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In quite the twist, Newcastle United are now reportedly the frontrunners to land one of their top targets who has given PIF the green light to move forward with the deal.

Howe: "Complex" Isak situation "far from ideal"

Whilst Newcastle continue to chase transfers of their own, the saga of the summer has been threatening to unfold between Alexander Isak and those at St James’ Park. After deciding to train away from the club and at former side Real Sociedad, it looked as though the Swede had done enough to open the door to his exit as Liverpool came calling with an opening offer.

Ultimately, however, the Reds didn’t do enough and have since had the door slammed in their face by Newcastle, who are demanding as much as £150m to sell their star man. Liverpool’s offer worth £110m was, therefore, always likely to be turned down.

Whilst some around St James’ Park may celebrate Liverpool’s latest stance, it’s Eddie Howe who has been left to pick up the pieces of the Isak saga.

He told reporters when asked about the situation: “I think from my situation, I am very much removed from everything that is happening back home. I was made aware there was a bid yesterday. That bid was turned down before I heard about it.

The Newcastle boss then went on to say when asked if he knows where Isak is: “I know where he is through the media, so I think from that perspective it’s difficult for me to go into any detail. The situation is far from ideal. It is quite complex. I think that is all I have got to say.”

Meanwhile, as that situation continues to unravel, another key factor in any potential deal has reportedly progressed in Newcastle’s favour.

Sesko chooses Newcastle

Delo, the number one newspaper in Slovenia, has revealed Benjamin Sesko ‘has made a decision’ and ‘will continue his career with Newcastle United’, while also confirming the rival interest from Manchester United.

And according to Sky Sports’ Keith Downie, Newcastle have now matched Sesko’s price-tag with a blockbuster “formal bid” worth as much as £70m. Jumping ahead of Manchester United in unexpected fashion, the Magpies could now solve their striker problem with what would become their biggest ever signing.

After a summer of rejections, the news that they are now leading the race to finally sign the striker that they’ve been craving will be music to the ears of all those in Tyneside.

He's Sesko 2.0: Newcastle ready to battle for £60m "absolute powerhouse"

Newcastle United track one of Europe’s hottest talents after Benjamin Šeško setback

ByWill Miller Aug 2, 2025

There’s still a way to go, of course, but there’s no doubt that Sesko would be an excellent addition. Described as “special” by former Leipzig technical director Christopher Vivell, the towering forward looks destined for the Premier League.

Fair to say, West Ham United supporters are not coming into the new season with sky-high optimism.

Last time round, the Hammers finished 14th, only just above the disastrous duo that was Manchester United and Tottenham, while their tally of nine home league defeats was the most they’ve endured since being relegated in 2010/11.

Graham Potter replaced Julen Lopetegui in January, but this did not lead to an upturn in results, winning just five of his 19 matches in charge.

Thus, Potter will be under pressure to make a fast start to this season, but will need some new recruits if he’s to achieve this, potentially with his eye on an attacker reminiscent of a West Ham fans’ favourite of yesteryear.

West Ham's search for a new attacker

So far this summer, in a very unpopular move amongst the Hammers’ support, star winger Mohammed Kudus has departed to join fierce rivals Tottenham for a reported fee of £55m, becoming the first player to make such a move since Scott Parker in 2011.

Meantime, left-back El Hadji Malick Diouf has arrived from Slavia Prague for around £19m, but this has done little to get supporters back on side.

Well, that could change because, according to a report by Jack Johnson for talkSPORT, West Ham have made contact with Leicester City over the possibility of signing Bilal El Khannouss.

They add that Sunderland, Nottingham Forest, Everton and Monaco also ‘hold a concrete interest’, while adding that the Moroccan international’s contract contains a £22.5m release clause, activated following the Foxes’ relegation to the EFL Championship.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Loïc Tanzi of L’Équipe claims that El Khannouss has no intention of playing in England’s second-tier, prioritising a return to the Premier League, so could he soon swap the East Midlands for the East End of London?

How Bilal El Khannouss would improve West Ham

After arriving from Genk for £21m last summer, El Khannouss managed to impress during his debut campaign in the Premier League, despite plying his trade in a generally hopeless Leicester side, who infamously failed to score in nine successive home league matches, an unwanted new top division record.

The table below outlines the Moroccan’s importance to the Foxes last season.

Minutes

2,182

7th

Appearances

32

4th

Goals

2

5th

Assists

3

3rd

Shots

30

4th

Goals – xG

+0.7

4th

Progressive passes

128

1st

Key passes

42

1st

Passes into the box

31

1st

Shot-creating actions

78

1st

Successful take-ons

34

2nd

Take-on success %

56.7%

2nd*

Progressive carries

73

2nd

Carries into the final third

45

1st

*minimum 13 attempted.

As the table outlines, El Khannouss was very much Leicester’s creator in chief last season, ranked first for a variety of passing, chances created and dribbling statistics.

Ben Mattinson of Breaking the Lines notes that he ‘boasts the vision to spot impossible passes’, adding that he ‘oozes composure’ and is capable of a match-winning moment at any time, asserting that it’s only a matter of time before he is plying his trade for one of ‘Europe’s biggest outfits’. Writing on X, Mattinson has described him as “a player made for the big stage”.

Well, that last part sounds just like arguably West Ham’s greatest player of the modern era, does it not?

When Dimitri Payet joined the Hammers from Olympique de Marseille for just £11m in the summer of 2015, no one could’ve forecast what would happen next.

In 60 appearances in claret and blue, the France international scored 15 goals and registered 22 assists, with Josh Fordham of talkSPORT asserting that he is ‘easily the most talented player’ of the club’s modern history.

Meantime, Roshane Thomas of The Athletic outlines how the “world-class” Payet “entertained supporters” with countless jaw-dropping moments, before forcing through an acrimonious return to Marseille just 18 months after arriving.

So, could El Khannouss be the next Payet? Let’s compare the pair to find out.

Goals

2

9

Assists

3

12

Shots per 90

0.9

2.3

Big chances created

8

16

Key passes per 90

1.3

4

Successful dribbles per 90

1.1

2.2

Dribble success %

59.6%

57%

Average SofaScore rating

6.91

7.68

Of course, Payet’s statistics are more impressive, but this should not come as much of a surprise, given that, as noted by Harry Sherlock of Goal, he was one of the best players in the Premier League in the 2015/16 season, so much so that he was on the Ballon d’Or nominees list.

El Khannouss is certainly yet to hit those heights, but his numbers are comparable, especially when it comes to chances created and dribbling, so he too has the potential to light up the London Stadium.

He’d be amazing with Bowen: West Ham in contact for "sensational" £34m star

West Ham are looking to add goals to their side this summer

ByJoe Nuttall Jul 17, 2025

أعلنت الشركة المتحدة للرياضة، عن حصولها على حقوق إذاعة مباريات بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا لكرة اليد للموسم الرياضي 2025-2026، وهي البطولة التي تُعد الأقوى عالميًا على مستوى بطولات الأندية في كرة اليد.

وجاء ذلك في إطار حرص الشركة المتحدة للرياضة على توفير أفضل خدمة رياضية وإعلامية لجمهور الرياضة في مصر والوطن العربي، من خلال متابعة كوكبة من أبرز نجوم كرة اليد على المستوى العالمي.

وتُذاع مباريات البطولة عبر شاشة قنوات أون سبورت بداية من دور المجموعات وصولا إلى الفاينال فور لتحديد ترتيب المربع الذهبي وبطل أوروبا.

طالع أيضاً.. منتخب الجزائر يتعادل مع غينيا ويؤجل حسم التأهل إلى كأس العالم

وتُعد بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا لكرة اليد من أقوى البطولات على مستوى الأندية، حيث تشهد مشاركة نخبة من الأندية التي تضم بين صفوفها ألمع نجوم اللعبة، يتنافسون جميعًا للفوز بالكأس الأغلى.

وتشهد بطولة الموسم الحالي مشاركة 9 لاعبين مصريين في أندية: “فيزبريم المجري – باريس سان جيرمان الفرنسي – برشلونة الإسباني – سبورتنج لشبونة البرتغالي – كيلسي البولندي”.

It is the dawn of a new era for Glasgow Rangers after Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises officially completed a takeover of the club last week.

They have immediately invested £20m into the club and will now oversee the search for the team’s next head coach, after Barry Ferguson stepped away at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

The former Scotland international was appointed as the interim boss after Philippe Clement was dismissed in February, and he only won six of his 15 matches in all competitions in the dugout at Ibrox.

Ferguson, whose team was held to a 2-2 draw by Hibernian on the final day of the Scottish Premiership campaign, failed to do enough to convince the board that he was the man for the job moving forward.

The 49ers and new sporting director Kevin Thelwell are now tasked with finding a manager who can bring glory back to Ibrox, after four seasons without a Premiership title.

One of the first items on the agenda for any incoming Rangers head coach should be convincing Nicolas Raskin to remain with the Gers beyond the summer.

Why Nicolas Raskin could leave Rangers

The Belgium international could move on from Ibrox in the summer transfer window, as Premier League clubs Aston Villa and Leeds United are both reportedly interested in the central midfielder.

Raskin has attracted interest from elsewhere due to his impressive performances for the Gers during the 2024/25 campaign, which led to him winning the club’s Men’s Player of the Year and the Men’s Players’ Player of the Year awards.

The 24-year-old star was deemed to be the best player at Ibrox this season and there are now teams who want to test how he would adapt to Premier League football next term.

Rangers, however, should be doing everything in their power to keep hold of the Belgian talent during the summer transfer window, because they will need as much quality as possible to finally beat Celtic to the Premiership title.

The former Standard Liege star is tenacious out of possession, as he averaged 3.4 tackles and interceptions per game and won 57% of his duels in the league this term, but the Light Blues star also provides plenty of quality on the ball.

24/25 Premiership	Nicolas Raskin
Appearances	33
Touches per game	68.4
Goals	4
Big chances created	9
Assists	10
Pass accuracy	87%
Dribbles completed per game	1.0
Dribble success rate	68%
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Raskin is a player who thrives on the ball with his ability to both score and create goals from a central midfield position, whilst being efficient as a passer and a dribbler.

This suggests that the Belgian star would, therefore, love a manager who is committed to a ball-dominant style of play, which is why he should be pleased with the latest update on the Rangers manager search.

The latest on Russell Martin to Rangers

According to the Daily Mail, former Southampton head coach Russell Martin is one of the ‘main contenders’ to land the vacant managerial position at Ibrox.

The report claims that the former Scotland international, who had a loan spell with Rangers during his playing career, and Davide Ancelotti are the two main contenders for the role.

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It adds that Francesco Farioli, who recently left Ajax, and Brian Priske, most recently of Feyenoord, are also still in the running, but they are not as high up the list as Martin and Ancelotti.

The Daily Mail claims that the ex-Saints head coach was set to fall out of the race for the Rangers job when he was being lined up for the Leicester City position, but they have yet to sack Ruud Van Nistelrooy, so he remains in contention to replace Ferguson at Ibrox.

Appointing Martin as the first head coach of the 49ers era could be good news for supporters who want to see Raskin remain at the club, as the central midfielder could be a perfect fit for the Scottish tactician.

Why Nicolas Raskin would love Russell Martin

Analyst John Walker hailed Martin’s style as “exciting” and “total football”, due to the ball-dominant nature of how he wants his teams to play, and that could suit the Belgium international perfectly.

As aforementioned, Raskin is a technically brilliant footballer who constantly looks to make things happen from a central midfield position, with passes, dribbles, goals, and assists, and he could have plenty of chances to influence games in this manager’s system.

The clip above, from his time at MK Dons, is a flavour of the way Martin’s teams play, with plenty of short passes under pressure and movement off the ball to provide players with multiple passing options at all times.

Raskin would be a perfect fit for the way the ex-Norwich City and Rangers centre-back likes to coach his sides, because of his dynamism off the ball and his quality in possession.

Russell Martin’s attacking style of play
23/24 Championship	Southampton	League rank
Pass accuracy	87.7%	1st
Passes into the penalty area	594	1st
Progressive passes	2556	1st
Shot-creating actions	1255	1st
xG	79.8	2nd
Points per game	1.89	4th
Stats via FBref

As you can see in the table above, Martin successfully deployed a possession-based system to get Southampton promoted out of the Championship in the 2023/24 campaign, building a team that was incredibly dominant when it came to passing forward and creating high-quality chances.

These statistics suggest that Raskin, who created nine ‘big chances’ in the Premiership, would thrive in his system as a midfielder who would constantly have chances to dictate play and create even more opportunities for his teammates with the dominance that the style of play creates.

Therefore, the Belgian midfielder could be more inclined to stay at Rangers for another year because of the prospect of thriving in a side coached by Martin, as it could help him to take his game to the next level ahead of a bigger move next year.

49ers not messing: Rangers advancing free transfer to sign 29 y/o defender

He could be the first arrival of the 49ers era.

By
Tom Cunningham

May 31, 2025

Everton are believed to be willing to pay £16.8m to complete the signing of a midfielder who possesses “enormous qualities” this summer.

Everton pushing to sign £30m Liam Delap

The Blues have been linked with various potential new signings of late, but Liam Delap is a name who has stood out as a particularly exciting option, as they look to bolster their attack ahead of next season.

It has been claimed that David Moyes has even held face-to-face talks with the Ipswich Town striker, who looks almost certain to leave Portman Road in the summer transfer window, following relegation from the Premier League to the Championship.

Delap has enjoyed a hugely impressive season, despite the demise of his own team, scoring 12 goals in 32 starts in the league, which is three more than any Everton player managed in the competition, with Iliman Ndiaye leading the way with nine strikes.

The 22-year-old stands out as a brilliant option for the Blues with a £30m release clause, considering he is a young striker who should only mature as the years pass, and he should be looked at as the leading choice to come in and lead the line at the club’s new Bramley Moore Dock stadium this summer.

Everton also ready to pay £16.8m for new midfielder

According to a new update from Africa Foot [via Sport Witness], Everton are ready to pay £16.8m to sign Lille midfielder Ngal’ayel Mukau this summer, having sent scouts to watch him in action in recent weeks.

He is actually valued at £12.6m by the Ligue 1 club, but the Blues are willing to bid higher to get their man, seeing him as another strong option alongside Delap.

Mukau may not be as well-known to Everton fans as Delap, due to him not playing in the Premier League, but he is an exciting young player in his own right.

The 20-year-old has scored twice in six Champions League starts this season, as well as averaging 1.5 tackles per game across 22 matches in Ligue 1 in 2024/25. Meanwhile, Lille head coach Bruno Genesio hasn’t held back in his praise of him, saying:

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“He’s an aggressive player, with a big volume of play, capable of recovering balls from the opponent’s feet. He’s also a forward-thinking player, who can get forward from the first touch and find verticality.”

Lille president Olivier Letang has also described him as a “very likeable lad” with “enormous qualities”, adding that “he burst onto the scene” and “we know his potential and his state of mind.”

Everton could do with fresh blood in the middle of the park, considering Abdoulaye Doucoure is leaving and Idrissa Gueye is now well into his 30s, and Mukau could be a great choice to add into Moyes’ squad.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk confirmed that the Premier League leaders will meet up to watch Arsenal’s home fixture against Crystal Palace on Wednesday evening, knowing that a surprise defeat for the Gunners would seal the title for the Reds.

Should Mikel Arteta’s side avoid an upset, Liverpool can finish the job themselves on Sunday, against Tottenham Hotspur and surrounded by four sheets of Anfield support, roaring and bellowing and cheering with such volume as has rarely been heard anywhere across the vast footballing landscape.

Surely the more favourable of the two scenarios, the one which will indelibly mark the occasion in the minds of the myriad supporters.

Arne Slot, truly, has worked wonders this season, a shining light to guide Liverpool through the beginnings of a post-Jurgen Klopp world. He will receive his crown, taking a seat at an exclusive table of managers to have won the Premier League on their first attempt.

Managers Who Won Premier League in 1st Season

Season

Manager

Club

2004/05

Jose Mourinho

Chelsea

2009/10

Carlo Ancelotti

Chelsea

2013/14

Manuel Pellegrini

Man City

2016/17

Antonio Conte

Chelsea

Sourced via GIVEMESPORT

Liverpool were supposed to be rudderless, but they have gone from strength to strength with a new head coach and minimal help on the transfer front.

The point is this is to underline that Liverpool are capable of absorbing a big punch and responding with a flurry of their own to prove the doubters wrong.

It’s a quality that may well be called into play again this summer, with some rather big names touted with a summer exit.

Who could be leaving Liverpool this summer

After scoring the winner against Leicester City on Sunday afternoon, Trent Alexander-Arnold did little to allay fears that he will join Real Madrid when his contract expires this summer, refusing to comment on speculation when interviewed post-match.

Though Liverpool are set for a summer of spending, while cutting out some of the deadwood, there’s no question that all of a Liverpool persuasion want the homegrown vice-captain to sign a new deal.

However, that’s not the same for all of Slot’s first-teamers, with Darwin Nunez, for example, confirmed to have been transfer-listed ahead of the market by Fabrizio Romano.

Nunez needs to go, but parting with too many members of the frontline might rock the boat too hard. Indeed, it might be a mistake if FSG were to act on rumours and part with Luis Diaz this summer.

Why Liverpool may regret selling Luis Diaz

Slot won’t want to spark too much upheaval this summer, especially after keeping such a close-knit group together to charge through the many obstacles of the season and move into the final stages of winning the Premier League title.

With Nunez set to be sold and potentially Chiesa too, it might be something of a risk to part with any further members of the frontline, and it’s for that reason that FSG may want to resist any offers for Diaz.

The 28-year-old winger has attracted attention from the Saudi Pro League and from Barcelona in the past and is about to enter the penultimate year of his £55k-per-week contract.

However, discussions for a renewal do not appear advanced.

Saying that, Football Insider have recently reported that sporting director Richard Hughes is preparing to dig deeper into contract talks with the Colombian’s representatives.

He might ebb and flow in front of goal but the left-sided forward is dynamic and direct, such a slippery customer for Premier League and European opponents to deal with.

Liverpool’s Frontline in 24/25 (all comps)

Player

Apps

Goals

Assists

Mohamed Salah

47

32

23

Cody Gakpo

44

16

6

Luis Diaz

46

15

8

Diogo Jota

33

9

4

Darwin Nunez

42

7

7

Federico Chiesa

12

2

2

Data via Transfermarkt

Diaz’s output had lulled in recent months, but he’s not put in a bad shift in front of goal, all told. Indeed, with Mohamed Salah blanking across his past six matches in all competitions, Diaz has stepped up big time in the Premier League, steering Liverpool toward the title.

He’s bagged either a goal or an assist in five of his past six league outings, in fact, with Liverpool winning all but one of such fixtures. That loss, by the way, was against Fulham at Craven Cottage, a game in which Diaz scored off the bench.

He’s also much more than just a goalscorer. As per FBref, Diaz ranks among the top 9% of positional peers in the Premier League this season for pass completion as well as the top 17% for successful take-ons and the top 9% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90.

Of course, the patchiness of his goalscoring form can be deceiving: Lucho also ranks among the top 8% for non-penalty goals scored per 90. Is there any wonder he’s been hailed for his “world-class performances” this year by journalist Adam Brown?

It may well be that parting with Diaz carries every bit the negative impact that Trent’s inevitably will. Liverpool cannot afford to lose the wider nucleus of their title-winning group.

If Liverpool sign a centre-forward who can actually produce significant hauls across multiple seasons, there’s every chance that Diaz could take his game to the next level in 2025/26.

Moreover, Alexander-Arnold’s departure calls for a new playmaking outlet, which will most likely come in the centre of the park.

Plenty to chew on. Whatever happens, Liverpool might want to think twice about parting with their electric South American winger.

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Posts 1 ByAngus Sinclair Apr 20, 2025

Stats highlights from Punjab Kings’ victory against Chennai Super Kings

Sampath Bandarupalli08-Apr-20252:37

Jaffer: Hope to see Arya in India colours soon

39 – The number of balls Punjab Kings (PBKS) batter Priyansh Arya took to score his century against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), the second-fastest by an Indian in the IPL behind Yusuf Pathan’s 37-ball hundred against Mumbai Indians (MI) in IPL 2010.4 – Arya’s hundred is also the joint-fourth-fastest in the IPL and the second-fastest for PBKS behind David Miller’s 38-ball century against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2013.310.00 – Arya’s strike rate against CSK’s fast bowlers – he scored 62 runs off 20 balls. Only two batters have had a higher strike rate against quicks in an IPL match (minimum of 20 balls) – 348.00 by Suresh Raina vs Kings XI Punjab (now PBKS) in 2014 and 342.85 by Jake Fraser-McGurk vs MI in 2024.Related

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136 – Runs that PBKS scored after the fall of their fifth wicket against CSK – the most any team has scored after that point in an IPL innings while batting first. It is also the joint-fourth-highest by any team in an IPL innings.2 – Number of batters before Arya with centuries in a men’s T20 in which none of the others in the top six got to double-digits.Michael Bracewell scored 141* for Wellington batting at No. 3 against Central Districts in 2022 when 5 was the next-highest from among the top six.Saber Zakhil scored 100* from No. 8 for Belgium against Austria in 2021, where all the top seven batters got out for four or fewer.12 – Catches dropped by CSK in IPL 2025, including five against PBKS on Tuesday – the most by any team in this tournament. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and PBKS are joint-second with six.9 – Catches dropped in Mullanpur on Tuesday – five by CSK and four by PBKS, the most in an IPL match, according to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball logs, surpassing the eight dropped catches by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at Eden Gardens in 2023.

It’s not just the home advantage. Ashwin has constantly added new layers to his skillset right through his career

Karthik Krishnaswamy11-Feb-20232:53

Can Warner overcome the Ashwin challenge?

Australia’s offspinners took eight wickets in Nagpur. So did R Ashwin.But where Nathan Lyon and Todd Murphy bowled a combined 96 overs to take those eight wickets, Ashwin took his in a mere 27.5 overs.In strike-rate terms, that’s a wicket every 72 balls versus a wicket every 21 balls.Related

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• Stats – Australia hit record low, Ashwin at par with Kumble

It may have deteriorated over time and become especially challenging to bat on by the time Australia began their second innings, but Lyon, Murphy and Ashwin bowled on the same pitch. Why, then, did Ashwin look so devastating, and Australia’s offspinners so much more manageable?Home advantage is a big part of the answer, of course. Ashwin knew the conditions intimately, and had a feel for them. Where Australia’s spinners had a broad idea of how they needed to bowl on Indian pitches, Ashwin was able to quickly figure out how to bowl on Indian pitch, and quickly make the granular adjustments he needed to make, having played on others similar to this during his previous 51 Tests and 94 first-class games in India.Lyon, meanwhile, was playing his eighth Test and 10th first-class game in India, and Murphy was making his maiden first-class appearance in the country.On Saturday, Ashwin made a visible effort to bowl full and invite drives from the Australian batters. It was clear right from the first over he bowled, when Usman Khawaja drove a half-volley for four, and edged to slip three balls later when Ashwin got a similar-looking ball to dip on him and turn viciously.After the match, India’s ex-head coach Ravi Shastri quizzed Ashwin about the fuller lengths on Star Sports.”Ravi , I thought this wicket was pretty slow,” Ashwin said. “Like I’ve been saying all through this Test match, the wicket has been really slow and you need to get the batsmen driving on this. [It’s] not one of those pitches where you might get the gloves ripping up to short leg and silly point.”So I thought giving them one or two balls to drive was a good way for me to lure them into shots, and probably induce the other half of the bat as well. So I just felt this was one of those pitches, because of the carry and the bounce that seemed to be a little low.”The intention to lure batters into drives was evident in Ashwin’s fields as well. To David Warner, for instance, he pulled his mid-off two-thirds of the way back to the boundary, signalling that a pushed or driven single was available to him if he wanted it. By inviting Warner to look for that single, Ashwin hoped to draw his bat away from his body and increase his chances of being beaten on either edge.Ashwin had to bowl fuller to be able to draw these errors, but he also had the luxury of a big India lead, which allowed him to pay the price of the odd half-volley while looking to hit that dangerous area just short of a driving length.R Ashwin became the fastest Indian to 450 Test wickets`•BCCIIt wasn’t as if Australia’s offspinners hadn’t tried to bowl full. They did, and Rohit Sharma drove Lyon for three fours through the off side during the final session of day one. But Australia had been bowled out for 177, and Lyon and Murphy didn’t have the cushion of runs that would have allowed them to keep trying that attacking length. On day two, they plugged away on a good length and were part of a collectively disciplined Australian display that at one stage threatened to keep India to a manageable lead.It didn’t happen, but Australia’s choices with the ball were forced on them by their low total, and their spinners tried to make the best of what they had to play with.But there was something slightly mechanical about how Lyon and Murphy plugged away as well, as if they were following an instruction manual on how to bowl on Indian pitches. Ashwin varied his pace a lot more, even venturing into the low 80s on occasion – Lyon and Murphy seldom dropped below 90kph – and seemed to try different things against different batters. It was that feel thing again.And while Ashwin got to bowl to far more left-hand batters than his Australian counterparts, Lyon and Murphy made more of an impression on India’s right-hand batters than they did against Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. They kept the runs down, conceding just 83 off the 253 balls they bowled to the two left-hand batters, but took just one wicket in those 253 balls.They were tiring by the time they bowled to Jadeja and especially Axar, but this was still a pitch with plenty of turn and natural variation to exploit.For all that, Murphy’s performance was one of the best by a first-timer in India – never mind a debutant – over the last decade or so. To bowl 47 overs and go at less than three an over were impressive enough feats, given he had only played seven first-class games before coming on this tour; that he took seven wickets was remarkable.Lyon, a bowler on his third Test tour of India, bowled 49 overs and took just one wicket. Of all the performances that made up Australia’s defeat in Nagpur, perhaps none would disappoint their team management as much as Lyon’s. As in his last Test match before this tour, against South Africa in Sydney, where he took two wickets in 55 overs in a rain-affected draw, his bowling commanded respect from the opposition but didn’t look like much of a wicket threat. The common thread between Sydney and Nagpur? A lack of bounce.In an era where DRS has made fingerspinners target bowled and lbw more than ever, Lyon is something of a throwback, his wicket-taking threat directly proportional to the bounce on offer. The 2016-17 tour of India was a case in point. Lyon played a largely supporting role to Steve O’Keefe in Australia’s unexpected win on a Pune dustbowl, where sharp turn and natural variation were the main threats rather than bounce, and he bowled only 46 overs to O’Keefe’s 77 – while conceding nearly a run an over more – in the drawn third Test on a slow and low surface in Ranchi.

“The reason that he’s able to extract a lot from the pitch is because of the skillset that he has. And obviously he’s a very studious guy, likes to keep working on his game, likes to understand his game and take it to the next level, that is what he is”Rohit Sharma on R Ashwin

When bounce became a factor, Lyon became an entirely different bowler.On day one in Bengaluru on that tour, the combination of early moisture in the topsoil and Mitchell Starc’s follow-through at the other end gave him footmarks to work with, and he made the ball turn and jump out of them to take eight wickets. In the fourth Test on a Dharamsala trampoline, his first-innings five-for gave Australia a genuine chance of victory before India’s lower order and bowlers snatched it away.Whenever the conditions were somewhat reminiscent of Australia, Lyon was exceedingly dangerous. On pitches where bowled and lbw were likelier modes of dismissal than bat-pad catches or edges flying to slip, his threat was greatly diminished.Lyon’s record in India reflects this duality: he has three five-fors in eight Tests, but he averages 33.31. Ashwin averages 21.78 in the eight Tests Lyon has played in India.Ashwin, meanwhile, has played 10 Tests in Australia, where he’s taken 39 wickets at 42.15. Not very impressive, you might think, but in those ten Tests, Lyon has taken 32 wickets at 42.40. Ashwin’s performances in Australia have improved with each tour, to the extent that he has outbowled Lyon on India’s last two tours in 2018-19 and 2020-21, averaging 27.50 to Lyon’s 37.83.Ashwin did this not by trying to bowl like Lyon, but by finding ways to make his own style work in Australian conditions. He has constantly added new layers to his skillset right through his career, experimenting even when the world has told him not to fix something that isn’t broken, and it’s this quality that Rohit picked out when asked, during his post-match press conference, why Ashwin was able to get so much more out of this Nagpur pitch than Australia’s offspinners.”Ash has played so much cricket in India,” Rohit said. “He’s closing in on playing 100 Test matches now, and I’m pretty sure he’s played more Test matches in India, and not to forget his first-class games as well, before he made his debut, so a lot of cricket, a lot of overs have gone into his skills, for him to do what he’s doing now.”To be able to extract something out of the pitch is not easy, unless you have that experience, and having that idea as to what you need to bowl on certain kind of pitches – and obviously he’s got so much skill as well. He can bowl that carrom ball, he can bowl that slider, that topspinner as well, the guy’s got everything.”The reason that he’s able to extract a lot from the pitch is because of the skillset that he has. And obviously he’s a very studious guy, likes to keep working on his game, likes to understand his game and take it to the next level, that is what he is.”If you see him, he’s getting better and better as you see him every time. He looks a different bowler, looks – I wouldn’t say improved bowler, because he was always a good bowler – but he looks a different bowler every time he plays Test cricket. That is what good cricketers do, they try and up their game and try and reach that next level.”Lyon has done this too, of course. He is a far, far better bowler in Indian conditions now than the one MS Dhoni tonked around the park a decade ago in Chennai. But where Lyon is now a better version of the same bowler, more or less, the Ashwin of 2023 is unrecognisably different to the bowler who dominated that 2012-13 series. This, in essence, is what separates them.

With the domestic game set to be restructured next summer, several players made a strong white-ball claim

Firdose Moonda01-Mar-2021The Lions won the last edition of Cricket South Africa’s franchise T20 tournament, with the domestic game set to be restructured next summer. The Johannesburg-based franchise are four-time champions in the format, two fewer than the record-holding Titans, and have claimed the last two titles. All of South Africa’s six franchises have won the competition at least once.This year’s tournament was held in a biosecure environment in Durban where surfaces mimicked subcontinental-style strips in their spinner-friendly and tough-to-score-on nature. The average score across the 17 matches was 139, with no total above 181 and an average run-rate of 7.22. While the tournament has been unsponsored for the last four editions and does not have the profile of leagues around the world, it is an important feeder for the South African team. In this T20 World Cup year, it will prove particularly significant in finding solutions for the national squad, specifically in the death-bowling, top-order and spin departments. Here are some of the key takeaways from the final franchise T20 cup.Related

• Revamped two-tier South African domestic structure ready to take off

• Pakistan to visit South Africa in April for ODIs, T20Is

• SA's new domestic structure: 2 tiers, 15 first-class teams, 205 contracted players

• Keshav Maharaj wants to be South Africa's Test captain

Sisanda Magala’s death bowling The leading wicket-taker of this season’s competition, Sisanda Magala finished with 13 wickets from six matches, at an average of 12.84, and took most of those at the death. In the Lions’ opening match against the Warriors, Magala took three wickets for six runs in eight balls. In their third game against the Knights, he took three for one run in the last over, and finished with a career-best 5 for 20. In the final, against the Dolphins, he claimed two wickets for six runs in a mid-innings burst that reduced the opposition to 60 for 5.His clever use of variations including the knuckle ball has made it almost impossible to look past him for national selection, especially as South Africa have struggled to contain opposition tails in the past. Magala is clearly in the national selectors’ plans and was part of the South African set-up for white-ball series against England and Australia in the 2019-20 summer but fell short of making his debut because he failed to meet fitness standards. Since then, he has worked on his conditioning, appears to have lost weight and has passed the required fitness tests to play in this tournament. As long as he stays on the park, all roads point to the T20 World Cup.Reeza Hendricks could make his first appearance at a major tournament for South Africa•AFP / Getty ImagesReeza Hendricks’ form With 257 runs from seven innings at an average of 36.71, Reeza Hendricks was the competition’s leading run-scorer and most fluent batsman. To date, Hendricks has not been part of a South African major tournament squad – he was particularly unlucky to miss out on the 2019 World Cup – and has made a strong case for inclusion for the T20 World Cup.Hendricks’ clean stroke-play and aggression was all the more notable because it came with a misfiring opening partner (Ryan Rickleton averaged 5.00 in the tournament) at the other end on pitches where free-flowing runs were rare. Hendricks formed useful stands with his captain Temba Bavuma, who was second on the batting charts, and shared in two half-century stands (84 against the Cobras and 93 against the Knights) and two partnerships of more than 35 runs. He may even provide South Africa with a hint of how to use the pair in the national team.Bavuma has been earmarked as a potential opening partner for Quinton de Kock at the T20 World Cup, but another option would be for Hendricks to open with de Kock and Bavuma to slot in at No.3.File pic: Keshav Maharaj was Dolphins’ leading wicket-taker with eight scalps•AFP via Getty ImagesKeshav Maharaj’s captaincy and white-ball credentials It’s difficult to tell if anyone took Keshav Maharaj’s national captaincy aspirations seriously but he has made it difficult to ignore his enthusiasm for the job in some capacity. Maharaj led the Dolphins to a second table-topping white-ball run in two seasons and has shown himself to be an astute leader. Last season, Maharaj took the Dolphins to the top of the one-day cup log, and they were awarded the trophy after the playoffs were cancelled because of the Coronavirus pandemic. He also guided them through the group stage unbeaten in this competition, only for them to fall at the final hurdle.Maharaj also appears to have blossomed under extra responsibility. He finished as the leading spinner, with eight wickets, bowled more overs than anyone else and had the second-best economy rate of 4.54. Even if that is not enough for Maharaj to seriously challenge for the national leadership, it has to put him front of mind for a T20 World Cup spot, although he has yet to play for South Africa in the shortest format. That could mean South Africa take five frontline spinners to the tournament with Imran Tahir available for selection, and the likes of Tabraiz Shamsi, George Linde, Bjorn Fortuin and Maharaj making up a new-look attack.Robbie Frylinck was the fifth-highest wicket-taker and batted at a strike rate above 130•BCCI Depth across the board While the top performers came from the two teams in the final – the Lions and Dolphins – there were impressive showings all round which bodes well for the national talent pool. Pite van Biljon and Raynard van Tonder from the Knights were in the top ten run-scorers and van Tonder’s unbeaten 81 off 57 balls against the Warriors was among the tournament’s most authoritative knocks while Zubayr Hamza made a welcome return to form with two successive half-centuries before injury ended his participation.Warriors’ medium pacer Mthiwekhaya Nabe was the joint, second-leading wicket-taker and his 4 for 21 against the Titans contributed to the biggest upset of the tournament. Lungi Ngidi took the same number of wickets, with consistent displays throughout while left-arm spinner Siyabonga Mahima, from the Cobras, announced himself in this competition. Linde was joint-fourth on the bowling charts and had the highest strike-rate (167.60) among anyone who scored more than 30 runs. But the best two-in-one player was Dolphins veteran Robbie Frylinck, who was the fifth-leading bowler and batted at a strike rate above 130.All the extras, ill-discipline and an ailing Cobras outfit Scores would have been even lower if more catches had been taken with spillages aplenty in this competition and if bowlers across all six franchise had been more disciplined. In total, 160 wides and 18 no-balls were delivered – an additional 29.4 overs all-told – and one team was responsible for more than a third of those extras. The Cobras sent down 59 wides and three no-balls, which lost them matches and added to a disappointing season.Across all formats, the Cobras have won three out of 15 matches, fewer than any of the other franchises. They were without Janneman Malan and Nandre Burger, who were both injured, for this competition but that won’t excuse a worrying trend. The franchise last won a trophy in the 2014-15 season, six summers ago, and though there are other teams that have not lifted a cup in that time too (notably the Warriors), a strong South Africa needs a strong team in Western Cape.

A lot can happen over the course of a long Major League Baseball season. A small-market team can emerge as a juggernaut. Big-market teams can be humbled. The deepest division in baseball a year ago can be turned directly on its head.

Just under a month and half remains in the 2025 regular season, and baseball's pecking order looks very different now from how it looked early on. Can the Brewers keep up their blazing second half? Can the Yankees and Mets rediscover their old mojo? What's going on in the American League Central? These issues and more will be explored in this edition of Fact or Fiction.

The Brewers will end the season with MLB's best record

Verdict: Fact

At 79–47, Milwaukee is perched atop both leagues and on pace for the best record in franchise history. The squad leads the Cubs by seven games in the National League Central and the Phillies by six games in the race for the No. 1 seed in the NL, and is five games better than the AL-best Tigers.

The question is whether those leads can hold up for the rest of the season. Milwaukee's remaining opponents have a winning percentage of .510 (11th strongest). Contrast that with .468 for Chicago (29th), .502 for Philadelphia (15th), .471 for the Dodgers (28th), and .493 for the Tigers (19th). Those numbers don’t post the prettiest picture, but the Brewers do play 22 of their 36 remaining games against teams under .500—more than the Cubs (21), Phillies (19) and Tigers (12), and just two fewer than the Dodgers. That’ll be present more opportunities to stack up wins against inferior competition. They also possess perhaps the best pitching depth in the league.

MORE:SI:AM | The Brewers’ Streak by the Numbers

Who can gain ground on the Brewers by beating them directly? The Cubs have two more chances to this week, but that’s the last time the two division rivals play. Back-to-back series against the Blue Jays and Phillies loom. A protracted dip seems unlikely, though, so Milwaukee can dream of a third straight division title—and a good shot at a first playoff series win since 2018.

The Yankees and Mets will both miss the playoffs

Verdict: Fiction

The Yankees were in danger of falling out of the playoff picture as recently as Friday, thanks to a lengthy slump and a month-long tear by the Guardians. The weekend, however, broke perfectly New York's way: the Yankees swept the Cardinals and watched Cleveland drop three in a row to the Braves. The Guardians scraped together a win over the Diamondbacks Monday, but lost again Tuesday. The Red Sox, meanwhile, are on a four-game losing streak.

What about the Mets? Ice cold of late as well, they also received a pair of morale boosts over the weekend. Pitcher Nolan McLean was sterling in his MLB debut against the Mariners Saturday, and they hammered Seattle in the Little League Classic Monday. The Reds still are just one game back for the final NL wild-card spot, but manager Carlos Mendoza’s crew has to be in a better mood amid a series against the last-place Nationals.

All that is to say: a postseason without both New York teams seems unlikely. There've been just four such playoffs this century—2008, '13, '14 and '23. While these Yankees may lack the single-minded, top-down seriousness of manager Joe Torre's squads of yore, they are better on paper than Cleveland and Kansas City—the Royals have won five in a row and trail Boston by 2 1/2 games for the final AL wild-card spot. Likewise, the Mets' potent offense should shake pesky Cincinnati.

No AL Central team will qualify for a wild-card spot

Verdict: Fact

As much of a boon as this past weekend was for the Yankees, it was a cataclysm for Cleveland—a team that had looked so good since a 10-game losing streak around the Fourth of July. It's clear the Guardians—a .516 team that should be a .468 one, per Pythagorean winning percentage—are punching above their weight, and the Atlanta series may have let the air out of Cleveland's balloon.

The Guardians actually now trail the Royals, fellow Pythagorean overachievers, by a half game. Like Cleveland, Kansas City has had an up-and-down 2025 after a very good '24. The Royals have dealt with a rash of pitching injuries and were briefly seven games under .500 in early July, but have played themselves back into the wild-card race.

Neither squad seems to have the offensive firepower to overtake the Yankees, Red Sox or Mariners, though—the Royals possess the AL’s worst offense (3.81 runs per game), and the Guardians (3.97) are barely better, outpacing just the Royals and White Sox among AL teams.

Pete Crow-Armstrong will enter the 40–40 club

Verdict: Fiction

Let's do some napkin math here. Appearing in 121 of Chicago's 125 games (a 156-game pace, rounding down), Crow-Armstrong has hit 27 home runs and stolen 30 bases. Therefore, Crow-Armstrong should play around 35 more games, and he would need to hit 13 home runs and steal 10 bases in those games to join the 40-40 club.

Based on his pace to date, Crow-Armstrong would be expected to hit seven home runs and steal nine bases over any given 35-game span. That'd leave the NL's bWAR leader six home runs and one steal short. The Cubs have never had a 40–40 player, and it appears likely that will remain the case. Chicago’s breakout player was on pace to make history for much of this season, but an awful August thus far (zero home runs, one stolen base, .420 OPS) has likely scuttled that possibility.

Are there any between-the-lines numbers hinting at a potential late power or speed explosion for Crow-Armstrong? Chicago does play three games in Denver from Aug. 29–31, along with the Nationals' and Angels' high-ERA staffs (5.33 and 4.69, respectively). Crow-Armstrong doubling his home run pace is a tough ask, however.

Randy Arozarena and Julio Rodríguez will both enter the 30-30 club

Verdict: Fact

Two teams all-time have put teammates in the 30–30 club: the 1987 Mets (infielder Howard Johnson and right fielder Darryl Strawberry) and Colorado in 1996 (outfielders Dante Bichette and Ellis Burks). Both of those teams missed the playoffs, so the Mariners have the chance to cap a special season with a historic feat.

Back to the abacus for this one. Arozarena: 23 homers and 24 steals, pacing for 159 games, his current clip would leave him a home run short. Rodríguez: 24 homers and 23 steals, pacing for 160 games, his current clip would leave him a steal short.

Those are easy margins to make up—easier than those of Crow-Armstrong—and it would almost be a surprise if both players didn't cross the finish line. Where can Arozarena find an extra home run? The soft-tossing Rockies come to town from Sept. 23–25. Who can Rodríguez steal on? Counterintuitively, the Dodgers—third in baseball in wild pitches and in the Evergreen State from Sept. 26–28.