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Manchester City are now closely monitoring AC Milan forward Rafael Leao, with Pep Guardiola personally a fan, and the Italian club’s asking price has been revealed.

Man City made a real statement by defeating reigning Premier League champions Liverpool 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, and Guardiola was left particularly impressed by Jeremy Doku’s performance, describing the winger as “outstanding.”

Doku completed a remarkable seven dribbles throughout the match, six more than any other player, in what was a top performance, but the 23-year-old was not the only City forward that caught the eye.

Indeed, Erling Haaland once again found the back of the net, with the Norwegian putting his first-half penalty miss behind him and bagging his 14th Premier League goal of the season, which puts the 25-year-old six clear of nearest-rival Igor Thiago in the goalscoring charts.

Guardiola is clearly blessed with a number of top-quality attacking options, but the manager remains keen on strengthening his forward line even further…

Man City closely monitoring Rafael Leao

According to a report from Caught Offside, Man City are now closely monitoring AC Milan forward Leao, who has a €150m (£131m) release clause included in his contract, although the Serie A club have set a more affordable asking price of €80m – €85m (£70m – £75m).

Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal are also in the race for the Portugal international, with Mikel Arteta personally an admirer, but City could rival their Premier League title rivals for his signature, given that Guardiola is a fan.

Indeed, the Spaniard admires the 26-year-old’s versatility, given that he is capable of playing out wide, in attacking midfield or even at striker.

At the moment, Milan are hopeful they will be able to keep hold of their star forward, but a January exit could be on the cards if talks over a new deal do not progress.

There are signs the Portuguese forward could be capable of taking City’s attack to the next level, having been lauded as “world-class” by journalist Carlo Garganese, while also proving himself as a reliable goalscorer over a number of years at AC Milan.

The Milan star has amassed a whopping 75 goals and 63 assists in 268 games for the Serie A giants, scoring a brace in what was a fantastic display against Fiorentina earlier this season.

The former Lille man clearly has the ability to succeed at the Etihad Stadium, but Doku’s recent performances suggest the Belgian winger could now be entering his prime, with his all-round display against Liverpool particularly eye-catching.

Jeremy Doku’s statistics vs Liverpool

Number completed

Dribbles (successful)

8 (7)

Duels (won)

14 (11)

Key passes

3

Shots on target

3

As such, Leao would perhaps be a luxury signing, rather than a necessary addition to Guardiola’s squad.

Rafael Leao has been named as one of the best wingers in the world The Best 15 Wingers in World Football Ranked (2025)

Who is the best wide man in world football right now?

ByCharlie Smith Nov 28, 2025

The Colorado Rockies were cheered heartily by fans at the 2025 MLB draft after Rob Manfred announced that the organization had selected Ethan Holliday with the No. 4 pick in the first round.

Holliday, 18, is the youngest son of former Rockies All-Star outfielder Matt Holliday, who played the first six seasons of his career in Colorado and was a fan favorite.

After Ethan followed in his father's footsteps as a Rockies draft selection, some old photos of him supporting the organization throughout his youth emerged on social media, courtesy of both the Rockies and MLB.

Ethan has been making trips to Coors Field since his youth, and now he'll get to look forward to playing there on a daily basis in the future.

Matt played in Colorado from 2004 to '09 and finished his career with the team in 2018. He was a seventh round pick by the organization in 1998 and rose to stardom at Coors Field, where he earned three of his six career trips to the All-Star Game.

Ethan is a standout shortstop and third base prospect who played high school baseball at Matt's alma mater, Stillwater High School in Stillwater, Okla. He launched 16 home runs and had a stunning 1.309 slugging percentage in 32 games during his senior year.

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O Corinthians oficializou a rescisão contratual com Cássio, mas pode perder Carlos Miguel, novo titular da meta corintiana.

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➡️ Vai dar Brasil? Aposte no Lance! Betting e fature com a Copa América

Carlos Miguel acertou sua renovação contratual com o Corinthians no início da temporada, estendendo o vínculo com o Timão até dezembro de 2025. No entanto, o acordo foi assinado quando ele reserva de Cássio, e sua multa é de 5 milhões de euros (cerca de R$ 27,7 milhões), considerada baixa tanto para o mercado nacional quanto internacional.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! Corinthians no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Timão

O Corinthians ainda não procurou Carlos Miguel para tratar de uma valorização salarial e aumentar a multa rescisória do atleta, e o Timão pode ter problemas na próxima janela de transferências, dependendo do desejo do atleta em seguir ou não no clube.

Na temporada passada, Carlos Miguel recebeu sondagens de equipes europeias, mas nenhum clube chegou a apresentar uma proposta oficial ao Corinthians.

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➡️ Veja tabela com datas e horários de todos os jogos do Brasileirão

Contratado em agosto de 2021, Carlos Miguel ganhou sua primeira oportunidade com o técnico Vítor Pereira, mas desde a temporada passada desbancou Matheus Donelli, tornando-se o reserva imediato na meta alvinegra. Com o mau momento de Cássio em 2024, o camisa 22 se firmou como titular no clube.

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Prabhsimran Singh’s 68-ball 102 was backed up by half-centuries from captain Shreyas Iyer and Riyan Parag as India A chased down 317 to clinch the three-match unofficial ODI series against Australia A 2-1 in Kanpur.India A were placed comfortably on 262 for 3 in the 35th over during their chase, but they lost five for 39 to lose grip. Vipraj Nigam and Arshdeep Singh then took them over the line, adding an unbroken 21 for the ninth wicket and helping India A win the decider by two wickets.Prabhsimran had set the tone for the victory by adding 83 for the first wicket with Abhishek Sharma in just 11.2 overs. Abhishek and Tilak Varma fell in quick succession but Prabhsimran continued to bat aggressively. He struck eight fours and seven sixes before falling to legspinner Tanveer Sangha in the 20th over.Iyer and Parag launched from the platform Prabhsimran had set, adding 117 off 92 balls for the fourth wicket. While Iyer hit 62 off 58 balls, his second fifty-plus score in three one-dayers ahead of the Australia tour, Parag smashed 62 off 55.However, Sangha dismissed both batters in successive overs, bringing Australia A back into the game. Sangha proceeded to remove allrounder Nishant Sindhu before Todd Murphy struck twice in two balls, sending back Ayush Badoni and Harshit Rana in the 42nd over. Nigam (24*) and Arshdeep (7*), though, ensured that India A closed out the chase with 24 balls to spare.Earlier, Arshdeep and Rana had Australia A in trouble, reducing them to 44 for 4. While Arshdeep removed openers Mackenzie Harvey and Jake Fraser-McGurk, Rana dismissed Harry Dixon and Lachlan Hearne. Cooper Connolly’s 49-ball 64 then resurrected Australia A’s innings, but the hosts found themselves in trouble again at 135 for 6 in 21 overs.Captain Jack Edwards and Liam Scott then added a 152-run stand off 123 balls for the seventh wicket to take Australia A forward. Some useful runs down the order helped Australia cross 300 before they were bowled out for 316 in 49.1 overs. Arshdeep and Harshit picked up three wickets apiece for India A.

Liverpool star Ibrahima Konate has revealed that he gets calls from compatriot Kylian Mbappe every two hours to sign for Real Madrid. The French defender is into the final year of his contract and from January he will be able to hold pre-contract talks with clubs abroad. The Reds, on the other hand, are determined to offer him a new deal to avoid another situation like Trent Alexander-Arnold.

• Konate's future remains uncertain

  Konate has established himself as a key figure in Liverpool’s starting lineup ever since his move from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig in 2021. The 26-year-old has formed a strong partnership with Virgil van Dijk at the heart of the Reds’ defence and has made 147 appearances for the Premier League giants across all competitions and scored six goals.

  However, speculation remains rife regarding Konate’s future ahead of the January transfer window. The centre-back is into the final year of his current contract and it is up in the air as to whether he will ink fresh terms at Anfield. 

  reported last week that German giants Bayern Munich are tentatively weighing up a move to rival La Liga heavyweights Real Madrid by making a bid for Konate, who is eligible to hold pre-contract talks with clubs outside of England from January 1. Los Blancos, on the other hand, have been long-time admirers of the defender.

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  Agent Mbappe at work for Madrid

  Konate recently revealed that he gets constant phone calls from his France team-mate and captain Mbappe, as the Madrid star is determined to convince the defender to join him at the Spanish capital next summer. Speaking to , Konate said Mbappe "calls me every two hours to sign for Real Madrid."

  Los Blancos are in no hurry when it comes to Konate, as Liverpool have only a few weeks to convince the player and make him sign a new deal before he starts to negotiate new offers. Madrid would want Konate to reject a new contract and then join them in the summer for free, quite similar to the way they landed Alexander-Arnold.

• Liverpool told they won't miss Konate

  Reds legend and pundit Jamie Carragher recently claimed that while he would love to see Konate stay at Anfield, if he leaves for Madrid next summer, the Merseyside club won't miss the centre-back much. He told the : "I’d like him [Konate] to stay but if he doesn’t stay, Liverpool will sign someone else. Liverpool won’t fall apart if Konate leaves. He's not Virgil van Dijk. He's a good centre-back who you hope will sign, but if he doesn’t want to sign, Liverpool will be absolutely fine. He's a very good centre-back, he's a title winner at Liverpool, he's played in the Champions League final against Real Madrid. He's obviously a quality centre-back. It's not poor management [if he goes for free]. You can't physically make somebody sign a contract. Then it's your decision, do you keep him to the length of his contract or do you sell him?"

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  Konate's mixed form amid Liverpool's slump

  Konate has appeared in 16 matches for the Reds across all competitions this term. Despite featuring regularly under Arne Slot, Carragher believes there is still scope for the Frenchman to improve as he added: "It's still only a couple of games. He hasn't had a great start to the season and he needs to show a bit more consistency. 

  "He was fantastic against Real Madrid and he needs to keep that going over the next few months, it can't just be two games on the bounce. There are no secrets [to picking up your form]. It’s about working harder and you become more professional. It’s on your mind constantly that you want to get back into good form and every you think tiny detail will make a difference, whether that’s what you eat, what time you go to sleep, it’s just becoming an ultra-professional on and off the pitch."

Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal and Arsenal star Declan Rice are among the 11 nominees for the FIFA 2025 Puskas Award. The global honour recognising the most breathtaking goal of the year kicked off on Thursday as FIFA revealed the shortlists for both the men’s and women’s prizes. The award, named after Real Madrid icon Ferenc Puskas, recognises the finest goal scored between 11 August 2024 and 2 August 2025, and this year’s competition is stacked with elite talent.

• Yamal’s brilliance and Rice’s rocket steal the spotlight

  Yamal earned his nomination for a stunning left-footed curler against Espanyol. It was a moment of individual brilliance that effectively clinched the league title for Barcelona. Cutting in from the right, he opened his body and sent the ball spinning into the far top corner, a finish dripping with maturity well beyond his teenage years.

  Whereas, Rice stunned the Champions League with one of the most audacious free kicks in recent memory. His nomination came for the second of his two spectacular dead-ball strikes against Real Madrid in the quarter-finals. From a seemingly impossible angle, Rice trusted his capabilities and whipped an outrageous shot into the top corner to give Arsenal a famous 3–0 first-leg win.

  "To score my first free kick in a game is a special one. And then when I got the second one. I just had the confidence. I'm speechless, really," Rice told Amazon Prime after the Real Madrid game in April.

  "When you score a goal, it's the best feeling in the world. It didn't make sense from that angle to cross the ball. It would have to be a delicate pass. And when I saw the wall, it didn't make sense to cross. You know what, I'm happy I took it because it was magic."

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  Who are the nominees of the FIFA Puskas and Marta award?

  FIFA Puskas Award 2025 nominees

  Alerrandro | Vitoria v. Cruzeiro | 19 August 2024

  Alessandro Deiola | Cagliari v. Venezia | 18 May 2025

  Pedro de la Vega | Cruz Azul v. Seattle Sounders | 31 July 2025

  Santiago Montiel | Independiente v. Independiente Rivadavia | 11 May 2025

  Amr Nasser | Al Ahly v. Pharco | 17 April 2025

  Carlos Orrantía | Querétaro v. Atlas | 16 April 2025

  Lucas Ribeiro | Mamelodi Sundowns v. Borussia Dortmund | 21 June 2025

  Declan Rice | Arsenal v. Real Madrid | 8 April 2025

  Rizky Ridho | Persija Jakarta v. Arema | 9 March 2025

  Kévin Rodrigues | Kasımpaşa v. Rizespor | 9 February 2025

  Lamine Yamal | Espanyol v. Barcelona | 15 May 2025

  FIFA Marta Award 2025 Nominees

  Jordyn Bugg | North Carolina Courage v. Seattle Reign | 22 March 2025

  Mariona Caldentey | Olympique Lyonnais v. Arsenal | 27 April 2025

  Ashley Cheatley | Brentford v. Ascot United |3 November 2024

  Kyra Cooney-Cross | Germany v. Australia | 28 October 2024

  Jon Ryong-jong | Korea DPR v. Argentina | 2 September 2024

  Marta | Orlando Pride v. Kansas City Current | 17 November 2024

  Vivianne Miedema | Wales v. Netherlands |5 July 2025

  Kishi Núñez|Argentina v. Costa Rica |8 September 2024

  Lizbeth Ovalle | Tigres v. Guadalajara | 3 March 2025

  Ally Sentnor | USA v. Colombia | 20 February 2025

  Khadija Shaw | Hammarby v. Manchester City | 21 November 2024

• The legacy of greatness: A look back at previous Puskas Winners

  The Puskas Award, introduced in 2009, has become one of the most cherished individual honours in world football. Cristiano Ronaldo’s thunderbolt for Manchester United against Porto in the Champions League remains one of the most astonishing long-range strikes in European history. From nearly 40 yards out, he unleashed a missile into the top corner, and that was the first Puskas winner. 

  In 2011, a 19-year-old Neymar announced himself to the world with a goal that seemed sculpted from a video game. Picking up the ball near the halfway line for Santos, he slalomed past four defenders before putting up a composed finish. And the Puskas Award was almost inevitable.

  The Egyptian King, Mohamed Salah, took home the prize for his solo run against Everton in the Merseyside derby. Salah dribbled inside from the right, held off defenders with brute strength, then bent an unstoppable curler into the far corner. It was a quintessential Salah finish, and the Puskas Award was his in 2018. 

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  Who will decide the Puskas winner?

  Fans can now view all nominated goals on FIFA.com, with voting split 50/50 between supporters and a panel of FIFA Legends. The winners will be crowned at The Best FIFA Football Awards 2025.

The opening match of the Ashes series was one of the shortest Tests in history

Andrew McGlashan27-Nov-20250:38

Finch: You are allowed to leave the ball

The pitch for the two-day Ashes Test at Perth Stadium has been given the highest rating by the ICC.The surface, which produced 19 wickets on the opening day and a result late on the second as Travis Head flayed 123 off 83 balls, was graded as “very good” in the official report from the match referee Ranjan Madugalle.Under the ICC’s four-tier ratings system, “very good” reflects a pitch with “good carry, limited seam movement, and consistent bounce early in the match, allowing for a balanced contest between batters and bowlers”.Related

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At 847 deliveries it was the second-shortest completed Test in Australia and the shortest Ashes Test by balls bowled since 1888.Pace bowling dominated across the first three innings with Mitchell Starc taking 7 for 58, although England had been 160 for 5 before a late collapse before tea on the first day. The visiting attack was then relentless in reducing Australia 123 for 9 at the close with Ben Stokes claiming five.On the second day, England had extended their lead to 105 with nine wickets in hand before Scott Boland cut through the middle order.Set 205, Australia raced to their target inside 29 overs after Head was promoted to open the batting in place of the injured Usman Khawaja. Indications were that the pitch was approaching its best stage for batting, similar to how last season’s Test against India transpired after a clatter of opening-day wickets.England collapsed twice in Perth•Getty Images”This wicket, it kind of gets better I think at the end of day two, it’s probably at its best for the game late this evening … we saw similar last year as well,” captain Steven Smith said.The Perth Test came shortly after another rapidly-moving, low-scoring contest between India and South African in Kolkata which had prompted significant debate over the surface. The rating for that pitch has yet to be made public.The early finish in Perth is expected to cost CA somewhere in the region of AU$3-4 million.”The match referee’s “very good” rating justifies our belief Perth Stadium produced a pitch that provided a fair balance between bat and ball,” James Allsopp, Cricket Australia’s chief of cricket, said. “The dominance of some brilliant pace bowling from both sides and the frenetic nature of the contest meant the match lasted only two days.”This was disappointing for fans holding tickets for days three and four, but we saw some incredible moments which captivated huge viewing audiences and will inspire even more kids to pick up a bat and ball this summer.””As always, we want to ensure pitches across Australia have their own characteristics and we’re looking forward to another enthralling contest under lights at the Gabba starting next Thursday.”There will be much intrigue into the pitch in Brisbane for the day-night Test which starts next Thursday although curator Dave Sandurski is confident it will provide a fair balance.”All indications are there is a bit of heat around,” he told AAP earlier this week. “The wicket will dry out a lot quicker so you’ve got to make sure you keep enough moisture in it to last five days.”We try and make our wickets pretty much the same for four and five-day cricket. The aim is to provide a wicket where all players get a chance to perform their skills so hopefully all facets of the game come into the match.”The Gabba staged a two-day Test against South Africa in 2022-23 when too much grass was left on the surface and was rated “below average” under the ICC’s previous ratings system which earned the venue a demerit point. However, there have been no issues with the pitches for the two Tests that have followed against West Indies and India.The West Indies match in 2023-24 is the only day-night contest Australia have lost while last year’s match against India was spoiled by the weather.

The Yankees will live to play another playoff game thanks to some clutch and perfectly-timed heroics from none other than slugger Aaron Judge, who turned the tides of Tuesday night's elimination contest with a three-run homer that tied things up.

From that point on, the pinstripes came alive to not only take the lead but hold it all the way to the end of the night, finishing with a 9-6 victory sponsored by the momentum Judge injected into his dugout.

Speaking after the fact, manager Aaron Boone shared a meaningful explanation as to why he believes Judge can pull this type of performance out of the team.

"Who he is day in and day out, how he treats you. How he leads this group. He's the real deal," Boone said, asked what makes Aaron's energy so "contagious."

"As beloved a player as I've ever been around by his teammates. They all admire him, look up to him, respect him, want his approval. And that's just a credit to who Aaron is and how he goes about things."

Skill-wise, the competitive advantage of having a player like Judge on your team is hard to overstate. But, to Boone's point, it's obvious that his leadership and energy come in clutch, as well. Heck, even the Yankee Stadium ghosts are fans.

No. 99 might be infamous for his struggles to perform in the postseason, but he put those concerns on hold with Tuesday's win. Now, as New York looks to hold on come Wednesday night, we'll see if both his influence and play can do it again.

Explosive TNPL batter eyes IPL breakthrough with fearless batting and consistency

Deivarayan Muthu16-Aug-2025He has been dominating bowlers, including Varun Chakravarthy and R Ashwin, with his explosive batting over the past two seasons of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL). Apart from opening the batting, he can also keep wicket, which makes him an exciting package, especially in T20 cricket. He has also had a brief stint with Tamil Nadu’s white-ball sides and emerged on the IPL’s radar.Meet Tushar Raheja, who has earned the sobriquet ‘Rocket Raheja’ in the TNPL circles. An aggressive left-hand batter, Raheja has a wide variety of shots in his repertoire. The 24-year-old has always been proficient against pace and in TNPL 2025 he levelled up, disrupting both Varun and Ashwin during Tiruppur Tamizhans’ run to their maiden title. His franchise and state captain R Sai Kishore was so impressed with Raheja’s takedown of spin that he came out publicly and said the wicketkeeper-batter was ready for the IPL.Raheja had attended multiple trials before and during IPL 2025, including a mid-season one, but couldn’t break into the big league. He’s taken feedback and learnings from those trials and has strengthened his case for the upcoming auction with a chart-topping 488 runs in nine innings at an average of 61 and strike rate of 185.55, including 77 in the final against Ashwin’s Dindigul Dragons.”I thought I did well at the Delhi trials and then I was called again during the tournament as well,” Raheja recalls, speaking to ESPNcricinfo. “That was again a good experience and that helped me evolve as well. I was amongst people who got picked in this year’s IPL like Priyansh Arya. After the auction, I tried to compare myself to them in terms of seeing what they are doing right and what I’m not.”Seeing them at trials, going back and seeing their videos and seeing them in the IPL – that gave me a lot of learning. Being amongst Hemang Badani, Rahul Dravid and other Indian cricketers gives you a lot of confidence, which I’ve tried to carry into this season.”Tushar Raheja emerged as the player of the tournament in TNPL 2025•TNPL/TNCARaheja has IPL ambitions, but he doesn’t want to look too far ahead. “I would like to focus on the Syed Mushtaq Ali [tournament], which would take me a step closer,” Raheja says. “I’m trying not to think about it but obviously, it’s human tendency again to start thinking about it. I will be lying if I say I’ve not thought about it.”When he was younger, Raheja admits to being carried away by the “adrenaline rush” but now he’s learnt to control his emotions and thoughts with help from Raymun Roy, a mental conditioning coach, who has also worked with India internationals Washington Sundar and B Sai Sudharsan.”Roy has played a big role in this aspect, where basically you are controlling your heartbeat,” Raheja says. “Like, when you are playing a match or when you are under pressure, what brings a lot of thoughts is your heartbeat and at the time, your mind will be running fast. So, I’ve tried to keep that in check and not have too many thoughts.”We do a lot of quantum breathing exercises off the field and some of these are simple exercises that I can do while batting also. So, even when I’m batting in between balls, there are a lot of small exercises that I do, which help me not think, if that makes sense.”

“From last year or even the year before that, after the powerplay, I was slowing down. Most of the time, it is spinners bowling to you after the powerplay. So, I did a lot of drills against spin, getting my bat swing a lot better against spin and trying to pick length a lot better.”Tushar Raheja

Raheja has also expanded his range, and he credits his personal coach TV Ramkumar for it. While the slog-sweep comes naturally to him, he had to spend more time on hitting straight during the off-season in the lead-up to the TNPL.”What I have put in a lot of work into is hitting straight, hitting over covers and mainly hitting straight,” Raheja says, “because if you are able to hit straight, the other things will come with your bat swing. But the hardest thing to do is hit a bowler, especially a spinner, straight. I’m looking to hit them straight on the ground, over long-off and long-on.Related

• Suryakumar picked in Mumbai squad for Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy

• Hungry and on the move, C Andre Siddarth sets sights on Ranji Trophy glory

• IPL star Priyansh Arya sets sights on Ranji Trophy

• Meet the future stars from India's state T20 leagues

“I’ve been training with Mr. Ramkumar for three years now and I’ve understood my game because of him. I feel from last year, every time after the powerplay or even the year before that, after the powerplay, I was slowing down. So, I tried to put in a lot of thought into how I can keep that momentum going. Most of the time, it’s spinners bowling to you after the powerplay. So, I did a lot of drills against spin, getting my bat swing a lot better against spin and trying to pick length a lot better.”When he was six years old, Raheja had enrolled himself into a tennis academy but switched to cricket after watching MS Dhoni lead India to T20 World Cup glory in 2007. Raheja idolises Dhoni and also has fond memories of watching Matthew Hayden bashing bowlers in the IPL at Chepauk. It may not be too long before Raheja himself breaks into the IPL.”I was always a fan of Dhoni,” Raheja says. “When Matthew Hayden used to play for CSK, I used to go to Chepauk to watch a lot of matches. So, I was fascinated by the way he took down fast bowlers. I was also fascinated by Yuvraj Singh but I’ve always idolised Dhoni mainly.”Tushar Raheja asked coach RX Murali to make him open the batting and since then has transformed himself into an intent machine•TNPL/TNCARaheja didn’t start as an opener at Tiruppur but was promoted to the top after coach RX Murali (also the batting coach of RCB Women) saw a spark in him during a practice game. He has since transformed himself into an intent machine.”I was batting in the middle order in the TNPL for a couple of seasons,” Raheja says. “I used to ask him: ‘Sir, give me a shot at opening’. He then gave me an opportunity and he really liked my attacking intent. He has worked with some of the top cricketers in the country. His inputs have been valuable, and it helps working with someone who has so much T20 experience.”While white-ball cricket is his calling card right now, Raheja doesn’t want to be pigeon-holed as a white-ball specialist. He has dreams of representing Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy after playing eight white-ball games for them last season.With Sai Sudharsan likely to be on India or India A duty during this season, Raheja has a chance to stake his claim for a red-ball slot in the upcoming Buchi Babu tournament, which will kick off on August 18 in Chennai. Raheja and TNCA XI will run into a Mumbai side featuring Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan and Musheer Khan.”I wish to do a lot better in the red-ball format than I’m [doing] right now,” Raheja says. “I am working hard on my red-ball game as well. I don’t want to be just branded as a white-ball only player. I know I have the game for the red-ball format as well.”I have a lot more work to do, which I am working on in that format. But those ambitions are definitely there, and I want to break into the Ranji side as well. But that will come with more performances in the [first division] league and the Buchi Babu, which is coming up. I’m excited to express myself there.”A big domestic season could propel ‘Rocket Raheja’ into Tamil Nadu’s batting core and the IPL.

Two old pros putting on a show in Kolkata or one young gun taking on all comers in Chattogram? Which was better?

ESPNcricinfo staff12-May-2025Update: This poll has ended. The IND-AUS 2001 Kolkata Test moves to the round of 16.The Dravid-Laxman El Clasico – Kolkata, 2001If someone came up with a script for this kind of a match before it unfolded in reality, it would have probably been rejected for being too unrealistic and its factors too exaggerated.A Test hat-trick against the world’s top side at the age of 20. A follow-on enforced. A historic partnership to turn the tables. A record individual score by an Indian. And a thrilling end in front of a near packed stadium to level the series and end Australia’s long-standing winning streak of 16 games.But all of it did transpire. After Harbhajan Singh dented Australia with a hat-trick on the first day, Steve Waugh scored his maiden Test century on Indian soil to lead his team to a strong 445. In reply, India were bundled out for 171 and asked to follow-on.They were then 232 for 4 – still 42 behind – when VVS Laxman was joined by Rahul Dravid and the two of them played out the entire fourth day with strips of towel around their neck to beat the heat, humidity, dehydration and discomfort with regular treatment from the physio in all session breaks. They saw off nine bowlers with two chanceless knocks that were instantly stamped into the game’s history. Laxman’s 281 lasted ten-and-a half-hours, Dravid’s 180, nearly seven and a half. They helped India set Australia a target of 384. The visitors succumbed under pressure on the last day against India’s spinners as Harbhajan finished with a tally of 13 for 196.Mayers turns tables on Test debut – Chattogram, 2021Trailing by 171 runs in the first innings, batting last in Asia against four Bangladesh spinners, chasing nearly 400 when anything over 200 was preposterous, and doing it all with three debutants in the side. An inexperienced West indies batting line-up defied the odds, with debutant Kyle Mayers’ bringing up a double-century, to bat for the last four sessions of the game in a successful pursuit of 395 runs with three wickets still in hand. Mayers unbeaten on 210.The match in Chattogram started and ended well for West Indies but there were many twists and turns in between. Four wickets from Jomel Warrican had reduced Bangladesh to 248 for 6 before Mehidy Hasan Miraz took the hosts to 430 with his maiden Test hundred. Mehidy continued to shine, claiming 4 for 58 to help restrict West Indies to 259 before Mominul Haque led them to 223 for 8 declared not long before tea on the fourth dayBangladesh were the hot favourites having set West Indies a target of 395, more so when the visitors lost their top three – to Mehidy – for 59 runs, including captain Kraigg Brathwaite. Nkrumah Bonner and Mayers came together with the ball turning and bouncing nicely, and Mayers even got a life on 28 before it was stumps. The last day was nothing less than a miracle.Bonner and Mayers hung on for two wicketless sessions in a fourth-wicket partnership of 216. But the match turned again as Bonner and Jermaine Blackwood fell in quick succession. West Indies responded with a counterattack. Mayers was at his striking best in the last hour, scoring 49 of the remaining 61 runs in just 40 balls, and 80 in a century stand with Joshua Da Silva. He struck 20 fours, seven sixes and the winning runs with 15 balls left in the game to become the sixth batter to bring up a double-century on Test debut and pull off the fifth-highest successful chase in Tests.