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Lots of people seem to think he should, but they’re wrong to mix success in international cricket with success in league T20

Aakash Chopra26-Nov-2020Rohit Sharma is the most successful IPL captain in history, with five trophies to his name. Anyone who follows his captaincy closely – outsiders like me and players who play under him – vouches that he is tactically astute and that there are few who read the game better than he does. He remains calm under pressure, marshals his troops with a sense of control, and makes the most radical changes to the flow of the game without making them look radical at all.Captaincy consists of two equally important parts: one, the ability to read the game so that you are at least a couple of overs ahead of it (in white-ball cricket), and two, acknowledging your instincts and sticking with them when you’re convinced. A good captain has no ego and is happy to take his leadership group on board for a lot of the decision-making but has the confidence to overrule them if he thinks otherwise.Sharma ticks all these boxes, and while the Mumbai Indians’ success is a lot about their auction strategy and talent-scouting, it is equally about his leadership both on and off the field.ALSO READ: ‘India’s loss if Rohit Sharma isn’t made white-ball captain’ – Gautam GambhirIf he is such a successful IPL captain, wouldn’t it be natural to make him the captain of the Indian T20I team too? If players get picked for India in the shortest format on the basis of their performances in the IPL, why should it be different for the captain?Just that it isn’t the same thing – ever. And to be fair, it shouldn’t be either, unless there’s a captain who’s failing with his playing skills in the format while leading the Indian T20I team.After Mumbai’s fifth IPL title, there was a clamour among some former cricketers to replace Virat Kohli with Sharma as captain in the shortest format. Their argument is that Kohli’s record as a captain leading the Royal Challengers Bangalore is quite poor and that that should be enough to make the change for India too.Sharma has won five titles and has won 60% of all his games as captain of the Mumbai Indians. On the other hand, Kohli’s team has never won the IPL; and RCB have won just about 47% of their matches under his captaincy. The argument against Kohli is that since Sharma not only wins more games but also knows how to win knockout matches, he should be leading India into the next T20 World Cup.Let’s look more closely at Kohli’s returns as captain and then at the merits of possibly making a change.Kohli as an India captain in ODIs has won 72% of his games; in T20Is this figure is about 65%. If we were to further narrow it down in the shortest format, his win percentage goes up to 75% since the start of 2019 – 12 wins from 16 games.To put things a little more in perspective, MS Dhoni is arguably India’s most successful limited-overs captain, with a T20 World Cup, 50-over World Cup and a Champions Trophy title to his name – the only captain in the world to have all three. Dhoni’s win percentage in T20Is and ODIs is about 60%. When you set Kohli’s returns as an India captain alongside Dhoni’s performance, you can’t possibly punch holes in it.

Would you drop proven international performers like Jasprit Bumrah or KL Rahul from the Indian T20I team if they had a poor IPL? The answer is an overwhelming no

While some argue that bilateral cricket doesn’t matter, others say Kohli’s numbers are as good as they are only because India is such a strong team that captaincy does not have much impact on their win percentage. To answer both these reservations: since Kohli hasn’t led in an ICC event in T20Is, we ought to look at his records in bilateral series only. And beating both New Zealand and England in their backyards must count for something. Also, the two ICC events in which he has led India, they have got to the final once and to the semi-final the other time. Those aren’t poor results by any stretch of the imagination. As for the second point, if Kohli is a good captain with a good team under him when he leads India, perhaps it’s the team at RCB that needs changing and not the captain.Of course, winning the trophy is all that matters for a team of India’s calibre, but let’s remind ourselves that that is not easy for even the best captains. While Dhoni won the inaugural Word T20, he led in many more World Cups in the format but couldn’t win the trophy again. Is that a slight on his captaincy skills? Not at all, for that is how it is at the highest level.Going back to the argument about Kohli having a good team under him when he leads India, it’s understandable if some of the blame for RCB’s poor results is directed at him, but what does that have to do with his performance as India captain? Given his win percentage of 47, RCB might not want to continue with him as captain, but maybe they will have him stay on as captain anyway.ALSO WATCH: Kohli or Rohit: Chopra and Gambhir on India’s T20I captaincy (Hindi)It’s important that we understand that we aren’t stakeholders in franchise teams, which will always be run the way their bosses want them to be. They have every right to take the direction that suits their cause, and they are not obliged to share the reasons for their decisions with the public at large. If you don’t like their ideas, stop following them. The India team is different, though. We are stakeholders when we follow India.We, the fans of the sport and former cricketers and experts, ought to learn to separate the two – international and franchise cricket. Indian players must be judged on their performances — whether captaincy or otherwise – for India alone. For example, would you drop proven international performers like Jasprit Bumrah or KL Rahul from the Indian T20I team if they had a poor IPL? The answer is an overwhelming no, because they have been outstanding for India in the T20I format, and that will supersede all franchise cricket.Given that the captaincy role went to Kohli when Dhoni moved on, it’s only fair that he get as long a run as his performances as India captain merit; his lack of IPL success must not come in the way of his chances of leading in his maiden ICC T20I event. The fact that when Kohli took over from Dhoni there was no ruckus about the appointment tells you that Sharma wasn’t really in the contest for the job back then.If Kohli goes on to win the next World T20 and more ICC trophies, it is possible that Sharma might never get a crack at the captaincy at the highest level. While that will be unfortunate, it will be a case of him being born in the wrong era. Amol Muzumdar scored tons of runs, and Rajinder Goel and Padmakar Shivalkar took truckloads of wickets, but all three never got a chance to play for India, unfortunately. And that was because India was blessed with the Fab Four batsmen in Muzumdar’s time and Bishan Singh Bedi and other fine spinners in Goel’s and Shivalkar’s time.As much as it’s about being fair to Kohli (who has won 12 of his last 16 T20Is in charge), it’s equally about being fair to Sharma. If and when the selectors decide to turn towards him to lead India in T20Is, they must give him enough time to build the team he wants to build. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and nor were the Mumbai Indians, and the same will be true for Sharma’s India team.

The Dodgers are now one loss away from losing the World Series after falling to the Blue Jays, 6-1, in Game 5 on Wednesday night. The series now shifts back to Toronto for Game 6 on Friday night where the Blue Jays will have a great chance to win their first title since 1993.

The Dodgers' bats have gone cold at the worst possible time as they were only able to score a combined three runs in Games 4 and 5. While Shohei Ohtani has carried this team on his back, Mookie Betts, an eight-time All-Star and former AL MVP, has been lost at the plate against the Blue Jays as he has just three hits in 23 at-bats with no RBIs.

After Game 5, in which he went 0-for-4, Betts had a brutally honest take on his struggles thus far.

"I don’t want to speak on anybody else but for me personally I’ve just been terrible," Betts said. "I’ve been terrible and I wish it was from lack of effort, I really do, but it’s not so I don’t have any answers."

David Ortiz, who was teammates with Betts for a few years in Boston, spoke about those comments on Fox's post-game show.

"He hurts. He hurts," Ortiz said. "I know Mookie very well. It hurts to see him answering the question that way because to me he still is one of the best players in the game but it seems like his confidence level is pretty low right now. And of course, I don’t blame him—when you don’t see results, Kevin, you start questioning yourself. When you have already shown superstar status everybody starts questioning you when things are not going well."

Ortiz then offered some simple advice for Betts.

"Now if I’m Mookie, I would put that all behind," he said. "You remember when we used to prepare for to go to play a Little League game? You wasn’t thinking about a scouting report, you wasn’t thinking about what people say, you wasn’t thinking about what I did yesterday. When you played in Little League all you wanted to do was see the ball and try to hit it and have fun. At the end of the day that’s what the game is all about, having fun."

Derek Jeter also weighed in Betts' comments.

"I appreciate what he said because it’s the truth," Jeter said. "We’ve all been there. We’ve all sat there in front of our locker and said that we’ve been terrible. The best thing about the postseason is who cares what has happened up to a particular point? He’s going to be up In Game 6 with an opportunity to do something special and if he does something special no one will talk about his postseason prior too, that’s the way you have to look at it."

Here's that complete conversation:

Betts has a day off before Game 6. It will be interesting to see how he responds because the Dodgers will need him to step up if they want to keep their championship hopes alive.

Pep Guardiola blasted his Manchester City players following their Champions League defeat by Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday. The Catalan has had three days to reflect on the 2-0 loss against the Bundesliga side at the Etihad Stadium, for which he made 10 changes to his starting line-up. And he has concluded that his players did not put in the required effort.

• City still smarting from shock home defeat

  Tuesday's defeat by Leverkusen was the first time City had lost a Champions League home game in the group stage or the League Phase of the competition since they were beaten 2-1 by Lyon in September 2018. The coach only kept Nico Gonzalez in the starting line-up from the previous match against Newcastle, benching top scorer Erling Haaland plus his most experienced players such as Phil Foden, Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva. Immediately after the game he admitted that he had made too many changes. 

  "I take responsibility but I saw them and I like everyone to be involved," he said at the time. "When you are a football player and don’t play for five, six, seven games it’s tough but maybe it was too much. Always I like to be too nice and involve everyone because I have the feeling after the international break there are games every three or four days and there is no human being who can sustain that. We were at home, in a good position in the Champions League and I thought 'let’s try and let’s have weapons on the bench'. It didn’t work and we have to accept it."

  However, speaking on Friday ahead of City's next game against Leeds United, the coach decided to criticise his players for the way they approached the game.

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  Leverkusen defeat 'a good lesson' for Guardiola

  Guardiola told a press conference: "Mum and Dad made me a beautiful person. I'm so nice, no, and it's not about that. It's just that we didn't try. When you play on the pitch you have to try things and win and try. That's all. Yeah, maybe I'll have a theory to rotate. You have to rotate, without it it's impossible to sustain [fitness levels]. But I thought, have a lot of confidence, and still, right now, I place a huge value on what they are as a football players. And yeah, it was a good lesson for me. So even with quite a lot of experience as a manager, it's a good lesson for me for the future."

• 'Too safe'

  Guardiola dismissed the suggestion that the defeat would make him question whether or not to heavily rotate his squad in the future. Instead, he questioned his team's mentality during the game, claiming they were too cautious. He explained: "I'm pretty sure that if they were surrounded by different players they will play good. I think they felt they played to not make any mistakes, not to play and think 'I'm going to do something', and that is so difficult. So in football, you have to play defensive or offensive, you have to try and [even] if you lose the actions, you did it. They played to be safe, to think 'I don't want to make a mistake and be noticed'. That's why it's so difficult."

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  City must beat Leeds to keep Arsenal in check

  City fell seven points behind Arsenal in the title race following the defeat at Newcastle and the Gunners' resounding victory over Tottenham and they will have to get back to winning ways at home to Leeds to prevent Mikel Arteta's side running away with the title. One year ago City went off the rails in the league and effectively bowed out of the title race and Guardiola stressed how important it was to take Leeds seriously even though they are 18th in the table.

  "We just think about next week and about the next games," he said. "We are experienced enough to only talk about what is the next game. And after that, we'll see. I know the distance is already there, and Arsenal are so strong, we see it game by game in the Premier League. We are starting to see how they are getting better and better as a team. The Premier League is like this. You are able to make a good run of results, but at the end, you can make a bad, bad results and continue because the opponents are tough. Every opponent is really prepared. They have a long week to prepare. And so it's so, so demanding. So we have to be ready."

Cristiano Ronaldo’s reduced punishment for his red card against the Republic of Ireland has sparked fury across social media, with fans accusing FIFA of "bending the rules" to ensure the Portugal captain is available for the first games of the World Cup. The decision to convert what many expected to be a multi-match violent conduct ban into a one-game ban with two games suspended has ignited a fierce debate.

• Getty Images
  

  Ronaldo set to play World Cup opener after suspended ban

  Ronaldo’s sending off against the Republic of Ireland – the first red card of his international career – initially looked certain to trigger a multi-match ban that would impact Portugal’s opening fixtures at the 2026 World Cup. After VAR upgraded his yellow card to a straight red for elbowing Dara O’Shea off the ball, disciplinary precedents suggested a minimum two or three-match suspension for violent conduct. Instead, FIFA’s disciplinary committee downgraded the immediate consequences, ruling that Ronaldo’s offence would result in just a single-match ban, which he has already served, while placing a further two games on a suspended sanction valid for the next 365 days.

  The unexpected leniency has caused significant backlash, not least because the incident involved no attempt to play the ball and came amid previous flashpoints between the same two players. Although Portugal cruised to a 9-1 win over Armenia without him, many observers believed Ronaldo would miss at least one match at the World Cup due to the severity of the elbow. Instead, he will be eligible for Portugal’s tournament opener, a decision some feel undermines the disciplinary standards applied to other players in similar situations.

  The ruling has been attributed partly to Ronaldo’s previously clean international record and the fact that this was his first-ever red card at national team level. Nonetheless, the decision has ignited a widespread debate about consistency, transparency and whether the governing body has acted in the broader interests of fairness or commercial appeal.

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• Fans outraged by FIFA 'bending the rules'

  Across X (formerly Twitter), supporters from around the world erupted in disbelief and anger at what many saw as preferential treatment for Ronaldo.

  @Shaun_Hall23 wrote: "It’s an absolute disgrace, the amount of players that have missed huge games for suspensions over the years. Makes a mockery of the game."

  @Kop_101x added: "Bending the rules just so he can play in the World Cup is shocking. He assaulted another player, and should be punished accordingly and with precedent."

  @notassedLFC accused FIFA of financial motivation: "FIFA know Ronaldo generates money. Him not playing opening World Cup game loses them money. Typical. If this was a Scottish player for example from a small country he’d be banned for all 3."

  @CarlSwietlik didn’t hold back either, saying: "May as well just have no rules or punishment for violent conduct then 🤦‍♂️ absolute fucking shambles. State of football man."

  @HHHendricks1 even joked that the ruling harms Portugal: "As much as this is completely predictable it is absolutely insane that they have given him blatant preferential treatment! Funniest part is that this actually punishes Portugal 😂😂😂 They are much better side with him not in it!"

  @Ratidoking added sarcastically: "As a Messi fan, I prayed for him not to be ban, now we can enjoy his comedy, he thinks world cup is friendly match."

  The reactions closed with one final jab from @Dantes__Infern0: "This means Portugal will playing with 10 men in the world cup??"

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Ronaldo's 'violent conduct' red card against Republic of Ireland

  Ronaldo’s controversial red card came in a chaotic qualifier in Dublin, where Portugal had already fallen 2-0 behind, setting the stage for an evening of frustration that boiled over in the second half. After tussling with O’Shea, the Portugal captain swung an elbow into the defender's back off the ball – an action spotted by VAR and upgraded to violent conduct. Ronaldo responded to the dismissal by ironically applauding the home crowd, further inflaming what was already a hostile atmosphere inside the Aviva Stadium.

  The severity of the contact and the lack of any attempt to play the ball fuelled immediate speculation that FIFA’s disciplinary committee would impose a minimum two-game ban, especially given historical rulings on similar incidents. However, Ronaldo’s spotless international disciplinary record appears to have played a decisive role, with the committee concluding that a harsher sentence was not necessary. The decision has therefore amplified concerns about consistency, particularly as similar or lesser acts by lower-profile players have routinely resulted in multi-match bans.

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• CR7 free to play Portugal's World Cup opener

  Portugal will now move into tournament preparations knowing Ronaldo is fully available for their 2026 World Cup opener, barring any further disciplinary incidents before the tournament. Manager Roberto Martínez is expected to name him in the starting XI without hesitation, though he will need the veteran forward to avoid any repeat confrontations that could activate the suspended two-game ban.

Manchester United have been offered the chance to sign striker Dusan Vlahovic from Juventus for a much lower price than expected.

Particularly last season, much was said about Man United. The club endured what was, in terms of points return and league finish, their worst-ever Premier League campaign. Many of the club’s attacking options, such as Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, struggled for form.

This, no doubt, contributed to their business ahead of the 2025/26 season. In what marked their first summer transfer window with Ruben Amorim as manager, the Red Devils signed Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko in what was a complete renovation of their attack.

The trio have since secured their places in the first team at Old Trafford, helping Man United record three successive Premier League wins for the first time under Amorim’s guidance before the draw at Nottingham Forest.

It would appear, however, that the Red Devils may look to further reinforce their attacking line in the upcoming January window.

Man United show interest in Vlahovic

As per TEAMtalk, Man United could pursue a move for Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic this winter. Such a transfer, however, would only be explored if there is first a departure. Zirkzee could leave, having lost his place in the first team due to both new signings and poor form.

Vlahovic, who reportedly earns £375,000 per week in Turin, will become a free agent in July if he does not depart Juve at an earlier date, having been unable to negotiate a contract extension with the club. Were Vlahovic to remain, he would seemingly have to take a pay cut.

Having been called a “superstar” for his ability, Vlahovic would be available for just £17.5 million according to TEAMtalk, in no doubt due to his contract situation. Were Zirkzee to depart permanently, it would presumably provide Man United with the adequate funds to pursue Vlahovic. Even if the Dutchman left only on loan, it would free up a position within their first-team for the 25-year-old.

Given his lack of minutes so far this season, it can be presumed that Zirkzee has fallen down the pecking order. In Vlahovic, Man United would be signing competition for summer signing Sesko which, in turn, could benefit the Slovenian international.

Reportedly, Man United are “informed” of Vlahovic’s situation, but “that does not mean they will necessarily pull the trigger on the move” and whether a transfer materialises remains to be seen.

"Deadly" Man United academy star is another Bruno Fernandes

أعلن الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم، عن الفائز بجائزة أفضل لاعب لعام 2025 في القارة خلال حفل توزيع جوائز كاف.

ويقام حفل جوائز الأفضل في القارة السمراء لعام 2025، مساء اليوم الأربعاء، في العاصمة المغربية الرباط.

وكان الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم قد أعلن عن القائمة النهائية لمرشحي جائزة أفضل لاعب وهم النجم المصري محمد صلاح والمغربي أشرف حكيمي والنيجيري فيكتور أوسيمين.

وحصد أشرف حكيمي ظهير باريس سان جيرمان ومنتخب المغرب، جائزة أفضل لاعب في قارة إفريقيا، متفوقًا على كل من محمد صلاح وفيكتور أوسيمين.

اقرأ أيضاً.. كاف يعلن أفضل منتخب في قارة إفريقيا لعام 2025

وكان أشرف حكيمي قد قدم مستوى استثنائيًا مع باريس سان جيرمان وتوج بلقب دوري أبطال أوروبا والدوري الفرنسي وكأس فرنسا وكأس السوبر الأوروبي وتأهل لنهائي كأس العالم للأندية الصيف الماضي.

وخاض الظهير المغربي الدولي 55 مباراة مع باريس سان جيرمان الموسم الماضي وأحرز 11 هدفًا وصنع 16 تمريرة حاسمة.

جدير بالذكر أن أشرف حكيمي قد ساهم في تأهل منتخب المغرب لنهائيات كأس العالم العام المقبل 2026.

Micky Van de Ven’s addition back in the summer of 2023 raised eyebrows among many Tottenham Hotspur supporters, especially after the hierarchy forked out £40m for his signature.

Such a fee was a hefty one during the Daniel Levy era, but it may have come as more of a surprise given the Dutchman was largely an unknown quantity to many of the fans.

However, just over a couple of years on from his move, he’s cemented himself as a key member of Thomas Frank’s squad – arguably being one of the first names on the teamsheet.

Despite his defensive role, the 24-year-old has had a huge impact within attacking areas, netting three times in the Premier League this season – putting him joint top of the Lilywhites’ goalscoring charts.

It’s not all been plain sailing for the club within the defensive department, with numerous other big-money additions unable to live up to the hefty fees paid for their services.

Spurs’ issues at centre-back for Van de Ven’s arrival

Spending big on centre-backs hasn’t been alien to Spurs in recent years, as seen by their £42m addition of Davinson Sanchez back in the summer of 2017 – a then club-record transfer.

The Colombian racked up over 200 appearances for the Lilywhites over a six-year period, subsequently leaving in the summer of 2023 to join Turkish side Galatasaray.

He was a solid option under various managers in North London, but ultimately, the fanbase were left disappointed – especially after paying a club-record fee for his signature.

Joe Rodon was another youngster signed by the hierarchy to potentially grow into an elite-level centre back, subsequently paying Swansea City £11m back in the summer of 2020.

However, the Welshman would only make 15 Premier League appearances for the club, before being sold to Leeds United as part of the Archie Gray deal in 2024.

It’s safe to say with Van de Ven, times have changed in North London, but the club have already unearthed another top-level talent who could be a real hit with the fans in the years to come.

The Spurs star who’s a bigger talent than Van de Ven

Whilst he’s been battling with injuries over the last few months, Van de Ven’s importance to the Spurs side simply cannot be understated – with Frank’s men a much better side with the Dutchman at the back.

He’s already helped the Lilywhites keep seven clean sheets across all competitions, with the 24-year-old evidently having a huge impact at both ends of the pitch.

The defender has also demonstrated his strength in another area, with the former Wolfsburg man registering the fastest speed of any player in England’s top-flight throughout 2024/25.

At present, he’s currently partnered by Cristian Romero at the heart of the backline, but that could be about to change in the years ahead, given the emergence of Luka Vuskovic.

The Lilywhites forked out a reported fee in the region of £12m for the signature of teenage sensation from Hajduk Split, with real hope he can be a first team starter in the near future.

The Croatian has spent a couple of years out on loan, with his spell on loan at Westerlo catching the eye – but for his attacking quality rather than his talent at the back – just like Van de Ven.

He scored seven times and notched two assists in his 36 outings, a simply staggering feat for a young defender, which earned him another loan move – this time to Bundesliga side, Hamburg.

The prospect of top-flight German football may have seemed like a huge jump to many, but the 18-year-old has wasted no time in impressing the supporters of Die Rothosen.

Vuskovic, who’s been labelled “one of the most exciting teenage centre-backs” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has already opened his account for the German side in 2025/26.

Luka Vuskovic – Hamburg stats (25/26)

Statistics (per 90)

Tally

Games played

6

Goals scored

1

Pass accuracy

84%

Duels won

10.2

Aerial duels won

7.5

Aerial success rate

87%

Dribbles completed

100%

Touches

85.8

Stats via FotMob

However, his defensive stats are just as impressive, with the youngster winning a staggering 10.2 duels per 90 – 7.5 of which have been in the air – subsequently achieving a success rate of 87%.

He’s also completed 100% of the dribbles he’s attempted, whilst completing a total of 84% of his passes – showcasing his incredible all-round game despite his tender age.

It’s very rare you come across such a dominant young centre-back, but it’s clear Vuskovic has all the tools needed to be a monster hit with the Lilywhites fanbase in the years to come.

Should he stay on his current path, there’s no reason why he can’t emulate Van de Ven’s success in North London and even surpass the Dutchman’s recent levels.

Related Frank's next Toney: Paratici leading Spurs move for "one of the best STs"

Tottenham Hotspur are preparing a January move to land a new talisman for Thomas Frank.

Posts ByEthan Lamb Oct 28, 2025

Hosts hold off Essex for one-run win, ending three-year T20 drought at Lord’s

ECB Reporters Network19-Jun-2025

Tom Helm held his nerve in a nail-biting final over as Middlesex began the post Richard Johnson era with a one-run victory over Essex, three years to the day after their last Vitality Blast win at Lord’s.Forty-eight hours on from Johnson being relieved of duty, Helm (2 for 31) claimed the crucial wicket of Luc Benkenstein in defending 10 off the final six balls to see Middlesex home.Essex had appeared to be cruising at 106 for 2 thanks to a stand of 54 between Paul Walter and Jordan Cox, but Zafar Gohar’s 2 for 20 put the brakes on the chase, leading to the breathless finish.Middlesex earlier collapsed from 108 for 1 to 161 all out, failing to build on Kane Williamson’s 53 in 31 balls, the former New Zealand Test captain’s first half-century for the Seaxes. Simon Harmer (2 for 34) and Benkenstein (2 for 26) started the slide with Mohammed Amir polishing off the tail.Middlesex came out swinging at the start of the new era, but rather than aggressive, much of the batting was frenetic.Williamson swung one from Shane Snater over the short boundary, but among his other early fours was a top edge over wicketkeeper Cox’s head.Stephen Eskinazi, save for successive sweeps to the square boundary struggled to find the middle of the blade before being brilliantly caught down the leg-side by Cox.Williamson steadily found his groove, a glorious straight six helping him to 50, but once he departed to the next delivery caught at long-leg off Noah Thain the collapse was on.Ben Geddes was dropped off both his first two balls and lasted five in total before lifting Benkenstein to deep midwicket and Max Holden’s somewhat skittish effort was ended by Harmer as the Essex spinners ripped through the heart of the middle-order.Essex openers Dean Elgar and Michael Pepper came out in a big hurry to get the chase done, the latter planting successive deliveries from Naavya Sharma over the ropes. Elgar in his turned cracked a four to the fence at point as they rattled up a 50-stand in 27 balls.Pepper chipped Gohar to mid-off soon afterwards and Elgar sent the first ball of Helm’s next over to short third.Walter though clubbed Helm into the stands and expertly paddled the spin of Luke Hollman to fine leg for four, while Cox cut powerfully square of the wicket and through cover as another 50 partnership came in 35 balls. Again, both fell in quick succession, Walter undone by a Sharma bouncer while Gohar castled Cox.The hosts thought they had Benkenstein caught by Helm off Hollman, but after conferring the umpires ruled not out. Nevertheless, Matt Critchley holed out off Noah Cornwell as the tension mounted.Charlie Allison thick-edged and ramped Ryan Higgins for four leaving 10 needed from the last. Benkenstein went for glory but holed out to Geddes in the deep, and while two twos were scrambled four was needed off the final delivery. Thain clothed it to deep mid-off, where Geddes collected and returned to spark celebrations from the hosts.

It isn’t the wildest exaggeration to say that the promoted teams that climbed up to the Premier League last season struggled significantly in the unforgiving division.

Leicester City, Ipswich Town, and Southampton only amassed 59 points in total as they unsurprisingly made up the bottom three come May, having given up a ridiculous 248 goals along the way.

Thankfully, Sunderland are flying the promoted flag high at this point, with the Black Cats, Leeds United, and Burnley already up to 23 points between them so early into the brand new season.

Amazingly, Regis Le Bris’ men find themselves positioned in a fantastic fifth spot in the league after just six games, with their stern defensive record just one standout aspect of their well-oiled unit.

Sunderland's impressive defensive displays

Sunderland definitely had both Omar Alderete and Robin Roefs to thank for their last 1-0 win on the road at Nottingham Forest.

Away from heading home the match-winner, the Paraguayan defender – who was hailed as a “warrior” at the full-time whistle by journalist Andy Sixsmith – would come away from the tense contest with three duels won and nine clearances registered to preserve the Dutchman’s clean sheet.

Roefs has also been near faultless at the back for Le Bris’ men to ensure only four goals this season have been leaked, with a high average of 3.3 saves per Premier League game so far this campaign, showing off a goalkeeper who’s always alert to the danger.

Roefs and Alderete aren’t the only striking partnership defensively that is being formed, however, with the ex-Getafe centre-back no doubt more at ease when settling into the heart of defence, knowing he has the imperious Nordi Mukiele next to him.

Games played

4

Wins

3

Draws

1

Losses

0

Team goals scored

4

Team goals conceded

2

It’s even clearer when looking at the table above that both the South American and the Frenchman have already formed a formidable working relationship, with Sunderland yet to lose when the dominant pair are side-by-side, as only two goals have also been given up across their four outings together.

This could, unfortunately, spell the end for a long-standing Black Cats servant, even after he played a vital role in Sunderland’s leap to the big time.

Sunderland star on borrowed time thanks to Alderete and Mukiele

Le Bris would, after all, be foolish to try and switch up his Sunderland starting lineups, knowing he has a duo at his disposal who look born to play alongside each other.

The Frenchman sticking with both Alderete and Mukiele for the foreseeable future will be unwelcome news for Luke O’Nien, though, with the much-loved Sunderland defender named in Le Bris’ squad for the first time this season after battling back from injury.

He could well be utilised as a utility figure moving forward, considering the no-nonsense titan can play as a full-back, a centre-back, and as a midfielder at a moment’s notice.

But, it’s far-fetched to assume he will be able to usurp either Alderete or Mukiele in the starting lineup now to take up his usual centre-back spot.

Indeed, the EFL veteran’s lack of experience at a top-flight level immediately places him below both the 28-year-old and the 27-year-old in the refreshed pecking order.

Games played

314

Goals scored

23

Assists

16

Promotions

2x

Still, nobody will ever be able to take away O’Nien’s whirlwind success story with the Black Cats up to this point, with the tough-tackling 30-year-old one key figure who helped pull Sunderland out of their League One mire to then set them on the route to competing in the Premier League right now.

Last season even saw the ex-Wycombe Wanderers battler pick up three goals to steer Sunderland to playoff final glory, away from also collecting a sturdy 16 clean sheets in league action.

However, O’Nien won’t want to overstay his welcome now if the Premier League is too gigantic a step for him to take, having already been lauded as a “remarkable” icon of the club by EFL pundit George Elek.

For the time being, O’Nien will be patient and hope Premier League opportunities fall into his lap, even if his minutes now look to be restricted by the emergence of Alderete and Mukiele.

Sunderland's 8/10 star is fast becoming as important as Xhaka & Roefs

Sunderland kept up their incredible start to the Premier League season away at Nottingham Forest as this first-team star shone again.

ByKelan Sarson Sep 28, 2025

Russell Martin is on the hunt for something that can help kick-start Rangers’ season and ensure that his tenure in Scotland isn’t a black spot on his resume.

Near the bottom of the Scottish Premiership and having failed to qualify for the Champions League, the highlights of Rangers’ season so far have come in the Scottish League Cup. Ahead of the Cup win against Hibernian, Martin described what a positive result could mean for the team: “I think it is an amazing opportunity for us to come through this period as a squad, to grow through it and to be so strong from it, and hopefully at that point everyone will come together, we just need to win football matches.”

The 2-0 victory and the reintroduction of Nicolas Raskin into the first team could provide a much-needed boost, and the opportunity to knock Celtic out in the next round could bring something of a feel-good feeling to the team.

However, the side is still in desperate need of goals, and the 49ers group appear to have their eye on a youngster who could help Rangers with their goal scoring in the long term.

Rangers make first approach for Mexican youngster

The 49ers have their eyes on the Mexican league as they’re showing interest in a youngster from title contenders Cruz Azul. This comes in the form of 19-year-old attacking midfielder Amaury Morales.

The youngster’s appearances this season have been sporadic, but when given a chance, he has shown hints at why he is highly touted. In the Leagues Cup, when he was given a full hour to play, he helped his team by providing an assist when Cruz Azul were 2-0 down. His team then went on to score an equaliser and knock Colorado out on penalties.

Reports from Mexico, via Sport Witness, have indicated Rangers’ interest in the youngster isn’t just speculative, and they have made a first approach to Cruz Azul. The youngster’s contract lasts until 2029, and he is currently valued at approximately £1.85 million.

Rangers aren’t the only club interested in Morales, and Spanish side Espanyol have also been linked, although only the Scottish side are reported to have made contact. Rangers have a pre-existing relationship with Cruz Azul, as they loaned Carlos Peña to them back in 2018.

Big tournament for Morales

For the moment, Rangers will continue to monitor Morales with the hopes he’s given more chances to shine like he did against Colorado. Rangers fans will get a chance to see him at the international level as he will represent the Mexico U20’s at the Chile World Cup, where he will be competing with talented youngsters from Brazil, Morocco and Spain.

This will likely provide the Rangers scouts with a chance to see Morales’ potential, but with the calibre of nations in his group, he may end the tournament on the radar of a number of European clubs.

If things don’t turn around for Martin following the Hibs victory, and if the next few months see Morales receive more game time, then it’s possible that they roll the dice and bring him in during the winter transfer window.