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كشف الإعلامي أحمد شوبير، عن تفاصيل هامة بشأن عقد إمام عاشور لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، مؤكداً أن ما يُتداول حول طلب اللاعب لتعديل عقده غير صحيح.

قال الإعلامي أحمد شوبير عبر برنامجه الإذاعي صباح اليوم الإثنين: “إمام عاشور لم يطلب تعديل عقده كما يُشاع، بل النادي الأهلي هو من طلب ذلك، لأنه يرى أن اللاعب يستحق أفضل مما يحصل عليه حالياً، لكن عندما وجد الأهلي أن طلبات اللاعب كبيرة، قرر إيقاف الحديث عن تعديل العقد في الوقت الحالي”.

وتابع: “من الطبيعي أن يطلب النادي تعديل عقد أي لاعب يراه مؤثراً، ومن حق اللاعب أن يضع مطالبه، ومن حق الإدارة أن توافق أو ترفض، هذه هي الاحترافية. وإمام عاشور عاش حياة احترافية منذ بدايته، فقد لعب في السنبلاوين، ثم غزل المحلة، وبعدها حرس الحدود، ثم الزمالك، وانتقل بعدها إلى ميتلاند، وأخيراً إلى الأهلي، وهو يسعى دائماً لتأمين مستقبله”.

طالع أيضًا | محمد يوسف يوضح طبيعة علاقته بـ وليد صلاح الدين.. ومصير عبد القادر مع الأهلي

وأضاف: “يتبقى لـ إمام عاشور سنتان ونصف في عقده مع الأهلي، والنادي احترمه وقدّر تاريخه، وفتح باب تعديل العقد، لكنه رأى أن الطلبات مبالغ فيها، فأوقف الأمر”.

وأشار: “أعرف لاعباً في الأهلي يتقاضى أقل عقد داخل الفريق، ورغم ذلك يؤدي دورًا كبيرًا ومهماً، طُلب منه سابقًا تعديل عقده، جلس مع الإدارة، وتحدثوا في الأرقام، ثم توقفت المفاوضات دون مشاكل، اللاعب تقبّل الأمر بهدوء، لأنه يعلم أن عقده سيُجدد قريباً، وهناك فرصة طبيعية لطلب ما يراه مناسبًا”.

واختتم: “المسألة ببساطة.. من حق النادي أن يتفاوض وقتما يشاء، ومن حق اللاعب أن يطلب ما يراه مناسبًا، وفي النهاية الأمر لا يستحق كل هذا الجدل”.

Sole recruited for the remainder of the group stages to boost Glamorgan’s quarter-final hopes

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jun-2024Glamorgan have signed Scotland fast bowler Chris Sole for the rest of the T20 Blast group stages. He is set to make his debut at The Oval on Friday night, less than a week after Scotland’s elimination from the T20 World Cup at the hands of Australia.Sole, 30, took two wickets at the World Cup and has been clocked at speeds above 90mph/145kph during his international career. Grant Bradburn, Glamorgan’s head coach, previously worked with Sole during his time in charge of Scotland.”To be able to add Chris Sole’s high-quality skills, experience and character into our squad brings an exciting vibe to our team, as we look forward to playing at The Oval tonight,” Bradburn said. “Having worked with Chris previously in Scotland, we know the high value he will bring and I’m sure he will thrive in our environment.”Mark Wallace, Glamorgan’s director of cricket, said they had been following Sole’s progress closely. “We have been tracking Chris for a while, and now that his World Cup campaign is over with Scotland, it’s great to be able to bring him in to add some pace to our attack and bolster our seam bowling resources in the Vitality Blast,” Wallace said.Glamorgan will hope that Sole’s inclusion can boost their chances of qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Blast. They sit seventh out of nine in the South Group, with the top four progressing to the next stage, and lost a thriller to Gloucestershire on Thursday despite a world-class outfield catch from Marnus Labuschagne.”I’m very excited to be included in Glamorgan’s Vitality Blast campaign and can’t wait to join the squad at the Oval tonight,” Sole said. “Hopefully I can contribute to some on-field success in the coming weeks.”

Everton are reportedly interested in signing a “complete” midfielder in the summer transfer window, and his versatility could be a major weapon for David Moyes.

Everton reveal £100m transfer budget

The Blues feel like they are beginning a new chapter in their great history, with life at Goodison Park coming to an end and their move to Bramley Moore Dock finally coming to fruition this summer.

Moyes will know the importance of being backed in the transfer market, and it looks as though that will be the case, with a recent update revealing that as much as £100m could be made available to add to Everton’s squad.

Former defender John Stones has been mentioned as a high-profile option for the Blues, with the England international potentially leaving Manchester City this summer.

Meanwhile, football finance expert Kieran Maguire has talked up the idea of a “marquee signing” arriving, also confirming the likelihood of a £100m summer: “One marquee signing is certainly possible, especially with some players out of contract, but the chances of a series of big names is less likely. A spend of £50-£100m is the ballpark unless there are exits.”

Everton keen on signing "complete" midfielder

Now, according to an update from The Express, Everton are interested in signing Rangers midfielder Mohamed Diomande ahead of next season. It is claimed that Blues chiefs have identified him as a “candidate” to bolster Moyes’ options in the middle of the park – the 23-year-old can play as a six, a box-to-box player, a ten and even at full-back.

Kevin Thelwell is of course leaving to join Rangers, perhaps allowing for smooth negotiations between the clubs as incoming Toffees CEO Angus Kinnear looks to make his own first signing on Merseyside.

Diomande could be just what Moyes is after in his midfield, coming in as a young option who has already shown that he can handle British football.

The two-cap Ivory Coast international has made 73 appearances for Rangers, dealing with the pressure of playing for a huge club, scoring eight goals and registering 10 assists along the way. Analyst John Walker has also hailed him as a “complete” player.

Diomande isn’t out of contract at Rangers until the summer of 2028, so signing him on the cheap may not be easy, but he stands out as a strong option for Everton, not least because of his versatility.

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He would immediately add so much depth to Moyes’ squad, and at 23, his best years should still be ahead of him.

Enzo Maresca is not short of options at centre-back for Chelsea. The Blues boss has several options when everyone is fully fit, not including Axel Disasi, who is currently on loan at Aston Villa. Youngster Josh Acheampong is also an option at centre-back, as is Wesley Fofana, although he is out injured.

Trevoh Chalobah was recalled to the club in January after spending the first half of the season on loan at Crystal Palace, and he has had a big role to play since returning, having started the last six Premier League games.

Levi Colwill – who has started 32 top-flight games in 2024/25 – has also been a key player, with the likes of Benoit Badiashile and Tosin being options, too.

However, the Blues seem like they will bolster their defensive depth in the summer and bring in a new recruit for Maresca.

Chelsea’s defensive target

If there is one defender who is widely wanted across Europe this summer, it is Feyenoord and Slovakia international David Hancko. The 27-year-old came close to leaving the club last summer, but seems destined to depart in 2025.

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According to a report from Dutch news outlet Voetbal International, Chelsea are one of the sides ready to make an offer to sign him this summer. The report suggests the Blues ‘want to work on the arrival of the defender’ before someone else snatches him up.

They will face stiff competition, however, with West Ham United the other Premier League side said to be interested in striking a summer deal.

Outside of England, Atletico Madrid and Al Nassr are also strongly linked. In March, a report from TEAMTalk suggested the defender could leave Feyenoord for a fee in the region of £42m.

Why Hacko would be a good signing

It has been an impressive season for Hancko, in a Feyenoord side who have had a good time of things from a defensive standpoint in the Eredivisie. As per Sofascore, they have conceded the second-fewest number of goals, letting in 33. They have also kept nine clean sheets, bettered by just three sides.

Slovak international Hancko has played a big part in that, too. He has played 44 times across all competitions, with 29 of those games coming in the Dutch top flight. He has featured in all of those aforementioned nine clean sheets.

The 27-year-old has also chipped in with goals and assists this term, too. He has scored and assisted four each across all competitions, with one of those goals coming in that famous 3-3 draw away to Manchester City, when his side came from three goals down in the Champions League.

Described as a “freak technician” by football analyst Ben Mattinson, Hancko’s ability on the ball is a standout feature of his game. He can play at both left-back and left centre-back, showing excellent versatility.

In fact, that is like another Chelsea target, Jorrel Hato, who also plays in the Eredivisie for Ajax. According to a recent report from Sky Sports, the West Londoners are ‘seriously considering making a move’ for the 19-year-old.

The Ajax academy graduate has been crucial for the Dutch giants this term. He has featured 47 times in that famous shirt, scoring three goals and assisting six. Just like Hancko, he can play at centre-back or at left-back.

Well, the pair can be compared via FBref, to gain a better understanding of their underlying numbers. Their defensive number are very close, with Hancko averaging 2.17 tackles and interceptions and 4.34 ball recoveries each game. Comparatively, Hato averages 2.88 tackles and interceptions and 4.4 ball recoveries per 90 minutes.

Signing Hancko seems like an excellent option for the Blues. He is progressive on the ball, as the stats show, and can play in a couple of positions, which adds to Maresca’s options at the back.

£42m is a fairly sizeable amount of money, but he would certainly increase the technical floor of the squad and become another quality option.

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Chelsea are working on a “behind-the-scenes” deal for a former Man City gem who’s also being targeted by Premier League champions Liverpool, according to a former club chief.

Chelsea targeting new striker and winger this summer

As per credible media sources, Chelsea are in the market for a new wide player and striker this summer.

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Supporters will be especially eager for BlueCo to bring in a prolific number nine, given Nicolas Jackson has bagged just one Premier League goal this calendar year, while Christopher Nkunku is also expected to leave Chelsea.

They’ve been targeting RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap, Lille star Jonathan David, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitiké and Napoli outcast Victor Osimhen, according to Sky Sports, but some of these names will be in high demand at other elite European sides.

Chelsea must also think of their Club World Cup campaign, as they could bring home a financial windfall of around £97 million if they win all of their group games and the tournament itself (BBC).

Stamford Bridge officials will be keen for Enzo Maresca’s side to perform well in the tournament, and the club will have a special early transfer window to utilise if they wish to reinforce the squad in time for the CWC, which will open from June 1st to June 10th.

The Blues also wish to require a new winger, amid the rumoured uncertainty surrounding Mykhailo Mudryk, Noni Madueke and Jadon Sancho’s long-term futures.

There are reports that Chelsea could even offer Sancho in a separate swap deal for key target Jamie Gittens, who’s enjoyed an impressive 2024/2025 campaign at Borussia Dortmund.

Chelsea working on "behind-the-scenes" deal for Jamie Gittens

However, according to ex-Man United chief scout Mick Brown, speaking to Football Insider, Chelsea face competition from Liverpool in pursuit of the English sensation.

That being said, Brown hears Chelsea are working on a “behind-the-scenes” deal for Gittens, as they look to get in ahead of Arne Slot’s side.

“Chelsea look like they could have another busy window,” said Brown. “Maresca wants to sign a new winger because there are questions about where he sees Madueke and Sancho in his plans for the future. One name who has been on their radar for a while is Jamie Gittens.

“Lots of teams had the opportunity to sign him when he left Man City a few years ago, but he ended up making the move to Germany. After the season he’s had for Dortmund, there are a lot of teams in for him.

“He’s come into the team and has been playing regularly, so teams have been assessing him and I expect him to move back to England. Liverpool are one of those teams I’ve heard have been having a look, but I think the interest from Chelsea is a bit more advanced.

“From what I hear, they’ll be working on that deal behind the scenes and they’re aiming to get ahead of teams like Liverpool to sign him.”

The 20-year-old has racked up 12 goals and five assists in 45 total appearances for Dortmund this season, becoming a mainstay for both Nuri Şahin and Niko Kovač, and it appears Gittens fits Chelsea’s transfer mould of a young, exciting player with bags of potential. He’s also valued at just £35 million, so his signing wouldn’t exactly break the bank.

Will Leeds United be able to consolidate themselves as a Premier League-worthy outfit next season after finally breaking free of the Championship’s grip?

It will certainly be easier said than done, however, considering all three promoted teams that went up at Leeds’ expense at the end of the 2023/24 campaign are all tumbling straight back down to the EFL’s top league after a short-lived top-flight stay.

Moreover, Daniel Farke himself has a sketchy track record in the Premier League, having picked up just six career wins at the tricky level, leading to speculation surrounding his future at Elland Road that he could be let go of despite successfully guiding the Whites up to the big-time.

To help in their mission to stay afloat, one of Leeds’ tactics in the summer transfer window could be to poach some of the Championship’s cream of the crop.

Who Leeds could sign this summer

Before looking to bring in some of the EFL’s very best, it might be a case that the Whites look at strengthening courtesy of some Premier League players.

Inevitably, rumours linking Kalvin Phillips with a return have been lingering in the background over the last few months, while last week, West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek has reportedly become a target for the club.

But, who else is on their radar?

Well, heading into the 2024/25 campaign, they were persistently linked with Sheffield United playmaker Gustavo Hamer.

Leeds would, of course, snap up Jayden Bogle from the Blades, but this other switch wouldn’t go ahead, with the ex-Coventry City attacker then going on to win the coveted prize of Championship’s Player of the Season at the EFL awards this weekend for his efforts under Chris Wilder’s wing.

Gaining such recognition could well reignite the promoted side’s interest, with Hamer now having to fight it out for a place in the Premier League next season via the playoffs.

It’s a move pundit Lee Hendrie thinks has legs too, telling Football League World: “Obviously (Leeds) were interested (in Hamer), and particularly if the Blades don’t go up, I think that is going to be the key factor, isn’t it? He’s a very good player, and he has had a lot of clubs that were sniffing around him, even before going to Sheffield United. He’s proven that he has got that x-factor, one of the better players in the Championship arguably, in that position, anyway.”

Why Hamer would be a major upgrade on Aaronson

Described as an “unbelievable” player by former teammate Oli McBurnie, signing Hamer could finally see Brenden Aaronson pushed to one side in Farke’s starting lineups.

Aaronson should be commended for slotting back into the Whites set-up this season after his time at Elland Road had become sour but that doesn’t mean an upgrade shouldn’t be sought once their Premier League return is here.

The 24-year-old was loaned out to Union Berlin for all of the 2023/24 season right after his side’s demise down to the EFL, only for the number 11 to notch up nine goals and two assists from 44 Championship appearances the following campaign back among the first-team fold.

Unfortunately for the rejuvenated USA international, he has endured a poor personal end to the season even as his side sit pretty in the league’s top two, with a mere two goal contributions falling his way in the Championship in 2025.

Whereas, Hamer – as seen via his sumptuous free-kick against Coventry back in March – has been a constant menace all campaign long for Wilder and Co, with four of his impressive 16 goal contributions in league action coming during United’s last six contests.

Championship games played

163

44

Premier League games played

36

36

Champ goals

26

9

Champ assists

31

2

PL goals

4

1

PL assists

7

3

Shades of a certain Pablo Hernandez – a goalscoring and creative midfielder, Hamer certainly blows Aaronson out of the water with his standout Premier League output.

While goals certainly haven’t been hard to come by for Leeds in 2024/25, he would be a welcome addition to Farke’s ranks if a move whirred back into motion, with Hamer more than comfortable as a number ten option to usurp his ex-Red Bull Salzburg counterpart.

Also equally as lively down the left where he’s predominantly starred this season at Bramall Lane, Hamer would potentially give Farke a whole host of options in attack ahead of the step-up in quality, with this signing one that would undoubtedly boost Leeds in their fight for instant survival.

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No team has ever successfully chased more than Sri Lanka’s 166 in a women’s T20I final

Sampath Bandarupalli28-Jul-20243 – Sri Lanka are only the third team to win the women’s T20 Asia Cup, after India and Bangladesh. India were victorious in 2012, 2016 and 2022, while Bangladesh won in 2018. India also won all four editions of the women’s ODI Asia Cup – 2004, 2005-06, 2006 and 2008.166 – Target that Sri Lanka chased on Sunday, the highest any team has successfully chased in a women’s T20I final. The previous highest was 149 by West Indies against Australia in the 2016 women’s T20 World Cup final.Related

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1 – The chase of 166 by Sri Lanka is their highest in women’s T20Is, bettering their chase of 156 against South Africa earlier this year. It is also the third-highest successful target chase by any team against India.1 – Sri Lanka also recorded the highest successful target chase in the women’s T20 Asia Cup, bettering the 142-run chase by Bangladesh in 2018 against India in Kuala Lumpur.ESPNcricinfo Ltd304 – Runs scored by Chamari Athapaththu in this Asia Cup – the second-most by any woman in a T20I series or tournament. The highest is 310 runs by Hayley Matthews during a three-match series against Australia last season.47 – Runs conceded by Radha Yadav in this match – the most by a bowler in a women’s T20 Asia Cup game. The previous highest was 45 by Aisya Eleesa against Sri Lanka earlier in this edition. The 47 runs by Radha are also the third-most conceded by an India bowler in a women’s T20I.26 – Fifty-plus scores for Smriti Mandhana in T20I cricket, the second-most by a woman, behind Suzie Bates (29). She surpassed Beth Mooney with her fifty on Sunday.5 – Number of fifty-plus scores for Mandhana in T20I knockout matches, the joint-most by any woman alongside Beth Mooney. Mandhana has three half-centuries in the T20I finals, one behind Mooney’s four.332 – Runs scored by Sri Lanka and India on Sunday in Dambulla. It is the highest aggregate for a women’s T20 Asia Cup game, bettering the 324 runs scored by India and UAE last Sunday.

Sydney Thunder make the record books for all sorts of unwanted reasons in their BBL game against Adelaide Strikers

Sampath Bandarupalli16-Dec-20221 – 15 all out is the lowest team total in men’s T20 cricket. Turkey’s 21 all out against Czech Republic in 2019 was the previous lowest.Related

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No team before Thunder have been dismissed below 50 in all these years of the Big Bash League.Thunder’s total was also the lowest in a men’s limited-overs game at the representative level, surpassing 18 all out by West Indies Under-19 against Barbados in the West Indies One-Day Cup game in 2007.5.5 – The number of overs the Thunder innings at Showground Stadium lasted, the shortest all-out innings in men’s T20s and the shortest in any format in men’s cricket. Turkey held the record when they were bowled out for 21 in 8.3 overs against Czech Republic in 2019.0 – Number of totals in any format in men’s cricket on Australian soil lower than Thunder’s 15 all out on Friday. Victoria were bowled out for 15 by England (then Marylebone Cricket Club) during a first-class match at Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1904.2 – Henry Thornton and Wes Agar became only the second pair to bag four-plus wickets in the same innings in the BBL. Nathan Lyon and Sean Abbott had taken four wickets each for Sydney Sixers against Brisbane Heat in the semi-final of the 2016-17 season.ESPNcricinfo Ltd3 – Runs conceded by Thornton, the fewest by any bowler during a five-wicket haul in the BBL. Only Lasith Malinga (6 for 7) for Melbourne Stars against Perth Scorchers in 2012-13 had conceded fewer than ten runs for a five-for. Thornton’s effort was also joint-second for the cheapest five-wicket hauls in men’s T20s, behind Tanzania bowler Yalinde Nkanya’s 5 for 2 against Cameroon last week.124 – Strikers’ margin of victory was the highest for any team with a first-innings total below 150 in men’s T20s. Only one team had won by more than 100 runs despite scoring below 150 in this format before, when North-West beat Boland by 105 runs after scoring 149 for 5 in the 2014 CSA Provincial T20 Challenge.5 – Catches for Harry Nielsen in the Thunder’s innings, equalling the BBL record for most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in an innings. Tom Triffitt of Scorchers had also taken five catches against Melbourne Renegades in 2012-13, while Jimmy Peirson had four catches and a stumping for Brisbane Heat against Strikers in 2019-20.4 – Runs by Brendan Doggett, the highest score in the Thunder innings. It is the lowest highest individual score in a completed innings in men’s T20s. The previous lowest was 7 by Turkey’s Hasan Helva against Luxembourg in 2019 and the Philippines’ Daniel Smith against Oman in 2022.

The CSK batsman gave a telling reminder to those who dumped him out of India’s 2019 World Cup squad

Sidharth Monga20-Sep-202022:10

Rayudu dominated Bumrah today – Gambhir

Two retirement announcements from Chennai Super Kings players dominated the airwaves this year. Both MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina received their deserved accolades, but it would be fair to say it was difficult to imagine either of them in an India shirt again. Compare that to a shocking announcement last year that failed to create a ripple.Ambati Rayudu should have been in England last July if it hadn’t been for the whimsical decisions of the national selectors and the team management. He had proven over 20 innings in six months that he was the man for the role in India’s middle order. He averaged 43 and struck at 84 in this period. He showed he could rebuild, he showed he could tackle spin, and he showed he could dominate when dominating was the need of the hour. Especially promising was his 90 to help India win from 18 for 4 in seaming conditions in their penultimate series before the World Cup. As it turned out, a similar scoreline against the same opposition knocked India out of the World Cup.Three lean scores in the next series, and Rayudu was dropped to accommodate KL Rahul, a player too good to leave out from many a side, but someone who wasn’t yet ready to play that middle-order role. Rayudu eventually was left out of India’s World Cup squad.Then Vijay Shankar, the “three-dimensional” player that led to Rayudu’s legendary “3d glasses” jibe at chief selector MSK Prasad, got injured. Surely you thought this was time for Rayudu? Apparently not. Then Shikhar Dhawan was ruled out of the World Cup. And India still found a way to keep out the one player who had proved himself in that specific middle-order role. He had lost out to a dashing wicketkeeper-batsman and another opener. Neither of them was 3D.Rayudu had had enough. In a huff, he announced he was retiring from all formats of cricket. He was 34 at that time, and wasn’t dealing with a career-threatening injury. There is no way a cricket employer should accept such a retirement from all cricket before giving the player proper counselling. This was the year 2019, not 1969.Ambati Rayudu hit a match-winning 48-ball 71•BCCINot long ago, Jimmy Neesham, a cricketer who found redemption at the same World Cup, thought he was done with the game. When he informed his players’ association that he had had enough of cricket, they convinced him to take a break from the game and then make a considered decision. During the break, he rediscovered his love for it and made a successful comeback. Rayudu didn’t have a player association to talk to, and his bosses at BCCI accepted the retirement with one sentence of appreciation.Rayudu has perhaps paid the price for his temper and his high emotions throughout his cricket career. While his outburst against Prasad’s selection of an unproven allrounder – nothing against Vijay Shankar – was refreshing in a cricket ecosystem where dissent is fraught with danger, you wonder how much part it played in his non-selection even after two vacancies showed up. India’s preferred No. 4 had gone to being persona non grata in one series before the big World Cup. Knowing Rayudu, that retirement call was not surprising.It is good, though, that Rayudu chose to make a comeback. A private person if ever there was one in Indian cricket, Rayudu has not credited anyone for influencing that rethink. Knowing the number of bridges he has burnt along the way, it is hard to see anyone outside that Super Kings set-up influencing that change of mind. If indeed it took an outsider. Rayudu just said he realised he loved the game too much to stop playing when he was still young and fit.On the evidence of Rayudu’s first big match back, he has made the absolute correct call. He walked in at 6 for 2 with the ball swinging and seaming, and then successfully took on Jasprit Bumrah and eliminated the threat of spin even before the dew came in to make their job even tougher. His 71 off 48 in a low-scoring match was head and shoulders above anyone involved in the game. The value of his innings is evident from how ESPNcricinfo’s Smart Stats adjust his absolute strike rate of 142.55 to a Smart Strike Rate of 157.32.Rayudu made sure Faf du Plessis’s anchor role didn’t hurt his side. His long stay at the wicket, and his favourable match-up against left-arm pace, meant Mumbai were forced to delay the return of Trent Boult to such an extent that Boult was left to bowl at the death, where he doesn’t usually do well. Rayudu’s coach at Super Kings, Stephen Fleming, put his comeback in perspective.”The last year was a difficult year for a number of players on the fringe of that World Cup squad,” Fleming said. “That occupied a lot of minds. Certainly with the form of some of our players this year, it is very much total commitment to CSK. Rayudu has been an emotional player throughout the years for us. He has been nothing short of fantastic. Again today he turned the game around. His experience, and also his skill set, was a major part for us to win today.”This was an innings of a free man. Someone who didn’t have to bother about the selectors and their thought process. It needn’t be so. Rayudu will only be 35 by the time the T20 World Cup rolls into India, Covid-19-permitting, next year. This IPL, where he will be the main man for Super Kings in Raina’s absence, is a great opportunity for him to leave the selectors and the India team management an uncomfortable poser. At least force them to come up with a new reason.

Lionesses and Tottenham Women's star Jessica Naz has been ruled out for the remainder of the season after suffering a devastating ACL injury – the second of her career. The 25-year-old limped off during Spurs’ Women’s Super League victory over Aston Villa on Sunday, and scans confirmed a rupture in the anterior cruciate ligament of her right knee.

• A heartbreaking repeat of 2019 ordeal

  Tottenham announced on Tuesday that Naz will undergo surgery, ending what had been a standout campaign. Her absence adds to a growing list of ACL casualties across the Women’s Super League, sparking fresh concerns over player welfare in the women’s game. Naz’s injury follows the sidelining of England team-mate Michelle Agyemang, Liverpool pair Marie Hobinger and Sophie Roman Haug, Aston Villa’s Jill Baijings, Arsenal goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger and Spurs midfielder Maite Oroz, all of whom suffered ACL tears in October. Arsenal teenager Katie Reid then sustained the same injury in November.

  For Naz, the news is especially cruel. Five years ago, she tore the ACL in her left knee during a pre-season camp in Spain, an injury that kept her out for around 18 months. Her return from that long rehabilitation was widely celebrated, and she has since become one of Tottenham’s most influential players. She has featured in all 10 of Spurs’ WSL matches this season, helping them to a strong fifth-place position just two points behind Chelsea in second.

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  Tottenham's statement on Naz

  Tottenham have said in an official statement: "We can confirm that Jessica Naz has suffered an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury in her right knee. The England international forward sustained the injury during the second half of Sunday’s Barclays Women’s Super League match against Aston Villa at Brisbane Road, and will undergo surgery. Jess will then commence her rehabilitation process with our medical staff. Everyone at the Club gives Jess their full love and support on her recovery journey."

• WSL grapples with unprecedented spike in ACL injuries

  While ACL injuries have plagued the women’s game for years, the frequency this season has alarmed medical experts. Urgent studies are being undertaken, including FIFA-funded research into whether hormonal cycles, training load, pitch type and fixture congestion are contributing factors.

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  Naz’s absence a huge blow as Spurs prepare for crucial fixtures

  Tottenham must now navigate the winter period without one of their most dynamic attackers. They face Manchester United in the WSL this weekend in a match that could shape the race for European qualification. The two sides will meet again shortly after in the League Cup quarter-finals before the season pauses for the winter break. Naz, who made her debut for the Lionesses in July 2024 and has since amassed six international caps, will play no part in any of those fixtures, and her road to recovery is expected to stretch well into next year. For a player who has already endured one long rehabilitation, the prospect of another gruelling recovery period is a harsh twist in a season that had promised so much.