“A player like him, who has won so many matches, needs only one or two good innings to bounce back”

Nagraj Gollapudi14-Jul-20221:41

Rohit on Kohli’s form: ‘Why is this discussion happening?’

” (Why is this discussion happening. I can’t understand this)”India’s captain Rohit Sharma had a bemused expression just as a journalist started a question on Virat Kohli.Kohli’s form in the last few years has become a national debate, with some ex-players including former India captain Kapil Dev, wondering why the senior India batter could not be dropped. The debate will continue after Kohli once again failed to convert a start in the second ODI at Lord’s on Thursday.Having missed the first ODI due to a groin strain, Kohli took a batting fitness test of sorts on Thursday morning, before giving a firm nod to India coach Rahul Dravid indicating that he was good to play. But Kohli had already been in the news before his return to the eleven. About an hour before the Indian team arrived at Lord’s, the BCCI had announced the squad for the T20I series in the West Indies starting on July 29. It did not specify a reason for Kohli’s omission.Related

Kohli's slump: two factors that might have had a role to play

Ricky Ponting on Virat Kohli: 'If I was India, I would keep pushing with him because I know the upside'

Jos Buttler praises batters' positivity as England bounce back from Oval drubbing

Topley's career-best 6 for 24 blows India away

Kohli, Bumrah, Chahal rested for T20Is in West Indies

At Lord’s, Kohli walked in to bat in the third over and his first runs came off a straight drive to the boundary. But before that shot, he had played seven dot balls, including a maiden over. Two consecutive fours followed against Reece Topley, but Kohli could not find fluency and ended up pushing away from his body and edging David Willey to the wicketkeeper.When asked if Kohli needed the support of the team during this difficult phase, Rohit said there was no need for a debate in the first place.”He [Kohli] has played so many matches. He is playing for so many years. He is such a great batsman so he does not need reassurance,” Rohit said after the game. “I pointed to this in my last press conference, too: form goes up and down, that is part and parcel of any cricketer’s career. So a player like him, who has played for so many years, who has made so many runs, who has won so many matches, he only needs one or two good innings [to bounce back]. That is my thinking and I am sure all those who follow cricket will think similarly.”This is the second time Rohit has backed Kohli publicly during the white-ball leg of the England tour. Rohit agreed that Kohli was going through a “slump” but said the team management still had firm belief in him.Virat Kohli walks back after nicking behind outside off•AFP via Getty Images

“We do have chats about this topic, but we should also understand and think when we talk about such things. We have seen that the performance of all players goes up and down, but the quality of the player never gets worse. That we all should keep in mind. That is very important. (he has made so many runs), check his average, how many hundreds he has made, he has [vast] experience of doing that. There is a slump in every player’s life. Even in the personal life it comes.”It wasn’t just Rohit, even the England captain Jos Buttler said Kohli was “due” a big innings.”I suppose in a little way it’s quite refreshing for the rest of us that he [Kohli] is human and he can have a couple of low scores as well, but look he has been one of the best players, if not the best player in ODI cricket in the world,” Buttler said.”So he’s been a fantastic player for so many years and all batters, it just proves, go through runs of form where they don’t perform as well as they can do sometimes. But certainly as an opposition captain, you know a player of that class is always due, so you’re hoping that it doesn’t come against us.”Like Rohit, Buttler also wondered why Kohli was facing criticism over his form. “Yeah, incredibly surprised, as I said, his record speaks for himself. The matches he’s won for India and yeah, why would you question that?”

حصل فريق مانشستر سيتي على هدية ثمينة، بعدما تعادل نيوكاسل يونايتد، عصر يوم الأحد، مع خصمه برايتون، في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وخاض نيوكاسل مباراته ضد برايتون، في إطار منافسات الجولة الخامسة والثلاثين من الدوري الإنجليزي، حيث تعادلا بهدف لمثله.

سجل برايتون هدف التقدم في شباك نيوكاسل يونايتد في الدقيقة 28 من عمر الشوط الأول، عن طريق اللاعب يانكوبا مينته.

وفي الدقيقة 89، تحصل نيوكاسل يونايتد على ضربة جزاء حيث نفذها ألكسندر إيزاك بنجاح وحولها إلى هدف التعادل للضيوف.

بتلك النتيجة، ارتفع رصيد برايتون إلى 52 نقطة في المركز العاشر، بينما أصبح رصيد نيوكاسل يونايتد 63 نقطة في المركز الرابع.

واستفاد مانشستر سيتي بتلك النتيجة حيث يحتل المركز الثالث برصيد 64 نقطة، معززًا آماله في إمكانية التأهل إلى دوري أبطال أوروبا الموسم المقبل.

If you could write a one week script detailing the trials and tribulations of Tottenham Hotspur it would go very much like this week.

A few days ago, Spurs were defeating Arne Slot’s rampant Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semi-finals. So, the confidence should have been there after a rather sticky patch in the Premier League.

No better game than an FA Cup tie against non-league Tamworth then, surely? Think again.

Remarkably, the National League side held Ange Postecoglou’s men, taking them all the way to extra time. To put it bluntly, the top-flight side were not good enough.

Tamworth went toe to toe with the Lilywhites and more than deserved the 0-0 scoreline at the end of the 90 minutes, even if things did go on to finish 3-0 after extra time.

After an embarrassing time of it on Sunday, it only highlights the need for new recruits in the January transfer window.

Tottenham's January transfer window plans

One of the names on the lips of supporters at the moment is PSG forward Randal Kolo Muani. There have been a number of reports suggesting that Spurs could sign the Frenchman on loan this summer and there has been a fresh update from the Daily Mail’s Chris Wheeler.

He reported this weekend that ‘Spurs and Juventus lead the way’ for the 26-year-old this winter. That’s because Manchester United’s interest in the attacker has allegedly cooled.

Speaking of United, it’s a Red Devil who Postecogou’s side are also interested in with Wheeler revealing that there is interest in Marcus Rashford.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

It’s stated that Dortmund, Milan, Juve and Barcelona have the England international on their radar.

How Marcus Rashford compares to Randal Kolo Muani

It’s thought that initially, both players would be available on loan deals. So, it becomes clear immediately who Spurs should look at pursuing more strongly this month.

While Kolo Muani has scored as many as 23 goals in the 2022/23 season for Eintracht Frankfurt, he’s not exactly set the world alight at PSG, playing just ten times and scoring twice in Ligue 1 this term.

Crucially, he’s not got experience of the Premier League yet which if you’re bringing in someone for just a six-month loan spell, wouldn’t be advantageous.

Rashford, on the other hand, would not need a huge period of adaptation, thus meaning he’s likely the more sensible option if a deal can be done.

While the United forward has only found the net on seven occasions this term, that would make him Tottenham’s joint-third top-scorer alongside club captain, Heung-min Son.

A look at the stats over the last two campaigns also tells us why Rashford – who was “unstoppable” in the words of Erik ten Hag on the way to 39 goal involvements in all competitions throughout 2022/23 – would be a better acquisition.

Matches played

48

38

Goals scored

11

9

Assists

3

6

Progressive passes *

2.38

2.53

Key passes *

1.05

1.57

Passes into final 3rd *

1.30

1.26

Shot-creating actions *

3.21

2.23

Carries into final 3rd

1.94

1.31

Progressive carries *

3.19

2.53

While Kolo Muani certainly looks like the more creative outlet here, Rashford has a regular habit of scoring goals in English football and certainly over the last 18 months or so, he’s been a more progressive carrier of the ball and a more efficient carrier at that too.

Of course, you can look at the England international’s work rate as a cause for concern but if Postecoglou wants something short-term then the out-of-favour United man is probably the player to go for here.

Maddison upgrade: Spurs could land "world-class" January signing for £50m

The incredible international would be an excellent signing for Spurs.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jan 12, 2025

Laura Wolvaardt is in search of big runs as South Africa look to turn around a disappointing tour of England ahead of the Commonwealth Games.Wolvaardt was one of three South African players to post half-centuries on an excellent batting pitch in Leicester on Monday, but they were trumped by Tammy Beaumont’s 107-ball 119 and fifties to Emma Lamb, Heather Knight and Sophia Dunkley as England won the final ODI by 109 runs.Related

• 'Have to find a way to deal with things' – Goodall on South Africa's six-match losing streak

• Kapp: Lizelle Lee's retirement has been 'mentally tough' for SA

• van Niekerk out of CWG too, Luus to continue as South Africa captain

• Beaumont banishes pain of CWG omission with statement century

Wolvaardt’s 56 was her third ODI half-century in four games, including 89 against Ireland last month – it was also the ninth time she has passed the mark this year. But she is desperate to convert those innings into hundreds, as she did at home against West Indies in January.”I’ve got quite a few fifties in my career now and don’t have that many hundreds yet so it’s definitely something that I’ve been thinking about and obviously it didn’t go right today again,” Wolvaardt said.”I’m happy that I’m starting to start a bit faster. I’m getting to the fifties a bit quicker, but now, the next step is to try and take it further.”Encouraged by the fact that her back-to-back fifties in the last two ODIs against England have come at a strike rate above 100, Wolvaardt believes kicking on may be more of a psychological matter than a technical one.”It’s maybe just something that I’m going to have to look into, to try and restart or pretend that I’m on zero and have to get to fifty again,” she said.”I think it is a mental thing out in the middle. I feel I do all of the hard work to get to fifty and then I think maybe relax for a second too much. I think next time I get in there I just need to really focus harder to get to that hundred.”Also I don’t think it’s a lack-of-focus type of thing, but hopefully it’s just something that I can continue working on. I’m still quite young so I still have a bit of time hopefully. But yeah, it definitely will be a goal to try and get to three figures more often.”In T20Is, which is where the teams will now switch their focus for three matches which end their multi-format series and double as preparation for the Commonwealth Games starting next week, Wolvaardt only has three fifties from 36 appearances. The most recent of those came against India in Lucknow more than a year ago.South Africa must win all three T20s against England, starting with Thursday’s match in Chelmsford, to draw the multi-format series, with England leading 8-2 following their 3-0 sweep of the ODIs and the drawn Test.After providing a solid contest in the rain-hit Test – where Wolvaardt twice fell for 16 to debutant seamer Issy Wong – South Africa appear a more demoralised unit after struggling to compete in the ODIs. They have also had to contend with the shock retirement of Lizelle Lee, Wolvaardt’s former 50-over opening partner, and an ensuing social media furore.Wolvaardt acknowledged that the team needed to find a way to pick themselves up heading into the next phase of the tour.”It’s never nice to lose and especially… we’ve lost the last couple by 100 runs or something,” Wolvaardt said. “The T20 series is just around the corner so we’ll have to have some good, hard meetings to see where we’re going wrong and how we can come back refreshed and ready.”This was our last ODI for a long while so I think we’ll just be looking to be completely refreshed with a new focus to T20 cricket and have some good chats around that. That’s going to be our focus for a while going forward so hopefully we can start that off with a bit more momentum than what we have now.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Em meio à pressão sobre o trabalho de Zé Ricardo, o Vasco conquistou a primeira vitória na Série B do Brasileirão. O triunfo por 1 a 0 sobre a Ponte Preta, em São Januário, evidenciou que o elenco está unido e abraçou o comandante. Na zona mista, alguns atletas fizeram questão de enaltecer o treinador cruz-maltino e agradecer o apoio da torcida.

RelacionadasVascoHélio dos Anjos diz que não ‘ofendeu ninguém’ e explica acusação de racismo em jogo contra o VascoVasco28/04/2022VascoVasco rebate acusação de racismo feita pelo técnico Hélio dos Anjos: ‘Sem fundamento algum’Vasco28/04/2022VascoPalacios estreia pelo Vasco, e nutricionista elogia esforço do chileno: ‘Bem determinado’Vasco28/04/2022

– O professor Zé (Ricardo) é incrível, nos dá bastante moral, então o grupo está fechado e unido. É o mais importante. Hoje pudemos demonstrar isso dentro de campo – revelou Gabriel Pec.

+ Confira e simule a tabela da Série B do Brasileirão

Os três empates seguidos fizeram com que as cobranças aumentassem e Zé Ricardo convive em uma verdadeira panela de pressão. Um exemplo disso foi no embarque para Chapecó, na rodada passada, quando membros de uma torcida organizada do clube protestaram.Os principais alvos foram o meia Nene, o técnico e o gerente de futebol Carlos Brazil.

A vitória trouxe um alívio para dar sequência ao trabalho com a presença dos reforços em campo. O meio-campista Carlos Palacios teve sua primeira oportunidade, assim como o jovem Andrey Santos, da base cruz-maltina, que foi titular pela primeira vez e agradou a torcida.

No entanto, o treinador sabe que a Série B é uma competição muito disputada e que qualquer novo tropeço pode gerar mais cobranças. No domingo, o Gigante da Colina medirá forças com a Tombense, fora de casa, às 18h. A equipe mineira está na décima sexta colocação, a primeira fora da zona de rebaixamento com quatro empates.

+Hélio dos Anjos diz que não ‘ofendeu ninguém’ e explica acusação de racismo em jogo contra o Vasco

– Aos poucos, vamos achando soluções. Um resultado não quer dizer nada. Se não formos bem em Tombos, as cobranças vão voltar. Os adversários são duros, se preparam muito bem. Temos que trabalhar, como estamos trabalhando desde o início. Soubemos jogar um jogo que não é o que a gente quer, mas que a Série B exige. Muito intenso, grandes duelos. Foi um resultado muito importante para o clube, para dar tranquilidade para ir para a próxima rodada – disse o treinador.

Outro ponto positivo no duelo contra a Macaca foi a presença da torcida, que apoiou durante toda partida. Na zona mista, Yuri Lara analisou a atuação e disse que o time tem que ter uma sequência de resultados positivos para embalar.

– No jogo em casa, contra o Vila, nós fizemos um gol e logo tomamos um. Isso atrapalhou muito o nosso jogo, não conseguimos. A nossa união, todos se ajudando e o mais importante, não ter tomado gol, isso tudo foi importante. Quando não tomamos gols, as vitórias virão – salientou Yuri Lara, e acrescentou:

+Autor de todos os gols do Vasco na Série B, Raniel iguala sua melhor marca: ‘Não é surpresa para mim’

– Sabemos que a torcida do Vasco vai sempre cobrar e empurrar a gente. Temos que pensar em vencer os próximos jogos. O Vasco é isso, quem pensava que o estádio estaria vazio após três empates, não estava – completou.

A “fantastic” Derby County gem is now set to leave the club in the January transfer window, according to a new update from journalist Pete O’Rourke.

Latest Derby news

The Rams continue to have a solid season back in the Championship, sitting 16th in the table heading into Christmas and six points clear of the all-important relegation zone.

This was always going to be seen as a season of consolidation at Derby, having only earned promotion from League One last term, and so far, Paul Warne and his players are doing a good job and should be content with their efforts. They have lost four of their last six league games, however, and will be wanting to put an end to that slump over the festive period.

The Rams could look for new signings in the January transfer window, in order to boost their hopes of finishing as high as possible in the Championship, with Aston Villa youngster Louie Barry linked with a move to the club.

That said, Middlesbrough have been touted as the front-runners to complete the January signing of the 21-year-old, who is currently on loan at Stockport County from his permanent club.

"Fantastic" Derby player set for January exit

Taking to X on Monday, journalist O’Rourke claimed that Derby youngster Ben Radcliffe will leave the club permanently in January, sealing a move to Crawley Town in the process, with a deal already being agreed.

This feels like the right decision for all parties, with Radcliffe seemingly not considered an important part of Derby’s future moving forward. He is currently on loan at Gateshead, with former manager Rob Elliot lauding the young midfielder in the past during their time working together, saying:

“He was absolutely fantastic. He’s a powerful lad and a really confident boy. He’s come in and done really well in difficult circumstances. He came on against Barnet and won headers. At Dagenham, he came on in a really difficult position but did well for the team and then I think the big thing for me is his mentality to keep going and keep going, his mentality and his defensive work.”

Championship Table: Latest standings for the 2024/25 season

Latest English Football League Championship standings 2024/25.

ByStephan Georgiou Apr 22, 2025

At 20, Radcliffe has reached a point in his career where he will want to play regularly, in order to mature as a footballer and ensure that he reaches his potential, but it’s hard to see that happening at Derby, with more senior players around who are more important to Warne.

For that reason, allowing him to join Crawley on a permanent basis is the right call and he will hopefully flourish there and go on to enjoy an excellent career.

Liverpool’s fanbase released a sigh of relief as Darwin Nunez headed to the corner of the Gtech Community Stadium, final whistle blown, to applaud the travelling faithful.

He’s fired an emphatic brace past Mark Flekken to hand Liverpool another three points to further consolidate their position at the top of the Premier League, especially so after Arsenal blew a two-goal lead to draw against Aston Villa later that evening.

Whether Arne Slot has full faith in the Uruguay international is up for question. Perhaps it isn’t, actually. Nunez has only started seven top-flight fixtures this term as his lack of potency continues.

With clubs supposedly keen on taking him off the Dutchman’s hands, might this be the final phase of a fan favourite’s career on Merseyside?

The latest on Darwin Nunez's future at Liverpool

Last week, it was reported that Liverpool had rejected a mammoth bid from a club in the Saudi Pro League for the transfer of Nunez.

The Athletic have since revealed that this is not the case, but eyes have been directed the 25-year-old’s way and there’s a sense that pieces could be moved on the board this summer.

It’s understood that any present interest in Liverpool’s club-record signing will be deflected until the end of the 2024/25 campaign, with Slot unwilling to lose a match-winning cog at the season’s midpoint. It is all, after all, on the line for the Anfield group.

However, Nunez’s double against Brentford hardly negates the months of fruitless toil that have wedged division between him and success, limiting him to a bit-part role.

Liverpool need a more reliable source, a Salah-esque source from the centre.

There is a name, you must whisper it quietly – but if it comes true, it would be the most incredible capture for an outfit heading back to the very top.

Liverpool chasing new centre-forward

Earlier this week, Football Transfers revealed that Liverpool are in the running for Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, who has been in inspired form this season.

The Sweden striker is attracting significant interest from Europe’s pre-eminent outfits, especially after Eddie Howe was coy on his long-term future last Autumn, with Isak supposedly hesitant to extend his stay at St. James’ Park.

Securing his prized signature would not be easy, however, with Arsenal desperate for a centre-forward too and Newcastle fielding enquiries worth more than £150m.

The bank would have to be broken, that’s for sure.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Expand Collapse Imagine Alexander Isak at Liverpool

Isak would be the gold standard, to be sure. Described as an “absolute nightmare” for defenders by Premier League record goalscorer Alan Shearer, the £120k-per-week talent would add so much to the Liverpool frontline.

He’s like Nunez in terms of energy and tenacity but differs greatly in front of goal, ice-cold and deadly.

Premier League 24/25 – Top Scorers

Rank

Player

Apps

Goals (per 90)

1.

Mohamed Salah

21

18 (0.87)

2.

Erling Haaland

22

17 (0.79)

3.

Alexander Isak

20

15 (0.83)

4.

Chris Wood

22

14 (0.72)

4=

Cole Palmer

22

14 (0.65)

Stats via BBC Sport

Liverpool have produced their fair share of elite goalscorers over the years, with Mohamed Salah and Luis Suarez as two modern options.

Before that though, there was Fernando Torres, adored by the Liverpool family and part of an iconic duo, the one and only Steven Gerrard being the other half.

Gerrard was the ultimate midfielder, so complete, so refined, so influential. Liverpool’s greatest-ever player (subjectively) played with many great forwards, but Torres probably takes the cake when considering how electric the pairing was together.

Gerrard once hailed Torres for his “world-class” ability, notching 101 goal contributions from 142 appearances as a Liverpool striker.

Gerrard was the creative custodian of El Nino’s goals, feeding them through with devastating precision. They operated in flux, all muscle memory and innate intuition. It’s something that Liverpool might never replicate again, such was the nature of the unique partnership.

However, Slot could give it a good go by bringing Isak into the fold, with the Swede’s style perfectly suited to the up-and-coming Harvey Elliott who dazzled in the Champions League just a few nights ago.

We’ve all met frustration regarding Elliott’s playing time this season – or lack thereof. An unfortunate injury shackled the England U21 star to the sidelines for the early knockings of the campaign, but he’s been fit and firing since November yet limited to a bit-part role.

The youngster might not have the same roundedness as Gerrard but the little magician has confirmed that his esteemed countryman is his idol and that he attempts to model his game from the legend’s own.

While he’s been used sparingly this term, Elliott still has the world at his feet and makes waves each time Slot introduces him in the second half.

The level of his ability is non-negotiable at the debate table, with three goals and six assists across just 11 Premier League starts last season, as per Sofascore. You can see that he has a variegated approach to his attacking play that would allow for a give-and-take relationship with Isak, who enjoys the playmaking side of the number nine role himself.

Howe has described Isak as a “world-class” striker and it’s hard to argue against it. If Liverpool were to secure one of their most significant signings in history, he’d be sure to prosper for an age.

With a creative force like Elliott behind him, Liverpool might just have their next Gerrard-Torres duo under Slot’s wing. It would be something else.

Related Their next Coutinho: Liverpool could sign a "future Ballon d'Or winner"

Liverpool could find their next Philippe Coutinho by signing the French playmaker.

Posts ByDan Emery Jan 23, 2025

It’s been no great covered-up secret this January transfer window that Black Cats boss Regis Le Bris is looking to sprinkle in some more quality to his Sunderland side in the attacking positions.

Indeed, the Black Cats were pursuing the services of Tom Cannon as a statement buy up top, only for the ex-Stoke City loanee now said to be closing in on a move to promotion rivals Sheffield United instead.

Other names in the striker department continue to be linked with a move to Wearside, but it isn’t just in the centre-forward areas where the Frenchman will want to improve in attack, with an exciting winger now on their radar.

Sunderland chasing signature of new winger

As per a report by Football Insider this week, Sunderland are very much locked in a race this window to try and snap up Celtic winger Luis Palma, with a whole host of other Championship clubs sniffing around alongside the Black Cats.

Football Insider reveals that Swansea City and Queens Park Rangers are also eyeing up the Bhoys forward, with Palma presumably keen to leave the Glasgow giants behind owing to his game-time depleting this season under Brendan Rodgers.

Of course, the promotion chasers have struck absolute gold in the past when recruiting attackers that have called Scotland home briefly, with Patrick Roberts entering the building in 2022 after a memorable loan stint at Celtic Park.

What Palma could offer Sunderland

Whilst Palma’s time at Celtic has begun to fizzle out, he could go on to be the second coming of Roberts if a move was sealed, as the Honduras international has shown in the past that he can dazzle down the left wing for his current employers.

After all, the 25-year-old did put together some promising numbers during his debut season donning the iconic green and white hoops of Celtic.

Across his explosive 2023/24 campaign, Palma would help himself to a mightily impressive ten goals and ten assists in all competitions, with two of those strikes even coming in the Champions League as the wantaway attacker showed off his quality on Europe’s grandest stage.

Roberts would equally thrive at Celtic Park before taking the leap to join Sunderland permanently down the line, with his own impressive goal and assist haul of 18 strikes and 26 assists tallied up during his two-season loan spell at the club.

He would never look back when securing a deal to join the Black Cats for good, with the 27-year-old up to two goals and five assists this season down the right wing as one of the more experienced heads in the youthful Stadium of Light dressing room.

Romaine Mundle

15

4

2

Tom Watson

10

2

0

Jewison Bennette

0

0

0

Whilst the Sunderland stalwart continues to excite on his familiar right channel, the options on the opposing flank aren’t exactly endless for Le Bris when looking at the table above, with Enzo Le Fee drafted into this position in the past couple of weeks owing to both Romaine Mundle and Tom Watson nursing worrying injury knocks.

That’s where the “magic” Celtic attacker – as he was once labelled by former Bhoys great Peter Grant – could come in and save the day, with a new striker perhaps also joining him through the door very soon.

Sunderland just won’t want to be left behind in the ongoing automatic promotion race, with signings such as Palma no doubt boosting their attack ahead of some crunch months to come in the intense Championship.

Could be better than Isidor & Frigan: Sunderland eyeing up "phenomenal" ace

Sunderland are now looking at a new striker target.

ByKelan Sarson Jan 23, 2025

Big picture

There will be an air of expectation and anticipation at Harare Sports Club when Zimbabwe take on Bangladesh in three T20Is starting Saturday.Less than two weeks ago, Zimbabwe topped the T20 World Cup qualification tournament, signing off with a rousing show in the final when they beat Netherlands by 37 runs. Bangladesh are a superior side on paper, but not much more than that, especially in T20Is, a format they still haven’t quite come to terms with.So Zimbabwe have reason to believe. Four of their five main batters have strike rates between 126 and 150 in T20Is. Among them, Sikandar Raza has the best strike rate as well as the most runs, and the best innings score. The others – Wessly Madhevere, Sean Williams and Regis Chakabva – are in form too. Raza, the main allrounder in the team, also has recent experience playing the Bangladesh players, having taken part in both last season’s Bangladesh Premier League and Dhaka Premier League.Related

• Nurul Hasan might only be a stop-gap captain

• Raza: 'Nightmare of not making 2019 WC never went away'

Raza is also Zimbabwe’s joint-highest wicket-taker in T20Is this year, though Zimbabwe would have liked to have Tendai Chatara and Blessing Muzarabani to give Raza company. But they do have Luke Jongwe and Ryan Burl, who have both been among the wickets of late, and Williams, who has an excellent economy rate in the format this year and bowled well in the qualifiers.Bangladesh, meanwhile, have travelled without their four most experienced cricketers. Tamim Iqbal has retired from T20Is. Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah – who recently lost the captaincy, with Nurul Hasan taking charge – have been rested, while Shakib Al Hasan has taken a break. That’s 391 matches worth of experience gone.Nurul, therefore, has a lot on his plate. A solid wicketkeeper who is known for his innovative batting, Nurul, however, hasn’t scored a lot of runs in T20Is recently. Overall, too, 271 runs from 33 T20Is at an average of 12.90 and strike rate of 111.98 shouldn’t strike fear in opposition hearts.But Nurul has stressed on “impact runs” rather than just runs – something the team will expect from him. Nurul will also hope that their new line-up can get them decent totals. The onus will be on Litton Das to lead, while Afif Hossain has a bit of something about him. There’s also Munim Shahriar, Anamul Haque and the returning Najmul Hossain Shanto and Parvez Hossain Emon among the batters.Sikandar Raza is the man in form, with bat and ball•AFP/Getty Images

Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam are the main quicks, while Nasum Ahmed should do well too. Bangladesh will also have to find the right time to use Mahedi Hasan and Mosaddek Hossain, while the returning Hasan Mahmud and Mehidy Hasan Miraz will have chances coming their way too.

Form guide

Zimbabwe WWWWW
Bangladesh LLLWL

In the spotlight

Sikandar Raza is on a hot streak with bat and ball. He took a career-best 4 for 8 in the qualifier final against Netherlands. He also scored 82* and 87 against USA and Singapore earlier in the tournament, apart from couple of forties against Afghanistan back in June.Bangladesh’s six-hitting problem doesn’t seem to have gone away, though Afif Hossain has shown some ability there. Afif has struck 18 sixes in the last 12 months, the most in this team. But it is really low compared to the big teams around the world, with Nicholas Pooran leading with 46 sixes. Afif is one of the few form players in his T20I team, having struck a half-century in the third match in West Indies the other day.Afif Hossain is Bangladesh’s best bet when it comes to hitting big•AFP/Getty Images

Team news

Zimbabwe are likely to be unchanged for the first game on Saturday, sticking with the XI that beat Netherlands in the final.Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Regis Chakabva (wk), 2 Craig Ervine (capt), 3 Sean Williams, 4 Wessly Madhevere, 5 Sikandar Raza, 6 Milton Shumba, 7 Ryan Burl, 8 Tony Munyonga, 9 Luke Jongwe, 10 Wellington Masakadza, 11 Richard NgaravaBangladesh have to rebuild their batting in the absence of the seniors. They have Shanto, Shahriar and Emon as options, but none of them are middle-order batters.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Litton Das, 2 Parvez Hossain Emon, 3 Anamul Haque, 4 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 5 Afif Hossain, 6 Nurul Hasan (wk), 7 Mosaddek Hossain, 8 Mahedi Hasan, 9 Shoriful Islam, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Nasum Ahmed

Pitch and conditions

In the last 12 months, sides batting first have averaged 160 at Harare Sports Club. Three out of six teams have won batting first. The weather on Saturday is likely to be fair and dry.

Stats and trivia

• The Zimbabwe v Netherlands final, held in Harare, had the most lbw decisions in a T20I match.
• Bangladesh have used ten different opening pairs in their last 29 T20Is.
• Mustafizur Rahman’s 66 matches makes him the most experienced T20I player among the two teams.

Well, where did that come from?

Scottish champions Celtic had gone into Thursday’s Old Firm derby flying high, leading their Glasgow rivals by 14 points at the Premiership summit, having also failed to even taste defeat in the top flight.

Up against a Rangers side who had failed to win in four of their last five games in all competitions, the form book bizarrely went out the window, as the away side limply wilted at Ibrox.

Goals from Ianis Hagi, Robin Propper and substitute Danilo secured a deserved win for under-fire boss Philippe Clement and his troops, with Celtic left to lick their wounds amid what was a bruising defeat to kick off 2025.

The Hoops’ comfortable advantage at the top of the table will at least provide some comfort for Brendan Rodgers, although the Northern Irishman will certainly be conducting a post-mortem after far too many of his charges went missing on the day.

Celtic's worst performers vs Rangers

From back to front it was a grim performance for the away side, a point perfectly illustrated by the fact that they had just four shots in total throughout the 90 minutes, while the hosts had 24 attempts on Kasper Schmeichel’s goal. That came despite Celtic having the edge on the ball, as shown by their dominance in possession (61% vs 39%), as per Sofascore.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

There was an undoubted sense of lethargy across the park for the Hoops, with the attacking unit looking particularly out of sorts. On the flanks, both Nicolas Kuhn and Daizen Maeda looked a shadow of their usual selves, losing the ball on 27 occasions between, having barely had a sniff up against a makeshift Rangers defence.

As for Kyogo Furuhashi, the Japanese marksman did see a beautifully taken goal correctly chalked off for offside, although the 29-year-old was otherwise ineffective, touching the ball on just 15 occasions, and failing to win a single duel.

Elsewhere, it was a rare off day for long-serving skipper, Callum McGregor, while at right-back, the trusty Alistair Johnston looked away off the pace, having notably lost the ball 20 times, and won just two of his nine duels.

Meanwhile, Rodgers’ decision to persist with Liam Scales ahead of summer signing Auston Trusty seemingly backfired, with the Irishman particularly culpable amid a grim overall performance.

The one-time Aberdeen loanee endured a particularly “disastrous” opening period – as per journalist Ryan McGinlay – having squandered possession in the build-up to Hagi’s opener, having also far too regularly played his side into trouble, after losing the ball on 12 occasions.

Such a poor display requires scrutiny, although – as shown above – it would be unfair to pin the blame solely at Scales’ door. Indeed, teammate Reo Hatate is another who deserves to be ousted from the starting lineup following his drab performance.

Reo Hatate's game in numbers

It was almost three years ago that the diminutive playmaker properly announced himself to Celtic supporters following his stunning brace against Rangers at Parkhead. Six domestic trophies – and 115 appearances – have followed, with the Hoops certainly getting value for money from their £1.4m investment.

That said, with competition in those midfield ranks now fierce amid the permanent captures of Luke McCowan, Arne Engels and former loanee, Paulo Bernardo, Hatate’s role as an undisputed started starter may need to be reconsidered, particularly after Thursday’s performance.

The former Kawasaki Frontale midfielder was simply outplayed and outfought by those in blue, having notably won just a solitary duel on the day, while making two errors leading to a shot.

Hatate vs Diomande comparison – Key stats
Metric	Hatate	Diomande
Touches	44	54
Pass accuracy	65%	92%
Key passes	0	0
Total duels won	1	7
Possession lost	16x	5x
Tackles	0	3
Interceptions	0	1
Errors	2	0
Stats via Sofascore

The typically tidy and industrious talent was also way off the mark when on the ball, recording a measly 65% pass accuracy rate after also losing the ball on 16 occasions. Indeed, a somewhat overhit dinked cross to Maeda at the back post late in the second half summed up both his night and Celtic’s night as a whole.

With Hatate also failing to even register a single key pass as the visitors struggled to create anything of note, it was no surprise when he was eventually hooked on the 75th-minute mark. The 27-year-old was fortunate not to have been withdrawn sooner.

With St Mirren – who recently got the better of Clement’s side – now up next for the champions, it could be a perfect time for rotation, with Hatate among those who deserve to drop to the bench following such a shock, lacklustre outing.

Celtic can sign new Rogic in move for "special" star who's "like Odegaard"

Celtic are reportedly interested in a deal to sign the Premier League talent.

By
Dan Emery

Jan 2, 2025