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Nottingham Forest are now reportedly willing to pay as much as £26m to complete the signing of a “superb” midfielder this summer.

Nottingham Forest confirm exit & Sels up for award

The Reds are preparing for the new Premier League season, but one player who has sealed a move away from the club is youngster Dale Taylor.

The 21-year-old attacker has completed a permanent move to Blackpool from Forest, with Head of Football Development & Talent Management, Craig Mulholland, wishing him well upon his departure.

“We are delighted to see Dale get such a positive move. His development journey at Forest has been strong and it is credit to Dale, and all of the excellent staff who have worked with him along the way. We have agreed a deal which is great for Dale, Blackpool and also provides us with a positive return on the investment the club has made over many years.”

In other Forest news, goalkeeper Matz Sels’ superb 2024/25 campaign has been rewarded with a nomination for the prestigious Lachine Trophy – an award given to the best ‘keeper in Europe over a 12-month period. The likes of Alisson and Gianliugi Donnarumma are also up for the prize, among others.

Nottingham Forest eye £26m move for midfielder

In terms of transfer news, Sky Italia [via Sport Witness] claim that Nottingham Forest are happy to pay £26m to sign AC Milan midfielder Yunus Musah this summer.

The Reds are intending to “close the deal quickly”, securing the services of the 22-year-old in time for the start of the 2025/26 season.

Musah has the ability to be a brilliant signing for Forest if they agree to sign him, with the USA international already achieving so much in his career.

Hudson-Odoi 2.0: Nottingham Forest in talks to sign "outstanding" £35m star

Nottingham Forest are targeting attacking reinforcements

ByJoe Nuttall Aug 7, 2025

The midfielder has already made 153 appearances in La Liga and Serie A combined, as well as winning 47 caps for his country, and scout Jacek Kulig has described him as “superb” in the past, too.

Forest need to add depth in the middle of the park, as they look to tackle both Premier League and European commitments this season, and Musah could be ideal, providing strong competition for the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White, Elliot Anderson and Nicilas Dominguez.

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The American is still so young, despite already picking up a huge amount of experience, and he would feel like a statement signing by Nuno’s side, having made seven Champions League appearances for Milan last season.

Wayne Rooney has explained how a Liverpool legend left him “fuming”, with the Manchester United icon forcing change in the England camp.

• Made senior international debut in 2003
• Unhappy with decor at St George's Park
• Became a Three Lions legend himself

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Rooney made his senior debut for the Three Lions in 2003 after bursting onto the scene at Everton, with a record-breaking transfer to Old Trafford being completed in the summer of 2004. He would go on to make history with the Red Devils and England.

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• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The captain’s armband was passed his way with club and country, with Rooney setting the kind of standards that made him a natural fit for leadership duties. He always ensured that his focus was never diverted by matters off the field.

• WHAT ROONEY SAID

  That included making staff at St George's Park take down a picture in his room that ruffled a few feathers. Speaking on podcast, the former frontman said: “We’d always have the same room. And when I first went in they had a picture of an ex-England legend or whatever, up in your room.

  “So I walked in and it was Kevin Keegan, so I was fuming. There was no way I’m going to bed every night with an ex-Liverpool legend picture on my wall. So I made them take it down. They took it down anyway and I went back to my room and they put one up of myself!”

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Rooney is an England legend in his own right, with 120 caps earned over the course of 15 years – placing him second on the all-time appearance list. He also plundered 53 goals, with that tally only being bettered by current skipper Harry Kane.

Everton are one of the clubs in the mix to sign a “brilliant” former Premier League player on a free transfer this summer, according to a new report.

Everton left-back signs new deal

The Blues may be looking at signing experienced players this summer, but retaining the services of their most exciting players is also of the utmost importance.

One big positive has emerged in that respect, with Everton left-back Josh van Schoor signing his first professional contract at the club, keeping him on Merseyside until the summer of 2027.

The 18-year-old is clearly delighted to have committed his future to the Blues, speaking about the new deal and calling it a “really special” moment for him.

“It’s a really special moment for me and my family. It’s something you work towards your whole life, and as a little lad you dream about it, so to sign is a very proud moment. When you’re working hard towards things, and then again over the past few years when you’re so close, to finally achieve it is a very good moment. Last season was good, I think I really found a good bit of form and captained the side a few times as well, which was really good for me.”

Everton keeping tabs on "brilliant" free agent

According to a fresh report from Caught Offside, Everton are also “keeping close tabs” on former Tottenham left-back Sergio Reguilon, who is available on a free transfer after leaving Spurs last month, having been on loan at Manchester United.

Bournemouth and West Ham are also mentioned in the update, with the Hammers mentioned as the “most enthusiastic” among the three Premier League clubs.

Reguilon could be an astute addition for Everton between now and the beginning of the new Premier League season, possessing lots of experience at a high level and no doubt wanting to get his career back on track, following a nomadic spell of late.

The 28-year-old has tasted victory against the Blues before, scoring in a 5-0 win for Spurs back in 2021/22, and Noel Whelan once called him “brilliant”, also saying:

“I’ve been an admirer of Reguilon for some time. He really stamped his authority on the game and grabbed the winner to show what a quality player he is.”

At 28, Reguilon is far from an ageing player, so he should be able to be a good player for Everton for the next four or five years, and the fact that he has Premier League experience is an added bonus.

Everton in active talks to sign "amazing" £20m+ Olympic Gold medallist

The Toffees want proven Premier League experience…

BySean Markus Clifford Jul 14, 2025

The Spaniard could come in and provide stiff competition for Vitalii Mykolenko at left-back, giving the Blues two great options in that position.

England will consider Joe Root and Ben Stokes for their 2025 Champions Trophy squad despite neither playing a 50-over match since last year’s World Cup. Root (rested) and Stokes (injured) are not involved in September’s five-match ODI series against Australia, and will both miss November’s tour to West Indies due to England’s Test tours to Pakistan and New Zealand.The Champions Trophy will begin in mid-February in Pakistan, with England due to play three ODIs in India at the start of that month as preparation. Those fixtures will be the only opportunities that Root, Stokes and other all-format players like Chris Woakes and Mark Wood have to play 50-over cricket before the tournament.”We’ll want to be as strong as possible,” Luke Wright, England’s selector, said at Lord’s on Tuesday. “There’s no Test cricket around at that point, so it gives us an opportunity to play our strongest team. The schedule over this next period up until Christmas is crazy, so there will be opportunities for guys to stake their claim. But come the Champions Trophy, we will be able to pick our strongest side.”Root (Paarl Royals) and Stokes (MI Cape Town) have both signed up for the SA20, which runs from January 9 until February 8. They are both likely to miss January’s T20I series in India but will arrive for the ODIs – which start on February 6 – if they are selected.Root struggled for form at the World Cup after hardly playing 50-over cricket in the build-up, averaging 30.66 as England crashed out with three wins in nine group-stage games. He will face a similar challenge at the Champions Trophy but Wright defended the decision to rest him against Australia, saying England have “asked a lot of Joe” across his international career.”He’s given a lot to English cricket,” Wright said. “There’s no reason why he can’t then come into the major tournaments… we know how important Joe is to the England team. He also offers us [something] with the ball as well, and there’s not many that do that… With someone like Joe, we’ve got to look after him, we don’t want him to burn out.”On the difficulties of adjusting to a format that English players hardly play, Wright said: “It’s a challenge for everyone, isn’t it? And even more so for us in England… Those top players are able to adapt as well as possible, as I don’t think it’s as big a problem for them as it would be for some of the others. That’s why it’s great to get that cricket into some of the younger guys.”Related

• Morgan wants Root, Stokes in England squad for Champions Trophy 2025

• Flintoff to fill in for Trescothick ahead of England's third Test against Sri Lanka

• Jonny Bairstow hits first first-class hundred since 2022 as Yorkshire dominate

• England hand Bethell, Hull, Mousley maiden white-ball call-ups

• Why England should back Sam Curran for T20I middle-order spot

England have dropped Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow from both their T20I and ODI squads, though Wright denied that their international careers are now over. “They’re disappointed to miss out,” he said. “I certainly won’t be saying that that’s the end for them. They’re fine cricketers, but right now, we just want to give some other opportunities.”They have picked three uncapped players for September’s Australia ODIs – Jacob Bethell, Josh Hull and John Turner. “It’s nice for guys to get 50-over cricket under their belts: we don’t play much of it,” Wright said. “I don’t decide the schedule so I’ve just got to make the best of what we can and we try to do that, but also try to make sure we’re looking after players’ welfare.”Jos Buttler has retained the captaincy despite England losing their status as world champions in both white-ball formats in the past 10 months, with Matthew Mott instead paying the price. Buttler is under pressure heading into September’s series, and looks set to hand the gloves to Phil Salt during the three T20Is – though is likely to keep wicket in the five ODIs.Buttler kept wicket at June’s T20 World Cup, but may field at mid-off to be near his bowlers in the absence of Moeen and Chris Jordan. “It is something that he’s considering,” Wright said. “It’s something he’s open to. He’s spoken about that before, the need to be in the field and be with the bowlers at times. It’s something that could easily happen in this Australia series.”Among Buttler’s biggest challenges is to restore some energy to the white-ball set-up, after two disappointing World Cup campaigns. “I wouldn’t say [things have been] stale,” Wright said. “Those guys have given us some of the best times we’ve had in white-ball cricket. It’s life… It’s a great time now: without a World Cup just round the corner as there hasn’t been for a while is an opportunity to blood some new players.”England have generally stuck to the tried and tested in white-ball cricket but September’s squad represents a shake-up. “We haven’t needed to [take risks in selection] with the white-ball team,” Wright said. “They’ve been one of the outstanding teams. We’re very lucky to have had that team for such a long time.”Now feels like the right time to have a few more picks in there, and look probably for the future as well. It’s an exciting time for everyone to watch and see how that builds going forward.”

Matthew Breetzke 94 in vain as home side get home in shortened chase

ECB Reporters Network14-Jun-2024

Aneurin Donald smashed 68 from 26 balls•Getty Images

Derbyshire 123 for 3 (Donald 68) beat Northamptonshire 193 for 8 (Breetzke 94, Dupavillon 3-43) by 24 runs (DLS method) A brilliant innings from Aneurin Donald gave Derbyshire Falcons a 24 run win over Northants Steelbacks under Duckworth Lewis Stern in the North Group match at Derby.Donald smashed eight sixes in a 26-ball 68, equalling his own record for Derbyshire’s fastest T20 fifty, to put Falcons ahead of the run rate on 123 for 3 after 11 overs when a violent thunderstorm ended the game.Matthew Breetzke batted superbly to score a T20 best 94 from 54 balls, sharing a stand of 81 with Sikandar Raza, as Steelbacks reached 193 for 8.Rain left Falcons with a revised target of 187 from 19 overs but Donald’s demolition shredded the bowling before David Lloyd (33), and Cam Fletcher kept the home side ahead of the game before the heavens opened.Steelbacks scored only six from the first two overs which included a maiden from Daryn Dupavillon before Breetzke took three fours from Pat Brown.Ricardo Vasconcelos was dropped at cover by Samit Patel off Brown but it did not prove costly as the opener was comprehensively yorked in the fourth over by DuPavillion.Breetzke was finding his range and pulled Zak Chappell into the car park before David Willey dished out the same treatment to Dupavillon. But Dupavillon had the last word by getting Willey to miscue a drive low to mid-off as Steelbacks ended the powerplay on 55 for 2.After a brief stoppage for a sharp shower, Breetzke and Ravi Bopara worked the ball around without taking risks and had put on 48 from 36 balls when Falcons made a big breakthrough.Bopara tried to launch Mitch Wagstaff over the midwicket boundary only for Ross Whiteley to take a well judged catch just inside the ropes.But Breetzke and Raza trod on the accelerator to plunder 79 in five overs as the ball disappeared to all parts. After Breetzke reached 50 from 36 balls, he pulled Brown for six and dispatched Ross Whiteley for another maximum before Raza launched Chappell over the ropes.Breetzke passed his previous highest T20 score of 80 by taking three consecutive fours off Dupavillon before a yorker ended a thrilling innings.Brown and Chappell dragged it back by conceding only 11 from the last two overs in which Steelbacks lost four wickets trying to push towards 200.Falcons needed a fast start and Donald delivered, driving Willey straight for six and pulling and driving Ben Sanderson for two more as they raced to 50 in the fifth over.Donald pulled Raphy Weatherall into the home dugout and smashed a Saif Zaib full toss for six before he launched a no-ball over deep midwicket to reach 50 from 19 balls.He hammered two more off Freddie Heldreich before holing out to long-off in the seventh over but he had done exactly what the situation demanded.Bopara had Wayne Madsen caught behind and Patel was caught at deep square but the Falcons had done enough by the time torrential rain ended the contest.

Tottenham Hotspur are now seen as the favourites to sign a highly-rated forward, despite his agent’s talks with London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea.

Daniel Levy gifted Spurs transfer boost after Europa League triumph

Spurs’ triumph in the Europa League final last week stands to seriously benefit the Lilywhites in far more ways than ending their long wait for silverware.

Salah-like forward considers joining Tottenham as contract expires in 2025

Spurs have an opportunity to strike a bargain deal.

ByEmilio Galantini May 28, 2025

While Ange Postecoglou fulfilled his promise of ‘always’ winning silverware during his second season in charge, subsequently ending Spurs’ 17-year wait for a major trophy, chairman Daniel Levy will also have a much easier task when it comes to attracting the club’s top transfer targets.

Son Heung-min

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James Maddison

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Pedro Porro

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Dominic Solanke

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Dejan Kulusevski

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via WhoScored

The north Londoners are reportedly set to receive £38 million in prize money from winning the Europa League, and will earn at least £15.7 million from qualifying for the Champions League, even if they lose every game and go out in the group phase (Sky Sports).

The boost is clear from a financial perspective, but Spurs’ place in the Champions League draw next term now suddenly makes the club a far more attractive landing spot for big-name players.

As reliably reported, Tottenham are aiming to sign more experienced players this summer (BBC), and their European status makes this objective all the more possible.

This is especially true when it comes to Bayern Munich star Leroy Sane, who is out of contract beyond June 30, with Sky Sports reporting earlier this week that Postecoglou’s side have now been offered his services.

The 29-year-old is a proven attacking star at the highest level and possesses great Premier League experience from his time at Man City.

Since departing Eastlands for Bavaria, he’s racked up 61 goals and 55 assists in 220 appearances at Bayern, with 27 of those goal contributions coming in the Champions League.

Some may even suggest he is exactly the calibre of player needed to bolster Spurs’ inexperienced squad.

Tottenham favourites to sign Leroy Sane ahead of Chelsea and Arsenal

Arsenal and Chelsea have been linked with a move for Sane within the past few months, but Tottenham’s Europa League win has now catapulted them into pole position.

That is according to Sport Bild, who report that Tottenham are ahead of both Chelsea and Arsenal in the race for Sane, despite the latter two sides holding talks with his agent, Pini Zahavi.

Discussions over a new deal for Sane have stalled recently, thanks in part to the £242,000-per-week winger appointing Zahavi, but the representative travelled to Munich this week for another meeting with Bayern regarding the player’s future.

For this reason, we advise an err of caution when it comes to Sane. There is reason to believe this flirting with Premier League sides could simply be a ploy to encourage improved terms from Bayern, and Levy won’t want to be embroiled in a dramatic transfer saga.

It’s no secret that Manchester United have fallen way below the high standards they’ve set for themselves this season, currently occupying a place in the bottom half of the Premier League.

The Red Devils are set for their lowest ever points tally and league finish of the Premier League era, with boss Ruben Amorim desperately needing to make changes next year if he’s to be a success at Old Trafford.

The forward line has certainly contributed to their recent failures, netting just 42 goals in their 36 outings, with Bruno Fernandes their current top scorer on just eight goals.

Strikers Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee have only managed to find the back of the net seven times between them, highlighting the lack of attacking threat within the current squad.

However, the upcoming transfer window hands boss Amorim the perfect opportunity to improve the situation, with a new talisman needing to be at the top of his list this summer.

United’s hunt for a new striker this summer

With the transfer window rapidly on the horizon, United have already wasted no time in pursuing potential targets to strengthen the options at the manager’s disposal.

The likes of Liam Delap, Matheus Cunha and Victor Osimhen have all been touted with a summer switch to Old Trafford, but no deals have yet been completed for any of the aforementioned trio.

However, another name has entered the frame in the form of Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres, with a potential reunion on the cards with Amorim, according to CaughtOffside.

The report claims that the Red Devils are preparing an offer for the 26-year-old Swedish international, who’s managed to register a staggering 52 goals in his 50 appearances throughout 2024/25.

It also confirms that Arsenal and Liverpool are in the race for his signature this window, with the hierarchy needing to work tirelessly to avoid missing out on him to a divisional rival.

Why United’s latest target would be perfect alongside Amad

The Europa League final next week hands United a golden opportunity to end the season on a high, whilst also securing their place in the Champions League for 2025/26.

Amorim’s side must be fully focused on such an occasion, especially considering there is no longer anything to play for in the Premier League.

If they are to go beat Tottenham Hotspur for the first time this season and claim European glory, Amad Diallo will be a key reason, with his success this campaign nothing short of remarkable.

He’s registered 18 combined goals and assists across all competitions despite missing a large chunk of the year through an ankle issue, which required surgery.

However, he’s back and ready for action, with a fully fit 22-year-old a prospect to fear for any opposition, as seen by his contributions throughout 2024/25.

Such figures could fall perfectly into the hands of Gyokeres should he make the switch to Old Trafford, with his goalscoring tally undoubtedly improving the situation Amorim has on his hands.

The Swede, who’s been labelled “one of the best strikers in Europe” by Fabrizio Romano, has also managed to register 4.4 shots per 90, with 2.5 of which going on target – showcasing his clinical nature in the final third.

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He’s also created 2.1 chances per 90 to date, along with a 52% aerial success rate, handing the side an all-round option at the top end of the pitch, which could allow Amad to increase his own tallies.

It’s unclear how much the Red Devils are set to bid for his services this summer, but it would be a phenomenal piece of business that would see the talisman link up with his former boss.

Given the interest elsewhere, the hierarchy will have to jump ahead of the opposition and make him their number one target, with Gyokeres having the tools to thrive in the Premier League and take the club back to where they belong.

He'd be amazing with Cunha: Man Utd prepare £65m bid for "sensational" star

Manchester United could land a star who would be perfect alongside Matheus Cunha at Old Trafford.

ByEthan Lamb May 15, 2025

Only the most unbelievable of relegation escapes would suffice if Ipswich Town are to survive in the Premier League past this season, with the Tractor Boys now looking dead set on an instant return to the Championship.

A mammoth 12 points now separates the Suffolk strugglers from 17th placed Wolverhampton Wanderers, who managed to sneak away from the relegation zone even further when beating Kieran McKenna’s lowly men 2-1 last time out.

The 10 best relegation escapes in Premier League history

As Ipswich look to pull off a great escape, here are some of the Premier League’s best survival stories.

By
Stephan Georgiou

Apr 3, 2025

Despite all the obvious negativity that’s hanging in the air at Portman Road, there have been some positive performers during Ipswich’s fleeting top-flight voyage, with left-back star Leif Davis managing to stand out.

Davis' Premier League heroics

The ex-Leeds United defender would have entered into the promised land of the Premier League eager to prove himself, having torn the EFL to shreds with sensational attacking displays season after season.

After all, during his side’s automatic promotion heroics up to the top division, Davis would amass a staggering 21 assists and two goals from 43 clashes, meaning he could potentially take the next step-up in his stride.

Whilst his numbers haven’t quite been as jaw-dropping in the elite league, Davis has shown bursts of his sublime quality in his new and tricky surroundings, with this well-executed volley pulled off against Leicester City one of four goal contributions he’s managed to tally up in the league for his relegation-doomed outfit.

There could well be some parties sniffing around for the Newcastle-born full-back’s services come this summer, therefore, with reports even wildly suggesting that Juventus are taking a look at the assist machine as a fresh option down the left.

Sinking back down to the second tier will bring about waves of uncertainty, but McKenna doesn’t need to be overly worried about what happens down the left-flank next campaign, with a new Davis-style defender already emerging at Portman Road.

McKenna's next Davis in the making

Even with a bruising relegation looking likely to take place, Ipswich should be well equipped enough to mount an instant promotion charge based on the talent at McKenna’s disposal.

That should be the case even if Davis does depart, with former West Bromwich Albion man Conor Townsend already proving to Tractor Boys supporters that he can be equally sharp in the attacking areas when assisting Liam Delap for this breakaway strike away at AFC Bournemouth.

Whilst he isn’t a spring chicken anymore at 32 years of age, the reserve full-back has still managed to fill in competently in Davis’ absence over the last couple of top-flight encounters, with six duels also successfully won against the Old Gold despite the crushing final scoreline.

Moving away from his top-flight output, however, and Townsend could be the real deal for McKenna’s men back down in the Championship, with the Ipswich number 22 a consistent top performer for the Baggies when last strutting his stuff at the level.

Townsend’s G/A record by season at West Brom
Season	Games played	Goals scored	Assists
23/24	46	0	5
22/23	48	3	3
21/22	44	0	2
20/21	27	0	2
19/20	30	1	1
18/19	18	0	2
Sourced by Transfermarkt

Always consistently available for selection at the Hawthorns, Townsend would bow out of his time in the West Midlands with 15 assists next to his name from 213 games.

Coming close to promotion last time out in the division with the Baggies too, the 32-year-old will be raring to succeed with the Tractor Boys if selected more regularly down a league, with the potential there for the £15k-per-week defender to pick up even more goals and assists surrounding by some exceptional personnel for the EFL.

Indeed, even Davis himself has admitted that Townsend has been keeping him on his toes of late, after branding the experienced full-back as an “incredible player”, with an “incredible left foot”. That has since been followed by further praise from Dara O’Shea, who highlighted the veteran’s “amazing” recent displays down the left flank.

Already heralded as being an “important” figure by his manager when initially signing in gifting Ipswich more depth, this importance to the cause could shine through even more if he’s handed the first-team reins after Davis ups and leaves.

McKenna could be brewing his next Hutchinson in “special” Ipswich star

Kieran McKenna could get more out of this Ipswich Town ace in the Championship.

By
Kelan Sarson

Apr 7, 2025

The India spinner looks back at a fantastic 12 months, during which she won the WPL, debuted for India, and became a big favourite of selfie-hunters

Daya Sagar and Vishal Dikshit25-Sep-20243:20

Shreyanka Patil: I don’t like to lose, my fighting spirit comes from there

Shreyanka Patil will be going to the T20 World Cup after all.Two weeks ago, not long after passing a fitness test after suffering a finger injury, Patil twisted her ankle during a practice match in Bengaluru. For two days, her dream of playing in her first T20 World Cup appeared slim.While the swelling went down gradually, no decision was going to be made without looking at the scan results. Even after the results arrived and indicated no major damage, Patil was informed that there would be a “wait and watch” period before a call was taken.On Tuesday (September 24), Patil was part of the Indian contingent that flew out to the UAE for the tournament, which India are looking to win for the first time.

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Patil has had a dream run in the last 12 months. Soon after becoming the first Indian to feature in the Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) late last year, she made her white-ball debut for India in December. In March, she was front and centre of a victorious Women’s Premier League (WPL) campaign with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).She is just 12 T20Is old, but her reputation since the WPL ended has only grown. Her ability to bowl across different phases, particularly at the death, is a standout feature.”I was just focusing on my process,” Patil said earlier this month at a QUA brand shoot in Delhi. “I was not really thinking of what’s going to happen next. I thought I’ll just give my best whichever team I play for.”Patil, 22, broke through in WPL 2023, where RCB finished last, after two good seasons with Karnataka. This season, too, she was among the top spinners for RCB, along with Asha Sobhana, Sophie Molineux and Georgia Wareham, taking 13 wickets that included figures of 4 for 12 in the final.Related

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For Patil, one of the major takeaways from the WPL 2024 experience was the crowd that turned up in Bengaluru, which hosted the first leg of the season, where deafening cheers greeted captain Smriti Mandhana and her team.”This year, when we faced that crowd in Bangalore, it was just massive,” Patil said. “When we get so much from the audience, like people watching us, we want to do more, we wanted to give our best. I mean we keep doing that, but when you see people turning out and saying ‘wow, they play so well’, that’s again a plus point for all of us.”So playing with the likes of Smriti and Pez [Ellyse Perry], there are a lot of things to learn also and not just on the field but off the field. You get to learn a lot of stuff. It was amazing. That platform has really set the standards for the domestic players and for us.”Personally, for me, everyone would say, ‘she’s got the Purple Cap’, but for me it was like a rollercoaster ride because in the first half in Bangalore I couldn’t perform at my best. I was really disappointed because I like my Bangalore. So I went back and Malo [Malolan Rangarajan, RCB’s assistant coach] helped me with my bowling and then Smriti literally backed me up no matter what. So I’m very grateful to the whole management who supported me at that time and then the second half really turned out to be a good one for me.”Only two seasons old, the WPL has not only helped budding players financially but also thrown up fresh options for the Indian team management. Patil was among them, along with players like Saika Ishaque and Tanuja Kanwar; cricketing skills aside, these players also needed to pick up how to deal with the glitz and glamour of the WPL, and of being India players.Shreyanka Patil finished WPL 2024 as the Purple Cap winner•BCCI”So after the WPL, when I came back home, there were thousands of people in front of my house asking me for selfies,” Patil recalled. “They said, ‘you really did well, you were just amazing, we love your bowling, we love your smile,’ all kinds of comments. And I couldn’t stop smiling. So it was just so amazing the crowd there and I really enjoyed.”Patil also finished the WCPL as runners-up with Guyana Amazon Warriors last year. Her quick journey to the top, she said, could be down to her competitive attitude and ability to not get bogged down by pressure on the big stage.”I think it comes very naturally to me since I was a kid,” she said. “I don’t like to lose. I get up and say, ‘I’m going to try my heart out, I’m going to give it everything, no matter what’. I would love to have that fighting spirit with me always.”For me, pressure is a good thing. So when I say ‘pressure’, it’s not like I think negative or something. I feel cool under pressure because that’s what I practiced during my practice sessions as well. I put myself into those pressure situation like last two balls left, four runs to win. How am I going to bowl? So repeating those kinds of practice sessions helped me settle those nerves.”Patil will be among four spin-bowling options for India, along with Radha Yadav, Deepti Sharma and Asha, when their T20 World Cup campaign starts on October 4 against New Zealand in Dubai. Then they face Pakistan on October 6, also in Dubai. The other two teams in India’s group are Australia and Sri Lanka.Patil hasn’t played a competitive game since the Asia Cup opener, but is now relieved to have overcome the injury scares as she gets set to give her dreams of winning a World Cup a leg up.

With the T20 World Cup in four months’ time, the think tank will want to iron out all the kinks as soon as possible

Firdose Moonda20-Jun-20225:24

Dale Steyn: ‘Four games don’t make Temba Bavuma a bad player’

What to do about Temba Bavuma?There is no doubt he is an astute captain and an articulate speaker, but neither of those things are what is needed from an opening batter in T20 cricket. There, it is purely about numbers – and particularly strike rate. Bavuma’s is 120.60 in T20Is, which, since June 2021, has fallen further to 115.94 – the lowest among openers from the top six teams at the previous T20 World Cup. Moreover, if Quinton de Kock doesn’t fire, that strike rate might become a liability for South Africa.Bavuma isn’t the biggest hitter, but in this series he was also kept quiet by the outstanding skill of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, which limited his ability to rotate strike. Coach Mark Boucher recognised the problem: “Bhuvi was exceptional. He put us under pressure in the Powerplays. That’s an area that India dominated us in, and that’s something we will definitely look into and try and improve”.Related

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But how? On this tour, they responded to sluggish starts by promoting Dwaine Pretorius to a pinch-hitting role at No. 3, which worked once in four matches, and probably won’t be a long-term solution. Perhaps there is an argument to move Bavuma down the order – easier said than done, read on to find out why – or to ask him to make use of the retired outs we have seen in this format of late.Either way, a quick survey of other openers – David Warner, Jason Roy, Martin Guptill and Rohit Sharma – says that striking at around 140 is more acceptable, and Bavuma has to get up there to make sure South Africa get off to more aggressive opening passages of play.Who fits in the middle order?Rassie van der Dussen won a game, Heinrich Klaasen won a game, David Miller was with both of them as they did so, Tristan Stubbs got two matches but didn’t bat, and it sounds like Aiden Markram – who missed this series after contracting Covid-19 – will slot straight back in. But is there space for all of them?It is likely that South Africa can only fit three, or at a push, four of these five players into Nos. 3 to 6 or 7 in the batting order, and it may be tricky to decide between them. Markram offers a part-time bowling option, Klaasen can keep wicket if he needs to, and van der Dussen and Miller have experience on their side.David Miller and Rassie van der Dussen offer experience to South Africa’s middle order•Gallo ImagesIf the last of those holds sway, that may mean Stubbs sits out for the time being, but his form in the most recent domestic competitions suggests that South Africa should give him an opportunity sooner rather than later. A problem of plenty in the middle order is one selectors don’t mind having. Besides, the openers’ issue is way bigger than this.Seven batters or two allrounders?On the evidence of the XI picked for the last match, South Africa can’t have both. They played the combination of Pretorius and Wayne Parnell – who Marco Jansen replaced in the fourth match – and six specialist batters in the first three games, but had to leave Jansen out in the fifth to play the seventh batter.With two allrounders, they also created room for two specialist spinners, which gave them six bowling options; but the batting looked a bit light. With seven batters – allrounder included – they only have five bowling options and space for just one specialist spinner, which can be limiting, unless the allrounder is also a spinner. And that is what they wanted from the outset.”We wanted to play six batters with Aiden being our sixth bowling option, but we couldn’t do that,” Boucher said, further opening the door for Markram’s immediate return.It is likely that in Australian conditions – where the T20 World Cup will be held in four months’ time – South Africa will revert to one specialist spinner and three quicks. Their choice, then, will mostly be between seven batters or six and an allrounder, with Markram doing some bowling too.Lungi Ngidi can reach 140kph-plus, and has also developed a well-disguised slower ball•BCCILungi Ngidi over Anrich Nortje?Ngidi had not played a T20I for almost a year before this series, while Nortje had not played any format of international cricket in more than six months. They both made their returns, and on the early evidence, there is a case to be made for Ngidi’s inclusion over Nortje’s if South Africa have to choose only one of them.Ngidi was benched for the entire IPL but spent the time working on his conditioning and skills, and looks leaner and fitter than at any point in his career while also being more in control of his craft. He can still reach 140kph-plus, and has also developed a well-disguised slower ball and his change-ups brought wickets, especially in the final match.Nortje, who regained full fitness following a persistent hip and back injury at the IPL, was more wayward, struggling to find his lengths on occasions. By his own admission, he is not quite where he was before the injury, and wants more time to bowl longer spells and find his rhythm.That will come in the next few months, with a full tour of England looming, and his progression could set up an intriguing contest with Ngidi and perhaps even Jansen in South Africa’s XIs at the T20 World Cup.