commentary for Sky Sports, saying never before had he awarded the player of the match after 62 minutes, until today.
David Hytner of the Guardian asserted that the winger was ‘unplayable’, praising his ‘blur of tricks and direct running’, with Doku tormenting Liverpool right-back Conor Bradley, the Northern Irishman having pocketed Vinícius Júnior just a few days before.
This was Doku’s 100th appearance in sky blue, scoring just his 17th goal for the club, previously netting against Napoli and Swansea this season, his previous Premier League goal coming at Portman Road against Ipswich in mid-January.
Now though, perhaps the 23-year-old is showing signs of realising his full potential so, while he was the obvious star of the show, an under-the-radar Man City player also deserves to be heralded for their display.
Pep Guardiola's unsung Man City hero
12 months ago, when Manchester City were in complete free fall, all the talk was about how this team cannot win without Rodri.
Well, despite enjoying a brief cameo off the bench against Bournemouth last weekend, the Ballon d’Or winner was not even in the matchday squad against Borussia Dortmund nor Liverpool subsequently, which was one of the major talking points prior to kick off on Sunday.
Nevertheless, Guardiola once described Nico González as like a “mini-Rodri”, and the midfielder helped ensure his compatriot was not missed.
Nico scored the second goal, a hammer blow for Arne Slot’s team coming on the cusp of half-time, and put in a generally imperious performance, as the numbers support.
Nico González stats vs Liverpool
Stats
Nico
Match rank
Goals
1
1st
Accurate passes
51
3rd
Passing accuracy %
88%
5th*
Defensive actions
8
3rd
Tackles won
3
2nd
Duels won
6
4th
Ground duels won
5
3rd
Touches
72
2nd
SofaScore rating
8.3
2nd
*minimum 30 passes completed.
Stats via SofaScore
As the table highlights, the midfielder ranked in the top four when it came to a wide variety of statistics, registering more touches than any other player in sky blue, winning five of the six ground duels he contested as well as completing 51 of 58 passes. Truth be told, this was probably his best display in blue, dominating one of the best sides in the division.
The Manchester Evening News awarded him an 8/10 for his performance, noting that the Spaniard took ‘charge of the game’.
This, in truth, should not be overly surprising.
The midfielder joined from Porto back in January for around £50m and did so with a big reputation, given that he is a La Masia graduate, breaking into the Barcelona team with fellow mononymously known midfielders Pedri and Gavi, rated as highly as both when they were teenagers.
Nevertheless, it is still invaluable for Man City that Nico is able to take a step forward in his development and has the quality to operate as a one-man midfield, allowing their attacking stars, namely Doku, Haaland and others, to shine.
With Rodri and his obvious back-up Mateo Kovačić both struggling due to ongoing injury issues, while Tijjani Reijnders appears ill-suited to the role, Nico has been thrown in at the deep end in the number 6 position, but is gracefully swimming like a swan, rather than sinking like a heavy stone, to continue that analogy.
When Manchester City return to action after the international break, they’ll do so with a tricky trip to St James’ Park, but victory over Newcastle would cut the gap at the top to just one point, ahead of the North London derby the following day.
For the here and now, on the occasion of Guardiola’s 1,000 match as a manager, it was probably fitting that a diminutive Spanish defensive midfield shone.
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He first dismissed Jitesh Sharma from over-the-wicket angle and then befuddled Krunal Pandya with a carrom ball
Shashank Kishore03-Apr-20251:54
Bangar: Sai Kishore has steely resolve
In 2016, when 20-year-old rookie R Sai Kishore found himself in a heated altercation with N Jagadeesan and exchanged angry words with R Ashwin during a Tamil Nadu Premier League match, his fiery intensity seemed misplaced. “If you want to take on Ashwin, bowl like him,” they told him at the time.Sai Kishore took that to heart and went on to earn the reputation of being not only a deep thinker of the game, much like Ashwin, but also a bowler who prides himself on constant reinvention and adaptation to the ever-evolving T20 landscape.Hardik Pandya, who captained him for two seasons at Gujarat Titans, once called him a “scientist” for his ability to out-think batters. Sai Kishore’s competitive energy during the game can, at times, spill over into a stare down, like the one he had with “good friend” Hardik last week, during GT’s win over Mumbai Indians.Related
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As a T20 bowler, Sai Kishore thrives when challenged. After last year’s IPL, while scrolling through X, he was intrigued by the insights from ball-by-ball and Hawk-Eye data and took away heaps of learnings from those.He studied his pitch map from the season and quickly swung into action. One of the many things he took away was the need to refine a mystery element that had been in the works but not seriously considered in the middle. On Wednesday, this “mystery” was amply on display when he dismissed Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Krunal Pandya.At first sighting, it appeared a normal length delivery that he’d slowed down considerably to get some bite off the surface. But upon a second viewing, the release made it apparent he’d bowled a carrom ball – not unusual in Sai Kishore’s world but a novelty for left-arm spinners. Last year, his Tamil Nadu colleague and fellow left-arm spinner M Siddharth unusually swung the ball. Here, Sai Kishore was turning it away from a left-hand batter.
“It’s like a carom ball. I get more dip on it, so I don’t know what it is. I can call it anything, but I’m just trying to bowl the carrom ball”Sai Kishore on his mystery delivery
It is a ball Sai Kishore has sporadically bowled across formats. During the Duleep Trophy in Coimbatore in 2022-23, Sarfaraz Khan, an excellent player of spin who was seemingly trying to get outside the line and sweep him off his lengths, was caught by surprise with ones he didn’t expect to turn the other way.”Over the last three-four years, I’ve been practising that ball,” Sai Kishore said during the innings break. “I felt I was confident enough to bowl it in this IPL, so I just went with my instincts. It’s like a carom ball. I get more dip on it, so I don’t know what it is. I can call it anything, but I’m just trying to bowl the carrom ball.”The other element on display on Wednesday night was his use of angles. He bowled over the wicket to best Jitesh Sharma, who threatened a rapid rescue with Liam Livingstone. By slowing his pace down and bowling away from his arc, Sai Kishore had Jitesh hit against the line and hole out to long-on. He finished with figures of 2 for 22 off four overs.R Sai Kishore was at his inventive best against RCB•Associated Press”I felt when you bowled into the wicket, it was assisting the spinners, and I was getting decent purchase,” Sai Kishore said. “What I mean by into the wicket is having a good shape on the ball – bowling like a proper red-ball game and trying to spin it as hard as I can. Whatever pace I could gather into it, I was fine with it.”For the entire length of his stint with GT, Sai Kishore has often flown under the radar and in Rashid Khan’s shadows. In 2023, he also had Noor Ahmed to compete with as GT went to the latter as their fourth overseas following Kane Williamson’s injury in the very first match. This rejigging consigned Sai Kishore to the bench for the entire season, and it was during this time that he tried to experiment and develop consistency.On Wednesday, Sai Kishore wasn’t Rashid’s understudy. When one of the greatest T20 spinners had a rare nightmare of a game, delivering his joint-second-most expensive spell, Sai Kishore mitigated those effects with his variations and big strikes. Sai Sudharsan brought up Sai Kishore’s impact unprompted at the post-match press conference.
“There are many captains in modern-day cricket who are averse to the idea of a left-arm spinner bowling to a left-hander. If you have that carrom ball, then they might just be a bit more encouraged”Aakash Chopra
“Saiki, we definitely have to talk about him because he was one of the main contributors for this game and a few previous games as well,” Sudharsan said. “I feel in this game, Saiki’s was the most important spell because the wicket was very difficult to bat against the fast bowler. So as batters, even me, we were trying to maximise what we get out of the spinners.”I feel he was smart enough and used the right speeds on this wicket and right angles to Tim David and Liam Livingstone when he bowled there. I feel he used the speed really well in the angles. And that’s why I think he had a great game.”What about his variations and the different things he isn’t afraid to try? Has he faced them before at the nets?”I feel off the field, I can tell you the amount of effort he puts, the amount of preparation he does in terms of tactical advantages,” Sudharsan said. “I feel that is taking him a bit ahead than other bowlers because he understands the game, he understands the situation and uses his speeds, uses his angles. That is one of his strengths and I think that is why he is bowling the way he is.”On ESPNcricinfo T20 Time Out, former India allrounder and batting coach Sanjay Bangar was equally impressed, likening Sai Kishore’s skills to some of the best exponents of the craft.R Sai Kishore celebrates Jitesh Sharma’s wicket with Rahul Tewatia•BCCI”He has been a consistent performer now and has great control over the speeds he bowls, the lines he bowls,” he said. “He is someone who has a steely resolve. When Jitesh was going hard at him, was trying to line him up, he had the guts to go over the wicket, which is considered a defensive line, and then throw it slightly away from him – it takes some doing.”If you look at the past and see which bowlers have bowled in this particular fashion, deceiving by bowling slower balls, slower pace and not bowling defensive lines, you had Daniel Vettori, [Mitchell] Santner presently, [Harpreet] Brar does that to an extent for Punjab Kings, and then there is Sai Kishore.”Former India opener Aakash Chopra felt that Sai Kishore’s new variation could help set up a trend of left-arm spinners no longer being silent spectators against left-hand batters.”It’s incredible,” Chopra said of Kishore’s carrom ball. “They say necessity is the mother of invention. Offspinners tend to do that very often, because they are turning the ball into the right-handers, so they need that carrom ball. Very few left-arm spinners do that, even though it’s the same skill set. Sai Kishore is one of those guys and it’s something others can actually pick up as well.”There are many captains in modern-day cricket who are averse to the idea of a left-arm spinner bowling to a left-hander. If you have that carrom ball, then they might just be a bit more encouraged.”
Any supporters of Glasgow Rangers and Scotland will have enjoyed their Tuesday night after former Gers academy prospect Kenny McLean scored in a 4-2 win over Denmark to qualify for the World Cup.
Whilst McLean scored from the half-way line, Scott McTominay stole the headlines with an outstanding overhead kick early on in the match, which put Scotland 1-0 up.
The attacking midfielder has now scored 14 goals for Scotland, with this strike against Denmark arguably the best of the lot, and his rise to prominence for his country is a story that the Gers could learn from.
What Rangers can learn from Scott McTominay's Scotland heroics
Per Transfermarkt, McTominay started more games as a defensive midfielder (134) than in any other position during his time with Manchester United, and scored 29 goals in 255 matches.
The Premier League giants sold him to Napoli for a fee of £25.7m in the summer of 2024, and a change in his role by the Italian side unearthed his true potential, as the majority of his starts with the Serie A champions, per Transfermarkt, have been as a central or attacking midfielder.
McTominay has not started a single game as a defensive midfielder for Napoli, per Transfermarkt, and has scored 17 goals in 50 matches for the club as a result of their decision to unleash him further up the pitch.
Rangers can learn from his rise to stardom in Naples because it is proof that a player can sometimes be hampered by the position they are playing in, and that may be the case for Mohamed Diomande.
Why Rangers need to change Mohamed Diomande's position
Football FanCast recently published an article suggesting that January may be the right time to cash in on the Ivorian midfielder, because of his regression on the pitch this season.
First Impressions
What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.
McTominay’s resurgence for club and country, though, could play a role in changing that opinion, as Diomande could revive his Ibrox career by being unleashed further up the pitch.
Former Rangers boss Philippe Clement, who recently landed a new job with Norwich, criticised the midfielder and Cyriel Dessers because they were “not brave enough” in November last year, but that tough love led to Diomande ending the season with six goals and nine assists, per Transfermarkt.
All positions
48
14
Central midfield
19 (40%)
7 (50%)
Attacking midfield
16 (33%)
1 (7%)
Defensive midfield
13 (27%)
6 (43%)
As you can see in the table above, the 24-year-old star has been asked to play in far more defensive positions than when he excelled last season under Clement and Barry Ferguson.
Diomande has no goals and no assists in 18 games, per Transfermarkt, after his 15 goal contributions in the 2024/25 campaign, which clearly shows that the change in his position has had a negative impact on his performances.
The left-footed star, who showed off his attacking quality at Parkhead in March, is capable of far more than he has shown this season, as evidenced by his form last season.
That is why Danny Rohl should look to unleash Diomande further up the pitch, in an attacking midfield role, because his attacking instincts could see him revive his Ibrox career in the same way that McTominay’s positional change sparked his career for club and country into life.
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Tottenham Hotspur have had a fair few talents that have been underappreciated over the years, but none more so than central midfielder Mousa Dembélé.
The Belgian joined the Lilywhites in a £15m deal from Fulham back in the summer of 2012, with many supporters unaware of the quality he possessed prior to his switch to North London.
He racked up a total of 249 senior appearances during his seven-year spell at the club, arguably cementing himself as one of their best ever midfielders.
From dazzling runs with the ball at his feet to dominant physical displays out of possession, the talent cemented himself as a key player during his spell in the Premier League.
Since his move to Guangzhou City in 2019, the Lilywhites have massively lacked a player of his quality, with Thomas Frank unable to rely upon one player to be his own version of the Belgian.
Why Bentancur has struggled with Spurs in 2025/26
After Frank’s arrival in the summer, there was a huge question mark around what system the Dane would operate with at Spurs after utilising various formations at Brentford.
However, it appears as though the 52-year-old has settled on a three-man midfield in a 4-3-3 system, which has seen Joao Palhinha operate at the base, with two box-to-box players ahead of him.
Rodrigo Bentancur has been one of the most utilised players in such an area, as seen by his tally of 10 appearances out of a possible 11 in the Premier League to date.
However, the Uruguayan has struggled to impress in those outings, even being benched against Manchester United in the final game before the ongoing international break.
The 28-year-old’s underlying stats from the 2025/26 season showcase his struggles of late, which could see him drop down the pecking order further in the months ahead.
He has only created 0.6 chances per 90 this season, which ranks him in the bottom 25% of all players in the division – often struggling to make a huge impact when in possession.
Such a skillset is vital when playing with Palhinha at the heart of the side, with the Portuguese international known to break up the play and allow those around him to provide the creative spark.
However, out of possession, Bentancur has also struggled under Frank, only making 0.5 interceptions per 90, which also places him in the lower quarter of all midfielders in England’s top-flight.
The aforementioned figures highlight his all-round struggles in North London, which could certainly put his long-term future at the club in jeopardy – that’s despite penning a new deal earlier this campaign.
The Spurs star who’s already showing 'shades of Dembele'
Top-level midfielders in the modern game cost a small fortune, with numerous clubs in the Premier League often forking out mammoth sums to land world-class talents.
Four teams in England’s top-flight have spent £100m or more on a midfielder in the last five years, with Chelsea doing so on more than one occasion, with deals for Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernández.
However, Spurs are a club that unfortunately aren’t in a position to willingly fork out such funds in the market, with more of a focus being directed to younger prospects.
Dominic Solanke remains the club’s record addition at £65m back in the summer of 2024, with no midfielder in Frank’s current first-team squad being bought for over £55m.
The likes of Lucas Bergvall and Pape Sarr both cost a combined £22m, with both now managing to establish themselves as key first-team members in 2025/26.
However, the academy system is another avenue for clubs to go down, with the Lilywhites desperately needing to put faith in youngster Tyrese Hall in the years ahead.
The midfielder joined the club at the age of just eight, subsequently spending 12 years in the youth ranks, before making the move to join Notts County on loan in the summer.
Such a move came after the youngster registered six goals and seven assists in 28 U21 appearances in 2024/25, with such a move being his first taste of senior football.
However, whilst it may appear a daunting task to many, Hall has taken it all in his stride, as seen by his impressive numbers at Meadow Lane over the past few months.
Tyrese Hall – Career Stats by Position
Season
Apps
Goals (assists)
Central midfield
30
6 (5)
Defensive midfield
19
3 (4)
Attacking midfield
18
5 (3)
Centre-forward
6
3 (2)
Left midfield
3
1 (1)
Right midfield
1
1 (0)
Stats via Transfermarkt
The 20-year-old has already found the net on six occasions, with his latest strike proving to be the winner in the affair with Cheltenham Town at the beginning of the month.
Whilst he’s operated in a more advanced role with the Magpies, Hall has previously featured slightly deeper – even playing as a number eight for the Lilywhites in a post-season friendly back in 2024.
The youngster was brought on as a substitute in such a fixture and even impressed, with one of the commentators that day claiming he was showing “shades of Mousa Dembele”.
Such praise is huge given the levels produced by the Belgian during his own time in North London, with real hope that Hall can match such levels if given the opportunity.
At 20, he still has bags of time to reach his full potential, with his loan spell at Notts County undoubtedly helping him in his quest in the professional game.
However, Frank will need to keep a close eye on his progress and potentially hand him the opportunity to impress him in pre-season ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.
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India began their Asia Cup title defence by making short work of UAE’s batting, bowling the hosts out for 57 in just 13.1 overs. UAE came into this match on the back of encouraging displays against Pakistan and Afghanistan in the tri-series they recently hosted, but all that promise came to nothing against the relentless quality of India’s bowling.Related
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UAE began well enough, all things considered, scoring 41 for 2 in their powerplay with openers Alishan Sharafu and Muhammad Waseem hitting six fours and a six between them. They fell apart thereafter, losing their last eight wickets for the addition of just ten runs.Jasprit Bumrah – India’s only specialist quick – and Varun Chakravarthy took the first two wickets, but the bulk of the damage thereafter came courtesy two bowlers who had looked less than certain to play in the lead-up to this match. Kuldeep Yadav picked up 4 for 7, including three wickets in his second over, and Shivam Dube ran through the lower order to bag 3 for 4, his best T20I figures.To their credit, UAE did not let the loss of two powerplay wickets curb their intent, but on this day they kept losing wickets to low-percentage shots. Rahul Chopra took on the large outfield at the Dubai International Stadium and the protected long-on boundary and holed out off Kuldeep. Waseem followed him to the dressing room three balls later, missing a sweep against a bowler whose stock ball, straightening into the right-hander from left-arm over, is stump-to-stump by design. Kuldeep finished the over with a trademark wrong’un to bowl the left-handed Harshit Kaushik through the gate, and UAE were already five down.India used six bowlers, and five of them ended up on the wickets column, with Bumrah – who bowled three overs in the powerplay, a rarity for him – Varun and Axar Patel taking one each. Dube, playing ahead of a second frontline quick to give India batting depth until No. 8, couldn’t help but take wickets with his medium-pace, even when India gave them back. No. 10 Junaid Siddique was given out stumped when Sanju Samson caught him wandering out of his crease, a la Jonny Bairstow, but India withdrew their appeal. Next ball, Junaid swung at a slower ball and skewed it to India captain Suryakumar Yadav, the man who had made that call.
And has the tournament ever seen another hat-trick of run outs before last week?
Steven Lynch22-Apr-2025Is Vaibhav Suryavanshi the youngest player to appear in the IPL?asked Mehmet Ahmet from India
Vaibhav Suryavanshi made his IPL debut last week for Rajasthan Royals against Lucknow Super Giants in Jaipur. And he made an explosive start: he drove his first ball, from the Test seamer Shardul Thakur, for six. In the next over, bowled by another Indian international, Avesh Khan, he lofted another six from the third ball he faced.If his published birth date (March 27, 2011) is correct, Suryavanshi would easily be the youngest IPL player so far, at 14 years 23 days. However, in an interview in 2023, he said he’d be celebrating his 14th birthday on September 27, 2023, which would make him 18 months older. That would still give him the record: the previous youngest IPL player was Prayas Ray Barman, who was 16 years 157 days old when he appeared for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Sunrisers in Hyderabad in 2019. Ray Barman’s debut was rather less stellar: his four overs cost 56, then he was out for 19 – and he hasn’t played in the IPL again.There was a hat-trick of run outs at the end of a recent IPL match. Has this happened before?asked Hussain Mahmoud from India
This unusual hat-trick came during the 19th over of Delhi Capitals’ chase against Mumbai Indians in Delhi last week. From 192 for 7, needing 14 to win off nine balls, Capitals lost Ashutosh Sharma, Kuldeep Yadav and Mohit Sharma off successive deliveries from Jasprit Bumrah, and the match was over. The first two were hairline decisions confirmed by TV replays, while the last was a direct hit by Mitchell Santner from mid-on.A hat-trick of run outs was a first for the IPL, but there are four previous known instances in other T20 matches (note that we don’t have full details for some games). The first came during Faisalabad Wolves’ innings against Multan Tigers in Karachi in 2011; there were four run outs in the last over. This was followed by Assam against Tripura in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in Kolkata in 2014, Amo Sharks against Speen Ghar Tigers in Kabul in 2019, and Barisal against Khulna in Sylhet in Bangladesh in 2024 (the last three balls of the match, to give Khulna a one-run win).Has the captain in a Test ever been the youngest member of the team?asked Derek Johnstone from England
This happened for the first time in Bridgetown in 1962, when 21-year-old Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi was the youngest member of India’s side against West Indies. He’d taken over after an injury to the tour captain, Nari Contractor. In all, Pataudi captained in five Tests in which he was the youngest player in the team, a record later broken by Sachin Tendulkar, who did it six times.The others to have been the youngest player in a Test XI they captained are Javed Miandad (twice), Kapil Dev (once), Hansie Cronje (four times) and Graeme Smith (three). Smith’s total includes leading the World XI in the one-off Super Series Test against Australia in Sydney in 2005.If Sam Curran is called up by England for the forthcoming Test against Zimbabwe, he will probably line up against his brother Ben. Have brothers ever been on opposite sides in a Test before?asked Jeremy West from England
Sam Curran last played a Test match nearly four years ago, against India at Headingley in August 2021. It therefore seems unlikely – but obviously not impossible – that Sam will line up opposite his older brother Ben Curran in England’s one-off Test against Zimbabwe, which is due to start at Trent Bridge on May 22.There’s only one previous instance of brothers facing each other in a Test match: in Cape Town in 1892, Alec and George Hearne played for England, while their brother Frank represented South Africa. England also included their cousin, Jack Hearne.Two other pairs of brothers appeared for different countries in Tests, but not against each other: Harry Trott played for Australia, and his brother Albert for both England and Australia, while more recently Darren Pattinson won one cap for England and his brother James played 21 Tests for Australia.When Jofra Archer went for 76 in the opening game of the IPL, he managed only one dot ball. Has anyone ever bowled four overs without any dots at all?asked Bam Bahadur Chaudhary from Nepal
The misfortunes of Jofra Archer were examined in this column a couple of weeks ago, after he conceded an IPL-record 76 runs in his four overs for Rajasthan Royals against Sunrisers in Hyderabad in the opening round of this year’s competition.You’re right that he sent down only one dot ball during that expensive spell. That turns out to equal the IPL record: no one has yet managed no dots at all in the full four overs. There had been four previous instances of just one dot out of 24: by slow left-armer Jamaluddin Syed Mohammad for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Mumbai Indians in Mumbai in 2013, Brad Hogg for Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Daredevils in Delhi in 2016, R Ashwin for Kings XI Punjab vs Sunrisers in Mohali in 2018, and Pat Cummins for Sunrisers vs RCB in Hyderabad in 2024.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions
Eddie Howe says he takes "no pride" in ending his wretched record against Manchester City in the Premier League following Newcastle United's 2-1 win. A Harvey Barnes brace, either side of Ruben Dias' goal, ensured the Magpies boss beat City at the 19th attempt in the English top-flight. Despite getting that monkey off his back, the 47-year-old focused more on his team's positive performance.
Newcastle hurt Man City's title hopes
In a pulsating clash where Newcastle had just 32 per cent possession and nine shots to City's 17, Howe's side overcame Pep Guardiola's in-form team to give them a morale-boosting victory at St James' Park on Saturday. After winning four of their last five Premier League games, City looked like they may catch table-topping Arsenal but this defeat has hurt those chances. They are down to third after Chelsea's win over Burnley and if Arsenal beat Tottenham on Sunday, they could go seven points clear of the Citizens.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportHowe thrilled with Newcastle triumph
Howe cut a relieved figure after Newcastle had secured all three points on Saturday night. He would have had his heart in his mouth when Barnes' second goal was the subject of a lengthy VAR review, before the decision went their way. And the former Bournemouth manager was clearly thrilled with how things panned out in the north east.
He told BBC Radio 5 Live after the game: "That doesn't sound good that, 19 games. I'm well aware of my record against Manchester City, that is something I take no pride in really. Trying to figure out a way to beat them is very, very difficult. Even today's game, it was so tight. The margins in Premier League games against them are so fine, but we came out on the right side today. I thought it was a great performance from the players, full of energy, heart and bravery. I'm delighted with how we played.
"The mindset was key and the attitude. The energy was back that was missing against Brentford and West Ham. Our running ability and power was there. Our technical ability was there too, which hasn't always been the case. We were brave in our approach. We tried to be aggressive and we got rewarded that at times, they punish you for that at times, so you are always on a bit of a knife-edge against them. Thankfully Nick [Pope] made some good saves when needed them and we got the goals at good times."
Howe praises matchwinner Barnes
With Barnes' contribution, he took his goal tally to six in all competitions. In the league, he is Newcastle's joint second highest scorer with team-mate Bruno Guimaraes (three) and is one behind Nick Woltemade. But the former Leicester City man did miss a glorious chance in the game, which could have proven costly. But Howe was quick to praise the winger.
He added: "Two great goals for Harvey, he missed a couple in the first half, but he is always a player that gets chances and that is the great thing about him. When you put him on the team sheet you know there is going to be some moments. His first goal was an outstanding finish and that was probably the hardest of the ones he had today, found the corner with his right foot. The second one is about being in the right place at the right time. Two massive goals for us and hopefully that can lift us in the Premier League."
Barnes himself said to BBC's Match of the Day: "It feels great [to be the matchwinner]. I don't think I was the most popular man at half time. Glad to make up for it in the second half with a couple of good goals and it was a great win for us. Hopefully after today's result we can kick on and go on a good run."
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AFPWhat comes next for Newcastle?
Newcastle, like all the teams taking part in European competitions this season, are preparing for a busy run of fixtures over the coming weeks. In fact, between Tuesday's trip to Marseille in the Champions League and their crunch derby clash with Sunderland on December 14, the Toon play six matches in all competitions. That will demand a lot of Howe's men, and whether they will be up to the task remains to be seen.
Spain defender Dean Huijsen is set to undergo a scan after being left out of the matchday squad for Saturday’s World Cup qualifier against Georgia through groin discomfort. The European champions are now sweating on the Real Madrid centre-back’s fitness ahead of their final qualifier against Turkey next Tuesday after he experienced the issue in training.
European champions Spain preparing for crunch clash with Georgia
Spain are preparing for their all-important clash with Georgia as they look to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. La Roja can book their place at next summer’s tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States if they secure all three points in Tbilisi and Turkey fail to beat Bulgaria on the same day.
Luis de la Fuente’s men are currently top of Group E on 12 points, having won all four of their qualifiers. Meanwhile, Vincenzo Montella’s Turkey are second on nine points, with both sides set to lock horns in Seville next week in what could prove to be a momentous fixture in the qualification process.
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Huijsen left out of matchday squad after experiencing groin discomfort
However, Spain have been dealt a blow ahead of their game against Georgia after Huijsen was not included in the squad that made the trip to Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena. The 20-year-old was left out as a precaution after experiencing groin discomfort in training on Friday, with the former Bournemouth man now preparing to undergo tests to determine if an injury has been sustained.
Spain’s XI for Georgia: Simon (c); Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Merino, Zubimendi, Ruiz; Torres, Oyarzabal, Baena.
Real Madrid also sweating on Huijsen fitness ahead of La Liga return
While Spain will be hoping Huijsen has avoided suffering an injury ahead of the Turkey clash, his club side – Real – are also praying for positive news ahead of the return of La Liga next weekend.
Xabi Alonso’s men are looking to remain at the summit when they travel to 11th-placed Elche on Sunday, 23 November. Los Blancos are currently top of the table on 31 points, three ahead of old foes Barcelona.
Huijsen has been in fine form since joining Real from Premier League side Bournemouth in the summer, making 13 appearances in all competitions and recording one assist. The ex-Roma and Juventus man also missed Spain’s World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Bulgaria in October due to injury.
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Los Blancos also praying over the fitness of star forward Mbappe
Real also have their fingers crossed over Kylian Mbappe’s fitness after the forward withdrew from the France squad ahead of Sunday’s qualifier with Azerbaijan due to an ankle complaint. The 26-year-old sustained the issue in Thursday’s 4-0 victory over Ukraine – a result which saw Les Bleus qualify for the World Cup.
Confirming Mbappe’s departure from the France squad, manager Didier Deschamps said ahead of the Azerbaijan clash: "Kylian still suffering from inflammation in the ankle. We decided he should return to Real Madrid where their medical staff will determine the next steps.
“We preferred not to take any risks just like we did with Camavinga. We won’t gamble with any player. Kylian gone back to his club. We still have 22 player available for tomorrow.”