Continuing a frantic summer transfer window, Manchester United have now reportedly been offered the chance to sign a former Premier League midfielder in a shock swap deal which would involve Antony.
Man Utd on the verge of Mbeumo agreement
After the Premier League fixture release handed them the toughest start on paper, some around Old Trafford may already be dreading Manchester United’s return to domestic action in August. Ruben Amorim is unlikely to be among those, however. The Red Devils boss has instantly been backed by INEOS this summer and after already welcoming Matheus Cunha, he is reportedly closing in on welcoming Bryan Mbeumo.
In an instant, Mbeumo and Cunha should transform Manchester United’s blunt frontline which has featured the struggling Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee in the last 12 months.
Combined last season, Hojlund and Zirkzee managed just seven Premier League goals. Mbeumo alone, meanwhile, reached the 20-goal mark whilst Cunha scored as many as 15 for Wolverhampton Wanderers.
INEOS may not be done there, however. The transfer rumours are still coming thick and fast amid reports that Emiliano Martinez is waiting on Manchester United to make their offer to complete a shock summer move.
The new McTominay: Man Utd moving to sign "one of the best CMs in Serie A"
Manchester United have a player in their sights who could replicate Scott McTominay’s success.
ByEthan Lamb Jun 19, 2025
In similar fashion to Cunha and Mbeumo, Martinez would be an instant upgrade on Andre Onana this summer. The World Cup winner has played a crucial role in Aston Villa’s recent rise under Unai Emery, but could now be set to leave amid their PSR problems.
Signing Martinez is not the only blow that United could hand Aston Villa, though. The Red Devils have also now reportedly been offered the chance to sign a former Villa Park fan favourite this summer.
Man Utd offered Douglas Luiz swap deal
According to Fabrizio Romano, Manchester United have been offered the chance to sign Douglas Luiz in a shock swap deal for want-away winger Antony. Former Juventus director of football Cristiano Guintoli, who has now left his role, reportedly explored the deal in what would have killed two birds with one stone for INEOS this summer.
Now that Guintoli is no longer at the Italian club, the big question will be whether Juventus are still keen to take a look at such a deal. There’s no denying that Luiz desperately needs a fresh start following a tough first year in Turin, as is the case with Antony at Manchester United, which means that the deal should certainly still make sense for all parties.
Douglas Luiz in action for Juventus.
Whilst Antony enjoyed quite the revival at Real Betis, the Brazilian remains a player who is likely for the exit door at Old Trafford and United should take full advantage of his rejuvenated form to either cash in or sign Luiz.
It wasn’t so long ago that the Aston Villa sporting director, Monchi, was praising Luiz as a “strong player” and even after a tough year at Juventus, the midfielder remains a player who would improve Manchester United’s midfield.
Ruben Amorim declared on the Old Trafford turf, following the final day victory over Aston Villa, that the “good days are coming” for Manchester United – a statement that appeared fanciful considering the club’s 15th place Premier League finish and Europa League final heartbreak.
The Portuguese coach has talked the talk during a turbulent first six months in Manchester, but can he actually walk the walk?
What is clear is that the 40-year-old is in dire need of reinforcements if he is to make a success of it at the club, with that fact having seemingly sparked a hectic and exciting start to the window for the Red Devils.
Much to the fury of rival supporters, United have already poached Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers, with Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo looking set to follow – two moves that have heightened hope regarding those future ‘good days’.
If a drastic improvement is to be made next season and beyond, however, those deals must surely be the tip of the iceberg. This is the time to rip it up and start again, following a wretched decade of recruitment.
Manchester United co owner JimRatcliffewith technical director Jason Wilcox
With that in mind, here’s a look at how Amorim’s starting lineup could potentially look next season, if all goes to plan on the transfer front for newly crowned director of football, Jason Wilcox…
1 GK – Vanja Milinkovic-Savic
Whether Andre Onana could have done better or not to keep out Brennan Johnson’s deflected effort in Bilbao could be debated long into the night. What is evident is that United reached the showpiece in spite of the Cameroon stopper, not because of him.
Indeed, the 29-year-old – who has been touted for a departure this summer – made five errors leading to a goal in the Premier League and Europa League in total, having hardly inspired any confidence at all since his £47.2m switch from Inter in 2023.
Enter, Vanja Milinkovic-Savic. Once on the books at United as a teenager, before swiftly departing after failing to earn a work permit, the 6 foot 6 Serbian has been heavily linked with a return to Old Trafford. With just a year left on his deal at Torino, reports have suggested he could cost just €20m (£17m).
The 28-year-old conceded just 42 goals in 37 Serie A games last season, while ranking in the top 7% of goalkeepers in Europe’s top five leagues for save percentage. Sign him up.
2 RCB – Leny Yoro
After an injury-hit start to life in England, Leny Yoro truly came into his own in the final months of the season, notably scoring his first goal for the club away in Lyon.
Still only 19 and with a penchant for surging forward from deep, a player Rio Ferdinand dubbed “the best in the world” at that age could well kick on again next term as a mainstay of the backline.
3 CB – Harry Maguire
Stripped of the captaincy by Erik ten Hag in 2023, amid talk of a move to West Ham United, the subsequent redemption arc of Harry Maguire has been a joy to behold – a moment epitomised by his last-gasp winner at home to Lyon.
Described as “perfect” for a back three by Amorim, the 32-year-old – who will soon enter the last year of his contract – deserves to be a consistent figure in the backline once again.
Fitness permitting, of course.
4 LCB – Lisandro Martinez
Speaking of fitness, while Lisandro Martinez remains sidelined with an ACL injury, the World Cup winner is surely a shoo-in to start at left centre-back, having begun to come into his own in 2025, before his cruel setback.
The scorer of crucial goals away to Fulham and Liverpool, the 27-year-old is a ball-playing warrior when fit and firing.
Ayden Heaven may be the long-term solution, although Martinez surely has to start when back in contention again.
5 RWB – Amad
Amad Diallo
Is he a wing-back or a number ten? That much remains to be seen, although if the evolution of Amorim’s 3-4-3 set-up is to occur, a more attack-minded presence, like Amad, is needed in at least one of those wide berths.
The diminutive livewire ranked alongside Bruno Fernandes as the shining light of 2024/25, having ended with 21 goals and assists in all competitions.
Manager
Games
Goals
Assists
Erik ten Hag
24
3
3
Ruben Amorim
27
8
8
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
8
1
1
Ruud van Nistelrooy
4
2
1
Ralf Rangnick
1
0
0
Michael Carrick
0
0
0
Total
64
14
12
Tied down to a contract until 2030, the 22-year-old could be the face of a new era in Manchester – not least with friend and teammate, Alejandro Garnacho, looking set for an exit.
6 CM – Bruno Fernandes (C)
The heart and soul of Manchester United, talismanic skipper Bruno Fernandes has shunned the Saudi riches to stay put next season, having rounded off last term by sweeping the club’s end-of-season awards. And rightly so.
While there is a curiosity over just what this team would look like without him – as well as his actual suitability for a starting berth in this system – the Portugal star simply has to remain the centrepiece of the side.
As Amorim admitted earlier this year, he is “one of the best players in the world”. You don’t find those so easily…
7 CM – Douglas Luiz
Douglas Luiz for Juventus.
The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell has noted that United are seeking an ‘athletic number eight’ this summer. Douglas Luiz – who was linked with a move last month – certainly fits the bill.
A player of proven Premier League quality – having even been hailed as “better than [Declan] Rice” in some quarters – the former Aston Villa man needs rescuing from his Juventus hell, having started just six games last term following his £42m switch last summer.
While it has not been made clear how much the Brazilian would be available for, perhaps an astute loan offer could be in order, as Wilcox and co still seek to comply with PSR restrictions.
8 LWB – Pervis Estupinan
The Red Devils did already prise Patrick Dorgu from Lecce in January, yet at just 20 years old, the Dane is far from the finished article, having notably looked ‘out of his depth’ in the 1-0 loss to Spurs – according to journalist Samuel Luckhurst.
In Brighton’s Pervis Estupinan, United could then find a perfect upgrade in that wing-back role amid links to the 27-year-old, a player whom Fabian Hurzeler has hailed as “one of the best left-backs in the Premier League”.
The need for players of top-flight quality is evident, with the £38m-rated Seagulls defender another who fits the bill.
9 RAM – Bryan Mbeumo
Brentford's BryanMbeumolooks dejected after the match
Speaking of Premier League quality, what a signing it would be if Mbeumo does make his way to Manchester, with the Cameroon international seemingly preferring a move to Old Trafford, despite interest from Champions League sides Arsenal, Newcastle and Spurs.
Fresh off the back of scoring 20 league goals for Brentford, the 25-year-old would surely enhance Amorim’s floundering forward line, with no United player even reaching double figures for goals in the top-flight last season.
While negotiations continue over a potential fee for the versatile winger, if a deal is to be agreed, it would be yet another statement one for the INEOS regime.
10 LAM – Matheus Cunha
Wolverhampton Wanderers' MatheusCunhacelebrates after Rodrigo Gomes scores
Speaking of statements, already in the door is the aforementioned Cunha, with the Brazilian – like the man above – seemingly unperturbed by United’s lack of European football next season.
With 15 league goals of his own in 2024/25 – having scored 12 the previous campaign – the 26-year-old is another proven, albeit maverick talent who could re-energise Amorim’s attack, with echoes of a certain Eric Cantona already emerging.
Much work would need to be done to reach those heights, of course, yet this deal should hopefully prove to be another transformational one.
In what would be one of the most interesting moves of the summer, Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly battling clubs in Saudi Arabia to sign a new winger who was once worth over £70m.
Wolves likely to have Cunha fee to spend
In Vitor Pereira’s first summer in charge, it seems likely that he will have the chance to welcome a number of arrivals or, at the very least, a couple of star names to replace Matheus Cunha. The Brazilian forward reportedly has a release clause worth around £63m in his current deal and has attracted the likes of Manchester United as a result.
If triggered, Wolves will receive that hefty fee before potentially turning towards the transfer market themselves. To that end, a number of names who could arrive to ease the Cunha blow have already been mentioned in recent weeks, from the likes of Samuel Lino all the way to Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott.
Pereira is certainly well aware of the quality that he’ll need to replace if Cunha does depart this summer, having told reporters after the Brazilian’s decisive display in a victory over Leicester City: “He is a special player.
“When he feels the happiness inside, when he is himself, he can create. He played a fantastic game. It shows he is committed with us, with his team-mates, with everyone.”
Wolves want "incredible" 25 y/o Atletico Madrid star who may replace Cunha
The Brazilian forward could depart this summer.
ByTom Cunningham May 4, 2025
Alas, no matter how special Cunha is, Wolves are likely to have the task of finding the heir to his Molineux throne this summer. Just who that might be remains to be seen, but that hasn’t stopped a fresh option from threatening to steal the headlines as of late.
Wolves join race to sign "great" Nicolas Pepe
According to FootMercato, Wolves are now battling clubs in Saudi Arabia to sign Nicolas Pepe from Villarreal this summer. The former Arsenal winger has shown glimpses of his quality during his time in Spain and could now find himself on his way back to the Premier League in a shock move this summer. Once worth a reported £72m when he joined the Gunners, Wolves may well land what would once be considered a bargain deal in the coming months.
That said, if Pepe is to replace Cunha, then Wolves must consider the risks. With two goals and four assists in all competitions in Spain this season, the winger still struggles for output just as he did in Arsenal colours. And that’s something which is unlikely to undergo a dramatic improvement at the age of 29 years old.
A player who skipped past Virgil van Dijk on his Arsenal debut at a time when doing exactly that was a task deemed almost impossible and a player once praised as “great” by manager Mikel Arteta, Pepe’s return to the Premier League would certainly be interesting to watch.
Chris Sutton admits he is “not sure what has happened” to an “excellent” Celtic player, following the weekend defeat away to St Johnstone.
Celtic suffer disappointing Scottish Premiership loss
Brendan Rodgers’ side produced a strangely below-par display on Sunday afternoon, losing 1-0 away to their bottom-of-the-table counterparts, in a result that few saw coming. The manager himself was livid at what he saw, sharing his unhappy comments after the game and making it clear his players had been read the riot act.
“There’s definitely anger. I’m trying to control it. And listen, I look at my own self first and foremost. I’m proud of my career and how I teach players and how I inspire them and how I motivate them. Am I doing the very best job I possibly can to inspire these and motivate these to get over the line? So that’s my first look.
“But I just think there’s a comfort there I don’t like. And it doesn’t matter if you’re 13 points or three points ahead. It’s not enough. We have to be much better than where we were in our ambition in the game.”
Rodgers sets high standards at Celtic and it is good to see him lambast his players, rather than go easy on them because of the state of the Scottish Premiership title race. The Hoops may be 13 points clear of Rangers, but it is clear that the 52-year-old is taking nothing for granted, not enjoying seeing his players perform with complacency.
Sutton bemused by "excellent" Celtic player's form
Taking to X after Celtic’s loss to St Johnstone, Sutton gave an assessment of the form of winger Nicolas Kuhn, among others, admitting he doesn’t know what has happened to him.
Sutton has every right to question the form of Kuhn, who made such a bright start to life at Parkhead, being lauded by Rodgers upon his arrival: “We believe he is a dynamic player who has an excellent level of quality and all the attributes to fit well into our style of play He has the profile we are looking for, he has a real attacking intent, a player with great pace and ideas, the ability to create and score goals and a player with a great energy and work ethic.”
Worse than Kuhn: Celtic must axe star who lost the ball every 4 touches
Celtic slipped to a shock defeat to bottom side St Johnstone on Sunday afternoon
ByRobbie Walls Apr 6, 2025
The German, thought to be on around £12,000 a week at Parkhead, has only scored twice since early January though, coming in 14 appearances, with a couple of assists also coming his way in that time. A long campaign may simply have caught up with him, but it is clear that he isn’t the force he was.
England lost the ODIs in New Zealand 3-0 but are already looking to the Ashes. Alan Gardner hears Andrew McGlashan and Vish Ehantharajah, while TNT commentators Alastair Eykyn and Rob Hatch also join the pod
ESPNcricinfo staff04-Nov-2025England’s dismal year in ODI cricket concluded with a 3-0 whitewashing at the hands of New Zealand, with very few positives for the batters as they move on to Australia ahead of the Ashes. On the pod, Alan Gardner was joined by Andrew McGlashan and Vish Ehantharajah to discuss the latest news on both sides. We also hear from TNT Sports commentators Alastair Eykyn and Rob Hatch as they prepare to lead the UK TV broadcast of the series.
How will the new allowance of two bouncers per over play out in the IPL? We asked two leading fast bowlers for their take
Nagraj Gollapudi20-Mar-2024Alongside the yorker, the type of delivery that has the potential and power to surprise and literally floor the batter is the bouncer.While the fast, climbing bouncer – like this Jasprit Bumrah rocket – can force a top- or leading edge while sending batters ducking and weaving out of harm’s way, the slower variety can equally, but in different ways, lead to a dot ball or a wicket.Though the power of the bouncer is potent in all cricket, in T20s bowlers have been allowed just one per over. That is going to change in the IPL from this season: the league has decided to allow bowlers two bouncers an over instead of the one that is the norm in T20 elsewhere, including in international T20 cricket.What impact will that have on bowling plans, and on batters?”It is a huge, huge advantage,” Harshal Patel, who will turn up for Punjab Kings this IPL, says. “The biggest advantage is, you can bowl them at any point in an over – as opposed to [having to think of] when is the best, when we had just one bouncer an over.”You can now go really hard early on: bowl a bouncer very first ball or second ball, then bowl a couple of length deliveries, then go defensive and close off the over. The more options you have, the better as a bowler.”I can package my over better now.”Related
How soon will we need to reconsider how essential bouncers are to cricket? (2021)
Carnage and fun – the madness at the death in T20 cricket
Harshal Patel: 'There's nothing wrong in bowling 24 slower balls in a T20 spell'
Death becomes him (2018)
IPL to allow two bouncers per over
More options for bowlers to sequence their overs
Generally in T20s, bowlers are known to follow a bouncer with a yorker. That is likely to change under the new allowance, according to former South Africa, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore fast bowler Dale Steyn. Steyn was bowling coach at Sunrisers for the last two seasons (he opted out this year for personal reasons).”A bouncer and a yorker go hand in a hand,” he says. “If you get [the one] bouncer out of the way too early in the over, the next ball which immediately comes to your mind is the yorker, because now the batter knows you can’t bowl a length ball and he is not expecting anything short. Everything is now going to be in his half.”I know a lot of [batters] fear the yorker a little bit. But if you are bowling yorkers to batters like [MS] Dhoni, [Jos] Buttler, Surya [Yadav], they are able to access parts of the field where there is no fielder.”Against a bouncer, Steyn points out there are only limited pockets in a field the batter can hit to usually, as opposed to a yorker.”If you are bowling a yorker, the ball can go anywhere. If you don’t execute it well, Dhoni hits you for a six over long-on. You can bowl a perfect yorker and you can still get hit for a boundary over fine leg. Whereas with a bouncer, setting the field is much easier to control: you know the shot is potentially going to third man, deep square, fine leg. There are not many guys who can hit a bouncer over long-off or long-on – the percentages of that happening are extremely low.”Steyn agrees with Harshal that bowlers now have more options when planning an over.”Now, instead of being under pressure to bowl multiple perfect yorkers, [or thinking] ‘Do I bowl a wide or straight yorker?’ you can walk back to the mark calmly and follow the first bouncer with even a back-of-a-length ball, which offers all three types of dismissal. You can keep the batter guessing about when the second bouncer is coming. Now? Or is it going to be another length ball?Harshal Patel favours the slower bouncer, forcing the batter to generate the power to clear the outfield•Saikat Das/BCCI”The two bouncers allows the fields to be kept simpler, the bowler’s mind less clouded, which overall means his execution could be better.”Two bouncers: a weapon for attack or defence?
Harshal, the top wicket-taker in the 2021 IPL, fetched the highest bid for an Indian player at the auction ahead of the upcoming IPL season, when Punjab bought him for Rs 11.75 crore (US$1.41 million approximately). Over the years he has largely been used in the final ten-over segment, where his variety of slower balls, including a slower bouncer, have posed difficult questions for batters.”[The bouncer] can be both [attacking and defensive] depending on what lines you bowl or what pace you deliver at. If you want to go slower into the pitch, sort of wide-ish outside the off stump, then it can be a very good defensive option against batters who generally tend to drag to the leg side.”It can be also be an attacking option depending on whether you have the fine leg and square leg back and you bowl at the batter’s head and force them to hook you or hit you over the boundary. In a T20 environment very few batters will try to keep it down and try to hit the gaps, most will try and hook you over the line. So that always allows you to force an error.”While the fast bouncer has shock appeal, the slower variety that Harshal relies on can be a nearly equal threat. He talks about the Eliminator in the 2022 season between Royal Challengers Bangalore [his previous IPL franchise] and Lucknow Super Giants, where slow offcutters dug into the pitch were his stock delivery and fetched him Marcus Stoinis’ wicket at a crucial time in Super Giants’ chase.”Eden is a small ground, so I bowled wide slower bouncers to most of the specialist batters, including KL Rahul, Marcus Stoinis, Deepak Hooda. I had great success. [The other bowlers] were going ten an over while I was closing my overs for six or seven runs an over.”It’s important to pick the kind of batter to bowl bouncers to, Steyn says. “It’s about making sure the bowler doesn’t overdo the bouncer to guys who are able to take it on”•BCCIWhen and against whom will the two-bouncer rule be most effective?
Steyn believes bowlers will be best off using the new allowance mostly after the powerplay.”Maybe after at least the first four overs. Because with only two fielders out in the powerplay, you have less chance of setting the field. You are also trying to utilise that new ball – trying to swing it, use the hard seam better. So one bouncer is really good in the powerplay to keep the batter guessing. A second bouncer might mean, if he gets any bat [on it], it could fly into the vacant area. Outside of field restrictions, though, you have a different game plan, you have more fielders to play with.”Steyn would like to see bowlers target attacking batters more.”Anybody who is a power player. “[As a coach] you tend to tell bowlers, ‘Guys, stay out of their strike zone.’ Let’s see them pull the ball, as opposed to put their front foot down the track and bully you back over long-on or long-off.”Those kinds of batters knew they didn’t need to pull or hook, and [they could] just duck the [one] bouncer previously. They could catch up with consecutive sixes to counter that one dot ball. But now two dot balls… it’s a different story.”For Harshal, it is about attacking the new batter straight away.”You need to be very good with line: you want to be somewhere around the left ear or left shoulder, because that is the blind spot and batters don’t have control. Because when you try to hook and when the ball rushes on to you or comes a little slower, you end up gloving.”To his point about testing batters with the short ball, Steyn adds a caveat. “If you are bowling to Mitchell Marsh on a flat track in Delhi, the pace-on bouncer might not be the best option. Marsh grew up in Western Australia. I remember specifically a game in Delhi last year where Umran [Malik] tried doing that against Marsh and he didn’t do it high enough and Marsh dominated him. But if he is bowling against somebody else who doesn’t play the pull well, then I will suggest Umran bowl the bouncer more than once.The new rule should encourage bowlers to think more about how to place their fielders, Steyn says. Someone like Jasprit Bumrah can even fool batters by bowling a yorker after setting the field for a bouncer•Vipin Pawar/BCCI”If you are rushing a guy around nipple height and he is not looking to take on the pull, then you can get away with a full over by having the long-on and long-off up. It’s really about making sure the bowler doesn’t overdo the bouncer to the wrong batter – guys who are able to take it on.”Two bouncers, more thought about fields
Bowlers need to think about field placements themselves, Steyn says.”It’s going to be a more challenging field when you are going to force the batter to play more straight shots instead of just standing there and hacking. I want to see bowlers start thinking more as opposed to walking to the top of the mark and the captain telling them, ‘This your field’ and [the bowler goes] ‘All right.’ Over years and years of that they just stick to stock standard field settings. You see guys scoring 360 degrees around the park. We need a little bit more thinking. This [new rule] will allow them to tinker with their thinking now.”An example of a smart bowler of this sort, Steyn says, is an India and Mumbai Indians player who can bluff batters on any pitch across formats.”If you are a [Jasprit] Bumrah, who delivers an extremely good yorker, he can even bluff by going yorker and knocking your poles off while retaining a field for the bouncer.”Steyn thinks the two-bouncer rule will not impact totals in games drastically. “You are still going to see teams scoring 180, 190, 200. It’s not like teams are going to get all out for 120.”It’s going to be quite interesting how batters handle the bouncers. We are going to start to see a difference between how good some batters are versus how lucky some other batters sometimes get, where when they come in, they know that they are only going to get balls bowled in a particular area and they can score 30 off 20. We are going to see less of that.”In Test cricket a bowler has plenty of deliveries to set up a batter – a luxury not available in T20. Steyn believes the two-bouncers rule will change that.”You probably got two balls in T20s to work a batter over previously. Now you could potentially get three to four balls.”
They are backing established Indian domestic players like Mahipal Lomror and Siddarth Kaul to add heft to their international stars
Shashank Kishore22-Mar-2022Where they finished in 2021RCB finished third in the league phase, before losing to a resurgent Kolkata Knight Riders in the Eliminator. It was RCB’s second straight playoffs finish.Potential first XI1 Faf du Plessis, 2 Anuj Rawat, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Mahipal Lomror, 6 Dinesh Karthik, 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Harshal Patel, 9 Shahbaz Ahmed/Karn Sharma, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Josh HazlewoodRelated
Kohli: RCB working towards the 'vision' set by du Plessis
Kings boast batting muscle but bowling lacks experience
Death bowling could be a worry for Rajasthan Royals
Middle order a worry but Rashid leads potent Titans attack
Depth, variety give Lucknow Super Giants formidable first XI
Player availabilityThe newly wed Glenn Maxwell will miss at least the first two games, while Josh Hazlewood is set to miss the first three matches due to Australia commitments. RCB can choose between the firepower of Finn Allen or Sherfane Rutherford to plug the Maxwell void.Allen offers them big-hitting ability at the top of the order. He has a T20 strike rate of 175.65 across 51 matches. Rutherford, meanwhile, can be used as a finisher, a role he played, albeit sparingly, for Delhi Capitals three years ago. He has a decent body of work in T20 cricket lately, being a key player in the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots team that was crowned CPL 2021 champions. He was their second-highest run-getter with 262 runs at a strike rate of 127.18.BattingFor a long time now, RCB have tended to be top heavy. Season after season, they try to plug gaps, but the more they’ve tried to change, the more they’ve remained the same. Last year, they looked to plug the middle-order gap with Rajat Patidar and KS Bharat. This time around, they will need Mahipal Lomror and Suyash Prabhudessai – both established domestic names now – to fire and take the pressure off Maxwell and Dinesh Karthik.At the top, they don’t have the calming presence of Devdutt Parikkal anymore. But in Anuj Rawat, all of two games old in the IPL, they have a player with potential. Can he translate that into performance? RCB appear to be keen on giving him a long rope as an opener alongside du Plessis, with a freed-up Kohli set to bat at three.Anuj Rawat, who has played for Rajasthan Royals previously, albeit without much game time, is likely to open for Royal Challengers Bangalore this season•BCCI/IPLBowlingMohammed Siraj, one of RCB’s three retentions ahead of the auction, will have the new-ball responsibilities and Harshal Patel, among their costliest auction picks, will be their death-overs weapon. Harshal’s career graph has skyrocketed following a record-equalling 32 wickets in IPL 2021.In the spin department, Yuzvendra Chahal’s void will be filled by Wanindu Hasaranga, who also offers some lower-order batting depth in addition to his deceptive legspin. Karn Sharma is an able back-up for Hasaranga should they need a local option for the sake of team balance.Incidentally, Karn was first signed by RCB in 2009 as a rookie pick outside the auction. Since then, he’s been part of IPL title-winning campaigns with Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings.Shahbaz Ahmed also offers them all-round depth and the ability to be a floater in the batting line-up. In Siddarth Kaul and CV Milind, they have experienced local Indian pace reinforcements. Both Kaul and Milind have been consistent performers for Punjab and Hyderabad in domestic cricket for a long time now.Young players to watch out forKeeper-batter Anuj Rawat’s formative years in Delhi clashed with those of Rishabh Pant, who has gone on to establish himself as India’s No. 1 keeper across formats. Two truncated domestic seasons haven’t helped, and Rawat is trying to make up for lost time. Still only 22, Rawat is an exciting top-order stroke-maker who has been backed to open. He’s been a part of the IPL for three seasons with Rajasthan Royals, without much game time. This could be the opening he was looking for.Nicknamed “Junior Gayle” by Chandrakant Pandit, the renowned domestic coach, Mahipal Lomror used to toy with age-group attacks in Rajasthan along with his best friend Rishabh Pant. After the Under-19 World Cup in 2016, where both featured an India line-up that finished runners-up, their paths diverged. While Pant soon graduated to play for India, Lomror has had to go back to the drawing board in domestic cricket. After years of being in the fringes and a middle-order back-up at Royals, Lomror has an opportunity to step it up.Coaching staffMike Hesson (director of cricket), Sanjay Bangar (head coach), Sridharan Sriram (batting and spin coach), Adam Griffiths (bowling coach), Malolan Rangarajan (fielding coach)Poll question
The Mariners were nine outs away from defeating the Blue Jays on Monday. Nine outs away from winning the American League pennant. In their first trip back to the AL championship series since 2001, they were just nine outs away from clinching a berth to the World Series for the first time in the franchise's 49-year history. They were on the precipice of making dreams come true for millions across the Pacific Northwest, but instead, they induced a nightmare.
The Mariners took a 3–1 lead in Game 7 of the ALCS after solo home runs from Julio RodrÃguez and Cal Raleigh and holding the Blue Jays to just one run through six innings. To their misfortunes, they weren't able to keep Toronto down any longer.
George Springer hit a three-run home run for the Blue Jays in the seventh inning, giving them a 4–3 lead. They held the Mariners without another run, with reliever Jeff Hoffman striking out all three Mariners' batters in the ninth inning to secure the win. Seattle was left to fly home from Toronto heartbroken, as their franchise remains the only one in MLB that has never made the World Series.
The Mariners had their chances. Outside of Game 7, they took a 2–0 lead over the Blue Jays to start this series, winning the first two games at Rogers Centre, but couldn't hold on. They dropped four of the last five games of the series, allowing Toronto the opportunity to return to the World Series for the first time in over 30 years.
Despite the crushing defeat, Mariners manager Dan Wilson doesn't want this loss to overshadow their storybook season. Wilson said his message to his team after the game was, "Just to hold up their heads. To understand what kind of a season they had. I know this stinks, there's no question this is gonna sting. The kind of season they had, doing things no team in this organization has done, knocking on the door of a World Series, all that, it's due to how hard they've worked, how hard they've played all season long. All the times they've come back, all the times they've bounced back. It's a special team in there, it's a shame we had to come out on the wrong side of this one."
It definitely was a special season for the Mariners, but rather than finally breaking through and making the World Series, it will simply be another that's remembered for falling short.
It's been a rough season for the Pittsburgh Pirates, who haven't been able to capitalize on Paul Skenes's lights-out pitching and jumped out to a 32-50 start. But over the course of their last four games they have suddenly flipped the switch and turned into a wagon. On Monday night they crushed the St. Louis Cardinals, 7-0, as Andrew Heaney flirted with a no-hitter.
It was the fourth consecutive contest that the Bucs have won by at least seven runs, an accomplishment the franchise has not enjoyed since the 1925 club got hot. The Pirates began their hot play by cruising past the New York Mets by scores of 9-1, 9-2 and 12-1.
The exceptional play has improved their run differential from -70 to -35 and been a major bright spot in a season that hasn't seen many on display.
For some context on just how rare it is for a team to dominate like this, even for a short period, the only two teams in baseball history to win four straight by 7-plus runs while allowing two or fewer runs in each victory are the 1911 Pirates and 1882 White Stockings. And any time you're harkening back to the time of Chester A. Arthur, you're doing something pretty special.
Hope and Powell led West Indies’ batting turnaround before the bowlers put in a comprehensive display
Mohammad Isam27-Oct-2025West Indies captain Shai Hope led a batting turnaround that helped his side win by 16 runs against Bangladesh in the first T20I in Chattogram. Hope and Rovman Powell, playing his 100th T20I, put together a late burst of sixes to help the visitors to 165 for 3. In reply, Bangladesh crashed to 42 for 4 in the powerplay, and were bowled out for 149.Jason Holder and Jayden Seales took three wickets each, while Akeal Hosein picked up two in the powerplay.It was, however, Hope and Powell’s unbroken 83-run stand for the fourth wicket that set up victory. Hope scored an unbeaten 46 off 28 balls with a four and four sixes. Powell had similar numbers, facing 28 balls, hitting four sixes and a four, and ending up unbeaten on 44.Nasum keeps WI quietBangladesh began well with the ball. They rallied around Nasum Ahmed’s four overs. He went wicketless but the left-arm spinner kept West Indies quiet, conceding just 15 runs in his quota. Openers Brandon King and Alick Athanaze only hit a six each though they stuck around for 8.2 overs. Rishad Hossain bowled Athanaze for 34, when the batter missed a reverse sweep. Taskin Ahmed then removed King, caught at deep square leg for 33.Taskin followed up with the wicket of Sherfane Rutherford, whose Bangladesh ordeal continued. This time, he fell first ball, caught behind. Although Hope struck couple of sixes at this stage, West Indies couldn’t quite push the scoring rate. Nasum finished off his spell with another stingy over, the 15th.Hope, Powell roar in the endHope then went after Rishad with two sixes, but with three over remaining, the visitors looked well short of a decent total. Hope cracked a Taskin half-volley for his fourth six to start the 18th over. Powell, meanwhile, finally middled one with seven balls remaining in the innings.Rovman Powell helped revive West Indies’ innings•AFP/Getty ImagesHe slog-swept Mustafizur Rahman for a 102m six, before creaming Tanzim Hasan for three consecutive sixes in the last over. He hammered Tanzim’s full-toss, before going straight for the next two. West Indies picked up 51 runs in the last three overs, changing the complexion of the contest.Bangladesh crash in the powerplayBangladesh came out all guns blazing in their pursuit of 166 runs. Tanzid Hasan was going at a shot-a-ball but he lasted just five balls, with Romario Shepherd taking a stunning catch running back from mid-on. Litton Das then played a soft shot as Akeal Hosein got the ball to stop on the Bangladesh captain. Caught in two minds, Litton popped back a return catch, with Hosein taking it blind behind the non-striker standing next to him.Hosein then had Saif Hassan caught at short fine leg in the next over, attempting a sweep. When Holder removed Shamim Hossain in the fifth over – clipping off his off-bail – West Indies had made significant progress, with Bangladesh’s last pair of specialist batters at the crease by the end of the powerplay.Tanzim, Nasum make late effortThe hosts continued to slide when Khary Pierre bowled Nurul Hasan off the inside edge in the ninth over. Towhid Hridoy joined the procession when he fell to Seales in the 12th over. He struck just two fours in his 28 off 25 balls.Tanzim Hasan then struck a six and three fours in his 33 off 27 balls, to keep Bangladesh’s hopes alive. He added 40 runs for the seventh wicket with Nasum, before Holder had him caught at deep point in the 16th over. Nasum kept the fire burning with another boundary, but Seales made him his third wicket in the following over.Holder then snuffed out the threat of Rishad, who miscued one to long-off. The innings ended when Taskin stepped on the stumps in the final over, having sent Holder sailing out of the ground in the 18th.