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Allrounders Deepti Sharma and Amelia Kerr have also been released by their respective franchises

Nagraj Gollapudi05-Nov-2025India’s World Cup winners Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues and Shafali Verma are some of the high-profile players retained by the WPL franchises ahead of the 2026 mega auction.Australia’s Alyssa Healy and Meg Lanning, along with New Zealand allrounder Amelia Kerr, are set to enter the auction pool after being released by their respective teams. Among other big releases is Deepti Sharma, the Player of the Tournament in the World Cup. Deepti led Warriorz in Healy’s absence in 2025ESPNcricinfo has learned two teams – defending champions Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals – have retained five players, the maximum allowed by WPL; Royals Challengers Bengaluru have retained four players, Gujarat Giants have retained two and UP Warriorz have retained one. While the individual amounts for players could not be confirmed, the following are likely retentions:Delhi Capitals: Annabel Sutherland, Marizanne Kapp, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Niki Prasad
Mumbai Indians: Harmanpreet Kaur, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amanjot Kaur, G Kamalini and Hayley Matthews
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Smriti Mandhana, Ellyse Perry, Richa Ghosh, Shreyanka Patil
Gujarat Giants: Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney
UP Warriorz: Shweta Sehrawat.Related

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As per WPL retention rules, franchises can retain a maximum of three capped Indian players, a maximum of two overseas players, and a maximum of two uncapped Indian players. In a case where the franchise wanted to retain five players, the rules state that at least one should be an uncapped Indian player. The WPL has also, for the first time, decided to allow franchises the use of right-to-match (RTM) option at the auction to buy back a player who was part of their squad in 2025.Franchises have been allotted INR 15 crore each for the auction, which is understood to take place in Delhi on November 27. While announcing the retention rules, the WPL also listed the guideline prices for the retention slabs: INR 3.5 crore (Player 1), INR 2.5 crore (Player 2), INR 1.75 crore (Player 3), INR 1 crore (Player 4) and INR 50 lakh (Player 5). If a franchise opts to retain five players, INR 9.25 crore would be deducted from its 15 crore purse, while for four, the deduction would be INR 8.75 crore; for three, it would be INR 7.75 crore; for two INR 6 crore; and for one INR 3.5 crore.Therefore DC and MI will have INR 5.75 crore to build their squad, which should have between 16 and 18 players. They will not have any RTMs available.Warriorz, who have retained an uncapped player in Shweta Sehrawat, will have the maximum purse of INR 14.5 crore along with four RTMs. Giants will have three RTMs restricted to only Indian players and a purse of INR 9 crore while RCB will have one RTM and INR 6.25 crore.

Gloucestershire’s rearguard falls short despite OIlie Price fifty on final day at Lord’s

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay27-Sep-2025Middlesex 634 for 9 dec (du Plooy 263, Morgan 97, Cracknell 64, Geddes 60, Hollman 55, Singh Dale 5-108) beat Gloucestershire 286 (Bracey 60, Gohar 5-53, Cornwell 4-58) and 281 (Price 61, Roland-Jones 4-47) by an innings and 67 runsToby Roland-Jones claimed four wickets to round off Middlesex’s Rothesay County Championship campaign in winning fashion as they ground down Gloucestershire on the final day at Lord’s.The 37-year-old seamer finished with 4 for 57, ending the campaign as Division Two’s second highest wicket-taker behind Derbyshire’s Luis Reece to dismiss the visitors for 281 in their second innings, despite Ollie Price’s knock of 61. Former Gloucestershire duo Zafar Gohar and Ryan Higgins backed up Roland-Jones with three and two wickets apiece as the Seaxes sealed an innings victory with 22 overs unused.The result meant Middlesex finished fourth in the final table, 11 points short of the promotion places, with Gloucestershire in sixth.Gloucestershire began the final day with nine wickets standing and rarely looked in danger of losing any more during the opening hour and a half where the ball swung, but not enough to cause genuine problems for Price and Joe Phillips.Having dispatched Roland-Jones for two early boundaries and survived Noah Cornwell’s appeal for a catch down the leg side, Price settled into the groove, advancing to his half-century from 91 balls.It was teenage seamer Sebastian Morgan who eventually made the breakthrough, sending down three tight overs before switching to the Pavilion End and gaining immediate reward as he tempted Phillips to drive to gully. Morgan might also have removed Miles Hammond, who edged just short of second slip, but the left-hander quickly gained rhythm with a series of fours as he and Price guided their side through to lunch.However, Price’s return to the crease after the interval lasted one ball – a Roland-Jones delivery that kept low, nipped back and clattered into his off stump and, when James Bracey glanced Higgins behind without scoring, Gloucestershire were suddenly on the back foot again.Having escaped when Morgan, leaping to his right at gully, could not cling onto a difficult chance, Hammond eventually perished to a similar stroke off Higgins to leave the visitors five down.Graeme van Buuren, having taken 17 balls to get off the mark, sprang to life with a trio of boundaries off Roland-Jones and pounced on anything wide outside off stump as he and Jack Taylor added 49.Gohar came on to dismiss his former county captain for 46, with Ben Geddes plunging forward at short leg to take a bat-pad catch, but the Taylor brothers steered their side into the final session.Middlesex’s hopes were lifted again by the new ball, which brought Roland-Jones the wickets of Matt Taylor – and then his elder brother, one short of his half-century – both snapped up at second slip. With Ajeet Singh Dale falling to Gohar, there was still time for Marchant de Lange to launch a brief, defiant counterattack against the spinner, hitting 14 from three deliveries before he was caught behind.

Both were masterly on a pitch that had enough to keep them interested, but not enough to give maximum results for their efforts

Sidharth Monga10-Jul-20250:57

What explains England’s ‘Blockball’ approach?

This Test is being played more on an upside-down ground than merely a sloped one. England are the toss and batting at home for only the second time since the start of 2022. Jasprit Bumrah’s deliveries aren’t carrying to the wicketkeeper. Nitish Kumar Reddy’s are surprising everyone with the extra bounce. Reddy is India’s highest wicket-taker in the game at the moment. England are playing according to the conditions and the bowling, and are Bazwalling at 3.02 an over.For a moment, it seemed the gods sent locusts out 20 minutes after the scheduled close of play to deliver judgment on what could be seen as an immoral day’s play in times of moral victories. Thankfully, they were just black ants, arguably the most threatening form of non-human life in England. Some argued they were ladybugs.Whoever they were, hopefully they stayed back to watch two masters at work. Also, the complaints about the ball and the eventual change around the 42nd-43rd over lent bits of normalcy to proceedings. It was only the last bits of it, but Bumrah and Joe Root were masterly on a pitch that had enough to keep them interested, but not enough to give maximum results for their efforts.Related

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Curiously, Root faced just 21 balls from Bumrah. That’s just 21 out of 72 that Bumrah bowled with Root at the wicket. It included Root facing just one ball from Bumrah’s first spell after lunch. Only Washington Sundar bowled less often to him.If it was a conscious thing that Root did, it is another masterful thing for a master batter to do, letting poor Ollie Pope face the brunt of a red-hot Bumrah. During that ten-over period, Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj gave away just 15 runs. All told, Root faced just 24 balls in those ten overs. Pope later said it wouldn’t be so smart if it were a conscious move. Ollie, Joe did you in there.Through the day, Bumrah drew 34 false shots. That’s about two per over. That deserves more than the one wicket, but the Pavilion End, the one that alpha bowlers of every team take at Lord’s, hardly had any bounce. The first ball he bowled to Ben Duckett took the edge but didn’t carry to slip. Immediately, he asked everyone behind the wicket to move up. He bowled just four overs in that spell, and moved to the Nursery End, which had more bounce.1:12

Manjrekar: Reddy looked like India’s best seamer

Through the day, there was more swing and seam available than on any of the first days of the three Tests so far, but the lack of pace and bounce made it hard work to take wickets. The lack of pace gave batters time to adjust to the movement, and if they did edge them, they hardly ever carried. Except, of course, when Reddy bowled great balls of fire.It also took away one of the more profitable scoring avenues for Root: the dab behind square on the off side. He kept middling those dabs, but they just didn’t have enough pace on them to go past gully. That showed in his strike rate, and in the number of inside edges that missed the stumps. That’s the little luck you deserve as a Test batter when you are batting at 86% control on a pitch doing a bit.Bumrah tried both ends but had little luck even though he, and India, stuck to good lengths and kept testing the batters. Movement in the pitch notwithstanding, India’s fast bowlers remained on the good length 54% of the time as opposed to England’s 37% on the first day in Leeds and Birmingham. That has been the general trend in the series. India will have reason to feel good about their work, having kept England down to 251 on a day on which only four wickets came about.1:21

What makes Root a special batter?

After tea, Bumrah went back to the Pavilion End, where by now the length to hit the top of stumps had shortened by a metre as compared to the first session. If Ben Stokes felt Birmingham was subcontinent-like, this was subcontinent-like with seam. Just what Bumrah needed then to bowl the ball of the day: one that swung away 2.5 inches and then nipped back in about six inches to hit the top of Harry Brook’s off stump.Root kept doing his work like a busy bee at the other end. Against Bumrah, even he played six false shots in 21 balls. Against others, he accumulated in peace, even though it never looked as easy as milking them.If Root had an asterisk of struggling against Bumrah, India had an asterisk of not hitting the stumps enough. But they did improve as the day progressed: 5.33% in the first session to 10.6% in the second to 15.79% in the third.It was the best first day of the series, even though it was the slowest. There were no clear winners or losers, both sides could be pleased with their work with room for improvement still, and there was a promise of more to come should the pitch deteriorate in the 28-degree heat that is making everything fall apart in England. Of course, the flying ants saw only bits of it.

Nottingham Forest are on the lookout for solidity under Sean Dyche and could now be set to make an intriguing move courtesy of owner Evangelos Marinakis.

The Tricky Trees had a fairly ominous start to the Premier League campaign that culminated in the departure of Nuno Espirito Santo, which was followed by Ange Postecoglou’s short tenure at the City Ground that ended under acrimonious circumstances.

Now, Dyche is the man at the helm and there is a feeling that improvement is starting to take shape on the River Trent, characterised in clear fashion by their convincing victory over Leeds United before the international break.

Ultimately, Forest are still in the relegation zone and have their work cut out to ensure they survive in the top-flight this campaign, though the fact that players such as Elliot Anderson are earning rave reviews from Thomas Tuchel is a reason for some optimism in the East Midlands.

Paying tribute to the Three Lions midfielder, the England coach labelled him as ‘one of the best midfielders in the Premier League’ before a routine victory in World Cup qualifying over Serbia, emphasising the value of his services that the Tricky Trees have at their disposal.

Even then, a tricky fixture at Anfield awaits for Forest on the other side of the international break before a quickfire double header against Malmö and Brighton, requiring squad rotation to make sure Dyche has fresh options to choose from.

Stability is something that hasn’t always been easy to come by at the City Ground, and club owner Marinakis doesn’t wait around when it is time to make a decision, something he could again demonstrate in January.

Nottingham Forest set for intriguing Christos Mouzakitis pursuit

According to Tuttosport, Nottingham Forest are among a clutch of clubs that are keen on Olympiacos star Christos Mouzakitis, who is also wanted by Arsenal, Manchester United, Aston Villa, AC Milan and Napoli.

Intriguingly, the Greek giants are owned by Marinakis, and he is said to be the one who will have the final say on his next destination amid their £30 million asking price for the 18-year-old midfielder.

Mouzakitis is described by Tuttosport as a player who’s ‘already one of the greatest talents in Greek football history’, with a clutch of Premier League sides taking notuce.

However, Forest may well have an edge given their close ties to the teenager via their owner.

Known to idolise AC Milan veteran Luka Modrić, Mouzakitis is a recipient of the TuttoSport Goldenboy Web Award and has registered two assists in 13 appearances this season across all competitions.

Nevertheless, he is under contract until 2029, and Olympiacos will hold the cards should a bidding war start to take place for his services, making it a tough ask for any suitors to land their man for anything less than a premium.

Either way, Marinakis could be the defining factor for Nottingham Forest in this one, and it may be worth keeping an eye to see what developments occur over the coming weeks and months.

Nottingham Forest could also be set to allow a surprise departure

He has all the physical gifts a fast bowler needs, and all the skill to go with it. At Kingsmead he showed he may be letting go of the self-doubt that had clouded him for so long

Firdose Moonda28-Nov-2024When you’re more than two metres tall, with a moustache the size of caterpillar on your top lip, and can consistently bowl in the 140s, it’s going to be difficult to convince people that you’re the nervous type, but Marco Jansen is. Or maybe was.Jansen is now the bowler who has taken the joint-fewest number of deliveries to complete a Test-match seven-for: 41. He did this in an explosive spell of movement and bounce that tested the Sri Lanka’s batters’ techniques and ripped them apart. And he did it without the kind of vein-popping aggression that a bowler doing that kind of damage may employ. Jansen is not really that kind of player. He is unassuming, shy, and can get down on himself, even when it’s clear he has all the ingredients to go down as one of the greats.Related

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Take the ball that beat Dhananjaya de Silva’s defence. It moved just enough to swerve through the bat-pad gap. It was full, but not too full. De Silva wanted to drive and got an inside-edge, and Jansen was rewarded with the dreamy sight of the stumps shattering behind the batter. Four overs before that, he had Angelo Mathews reaching for a ball off the back foot and getting a thick outside edge to first slip. The most excited person on the field was Tristan Stubbs, who whooped from third slip and jumped on his team-mates. Jansen was perhaps pensively considering the magnitude of what he had done: removed Sri Lanka’s two most experienced batters to put South Africa in a position to stamp their authority on the game. He bowled his next few overs buoyed with a different kind of confidence; a far cry from the player who, just a year ago, was a shadow of this.Remember last year’s 50-over World Cup where Jansen was South Africa’s new-ball ace before they ran into India and he got the yips? Well, he admitted that he had needed, before the match, a chat with his father and a few Bible verses to calm himself down. Seven months later, he had to play India again, in the T20 World Cup final, and was South Africa’s most expensive bowler in a match that has been archived alongside other ghosts of tournaments past.He went on to play in Major League Cricket (MLC) but, on his return home, not only was he carrying a shoulder niggle but also mental fatigue. Cricket South Africa (CSA) recognised the need to put him on an extended break. They have explained these as “conditioning blocks” intended to address a variety of issues associated with the modern game, including, but not limited to, too much of it. And the time away has left Jansen “a lot more refreshed” and ready to perform under pressure again.”It’s similar to the physical; it feels like I can go for longer periods of time and concentrate at a higher level, which is what you ultimately want as a cricket player, especially in Test cricket,” he said at the post-day-two press conference in Durban.Jansen found just enough movement to find a way through the gap between Dinesh Chandimal’s bat and pad•AFP/Getty ImagesSo yes, there’s a difference between this Test match and the two examples mentioned above. This match isn’t being played in front of a partisan and passionate crowd, and it’s not a final, but South Africa were bowled out for 191 at a ground where their recent history is poor. Though the pitch was not the spinner-friendly sort it had been in 2019, when Sri Lanka last won here, batting conditions were testing and Sri Lanka’s seamers exposed South Africa’s inexperience. Add to that that they also lost a bowler, Wiaan Mulder, while he was batting and two of the other three seamers – Jansen and Gerald Coetzee – had both not played a Test in almost a year, and that was reason to be concerned.By the fourth over, any lingering worries would have started to evaporate. Both new-ball bowlers had wickets and Sri Lanka’s batters were being forced to play at deliveries they may otherwise have left because of the lengths South Africa were bowling. “We assessed that the fuller ball or the ball that hits the stumps three-quarters of the way up, was easier to play even though the ball was nipping,” Jansen said. “Whereas when we bowl a length that hit the top of the stumps or higher, the ball has a longer time to move. After the first five wickets fell in our innings, we saw that that particular area was a good length. And then it’s just a case of making the batters play. If the batters leave well on length and in line, then it doesn’t particularly matter where you bowl. But if you can try and make them play as much as possible, then you’re always in the game.”It could be argued that four of Sri Lanka’s top seven could have left the deliveries they chose to go after and three of those – Pathum Nissanka, Mathews and de Silva – were against Jansen. A fourth, Dinesh Chandimal, had his defences breached both because he failed to close the bat-pad gap and because Jansen got the ball to move just enough to find a way through.Does that mean Kingsmead is on its way to regaining its reputation for the green mamba rather than the subcontinent-like substitute? “The groundsman said the wicket was going to have a bit of pace and consistent bounce,” Jansen said. “Seeing the grass yesterday, we thought the new ball was going to have an effect and then spin might come into the game quicker. But by the looks of it, I think we can strike with the new ball and make it count, I don’t think there’s going to be a lot of overs of spin.”‘We bowled really well in terms of our intensity and the energy of the ball’ – Jansen•AFP/Getty ImagesKeshav Maharaj did not bowl at all in Sri Lanka’s first innings, which only lasted 13.5 overs, but Prabath Jayasuriya has sent down 20 overs and has already taken four wickets. “The ball is turning,” Jansen said. “So I wouldn’t be surprised if Temba [Bavuma, South Africa’s captain] brings Kesh on and sees what happens.”There’s much cricket to be played between now and South Africa bowling again, including Bavuma’s second innings. Jansen equated his first-innings 70 with the value of a century because it was “crucial, especially with the ball seaming around and nipping around.”Bavuma was batting on the first day, when South Africa expected it to move around. They were pleasantly surprised that it did the same on the second, helped by overnight rain which the Test has (hopefully) seen the last of. But it wasn’t only the conditions that they took advantage of. “We bowled really well in terms of our intensity and the energy of the ball, because we realised that the ball was moving nice and quick off the pitch, which is always what we want as bowlers,” Jansen said.He used “we” because it was a collective effort but he was a major part of that, and he might still be too modest to say so. Since coming back from this period of forced rest and rehabilitation, Jansen played eight games before this Test with a best return of 3 for 34 in a domestic T20. Like everyone in South Africa’s attack, the T20Is against India were punishing but he was their most economical bowler. A noticeable difference is how much more he seems to trust his own skills and how much more aggressive he is in his approach. All of that contributed to his 7 for 13 on Thursday, and while those figures may be scarcely believable, they will give him belief for a long time to come.

New Zealand captain was verging on tears after her side was knocked out of the World Cup, leaving her with just one game left in her ODI career

Sruthi Ravindranath24-Oct-20254:10

Review – India’s stellar batting show

Sophie Devine’s press conference after New Zealand’s loss to India was in stark contrast to the one on the eve of the match.This was an emotional version of Devine – her team had just been knocked out of the ODI World Cup, and she is set to retire from the format on Sunday. Reflecting on New Zealand’s early exit, she spoke of disappointment but also of pride, especially for the younger players coming through.”I don’t really want to think too much about it because I probably get quite emotional around it,” Devine said. “But the way those girls went out there today… I’m incredibly proud of where this team’s going. When you think about the likes of Izzy [Gaze], Brooke [Halliday], Melie Kerr, Eden Carson, the way that they’re starting to really grow into themselves, it certainly makes it easier when I do step away after the next game, not before.”It is sort of [you feel] a bit like a proud mother, you have been involved in this side at New Zealand cricket for so long that you’re so invested. I’m going to go through a few different emotions over the next couple of days, but we’ll take time to reflect on that.”Related

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It had been a must-win game for New Zealand against hosts India, but they faltered in both halves. After choosing to bowl, they managed to keep India’s openers quiet early but soon lost control. A DLS-adjusted target of 325 in 44 overs left them chasing the game from the start. Despite half-centuries from Halliday and Gaze, they never quite kept up with the asking rate.”It’s hard. After any [game], you can dissect every single ball,” she said. “I thought we were outstanding with the ball in the powerplay. It’s always hard when you get a partnership of 200 plus, you’re going to be under pressure. I guess for the Indian line-up, they were able to come out and swing pretty freely and take the game on and they probably got a few too many.”We spoke about things we needed to try and stay as close to the run rate as possible. And it’s hard because it jumps so quickly here. So, they’re all learnings for us. It’s frustrating and it’s gutting and it’s disappointing to lose any game of cricket, but especially when we still had a chance of making it through to this World Cup’s semi-finals.”Devine, whose international career has spanned nearly two decades, also reflected on the mental side of leadership, mainly the challenge of staying positive in the face of heartbreak.

“And that’s what sucks about sports sometimes, is you can work harder than anyone in the world, you can do all the right things, but it doesn’t guarantee your results out there when it matters. So that’s probably going to be the hardest pill to swallow about this campaign.”Sophie Devine on New Zealand’s exit from the World Cup

“I think the really important thing for me is to be authentic, and not just for me or my group, but for you guys as well,” she said. “I think sometimes people forget that we’re human beings and that we do have emotions. We’re not just robots out there that go and play and don’t have feelings and we don’t feel the criticism and we don’t feel the hurt. The words that are said about us, expectations.”It’s really important to remember that, but also we’ve got to own up to it. It’s the profession we’re in. Unfortunately, this right now is a bloody tough thing for me to do. But I also want to front up and still be really proud of what this group’s been able to achieve. But I’m not going to sugarcoat it, it sucks. Losing press conferences are probably the hardest ones to do, especially when you’ve been knocked out of a tournament. At the end of the day, there’s not too much positive words I could probably say about it, unfortunately. But that is what it is.”New Zealand had opted to bowl first on a hot and humid day in Navi Mumbai, a decision Devine defended. She said that the call had been made with rain on the radar and a potential DLS scenario in mind.”It rained, didn’t it? The game got altered,” Devine said. “In cricket with Duckworth-Lewis you want to bat second so you know what you’re chasing. And again, hindsight’s a brilliant thing, isn’t it? If we’d have won that game, would the same question have been asked? I think we had our reasons to. We obviously saw that the weather was going to come in at some stage. How much? Again, you can’t control that. But I don’t think we regret that decision. We’ve known the troubles that India have had lately of chasing down totals. In hindsight maybe we should have batted first. Would it have changed the result? I don’t know.”New Zealand’s campaign had begun with two defeats in three games, before rain disruptions in Colombo added to their woes with two of their fixtures washed out. As a result, they have just one win in a tournament where number of wins take precedence over net run rate to make the semi-final. When asked how she would process the campaign after so much preparation, Devine’s voice cracked.”I thought I was going to get through this press conference without crying,” she said. “It’s tough, isn’t it? Because I know I’ve spoken about the weather, the weather’s followed us, jokes have been made about it. At the end of the day, you just want the opportunity to play cricket. Unfortunately, we had fate in our hands. We lost the first two games, put ourselves under pressure. We lost today. So, it’s hard to reflect when nearly half your games have had weather impacted by it. But we haven’t been good enough. And that’s really tough because the work that this group’s put in over the last 12 months has been phenomenal.”And that’s what sucks about sports sometimes, is you can work harder than anyone in the world, you can do all the right things, but it doesn’t guarantee your results out there when it matters. So that’s probably going to be the hardest pill to swallow about this campaign. I’m not sure what else we could have done as a group to be better prepared, to be fitter, to be more connected, I don’t know. But we’ve got to dissect it and figure out where we went wrong and where we can improve. It sucks. Unfortunately, there’s not much other ways to describe it.”Devine, however, finished in typical fashion. With their final league game left against England on Sunday she hoped her team would bow out with pride.”The work that this group’s put in, no one deserves anything,” she said. “Not just in cricket, but in life. Sometimes you wish that the good guys got the results. We’ll pull ourselves up, we’ll dust ourselves off, and we’ll go bloody hard at these English people and give them a good run for their money. And hopefully we like everything out there on Sunday and we can leave with our heads held really high.”

One of the standouts for Manchester City this season has been Phil Foden. Last term wasn’t the easiest for the versatile midfielder, but he has shone under Pep Guardiola in the 2025/26 campaign so far and has seen a real resurgence when it comes to his form.

His newfound role in midfield, operating slightly deeper as a number eight, has really helped him rediscover his best form. That was followed by his deserved recall into the England squad by Thomas Tuchel for the Three Lions’ final two World Cup qualifiers, a testament to his resurgence.

In a season where Foden looks back to his best, it is perhaps no coincidence that Erling Haaland is also firing.

Foden and Haaland’s connection in numbers

The connection between Foden and Haaland has been excellent over the last few seasons. According to Transfermarkt, the Stockport-born star has only linked up for a goal more times with Kevin De Bruyne than Haaland, 18 with the Belgian compared to 14 with the City number nine.

One of those came this season, against Napoli in the Champions League. It was a superb assist from Foden, taking the ball on the half turn and lofting it from close range into the path of his teammate.

Haaland did the rest, heading home inside the box.

The City academy graduate has spoken this season about his relationship with the Premier League’s top goalscorer. Foden said the pair are “definitely building that relationship,” explaining that he is “finding him more in behind and where he needs the ball to score.”

Well, that is certainly an exciting prospect for City fans. They might well be able to look forward to even more assists from their number 47, teeing up Haaland, especially given Foden’s performances are improving week by week.

Incredibly, the Citizens are linked with another attacking midfielder who could replicate Foden’s impact.

Man City now targeting another Foden

The January transfer window is almost upon us, and City are seemingly chasing a particular expensive attacking target. Real Madrid star Arda Guler is said to be a name they are looking at, in a deal which could cost the club upwards of £88m.

Should Guardiola’s side get a deal for the Turkish international over the line, it would represent another wonderful attacking acquisition. The 20-year-old has impressed for Los Blancos this term after being given a key role by new manager Xabi Alonso.

In 16 games across all competitions, the former Fenerbahce star has scored three goals and assisted six. Interestingly, all of those assists have been for Kylian Mbappe, as per Transfermarkt.

He has the creativity to provide goals for the world’s best attackers, which Haaland certainly is.

The 20-year-old has already made a great impression despite being a short way into his career. In fact, analyst Ben Mattinson said he can be a “Ballon d’Or level” player back in 2023, and with the form he is putting up now, it is hard to argue that could one day be the case.

There are certainly similarities between Guler and Foden. One of those, of course, is their playstyles, which mirror each other in many ways. They are both left-footed creative midfielders who excel between the lines and offer a big creative outlet for their sides’ attackers.

The pair are also noted as statistically similar players among their midfield European peers, as per FBref.

That has been seen this season, with Turkey star Guler averaging 3.68 key passes per 90 minutes, compared to the City number 47’s tally of 2.66 key passes each game.

It is easy to see how Foden and Guler are quite similar players. With the creative force they possess in the final third, plus the fact that they excel in central zones, Guardiola could have two exciting creative midfielders to choose from.

If Guler can recreate with Haaland the partnership he has with Mbappe, the Citizens could become even more of a threat in attacking areas than they already are.

As important as Doku: £50m star just had his best ever game for Man City

Manchester City smashed Liverpool 3-0 in the Premier League on Sunday, Jérémy Doku the star of the show, but another player shone for Pep Guardiola.

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By
Ben Gray

Nov 10, 2025

After day one of Pakistan’s home template went according to plan, the second day made sure it faithfully followed the same script. South Africa bravely resisted Pakistan’s spinners for exactly 50 overs, but that was all they could take. South Africa then lost 4 for 26 in 62 balls as Noman Ali scythed through South Africa’s middle order, upending a game that appeared to be heading towards a one-innings shootout.After a productive morning for Senuran Muthusamy, who took a six-wicket haul, saw Pakistan dismissed for 378, South Africa had done their best not to allow Pakistan’s spinners to blow them away early doors. Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton saw off the new ball, building a stable opening partnership that inched towards fifty by the 12th over. But Noman, and spin in general, was always a threat. Markram ensured an umpiring decision was overturned when Rod Tucker deemed him to have nicked off to Rizwan, but two balls later, Noman served up another flighted delivery that spun away, and on that occasion it took Markram’s outside edge with it.On Sunday, Simon Harmer spoke of the importance of not losing wickets in clusters, and with Rickelton, Mulder hung around to add 35 for the second wicket. But an expansive smear towards midwicket was uncalled for and with Noman finding turn away from the right-hander, the ball kissed the outside edge into Rizwan’s grateful hands.The incoming Tony de Zorzi’s innings could be split into two phases, one of extreme good fortunue following by superb temperament. Hasan Ali toyed with his outside edge the first over, though two of those deflections found their way through a gap in the slips to the boundary and set him on his way. From the other end, he nearly chipped one straight to Noman, and as tea neared, he looked especially vulnerable.Rickelton, though, showed a mix of patience and clinical efficiency. He found a way to be solid, if not comfortable, against the spin when they landed their lengths, while still squeezing out runs with regularity. Rickelton, whose last innings against Pakistan yielded 259 in Cape Town, has now seen 47% of his career Test runs come in his last two innings vs Pakistan. The tea break came and went as South Africa began to establish a position resembling parity, a gorgeous straight six and four off Noman after a quiet passage indicating Rickelton’s growing comfort.But with an hour of play left, South Africa remained vulnerable. A year ago in Multan, England had raced away to 211 for 2, only to be picked apart by Sajid Khan to finish the day at 226 for 6. In the 51st over, Salman Agha drew Rickelton’s outside edge, with Babar at first slip getting low to complete a stunning one-handed reflex catch to break the stand six short of 100.Pakistan then went on the prowl. Noman took Tristan Stubbs’ outside edge in near-identical circumstances to Markram’s dismissal earlier before a rattled Dewald Brevis chipped his first ball straight to short midwicket to give Sajid Khan his first wicket. South Africa were in damage control mode, but Noman found a way to inflict another hammer blow when Kyle Verreyenne tried to sweep a straight delivery, only to be caught dead in front.Senuran Muthusamy bagged career-best figures of 6 for 117•Associated Press

South Africa’s saving grace was de Zorzi had now moved from his tentative phase to one of extreme command. He had seen the disintegration from the other end without allowing himself to be discomfited by it, keeping the runs ticking along while reassuring Muthusamy, who looked deft enough to see off the dying overs. Off the penultimate ball of the day, de Zorzi saw one that was dragged short and whipped it through midwicket, still focused on putting the poor balls away.In the morning, Muthusamy had sliced through Pakistan’s lower order in the second half of the first session to wrap up the hosts’ innings for 378. The left-arm spinner took three wickets in an over, on his way to a career-best figures of 6 for 117, as Pakistan lost their last five wickets for 16 runs. But much of the job Pakistan were tasked with completing overnight was taken care of by Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha, whose partnership stretched to 163 before the wickets began to fall. South Africa were left to face an awkward four overs before lunch, but they did so without harm.After being cautious, Agha got things running with a sweep for four behind square, before lifting Harmer over the sightscreen. With limited apparent danger from the spin, Pakistan looked set to march to and beyond 400, a mark both sides had appeared to consider as borderline impregnable on a surface that would deteriorate fast. By now, Harmer had been lifted by Agha for another six and Muthuswamy for four more as he motored towards three figures.But the wickets came all of a sudden. Extra turn and bounce kissed the shoulder of Rizwan’s bat as the wicketkeeper took a catch to finally break the sixth-wicket stand. The incoming Noman was cleaned up after Muthusamy bowled a delivery Noman himself would have been proud of, giving it air before it whistled past the outside edge and into off stump. For the second time in the innings, he would go two in two after Sajid was coaxed into a defensive prod that took the edge and towards Markram at slip.Agha and Shaheen Afridi dug in for the next half hour before the latter’s bellicose nature got the better of him. He danced down the track and hacked at the ball, only to see Muthusawmy make a mess of his stumps behind him. It left Agha in danger of being stranded a few runs from his century, and he tried to rush to the milestone, taking on Prenelan Subrayen. He smeared across the line to allow Muthusamy take a comfortable catch on the boundary, leaving him seven runs short, just as Imam-ul-Haq had been yesterday.The final 15 overs of the day, though, will reassure Pakistan they do not want for runs on this continually deteriorating surface.

Mauricio Pochettino took a gamble on Reyna, and the midfielder delivered a Man of the Match performance as the USMNT opened November camp with a win.

CHESTER, Pa. – To say Gio Reyna is under pressure is putting it lightly. Everyone knows what’s at stake for him, especially after so long on the sidelines. He needed a moment this camp – something that showed why he could, and maybe should, be at the World Cup next summer. It took four minutes for him to deliver it. His opening goal was the moment of the match on Saturday, but it wasn’t the only one as he helped lead the U.S. to a 2-1 win over Paraguay at Subaru Park.

Reyna's goal came early and, for the oft-discussed midfielder, it surely felt good. Played in by a Max Arfsten cross, Reyna made no mistake with his header, smashing it off the crossbar and in to set a tone for both himself and his team.

"It wasn't perfect. Just honestly happy to be back playing with this group, with this staff," Reyna told Turner Sports after the game. "It was my first header ever, actually. I've been training [on that] at my club, Gladbach, because I'm pretty tall and feel like I can jump pretty well. It's just about timing and technique. So it's starting to pay off." 

Paraguay, however, fired right back, taking advantage of a USMNT breakdown to equalize at one apiece in the 10th minute. Alex Arce, the 30-year-old veteran, provided the finishing touch of a Miguel Almiron assist, one that came as a result of several defensive mishaps on the U.S. side. From there, though, the U.S. settled down before, ultimately, getting their winning goal late on from a familiar goalscorer: Folarin Balogun.

Reyna was once again involved, although he won't technically be credited with an assist. His ball in, though, deflected off a defender and straight to Balogun, who made no mistake in netting his third goal in as many starts for the U.S. Reyna acknowledged he's developed off-the-field chemistry with the U.S. striker. 

"We both can just do a bit of everything," Reyna explained. "I think we just try to get working in training and just speak honestly. I think communication is the most important thing between us. And we have a really, really good relationship, on and off the pitch. So it's eye contact, little things that we've grown to know, to get, get each other, get to know each other. So, yeah, it's great to play with him. Makes my life easy, and I try to help him out too." 

Another win for the U.S., then, who are now unbeaten in four. They've won three of those four and, despite having an obviously weakened lineup, Saturday was the latest of those three. The big story isn't the result, though; it's Reyna, who changed the game on Saturday and offered a reminder that he might just be a player who can change games when they matter more next summer.

GOAL rates the USMNT's players from Subaru Park…

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Matt Freese (5/10):

Nothing he could do on the goal. Had little to do otherwise.

Sergino Dest (6/10):

Got forward a whole lot and got back a whole little – which is typical for Dest. Effective, but there were hefty gaps defensively on that right-hand side.

Joe Scally (6/10):

Speaking of that right-hand side, he was a bit too high at points, given the player next to him, but he grew into the game. Misread the ball on Paraguay's goal, although he wasn't the only one to break down on that sequence. Still, there were positive signs worth remembering that could lead to Pochettino trying this again.

Miles Robinson (6/10):

Lost Arce on the goal as the final breakdown on that goal. Was okay otherwise, particularly on the ball as he grew into the game.

Tim Ream (7/10):

Lack of pace was exposed a few times against an athletic Paraguay team. Hit a few stunning cross-field passes, though, and was rock solid outside of that goal sequence.

Max Arfsten (8/10):

Fantastic cross in on Reyna's goal. Showed plenty of ability going forward, as he generally does from that wing back role.

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Tanner Tessmann (7/10):

In a word? Tidy. Nothing overly crazy, but he was clean on the ball and decent enough defensively. Certainly handled the physicality well.

Cristian Roldan (6/10):

Had one great chance that forced a decent save. Not wildly dynamic, but did provide consistency and stability in that midfield spot.

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Gio Reyna (8/10):

Great header on the goal, which surely felt much-needed. Could have pressed a little better on Paraguay's response, but there's no doubting his ability to impact the game on the attacking side. That popped up again late when he helped set up Balogun's big finish.

Brenden Aaronson (6/10):

Got absolutely mauled all through the first half, but kept getting back up. Had a few good moments on the ball, but was generally knocked down before they turned into much.

Folarin Balogun (8/10):

Didn't get much service throughout, but did press hard. Was finally rewarded with a good bounce to him for his goal, which was taken well.

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Alex Freeman (6/10):

Certainly known for his attacking skill, but did bring a bit more stability on the right once he was thrown into the match. Got into a bit of a scrap at the end, but was nowhere near his fault.

Diego Luna (7/10):

Typical from Luna, who made his impact by nearly getting an assist.

Aidan Morris (6/10):

Didn't get too many touches after replacing Roldan

Timothy Tillman (6/10):

Created a dangerous moment soon after coming on, so kudos to him, especially considering the fact that he was a late call-up.

Ricardo Pepi (5/10):

Had a golden opportunity, but took one too many touches to allow Paraguay time to block it away.

Sebastian Berhalter (N/A):

Came on late to replace Aaronson. Shoutout to him for jumping right in to defend Freeman, though.

Mauricio Pochettino (7/10):

Threw out a strong lineup and was rewarded with a win. He'll be happy with plenty of what he saw, which is the big goal of this camp, isn't it?

Latham suffered the injury while fielding during a Vitality Blast game earlier this month and did not recover in time for the first Test

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jul-2025New Zealand captain Tom Latham has been ruled out of the first Test against Zimbabwe, starting on July 30 in Bulawayo, with a shoulder injury. In his absence, New Zealand white-ball captain Mitchell Santner will lead the side.Latham suffered the injury while fielding during a Vitality Blast game for Birmingham Bears earlier this month and did not recover in time for the first Test. According to an NZC release, he will remain with the squad and hope to be fit for the second Test starting August 7.”It’s hugely disappointing for Tom to be missing the first Test, as captain but also as an integral part of the team,” head coach Rob Walter said.Related

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“It’s never great when you lose your captain, who’s a world-class opening batter and a great team man, but that said we’re going to work really hard to have him available for the second Test. “We’ll continue to assess and see whether a replacement player is necessary, but at this stage we are hopeful that he’ll recover in time.”Santner, who’s played 30 Tests, will be leading New Zealand in the format for the first time. New Zealand will go into the Tests fresh off a T20I tri-series win in Harare where they remained unbeaten throughout the series under Santner’s captaincy.”Mitch did a wonderful job with the T20 squad in this recent series,” Walter said. “He was excellent from a strategy point of view, and he has a strong understanding of the game.”Whilst the format is different, he certainly has the respect of the players and will be supported by some highly experienced Test cricketers, so I trust that he’s going to do a great job.”The two-match series will mark New Zealand’s first Test tour of Zimbabwe since 2016.