Tag Futebol

Bangladesh sealed an innings-and-47-run win over Ireland inside four days in Sylhet, a victory built on Hasan Murad’s four-wicket haul and commanding centuries from Mahmudul Hasan Joy and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto. It was a team effort with almost everyone contributing to the win.Ireland’s only solace, perhaps, was keeping the home side waiting until 45 minutes after the lunch break on the fourth day, particularly after having lost half their side on the third evening. Andy McBrine struck a patient half-century, adding 66 runs for the seventh wicket with Andy Balbirnie, who came in at No. 8 due to a finger injury.Nahid Rana gave Bangladesh the breakthrough they wanted with the second ball after lunch. He banged one in slightly short, which McBrine went to pull, only to find Murad at midwicket. The left-hander fell for 52, having struck five fours in his 106-ball stay.Barry McCarthy and Jordan Neill kept the visitors alive briefly with a 54-run ninth-wicket stand. Neill made 36 with seven fours, while McCarthy, the last man out, struck a six and two fours in his 25.Earlier, the first session revolved around reviews that ultimately went Ireland’s way. It began with Matthew Humphreys in the day’s first over, overturning a decision through DRS. Taijul Islam removed him soon after, caught off a top edge at backward square-leg.McBrine survived twice in the same over against Mehidy Hasan Miraz, both by slim margins. Balbirnie enjoyed similar luck, though Murad eventually trapped him lbw for 38, the dismissal upheld on umpire’s call as the ball was projected to partially hit leg stump.McBrine reached his fifty just before lunch, capping off a fine session for the visitors.Ireland began their second innings facing a deficit of 301 runs. They lost five wickets on the third afternoon, although Paul Stirling fought hard for his 43, which included seven boundaries. But when the experienced right-hander was run out following a moment of hesitation, Ireland slipped further in the final hour. Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker were trapped lbw by Taijul and Murad respectively, while Shadman Islam’s excellent catch at cover ended Curtis Campher’s stay. It left Ireland with a mountain to climb on the fourth day.

Rain has been a consistent feature throughout the games in Colombo, and more of the same is expected on Friday

Madushka Balasuriya16-Oct-20253:33

South Africa find ways to win under pressure

Big picture There is hardly a conversation around Colombo these days that doesn’t involve the weather, and in the context of this World Cup, the rains have certainly played no small part in shaping the trajectories of a few of the sides.Pakistan notably suffered the most cruel fate, as a historic win over England was snatched away from them on Wednesday evening following a washout. Sri Lanka, however, have been on both sides of the coin. Against New Zealand, a spirited late charge led by Nilakshika Silva left them buoyant at the break only for rain to spoil a potential victory charge, but against Australia those same rains ensured a point in what would have been Sri Lanka’s toughest match this tournament.It’s meant that having faced arguably the four most challenging opponents at this tournament – India, Australia, England and New Zealand – in their first four matches, Sri Lanka have come away with two points despite having yet to register a win. It also means that with their remaining matches against sides they would have been more confident at taking on, Sri Lanka will know that a win on Friday will put them in with a very real chance of making an unlikely late semi-final dash.Related

'We know their strengths and weaknesses' – SA bank on tri-series experience for SL challenge

From bowler to blazer: Nilakshika Silva's 26-ball statement to the world

Fatima Sana – a captain burdened, a fast bowler unrestrained

England's lucky break masks deeper batting issues

A big-hitter in a small world – new-age Shorna turns heads

South Africa have looked every bit the dark horses they have been touted as. Following a chastening opening game defeat to England, they’ve won three on the bounce, most notably taking down India. And a win in Colombo will take them to eight points on the table, and see them have one foot in the semi-finals with two further games to play.But while the head-to-head record between South Africa and Sri Lanka in WODIs seems fairly one-sided – 16 wins and six defeats in favour of South Africa – their more recent record speaks towards a far more evenly matched contest with their past five matches since the start of 2024, seeing shared spoils at two wins apiece.Two of those games came at the R. Premadasa earlier this year, with each side winning one, so while this will be South Africa’s first game in Colombo at this World Cup, separating these two units might very well come down to the toss of a coin – or indeed the weather gods.Form guideSri Lanka LLLLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
South Africa WWLLW In the spotlight In six WODIs batting first at the Khettarama, Sri Lanka has crossed the 200 mark just twice – once in 1999 and once on Tuesday against New Zealand. Tuesday was also the first time they posted a first-innings total above 250 at the venue, a feat that would not have been possible if not for Nilakshika Silva’s blazing 55 off 28. Silva’s late career renaissance has seen her average 44.50 with a strike rate of 84.89 since the start of 2024, all while mostly batting at number six. Her 534 runs also makes her Sri Lanka’s third-most prolific batter behind Chamari Athapaththu and Harshitha Samarawickrama, during this period.Laura Wolvaardt has grown into this tournament. After poor showings against England and New Zealand, she played a pivotal role in their defeat of India before again providing a stable start in a chase against Bangladesh. This might not be particularly pleasing news to those of Sri Lankan persuasion, as Wolvaardt has long been a problematic opponent. In 10 WODIs against Sri Lanka, Wolvaardt has 546 runs at a staggering average of 91 and strike rate of 80.88. What’s more she’s been dismissed just six times over that period – a feat made more impressive as she opens the batting.The R Premadasa Stadium has been a frequent host to rains•Getty Images

Team news Sri Lanka changed up their bowling lineup in the previous game, but were unable to test it. With their batting finally clicking, it’s likely they name an unchanged XI.Sri Lanka (probable): Chamari Athapaththu (capt), Hasini Perera, Vishmi Gunaratne, Harshita Samarawickrama, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshika Silva, Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), Piumi Wathsala, Sugandika Kumari, Malki Madara, Inoka RanaweeraThere is something to be said for not changing a winning combination. So there might be not much by way of experimentation this game.South Africa (probable): 1 Laura Wolvaardt (capt), 2 Tazmin Brits, 3 Anneke Bosch, 4 Annerie Dercksen, 5 Marizanne Kapp, 6 Sinalo Jafta, 7 Chloe Tryon, 8 Nadine de Klerk, 9 Masabata Klass, 10 Nonkululeko Mlaba, 11 Tumi Sekhukhune Pitch and conditions Rain has been a regular Colombo patron as of late and Friday’s forecast shows that will likely continue to be the case, with showers expected during the afternoon and headed into the evening. The pitch conditions are expected to see batting getting trickier as the game goes on, with something in it for the seamers early before spin takes over. Stats and trivia Nilakshika Silva averages 46.25 against South Africa in seven innings, well above her career average of 29.27. Chamari Athapaththu is 12 runs away from 4000 WODI runs, and four wickets away from 50 WODI wickets. Wolvaardt’s 546 runs against Sri Lanka is the third-most against them by an active batter in WODIs, behind Suzie Bates (551) and Smriti Mandhana (622).Laura Wolvaardt has 546 runs against Sri Lanka•ICC/Getty Images

Quotes “We’re not thinking too far ahead, just taking it one game at at a time. The main focus is on taking the momentum from the last game into this one, and I think if we do that we can do well.” – “As a team we know the players, especially as a bowler. Where to bowl, where their strengths and weaknesses are. So we’re going in very positive.” –

Chris Sutton took aim at one Leeds United star after spotting an “odd” moment in the Whites’ dramatic 3-2 defeat at the hands of Manchester City.

Leeds lose late on at Man City

It was very nearly an unforgettable afternoon for Leeds, who came from behind to level things up at 2-2 in the second-half, courtesy of Lukas Nmecha’s reactions to rebound from his own penalty.

As so many have experienced at the Etihad over the years, however, it simply wasn’t to be for Daniel Farke’s men. The Citizens’ simply had too much quality and, for a split second, Phil Foden had too much time. The England international fired home his second goal of the day in the 91st minute to break Leeds’ hearts.

Upon reflection, Farke will be wishing that he started with Dominic Calvert-Lewin rather than setting up to frustrate Man City. It took just 59 seconds for Foden to give the hosts the lead, before Josko Gvardiol’s goal looked to be the beginning of a thrashing.

Farke soon changed things at the break, though, and Calvert-Lewin’s effort from the bench set the tone for Nmecha to then go and convert the rebound of his own spotkick.

The Yorkshire side certainly deserved at least a point, but simply felt the harsh reality of the Premier League in its full extent instead. From here, they must pick themselves up and go again against Chelsea at Elland Road.

Things won’t be getting any easier for a Leeds side who could be three points adrift of safety if other results go against them this weekend.

Chris Sutton, covering the game for BBC Sport, was particularly critical of Pascal Struijk in the first-half after spotting an “odd” moment from the Leeds defender.

Sutton slams "odd" Pascal Struijk moment

Taking aim, Sutton slammed Struijk for how he was “content” with entering the break at 2-0 down, wasting time at the end of the first-half. The defender’s aim was damage control and, to his credit, it worked in his favour as Leeds soon came from behind.

The moment, which sparked Sutton’s frustration, may well have helped Leeds stay in the game. It was an absolute onslaught from Man City in the first period and Farke desperately needed to get his side back into the game without letting the hosts out of sight. And the £50,000-a-week defender was well aware of that.

The visitors can take a lot of positives, despite their defeat. It’s very rare that sides come to the Etihad, find themselves 2-0 down and don’t find themselves on the end of a battering. Leeds, however, showed plenty of fight.

Leeds eyeing move for 4-3-3 Farke successor who has admirers at Elland Road

Danny Rohl’s start to life in charge of Glasgow Rangers on the European stage has not gone to plan so far, as he has lost both of his Europa League games without his side scoring a goal.

The former Sheffield Wednesday head coach, though, has inherited a team that struggled badly under Russell Martin, and will not have any of his own signings until the January transfer window.

Rohl took over from Martin after the Scottish manager only won five of his 17 games and one of his Scottish Premiership outings in the dugout for the Ibrox giants.

The German tactician has had an instant impact on the side in the Premiership. Rangers have won all three of their league games since his arrival at the club, and kept back-to-back clean sheets away from home.

A 3-0 win at Dens Park on Sunday means that the Light Blues can head into the final international break on a high, after goals from Nicolas Raskin, Mikey Moore, and Djeidi Gassama.

However, there are still some individuals within the squad who have been unable to step up. Bojan Miovski, for example, was hooked off at half-time against Dundee.

Why Rangers should be worried about Bojan Miovski

The Light Blus should be concerned by the Macedonia international’s dismal start to life at Ibrox, because he has yet to show any signs of replicating his form with Aberdeen.

Miovski was signed from Girona during the summer transfer window to bolster Martin’s options at the top end of the pitch, possibly because of his proven track record in Scottish football.

The left-footed forward’s return of 32 goals in 78 games in the Premiership for the Dons suggested that he was a safe and sensible signing to add goals to the Gers attack, but it has not played out that way.

Miovski has scored one goal in eight appearances in the top-flight for Rangers, against Falkirk, from an xG of 1.84, per FotMob, which suggests that he has underperformed as a finisher.

The Rangers centre-forward was given the nod to lead the line against Dundee at Dens Park, after coming off the bench against Roma last week, but he was unable to prove to Rohl that he deserves more starts on the other side of the international break.

Vs Dundee

Bojan Miovski

Minutes

45

Touches

14

Dribbles completed

0/0

Shots

0

Key passes

1

Big chances created

0

Duels won

2/8

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Miovski failed to register a single shot on goal in 45 minutes of action before being taken off at half-time. Whilst you could point to a lack of creativity behind him, his struggles in duels meant that he was unable to fashion chances for himself.

The Scottish giants, therefore, should be worried about the former Aberdeen marksman, because he has been at the club for several months now and is no closer to showing the kind of quality that earned him a good reputation in the Premiership in the past.

Miovski, though, was not the only Rangers player who failed to deliver an impressive performance in spite of the 3-0 victory against Dundee last time out.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Expand Collapse

Rohl must ruthlessly drop central midfielder Mohamed Diomande from the starting line-up when the Gers return to action on the other side of the international break, as he was just as bad as Miovski at Dens Park.

Why Rangers should drop Mohamed Diomande

The Ivorian midfielder was taken off by the German head coach at half-time, just as Miovski was, and was replaced by Scotland international Connor Barron.

Per Sofascore, Diomande lost 75% (3/4) of his duels in the opening 45 minutes of the game at Dens Park, which shows that he was too much of a lightweight in the middle of the park. That may have been why Rohl decided to take him off for Barron, who won 100% (2/2) of his duels in the second half.

The Rangers midfielder also failed to take any shots on goal, did not create any chances for his teammates, and did not attempt a single dribble, per Sofascore, which shows that he offered very little in midfield and was just as bad as Miovski, who was as ineffective in and out of possession.

Diomande, who was sent off against Genk in the Europa League in September, has endured a frustrating 2025/26 campaign after catching the eye with his impressive performances last term.

The left-footed star scored four goals and provided seven assists in 36 outings in the Premiership last season, but his form in and out of possession has dropped off a cliff this year.

Mohamed Diomande (Premiership)

24/25

25/26

Appearances

36

8

Sofascore rating

7.19

6.45

Goals

4

0

Key passes per game

1.2

0.5

Assists

7

0

Duels won per game

4.4

2.9

Ground duel success rate

57%

46%

Aerial duel success rate

48%

25%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, his defensive and offensive numbers are down across the board in the Premiership for the Gers, which shows that he has been unable to carry last season’s success over to the current one.

His underwhelming performance against Dundee on Sunday was simply the latest in a long line of disappointing performances from the central midfielder for the Light Blues in the 2025/26 campaign, as he has struggled in and out of possession throughout the season.

Given that Barron came on and showed great energy and desire to win 100% of his duels off the bench in the second half, Rohl should ruthlessly ditch Diomande from the starting XI for the clash with Livingston at Ibrox on the other side of the international break.

Related Rangers launch first enquiry to sign versatile defender who dominated Chermiti

The Gers desperately need reinforcements.

Posts ByTom Cunningham Nov 7, 2025

Miovski and Diomande both failed to offer enough quality on the pitch in the first half against Dundee, hence why they were hauled off at the break, and they should both lose their place in the starting line-up as a result of that.

Wayne Rooney has sought to bring an end to his supposed feud with Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk. The Manchester United legend has found himself caught up in a war of words with the Netherlands international, with the pair coming face-to-face during an awkward television exchange after Van Dijk helped Liverpool to a Champions League win over Real Madrid.

Van Dijk's reaction to 'lazy criticism' from Rooney

Ahead of that game, with the Reds having endured a testing run in the 2025-26 campaign, Rooney suggested that Van Dijk is among those to have allowed lofty standards to slip in a Premier League title defence. He is not the only prominent figure at Anfield to fall into that category.

The commanding centre-half is, however, club captain on Merseyside and is expected to lead by example – calling in-house meetings if required in a bid to get to the bottom of why a run of six defeats in seven was allowed to happen.

Van Dijk responded to comments from ex-England captain Rooney by saying: "I didn't hear him last year. It doesn't hurt me. Just to come back to this particular player, obviously a legend, a big player of the game who inspired so many, I can say only positive things but I feel that comment is just I would say it's a bit of a lazy criticism."

AdvertisementAFPLiverpool captain sent out for post-match press duty

Rooney doubled down on his claims, only to then be confronted by Van Dijk after the Dutchman was sent out for post-match press duty with after Liverpool battled to a 1-0 victory over Real Madrid in European competition. He said when picking up a microphone next to Rooney, with team gatherings at Anfield being addressed: "It is easy to say now because we won twice in a row that it helped pretty well but in a world of chaos you have to try and stay calm and take perspective of things. In that meeting the time was October, so much football to be played, so many twists and turns that can happen and I think at times the noise was a lot (said with a small smile on his face). I think it is very important to put things in perspective, keep your head down and work and get out the situation because the quality we have, that is not the issue. It is about keep working and keep going."

Rooney responds to awkward exchange with Van Dijk

Rooney looked slightly uncomfortable when being faced with Van Dijk, but told his podcast for : "I thought he was good that night, and I had loads of people say, 'Oh, when he came up to you,' I think fair play to him for coming out. We didn’t know he was coming out. It was meant to be [Dominik] Szoboszlai, I think, to come to the table. But I think fair play to him, he came out and he put his point across.

"Listen, Virgil van Dijk over the last five, four years has been one of, if not, the best centre-backs in the world, and his performances have dipped over the last few weeks.

"I’ve had my opinion on that; he has his own, which you have to respect. But when you’re the Premier League champions, teams are coming for you, and when you don’t win one game, people ask questions. So, when you don’t win four games in a row, of course, there are questions of the captain. I think I said it a few weeks ago on here, what he should be and he will be doing is getting the players together.

"I think he said that he got the players together and took them for a meal or something, trying to bring that chemistry back, and that’s what I was saying he should be doing as a captain, and he’s done that. It certainly seemed to help in the Madrid game. He’s a fantastic player, but he hasn’t started the season great. You want to see good players playing well, and he performed well [against Real Madrid]. So, for him, I’m sure for Liverpool, he hopes that continues."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

AFPLiverpool fixtures: Man City clash next up for the Reds

Rooney added after being asked when it became apparent that Van Dijk would be joining him for an on-air discussion: "When he was there, and I think it's great. No disrespect to Szoboszlai, but I'd rather speak to Van Dijk."

He went on to say: "I think the issue is, when you don't play well and you're not winning games, as Premier League champions, everyone's going to have an opinion. And, of course, when you're not playing well or you're not winning games that opinion, they're going to look at why and give their thoughts why. Liverpool can use this in two different ways: they can let it affect them or they can use it to spur them on.

"You look at Man United over the last few years, the criticism that they've had. I played the game, I was captain of England, captain of Man United. I got criticised for for all kinds. That's part of being a top player. You have to deal with that. You have to accept it at times. Listen, I was unfair with my comments, I'd be the first to hold my hands up. Same way I did with Man United when I had a rant about them and then they won games, and I come back on that. If I was unfair, I'd be fair to hold my hands up."

Rooney maintains that his comments were fair, with it the role of a pundit to offer opinions that may not be universally well received, and he will be an interested observer on Sunday when Van Dijk and Liverpool head to the Etihad Stadium for a heavyweight showdown with old adversaries Manchester City.

Erling Haaland became the fastest player ever to score 100 Premier League goals as he struck the opening goal in Manchester City's epic 5-4 win at Fulham on Tuesday. The Norwegian hitman reached a century of goals in 111 games, smashing Alan Shearer's previous record of 100 strikes in 124 matches.

Haaland brings up PL century versus Fulham

Haaland went into the match failing to score in successive games for the first time this season following blanks at Newcastle and against Leeds, having also not struck as a substitute in the Champions League against Bayer Leverkusen. But, after hitting the post with a clear opening early in the game, he ended his mini-drought by finding the net in the 17th minute at Craven Cottage to write yet another page in the Premier League history books.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportHaaland the 35th player to score 100 PL goals

Haaland lashed in a cut-back from Jeremy Doku with his favoured left foot to break the deadlock against Fulham, scoring for the seventh time in seven games against the Cottagers. He is only the 35th player to reach 100 Premier League goals. And given that he is only 25 and has a contract with City until 2034, he is well placed to join Wayne Rooney, Harry Kane and Alan Shearer as the only players to have scored 200 or more Premier League goals. 

'Nice to join 100 club'

It was an unforgettable night for Haaland and City, and not just because of the 100th goal. City marched into a 5-1 lead early in the second half thanks to two goals from Phil Foden, one from Tijjani Reijnders and an own goal by Sander Berge but then conceded three times to set up an enthralling finish. They eventually clung on to take all three points.

"It's huge and I'm really proud. It's a massive thing, the 100 club is a nice thing to be in and I'm happy," Haaland told . "I knew about it, that's what I tried to do. I try to help the team scoring goals, that's my job. Every game is a different game, you can't think of the game that's been, you need to focus on what's ahead. 

"The reality is we lost against Newcastle and Leverkusen but now we have two in a row and we have to keep going. I think if you're sitting at home now you enjoyed that game. It was a crazy game, nine goals is a lot. In the end, we win and we're happy but it's not the best win."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

GettyShearer believes Haaland will break all-time PL record

Haaland wrote Premier League history by scoring 36 goals in his very first season with City, beating Alan Shearer and Andy Cole's tally of 34 strikes in a single campaign which had stood for 28 years.

And the former Newcastle and Blackburn Rovers striker, who celebrated when second-top scorer Kane left for Bayern Munich in 2023 as it meant his record was safe, is resigned to the fact that the Norwegian will eventually usurp him as the league's record marksman.

"Yes, Haaland is the perfect centre-forward. His record is phenomenal, appetite to score is fantastic. I love it," Shearer, who scored 260 Premier League goals, told "He’s quick, strong, agile, he reacts quicker than most around the six-yard box which is impressive and his ability to put the ball in the back of the net is magnificent.  

"Haaland could definitely break my Premier League goal record. There’s no doubt that if he does another seven or eight years, maybe even less then he’ll have a brilliant chance of breaking it. But there’s so many ifs and different things that could happen to that."

Asked about toppling Shearer's all-time record, Haaland said: "I know about it but I don't think too much about it."

The 21-year-old left-arm spinner has made a steady start but he’s aiming for a big performance in the upcoming domestic season

Ashish Pant28-Aug-2025Day one of the 2025-26 Duleep Trophy. A green top underfoot. Cloudy skies overhead. Mohammed Shami and Mukesh Kumar in the starting XI.When East Zone captain Riyan Parag won the toss and bowled first against North Zone, he would have expected his pace spearheads to cause early damage. Instead, it was a little known left-arm spinner from Jharkhand, Manishi, who cut through the top order to give his team the upper hand at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence on the outskirts of Bengaluru.By the time Manishi came on to bowl the 15th over, the North Zone openers Ankit Kumar and Shubham Khajuria, had put on 49 runs in 84 balls. But that solid start was about to unravel.Related

Arshdeep fine-tunes red-ball skills by learning to enjoy the 'boring times'

'Cricket's just a game' – How Tanmay Agarwal's new mindset is fuelling his run spree

Mohammed Shami revs it up on red-ball return

Manishi’s first ball was loopy and full from around the wicket. Ankit tried to sweep but did not account for the drift into him and was lbw. A few overs later, Khajuria went back to a skiddy length ball, played all around it and was lbw too. And after a 67-run stand between Yash Dhull and Ayush Badoni, Manishi came back and dismissed Dhull minutes before lunch, beating him in the flight to pick up a third lbw.From 49 for 0, North Zone slipped to 133 for 3, and a 21-year-old left-arm spinner had played the lead role when that never was the plan.”Initially, our thinking was that it is a green wicket, so I was asked to be more of a supportive bowler, you know, when the fast bowler needs rest, I can come and bowl four to five overs,” Manishi told ESPNcricinfo after play on day one. “But when I got the wicket on the very first ball, I could attack a little more.”I noticed that my quicker deliveries were coming on to the bat nicely. I was just trying to vary my pace so that the batter’s footwork does not remain the same. Yash Dhull hit me for a couple of sixes as well, but ensured I did not deviate from my lengths, and I got my wickets.”Manishi is playing only his ninth first-class game. He comes from a middle-class family and grew up in Jamshedpur, in Jharkhand, where he attended various coaching academies and was initially a batter. Watching videos of Daniel Vettori, Rangana Herath and Ravindra Jadeja, however, got him interested in the art of left-arm spin. His action is classical, in the mould of Herath, whom he greatly admires. Manishi eases through his delivery stride and relies on drift and variation in pace, rather than mystery.Manishi picked up three wickets on the first day•PTI It was this drift that earned Manishi his first big moment, when Jharkhand was playing Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy, in November 2024. A bat-pad catch at forward short leg. The wicket of Cheteshwar Pujara in his fifth first-class game.”It’s an interesting story,” Manishi said. “I saw two of Pujara’s previous matches and noticed he was out jabbing to short leg each time. The wicket [in Ranchi] was similar to this here [in Bengaluru]. As soon as Pujara walked out, I asked Sharandeep Singh [my Jharkhand team-mate] to be ready at short leg.”The first ball I bowled to Pujara was a bat-pad that went over Sharandeep’s head. Pujara then hit me through the covers. But then I went slightly wide on the angle and got the inside-edge with the catch landing in short leg’s hands.”Manishi was 20 when he made his first-class debut, but with senior pro Shahbaz Nadeem and Anukul Roy in the Jharkhand side, it took him close to two years to play his second game. He had also come close to making it to the 2020 Under-19 World Cup but failed to make the cut.After Nadeem retired, Manishi got his chance and was Jharkhand’s second highest wicket-taker in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy – 22 wickets in 11 innings at an average of 27.22. It earned him a place in the East Zone team for the Duleep Trophy, but he’s set higher standards for himself.Cheteshwar Pujara with Manishi during a Ranji Trophy game in November 2024•ESPNcricinfo”If you want to play just Ranji Trophy, then it’s a good season, but if you want to play for India, then it’s just an okay season,” he said. “You see Harsh Dubey, he got 70 [69] wickets in the last season. He got into the limelight because of that, got an IPL contract, played for India A, got into the scene.”My next target is a solid Ranji season where I can get close to 40-50 wickets. That is what will add to my portfolio. My other aim is also to contribute with the bat. I scored a few runs last season, but I want to improve on that this time, score 250 runs in the season.”Manishi finished his first day in the Duleep Trophy with figures of 3 for 90 in 19 overs, as North Zone ended on 308 for 6. He’s not going to chase a maiden five-for in first-class cricket though.”I will just try and be accurate and if someone misses, I have the chance to get two or three wickets. And if seven or eight wickets are down, I might even get a chance to bowl at Arshdeep [Singh] or Harshit Rana. Let’s see.”

Bumrah and Hardik went full-tilt at the nets, while Suryakumar eased himself back into post-surgery rhythm

Shashank Kishore05-Sep-202513:47

Runorder: What is India’s best XI for the Asia Cup?

“Stiff legs,” Shubman Gill teased, as Jasprit Bumrah darted around the ICC Academy Oval in Dubai – sprinting, diving and cutting off angles, much to the delight of fielding coach T Dilip. Bumrah jokingly waved Gill away as he continued his drills.Watching and clapping from afar was Sanju Samson, meditatively cross-legged after 30 minutes of batting in shirt-soaking humidity. It was well past 7pm, but the temperature was still hovering around 38 degrees Celsius.Samson was one of many India batters who had multiple stints at the nets. And much to the curiosity of those gathered, his stints came alongside those of Jitesh Sharma, with whom he will likely compete for a spot during India’s playing XI in the Asia Cup 2025. Jitesh, for what it’s worth, also got through a proper keeping workout – catches, drills, footwork – while Samson watched on.Related

• Start time pushed back by half an hour due to UAE heat

• India likely to play Asia Cup without team sponsor

• All you need to know about the men's T20 Asia Cup

Perhaps Jitesh was making up for lost time. His most recent bout of competitive cricket was in June, at the Vidarbha Pro T20, soon after a memorable IPL-winning campaign with Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Maybe Samson was saving his legs after playing four games back-to-back only last week at the Kerala Cricket League. Either way, Friday’s vibe was more first day of school than selection day.Long before they got to the nets, the team got through warm-up stretches, shuttle runs, high knees and soft throws, with trainer Adrian Le Roux often reminding them: “75% intensity!” (though Bumrah seemed to ignore that memo when he steamed in, full throttle, to Gill in the nets a little later).File photo: Jasprit Bumrah steamed in full throttle to Shubman Gill in the nets•Getty ImagesAfter the fitness drills, all the batters (and Varun Chakravarthy) spent extensive time – upwards of 30 minutes – alternating between nets. A ball after being smashed through the covers off a half-volley, Bumrah bowled the perfect nip-backer to beat Gill. The cat-and-mouse game between the two was just getting started.Gill batted alongside Suryakumar Yadav, who was searching for his rhythm following a spell away recuperating from sports hernia surgery, and Jitesh. Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma had come out before them, armed with several bats, each seemingly meatier than the other, and went hammer and tongs.Alongside Bumrah, there was Hardik Pandya, – hair coloured blonde – who bowled 20 minutes non-stop at high pace. Also noticeable from afar was the attention India gave to Shivam Dube and Abhishek, the bowlers.While Abhishek bowled a mixture of traditional left-arm spin, wrist spin and his backspinner, bowling coach Morne Morkel kept a close eye on Dube’s action and delivery stride.

Indian team arrives for their first training session at the ICC Academy. pic.twitter.com/ZRsEOsvZ8Q

— Shashank Kishore (@captainshanky) September 5, 2025