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The India men’s and women’s teams are currently playing international cricket without a team sponsor

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Sep-2025Apollo Tyres has replaced Dream 11 as the lead sponsor of the Indian cricket teams, the BCCI announced on Tuesday.The board’s new sponsorship deal with Apollo is for two and a half years and will run until March 2028. It is worth Rs 579 crore (US$ 65.7 million approx), according to a PTI report.”The new partnership, secured after a rigorous bidding process, represents a substantial increase in sponsorship value, signifying the immense and growing commercial appeal of Indian cricket,” the BCCI said in a statement.The BCCI needed a new lead team sponsor after the Indian government passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025 in August banning real-money gaming, which was Dream 11’s core business, forcing them to withdraw from their contract.The men’s team is currently playing the Asia Cup in the UAE without a sponsor and so is the women’s team in their ongoing bilateral ODI series against Australia.Dream11 had a US$ 44 million (INR 358 crore approx.) deal with the BCCI for the period 2023 to 2026 before they pulled out. On September 2, the BCCI began the process to secure a new sponsor by releasing an invitation for expression of interest for the lead sponsorship rights and the deadline to submit a bid was September 16. The BCCI had specified that alcohol brands, betting or gambling services, cryptocurrency, online money gaming, tobacco brands, or any product or service likely to “offend public morals such as, including but not limited to, pornography” were not eligible to submit a bid to become the team sponsor.

Manchester United have now expressed in signing an “outrageous” striker, who’s been “on fire” this season, scoring a brace against Paris Saint-Germain.

Man Utd keen on new striker amid doubts over Zirkzee

Joshua Zirkzee may have scored his first Premier League goal of the season in the 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace at the end of November, but the striker’s goalscoring record since arriving at Old Trafford leaves a lot to be desired.

Season

Appearances (all competitions)

Goals

2024-25

49

7

2025-26

9

1

Despite the Dutchman’s struggles in front of goal, Ruben Amorim wants to keep hold of him, as he values the forward’s versatility, but the manager is at odds with the club, who are open to sanctioning a January departure for a fee of around £35m.

Aston Villa are named as potential suitors for Zirkzee, alongside a whole host of other clubs from England and Italy, meaning United will have a decision to make in the January transfer window.

Should the Netherlands international move on, Amorim may want to bring in a replacement, considering Benjamin Sesko wasn’t exactly tearing up the Premier League prior to his recent injury, scoring two goals in 11 games.

According to a report from Caught Offside, Man United have now expressed an interest in a striker who has been much more prolific in front of goal this season, namely RC Strasbourg star Joaquin Panichelli.

The race for Panichelli’s signature is heating up, with Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Aston Villa also being credited with an interest, but Chelsea are currently in pole position, given that Strasbourg are a part of BlueCo.

That relationship gives the Blues an advantage in the race for the centre-forward, who has put in some top-quality performances since his arrival at Strasbourg in the summer…

"Outrageous" Panichelli "on fire" in Ligue 1

Scout Jacek Kulig has hailed the Argentinian for the impact he’s made in France, having only arrived from Spanish side CD Mirandes during the summer.

The South American is now on ten goals in 19 matches in all competitions, with perhaps his best performance coming in Strasbourg’s 3-3 draw against PSG back in October, during which he bagged a brace.

Amorim's priority target: Man Utd step up interest in "special" Madrid star

Man United are now in the race for a “special” player

ByDominic Lund 3 days ago

Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior may be reluctant to part ways with the 23-year-old, given just how highly he spoke about his talisman earlier this season, saying: “He is a top player, we’ve done quite a bit of work with him during the pre-season to try to make him run less.”

The French club are under no immediate pressure to cash-in, with Panichelli contracted until 2030, but it could be worth Man United testing the waters with an offer, considering Zirkzee’s struggles.

Kenyon replaces long-serving Lisa Pursehouse as club finalise details of Trent Rockets deal

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Oct-2025

County champions Nottinghamshire have appointed Richard Kenyon, who has spent the last decade working in commercial and communications roles at Everton Football Club, as their new chief executive.Kenyon will take over from Lisa Pursehouse, who announced her intention to step down earlier this year and has now left the club after 14 seasons in the role. Her last week at the club coincided with their first Championship title since 2010, which was clinched with victory over Warwickshire at Trent Bridge in the final round of fixtures.During his 11 years at Everton, Kenyon worked in various marketing and communications roles, including three-and-a-half years as chief commercial and communications officer, and served as chief executive of the charity Everton in the Community. Notts said that he had played an “instrumental role” in the club’s move from Goodison Park to the new Hill Dickinson Stadium.Related

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Kenyon’s appointment comes at a time when Notts are preparing to assume operational control of Trent Rockets in the Hundred. An announcement in the completion of their £40 million deal with Cain International and Ares Management is imminent, with Notts retaining a 51% controlling stake in the new joint-venture.Andy Hunt, Notts’ chair, said that Kenyon’s experience at Everton made him the standout candidate: “His leadership at Everton spanned critical areas including commercial strategy, global brand development, major infrastructure projects, and multi-stakeholder consultation – all directly relevant to the current and future ambitions of our club.”Kenyon described his appointment as “a tremendous privilege”. He said: “It’s a great credit to the outgoing CEO and her team that I’ll be joining a club in such a strong position. I can’t wait to get started later this year and look forward to working closely with the general committee, the executive team, and our members to make the most of the opportunities that lie ahead for this great club and all of its teams.”Michael Temple, Notts’ commercial director, will serve as interim chief executive before Kenyon takes up his new role in December.Several counties are changing their chief executives over the 2025-26 winter. Emma White, who has previously worked in rugby union and horse racing, has replaced Sean Jarvis at Leicestershire, while Kent’s chief operating officer Nimmo Reid will fill the role on an interim basis while the club search for a successor to Simon Storey. Sussex’s Pete Fitzboyden has also stepped down after two seasons for personal reasons.

Rayan Cherki, who made a move from Olympique de Lyonnais to Manchester City this summer, has spoken about his objectives with the Cityzens. The winger-cum-attacking-midfielder has also revealed his style and mentality, which can have an immense impact on City's season under Guardiola as they aim to reclaim the Premier League title at the end of the campaign.

Cherki an 'old school' guy

Cherki was one of the high-voltage signings Guardiola's recruitment team accomplished heading into the 2025-26 season. A whopping £34 million was spent by the Etihad-based club to convince French outfit Lyon to let go of their star player, who scored 29 times and assisted on 45 occasions in 185 appearances for the Ligue 1 giants. Overwhelmed to join City, Cherki had already shown signs of his 'old school' mentality since his arrival. Although he took some time to settle into the side alongside an injury that sidelined him for a period, he is slowly integrating himself into Guardiola's system and finding the groove under the Spanish maestro. In 13 appearances, he has already secured eight goal contributions, which include four goals and four assists. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWhat are Cherki's objectives?

Speaking in an interaction with TF1, Cherki expressed that he simply wanted to enjoy himself under Guardiola's leadership. Moreover, he is not someone who has statistical objectives for a season but wants to be close to his stats from the last season, where he scored 12 goals and assisted 20 times in 44 matches. 

He revealed: "I’m not a stats guy. I think that you can see that in the way that I play football. I’m an old-school footballer, and the ‘old-school’ didn’t look at stats. I know that nowadays, that element is very important."

He had revealed his old-school mentality in his initial City days, where he expressed anger against Manchester United, who defeated Lyon in the Europa League quarter-finals to book a place in the last four. He had commented: "I (didn't) like (it) when Manchester United won the game against Lyon because I'm a Lyonnais. Now I am waiting for the game (to) kill them. I'm here to win all the games." He had also mentioned, "I'm not Kevin De Bruyne, he is the legend. I'm here to help the team and to write my own story. I hope to win all the time with the team. When I spoke with Pep, he wanted me – he was very, very clear. Pep told me, 'when you have the ball, you are free', which is very good for me because it's my first quality to help the team."

Cherki's former coach ideates what he needs to shine

Laurent Blanc, who nurtured Cherki at Lyon, has spoken up on what the star, who has accumulated just four starts this season, needs to establish a place in City's starting lineup. 

He said to L'Equipe, via the Mirror: "I don't know where it comes from, whether it's street talent or innate talent, but he's brimming with it. I can assure you that there aren't many players like him. He's a rare gem. In the media world, you call him a rising star. He has no technical limitations. His limitations will be more tactical and physical. Physically, I had the pleasure of seeing him again recently; he's changed, and for the better. He's among the best, the very best.

"If he adapts tactically, he'll have a huge advantage. His talent and genius make him a rare player. He just needs to find a coach who trusts him. And I think he has. Because of his talent and his natural ability, he doesn't put pressure on himself. His love of the game keeps him free from any kind of pressure. But for him, things are about to get serious. We're going to be more and more demanding. He has enough talent to rise to the challenge. I understand it's difficult for coaches to play him, given the pressure to get results. But yes, he has to be played. And yes, he has to be given freedom. Because I'm convinced that with Rayan, you'll always have a better chance of winning than losing."

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Getty Images SportWill Cherki start against Newcastle?

Cherki earned 53 minutes of playing time against Liverpool in City's last league game before the November international break. When City return to the pitch on November 22 against Eddie Howe's Newcastle United, Cherki will be aiming to get more minutes against a struggling Magpies. With Jeremy Doku and Erling Haaland alongside him, he could be more lethal and help Haaland extend his magnificent form from the World Cup qualifiers. Moreover, Cherki's scoring knack could also be handy for Guardiola against a Newcastle team, which will be vying to return to winning ways after suffering a hefty 3-1 loss to Brentford in their previous outing. 

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim recently revealed that captain Bruno Fernandes will have to be rotated and rested when they are back in Europe in the future.

When asked about resting the skipper, the manager said: “In the future, yes, is something that Bruno needs to understand. If you want to win every game that you are a part, with European games, is going to have to rotate. So good question, just for Bruno to put in his head, that maybe next year he’s going to be in rotation in the team.”

On top of that, there has also been speculation over the Portugal international’s long-term future at Old Trafford, amid links with a move away from the club in the upcoming transfer windows.

The latest on Bruno Fernandes' future at Manchester United

Last month, it was reported that the former Sporting star has a release clause in his contract with the Red Devils, which can only be activated by teams outside of England.

It was claimed that the release clause in his deal stands at £56.68m, for any team outside of this country, but it remains to be seen if there are any clubs willing to pay that.

The attacking midfielder turned down a move to Saudi Arabia, with Al Hilal, in the summer and revealed that money is not the driving force for his career, as he has not achieved everything that he wants to at Old Trafford, which also casts doubt over whether or not the United star would even want to move on.

Whether it is because Amorim has rested or rotated him, or if it is because he moves on from the club, United will be looking for the next man to wear the armband when Bruno is not on the pitch.

Harry Maguire, Tom Heaton, Diogo Dalot, Lisandro Martinez, and Noussair Mazraoui were named in the leadership group alongside Bruno in the summer, whilst Matthijs de Ligt has captained Ajax in the past, but there is another star who is looking like the manager’s new captain.

The Man United star who could be the next captain

Defensive midfielder Casemiro has led by example on the pitch in the Premier League this season and is showing that he has the attributes required to be Manchester United’s captain.

Whilst some may point to de Ligt, with his captaincy at other clubs, as a potential successor or stand-in for Bruno, Casemiro has the edge over him because of what he has achieved in the game.

The Brazil international, who has been hailed as a “monster” by Statman Dave, won five Champions League trophies and three LaLiga titles during his time with Real Madrid, per Transfermarkt, and he has been capped 81 times by his country.

Casemiro has started nine of his ten appearances in the Premier League this season, per Sofascore, and produced three goals and one assist from central midfield, whilst also offering defensive protection in front of the backline.

As you can see in the table above, the experienced Brazilian ranks highly among his positional peers in a host of key defensive metrics, which speaks to the quality that he provides for the Red Devils.

The 33-year-old star is coming towards the latter stages of his career, but that may be what makes him ideally suited to captain the club in Bruno’s absence, whether that comes through further rotations of the team or a move elsewhere.

Casemiro has an exceptional career behind him that commands respect from his teammates, he is a regular starter, and his performances this season have been superb.

These are the ingredients of a captain. Someone who others will surely listen to in the dressing room and will set an example on the pitch with his behaviour and performances.

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The Red Devils are looking to get one over the Spanish giants.

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Tom Cunningham

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Therefore, Casemiro is currently looking like he could be Amorim’s new captain, if Bruno is rotated or leaves the club, instead of de Ligt, who does not have the same career and standing in the game behind him.

USMNT star Johnny Cardoso was hit by another injury blow, which forced him out of Atletico Madrid's clash with Barcelona after just 14 minutes on Tuesday. The midfielder was named in the starting XI for the huge clash at Camp Nou but came off early on in the game after picking up another injury issue in a collision with Barcelona star Dani Olmo, and was replaced by Koke.

• Cardoso's struggles continue at Atletico

  Cardoso was handed a big chance to impress against Barcelona after being named in Diego Simeone's starting XI for the match. The USMNT star has made only four starts for Atletico so far this season, having previously been sidelined with an ankle injury, and will have been aiming to impress against the Catalan giants. However, it proved to be another disappointing evening for the 24-year-old, who was forced off early and looks to now be facing more time out. Atletico confirmed that the midfielder had suffered a knee injury, posting on X: "Johnny was substituted during the first half due to a hard knock to the knee."

  Cardoso's injury wasn't the only disappointment for Atletico as they went on to lose the game 3-1 and end a run of seven straight wins in all competitions. An early goal from Alex Baena had put the visitors 1-0 up, but Barcelona hit back through strikes from Raphinha, Olmo and Ferran Torres to secure the win.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Atletico had 'high hopes' for Cardoso

  Atletico boss Simeone admitted he had been forced to adjust his tactics after the early departure of Cardoso. He told reporters: "Cardoso’s injury forced us to adjust. We had high hopes for Johnny, but he got injured and had to leave the game." Atletico must now wait and see the severity of Cardoso's injury and when he will be able to return to action for Los Colchoneros.

• Cardoso reveals injury frustrations

  Cardoso has spoken of his injury frustrations after making his long-awaited return last time out against Inter in the Champions League. He told ESPN Brasil: "Yes, now I feel very good, but as you said, it was a difficult moment. It was the ankle injury that kept me off the field the longest. I’d never been sidelined for that much time before. As I can say, it happened right at the start of my time here—a complicated situation to handle. But I had all the support from my teammates, the coaching staff, and obviously, my family was with me. It’s a moment where you have to keep a strong mentality, keep working, and recover well. It was a complicated injury that took time to heal. So I was eager to get back as quickly as possible, but I also knew I had to be smart about it so that when I returned, I could contribute and perform at my best on the field with the team."

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• Injuries to cost Cardoso World Cup spot?

  Cardoso's appearance for Atletico against Barcelona was his first in La Liga since starting the 1-1 draw with Alaves back in August. The midfielder's only other appearances this season have come against Elche and Espanyol in La Liga and Inter in the Champions League. Yet Atletico have demonstrated their faith in the USMNT star by handing him a new long-term contract back in October that keeps him tied to the club until 2030.

  While his future at Atletico looks secure despite his recent injury problems, his lack of game time means his place in the USMNT squad for World Cup 2026 is far from secure. Cardoso has only managed four appearances for the national team in 2025 and missed all six of the USMNT's fall friendlies due to injury.

Tottenham’s first transfer window with their new-look, reshuffled boardroom will be a very intriguing one, and a striker is believed to be at the very top of their priority list.

Ever since replacing Ange Postecoglou in the summer, new manager Thomas Frank has been starved of a reliable focal point up front.

Dominic Solanke, who Spurs signed for a club-record £65 million fee last year, has struggled with injury problems that have limited his involvement to just 49 minutes so far this campaign. The Englishman suffered a ‘minor’ ankle problem at the beginning of 25/26, which eventually required surgery, and he’s still on the comeback trail.

Solanke is set to miss this weekend’s pivotal North London derby against Arsenal and won’t be available for their crunch Champions League tie against PSG either, with Frank forced to rely on the out-of-form Richarlison, who’s attracted criticism for his inconsistency.

The Brazilian is a shoo-in to start against PSG next week given Mathys Tel wasn’t named in Frank’s 22-man Champions League squad. Tel, according to some reports, is said to be ‘unhappy’ in London and keen to leave Spurs in January, with Roma taking a serious interest in the Frenchman (La Gazzetta dello Sport).

Solanke’s fitness woes, Tel’s dissatisfaction and Richarlison’s form have fueled speculation that a new striker could arrive at the turn of the year, and Spurs are being linked with a few interesting names.

Chief among them is Al-Ahli striker Ivan Toney, who scored 20 Premier League goals in his best campaign at Brentford whilst working under Frank.

The tactician has apparently held ‘direct’ talks with Toney about a January move to Spurs, according to some reports, while others believe that the Lilywhites are in pole position to sign him at the turn of the year after ‘preliminary’ negotiations (TEAMtalk).

While links to the 29-year-old are rife given his obvious connection to Tottenham’s manager, co-sporting directors Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange are considering other options.

Tottenham eye 'dream' move for FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa

As per TEAMtalk, FC Porto talisman Samu Aghehowa is a ‘dream’ target for the club.

Sources believe the 21-year-old, who’s bagged nine goals in 14 appearances already this season, fits perfectly into Frank’s long-term vision. Spurs’ boss is also said to have ‘repeatedly’ emphasised his desire for a physically imposing, mobile striker capable of pressing aggressively and connecting play.

Insiders within Tottenham’s recruitment structure apparently think of Aghehowa as the “younger, longer-term” striker successor they genuinely desire, despite ongoing interest in Toney as a potential 2026 alternative.

Standing at a lofty 6 foot 4 with surprising pace for his height, the Spaniard has even been compared to former Chelsea star Diego Costa during his prime years, thankfully not the version we saw at Wolves.

However, this all being said, a January move appears very unlikely.

Portuguese sources state that Porto are refusing to entertain winter offers, especially as they pursue a first Primeira Liga title in six years. President Andre Villas-Boas has reportedly informed intermediaries that Samu is not for sale “at any price in the winter”, casting major doubt on Spurs’ ability to prise him away mid-season.

Porto have also set an £71 million asking price for Aghehowa, meaning the north Londoners may have to fork out a new club-record fee. With that in mind, Frank and Lange will apparently continue to monitor Aghehowa’s development whilst maintaining Toney as a backup option.

According to journalist Pete O’Rourke, Chelsea once came ‘very close’ to signing the forward, and he’s a player with ‘huge potential’.

Mystery spinner AM Ghazanfar part of ODI squad but has been demoted to reserves in the T20I side

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Sep-2025Left-arm seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi and allrounders Gulbadin Naib and Karim Janat have been left out of Afghanistan’s squads for the upcoming white-ball series against Bangladesh in the UAE.Bashir Ahmad, the tall left-arm seamer, has made both the white-ball squads as a like-for-like replacement for Farooqi. Bashir, 20, is uncapped in international cricket and has 14 T20s so far, taking 12 wickets at an economy rate of 9.06. Top-order batter Wafiullah Tarakhil is the other new face – the 18-year-old has been picked only for the T20Is.In the recent Shpageeza Cricket League, Tarakhil emerged as the third-highest scorer, with 298 runs in nine innings at an average of 37.25 and strike rate of 155.20.Seamer Abdullah Ahmadzai, meanwhile returned to the main T20I side. Both Ahmadzai and Tarakhil were among the reserves for the Asia Cup, where Afghanistan failed to make it out of the league phase.Mystery spinner AM Ghazanfar is part of the main ODI side, but has been named as a reserve player for the T20Is along with batter Rahmat Shah.”After a long six-month break from international cricket following the ICC Champions Trophy, we are now entering a packed season with many T20I games scheduled,” ACB CEO Naseeb Khan said in a statement. “This provides the team with an incredible opportunity to prepare for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup next year.”The performances in the Asia Cup 2025 were not as expected, but ups and downs are part of the game. As always, we remain hopeful that AfghanAtalan will bounce back strongly and make our nation proud in the upcoming events.”Despite the absence of Ghazanfar for the T20Is, Afghanistan have plenty of spin depth in the form of captain Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi.Nangeyalia Kharote has been included in Afghanistan’s ODI squad•ICC/Getty Images

Hashmatullah Shahidi will continue to lead the ODI team, which is also similarly spin-heavy. Rashid, Nabi, Ghazanfar and Nangeyalia Kharote could prove effective in Abu Dhabi as well. Bilal Sami and Faridoon Dawoodzai were named as reserves for the ODIs.Sharjah will host the three T20Is on October 2, 3 and 5 before the teams shift to Abu Dhabi for the three-match T20I series, which will run from October 8 to October 14. This white-ball series will complete the second part of what was originally supposed to be an all-format engagement in July 2024, comprising two Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is. The schedule was initially revised to include only white-ball matches, but that series, due to be played in Greater Noida, was postponed with weather conditions and Bangladesh’s packed schedule in mind. The teams played the three-match ODI leg of the tour in November 2024, with Afghanistan winning 2-1.Afghanistan had lost their most recent international fixture against Bangladesh – a T20I in the Asia Cup in Abu Dhabi – by eight runs.

Afghanistan T20I squad

Rashid Khan (capt), Ibrahim Zadran (vice-capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Mohamamad Ishaq (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Wafiullah Tarakhil, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Bashir Ahmad, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Abdullah Ahmadzai.Reserves: AM Ghazanfar and Rahmat Shah

Afghanistan ODI squad

Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Rahmat Shah (vice-capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangeyalia Kharote, AM Ghazanfar, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Bashir Ahmad, Mohammad Saleem SafiReserves: Bilal Sami and Faridoon Dawoodzai

Half-centuries from Nathan McSweeney and Jack Edwards, and Manav Suthar’s five-wicket haul, headlined the opening day of the second four-dayer between India A and Australia A in Lucknow. Picked as the lone specialist spinner, Suthar took 5 for 93, reining Australia A’s middle order in, on a mixed-soil pitch.After Shreyas Iyer, who had led India A in the first four-dayer withdrew from the second, Dhruv Jurel took over as captain and shared the wicketkeeping load with N Jagadeesan. Both wicketkeepers are likely to be picked in India’s squad for the two-match Test series against West Indies starting October 2. Allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who was playing his first competitive game since suffering a knee injury on the England tour, bowled eight overs and went wicketless on the first day.Incumbent Australia opener Sam Konstas, who scored a 122-ball century in the first four-dayer, played a more subdued innings in the second, scoring 49 off 91 balls before falling to Mohammed Siraj, who had been drafted into the team for this game along with KL Rahul, in the lead-up to the West Indies Test series. Siraj had Konstas nicking behind, with Jagadeesan taking the catch having just switched keeping duties with captain Jurel three overs ago.This was the second time in two matches during this series that Jurel and Jagadeesan had switched keeping duties in the middle of an innings, with the latter taking over the gloves from Jurel at the beginning of the second day’s play in the previous four-day game.Nathan McSweeney and Sam Konstas played out most of the first session•Tanuj Pandey/UPCA

Ollie Peake made 29 off 39 balls before Suthar breached his defences in the 45th over. When Suthar also dismissed Cooper Connolly, for a duck in his next over, Australia A were wobbling at 150 for 4. Their captain McSweeney, though, brought up his first half-century of the tour, in humid conditions, and moved to 74 before Punjab’s towering quick Gurnoor Brar, who has had a stint with the senior India team as a net bowler, had him caught by Ayush Badoni, who had replaced Iyer.”The pitch is playing quite nice,” McSweeney said after stumps on day one. “I think it has a little bit more pace in the wicket than last game, so you get great value for shots. The ball swung around a bit more than probably anticipated. But I thought the way Sammy [Sam Konstas] and I were able to play during that first session set up a decent day. Sammy’s playing beautifully, continuing on from last week. A pretty solid day at cricket.”Suthar was consistent with his lines and lengths. He had an economy rate of 3.32 while all of India’s frontline seamers went at over four an over.”I thought their left-arm spinner [Manav Suthar] bowled beautifully,” McSweeney said. “He bowled quite slow in the first session and the way he was able to be really consistent in the second, changing his pace, he got a few wickets. He was building pressure today. It’s a great template we can follow going into the next innings.”Josh Philippe and Edwards counterattacked, with both batters having strike rates of over 100. While Suthar cut Philippe’s innings short on 39 off 33, Edwards ran away to 88 off 78 balls, including 11 fours and a six. Todd Murphy, batting at No. 10, gave Edwards good company and ensured the innings did not slide to a premature end.Their ninth-wicket partnership ended on 55 when Brar removed Edwards in the 82nd over. Murphy and No.11 Henry Thornton survived the remaining 2.4 overs on the day and took Australia A to stumps.

Jamie Carragher has delivered his verdict on Arsenal and their Premier League title challenge after their dramatic 2-1 loss at Aston Villa.

Arsenal suffer first defeat in 18 games as five-point lead slips

Arsenal’s agonising defeat at Villa has ended the Gunners’ 18-game unbeaten streak whilst threatening their title aspirations, with Man City’s subsequent 3-0 dismantling of Sunderland now reducing the gap to just two points.

Emiliano Buendia’s 95th minute winner highlighted familiar weaknesses that have plagued previous title challenges.

Mikel Arteta’s makeshift defence, deprived of William Saliba and Gabriel through injury, conceded soft goals that championship-winning teams simply cannot afford.

Matty Cash’s thunderous opener exploited Eberechi Eze’s defensive negligence, whilst Buendia’s late intervention punished Arsenal’s inability to clear.

Leandro Trossard’s second-half equaliser briefly sparked hope of a hard-fought victory in the Midlands, yet Arsenal ultimately succumbed to Villa’s relentless pressure.

Related Arteta a big fan: Arsenal "could make a move" for "world-class" £65m forward

The Gunners are looking to bolster their attacking options.

Posts ByDominic Lund 4 days ago

While Arsenal have only lost twice this campaign, Arteta will be hoping Saturday’s defeat doesn’t sap his squad’s confidence given the manner of their slip up.

Cristhian Mosquera’s ankle injury compounds their current defensive crisis, forcing 16-year-old Marli Salmon onto the bench against Villa.

Man City ruthlessly capitalised on Arsenal’s hiccup, delivering their arguable most complete performance this season against an in-form Sunderland side.

Rúben Dias opened the scoring with a spectacular 25-yard thunderbolt before Josko Gvardiol doubled the advantage through a towering header from Phil Foden’s corner.

Foden completed the scoring after 65 minutes, converting Rayan Cherki’s outrageous rabona cross for a serious highlight reel moment.

Pep Guardiola praised it as potentially City’s finest 95-minute display this season, emphasising how it is consistency rather than individual results that determines success.

The title race has dramatically intensified, with Aston Villa themselves now genuine contenders sitting third, merely three points behind Arsenal following seven consecutive wins in all competitions.

Make no mistake, it is all to play for, and Carragher is convinced that Arsenal have a ‘huge problem’ in the form of Foden.

Jamie Carragher says Phil Foden is a 'huge problem' for Arsenal

Speaking on Monday Night Football, Carragher insists that the England international, alongside Erling Haaland, poses a massive threat to Arsenal’s quest to win a first Premier League title in 22 years.

After a difficult 2024/2025, Arsenal have every right to be concerned, as Foden is now back to his imperious best.

Foden has emerged as City’s most potent attacking threat bar Haaland during their resurgent title challenge, scoring nine goals across all competitions so far this term.

The 25-year-old has also notched six Premier League goals in thirteen appearances, averaging 0.51 goals per ninety minutes whilst contributing two assists.

His recent purple patch has been particularly devastating, with five goals scored in his last three league games. His goal involvement rate of 0.69 per ninety minutes highlights his constant influence in the final third, with Guardiola praising his exceptional qualities following Saturday’s performance.

Foden already surpassed his career milestone of 100 City goals during the summer’s Club World Cup, cementing his status amongst the club’s elite scorers.

His personal renaissance couldn’t have come at a worse time for Arsenal, but luckily for Arteta, the title is still theirs to lose.