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Between them, KL Rahul, B Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill scored 313 runs in the DC vs GT game – the 318 between the four openers is an IPL record

Sampath Bandarupalli18-May-20251:21

Moody: Gill, Sai Sudharsan now have five gears

200 – Target chased down by Gujarat Titans (GT) against Delhi Capitals (DC) in IPL 2025 on Sunday, the highest without losing a wicket in the IPL. The previous highest was 184 by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) against Gujarat Lions in 2017.GT also became only the second team to successfully chase a 200 (or more) target without losing a wicket in T20s. Pakistan had done the same against England in 2022 in Karachi.2 – This was the second game between the two this season, and on both occasions, GT had a 200 (or more) target, which they chased successfully. This is the first instance of a team chasing 200 (or more) targets twice against an opponent in one IPL season.Only one team before GT had multiple 200-plus chases against an opponent in a T20 tournament (or series) – Bulgaria against Serbia in 2022.2 – DC’s two defeats against GT in IPL 2025 are the only instances of them failing to defend 200 (or more) target in the IPL. Before this season, they had a 13-0 record on that front in the IPL. GT had also never chased a 200 (or more) target before their two wins against DC this season.205* – Partnership between B Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill for the first wicket on Sunday night, the highest by a pair in an IPL chase. The previous highest was David Warner and Naman Ojha of Delhi Daredevils (now DC) scoring an unbroken 189 for the second wicket against Deccan Chargers in 2012.ESPNcricinfo Ltd3 – Number of double-century partnerships for the opening wicket in the IPL. Two are by Sai Sudharsan and Gill, who previously added 210 against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2024. Quinton de Kock and KL Rahul also had an unbroken 210-run opening stand for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) against KKR in 2022.1 – Sai Sudharsan and Gill are the first opening pair with two 200-plus stands in men’s T20s. Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers are the only other pair with multiple partnerships of 200-plus runs in men’s T20s.7 – Century partnerships between Sai Sudharsan and Gill in 30 innings in the IPL. Only two pairs have had more such stands – ten by Kohli and de Villiers and nine by Kohli and Chris Gayle.1 – Rahul became the first player to score a hundred for three different franchises in the IPL. Rahul had four hundreds in the IPL before his maiden ton for DC on Sunday – two for Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) and two for LSG.318 – Runs scored by opening batters on Sunday in Delhi. It is the highest aggregate by openers in an IPL match; 313 of those came from Rahul (112*), Sudharsan (108*) and Gill (93*).Only once before have three batters scored 90-plus runs in a men’s T20 match – Tamim Iqbal (95), Shai Hope (91*) and Johnson Charles (107*) in a BPL game in 2023.

Colin Munro averaged 51.58 with a strike rate of 98.79 in first-class cricket, but only played one Test match

Matt Roller12-Jun-2023Last Thursday morning, Nottinghamshire were training at Trent Bridge ahead of a T20 fixture against Derbyshire the following evening.Their two overseas players, Colin Munro and Shaheen Shah Afridi, were standing on the outfield, waiting to bat in the nets – at least, so they claimed. Really, they were watching the opening stages of the World Test Championship final on a phone. “I said to Shaheen, ‘Man, Test cricket’s still the pinnacle, eh?'” Munro recounts.It is an admission that might seem at odds with Munro’s career trajectory. He played a solitary Test, over a decade ago, and now travels the world as a T20 freelancer playing for Tigers, Vipers, Rockets and Outlaws. Nearly six years have passed since he hit a red ball in anger.But Munro’s ceiling as a Test cricketer is a great imponderable. Across a 48-match first-class career, he compiled a record that remains staggering even in an era of unprecedented aggression, averaging 51.58 while scoring at 98.79 runs per 100 balls. “I fit the Bazball mould,” Munro says, laughing.Even accounting for New Zealand’s flat pitches and small grounds, Munro’s first-class statistics are outrageous. In one season, 2014-15, he hit 899 runs for Auckland, the majority of them from No. 4. That haul included 46 sixes in nine appearances, half of which came in a single innings of 281 from 167 balls.His one Test came in South Africa in early 2013, when New Zealand were at their lowest ebb. In the first of two Tests, Brendon McCullum’s first as captain, they were rolled for 45. In the second, an injury to James Franklin meant that Munro came in as the allrounder at No. 7; he made 0 and 15 in another innings defeat.Munro was short on practice in his only Test match•Associated Press”I was really underdone,” he recalls. “I was asked to stay on after the T20s and was told I was just going to be there as cover. I neglected my batting in the nets because I was just getting ready for the one-day series afterwards, so I didn’t do a lot of red-ball preparation with the bat. I got out first ball in the first innings, got 15 in the second, and then was never even considered again.”Munro continued to score heavily for Auckland in the Plunket Shield and made occasional appearances for New Zealand A, but the door stayed shut. “I honestly thought I deserved a spot,” he says. “And not just because of my average but the weight of runs that I scored. At the time, you’re very disappointed – and a little bit bitter – that you’re not playing Test cricket, because that’s what you wanted to do.”He reconciled himself to the fact that, with McCullum counter-attacking in the middle order, there might not be room for another player in the same mould. “Maybe he didn’t want to go down the route of having two cowboys in the middle,” Munro says. “At that time, he probably thought that two ultra-aggressive players through that middle order is probably not the best way to go. Now, in this day and age, there’s probably space for two or three players that could play that role.”

“It’s like, ‘Oh, will they be able to do it against Starc and Cummins.’ Well, they do it in one-day cricket against these boys – so in Test cricket, why not?”Colin Munro on the upcoming Ashes series

But after McCullum retired in 2016, Munro found himself looking at some of the players New Zealand picked and thinking: “‘How did they get there?’ I felt like I had to ask some tough questions to the management, and they just said that my method – the way that I played first-class cricket – wouldn’t work at Test level.”In early 2018, he decided to pull the plug on his first-class career. “I knew that Test cricket was long gone. There was no point playing ten first-class games a season and putting my body at risk of injury. Everything happens for a reason – my wife tells me that – and since I’ve gone on my white-ball journey, things have worked out pretty well.”Munro has always considered McCullum his mentor, and he has clearly been influenced by him. “He’s helped me mentally, more than anything,” Munro explains. “He would tell me, ‘Don’t ever get caught up in scoring runs and thinking you’re too good, and when you’re not scoring any runs, don’t get too low.’Related

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“In the last three years, I often fall back on those conversations to try and stay grounded. Whether I score a duck or 80 off 40 balls, it doesn’t really matter. If it’s not your day, it doesn’t make you a bad person; and if it is, it doesn’t make you a better person.”At the end of the day, I’m Colin Munro, and I play cricket for a job; it’s just that my job is in the public eye, rather than sitting in an office doing emails. That’s probably the biggest thing that I’ve taken from him, as well as trusting myself to go and play my way. When I play well, there’s only a handful of people that can do what I can.”McCullum would tell Munro to “chase that moment” – much as he has with Zak Crawley since becoming England’s Test coach. “Who is super, super consistent? Probably a handful of players in the whole world,” Munro says. “If you’re not the world’s best player – which I know I’m not – you’re looking to play those impactful innings.”He’s all about giving guys clarity on what they want to do; letting them go out there and be aggressive. So many people think that’s just going out there and slogging from ball one, but there’s a method behind it – absorbing pressure when you need to, when they’re bowling well. And then, once you get a sniff, that’s when you can really pounce.”McCullum and Munro played together in the CPL, as well as for New Zealand•Randy Brooks – CPL T20 / GettyWhen McCullum was cutting his teeth as a coach, Munro played for his Trinbago Knight Riders team in the CPL. “He spoke about picking match-ups, going hard – and then even harder. So if the left-arm spinner comes on to a left-hand batter, take him down. Don’t just get 10 runs in the over; if you can get 18, it accelerates the game.”I don’t know what it is with him: you just have a normal conversation with him – whether it’s about cricket, horse racing, whatever – and he makes you walk away feeling 10 foot tall. He’s got a real way with words that means he can really, really get the best out of people.”During his time at Trent Bridge, Munro has overlapped with a handful of players who have featured during McCullum’s tenure, including Ben Duckett and Olly Stone. “They told me that they feel like they’ve got a new lease of life under him – remembering why they play the game.”It’s a lot of fun. It’s not just about doing enough to stay in the team for the next tour, the next set of contracts or whatever it is. It’s about going out there and just putting on a show for the people watching. Brendon always talks about that: ‘We entertain people, and Test cricket is entertaining.'”Munro gets down to reverse-sweep•Gareth Copley/Getty ImagesMunro arrived in Nottingham a month ago and is staying in Edwalton, a village just to the south of the city, until the end of August. His wife, son and daughter will arrive next week and will be with him until the end of the Hundred, for which he will return to defending champions Trent Rockets.”As a player that travels the world to play cricket, it’s nice to be able to unpack your bags for a little bit of time instead of living out of the suitcase, or from hotel to hotel,” he says. “It’ll be a great experience for my kids, to travel around England a bit.”He intends to take them to an Ashes Test if his schedule allows: “I don’t think there’s much better than watching Test cricket in England. Back home you get 4 or 5,000 people; here, you get full crowds.”And what about the question everyone is asking of McCullum and his team? “It’s going to be a crazy good Ashes,” Munro predicts. “It’s like, ‘Oh, will they be able to do it against Starc and Cummins.’ Well, they do it in one-day cricket against these boys – so in Test cricket, why not?”

She might be one of the greatest cricketers ever but the Australia allrounder is not resting on her laurels

Interview by Andrew McGlashan09-Sep-2021The Australian international season will begin later this month when the women’s side take on India across all three formats. To build up to the summer, which also includes the ODI World Cup early next year in New Zealand, we sat down with allrounder Ellyse Perry to discuss a range of topics.You have two multi-format series, a World Cup and a Commonwealth Games over the next 12 months. Is there one prize that stands out?
I think it’s really exciting to have that much cricket in such a short period of time, but also so much important cricket with big tournaments and something new in the Commonwealth Games. It’s really motivating for the group, and given the complexities of the last 18 months, and trying to play elite sport, it’s nice to have this roadmap.Without trying to be overstated it would be lovely if we could be successful in each of those events. I think as a team we will probably be looking at each of them in succession as the most important at the time. But putting three of them together, it’s a great challenge.Related

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'The more Test matches we play, the better we are going to get at it'

What type of challenge do you think India will pose over the next few weeks?
A huge challenge. They’ve been huge improvers, although it’s really not fair to say that anymore, because they have well and truly arrived, but they’ve been building as a team and as a cricketing nation in the women’s landscape for a while now. They are actually a really scary prospect in a lot of ways – they’ve got so much talent and often have new players coming through that we get to learn about each series we play. They’ve also had a fair bit of cricket this year, playing over in the UK, versus our quiet winter. I think there could be some very good cricket, especially that Test match, and I’m really look forward to that.How much of where women’s cricket goes in the Indian game – things like an IPL – will dictate the growth globally?
I’m sure it will have a very strong influence, just with the sheer weight of Indian cricket on world cricket. But hopefully a lot of the top nations are able to shape the women’s game because we’d love to have our own identity and have a chance to really dictate how that grows and develops.Hammy horror: Perry goes off the field injured in the game against New Zealand at last year’s T20 World Cup•Getty ImagesWhile we often talk about India and England and ourselves, and New Zealand to an extent, the biggest and most important part of that puzzle is the other nations as well, and making sure that across the world you grow and develop women’s cricket. The Commonwealth Games is a great vehicle for that. Equally, if cricket was to make it into the Olympics, it’s another great vehicle. With so many young women around the world having an increased opportunity to play sport, that’s a real area of opportunity for us to hopefully capture that and grow.So, yes, I do think India would dictate a lot of things, and a [women’s] IPL will be brilliant, but I think there’s a big role to play for all the nations and the ICC to make sure that women’s cricket really grows and reaches its potential.The India series starts with ODIs and there’s the World Cup next year. Australia have won 24 matches in a row. What’s the major motivation to keep pushing yourselves beyond the thrill of winning?
Winning is certainly enjoyable, but particularly in the last couple of years, the depth of our squad and the competition for places is pretty hot. There are so many great young players coming through our system and putting pressure on incumbent players.We’ve just been really fortunate to have some really successful players and great contributors to the side. If you look across that stretch of 24 matches, whilst we’ve had a consistent squad, I think all the way along we’ve had different people performing at different times and really understanding their roles. A combination of those things has made it really enjoyable.We’ve seen Georgia Redmayne called up to this squad on the back of her domestic form. Does that type of thing drive players’ desire to keep hold of places when they have them?
Yes, definitely. Just the standard across the board and the ability of players. The gap between Australian contracted players and domestic contracted players is quite small now. So for someone like Georgia in this specific instance, if you perform really well in those domestic competitions, there’s every likelihood that you’ll be rewarded.Bowling in the 2014 Ashes match. “I think there’s a place for Test cricket in the women’s game and this [points-based] format seems to make it fit really nicely”•Paul Kane/Getty ImagesI think, equally, one of the big things that I’ve noticed is just how important it is to be all-round in terms of the skills and what you contribute to the team. I’ve seen a lot of borderline selection calls in the last couple of years made on fielding – being able to be a complete cricketer has become so important. That’s been great for the sport, the way that we play, and really important for people’s development because they’ve had to focus on everything.Looking back to last season, how do you reflect on your own game?
First and foremost, it was just wonderful to play, and I think that probably goes for everyone, given the circumstances we were in. I really enjoyed it, like I have in every season I’ve been part of.From a performance point of view, it was pretty lacklustre. And that’s okay. I would certainly have loved to play a little bit better or contributed a little bit more, but I think it was just one of those seasons that was a challenge for me. In saying that, I felt like I learnt a lot and was certainly really appreciative to people that they helped me get back to playing after being injured.How tough was coming back from the injury? Was it harder than it looked from the outside?
In so many ways, it was tremendously rewarding. One of the coolest things I’ve taken from that is just how much injury can be opportunity as well. While I was rehabbing there was lots of chance to reflect on other parts of my game I’d like to improve on and find means to do that. It gave me a chance to work with different people who I haven’t worked with before and I’m really appreciative for their help.Sophie Molineux (left) and Ashleigh Gardner are two of a number of spinners who give Australia’s attack an enviable roundedness•Getty ImagesI don’t think it’s fair to say it was hard or that it was emotionally tough because I’ve been so fortunate across my career in so many ways. Sure, it was a bit of a bump in the road, but at the same time I’ve taken a lot from it. Maybe it won’t immediately be obvious, but hopefully in the coming years, I can really draw on some of those experiences and some of the work I’ve done to make me a better player.Having had an injury-free pre-season this year, is there anything specific you’ve been working on?
With that extra eight months or so from being injured, it’s just been a nice period to work on ironing things out, feeling like I’ve got good rhythm and flow again with different parts of the game, whether that’s been fielding, bowler or batting. Physically being able to concentrate solely on being a cricketer again rather than having too much consideration to my hamstring has been really nice. I enjoyed that kind of headspace of just being a cricketer again and not a rehabber.Are you looking forward to a period dominated by ODI cricket? Of the limited-overs formats, it would appear your ideal fit.
I never really thought of it that way. Particularly in the women’s game, given the amount that we play, one-day cricket and T20 cricket have equal billing even at the national level, which I think is probably a little bit different to men’s cricket and how much franchise T20 is played.It’s a different contribution you are making in T20 because it’s a shorter game and perhaps from a numbers point of view, it doesn’t look the same. I think one-day cricket was probably built to suit my game a little bit more, traditionally speaking, but hopefully given how important T20 cricket is to our game, there are opportunities to contribute there.Have you felt challenged in T20 cricket to keep improving to ensure you keep up with how the game is evolving?
Definitely. I think any format of the game, as time goes by it evolves like any sport, but maybe it’s faster-paced in women’s cricket at the moment just because of how much change and development we’re undergoing. That’s not a new thing for me – I reckon that’s something that I’ve gone through for the best part of my career. I think that in sport you’ve always got to push to develop and get better, otherwise someone always comes along who is going to jump you. It’s actually a really nice motivating thing for me.The long road back: Perry trains during a warm-up game against a New Zealand XI in September last year•Getty ImagesYour role may change at Sydney Sixers this year depending on who is finally signed. Have you had discussions around that yet?
Not seriously, but we have spoken in general terms that as a team we need to evolve as well. We’ve had some formulas that have been relatively effective over the course of the Big Bash, but the tournament is definitely changing. We saw the role of pinch-hitters being so important last season, and that kind of depth in your batting line-up and the ability to really elevate the run rate at the end became so important. So did medium-pacers and how effective they can be.I think there’s a number of areas in our line-up that we’ll probably just tweak. It might depend on game-to-game match-ups with different teams. I’d like to think that it’s not exactly the same Sixers outfit or style of game that that we’ve played the last couple years, but I hope it’s still recognisable as the Sixers as well.One of the talking points of this Australian squad has been the group of young fast bowlers put together. Do you think that’s an area of the game that will keep Australia ahead of the chasing pack?
I do, and I think it’s a really interesting phase of development because we have such exciting young players that are all that little bit quicker, but who are also a little less experienced with less time to develop their game. So I think long-term it’s going to be an incredible advantage for us, but there might be some occasions where just extra pace on the ball with smaller boundaries and quick outfields doesn’t always go our way.Without sounding too arrogant about our team, we actually have some tremendous young spinners and senior spinners as well who perhaps are getting a little bit less talked about because of the exciting quicks coming through. The likes of Georgia Wareham, who I think was a key component to us winning that game against New Zealand to get us into the semi-final of the T20 World Cup last year, and Sophie Molinuex, who is back with the squad again. We’ve got Jess Jonassen, who is unbelievably credentialled, and Ash Gardner, whose bowling has improved in the last couple years and is more of a senior player now. So it’s probably the blend of our two attacks, and the way that our spinners try to turn the ball and attack the game that that makes us quite complete, rather than just the focus on the fast bowlers.”I think one-day cricket was probably built to suit my game a little bit more, traditionally speaking”•Gareth Fuller/PA Photos/Getty ImagesHas the speed of development of that pace-bowling depth surprised you?
Probably not. I think that [given] the mindset around how we want the game to develop, pace bowling has been one of those areas that there has been a fair bit of focus on, and people have really pushed for girls to attack that. You just look at the amount of young players, we are bound to find some quicker bowlers in that group. Rather than that being an anomaly, now they are a lot more common because it’s really being encouraged from a young age for girls to try and bowl fast.The Ashes will be a points-based multi-format series. India played one in England recently and this series could be the same. Are you a fan of that format, particularly given how it promotes Test cricket?
I’m a huge fan. I think the more nations that we can use that format for, it will be great for the game. I think there’s a place for Test cricket in the women’s game and this format seems to make it fit really nicely. It makes it really competitive and gives it a lot of meaning. I think the more that we can play, the more players will get better at it, and probably even more importantly, the more fans will understand it and engage with it and want to see more.Where do you stand on the need for multi-day cricket at the domestic level?
It’s really important and I think it serves dual purposes. Certainly, it helps identify longer-format players, and it helps prepare the Australian team to play Test cricket, but equally, it’s such a great tool for development. We’ve got so many young players in domestic squads now and a lot of them haven’t played a lot of cricket and don’t get a chance to play a lot, particularly at domestic level just because of the way that the summer set up. So for them to be exposed to longer days in the field, or longer days batting, it gives them an incredible resource to improve their skills and develop as cricketers.The 2014 Ashes Test is regularly mentioned as an iconic game. You scored 102 runs and claimed eight wickets as Player of the Match. What are your memories of that?What I remember is how defining it was for women’s Tests. It was, and still is, the most incredible game of Test cricket that I’ve played. It was just such a tussle on any session on any given day. There was no clear winner right to the last session. It was played on a really good, fast, bouncy wicket, a good outfield, in some really hot conditions at the WACA. I just thought that was so the platform for how women’s Test matches should be played and staged going forward. It’s a real shame that unfortunately we don’t get to play at the WACA against India this time around, but hopefully at some point we’ll get to play another Test match there.

No men’s internationals have taken place in New Chandigarh, but most of the India players have been here during IPL 2025

Sidharth Monga10-Dec-20251:28

Why did it feel like Hardik batted on a different pitch?

Big picture – New Chandigarh makes men’s international debutThere is a feeling India are such strong favourites for the home World Cup in two months that the one way to deny them a successful title defence is to catch them on the wrong side of the toss on a damp pitch or a dewy night.South Africa discovered first-hand in Cuttack that India are formidable even on such a night. They will now scramble from eastern India to the north-west with no training day in New Chandigarh and go again on Thursday evening.Related

Hardik shows what he can do when fit and firing

India will be aware that despite their 6-2 head-to-head record against South Africa in recent encounters, T20s can surprise any team on a given night. They want to have reacted to almost every kind of contingency in their nine remaining matches at home before the World Cup. New Chandigarh will be just one such stop.This, incidentally, is the first men’s international at the venue. India and Australia played two women’s ODIs there in September this year.Form guideIndia WWWLW
South Africa LLLWLThere is nothing wrong with South Africa’s combination, but India might just be a bit too strong for them in these conditions•Associated Press

In the spotlight – Arshdeep Singh and Quinton de KockThe first over of the chase in Cuttack set the tone for the rest of the night. Arshdeep Singh sought to make the most of whatever movement was on offer, and he got the dangerous Quinton de Kock in the first over. It is a match-up that Arshdeep has had the better of in all T20 cricket: 41 balls, 38 runs, five wickets. Watch out for this contest again. Perhaps South Africa might let Aiden Markram take first strike because de Kock is a key batter for them.Team news – Changes only if conditions ask for themIn Cuttack, India were close to their best XI if you leave aside the question of Rinku Singh. If the pitch is dry, they can stick in Kuldeep Yadav for Arshdeep; if they worry about batting depth, Harshit Rana can play in Arshdeep’s place. Other than that, they don’t need to fiddle.India (probable): 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Shivam Dube, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Arshdeep Singh, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Jasprit Bumrah.South Africa might have lost big but the combination didn’t have much wrong. At a pinch, they might think of an allrounder in Lutho Sipamla’s place.South Africa: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Aiden Markram (capt), 3 Tristan Stubbs, 4 Dewald Brevis, 5 David Miller, 6 Donovon Ferreira, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Lutho Sipamla/Corbin Bosch/George Linde, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Lungi Ngidi, 11 Anrich Nortje.1:29

Jitesh on competition with Samson – ‘He’s like a big brother’

Pitch and conditionsWith no tall stands around it, the playing surface of New Chandigarh tends to not get affected too much by the dew. Teams batting first in the IPL hold a 6-5 record in New Chandigarh. Scores of above 200 have been defended successfully, as has been a 111. Fast bowlers tend to hold sway there.Stats and trivia Only three players have hit 100 sixes and taken 100 wickets in T20Is. Hardik Pandya is one wicket short of joining this list of Sikandar Raza, Mohammad Nabi and Malaysia’s Virandeep Singh. Arshdeep has taken the joint-highest powerplay wickets for India: 47. He is tied with Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Jasprit Bumrah is only the fifth player to have taken 100 wickets in each of the three international formats. Shakib Al Hasan, Lasith Malinga, Tim Southee and Shaheen Shah Afridi are the others.

It’s not unreasonable to suggest that Ruben Amorim’s first full season at Manchester United has, so far, been characterised by ebb and flow.

But after a patchy start, the Red Devils have lost just one of their past seven Premier League matches, with Sunday’s turnaround victory at Crystal Palace a testament to the squad’s rekindled spirit.

However, there’s a sense that United lack the requisite depth to mount a real challenge at the top of the table, and that is something INEOS must look to rectify in January.

After clearing out so much attacking deadwood this summer, Jason Wilcox and co are now turning toward a new wide forward.

Man Utd searching for new forwards

If all goes to plan, Manchester United will be competing in Europe again next season. And if all goes to plan, United will need more options in the final third.

On the right, United are pretty well stocked with Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo, but there’s something of a lack of depth on the alternate flank.

That’s why news is emerging of INEOS’s interest in Newcastle United winger Harvey Barnes, who could be available this winter.

Barnes, 27, is being reported by Spanish reports to be the focus of a £53m bid from Man United, though the Old Trafford side have been matched by Chelsea in their pursuit.

The left-sided winger’s sharpness in front of goal is seen as a defining factor behind United’s interest, with Mbeumo the club’s only forward to have scored more than two goals in the Premier League this year.

Why Man Utd want Harvey Barnes

Barnes hasn’t always been a regular starter at St. James’ Park, but he’s invariably threatening in the final third and has an athletic and pacy style of play.

He would add width and danger, perhaps tailor-made for Amorim’s 3-4-3 formation, supported by Patrick Dorgu or a potential addition there.

Barnes wouldn’t be the most expansive attacking option at the Theatre of Dreams, but he could form a neat partnership with Mbeumo on the other wing.

The £70m summer recruit from Brentford has emerged as a talismanic force for Amorim, having scored five times in the Premier League this season, including four goals from his past six outings.

Barnes’ own clinical ability would make for a perfect match, especially with the likes of Bruno Fernandes or the resurgent Mason Mount making play from the middle.

Harvey Barnes’ Last 5 PL Seasons

Season

Apps (starts)

Goals + Assists

25/26 – NUFC

13

3 + 0

24/25 – NUFC

33

9 + 5

23/24 – NUFC

21

5 + 3

22/23 – LCFC

34

13 + 1

21/22 – LCFC

32

6 + 10

Stats via Transfermarkt

Barnes’ slow start to the current campaign was in line with the general laboriousness at Newcastle, and he has now posted three goals from as many games, bagging four goals from five in the Champions League too.

Though the Englishman, who has been mooted for a conversion to the Scottish national set-up, lacks the dynamism of someone like Matheus Cunha, he has that rare and intangible instinct in front of goal, hailed, in fact, for his “unbelievable” finishing by Jurgen Klopp.

The mounting interest from different spheres is a representation of Barnes’ quality. He is now polished and at ease with his role on the field, and he would likely jump at the chance to help drive this revival at Man United.

A veteran in the Premier League with more to give, Barnes would create the balance needed – and deepen the options at Amorim’s disposal – to not only reclaim a spot in the Champions League but compete, consistently, for silverware too.

Mbeumo is establishing himself as one of United’s finest and most promising signings in recent memory, but the output in the final third is somewhat skewed.

Barnes would help fix that, having been a consistent goalscoring outlet on Tyneside since joining from relegated Leicester City in 2023.

So clinical is Barnes in the final third that he ranks among the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for non-penalty goals scored per 90, as per FBref.

Barnes is a proven Premier League goalscorer. You get what you paid for with him, and that’s a good thing. This would add variation and nuance to Amorim’s outfit, and he would be the perfect contrasting wideman to pair with Mbeumo as this team push for more success.

Related Shades of Pogba: INEOS have signed star who can end Mainoo’s Man Utd stay

Manchester United have landed a star who could reach the next level under Ruben Amorim.

Posts ByEthan Lamb Nov 29, 2025

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Os torcedores do Vasco ficaram revoltados com a atuação de Juan Sforza, joia argentina contratada pelo clube nesta temporada. Para alguns vascaínos, em campo, o jogador parece um “adolescente da sexta série”. Confira outras reações abaixo.

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➡️Zebra? Com R$100 no Lance! Betting, você fatura R$451 se o Vasco vencer o Fortaleza no Castelão após 20 anos

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Copa do BrasilFutebol NacionalJuan SforzaVasco

تحدث طارق العشري، المدير الفني السابق للاتحاد السكندري، عن تصريحات حسام حسن، المدير الفني لمنتخب مصر، الأخيرة، التي أثارت جدلًا واسعًا عقب فوز الفراعنة على الرأس الأخضر وديًا.

وقال طارق العشري، عبر قناة “أون سبورت”: “المفترض أن يقوم حسام حسن بإغلاق سمعه وبصره عن كل ما يدور حوله، خاصة على صعيد السوشيال ميديا، لأنه بالتأكيد مطّلع على ما يُكتب”.

وواصل: “أنا شاهدت مؤتمره الصحفي، وكان واضحًا أنه متضايق جدًا من الانتقادات التي وُجهت له ولكن من مهام المدير الفني أن يتقبل الوضع، خصوصًا فيما يتعلق بالإعلام، وأن يترك الملعب هو الذي يتحدث عنه”.

طالع.. محمد بركات ينتقد حسام حسن بعد تصريحاته الأخيرة: حسن شحاتة لم يفعل ذلك.. وهناك متربصون وتابع: “أنا أحد المدربين في منظومة التدريب في مصر، وكلنا نتمنى نجاح الكابتن حسام، لأنه يمثل المدرب المصري ونجاحه هو نجاح لمصر كلها ولو عدنا بالتاريخ سنجد أن كل نجاحات المنتخب جاءت على يد مدربين مصريين، مثل الكابتن الجوهري، ثم الكابتن حسن شحاتة الذي حقق إنجازًا إعجازيًا بحصد ثلاث بطولات متتالية”.

وأشار: “هؤلاء المدربون كانوا يعرفون كيف يركزون مع فريقهم من أجل القادم، لأن القادم دائمًا هو الأصعب”.

وواصل: “الجماهير المصرية كلها تنتظر المنتخب، وتريد رؤيته دائمًا في صدارة البطولات، المنتخب معتاد على الوصول لبطولة إفريقيا، لكن الجماهير تطمح لرؤيته ضمن المربع الذهبي على الأقل، منتخب مصر اسم كبير، والجماهير المصرية كلها تتابعه وتدعمه”.

وأتم: “والآن، بعد أن نجح الكابتن حسام في قيادة المنتخب للوصول لكأس العالم وإلى كأس إفريقيا، نريد أن نظهر بالمستوى الذي يليق باسم مصر”.

New York Mets outfielder Jesse Winker went viral for a hilarious moment in Tuesday’s 6-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays at Roger Centre.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Winker picked up Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s line drive to left center and threw the ball to Eddy Alvarez at second base to get the out. Guerrero collided with Alvarez at the base and appeared to be safe, according to the initial call.

However, after a Mets’ challenge, the call was overturned and Guerrero was confirmed to be out. 

As Guerrero stood there shaking his head in visible disbelief, Winker walked over, looked him in the eyes and stuck out his hand, offering what seemed to be an olive branch.

Guerrero flashed a wry smile, shook Winker’s hand, and that was that.

It wasn’t exactly the most thrilling moment in baseball, but it still gave fans a good laugh.

Skipper’s all-round display the difference against Durham as Leicestershire continue strong start

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay06-Jun-2025

Leicestershire 193 for 8 (Kimber 51, Raine 5-23) beat Durham 187 for 7 (Aldridge 44, Kimber 2-14) by six runsLeicestershire Foxes picked up a third Vitality Blast win in four matches to keep their place among the front-runners in the North Group, defeating Durham by six runs in a tight finish at the Uptonsteel County Ground.Ben Raine took 5 for 23 against his former team-mates, with four wickets in his final two overs, but the Foxes still posted 193 for 8, their highest Blast score against Durham after skipper Louis Kimber made 51 off 27 balls and Lewis Hill 47 off 30.Graham Clark’s 29 from 12 balls in the powerplay suggested Durham would make a fight of it but after collapsing from 65 for one to 94 for 6 they looked out of the game, Tom Scriven taking 2 for 25.Yet Kasey Aldridge (44 not out) and Will Rhodes (43) shared a 91-run partnership that took Durham into the last over needing 13 to win before ex-Durham bowled Matt Salisbury kept his nerve to concede just sixSol Budinger followed his stunning 15-ball half-century in the Foxes’ season-opener here last month with a first-ball duck as Zak Foulkes nipped one back to take off stump. Yet the home side, having been put in, recovered to be 65 for two in the powerplay, Jimmy Neesham conceding 17 and Aldridge 23 off their respective opening overs.Rishi Patel, dropped on 30, fell for 36 (18 balls), caught at mid-off as Foulkes struck again with a slower ball, the Kiwi coming out of the powerplay with 2 for 19 from three overs.Patel’s tally of two sixes was doubled by Kimber, whose muscular 27-ball 51 ended with a miscued pull to long-on to leave Leicestershire 98 for 3 in the 10th, before Shan Masood hit Raine straight to mid-off.Leicestershire had their eyes on 200-plus as Hill led a 50-run partnership in 34 balls with Ben Cox but fell short thanks to two superb ‘death’ overs from Raine, the former Foxes all-rounder taking the pace off to claim two wickets in each at a cost of just 13 runs as Hill, Cox and Logan Van Beek failed to clear fielders before Scriven was stumped.Durham’s batting powerplay almost mirrored the Foxes’ at 66 for two but lost two batters who looked in good touch as Graham Clark (29 from 13) and former Leicestershire skipper Colin Ackermann (18 from 11) fell to well-judged catches at mid-wicket and mid-off, the former having lofted Roman Walker for consecutive sixes.The home bowlers then pinned their opponents down, going five overs without conceding a boundary, which may have played a part in Alex Lees and Ollie Robinson both finding fielders as Scriven and Kimber picked up wickets, with Durham’s woes quickly compounded as Raine mistimed Scriven to mid-on and Neesham’s reverse sweep looped straight to cover, 65 for 1 having turned to 94 for 6.But Aldridge and Rhodes were able not only to staunch the flow of wickets but build a partnership that almost threatened to pull off an unlikely victory after Van Beek had conceded two sixes in a final over costing 20. Yet Salisbury came up with what was required by his skipper in the last over, Durham’s last hope disappearing when Rhodes was run out with three balls remaining.

Warwickshire and Somerset are heading for a Rothesay County Championship draw at Edgbaston after the home side narrowly avoided the follow on on the third day.In reply to 498, Warwickshire were bowled out for 351, achieving the 349 follow on figure with just two wickets to spare. Alex Davies hit 78 (186 balls), Sam Hain 78 (170) and Tom Latham 65 (158) but, on a very good batting pitch, nobody else reached 30 against a Somerset attack which kept the pressure high, led by skipper Craig Overton (four for 61).Somerset closed the third day on 116 for 3, 263 ahead overall, a commanding position but unlikely to be a winning one on a batter-friendly pitch which is not deteriorating.Somerset’s seamers opened up superbly after Warwickshire resumed on the third morning on 158 for 1. Matt Henry bottled up fellow Kiwi Latham with a sequence of maidens before, still to add to his overnight score, Latham drove at one that nipped away and edged to wicketkeeper James Rew. Five overs, and just six runs, later, Davies perished when he edged Overton to slip where Tom Kohler-Cadmore took a fine catch, low to his right.Jacob Bethell, promoted to four, batted solidly until the stroke of lunch when he bottom-edged a pull at Overton to Rew. The wicketkeeper collected again shortly after the interval when Ed Barnard edged an injudicious drive at Overton and self-flagellated all the way back to the pavilion.As Warwickshire wobbled to 235 for 5, Somerset had all the more reason to regret their recklessness with the bat on the second afternoon. A follow on figure of 550 would have put the home side under pressure but 349 was within reach albeit, it transpired, only just.Kai Smith and an increasingly expansive Hain added 66, Hain passing 50 from 133 balls and celebrating with two straight sixes in an over from Jack Leach.Smith supplied Rew’s fifth catch with a leg-side tickle off Overton and when, in the final over before tea, Hain edged Leach to slip, Warwickshire were still 32 short of the follow on figure with three wickets left.Corey Rocchiccioli responded aggressively with 28 from 31 balls but pulled Migael Pretorius to long leg with ten still required. Tense moments followed for the home side until Ethan Bamber reverse-swept Leach for four to avert the follow on and pretty much sentence the match to a draw. Bamber and Che Simmons both soon fell playing the forward defensive, Simmons bowled by Archie Vaughan and Bamber lbw to Leach.Somerset’s second innings started with a couple of jolts when both openers fell in the first eight overs. Kohler-Cadmore lifted Bamber to mid off and Josh Davey’s off-stump paid a high price for his decision to play back to Olly Hannon-Dalby.Tom Lammonby and James Rew added 83 before the former (33, 46) lifted Rocchiccioli to midwicket to squander the opportunity of reaching a third century in successive championship innings tomorrow.