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Shoriful Islam produced a miserly spell with the ball and added crucial runs with the bat as Bangladesh secured a two-wicket win over Afghanistan in the second T20I in Sharjah. The result gave them an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.Once again, Bangladesh had to recover from a collapse after a strong position in their chase, with Shamim Hossain, Jaker Ali, and Nurul Hasan playing key roles in the middle order. Shoriful’s all-round contribution proved decisive in a tense finish.

Shoriful takes Bangladesh home with bat

Bangladesh slipped from 102 for 4 to 129 for 8 in the space of four overs. Noor Ahmad removed Shamim for 33, before Nasum Ahmed, who looked competent with the bat until he unnecessarily slogged at Rashid Khan, fell in the 16th over. Azmatullah Omarzai removed both Mohammad Saifuddin and Rishad Hossain in the 18th over.Bangladesh needed 19 runs to win in 12 balls, with eight wickets gone, but Nurul Hasan kept them in the hunt. He started the 19th over with a six off Noor, before taking a single. At the time, it seemed like a dicey move. But with three runs coming off wides and seven off Shoriful’s bat – that included a straight boundary – it left Bangladesh with just two to win in the final over.Ibrahim Zadran scored 38 in 37 balls•ACB

Shoriful had kept the strike for the last over, and crashed Omarzai’s first ball down the ground for the winning runs. Nurul remained unbeaten 31 off 21 balls, while Shoriful smashed a decisive 11* in six deliveries.

Jaker, Shamim revive Bangladesh

Omarzai gave Afghanistan the perfect start with the ball, removing openers Tanzid Hasan and Parvez Hossain. Rashid took a good tumbling catch at mid-off to get Tanzid in the second over, before Omarzai trapped Parvez lbw in his next over. Saif Hassan struck a couple of sixes on either side of the wicket, but became Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s victim in the fifth over. Sediqullah Atal took a catch running back from extra cover, as Bangladesh slipped to 24 for 3.Shamim responded to the situation aggressively, hammering Rashid for a six to end the powerplay. Jaker then struck his first six in seven innings when he lofted Mohammad Nabi over long-on. It was followed by a flick over square leg off Abdollah Ahmadzai in the next over.Shamim struck his second six, a huge hit over midwicket, off Noor, as Bangladesh looked on the path to recovery. Jaker, who reached double figures after four consecutive single-figure scores, fell lbw to his opposite number Rashid for the second game in a row, as the fourth-wicket stand between him and Shamim ended on 56.Shoriful Islam gave just 13 runs in four overs•AFP/Getty Images

Rash shots upend Afghanistan’s start

Afghanistan started slowly, managing only 35 runs in the powerplay, but they did not lose a wicket. Atal tried to up the ante in the eighth over, hitting Rishad for a couple of sixes. But it was followed by his wicket next ball, as the left-hander was caught at long-on for 23. That broke the opening partnership on 55, before Nasum had Zadran caught at long-on, too, for 38 off 37 balls. When newcomer Wafiullah Tarakhil fell for 1, also taken at long-on, Afghanistan’s steady start had evaporated.

Shoriful leads Bangladesh’s squeeze

Three of Bangladesh’s five bowlers finished with great economy rates. Shoriful conceded just 13 runs in his four overs, while Nasum and Saifuddin also kept their economy rates below 6.50 in their respective four overs. Mustafizur Rahman and Rishad were expensive, though the latter picked up two wickets.Nasum removed Darwish Rasooli after he had struck him for a six the previous ball. Rahmanullah Gurbaz struck Rishad for two sixes, but fell to Shoriful in the 17th over, having made 30. Afghanistan made just 40 runs in the last five overs, losing one wicket, and hitting just two sixes during this phase.

Andy Pycroft, who was at the centre of the handshake row when India and Pakistan met on September 14 at the Asia Cup, will be the match referee for the Super Fours fixture between the two teams in Dubai on Sunday as well.The PCB had sought Pycroft’s “immediate removal” after he had requested the captains Salman Agha and Suryakumar Yadav not to shake hands during the toss of the September 14 game. Pycroft stayed, and the row spilled over into Pakistan’s next game, against UAE. After they cancelled a pre-match press conference, Pakistan didn’t arrive on schedule for the match, which had to be pushed back by an hour, as they conducted backroom talks with the ICC.It wasn’t until a late meeting between Pycroft and the Pakistan team management just prior to toss – which snowballed into another controversy – that Pakistan agreed to take the field.Related

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It is in this backdrop that India and Pakistan square off again at the Dubai International Stadium, and Suryakumar made it clear that his team’s focus was on the game and nothing else.”I feel our preparations have been really good leading into the tournament. And we had three good games also,” Suryakumar said on Saturday. “So we are actually focusing on what we can do best. We want to follow all the good habits, which we’ve been doing in the last two-three games. And we’ll take it one game at a time.”But yeah, it doesn’t give us an edge because we played them once and we had a good game. Of course, it will be a good game. We’ll have to start well from scratch. And whoever plays well will win the game.”Having wrapped up their group fixture against Oman on Friday night and having travelled back to Dubai in the wee hours, India will have an optional training session on Saturday. Pakistan, meanwhile, are slated to have a full training session at the ICC Academy in the lead up to Sunday’s match.

“We can pick a side capable of winning in most conditions,” says Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott ahead of game against Bangladesh

Shashank Kishore15-Sep-2025

Jonathan Trott believes Afghanistan will start as “slight favourites” against Bangladesh, who face a must-win situation, in their Asia Cup Group B fixture in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. And going by recent history, there’s merit in that confidence.”Since I’ve been with the side, we’ve had some memorable moments,” Trott said. “I think back to when we beat Bangladesh in a 50-over series in Bangladesh for the first time [in 2023]. It had never been done before, and given how strong Bangladesh have been at home, to go there and do that gave us a lot of confidence and positivity.”Then there was the win in St Vincent at the [2024] T20 World Cup, which helped us qualify for the semi-final. That was such a tight, historic game, and it gave us great belief. This group I’m currently working with is not shy about achieving new things or breaking new ground.Related

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Afghanistan get the win they needed, but Trott wants more

“Whenever there’s something that hasn’t been done before, like a big obstacle or a big challenge, this Afghan side rises to the occasion. They’re not only setting new standards for themselves but also paving the way for future players to keep pushing those boundaries.”Since opening their Asia Cup with a convincing win over Hong Kong on September 9, Afghanistan have had six days off. The break, in Trott’s opinion, has helped refresh them “mentally and physically” after the gruelling pre-Asia Cup tri-series against UAE and Pakistan, where they played five games in ten days.”I’m actually quite happy with the break,” he said. “Playing in the extreme heat here in the UAE takes a lot out of you. It’s been a good chance to recharge the batteries, take stock of where we are, and get ready to go again. Hopefully, with a win and qualification into the next round, we know there will be quite a few games in a short space of time.”At the opening press conference in Dubai, barely a few hours prior to their Asia Cup opener in Abu Dhabi, Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan had spoken of the short turnaround – less than 48 hours – between the tri-series final and the game against Hong Kong. He had also said that it wasn’t ideal to be staying in Dubai and having all their group games in Abu Dhabi, leaving them with an added commute of three hours on match days.Looking at the schedule and putting that break into context, Trott felt it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. “I think our schedule has actually played into our hands, as long as we play well tomorrow and do the job in Abu Dhabi,” he said. “Playing there is very different to Dubai. It looks like it’s been spinning a little more here and in Sharjah. Abu Dhabi is a very different type of pitch – the make-up of the soil is different too.1:36

Mukund: Dropped catches a concern for Afghanistan

“That’s the challenge of playing in these tournaments: you’re constantly adapting to a variety of conditions. I certainly feel that with our squad and the options we have, we can pick a side capable of winning in most conditions.”Trott, expectedly, talked up Afghanistan’s spin stocks, joking that they were good enough to field an XI of spinners if needed. There’s Rashid and Noor Ahmad as their frontline options, along with Mohammad Nabi. They have also got Mujeeb Ur Rahman, AM Ghazanfar and Sharafuddin Ashraf in the squad. That said, he felt that it wasn’t a given that Afghanistan would do well just because they had competent spinners.”We saw during the triangular series that just because the ball is spinning, it doesn’t automatically mean we’re going to win games,” Trott said. “We still have to do everything else well, and I stress that. Yes, our spinners have played a lot of franchise cricket and plenty of international T20 and ODI cricket, but we’ve got to be consistent across all departments. That’s why we work so hard as a side.”Right now, we have a great opportunity with the Asia Cup. Looking a bit further ahead, with the World Cup coming up in February, we have good memories of playing in the subcontinent – in Sri Lanka and India. It can be tempting to look too far ahead, but for now, Bangladesh is at the forefront of everyone’s mind, and we’re focused on winning that game.”

Van Niekerk’s 19-ball 41 took South Africa to their second consecutive 200-plus total, which laid the foundation for a 65-run win

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Dec-2025

Dane Van Niekerk’s late blitz on the back of a sedate half-century from Faye Tunnicliffe helped South Africa beat Ireland by 65 runs in the second T20I in Paarl and take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.Opting to bat, South Africa racked up 201 for 5 in their 20 overs. In reply, allrounder Orla Prendergast scored an unbeaten 43-ball 51 while Leah Paul hit 40 off 29 balls, but Ireland could only manage 136 for 3, falling well short.In her comeback series, van Niekerk thrashed a 19-ball 41 in the back half of the first innings, taking South Africa past their second consecutive 200-plus total of the series. She struck three fours and three sixes in her knock. By the time van Niekerk fell to Arlene Kelly, South Africa’s run rate had jumped past ten an over. Chloe Tryon’s unbeaten seven-ball 16 in the final overs took them to 201, as she also broke Lizelle Lee’s record for most sixes by a South Africa batter in women’s T20Is (49).Van Niekerk’s cameo complemented a slower – but equally crucial – knock by Tunnicliffe at the top of the order. She reached her maiden T20I half-century off 40 balls: the majority of her innings was played alongside fellow opener, Sune Luus, as the two put up a 78-run opening partnership to lay the foundation.Aimee Maguire dismissed both of them, as well as captain Laura Wolvaardt, returning 3 for 43 in her four overs.Ireland’s batters were slow in their response, scoring 33 runs in the powerplay despite losing no wickets. Tryon sent back both openers – Amy Hunter and Gaby Lewis – as Ireland were reduced to 35 for 2 in the seventh over.Their run-rate never picked up, but Prendergast and Paul stayed solid in the middle to share a 76-run partnership for the third wicket. Paul finally fell for 40, but Prendergast stayed around till the end to bring up her half-century in the final over, off 39 balls. By then, the result of the match was a foregone conclusion.

Australia were 16 for 1 off 2.1 overs before rain ended the game after rain earlier in the day had delayed the start

Alex Malcolm03-Oct-2025 – No resultRain only allowed for 13 balls in the second T20I in Mount Maunganui with Australia retaining the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy over New Zealand after the match was abandoned, with one game to play on Saturday.Persistent rain for the entire day subsided just after the scheduled 7.15pm start which allowed for a toss to happen at 7.45pm with both teams planning for an 8.15pm start and an 18-over-a-side game. Michael Bracewell sent Australia in as New Zealand made three changes with Ben Sears returning from injury, Ish Sodhi becoming New Zealand’s most-capped men’s T20I player, and Jimmy Neesham called in to replace Kyle Jamieson, Zak Foulkes and Bevon Jacobs.Related

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Australia would have bowled on the same surface as game one but were forced to bat first after the pitch spent all day under covers. Australia made only one change with Sean Abbott called in to replace Ben Dwarshuis, who was rested.But rain returned just before the scheduled start and did not abate until 8.47pm. It took 43 minutes to dry the ground and set up a nine-overs-a-side game.The teams did not get through the 2.4 over powerplay. Australia struggled to 16 for 1 as Matt Henry and Jacob Duffy zipped the ball around on the moist surface. Travis Head was the only wicket to fall, slicing Duffy to Devon Conway at backward point.The rain returned and never stopped. The two teams will return on Saturday for game three but the forecast is not promising.

Wayne Rooney has compared Harry Kane’s “incredible evolution” into England’s GOAT with the development that Cristiano Ronaldo once enjoyed at Manchester United. Kane is already his country’s all-time leading goalscorer and appears set to smash records on the appearance front as well. If he could win an international trophy, then it would be difficult to argue against him being the greatest.

England's GOAT: Will Kane pass Moore, Charlton & Beckham?

At 32 years of age, the former Tottenham striker is showing no sign of slowing down. Remarkable numbers are being posted at Bayern Munich, with the target being found there on 108 occasions through 113 appearances. He has also broken his trophy duck by becoming a Bundesliga title winner.

On the international stage, Kane remains the talismanic captain of England. He is rarely rested, with few alternative No.9 options breathing down his neck, and has helped the Three Lions secure qualification for the 2026 World Cup.

He has reached 78 goals for his nation and boasts 112 caps. Kane needs to reach 126 in order to pass legendary former goalkeeper Peter Shilton. Another shot at major glory will be taken in next summer – having suffered defeat in back-to-back European Championship finals – with the plan being to emulate Bobby Moore when it comes to claiming the most prestigious of prizes.

AdvertisementGettyRooney explains why Kane is England's greatest

Explaining why Kane will pass Moore, Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan, Bryan Robson, Paul Gascoigne, David Beckham, Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer on the GOAT front, ex-England captain Rooney told : “Just the goals he has scored and his performances. He will go on and get the caps record as well, you would imagine – the caps he is on.

“I just think how he has evolved as a player is incredible. He reminds me of Cristiano when we were at United and he was younger. Sometimes he’s at a mad angle and he’s shooting and you’re like ‘what are you doing shooting?’ You might say ‘pass it’ but it doesn’t bother him, he’ll try it again and keep going – right and left foot. I think he’s, for me, the best England player. The numbers he is getting are incredible.”

Kane or Shearer? Carragher sees only one winner

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher agreed with that assessment, suggesting that Kane still does not get the recognition that his stunning exploits deserve. The former England defender said: “I absolutely love him. I think he is a little bit underrated. There was always that thing about trophies.

“Shearer was always the centre-forward of the Premier League when it started – for six or seven years, Shearer was the guy and he was England’s guy, most goals in the Premier League. I think if you asked most people up and down the country: Shearer of Kane? I think the majority would go with Shearer.

“I’ve always been Kane. Shearer was amazing but I don’t know what you can say against Kane. He has gone to Bayern Munich and he is like Ronaldo and Messi level. He’s going to get more goals and caps than Lineker, Shearer, Jimmy Greaves, Rooney. What hasn’t the lad done? What can you throw at him?”

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GettyWorld Cup win: Kane looking to lead England to glory

One-time England striker Jermain Defoe, who also graced the books at Spurs, has previously told GOAL when asked if Kane will go down as England’s greatest: “I think if he wins something, you have to put him in the conversation. Of course there have been others that are iconic figures and legends in terms of caps – Beckham, Ashley Cole, all the great players. But to be England’s leading goalscorer, that’s a special achievement. If you go on to win a major tournament and have the most caps, of course you have to put him in the conversation.”

Kane has spoken of his admiration for Rooney, with inspiration being taken from the Manchester United great and fellow frontman that he took England’s all-time goal record from. Rooney was unable to win anything during the Three Lions’ so-called ‘Golden Generation’, but Kane has an opportunity to grab himself a gold medal before hanging up his boots.

Liverpool look more and more unlikely by the game that they will retain the Premier League title.

Of course, collecting the top-flight trophy two seasons on the trot is a difficult feat even when you’re all guns blazing.

But, it’s definitely made more tricky when you assess how quickly the wheels are falling off Arne Slot’s title defence right now.

The Reds are already up to five defeats in league action this season, with newly promoted Sunderland only on two losses, in stark contrast.

Slot was also significantly backed in the summer, with the summer transfer business at Anfield no doubt catching the eye, when you consider a jaw-dropping £415m was splashed out by the Merseyside giants.

The likes of Alexander Isak and Milos Kerkez have really struggled to get going, having cost a substantial £165m alone to get through the door.

But, there is one high-profile name that is in very real danger of becoming Slot’s own Naby Keita. Yes, things really do look that bad at the moment.

The numbers behind Keita's Liverpool disaster

When Keita arrived at Anfield in 2018, there was a lot of fanfare surrounding his high-profile signing.

After all, Jurgen Klopp boldly announcde that the Guinean was the “best player in the league” in the Bundesliga when leaving behind RB Leipzig for a shot in England for a whopping a whopping £48m.

In Klopp’s defence, Keita had collected 16 goals and assists combined across all competitions for Leipzig during his swansong campaign and the former Reds number 8 did score some beautifully taken goals during his stint on Merseyside, as can be seen watching the entertaining highlight reel above.

But, with all the hype that had surrounded the capture at the time, it would have been Keita’s constant in-and-out presence in the treatment room that would have irritated Liverpool fans the most, with a staggering 122 games missed through injury for club and country across his five seasons in England.

In the end, he was let go at the expiry of his contract with Werder Bremen, with just 11 goals and seven assists to shout about.

Slot will pray he doesn’t have another Keita-like situation unfolding right now as Liverpool struggle for consistency, with another mega-money signing at risk of fading into the background.

Liverpool's Naby Keita repeat

The failed signing of Keita still stands as Liverpool’s eighth most expensive signing of all time.

Thankfully, above the hot-and-cold 30-year-old’s name in the rankings are the likes of Dominik Szoboszlai, Alisson, and Virgil Van Dijk, who are all figures Slot knows he can rely on.

Unfortunately, the same is yet to be applied to Florian Wirtz, who comes in as the Reds’ second most expensive capture at an astronomical £115m fee.

The German’s arrival from Bayer Leverkusen met with the same Keita-level hysteria, having been dubbed a “generational” talent by sports media professional Christian Nyari just last season.

With 57 goals and 65 assists under his belt for Leverkusen, it can be rationalised as to why Liverpool blew such a large chunk of their budget on Wirtz instantly coming good.

Indeed, Reds journalist Bence Boscak pleaded in the summer that Slot and Co needed to land his signature “whatever” the price may be.

Games played

16

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1119 mins

Goals scored

0

Assists

3

Yet, much like they found out with Keita, blistering form in the Bundesliga doesn’t necessarily mean they will instantly hit the ground running on English shores, with Wirtz still yet to collect a single goal or assist in Premier League action.

Wirtz was particularly ineffective last time out as Liverpool were reminded of how far they’ve fallen in such a short space of time against Manchester City, with an unmemorable 39 touches of the ball seeing the German fail to amass one single key pass.

It’s even clearer from the graphic above how much the number 7 has been “struggling” – as journalist Mark Ogden has noted – in his new surroundings, with both his take-on success percentage rate and duels being won per ninety minutes success rate taking a significant hit.

Analyst Darnish Iqbal has even branded the deal as a “disaster”, with it not being a stretch to state that it is Liverpool’s biggest disappointment in the transfer window since Keita joined way back in 2018. Perhaps the Reds should avoid the Bundesliga for now?

Wirtz, hopefully, won’t fall victim to Keita’s same fate in leaving for cheap though, with glimmers of his quality here and there – as seen in the playmaker amassing five key passes against Real Madrid – meaning Liverpool will hold onto him for the time being, praying he hits his Leverkusen heights on a consistent basis down the line.

Not Wirtz or Isak: Liverpool's "nervous wreck" at risk of becoming Nunez 2.0

Liverpool have fallen by the wayside under Arne Slot’s leadership this season.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 12, 2025

A seam-friendly pitch in Bengaluru backfired on India last year, but injuries to West Indies’ frontline quicks may contribute to a substantial covering of grass on the Ahmedabad surface

Karthik Krishnaswamy and Nagraj Gollapudi30-Sep-20252:10

Chopra: ‘I hope India don’t prepare rank turners’ against West Indies

India could play the first Test of their two-match series against West Indies on one of the greenest home pitches of recent seasons. Two days out from the first Test in Ahmedabad, the pitch had a lush, even covering of grass, and while some of it may get trimmed by the time the match begins, ESPNcricinfo understands 4-5mm could still remain.The primary reason for this grass cover is the composition of the soil. The square at the Narendra Modi Stadium has both red- and black-soil pitches. The pitch for this Test match is a red-soil strip. Red-soil pitches tend to offer excellent bounce and carry when held together by grass. Without this binding, however, they have the tendency to crumble rapidly into dustbowls – the pitch India played New Zealand on in Mumbai last year, where spinners took 34 of the 38 wickets that fell to bowlers, is the most recent example of this phenomenon.Another reason for the pitch looking as green as it did on Tuesday is the rainy weather Ahmedabad has experienced in the last few days, with the pitch under covers through most of Sunday and Monday. It was mostly clear on Tuesday, though, allowing both West Indies and India to train without interruption. There is rain forecast on day one of the Test, but the weather is expected to clear thereafter.Related

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In recent years, India have tended to play their home Tests on square turners in the pursuit of World Test Championship (WTC) points, with wins (12 points) worth three times as much as draws (four points). But these sharply turning pitches run the risk of narrowing the gap between India’s spin attack – which has been the best in the world for over a decade – and that of the visiting team. This was one of the factors that contributed to New Zealand’s unexpected and unprecedented 3-0 whitewash of India in India last year.India are looking to avoid any repeat of this, against a West Indies team that won a Test match against Pakistan on a square turner in Multan in January.No choice is without trade-offs, though, and seaming conditions weaponise both teams’ pace attacks. Last year’s series against New Zealand began in seam-friendly conditions in Bengaluru, where India were bowled out for 46 after choosing to bat first – their then captain Rohit Sharma later suggested he may have misread the conditions.If West Indies had their original squad to choose from, they could have picked the potent pace trio of Jayden Seales, Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph and gone toe-to-toe with India. They have, however, lost both Josephs to injury in the lead-up to the first Test. This leaves them with substantially depleted pace resources, with Seales and the allrounder Justin Greaves joined by Anderson Phillip – who has a bowling average of 72.50 after three Tests – and the uncapped pair of Johann Layne and Jediah Blades.India were bowled out for 46 in the first innings of the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru last year•BCCIThe weakening of West Indies’ seam attack may well contribute to more grass being left on the surface than it otherwise may have been. India will also be looking to put the visitors’ batting under pressure: West Indies were bowled out for 27 by Australia’s four-man seam attack in their most recent Test match, a day-night game in Jamaica.Apart from Bengaluru last year, the last time India played a home Test in genuinely seaming conditions was in Kolkata in 2017, when fast bowlers took 32 of the 35 wickets that fell during a tense, rain-affected draw against Sri Lanka. That pitch was partly the outcome of weather, and partly India’s wish to have their fast bowlers play on helpful pitches in the lead-up to a tour of South Africa in early 2018.Motera has a surprisingly rich history of pace-dominated Test matches. In the very first Test at the venue, in 1983, the quicks took 34 out of 38 bowlers’ wickets (including a nine-wicket haul for Kapil Dev in the third innings) as West Indies beat India by 138 runs. Wisden’s description of the conditions makes for interesting reading: “a lot of grass had been left on the hurriedly prepared pitch in the vain hope of holding it together”. Vain hope, indeed, because it quickly disintegrated into a surface offering deadly uneven bounce.9:01

Chopra: At home against West Indies ‘should be a relatively easier series for India in this WTC’

In 1996, Javagal Srinath took a match-winning fourth-innings six-for against South Africa on another uneven pitch, though this was a dry, underprepared surface equally conducive to spin.South Africa were the visitors once more in 2008, and this time the conditions worked in their favour. As Wisden put it: “A hot summer in Ahmedabad meant that grass had to be left on the pitch to bind the surface; the curator, former Test cricketer Dhiraj Parsana, insisted he could not remove it without taking the top off. He held his ground, and India won a toss they might have been better off losing. They chose to bat.”Dale Steyn, Makhaya Ntini and Morne Morkel ran through India, who were bowled out for 76 in just 20 overs. South Africa went on to win by an innings.Another Motera Test, another green or greenish surface. What kind of storyline will it bring us this time?

With the Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo duopoly now disappearing into the rearview mirror, the battle for the Ballon d'Or hasn't felt so open for the best part of 20 years, with countless players beginning the campaign believing they have a chance of claiming the most prestigious individual prize football has to offer. Ousmane Dembele emerged from a career plagued with inconsistencies to win the Golden Ball in 2025, and he is among a crowded field of contenders as the 2026 race gets going.

Dembele largely secured the award off the back of his performances in helping Paris Saint-Germain win their first European Cup, and the Champions League is yet again likely to have a big say on the Ballon d'Or battle this time around. However, it's also a World Cup year, so there is a chance that the eventual winner doesn't emerge until the summer in North America.

Don't forget, too, that there is the Africa Cup of Nations running from late December and into January, meaning there could be some players who don't only shine for their clubs but also impress at major tournaments over the course of the campaign.

The Ballon d'Or race is a marathon not a sprint, and it's worth bearing in mind that Dembele didn't emerge as a potential victor until midway through the 2024-25 campaign. However, with the European season fully up and running, so too are GOAL's Power Rankings, as we track the likeliest winners of the Golden Ball over the coming weeks and months:

• AFP
  

  10Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain) ↔️

  Widely regarded as the best right-back in the world, Hakimi placed sixth in the 2025 Ballon d'Or voting after a season in which he contributed as much to the PSG attack as he did to ensure they remained solid at the back. One of the leaders within Luis Enrique's squad, the Moroccan's performances will again have a large bearing on the French champions' fortunes at home and on the continent.

  Hakimi had made a decent start to the season before suffering an ankle injury in late October, and what places him so high in our rankings is the potential for him to shine on the international stage. Morocco reached the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup and have the strongest squad among the African qualifiers for 2026, meaning another deep run isn't beyond the realms of possibility. Before that, the Atlas Lions are the favourites to triumph on home soil at AFCON, with Hakimi – the newly-crowned African Footballer of the Year – set to be the face of the tournament if can prove his fitness ahead of kick-off.

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  9Estevao (Chelsea) 🆕

  This might feel a little 'pie in the sky', but there is definitely a logic behind Estevao emerging as a Ballon d'Or contender over the course of the campaign. The teenager has quickly become a fan favourite at Stamford Bridge following a series of eye-catching performances, and he announced himself to the European audience with his superb strike in Chelsea's Champions League win over Barcelona.

  There is a world where Estevao becomes the Blues' main attacking outlet by the end of the season, while the evidence of the past few international breaks suggests that it will be he rather than Vinicius Jr that Brazil will be looking to for inspiration as they aim to win a sixth World Cup during the summer. That might be a lot to ask of an 18-year-old, but Estevao has shown so far that he is up to the task.

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  8Luis Diaz (Bayern Munich) 🆕

  Liverpool fans might be forgiven for wondering whether their season might not be in such turmoil had Luis Diaz not been sold over the summer. The versatile forward played an important role in the Reds' title triumph of 2024-25, but his desire for a new challenge led to the Anfield outfit accepting a €75 million (£65.5m/$88m) bid from Bayern Munich for the Colombia international.

  Diaz hasn't looked back since, having struck up a fine understanding with Harry Kane and the rest of his Bayern team-mates. Some of his strikes in the Bundesliga have been stunning, while his double to beat PSG in the Champions League was the kind of match-winning display that catches Ballon d'Or voters' eyes, even if his subsequent red card means he won't be seen again in the competition until January at the earliest.

  Factor in Diaz will be playing at his first World Cup this summer, and he has all the makings of a Golden Ball contender.

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  7Michael Olise (Bayern Munich) 🆕

  Anyone who predicted that Michael Olise would struggle to make the step up from Crystal Palace to Bayern Munich has been sorely mistaken, with the wideman having strung together a year or so of fantastic performances for the Bundesliga champions. Equally capable of scoring as he is creating goals for others, the 23-year-old has grown into one of the most fearsome forward players in the German top flight while also making his mark on the Champions League.

  Olise's club performances have also helped him lock down a starting spot despite intense competition for places in the France line-up. As such, he could be one of the stars of the upcoming World Cup for one of the favourites to lift the trophy.

Questions for India’s selectors to ponder, as they sit down this weekend to pick the squads for the England ODIs and the Champions Trophy

Nagraj Gollapudi17-Jan-2025
Will Bumrah play the Champions Trophy?
There has been no update on Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness ever since he did not come out to bowl, reportedly because of back spasms, on the final day of the Sydney Test. There has also been no word on whether Bumrah has visited the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, where the BCCI’s medical wing is located. So the intrigue continues about what injury, if any, Bumrah suffered during the Sydney Test, which forced him off the ground to have scans after lunch on the second day.Related

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India play their first match in the Champions Trophy on February 20, against Bangladesh in Dubai, followed by Pakistan on February 23 and New Zealand on March 2. The semi-finals are on March 4 and 5 followed by the final on March 9. The key question for the selectors is, if the injury is not serious, how long does Bumrah need to rest before he’s match-ready? Of course if the injury is of real concern, then the selectors will play it safe and not consider Bumrah for selection. It is likely that Bumrah will be named in the 15 with an asterisk against his name, with the idea to allow him the chance to play at least one of the three ODIs against England to test his fitness levels.Is Shami ready for ODIs?
Last week Mohammed Shami was named in India’s squad for the five-match T20I series against England, which starts on January 22. It ends a testing and stressful wait stretching nearly 14 months for Shami, whose last international was the ODI World Cup final on November 19, 2023. Shami was the highest wicket-taker in that tournament and one of the key match-winners in India’s run to the final. Soon after, he underwent an ankle surgery and his ankle healed, but his return was repeatedly delayed by fluid building up and causing swelling his right knee.Shami was recently declared fit by the NCA and played three matches in the domestic 50-overs tournament, the Vijay Hazare Trophy, representing Bengal. Shami bowled a total of 26 overs across those games, including his full quota of 10 in the pre-quarterfinals. Before that, Shami also played nine matches in the domestic T20 competition, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. So it seems Shami is set to make his ODI return against England, and he can use the series to sharpen up his match fitness before the Champions Trophy. He will be needed to spearhead the attack if Bumrah is not good to go.Kuldeep Yadav has not played since having a hernia surgery around October last year•ICC/Getty ImagesIs Kuldeep ready to return?
Along with Bumrah and Shami, Kuldeep Yadav played a key role in India going through to the 2023 World Cup final undefeated in the league phase. In the home Test series against England in early 2024, Kuldeep impressed once again, becoming the fastest Indian to 50 Test wickets. It seemed like he was moving towards taking over the lead-spinner’s role in the format. However, his progress has been stalled by a hernia surgery; he has not played any competitive cricket since the first Test against New Zealand in October. Eyebrows have been raised about the timing of that surgery – about why it was not done soon after the T20 World Cup but so close to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. It is understood Kuldeep’s rehab is going smooth at the NCA, but there is no clarity on whether he will be fit to play the England ODIs, which he will need as a platform to establish match-fitness ahead of the Champions Trophy.Does Jaiswal find a spot?
Yashasvi Jaiswal was international cricket’s second-highest run-maker across formats in 2024: in 37 innings (23 matches), Jaiswal scored 1771 runs at an average of 52.08. Jaiswal scored 161 in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, an innings that helped craft India’s only win in the series. Bold and clever in his strokeplay, Jaiswal has put new-ball bowlers under pressure across the longest and shortest formats, but he is still to debut in ODIs. With the hugely successful alliance of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill at the top – they are among the leading opening pairs in ODIs – do India need another opener in the 15 for the Champions Trophy? Given the opening slots belong to specialists, Jaiswal, who became the youngest man to hit a double-century in List A cricket in 2019, could still be seen as a back-up option.Does KL Rahul trump Rishabh Pant on form?•Getty ImagesWho are the two wicketkeepers?
Based on current form and impact at the 2023 World Cup, KL Rahul should be the primary keeper at the Champions Trophy. With the bat, too, Rahul played a significant role in the middle-order in the World Cup, especially on pitches where spinners dominated, using his skills to manoeuvre the ball into gaps. Among the other contenders are Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson and Dhruv Jurel, who is yet to debut in the format.Pant was India’s regular wicketkeeper from the 2019 World Cup up until he was sidelined by his car accident in December 2022. His protracted absence created the opportunity for Rahul. While Pant kept wicket in one game in the previous ODI series India played – in Sri Lanka last August – Rahul once again was the primary choice. The one point in Pant’s favour is he is a left-hand batter, which is an option the selectors and head coach Gautam Gambhir could be interested in.Seam or spin-bowling allrounder?
Among the squads so far announced for the Champions Trophy, several teams have stacked their sides with allrounders. India, too, are likely to be tempted to take that approach with the objective of creating batting depth. You’d expect two if not all three of Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel to feature in the squad. In addition, there are several other options who can contribute a few overs with the ball while floating in the batting order: Nitish Kumar Reddy (yet to debut in ODIs), Riyan Parag, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube. Reddy and Tilak are part of the T20I series against England but Parag is still in rehab having undergone a shoulder surgery last year. One caveat is this latter group of players’ body of work is small, so the selectors could be wary of blooding them at an ICC event.