Even amid a lean run of scores he has continued to take the positive option and it paid dividends against CSK

Vishal Dikshit21-Apr-20251:35

‘Once Rohit gets going, no one can stop him’

When Mahela Jayawardene and Kieron Pollard sauntered out to the middle in the strategic first time out of Mumbai Indians’ (MI) chase of 177 against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), their team was comfortably poised on 88 for 1 after nine overs. The asking rate was within their grasp, enough wickets were in hand, and they were on their way to a third win on the bounce, which reflected in the duo’s body language and beaming smiles.But the big grins were not only for the imminent win. It was partly because Rohit Sharma was among the runs. A batter in his 18th IPL season, averaging under 14 at the halfway stage, struggling to get past 20, and often falling to soft dismissals when the batters around him had started to do what their roles asked of them.The noise around Rohit had started to get louder, and he acknowledged after the nine-wicket win that the lack of runs had made it “very easy to start doubting yourself, start getting worried, and start doing different things”. Desperate times call for desperate measures, as the cliché goes, and Rohit could have taken that route. But he didn’t.Related

• Problems aplenty for SRH as rampant Mumbai come to town

• Rohit, Suryakumar fifties seal NRR-boosting win for MI

• Dhoni: 'Important to get the right combination for next year'

He chose to stick with his approach of trying to give his team rapid starts, and not letting their run rate suffer by taking his time to get out of the rut, whether batting first or chasing below-par totals against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and CSK. And he had the backing of his support staff because they took confidence from his approach and strike rate of over 143 before Sunday, even if he was not getting the big scores.As much as Rohit would have rued his mode of dismissal against SRH – he middled a full toss to cover – he did score 26 off 15 balls with three sixes (and no fours). He was not abandoning the high-risk approach.Against CSK, too, he started his boundary hitting with towering sixes off Jamie Overton and Khaleel Ahmed, the second of which was not as easy to middle as the first. Rohit would have known he didn’t have a great match-up against Khaleel in the IPL: 28 runs (without a six) off 43 balls before Sunday with three dismissals. He still chose to flick the left-armer’s offcutter on the stumps and send it flying behind square, before getting a half-volley and some room later in the over for two fours that took MI’s scoring rate over 10. By the time Rohit got to his half-century off 33 balls, he had smashed two more sixes, while having just those two fours to his name.”For me, it was important that I keep doing what I am doing, which is practise well, hit the ball well, which is what I’ve been trying to do,” Rohit said after being named the Player of the Match. “And when you back yourself and you’re clear in your mind, things like this can happen. I know it’s been a little while but, like I said, if you start doubting yourself, you’re only going to put pressure on yourself and actually the experience of being here for such a long time helps.”

“Once he comes off like that, you know that he’s going to change the game, the momentum, and that’s going to filter down to the rest of the boys as well. So pretty happy how he never changes [his] approach, that was there from day one even though he was failing”Mahela Jayawardene on Rohit Sharma

Jayawardene and Pollard, meanwhile, knew they didn’t need to have long conversations with Rohit or make him sweat it out in the nets. Rohit didn’t even bat in training on Saturday or the day before their SRH fixture. “You leave them be,” Jayawardene said after Sunday’s game about handling such situations with experienced players. And when you must talk, you only stick to the “positive conversations”.”[You] say that let’s do the match-ups and then see how he gets going and keep the positive intent,” Jayawardene said in the press conference after the game. “He knew what he needs to do and [it’s] just a tiny thing that he gets going and then gets through the first three-four overs… even after starts he had a couple of shots which probably just mistimed a little bit. But that’s how the game goes, so you need to be understanding, and we have played enough cricket to know that as well.”Once he comes off like that, you know that he’s going to change the game, the momentum, and that’s going to filter down to the rest of the boys as well. So pretty happy how he never changes [his] approach, that was there from day one even though he was failing. So that was good for us that he was trying to play for the team and how we wanted to do it and we just back him to do that.”He’s been playing this tempo for a while and that’s something that he understands himself, but at the same time, he will understand the game better in situational awareness as well.”Rohit Sharma struck his first fifty of IPL 2025•BCCIThat awareness, which Rohit has gathered in all the years of T20 cricket, helps him choose the moments and bowlers to target, and makes sure he doesn’t get carried away when he finally get going. For example, when CSK gave the ball to R Ashwin after three overs, Rohit, on 22 off 10 then, chose to play out the accurate deliveries for nothing more than singles, but MI still scored 62 in the powerplay without losing a wicket.”Those are experienced players making those good decisions out there,” Jayawardene said of Rohit’s approach against Ashwin. “So he’ll still play with that tempo and we’ll be encouraging him to do that. He’s a damn good player, so we wanted to take control of that and then he’s got a couple of other guys who’s going to follow him, who will bat around him as well.”Soon after joining Rohit in the seventh over, Suryakumar Yadav started taking on the spinners by manufacturing room and sweeping them away to the boundary. The packed Wankhede crowd had already seen two local boys – Ayush Mhatre and Shivam Dube – belt out six sixes between them for the opposition earlier, and the way Rohit and Suryakumar hit 11 more sixes gave the crowd their money’s worth.Rohit will agree his unbeaten 76 off 45 was hardly as attractive as one of his top T20 knocks, but with runs under his belt again and a healthy strike rate of nearly 155 this IPL, he and the MI think tank have the confidence and belief that all cylinders of their batting engine are now firing, and they will be ready to switch gears as the playoffs race heats up.

The maulings in the dead rubbers notwithstanding, South Africa have done many things right across the Australia and England ODI series

Firdose Moonda08-Sep-2025South Africa have won back-to-back ODI series and, despite the aberration in the two dead rubbers, have begun the process of building to the 2027 World Cup. While their success marks significant progress – their win in Australia was their fifth successive bilateral ODI series triumph over them, while victory in England was their first since 1998 – there are still some issues to iron out.Most pressing is the long-time concern of chasing. South Africa have not successfully chased over 200 since December 2023, and have failed to chase a score of that magnitude eight times, including twice across the Australia and England tours. Both times, with the series already won, South Africa conceded over 400 before being blown away, which may not worry them too much except for what it says about their obvious strength in batting first. Since 2023, South Africa have won 16 out of 23 matches when defending a total, but need to address the approach fielding first, especially when it matters. Here are five things to note on the road to 2027.Breetzke must playIt could, and maybe should, become a campaign slogan after Matthew Breetzke stamped his name in the stars-to-watch list with five successive ODI fifties. That it took Breetzke eight months to play those five matches speaks to how difficult it has been for him to get into the XI, but he has now made the case for staying there. You could even argue that he should be batting higher than No. 4 given that he has spent most of his career as an opener. Breetzke’s aggressive approach fits in with how South Africa want to play and his square-of-the-wicket strength makes him difficult to stop. With Quinton de Kock and Heinrich Klaasen both retired from this format, Breetzke has the potential to take over the match-winning mantle and, injuries aside, should play in as many games as possible.Matthew Breetzke continued his prolific start in ODIs•AFP/Getty ImagesUncertainty over the top orderThe jury’s still out on whether the Aiden Markram-Ryan Rickelton opening pair is the one to continue with after they came together in Australia. In six matches, they have shared one century stand, two half-century partnerships and three without getting past 11. Neither has looked entirely fluent, though Markram has been in better touch in 50-over cricket than in T20Is. Rickelton has battled for rhythm throughout so the efficacy of their partnership may best be judged when both are in better touch. Given the top-order options in the squad, South Africa may also want to experiment with other combinations, including moving Breetzke up or introducing Lhuan-dre Pretorius.Another factor that will affect the top two will be the availability of Temba Bavuma at No. 3, especially if injuries continue to interrupt his playing time. After going on tour with a mandate to manage his workload, Bavuma started five out six matches and suffered a calf strain in the fifth. While the captain has made plain his desire to lead the side at the 2027 tournament, his body may not agree and South Africa will need to start thinking of solutions. A potential one is to move Markram down to No. 3, creating an opening at the top.ESPNcricinfo LtdA middle-order of Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs (who is also searching for form), and potentially David Miller promises much, especially with a wealth of allrounders to follow.Getting Jansen back inCorbin Bosch and Wiaan Mulder have each made significant contributions as the fourth seamer – Bosch with two T20I three-fors in Australia, Mulder with one in the ODIs in England – and they help lengthen the batting line-up. But will there be room for one or both of them when Marco Jansen is back? Jansen has not played since the World Test Championship final where he broke his thumb, but is expected to return for the Pakistan series.Jansen offers the left-arm variation, bounce and the ability to hit boundaries at will, which means he will likely slot straight back into South Africa’s XI and that will require a rejig.Bosch also has genuine pace and is a dangerous batter and Mulder’s ability to swing the ball and move up the order as needed may result in South Africa employing a horses-for-courses approach among the three and rotating them as conditions allow.There is also the option of the left arm-spin bowling allrounder Senuran Muthusamy, which gives South Africa additional resources.Related

South Africa's T20 concerns: Markram's spot, bowling combo, injury management

Stats – England record the biggest win in men's ODIs

Bethell, Root tons, Archer four-for see England hand out record thrashing

Concern for South Africa as Bavuma suffers calf strain

Maharaj grabs lead spinner’s roleAll the talk about age may escape Keshav Maharaj, who is 35 now and will be 37 when the 2027 World Cup is played but continues to improve with experience.Maharaj took his first ODI five-for in Australia and became the No. 1-ranked ODI bowler the next day. He went on to take eight wickets in the England series to finish as South Africa’s most successful bowler and was named Player of the Series on both occasions.While accuracy has always been his strength, Maharaj has introduced more frequent changes of pace and gives it more flight in the shorter formats, as he actively goes in search of wickets in a more attacking role than before. Maharaj’s 50-over form earned him a recall to the T20I side and his performances have all but ensured he will be part of South Africa’s next two World Cup squads across 2026 and 2027.Ngidi’s resurgenceThe numbers are not going to make this seem like a good argument especially as 2025 has been Lungi Ngidi’s most expensive in ODIs, but that’s not the full story. Ngidi’s bowling strike rate of 26 is his best in the format in five years and points to a resurgence across formats. It was only three months ago that Ngidi played his first Test in ten months at the WTC final and recovered from a poor first innings to bowl a match-changing spell of 3 for 38 in the second innings. He has since played four of South Africa’s five T20Is in Zimbabwe, all six white-ball games in Australia, and nine out of South Africa’s 11 ODIs this year.Considering that between 2021 and 2024, Ngidi only played 36 out of 56 ODIs and struggled (with a strike rate of over 30 each year), the consistency of this comeback has been impressive, especially in Kagiso Rabada’s injury-enforced absence. Ngidi’s slower ball continues to be his ace and the delivery that bowled Jos Buttler at Lord’s and effectively won the series was one to remember.What’s next?South Africa’s focus will shift to T20Is with the series against England, which starts on Wednesday, in what is the more immediate concern as next year’s World Cup draws closer. Then they return home for a few weeks before heading to Pakistan for an all-format tour, including the start of their WTC title defence.

The region has a rich cricketing history, and has produced the likes of Mahmudullah and Mosaddek Hossain. The BCB’s recognition is long overdue

Mohammad Isam12-Aug-2025The BCB’s decision to include Mymensingh as a first-class team is long-awaited reward for a region where cricket has thrived for more than a century. It was regarded as the cradle of the game in undivided Bengal, as cricket clubs were formed there as far back as in 1898. First-class recognition brings renewed hope to Mymensingh, which has produced a large number of international cricketers in the last four decades.Mahmudullah, the former Bangladesh Test and T20I captain, is the biggest name to come out of the region. He spent his formative years in Mymensingh, before playing age-group and league cricket in Dhaka. Mahmudullah, whose 430 international matches across formats is currently the third-highest for Bangladesh, often returns to Mymensingh, where he has his ancestral home.The region was rich in cricketing heritage much before Mahmudullah was born. Mymensingh Mohammedan Club (1898) and Pandit Para Club (1910) are some of the oldest clubs from undivided Bengal. (landowners) would patronise these clubs, with healthy participation among the general population. After Bangladesh’s independence, Mymensingh’s left-arm spinner Ramchand Goala became a popular name in the Dhaka league, churning out overs even into his early 50s.Related

• Patience running thin back home amid Bangladesh's batting gloom

• BCB brings in Alex Marshall for its anti-corruption unit among new appointments

Harunur Rashid, the feisty opener, was the first from Mymensingh to make his ODI debut for Bangladesh, in 1988. Pace bowler Saiful Islam and allrounder Sanuar Hossain, who were in Bangladesh’s 1997 ICC Trophy-winning side, were among the bigger names who played cricket in Mymensingh in the 1980s and 1990s. More recently, the region has produced the batter Mosaddek Hossain.It was curious that the BCB held back first-class status from Mymensingh despite this rich tradition. The government had made Mymensingh Bangladesh’s eighth administrative division in 2015. Rangpur began playing the National Cricket League (NCL), Bangladesh’s domestic first-class competition, from the 2011-12 season, less than two years after the government made it the country’s seventh division.Mymensingh’s sports organisers requested the BCB for a team on numerous occasions in the last ten years, but to no avail. Earlier this year, Md Mokhtar Ahmed, Mymensingh’s divisional commissioner, the highest-ranking government official in the region, wrote a letter to the BCB in this regard. The decision from the BCB came on August 9 during a board meeting in Dhaka. Akram Khan, the BCB’s tournament committee chairman, welcomed Mymensingh into the first-class fold.”They really deserve it,” Akram told ESPNcricinfo. “Firstly, they are a division for ten years. So if Rajshahi, Chittagong and Barisal can play NCL, why can’t Mymensingh? They also have cricketing heritage. They have a sporting culture that goes back to many, many years. I played with [the former India player] Raman Lamba in Mymensingh in the 1990s. They always had good cricketers, including, Belayet Hossain and Goala, who played in Mymensingh the 1970s. They continued to produce plenty of cricketers for Bangladesh too.”Could Mahmudullah turn out for his hometown team? Sanuar Hossain certainly hopes so•ICC via Getty ImagesAkram said Mymensingh has a strong base of homegrown players already.”I think they will be able to form a good first-class team. Look, the selectors have often sent players to Barisal as Barisal have struggled to make their [own] first-class team. I am sure that Mymensingh or any other first-class team will get that help [as well]. In any case, Dhaka Division and Dhaka Metropolis used to split players from the Dhaka region. So I am sure the same arrangement [for splitting players] would be made for Dhaka Division and Mymensingh.”Mymensingh native Sanuar, who played nine Tests and 27 ODIs, was delighted with the BCB’s decision. Sanuar is a senior figure in Mymensingh cricket, organising T20 tournaments in the region whenever he finds time away from his busy schedule as a flight steward.”It is a huge achievement for Mymensingh,” Sanuar said. “It was long overdue, given the region’s cricketing heritage and also if you consider that we have been a division for almost ten years.”

“We have two very good facilities in Mymensingh that can be developed. Now, with the first-class team, we will have more impetus to develop quickly.”Former Bangladesh batter Sanuar Hossain

Sanuar felt first-class status would help Mymensingh improve its facilities. Mymensingh does have a stadium, but cricket is mainly played at the historic Circuit House ground, which is surrounded by all the club houses. The Brahmaputra river is quite close to the ground, making it a local attraction.”I think after an inspection last year, they found out that facilities were not up to the mark,” Sanuar said. “We have two very good facilities in Mymensingh that can be developed. Now, with the first-class team, we will have more impetus to develop quickly.”Sanuar was also confident Mymensingh could form a good first-class team with mostly homegrown players, and hoped Mahmudullah could turn out for them.”We have a number of established cricketers from Mymensingh. It is our advantage,” Sanuar said. “Many are already playing for Dhaka Division or Dhaka Metropolis. I want Riyad [Mahmudullah] to play at least the first season for Mymensigh. He has been our biggest source of pride over the years. I am sure he would love to play for his home team. Mymensingh will become more organised with Riyad in the team.”Mymensingh can pick players from the Jamalpur, Mymensingh, Netrokona and Sherpur districts, with the BCB allowing players not belonging to that particular region to play in the NCL.Dhaka Division beat Dhaka Metropolis to win the 2023-24 NCL title. Now the city will only have one team•BCBTo include Mymensingh, the BCB has decided to discontinue the Dhaka Metropolis team to ensure there remained an even number of teams in the NCL. Dhaka Metropolis’ last tournament will be the NCL T20s next month. The team started participating in the NCL from 2011-12, when Rangpur became a first-class team – that decision too was made to ensure an even number of participating teams.In theory, players born and based in Dhaka, Bangladesh’s capital city, would be playing for Metropolis, while the Dhaka Division team would be made up of players from Dhaka’s 16 other districts. This was the case for much of Dhaka Metropolis’ time in the first-class scene, but the selectors found it increasingly hard to pick a team with just players from the capital.For all its size and might, Dhaka hasn’t produced too many top cricketers in recent decades. Taskin Ahmed and Saif Hassan are the only cricketers of note to emerge from the city in the last 15 years. The rest have mostly come from the outskirts or other districts. Dhaka Metropolis have won and lost 23 matches each out of 87 matches in the NCL. They have never been champions of the NCL.Meanwhile, Mymensingh, who will replace Dhaka Metropolis, are quietly confident they can make a fist of their long-awaited opportunity. The prolonged monsoon has kept cricket away, but once the weather clears, expect the Circuit House ground to be packed with hopefuls. Cricket has a long tradition here, and this latest chapter could be the most exciting one yet.

Having already ticked a few significant boxes at just 21, he has made quite an impression with the bat and ball in the Duleep Trophy

Srinidhi Ramanujam06-Sep-2025At 21, Nishant Sindhu has already ticked a few significant boxes. He was part of India’s Under-19 World Cup-winning squad in 2022, got picked by Chennai Super Kings in the IPL the following year, and was signed by Gujarat Titans in IPL 2025. In the ongoing Duleep Trophy semi-final, the left-arm spin-bowling allrounder delivered the kind of performance that demands attention.After bowling 47.2 overs across two long days in humid conditions at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence ground – more than any other spinner in the match – Sindhu picked up five wickets for North Zone to wrap up South Zone’s massive 536-run total on Friday. His first bowled 12 overs on the trot, then three separate spells of eight overs each finished with an 11.2-over spell.And on Day 3, with North Zone in early trouble and Ayush Badoni falling six overs before lunch, leaving the team at 101 for 3, it was Sindhu who steadied the innings alongside Shubham Khajuria. He took his time, punished the loose balls and controlled the tempo. The highlight was a beautifully timed slog-swept six off Tanay Thyagarajan in the 56th over, a quiet flare of aggression in an otherwise composed innings of a 148-ball 82.Related

• After difficult Test debut, Kamboj returns with a display of quiet control

• Mumbai or West Zone, Kotian's your man for a crisis

“I was trying to take it till the end,” Sindhu, who got dismissed late on Saturday after a rash upper-cut off left-arm quick Gurjapneet Singh, said. “But unfortunately, I couldn’t do it. Let’s see tomorrow.”Sindhu believes in sticking to his strengths, even if that means doing the “same thing in every match”.”[It’s about giving] 100% for the team,” he said about his preparation. “In any field, whether it’s bowling, batting or fielding. I try the same thing. When I feel I am weak or have a problem in a match, I work on that more during practice.”His transition to senior cricket was quick after the 2021-22 Under-19 World Cup, where he picked up six wickets in five matches and scored an unbeaten 50 against England Under-19 in the final. He made his debut for Haryana across formats in 2022. In his first Ranji Trophy against Tripura, Sindhu made an unbeaten 93 at No. 7 and picked up two wickets. In a first-class career spanning 29 matches, he has scored six centuries and six half-centuries. In the Duleep quarter-final against East Zone, he made scores of 47 and 68.But he’s been making an impression at the domestic level even before getting to the senior level. In the Under-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy in 2019, he scored 572 runs in seven matches including two hundreds and four half-centuries. He also led Haryana to victories in Vinoo Mankad Trophy (Under-19 one-dayers) in October and then the Under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy (four-day competition) in April 2022. At the senior level, he was part of the Haryana side that clinched the Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2023.Shubham Khajuria and Nishant Sindhu put up a century stand in the Duleep Trophy semi-finals•PTI That progression has been made smoother by the support around him, especially from the Haryana Cricket Association and his coaches, he says. He was initially trained by his father Sunil, who is a state-level boxer, before joining Shri Ram Narain Cricket Club in Rohtak, run by former Haryana first-class batter Ashwani Kumar.”The association has backed us a lot,” Sindhu said. “After the Under-19 World Cup, I came straight away to the Ranji Trophy. They have backed us a lot from there. That’s the reason. When someone backs you so much, like Ashwani [Kumar] sir, I try not to let them down.”Sindhu’s evolution from impressing in age-group cricket to becoming a mainstay in Haryana’s setup has been fast. Though he’s been part of CSK and GT at the IPL, he’s yet to play a single game. But he said it gave him a window into the mental side of the game, how the top players prepare, manage pressure and keep it simple.”I’ve spoken to players like Virat [Kohli] about how they handle pressure situations,” he said. “I get knowledge from there, and I try to apply it in my game.”Senior players have told me, ‘Work on small parts. If you feel that you are weak, work on that in practice and in the nets.’ In the match, you should not think that you are weak. You have to express yourself. I try to play my natural game.”He’s determined to keep impressing to reach his ultimate goal: (I just want to play for India). Step by step.”

Latest thrashing by South Africa underlines scale of challenge for Harry Brook and Brendon McCullum

Matt Roller02-Sep-2025If the margin was an aberration, then the result itself was not. England were utterly thrashed at Headingley as South Africa cruised home with 175 balls to spare, their seventh defeat in 10 ODIs this year and their 20th loss in 30 matches since the start of the last World Cup. Harry Brook said it was “just a bad day” but England have had far too many of them in this format.This was an abject performance, characterised by a collapse of 7 for 29 to slide from 102 for 3 to 131 all out. Sonny Baker conceded 76 runs in seven wicketless overs, the most expensive figures for an England debutant, and the chase barely lasted long enough for the floodlights to come on. The crowd had long since thinned out by the time Dewald Brevis hit the winning six.For Brook, this was a reality check after starting his tenure as white-ball captain with a clean sweep against West Indies in June. South Africa were far stronger opponents, and have now hammered England in three consecutive ODIs: this was worse than the car-crash in Karachi at the Champions Trophy, though still someway short of the Mumbai mauling at the 2023 World Cup.Related

Markram blazes SA trail to 1-0 after Maharaj, Mulder trip up England

Brook backs butchered Baker after chastising ODI debut

Overton's shock decision sounds alarm bells for England schedule

Jamie Overton out of Ashes amid 'indefinite break' from red-ball cricket

The fans who stuck it out to the bitter end cheered sarcastically as Adil Rashid took two cheap wickets with the scores level, but left feeling short-changed. “It’s not good enough,” Brook said. “Nobody wants to come and watch that. I can’t say much more than we’ve just had a bad day. We’ve got to put it behind us as quick as possible and move onto the next game.”Brook refused to blame England’s lack of relevant preparation, but their build-up to this series was almost non-existent. Eight players trained at Headingley on Sunday, with seven – including Brook – missing due to their involvement in the Hundred’s knockout stages, and the same number on Monday. Jamie Smith aside, their batters looked bereft of rhythm or confidence.The contrast with South Africa’s preparation was obvious, arriving in Leeds directly from Australia last week. They were faultless in the field – Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton took excellent catches, and Tristan Stubbs’ sharp throw ran Brook out from deep cover – and looked every inch a side that had been playing international cricket for the last month.But the last week alone cannot explain the wider pattern of England’s sharp decline in ODI results. Once the team to beat in this format, they are now ranked eighth in the world – sandwiched between Afghanistan and West Indies – and this was a defeat that had all the hallmarks of the bad old days.For Brendon McCullum, Markram’s ultra-attacking innings in the run chase must have felt eerily familiar. Markram’s 86 off 55 balls bore almost uncanny similarities to McCullum’s 77 off 25 against England in Wellington a decade ago – right down to his merciless treatment of Baker, which evoked McCullum’s disdainful takedown of Steven Finn.England’s problems did not stem from over-aggression but a more fundamental failing to adjust to the tempo of the format. Brook was run out looking for an unlikely second run in the 14th over while Jos Buttler, Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks’ dismissals were about as soft as they come, all caught playing half-hearted, rotating shots rather than trying to hit boundaries.”In my opinion, we probably could have gone a little bit harder with the bat and tried to put them under a little bit more pressure,” Brook said. “The more positive you are and aggressive you are as a batter, sometimes you get away with more stuff.” Markram’s high-risk, high-reward approach served to underline his point.But England consistently bat like a team unfamiliar with the demands of 50-over cricket, with batters grinding the clutch to jump between first gear and fifth but nothing in between; they have been bowled out in 15 of their last 30 ODIs. For all that they can blame their lack of exposure to the format, their top seven on Tuesday had more than 15,000 ODI runs between them.Concerned by the divergence between formats, they have made an overcorrection. They picked seven players on Thursday who had featured in a gruelling Test series against India, six of whom had then gone straight into the Hundred and looked worn down by their heavy workloads. Somehow, they managed to look short of rhythm and overcooked simultaneously.England were too slow to evolve after their 2019 triumph, changing captains three years into a four-year cycle between World Cups. They were understandably reluctant to move on from a golden generation of white-ball players, and paid a high price with a humbling group-stage exit in 2023 which marked the final chapter for several players’ ODI careers.The trouble is that they do not appear to have learned from those errors. They are halfway through another four-year cycle but have no clear identity as a team beyond a deep batting line-up. Brook’s repeated clichés about putting bowlers under pressure and trying to take wickets do not equate to a philosophy, nor an actual gameplanEngland have two chances this week – at Lord’s on Thursday, then in Southampton on Sunday – to prove that criticism wrong, and perhaps it is unfair to judge them too harshly after one off-day. But for a team that only two years ago were defending champions in both white-ball formats, days like this have become uncomfortably familiar.

At 20, she outscored most of her legendary team-mates to top the charts in New Zealand’s T20 World Cup win. Now she’s eyeing a repeat on the ODI stage

Sruthi Ravindranath27-Sep-2025Georgia Plimmer’s cricket journey has followed a familiar New Zealand script: dabble in a mix of sports, pick up a cricket bat and fall in love with the game. But few players have matched her rapid rise. At just 20 she powered New Zealand to their maiden T20 World Cup title in 2024, finishing as their top run-scorer jointly with Suzie Bates. Now she’s setting her sights on the next big prize: the ODI World Cup.Plimmer backs her optimism. It got her through a promotion up the order before the T20 World Cup, and helped her bounce back from her “biggest injury” right after. Now, even with a six-month ODI drought leading into the World Cup, she’s staying upbeat.After a few one-dayers with the New Zealand A team against England A in July, she was part of a camp in Chennai at the CSK academy, sharpening her game against spin and adjusting to India’s heat. Back home during the winter break, she focused on strength and conditioning, and fitness, to gain “mental clarity” and build the stamina to stay out there “as long as possible.””It’d be pretty incredible for that to happen in the last year and a half, to win both World Cups, that’s what we’re aiming for at the moment,” she says. “I think as a side we’ve talked a lot about how we want to be playing our 50-over cricket. I think only being able to scrape into [this ODI] World Cup [finishing sixth on the Women’s Championship table] without having to go to qualifiers, I think that almost kicked us in the arse a little bit to be like, ‘Right, we really need to knuckle down and figure out what are our strengths.’Related

Devine on New Zealand's T20 World Cup win: 'Hard to put into words what it means'

Plimmer's maiden ODI hundred gives NZ series win

New Zealand Women begin World Cup prep with Chennai camp

“We’ve been having winter camps here where it’s been under 10 degrees, so it was a lot different going to Chennai. That was another main reason for going there – to try and get heat-acclimatised. We tried to be out for three hours of the day to try and mimic being out there in an innings of 50-over cricket.”Plimmer has some experience playing in India, having been part of the ODI series in Ahmedabad last October. She took the learnings from that series and focused on a few technical aspects of her batting, facing a lot of legspin at the CSK academy nets.”Coming from New Zealand, where the pitches probably get a bit more bounce, we learnt a lot about having to stay low in our stance and be able to get your head over the ball to be able to hit the ball along the ground. For me personally, it was probably just being able to find different gaps while hitting along the ground and still being able to hit hard and straight, even if the ball is turning a bit more. It was a lot different to playing something in New Zealand, where the ball might not turn or it would bounce a bit more than what it does in India.”Hard ball, soft skills: Plimmer attributes her willingness to throw herself about on the field to her softball years•Getty ImagesPlimmer got her start in softball, which she played from age five, and the transition to cricket came almost by accident. She had little exposure to the sport growing up and only picked it up at 13, while studying at Tawa College, the school that produced New Zealand internationals Sophie Devine, and Amelia and Jess Kerr. It was Robbie Kerr, father of the Kerr sisters and the school’s cricket coach, who recognised that her softball background could translate well to cricket.What drew Plimmer in, though, was the tactical depth of the game. “Every ball was about problem-solving,” she says, “and the difference in being able to think tactically about how I wanted to do different things [while facing a ball] and how different people would react to the same thing.”She also has softball to thank for her athleticism in the field. From the flying catch to dismiss Shafali Verma in the U-19 World Cup semi-final in 2023 to the sharp effort running in from square leg to remove Skye Bowden in the 2024 Women’s Super Smash, her fielding continues to be a standout feature of her game. “Getting an opportunity to play for my domestic team was solely off the back of my fielding, to be honest,” she says.”We did so much during softball, whether that was throwing, learning how to dive and feel comfortable diving on your body, or being able to run angles to cut off a ball, I think being able to learn that so early really helped me get further in cricket.”The Kerr sisters were her seniors in college and watching Amelia rise through school cricket and break into the senior side at 16 was eye-opening for Plimmer. “Fast forward to now where I get to train with her [Amelia] day in, day out in our home in Wellington, and be able to play with her and learn from her… I know she’s still quite young, but she’s been at most of the franchise tournaments, she’s played across the world and with some of the superstars of the game. So the knowledge that she’s gotten from them and being able to bring back into our environment as well has been awesome.”Another role model from her school is captain Devine, who is set to retire from ODIs after the World Cup. Plimmer describes Devine’s leadership as second to none and says her influence goes well beyond the field. She credits New Zealand’s T20 World Cup success to Devine’s ability to bring the team together.Sophie Devine, the Kerr sisters, Amelia and Jess, and Plimmer are all Tawa College alumni•Getty Images”She [Devine] has just put a lot of work into our new structure for this upcoming campaign, and a lot of that’s to do with the Māori culture that we’re building into our team. I think the way that she’s been able to incorporate so many different aspects to make our team gel together, I think is incredible. I think without her, the T20 World Cup win would never have happened.”Having spent most of her career in the middle order, Plimmer was promoted to open during the white-ball series in England last year – a role she had briefly taken on for her domestic side Wellington Blaze. Unsure at first, she leaned on opening partner Suzie Bates to find her feet.”I didn’t really trust that my technique was going to be good enough to be able to face a moving ball,” Plimmer says of opening the batting. “Having Suzie there and being able to talk with her and the coaches in a little group to build me with confidence about opening the batting and, especially in T20 cricket, how much freedom it gives you as an opener to be able to [be the] only two out [made a difference]. I think that was a main part of me being able to free up my game and be a bit more aggressive up the top, being able to try and hit straight and hit over covers, which was really good.The move paid off: it unlocked a more aggressive version of her game, which was on show at the T20 World Cup, which Plimmer kicked off with a vital 34 in the win over India, before top-scoring with a composed 53 off 44 in a low-scoring scrap against Sri Lanka, where she handled the spinners with ease.But her momentum was halted shortly after. A hip injury ruled her out of action for nearly six months, forcing her to miss the Australia series and most of the domestic summer.”It was pretty big sort of buzzkill to what we’d just worked on, and winning the World Cup,” she says. “I was pretty excited to come off of a bit of confidence from getting some runs prior to that, and then having four months off trying to rehab the biggest injury that I’ve had in my career. But it was a nice time to reflect on what we had done in that two-month period, which a lot of the girls probably didn’t have.”Plimmer scored 112 off 120 balls against Sri Lanka in an ODI earlier this year, her first hundred in any format•Getty ImagesShe made her comeback from injury in style. In the third ODI against Sri Lanka last March, she hit 112, her first international century, sharing a 108-run stand with Bates to help seal the series 2-0. While unsure how her body would hold up, there were no nerves as the milestone approached.”It was pretty surreal being able to play at home in the summer and be able to do that with the team,” she says. “And to be able to also bat with Suzie, who obviously has played for many, many years and has seen so many people come through. I wasn’t really nervous. I think when you’re setting a score, it’s a little bit different. You’re wanting to not think about the milestones as much. We’ve talked about having big partnerships and being able to push on once you get a start, which I personally hadn’t done [till then] in the 50-over format for White Ferns. So that was probably the most pleasing part.”Plimmer credits Bates with not just easing her transition to the top of the order but also with helping her understand her strengths as a batter. Whether it’s words of encouragement or tactical advice, Bates remains a steady presence at the other end.”Sometimes you can get a little frustrated at how it’s going out there. Having someone out there that knows your game inside and out and being able to be like, ‘Hey, just go back to your basics and hit straight for me.’ That’s one of the big things for me.”For her [Bates] to be able to stop the game [for you], you can reset your brain and think, ‘This is when I’m playing my best.’ Having a partner out there like her, she’s pretty incredible. Over the last year I’ve been able to recognise some parts of her game when she’s playing her best and hopefully I’m reiterating that back to her so we can get the best out of each other.”Another key figure in her development has been batting coach Dean Brownlie, who she says has been pivotal to her international journey. Since joining the New Zealand set-up at 18, Plimmer has worked closely with Brownlie on both her technique and mental approach, a relationship that continues to shape her game.Plimmer says Bates, her opening partner, helped her transition into batting at the top of the order, giving her the freedom to cut loose at the top•Getty Images”I think most people who know me [know] my head’s pretty wild. I can think of a lot of crazy things that can sometimes become distracting for me. For him to be an open ear to listen to all that craziness that I have coming through my brain is amazing.”I’ve gone up to Mount Maunganui, where he lives, and he’s thrown balls to me for hours and hours. Being able to talk technique with him knowing my game inside and out because he’s worked for so many hours on it helps me clear my head and be able to stick to my strengths out in the [field] as well. I think without him, I would be nowhere [near] where I am right now.”Off the field, she’s also made strides in mental skills training, learning to recognise and manage distractions during matches, an area she became increasingly aware of during injury downtime.”I think with cricket it’s such a fickle game that some days you’re going to fail probably more than you are going to succeed,” she says. Being able to reflect on games in a non-emotional sense and learn from them, throw them away afterwards and go to the next game, I think that’s been a big thing, instead of getting so caught up on games before [in which] I haven’t scored runs and why I haven’t done that.”In the year between the T20 and ODI World Cups, Plimmer has packed in plenty of learning. With the work she’s put in, physically and mentally, she’s hopeful of playing a key role in helping New Zealand chase a second ICC title in the space of a year.

While England, Australia and South Africa have already qualified for the knockouts, India, NZ, SL and Pakistan are fighting to join them there

Sampath Bandarupalli20-Oct-2025

India – Matches 5, Wins 2, Points 4, NRR 0.526

If India beat New Zealand on Thursday, they will make the semi-finals. If they lose to New Zealand, India have to hope New Zealand lose to England before they beat Bangladesh on Sunday.A washout against New Zealand can also be a good result for India, even if they lose to Bangladesh (and New Zealand lose to England), unless one of Sri Lanka and Pakistan don’t end up with six points.If both of India’s games in Navi Mumbai get washed out, they will qualify for the semi-finals, but only if England beat New Zealand (or if that game also gets washed out). If one of Sri Lanka and Pakistan are tied on six points with India in the aforementioned scenario, India will progress with a better net run-rate.

New Zealand – Matches 5, Wins 1, Points 4, NRR -0.245

New Zealand’s next match against India will be an all-or-nothing game for them, and a loss will end their World Cup campaign. If New Zealand win their next two games, they will make the semi-finals.If New Zealand beat India but lose to England, they will have to hope Bangladesh beat India. Sri Lanka can also finish with six points if they beat Pakistan, while Pakistan can finish on six if they beat South Africa and Sri Lanka. But New Zealand have a better net run-rate right now.New Zealand will make the semi-finals irrespective of other results if they beat India and their match against England gets washed out. A washout against India will be good for New Zealand only if they defeat England, and India don’t bag two points against Bangladesh. New Zealand can progress to the semi-finals if both their remaining games are washed out, but only if none of India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan get to six points.Chamari Athapaththu’s Sri Lanka are alive in the World Cup but only just•AFP/Getty Images

Sri Lanka – Matches 6, Wins 1, Points 4, NRR -1.035

To reach the semi-finals, Sri Lanka have to beat Pakistan and hope India lose both their remaining games. They will also need England to beat New Zealand on the last day of the league stage.Sri Lanka will be tied on six points with New Zealand in the above scenario, but will be behind on net run-rate if they don’t win big against Pakistan.

Pakistan – Matches 5, Wins 0, Points 2, NRR -1.887

Despite having no wins so far, Pakistan are still in the race for the semi-finals. They will have to win their last two games, against South Africa and Sri Lanka, by margins that will take their net run-rate ahead of New Zealand’s, and hope India lose both their remaining games. Pakistan will also need England to beat New Zealand.

Tottenham head coach Thomas Frank risks losing the dressing room if he fails to trigger a turnaround in fortunes in the club's upcoming fixtures. It has been claimed that several players are starting to lose faith in the Dane due to his tendency to make late tactical adjustments, which often leaves the players confused about their responsibilities during games.

Frank could lose Spurs dressing room amid poor run

According to a report from , sources close to the Tottenham Hotspur dressing room have indicated that there is growing uncertainty and confusion among players under the stewardship of head coach Frank. The report highlights the frequent last-minute changes to player roles – with tactical adjustments made just before kick-off or even scrapped entirely in the early phases of the match – as the primary factor behind Frank's waning authority in the dressing room. The Tottenham players are not happy with Frank's managerial style and the recent stretch of poor results has only exacerbated the situation.

In the aftermath of Spurs' 2-1 defeat to Fulham, the former Brentford boss insisted that he continues to retain the backing of the club's hierarchy, but there's no denying that he is under mounting pressure to turn things around, starting with Wednesday's visit to St. James' Park against a resurgent Newcastle.

Furthermore, he will also be tasked to maintain unity within the dressing room and continue steering the ship with leadership and authority. Several senior players are said to be unsure of their roles and responsibilities during games, with last week's edge-of-the-seat 5-3 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League highlighted as an instance when a late tactical tweak caused confusion. Even though some squad members are understood to enjoy working under Frank, there is concern that he risks losing the broader dressing room unless performances and results improve soon.

AdvertisementAFPFrank blanked by Van de Ven and Spence

Following Spurs' narrow 1-0 home defeat to London rivals Chelsea at the start of November, defenders Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence headed straight to the tunnel without greeting the supporters, much to the surprise and disappointment of Frank. He was left rooted to the spot after seeing two of his players leave the pitch without showing appreciation to the fans in a moment that could be pointed to as the first signs of fragmentation between the squad and the coach.

“All the players are, of course, frustrated. They would like to do well, they would like to win, they would like to perform. I understand that," the Dane told reporters after the game.

“I think it’s difficult to be consistent in good times and bad times, that’s why I went around to the fans as I did, it’s more fun when we win, I can tell you that.”

When asked whether it was "acceptable" for both players to ignore him, Frank responded: “I understand why you ask the question. But I think that’s one of, how you can say, small issues.

“We have Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence doing everything they can. They’ve performed very well so far this season. Everyone is frustrated. We do things in a different way, I don’t think it’s a big problem.”

Signs of a divide between Spurs and their fans

The loss to Fulham was a bitter blow to Spurs' aspirations this season, as well as their overall morale as the season heads into the second half. The Cottagers raced to a two-goal lead within the first six minutes, and Marco Silva's side would have Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario to thank for his howler. 

The Italian's blunder drew a cacophony of jeers and boos, which angered the Spurs boss after the game. “I didn't like that our fans booed at him straight after and a few times he touched the ball," he defiantly stated. "They can't be true Tottenham fans because everyone supports each other when you are on the pitch. And we do everything we can to perform. After, fair enough, boo, no problem. But not during. That's unacceptable in my opinion."

In fact, even Pedro Porro couldn't hold himself back from lashing out at the fans. Taking to Instagram, he leapt to the defence of his team-mates, writing that "what I will not tolerate is hearing disrespect from the fans to my teammates, hence my frustration at the end of the game.”

Amid a difficult run of form, the last thing Spurs’ players and Frank need is a strained relationship with the fans. Their unwavering support, as it has been through the years, could be the catalyst needed to turn things around, even against all odds.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportFrank's job at Spurs not under scrutiny

November was an extremely difficult month for Spurs. They lost four games and drew once, with their only win coming in the Champions League against Copenhagen. After capturing 17 points from their first nine league games, the London-based outfit have gone four Premier League games without a win. What's more, only four teams have earned as few, or fewer, points than Spurs' total of four from the last five league games.

Regardless, reports suggest that the 52-year-old retains the backing of the Spurs hierarchy, who remain adamant on giving Frank more time to lay his tactical imprint on the squad. 

Tough fixtures in the form of Newcastle, Liverpool, and Crystal Palace await Frank and Co. in the month of December. It’s crucial for Spurs to secure some positive results, not only to relieve Frank of the inevitable pressure if progress isn’t made, but also to dispel any doubts the players may have about the manager’s tactics and management.

South Africa’s quicks probed away after Verreynne raced to his first Test century at home

Firdose Moonda06-Dec-2024If Kyle Verreynne was going to get a hundred, he was going to have to get there quickly.South Africa were down to their last wicket, a player of much experience but little of it defending, and Sri Lanka’s quicks were finding late movement and extracting good bounce. Verreynne was 19 runs away. The second chance he got, he leapt out of his crease to hit Prabath Jayasuriya over the covers for six. Thirteen more to get.With four balls left in the over, Verreynne wanted to keep strike and swept hard to midwicket but a decent bit of fielding denied him the second. Dane Paterson had to face the next three balls. A couple of solid blocks and a push to the leg side meant he survived to put Verreynne back on strike. Sri Lanka put all nine fielders on the boundary, inviting one, tempting two and daring anything more. Challenge accepted.Related

• Paterson, Bavuma and Stubbs put SA in driver's seat

• Pathum Nissanka 2.0 – Quiet, disciplined, and just a little greedy

• Test centurion Rickelton proves to himself that he belongs on international stage

• Fun and runs aplenty courtesy no-fuss Bavuma

• Nissanka 89 cuts down SL deficit after Verreynne 105*

First ball, Verreynne stepped across his stumps and sent Asitha Fernando over deep midwicket. Six away. The field stayed out. He tried for two to long-on but hit the ball too hard and to give Paterson potentially four balls. The field came in. Asitha greeted Paterson with a short ball that he just about ducked under. He smiled. The South African change room forced some smiles. Verreynne looked away. Then he met Paterson in the middle to discuss the next steps. Someone misunderstood.As Paterson miscued to mid-on, Verreynne set off, then realised he had to go back, the throw came in wide and missed but was misfielded so he went for the run again. Safe. The field went back out. Asitha went short, Verreynne thought long, cleared the front leg and swung over deep backward square. He ran the length of the pitch, arms aloft, before removing his helmet to take his signature bow for his first Test hundred at home. Paterson punched his bat and the air in delight and then lifted Verreynne off the floor. Job done. And it only took six balls.”This morning, I was on 40-odd and I didn’t really expect that I’d be close to getting a hundred,” Verreynne said afterwards. “I thought maybe if I can get 70 and those guys can contribute like 20 or 30, it’ll be quite a good morning. So yeah, I was really, really pleased that I managed to get there.”3:45

Takeaways: Why, Pathum Nissanka, why?

More so because none of Verreynne’s two Test centuries or three fifties before today had come at home. “I haven’t had a long Test career but I’ve scored most of my runs overseas, so it’s quite nice to add that to my career and get over that hurdle.”A bigger one was about to come because if South Africa wanted wickets, they were going to have to do it slowly. St George’s Park is known to be best for batting on the second and third days, even with grass on the pitch, even with clouds overhead, and especially if the westerly is blowing. At first, South Africa’s seamers made it look much more difficult.Kagiso Rabada found late movement and Marco Jansen, bowling from the end where there was more bounce, tested the batters with his height and lifters. In the six overs before lunch Pathum Nissanka was beaten three times and edged Rabada twice while Dimuth Karunaratne had to get out of the way of two balls from Jansen headed towards his helmet and survived an lbw shout off a third.Paterson, included as the third seamer, was exceptional in his first spell, which included three maiden overs and cost only 11 runs. He targeted the stumps, forced the batters to play and stalked the edge but there was no reward. Rabada got some in his second spell, when he changed ends and Karunaratne played a loose stroke, and should have another but David Bedingham juggled and dropped Nissanka on 11. South Africa had to wait 28.4 overs before another wicket came.In that time, they tried pretty much everything they could in the absence of an extra bowler and without getting too experimental. Jansen attempted a short-ball assault with a short fine in place in an attempt to bounce batters out, Keshav Maharaj operated by crowding the batters with close-in fielders and all the bowlers apart from Paterson changed ends to see how to make things work for them.Kagiso Rabada got the first wicket for South Africa•AFP/Getty ImagesThey all found something and in total, according to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data, South Africa’s attack either beat the beat or induced an edge in 47 of the first 50 overs. They just don’t have the wickets to show for it and they don’t actually mind too much.”I know in South Africa in the last couple of years, Test cricket has been quite a quick game but it’s generally a hard toil and you get rewards later on in the game for things you do now,” Verreynne said. “In chats in the huddles and at the drinks break it was to just keep doing what we’re doing. The biggest strength is just trying to keep things simple. Test cricket works in funny ways. We’ve done a lot of investing today so hopefully we’ll get rewards for all of that tomorrow. It’s just about trying to stay nice and patient on a wicket like that and not get too funky.”None of this can be written without a nod to Sri Lanka’s excellent application, particularly Nissanka’s handling of the short ball, and the restraint they showed outside the off stump. After reckless strokeplay in the first innings in Durban, their disciplines were much improved in the second innings and they struck the balance between defence and attack perfectly at St George’s Park.But for Dinesh Chandimal being drawn forward by Paterson and Nissanka giving Maharaj the charge when he was 11 away from a century, their shot selection was smart, and although both camps labelled the state of play as in the balance, Sri Lanka, with seven wickets in hand, may feel slightly ahead.Not yet, said Verreynne, at a venue where the slow burn is to be appreciated, especially because things can speed up towards the end.”There’s still three days to go and we certainly feel that if we keep doing what we’re doing, we’ll come out on the right side,” he said. “It’s just about sticking to what we’re doing and staying nice and patient.”

لم يقدم العديد من لاعبي ليفربول مستويات جيدة هذا الموسم، ويأتي من بين اللاعبين إبراهيما كوناتي بسبب عدم تجديد عقده، كما تراجع أداء فيرجيل فان دايك، وكذلك محمد صلاح.

وتحدث إيميل هيسكي مهاجم ليفربول السابق في تصريحات نشرتها “Rousing the kop” عن أداء النجم المصري هذا الموسم.

وقال هيسكي عن صلاح :”صلاح لاعب مثير للاهتمام، سجل العديد من الأهداف، لذا فهو يخفي الكثير من المشاكل التي تسببها الأهداف عادة”.

أقرأ أيضاً.. سلوت: نشبه مانشستر سيتي.. ولعبنا مباراة كل يومين لن يساعدنا على تغيير أسلوبنا

وأضاف :”يغيب أحياناً عن المباريات ولكن لأنه يسجل هدفين أو ثلاثة في النهاية، يتذكر الجميع ذلك، لكنه يفعل ذلك منذ فترة وأنت بحاجة لثنائيات كهذه، تحتاجها في فريقك أحياناً، لأنك تبقى في الملعب فقط لتلك اللحظة الصغيرة التي تسجل فيها هدفاً”.

وواصل: “لكن الشيء الوحيد هو أنه إذا لم يسجلوا هذا الهدف أو يمنحوا أي فرصة للركض ولم تحصل على أي فرصة للتتبع، ولم تحصل على كل هذه المساحة في الجانب الآخر من الملعب فمن الصعب للغاية الدفاع ضدهم”.