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Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher has delivered a fresh take on Arsenal and their chances of winning the Premier League this season.

The Gunners, since tasting defeat away to Liverpool in August, have won 13 games on the trot in all competitions whilst boasting the best defensive record in Europe’s top five leagues.

Mikel Arteta’s imperious side also haven’t conceded a single goal in all competitions since their dramatic 2-1 win over Newcastle at St. James’ Park in September, which is quite incredible considering they were without star defender William Saliba for brief periods as well.

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Summer signing Cristhian Mosquera has performed exceptionally when called upon by Arsenal to replace Saliba at the heart of Arteta’s defence, and their exceptional resilience as a unit could well hand them a first Premier League title in 22 years.

Arsenal were already a very hard side to break down prior to this campaign, leaking the fewest goals of any top flight club in both the 23/24 and 24/25 seasons, but the arrival of assistant coach Gabriel Heinze appears to have solidified them even more.

Their rock solid backline has allowed Arsenal to plough through and get results despite their plethora of attacking absentees, with Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, Martin Odegaard and now Viktor Gyokeres all sidelined through injury.

This, combined with their overwhelming threat from set pieces, has made Arsenal the team to beat as we head into the festive period.

Carragher names the player who could hold Arsenal back from Premier League title glory

Speaking on Sky Sports, Carragher has claimed that only one man could stop Arsenal from winning the title at this point.

The pundit claims that Man City superstar Erling Haaland, who has spearheaded the Sky Blues to second almost single-handedly with 13 goals in just 10 Premier League appearances, will have a major say on whether Arsenal can end their two-decade-long wait for a domestic crown.

Given Haaland is basically a cheat code at this point, it’s hard to argue with Carragher’s assessment here.

It is still a real wonder how the Norway superstar didn’t clinch 2023’s Ballon d’Or award after firing City to a treble with 52 goals in 53 appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side, with Lionel Messi getting it instead following his 2022 World Cup win.

The 25-year-old is nailed on for a Ballon d’Or eventually and perhaps even Alan Shearer’s all-time Premier League goalscoring record if he stays in England much longer.

Make no mistake, it would take something truly extraordinary to topple Arsenal right now, and Haaland is just that.

The ESPNcricinfo team of the tournament has players from five countries – find out if your top pick made the squad of 12 or not

Yash Jha03-Nov-20258:05

‘What dream? We’re living it’

Getty ImagesSmriti MandhanaSo rich was Mandhana’s vein of form coming into the competition that a quiet start – 54 runs in the first three outings – had left viewers perplexed. But she dialled things up once the big games arrived: 80 versus Australia, 88 versus England, and 109 in the high-stakes clash against New Zealand. She added 45 in the final to finish with the highest tally for an Indian in a women’s World Cup.AFP/Getty ImagesLaura Wolvaardt (capt)Wolvaardt, too, had a slow start, but more than made up for lost time, scoring 30 or more in seven consecutive matches – including half-centuries in wins against India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan – and then hit centuries in both knockouts. Her 101 in the final versus India may have ended in a losing cause, but the 169 against England to take South Africa to their maiden ODI World Cup final will go down as one of the all-time great performances. Her tally is, by some distance, the highest at an edition of the ODI World Cup.Getty ImagesJemimah RodriguesSpeaking of iffy beginnings… Rodrigues found herself on the bench three weeks into her maiden ODI World Cup, after two ducks and two 30s. She celebrated her return – and a promotion to No. 3 – with a sparkling 76 not out off 55 balls versus New Zealand, before the career-defining 127 not out to end Australia’s reign with a record chase in the semi-finals.ICC/Getty ImagesMarizanne KappContinuing the trend of peaking at the right time was Kapp, whose first big contribution (aside from a chase-stabilising half-century against Bangladesh) came in the sixth game of the campaign: 68 not out off 43 balls followed by three new-ball wickets against Pakistan. She then demolished England’s hopes of chasing 320 in the semi-final with a double-strike in the first over, finishing with 5 for 20, having earlier chipped in with a 33-ball 42.Getty ImagesAnnabel SutherlandSutherland’s consistent mastery at the death, fuelled by a lethal back-of-the-hand slower ball, meant she was the joint-highest wicket-taker before the final. She started with a three-for against New Zealand, triggered an Indian collapse with 5 for 40 in Visakhapatnam, and added another three versus England – a game where she also had her only significant outing with the bat.Getty ImagesAshleigh GardnerPrior to 2025, the World Cup had seen only three hundreds from batters coming in at No. 5 or lower; Gardner hit two in this edition, both stunning recovery acts. She turned 128 for 5 into 326 against New Zealand by smashing 115 off 83 balls, and then turned a tricky chase versus England into a cakewalk – Australia were 68 for 4 in pursuit of 245 – with 104* off 73. There was a fifty in the semis too, and she chipped in with the ball all along.ICC/Getty ImagesRicha Ghosh (wk)Ghosh takes the wicketkeeping gloves in our team owing to her finishing prowess. She was the tournament’s fastest scorer as well as its highest six-hitter. Her unbeaten 20-ball 35 pushed India closer to 250 against Pakistan in Colombo; she played cameos in both the games versus Australia, including a handy 16-ball 26 in the record semi-final chase; she added 34 off 24 in the title clash against South Africa, and her 94 off 77 against the same opponents was an early contender for the knock of the tournament…AFP/Getty ImagesNadine de KlerkDeepti’s tournament started with a fifty and a three-for, and ended with a fifty and a five-for – the first such achievement in any World Cup final, women’s or men’s. The leading wicket-taker of the tournament, Deepti became the first player to do the double of 200+ runs and 15+ wickets in an edition of the women’s ODI World Cup. The Player of the Tournament recipient also contributed a four-for and fifty in the loss to England, and injected vital momentum in the semi-final chase against Australia with a 17-ball 24.Getty ImagesAlana KingKing delivered the spell of the tournament, claiming the first seven-for in World Cup history, to bamboozle South Africa in Indore. But don’t discount the rest of her tournament: two key wickets in the opener versus New Zealand, miserly returns against Bangladesh (2 for 18) and England (1 for 20), and the first fifty from a No. 10 in a women’s white-ball international to stitch a rescue act against Pakistan.ICC/Getty ImagesSophie EcclestoneEcclestone began the tournament playing second fiddle to fellow slow left-arm spinner Linsey Smith’s hero act against South Africa, but finished as strongly as ever. She proved too strong for Bangladesh (3 for 24) and Sri Lanka (4 for 17), and despite tougher outings in Indore, and an injury scare ahead of the semi-final, she was England’s standout performer in the defeat to South Africa with 4 for 44.ICC/Getty Images12th: Sophie DevineIn the final chapter of an illustrious ODI career, Devine was the lone star of New Zealand’s campaign, top-scoring in defeats to Australia (112) and South Africa (85), and scoring 63 in the win over Bangladesh. That meant Devine had 260 runs after three outings, but New Zealand didn’t bat for another two weeks, and Devine didn’t get a perfect swansong with low scores against India and England.

The captain returns for the first two T20Is against West Indies after recovering from a side strain

Mohammad Isam23-Oct-2025

Bangladesh have their T20I captain back with Litton Das returning to the squad for the first two T20Is against West Indies in Chattogram next week. Litton had missed Bangladesh’s last five T20Is after suffering a side strain during the Asia Cup last month. He missed two matches in that tournament as well as the 3-0 win over Afghanistan in Sharjah, where Jaker Ali led the side in his absence.Litton is back in the squad now at Mohammad Saifuddin’s expense. The 28-year-old allrounder bowled superbly in the third T20I against Afghanistan, taking 3 for 15 in three overs.The Bangladesh selectors also left out Soumya Sarkar, who had technically been part of the squad against Afghanistan but did not get to play since he did not get his visa for the UAE, with Parvez Hossain Emon replacing him. Soumya’s non-selection for the West Indies T20Is comes on a day when he scored an 86-ball 91 in the third ODI in Dhaka.The core of the squad that beat Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Netherlands and Afghanistan in consecutive bilateral series remains in place for Bangladesh. Litton will have Saif Hassan, Parvez and Tanzid Hasan for compant in the top-order, withTowhid Hridoy, Jaker, Shamim Hossain and Nurul Hasan in the middle-order.Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed and Mahedi Hasan will make up the spin attack, with Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam forming the customary four-man pace attack.The three T20Is will be played in Chattogram on October 27, 29 and 31.Bangladesh squad for first two T20Is against West IndiesLitton Das (capt & wk), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hassan, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain, Nurul Hasan (wk), Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam.

One of the best midfielders of his era, perhaps the greatest crosser of a football ever and a free-kick taker to rival the best the game has ever produced, David Beckham was a special player to say the least. And yet due to his off-field impact, one of the sport's great champions of the past 30 years is generally forgotten when it comes to referencing the true legends of the game.

Beckham – or, to give him his newly-minted full title, Sir David Beckham – marked an era both on and off the pitch as he wrote the manifesto for the evolution from footballer to brand. He represents to football what Michael Jordan did for basketball a few years earlier as Beckham became a true global icon who pushed boundaries beyond the sport, paving the way for Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Lionel Messi, among others, to follow in his footsteps.

But that shouldn't overshadow what 'Becks' was able to achieve from a pure football perspective, and what makes him a fine addition to GOAL's Hall of Fame:

• Bend it like Beckham

  Through the late 1990s and early 2000s, Beckham was the sport's poster boy, the player every teenager dreamed of becoming, both from a sporting and style point of view. His ever-changing hairstyles – from his boyband-style blonde highlights to the buzz cut he sported at the beginning of the new millennium, from the mohawk that infuriated Sir Alex Ferguson, to the controversial cornrows and the man bun of his Real Madrid days – were copied around the world. His adidas Predator boots became must-haves for any wannabe footballer; a No.7 Manchester United shirt suddenly the height of fashion.

  A lot of fans wanted to look like Beckham, but everyone dreamed of being able to kick the ball like him. His unmistakable style, with his right arm whipping behind him as he swung another ball into the box, became one of the sport's most famous silhouettes, and even inspired the title of a film that allowed a new audience to find the game: 'Bend it like Beckham'.

  However, no one has ever come close to the absolute perfection of that technical move, with which Beckham was able to trace millimetric trajectories with a class, elegance and naturalness that are more akin to artists than sportspeople.

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• Much more than a pop icon

  Beneath the glossy surface, Beckham was undoubtedly one of the strongest midfielders going, and probably the most underrated champion of his era. He was a victim of the mass media, who were more interested in his relationship with popstar Victoria Adams than his displays at Old Trafford on a weekend.

  For many years, Beckham was talked about more in the front pages of the tabloids than he was in the sports section. As such, the common perception when discussing him being amongst the true elite was inevitably influenced by him being a personality before a footballer, almost as if he were too handsome, too perfect, too stylish to be taken seriously.

  But let's get one thing right: Beckham was a special player. He was not a pure winger who would wow crowds with his dribbling and agility, but with his right foot he managed to leave everyone speechless with his pinpoint passes. He was more of a wide playmaker – although he did try to reinvent himself as a central midfielder at points – a midfielder with refined technique, heavenly vision and extraordinary ball skills. It is no coincidence that he is unanimously recognised as the best crosser of all time and one of, if not the best, free-kick taker in history.

  His free kick against Greece in October 2001, which allowed England to qualify for the World Cup in Japan and South Korea, remains his Mona Lisa, a masterpiece that will remain forever in the annals, as will his fabulous goal from the halfway line against Wimbledon in 1996, which symbolically marked the beginning of his legendary career at United.

• Getty
  

  Appearances can be deceiving

  However, Beckham's greatness on the pitch cannot be limited to the precision of his right foot. The third-most capped player in the history of the Englan national team, Beckham was also captain of the Three Lions for six years, wearing the armband in 58 matches, going from public enemy number one,after his sending off in the 1998 World Cup against Argentina to a symbol of redemption and leadership.

  A charismatic and courageous leader on the pitch, Beckham was always ready to sacrifice himself for his team. He was a true example of professionalism, as repeatedly emphasised by even the toughest coaches such as Fabio Capello, who went so far as to disobey president Florentino Perez's instructions and reinstated Beckham to the Madrid line up, which led to a historic La Liga title triumph before the midfielder left to join LA Galaxy.

  Wherever he went, Beckham left his mark: From titles with United to those in Madrid, from successes in MLS to his short stints at AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain, the Londoner was able to immerse himself in each new environment with a humility that had nothing to do with the image that the tabloids had built up around him for years.

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• Ballon d'Or worthy?

  In 1999, the year Beckham won the treble as a key player for Ferguson's United, Beckham arguably deserved to also take home the the Ballon d'Or, which was instead awarded that year to Rivaldo. The Brazilian had been sensational in La Liga for Barcelona but had been eliminated from the Champions League in the group stages.

  >Beckham, by contrast, had been forced to pick up the pieces after a World Cup in which he was vilified, publicly bullied by English fans, and greeted on Premier League pitches with a soundtrack of boos, insults and verbal abuse. He endured this relentless hostility without ever showing his emotions, responding simply with what he did best: playing football.

  "The more he was targeted, the better he played," his former team-mate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would later say. Six goals and 12 assists in the Premier League, two goals and eight assists in the Champions League, and a crucial goal in the FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal, Beckham unquestionably made a decisive contribution to the Red Devils' journey to immortality.

  The 1999 Ballon d'Or, which saw Beckham finish in second place, would probably have allowed the English midfielder to enter another dimension in the collective imagination, in the circle of undisputed number ones. Today, 12 years after his retirement, re-evaluating the value, relevance and footballing aura of Sir David Beckham is not a nostalgic gesture, but rather an act of justice towards one of the great icons of the sport.

تحدث خليل بن يوسف، المدير الفني لفريق كايزر تشيفز، عن التعادل مع الزمالك في الجولة الثانية من دور المجموعات بكأس الكونفدرالية.

وقال بن يوسف في تصريحات عبر قناة “الحياة”: “قبل أسبوع عشنا نفس الظروف تقريبًا في مصر، مباراتنا مع المصري البورسعيدي كنا متعادلين 1-1، كنا مسيطرين على المباراة، وفي الدقائق الأخيرة هفوة فردية من المدافع اسقبلنا الهدف الثاني، وخسرنا”.

طالع.. الزمالك يشكو حكم مباراة كايزر تشيفز ويطالب بضرورة تطبيق تقنية الـVar

وتابع: “تقريبًا نفس الوضعية اليوم، آخر دقيقة تقريبًا، دقيقة 95، خطأ من الحارس، الذي للأمانة أدى مباراة أكثر من ممتازة، حتى الخطأ يحدث، استفدنا من هذا الخطأ وتعادلنا في الدقيقة 95، والتعادل أكثر من عادل في هذه المباراة”.

واستكمل: “للأمانة، التشكيل الذي توقعناه كان نفسه باستثناء الحارس، كنا متوقعين أن يكون محمد عواد في حراسة المرمى، إلا أننا تفاجأنا عندما جاءت ورقة المباراة بالتغيير، وتصورنا أنه تغيير للإصابة أو اضطراري، لأنه للأمانة لا أحد يستطيع أن يشكك في المستوى الفني للحارس عواد”.

وأضاف: “تفاجأنا بتغيير الحارس، وفي الحركات الإحمائية كان يلف على الملعب وإن شاء الله إذا كانت إصابة، فلتكن خفيفة، هذه أمور داخلية، وبما أنه قرار فني، أكيد هناك أفكار وأسباب لاختيار المدرب لهذه القرارات”.

وتابع: “الزمالك، لا أحد يستطيع أن يشكك في المستوى الفني للنادي أو مستوى اللاعبين، إلا أنه للأمانة في الفترة الأخيرة، هناك تذبذب في المردود ونتائج الفريق”.

وأوضح: “بالنسبة لتشكيل الزمالك، تقريبًا 4-3-3 كانت موجودة في كل المباريات باستثناء النهائي ضد الأهلي، نتوقع أنهم لعبوا 4-2-3-1، العناصر نفسها، باستثناء بنتايج اللاعب المغربي الذي له دور مهم في الفريق وكان عائدًا من الإصابة”.

وأضاف: “هناك عناصر فردية في الخط الهجومي قادرة على إحداث الفارق في أي لحظة، لاعب الرواق الأيمن بيزيرا، والمهاجم سيف الجزيري، وشيكو بانزا، هؤلاء اللاعبون في وضعية فردية يمكن أن يحدثوا الفارق في أي لحظة ووسط الميدان ممتاز، رغم أن إصابة دونجا أثرت قليلًا”.

واستكمل: “تقريبًا، الخطة التي وضعناها في المباراة كانت كيفية منع الزمالك من استغلال نقاط القوة، وهي الكرات في العمق وخاصة الثلاثة محاور، ومنع الكرة من الوصول إليهم”.

وأشار: “توجه الزمالك للعب الكرات المباشرة على المهاجم وانتظار الكرات الثانية، ونتوقع أننا فشلنا في بداية المباراة في الدقائق العشرين الأولى”.

واسترسل: “بعد عشر دقائق، إصابة أولى لأحسن لاعب في الفريق، سيرينو، وقبلها بأربع دقائق، إصابة الظهير الأيسر، بالإضافة للمردود التحكيمي”

وأوضح: “أحيانًا ترى تدخلات خشنة من لاعبي الزمالك دون تدخل الحكم بالبطاقات وبهذه الحالة خسرنا لاعبين بسبب التدخلات العنيفة، تقريبًا بعد 20 دقيقة لعب، كنا منهزمين 1-0، واكتفينا بالتغييرات المتاحة، والمستوى الفني والبدني لنادي الزمالك كان واضحًا في مباراة زيسكو يونايتد، والشوط الثاني كان صعبًا جدًا من الناحية البدنية”.

وأشار: “إذا نظرنا للإحصائيات في الشوط الثاني، نسبة امتلاك الكرة كانت تقريبًا 70% لنادي كايزر تشيفز مقابل 30% لنادي الزمالك، صحيح استحوذنا على الكرة، لكن بدون فعالية هجومية واضحة وتقريبًا، الثقافة الكروية والخبث الكروي لدينا في شمال إفريقيا، كيف ندير المباراة، تقريبًا كل دقيقتين كان لاعب من الزمالك يسقط على الأرض، مرة الحارس، مرة سيف، مرة الوسط، كل مرة لاعب”.

وقال: “إذا فهمنا من بعد الوقت الإضافي، كان 8 دقائق، ولو أن 8 دقائق بالنسبة لنا لا تكفي، للأمانة لم نلعب أكثر من 30 دقيقة في الشوط الثاني، وهذا من حق نادي الزمالك لمجاراة النسق البدني والتعب، وكان فائزًا 1-0، بما أن قوانين اللعبة تسمح بذلك، لكن كما قلت، الحكم كان متسامحًا، نلعب خمس دقائق ونتوقف”.

وأضاف: “بخصوص أحقية الزمالك في ركلة جزاء لم أشاهد المباراة بعد، وكانت بعيدة عنا قليلاً، يمكن أن نتوقع أنها ضربة جزاء، لكن بنفس الوضع، الهدف الذي سجله الزمالك كانت تسبقه مخالفة على المهاجم”.

وأتم: “الفريقان اعترضا على الحكم، وشاهدنا مباراة الأهلي مع الجيش الملكي ومباراة الأخير مع يانج أفريكانز، الفريقان تعرضا للظلم من التحكيم، اليوم نفس الشيء، الهدف الأول كان مسبوقًا بمخالفة، والجميع يعرف أن التحكيم في القارة الإفريقية ليس جيدًا”.

Manchester United have now reportedly launched a stunning £100m+ offer to sign an England superstar who has already earned the praise of David Beckham.

Man Utd targeting England superstar

INEOS are looking to make a statement in 2026, having already showcased their spending power by revitalising Man United’s frontline last season. Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha all arrived in an attempt to transform Ruben Amorim’s side.

Now, the focus is turning towards the manager’s midfield. With Casemiro edging past the peak of his powers, Manuel Ugarte struggling in possession and Kobbie Mainoo frozen out by Amorim, Man United have already reportedly drawn up a shortlist of options.

So far, two of the biggest names on that shortlist in the Premier League are Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson. Two of United’s biggest targets, both have enjoyed excellent campaigns so far.

There’s plenty of competition for the two England stars, however, and Champions League qualification is likely to be the key to unlocking any potential move for Man United.

The same can be said for another England star. If it’s not Wharton or Anderson, then it could be Jude Bellingham. Sensational reports are now claiming that Man United have made their first move to sign the Real Madrid superstar ahead of 2026.

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Bellingham is undoubtedly one of the best midfielders in world football and would instantly become the best signing that INEOS have made.

Man Utd launch £100m+ Bellingham offer

According to reports in Spain, Man United have now launched an offer to sign Bellingham worth as much as €150m (£131m) in what would break their transfer record. Alas, Real Madrid reportedly believe that the Englishman is worth more than that and have turned the Red Devils down.

Whether INEOS return with a second offer remains to be seen. It would simply be a sensational move for a player who’s already got the approval of Beckham.

Praise does not get much better than that from a Man United point of view, but the idea of watching Bellingham follow in Beckham’s footsteps at Old Trafford very much remains a dream for the time being.

He's "like Reijnders": Old Trafford chiefs pushing Man Utd to sign "elite" star

Bumrah’s return, Suryakumar’s reliability, and the fresh spark from new recruits changed their fortunes

Vishal Dikshit29-May-20254:25

Can MI cope without Bosch, Rickelton in the playoffs?

After only one win in their first five games, Mumbai Indians (MI) were close to the bottom of the points table in IPL 2025. Around the halfway mark of the league stage, MI turned a corner and made it to the playoffs with a six-match winning streak along the way. They will now face Gujarat Titans (GT) in the Eliminator on May 30. Before that, here’s a look at the performers who helped MI, last season’s wooden-spoon holders, bounce back.

The boom with Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah’s absence for the first four games this season hit MI hard. They were forced to throw new-ball specialist Deepak Chahar and the inexperienced Satyanarayana Raju in the death overs, and they stumbled to one loss after another with an economy rate of 11.04 between overs 17-20 in their first four fixtures.Related

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• Suryakumar's solo show saves the day for MI

Enter Bumrah to turn MI’s fortunes around. Chahar and Boult could now focus on the powerplay, Hardik on the middle overs (7 to 16), and Bumrah led the attack with his pin-point accuracy, frugal economy and death-overs speciality.Bumrah’s presence also took bowling workload off Hardik, who sent down 10 overs in his three games before Bumrah joined, and then only another 20 in the 10 matches since. Trent Boult, the second-most experienced bowler in the line-up, and he and Bumrah pulled down the death-overs economy rate from over 11 to just 9.48, the second-best in that phase among all teams since Bumrah joined.The Jasprit Bumrah effect for MI•ESPNcricinfo LtdBoult’s plan was clear in the death: nail the yorker, the weapon he has used most often in that phase, to pick up wickets and stem the flow of runs. His 19 yorkers in the death during the league stage were not only the second-most (behind Avesh Khan’s 21), they fetched him the most number of wickets, with the second-best economy rate of a mere 2.75 (behind Josh Hazlewood’s 3.00).Bumrah, meanwhile, bowled like he was never injured, waltzing his way to the top of the charts for both overall economy rate (6.33) and bowling average (14.64) with the 17 wickets in just 39.2 overs.Trent Boult’s yorkers at the death in IPL 2025•ESPNcricinfo LtdWith Chahar and Boult taking care of the new ball – MI were the only team that didn’t change their opening pair this IPL – and the death overs in the hands of seasoned pros, MI’s bowling attack worked like a well-oiled machine, bringing their overall economy rate also down from 8.87 in the first four matches to 8.40 in the next 10 – the best in those matches. Credit to MI’s plans, their average in the middle overs without Bumrah was always the best, and it continued that way even after he arrived.

The three new recruits

That MI were looking to bank on their experience and core was clear from their retentions. After the mega auction, their head coach Mahela Jayawardene said the reason for bringing in Boult (who played for them in 2020 and 2021), Chahar, Mitchell Santner</a and Karn Sharma, was because they wanted players who had the taste of winning an IPL before.However, there are three players who have played nearly all league games and are, at best, in their second IPL season. MI invested in opener and wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton, England allrounder Will Jacks, and used the RTM option for Naman Dhir.Naman Dhir and Suryakumar Yadav company played crucial innings through the league stage•MB Media/Getty ImagesRickelton, who was bought at the auction for his base price of INR 1 crore, has been MI's second-highest scorer so far after Suryakumar Yadav. MI needed a wicketkeeper after letting go of Ishan Kishan and they showed their preference for a left-hand opening partner for Rohit Sharma. They did that by picking Rickelton, whom they had seen closely with MI Cape Town in SA20 for two seasons already – he was the top-scorer in the 2024 edition and then fourth on the runs charts in their title-winning run in 2025.When Rohit was struggling for runs early on, Rickelton, meanwhile, scored quickly. By the time Rohit got his first big score, in MI's eighth game, Rickelton had 180 runs at a strike rate of 150, and he has since more than doubled that count to 388, sharing the team's lowest balls-per-boundary ratio (4) with a few others. His form gave Rohit the comfort of time to regain his rhythm and often set the platform for the remaining batters.One of those batters was Dhir. His stock had risen from INR 20 lakh to INR 5.25 crore this year because of his big shots, especially the towering sixes he hits down the ground. It's no surprise that his strike rate of over 180 is the best for an MI batter this season, despite batting at No. 3, No. 6 and No. 7, excelling in each of those positions.He took down the international trio of Mitchell Starc, Mukesh Kumar and Mohit Sharma in the death overs in Delhi; his 25* off 11 lifted MI to a match-winning 215 against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and his last two knocks saw him strike two fours and four sixes in a combined 20 balls to emerge as a reliable finisher. For a batter at No. 7 or below, Dhir has the second-most runs for an MI batter in a season. Another 19 runs and he will top that list. Apart from his batting, Dhir has also been a handy fielder in the deep, pouching the second-most catches.Will Jacks's bowling has been equally useful as his batting•AFP/Getty ImagesThe third cog in the trio is Jacks, who has played 13 of their 14 matches, but has headed home like Rickelton. With centuries to his name across the SA20, BPL and IPL in the span of just three months in early 2024, it would have been fair to assume MI selected him for his top-order bashing.But the surprise element – testimony to his six-for on Test debut – came in the form of his offbreaks, used astutely by MI against left-hand batters. Jacks often bowled soon after the powerplay, and has bowled two-thirds of his deliveries to them so far. The match-up peaked against LSG when he took out Nicholas Pooran and Rishabh Pant, both caught in his first three balls. Earlier in April, he had bagged a similar feat opposite SRH, when he had Kishan stumped for two and Travis Head caught for 28. On both occasions the oppositions were kept to 160-odd and MI won comfortably, with Jacks the Player of the Match.All his six wickets came against left-handers with a far better economy rate (7.50 compared to 10.71 against right-hand batters), but such has been his efficacy that he has the second-best economy rate and the best average for a spinner against them this season.

SKY-rocketing his way through the middle overs

If there were any doubts about his T20 form coming into the IPL because of the low scores against England at the start of the year – which included two ducks – Suryakumar put them all to bed by marrying two factors, of which one often comes at the cost of another for top-order batters: consistency and a high strike-rate.Even before MI began to pick up the pieces after the initial defeats, Suryakumar had started churning out the runs in the middle overs. The crescendo of MI registering one win after another along with Suryakumar’s form went hand in hand. He first put on steady scores of 25-plus every time and then hit the high notes in the second half of the league stage with match-winning performances during the crunch games, both home and away. If he swept his way to 54 against LSG and peppered the boundaries on flat tracks, Suryakumar also chaperoned the batting on challenging pitches in the last two outings, first at home with an unbeaten 73 against Delhi Capitals (DC), and then with a 57 opposite Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Jaipur.Suryakumar Yadav in middle overs in IPL 2025•ESPNcricinfo LtdHis T20 mastery is not a surprise anymore but the fact that he averages 71.11 this season proves that no bowling attack has found answers for his 360-degree play. His 14 straight 25-plus scores are a world record now, his tally of 640 is the highest for an MI batter in an IPL season. He is also the first non-opening batter in IPL history to have scored over 600 in a season two times (2023 and 2025). If he scores another 48 runs, he will hold the record for the most runs by a non-opener in a season, going past AB de Villiers’ record of 687 from 2016.If MI play on more tricky surfaces in the playoffs or face a crisis situation, Suryakumar will hold the key for them, especially in the middle overs where he has scored 75% of his runs and he is, not surprisingly, the leading scorer in that phase by a big margin. He has scored 41.17% of MI’s runs in overs 7 to 16, which is also the biggest contribution by a single batter in the middle overs towards his team.A lot has come together for MI in the last couple of months to put the string of losses behind them, boss different phases of the game, and rely on different match-winners to make it to the last four. The next challenge will be to continue this streak even in the absence of those who have left for national duty.

The Australian power-hitter talks about how he looks to make a big impact with his short appearances at the crease, and about using his physique to be imposing

Matt Roller09-Apr-2025″I watch a lot of cricket,” Tim David says with a smile – and he does not mean on TV. In the last five years, only Nicholas Pooran and Rashid Khan have played more T20 matches worldwide than David’s 247, but 27 batters have faced more balls. He is a specialist in one of the strangest positions in world sport: the T20 finisher.David faces around ten balls per match; if everything goes to plan for his team, he does not face any.”In most games I play in, I watch the first ten overs from the changing rooms, then five overs from the dugout,” he explains. His longest IPL innings lasted 24 balls – only 20% of a T20 innings. Unlike most players who fulfil his role, David has never bowled in the IPL either.Yet his services remain in high demand. David has played T20s for 18 different teams and is paid handsomely for his work, even if the dynamics of last November’s auction left him with a 64% pay cut. Watching him bat for Royal Challengers Bengaluru over the last three weeks in IPL 2025, it is clear why teams value him highly: he has only faced 27 balls but has crunched five of them for six.”It’s about managing expectations,” David says, sitting on the top floor of a Mumbai hotel. “When you’re batting in my role, you don’t get a go in every game.” The Impact Player rule exacerbates that in the IPL: “It marginalises my role. I’ve gone from batting No. 6 in other teams – and higher if you have a good start – to No. 7 or 8. I almost just bat in the last couple of overs.”Related

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It means that David relies heavily on his training routine. “I’ve got to get a lot of volume in,” he says. “I don’t expect to get that in games, and you’ve got to be ready to take risks straightaway.” Thankfully, it is no hardship for him. “I love it. Training is so much fun: I get to go and hang out with my mates and have a hit for way too long.”In India, David has worked closely with two of T20’s greatest finishers. He spent three years being mentored by Kieron Pollard at Mumbai Indians, whose imposing physique he shares. Now he is learning the softer skills of RCB’s Dinesh Karthik: “They are different styles of players and different people, but there’s a wealth of knowledge from both sides.”But they can’t just tell you things and then you automatically do it. You have to go through it, own the mistakes yourself and come out the other side. It’s an interesting role that I play, but when you’re in a good headspace, it’s a lot easier, because you don’t judge yourself so harshly… Sometimes, the harder you try, the more frustrating it is.”Twice already this season David has faced every ball of the 20th over. He has turned down singles to retain the strike, and on each occasion has won his battle with a death bowler: he hit Sam Curran for three sixes in a row, then went four, six, four against Prasidh Krishna. “It’s been nice to get those 15-plus [run] overs and add onto the scoreboard,” he says.At 6ft 5in, David believes he can exert pressure on bowlers simply through his imposing physical presence. “That’s a massive part of it. It’s a super important part of my game. I’m supposed to be able to get mishits for six and reach balls that are hard to bowl, to then put pressure on bowlers. If I couldn’t do those things, I wouldn’t be playing these roles.

“It’s an interesting role that I play, but when you’re in a good headspace, it’s a lot easier, because you don’t judge yourself so harshly”

“We’ve chatted about it between ourselves as a batting group: if we feel like we have a read on a bowler, [we should] make it a big over. When you are relaxed in those situations, you realise you don’t have to hit every ball for six, because you’ve got six opportunities at that stage to make an impact.”David keeps his bat face reasonably open, allowing him to get elevation when hitting yorkers. “The bounce is different in India, and the ball comes onto the bat differently too. A couple of matches ago, we were in Chennai – it’s basically as far as you can get from being at the WACA, where I grew up playing. But you have to find a way to make an impact.”Beyond turning down singles, David has started turning down contracts. He spent the last five years taking up every opportunity to play T20 around the world, including playing for three different teams in a week in February. Now he is conscious of avoiding burnout and of ensuring he is “mentally prepared” to perform in an inherently volatile role.”I’m playing ten months of the year, and I have to book tournaments off. When you’ve been on the road for three or four months, away from home comforts, you need to have a rest and refresh for the next one. I feel like I’m in a good space at the moment. I’ve improved so much. I’m a vastly better player now than I was when I first started.””There are so many eyes on each game in the IPL. It can be overbearing if you’re not in the right headspace”•R Param/BCCIDavid will take a rare break from franchise cricket after the IPL, but hopes to play in Australia’s upcoming T20Is against West Indies and South Africa. At 29 he appears increasingly unlikely to ever play a first-class match: “I would love to be able to go and bat for a long period of time and score big scores. But I love playing T20, and I don’t have the time to do that [play first-class cricket] in my year.”Life on the franchise circuit is far removed from David’s home in Cottesloe, the coastal Perth suburb. “I go to the beach every day, and I love it. Here, I’m staying in hotels for three months – and cricket is everywhere you look in India. The challenge is to stay fresh through a ten-week process. And then you’ve got to be ready to perform in the finals.”There are so many eyes on each game in the IPL. It captures the nation: everyone is watching, everyone is supporting their team. It can be overbearing if you’re not in the right headspace. There are definitely challenges that people at home don’t see, but at the end of the day, our job is defined by how we perform – so they are entitled to their criticism.”In fact, RCB have largely attracted praise this year, after three impressive away wins in their first four games. “I don’t think our top four is going to miss out very often, because they are such high-class players,” David says. Therein lies the unique challenge of his role: the better his team’s batting line-up performs, the more time he will spend watching them.

The Atlanta Braves will play host to MLB's All-Star weekend in 2025, with Truist Park set to serve as the site for both the All-Star Game and the Home Run Derby.

Among the participants in this year's Derby include the Braves' own Ronald Acuña Jr., who is making his third appearance in the event.

spoke to Acuña ahead of the derby as part of his new collaboration with Call of Duty Mobile, which introduced Acuña's "La Bestia" baseball bat that was added to the game as an in-game cosmetic. Acuña said he plays Call of Duty Mobile regularly, and even more so while going through his recovery and rehabilitation from the ACL injury that ended his 2024 season early and delayed the start of his '25 campaign.

Now gearing up for the derby, the 27-year-old discussed why the event being at home at Truist Park makes the occasion even more special.

"It means a lot to me. Being in the Home Run Derby in my home stadium in Atlanta and in front of the home crowd is an absolute dream come true, and I can only hope to win," Acuña said, speaking via translator.

No player in Braves franchise history has ever won the Home Run Derby, so Acuña has the chance to become the very first. To do so at his home stadium with the fans backing him would make that accomplishment even more special.

If Acuña were able to achieve the feat, he'd join a select group of players in the event's history to win it at home, including Chicago Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg, who won at Wrigley Field in 1990, Todd Frazier of the Cincinnati Reds, who won in 2015 at the Great American Ball Park, ex-Washington Nationals star Bryce Harper who took home the trophy in '18 at Nationals Park and Adolis Garcia, who won in 2024 at Globe Life Field in front of the Texas Rangers faithful.

Like many other baseball fans and players, Acuña also grew up watching the Home Run Derby. When asked about his favorite Derby growing up, he said it was 2011 when New York Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano won it all while his father Jose was pitching to him.

Acuña spoke highly of his competitors, referring to all of them as "incredible players," but he will be hoping the support from the home crowd in Atlanta can help propel him to victory over the rest of the pack.

Lionel Messi has lifted the lid on a shock "childhood dream" that was scotched by his Barcelona debut. Messi’s life pivoted sharply when Barcelona chose to take a chance on him at a moment when Argentine clubs, including giants River Plate, backed away from the cost of treating his growth hormone condition.

• The napkin that changed football history

  Signed on 14 December 2000, the napkin has become one of the most iconic artefacts in football. The blue-ink message, hastily scribbled by Barça sporting director Carles Rexach, carried a personal commitment to sign a 13-year-old Messi "regardless of any dissenting opinions." Alongside Rexach’s name were those of transfer advisor Josep Minguella and agent Horacio Gaggioli, men who had championed Messi’s potential when others hesitated. The napkin emerged amid growing anxiety from the Messi family. After his trial, weeks drifted by with little communication from Barca. As Christmas approached in 2000, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid hovered as possible alternatives. Messi’s father, Jorge, feared the moment would pass. Rexach, aware the club were close to losing a generational talent, invited Jorge Messi to lunch, and, lacking an official document, wrote the pledge on the only material available. Messi was officially signed a month later, and history took its course.

  Translated into English, it reads: "In Barcelona, on 14 December 2000 and in the presence of Messrs Minguella and Horacio, Carles Rexach, FC Barcelona's sporting director, hereby agrees, under his responsibility and regardless of any dissenting opinions, to sign the player Lionel Messi, provided that we keep to the amounts agreed upon."

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  A debut that closed one door, and opened the world

  Messi’s Barcelona debut followed three years later, on 16 November 2003, in a friendly against Porto. Frank Rijkaard introduced the 16-year-old in the 71st minute. Even then, whispers circled La Masia suggesting that the teenager from Rosario possessed a talent beyond comparison, though few could predict the scale of what would unfold. His competitive first-team bow came the following year on 16 October, in a La Liga fixture against Espanyol. At 17 years, three months and 22 days, he became Barcelona’s youngest-ever representative in official competition. The dream of playing for Newell’s faded in that moment, but a new reality began.

  In an interview with Messi has now said: "I always say that my childhood dream was to play for Newell's first team. I'd go to the stadium, I played there, and I dreamed of becoming a professional in Primera. Then my life changed completely because I left at 13, debuted for Barcelona, and everything that happened afterward. It's something I never would've imagined, not even in my best dreams. I lived things much bigger than anything I could have dreamed of."

• The Messi era at Barcelona

  Messi would go on to score 672 goals in 778 games for Barcelona, win 10 La Liga titles, lift four Champions Leagues, and establish an era-defining legacy before leaving for Paris Saint-Germain in 2021. Hence, despite the romanticism attached to a homecoming, Messi never managed to fulfil that childhood wish. When he left PSG, the option was emotionally appealing but professionally unworkable as Inter Miami ultimately offered the stability and vision that Newell’s could not. Now 38 and still guiding Argentina as they prepare to defend their World Cup crown, Messi accepts that the story of his early years remains unfinished. Whereas the same napkin was sold for an astonishing £762,400 at auction, far surpassing its £300,000 starting price.

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  All eyes on the 2026 World Cup

  The 2026 World Cup, spread across the United States, Canada and Mexico, looms large. Argentina, the reigning champions, are among the favourites once more and will learn their group-stage opponents when Friday’s draw takes place. For Messi, the tournament represents an opportunity to win back-to-back World Cups as captain. His Newell’s dream may remain untouched, but everything else, the records, the glory, has exceeded his dreams.