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Having to let go of some of the key performers that helped them win the title, they have lost two of their first three games this season

Matt Roller31-Mar-20251:53

Rapid Fire Review – What do KKR need to learn from this defeat?

The first ten days of IPL 2025 have seen players who won the 2024 title performing brilliantly up and down the country. The only problem for the league’s defending champions is that very few of them are playing for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).Phil Salt has been blazing boundaries for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Mitchell Starc wore the Purple Cap for a while after eight wickets in two appearances for Delhi Capitals (DC). Shreyas Iyer hit an IPL-best 97 not out in his first game as Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain. Even Nitish Rana, who played only twice last season owing to injury, crashed a match-winning 81 for Rajasthan Royals (RR).Meanwhile, a KKR side that lost three times in the whole of last year has already been beaten two times: a seven-wicket defeat at home to RCB, and now an eight-wicket thrashing at the Wankhede on Monday night against Mumbai Indians (MI). These are early days in a long season, but they have made a slow start to their title defence – as champions have tended to after mega auctions in recent times.Related

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The whole purpose of the mega auction – which saw teams permitted a maximum of six retentions from last year – is to ensure the IPL retains the competitive balance which makes it such a compelling spectacle. It is ideal for the league’s overall narrative, minimising the gap between top and bottom, but makes the notion of retaining a winning squad near-impossible.It must be hugely frustrating for successful franchises, but the combination of a strict salary cap and the unpredictability of an auction is one of the IPL’s key design features. It is not by mistake that there have been four different champions in the last five seasons, with seven teams reaching at least one final in that time. Already this season, each team has won at least once.Unsurprisingly, KKR used all six retentions after their 2024 triumph and made no secret of the fact that they would have liked to keep hold of several more. They bought another six of their title-winners back at November’s auction, with Venkatesh Iyer foremost among them and his INR 23.75 crore price tag doubtlessly inflated by the franchise’s desire to keep the core of the side together.Venkatesh Iyer has scored just nine runs in two innings so far•Associated PressCast your mind back to November’s auction in Jeddah, and you may remember Venky Mysore raising a purple paddle to place bids on all three of Salt, Shreyas and Starc. The trouble was that they had insufficient funds remaining to bring them back within the confines of the salary cap.It is clearly too soon to evaluate Venkatesh’s season, which has brought him nine runs in his first two innings. But the decision to go hard for him over several others was a significant choice at the auction, and KKR’s main changes from last year’s side – Quinton de Kock, Ajinkya Rahane and Spencer Johnson replacing Salt, Shreyas and Starc respectively – do not look like obvious upgrades.But, in fact, de Kock and Rahane are the only batters to hit fifties in their first three games this year, with another new signing, Moeen Ali, instrumental in their win over RR in Guwahati. Instead, it has been their returning players – including Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Harshit Rana and Ramandeep Singh – who have not fired at this stage of the season.Angkrish Raghuvanshi was the only bright spark with the bat for KKR•BCCI”It’s very disheartening after the mega auction because you have a set combination and then every three years the team changes,” Ramandeep said after Monday’s defeat. “But this is part and parcel of the IPL. Now teams will be trying to find their winning combinations as soon as possible and we’re trying for the same.”This was a night that KKR will try to swiftly forget: they were bowled out in under 100 balls for their lowest total since 2022. Rahane described it simply as a “collective batting failure” on what he believed was “a good wicket to bat on”, and will be looking for a response against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Thursday: “We’ve got to learn really fast from this game,” he said.Loyalty is a rare trait in a T20 franchise, and generally an admirable one. The challenge for KKR was to identify the role each player had in their title win and to value them accordingly: it will become increasingly evident as this campaign unfolds whether they have kept hold of the right ingredients from their title-winning recipe.Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in 2022 and MI in 2018 were the most recent teams to start a season as defending champions immediately after a mega auction, and neither reached the playoffs. KKR will be determined to prove that is a coincidence rather than a pattern – and must overcome two heavy early-season defeats to do so.

Real Madrid have now set their sights on signing Dominik Szoboszlai in another blow for Liverpool, with the Reds working to set up obstacles to prevent the move.

It’s been a disastrous season for those at Anfield. After spending over £400m and breaking their transfer record twice to welcome Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, the Premier League champions have looked a shadow of their best. Sat as low as eighth as the November international break begins, the pressure is growing on Arne Slot for the first time in his Liverpool tenure.

Last Sunday’s 3-0 defeat at the Etihad against Manchester City was another game in which Liverpool were physically outmatched, and that’s a major concern. That’s the one thing that they could never be accused of under Jurgen Klopp, but Slot’s technical side simply haven’t been able to compete out of possession.

Club legend Jamie Carragher shared a similar view on the Overlap Fan Debate, claiming that Slot’s attempts to build a more entertaining side have come just when the tide is changing in the Premier League.

It’s difficult to pick out many players who have still thrived for the Reds in recent months, but Szoboszlai is certainly one of them. He has had no trouble adjusting to this so-called new version of the Premier League and his form has not gone unnoticed.

Real Madrid now targeting Dominik Szoboszlai

According to reports in Spain, Real Madrid are now targeting Szoboszlai in a move that could cost them as much as €80m (£71m). Given that they’re already linked with a move for Ibrahima Konate, it would be a major blow for the Reds if they lost their star midfielder alongside the Frenchman in 2026.

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Unlike in Konate’s case, however, Liverpool have handed Real Madrid an obstacle in the way of Szoboszlai’s signature in the form of his contract, which doesn’t expire until 2028, and have already opened talks over a new deal with the Hungary international.

Those at Anfield know more than most just how much the Spanish giants love a free deal, but it looks as though they’ll have no choice but to offer a premium fee if they want to sign the midfield star.

That said, after Slot dubbed Szoboszlai “unbelievable” back in August, it seems unlikely that he will be going anywhere anytime soon.

Liverpool star is quickly becoming their biggest "disaster" since Keita

Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens enjoyed a dream international debut as Belgium stormed into the 2026 World Cup with a ruthless 7-0 demolition of Liechtenstein. It was a landmark evening for the 23-year-old, who not only kept a flawless clean sheet but also watched his team-mates tear their visitors apart with a clinical, seven-goal masterclass.

Belgium blitz their way into another World Cup

Coach Rudi Garcia demanded a rapid start, and his players delivered with ruthless precision. After just two minutes and thirty seconds, Youri Tielemans swung in a measured cross that Hans Vanaken steered into the net with a glancing header. It was the early breakthrough Belgium wanted and Liechtenstein dreaded. Despite holding firm for another half-hour, the visitors eventually cracked under relentless pressure. Alexis Saelemaekers found space on the byline, cutting the ball back perfectly for Jeremy Doku, who finished unmarked from the spot. With confidence flowing, Doku struck again minutes later, this time after pouncing on a loose clearance, dancing past three defenders, and guiding the ball into the corner. By half-time, Belgium were cruising at 3-0. The second half, however, produced an explosion.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportSeven-minute storm shreds Liechtenstein

Eight minutes after the restart, Tielemans flicked a corner into a dangerous area, allowing Brandon Mechele to prod home a fourth. Three minutes later, Tielemans’ long-range strike forced a save from Benjamin Buchel, but Saelemaekers reacted quickest to smash in the rebound. Barely sixty seconds passed before Charles De Ketelaere joined the party. Doku turned provider, rolling a pass across the box for De Ketelaere to tuck home Belgium’s sixth. A minute later, Thomas Meunier surged down the flank, squared to De Ketelaere again, and the forward coolly fired in his second. At the other end, Lammens had only one save to make.

Lammens' meteoric rise continues

For Lammens, a clean sheet on his international debut marked another milestone in a rapidly ascending career. United signed the Belgian star late in the summer window after cooling interest in Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martínez. Lammens called his deadline-day move "a dream come true" and "the beginning of something special". Since then, he has featured in five Premier League matches, conceding seven goals but earning widespread praise for his composure, agility and shot-stopping. He played a pivotal role in United’s October revival, helping the side secure consecutive wins over Sunderland, Liverpool and Brighton. His performances have drawn comparisons to legendary United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel. Lammens himself has resisted such talk, insisting he has "a long way to go". But one man who sees the potential is Sir Alex Ferguson.

In an interview with , the former United manager spoke warmly about the young stopper and said: "There are signs, the manager has had some good signs. Particularly the goalkeeper has been outstanding, he’s only played three or four games and he’s looking really good. Of course, [Bryan] Mbeumo and [Matheus] Cunha, the new players from Wolves and Brentford, they’ve added to it. I hope the manager gets a bit of success because at United you need to have success – the signs are getting better. I think back-to-back wins is something teams like United should always expect. But having gone through a cycle where the improvement has to come by waiting and being patient, they’ll enjoy it now."

Lammens is not worried about the pressure at United and said: "There's been a lot of commotion about the goalkeepers in recent years. They've received a lot of negative comments. I wasn't worried about that. I want to be someone people look up to. My dream is to play here for the next ten years, be important to the club, and build a legacy. That's a long-term goal."

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Getty Images SportLammens' United look to restart momentum after mixed results

Amorim’s side followed their three-game winning run with two successive 2-2 draws against Nottingham Forest and Tottenham. United return to action on November 24 with a home clash against Everton.

UAE folded for 57, their collapse highlighting the gulf between the two sides

Karthik Krishnaswamy10-Sep-20252:03

What are India’s expectations from Gill?

It took just 106 balls for India to begin their defence of the Asia Cup with the most comprehensive of wins. It took them just 79 balls to bowl UAE out, and just 27 to chase down their target.UAE’s 57 was the lowest total any team had achieved against India in T20Is. India’s 4.3-over chase was their quickest in T20Is.UAE came into this match on the back of encouraging displays against Pakistan and Afghanistan in the tri-series they recently hosted, but all that promise came to nothing against the relentless quality of India’s bowling, with Kuldeep Yadav taking four wickets in no time to celebrate his return to action after a long tour of England spent entirely on the bench.Thereafter, it was just a question of how quickly India would get to their target, and the answer – mostly delivered by their new opening combination of old buddies Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill – was a one-worder: very.ESPNcricinfo LtdBatting depth, two wristspinners, and SamsonA lot of interest surrounded India’s selection for this game, with particularly intense debate surrounding their wicketkeeper, bowling-attack composition, and No. 8. These were India’s choices:Gill displaced Sanju Samson from the opening position as expected, but Samson kept the keeping gloves ahead of Jitesh Sharma. India picked both their wristspinners, Kuldeep and Varun Chakravarthy, and picked the batting allrounder Shivam Dube to give them genuine depth until No. 8, but this meant they only had one specialist quick in Jasprit Bumrah.Some of these choices were surprises. The bigger surprise, perhaps, was that India won the toss – after 15 straight toss losses across formats.Related

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Bumrah bowls three in the powerplayFor the first time since 2019, Bumrah bowled three overs inside the powerplay in a T20I. He took one wicket, crashing through Alishan Sharafu’s defences with a searing yorker, but also conceded four fours, three in one over to UAE captain Muhammad Waseem.With Sharafu and Waseem hitting six fours and a six between them, UAE began well enough, scoring 41 for 2 in their powerplay. But they fell apart thereafter, losing their last eight wickets for the addition of just ten runs.Kuldeep and Dube clean ’em upTo their credit, UAE did not let the loss of two powerplay wickets curb their intent, but on this day they kept losing wickets to low-percentage shots. And they kept losing wickets to Kuldeep in the ninth over – three of them, to be precise.First, Rahul Chopra took on the large outfield at the Dubai International Stadium and the protected long-on boundary and holed out. Three balls later, Waseem was lbw, missing a sweep against a bowler whose stock ball, straightening into the right-hander from left-arm over, is stump-to-stump by design.Kuldeep finished the over with a trademark wrong’un to bowl the left-handed Harshit Kaushik through the gate, and UAE were already five down.India used six bowlers, and five of them ended up on the wickets column, with Bumrah – who bowled three overs in the powerplay, a rarity for him – Varun and Axar Patel taking one each.1:55

Why did Suryakumar let Siddique bat despite being out?

Dube, playing ahead of a second frontline quick to give India batting depth until No. 8, bagged three with his medium-pace, which meant he had taken 5 for 15 in four overs in his last two T20Is. His first two T20Is, it has to be mentioned, since his bowling quality came under severe scrutiny following India’s use of Harshit Rana as his concussion substitute against England in Pune.Here, Dube couldn’t help but pick up wickets even when India didn’t want them. In his second over, a direct hit from Samson caught Junaid Siddique wandering out of his crease – a la Jonny Bairstow – after swinging at and missing a short ball. Siddique was given out stumped but India captain Suryakumar Yadav withdrew the appeal. Next ball, Siddique swung at and miscued a slower ball high in the air, and walked back, c Suryakumar b Dube.Abhishek and Gill do (most of) the restThey’ve been fast friends since the Under-14 level and might have been forgiven for wanting to take a bit of time savouring the feeling of opening together for India, but that was the last thing on the minds of Abhishek and Gill. They clattered 48 runs in just 3.4 overs before Abhishek fell, miscuing a hard-length ball from Siddique, and in that time they played a number of outrageous shots. The pick of them, perhaps, were a dancing flick for six by Gill off Mohammad Rohid, and a falling-away slap over long-off by Abhishek, off a short-of-length dart from the offspinner Kaushik.India were ten away from victory when Abhishek fell, and Suryakumar – whipping his first ball off his hip for six – and Gill took just four balls to finish the job.

Kylian Mbappe has hit back at French rapper Orelsan after being mocked in a new track over the Real Madrid star’s ownership of Caen. The French club now sit in the third tier of French football after facing relegation under Mbappe's ownership. The striker issued a fiery reply on social media, accusing the rapper of "begging" for a free stake in the club.

Mbappe fires back at French rapper Orelsan

The feud erupted hours after French rapper Orelsan dropped his new album, featuring a biting track titled “La petite voix.” In one verse, the Caen-born artist took aim at Mbappe’s record as club owner, sneering, “You’re going to sink your city like the Mbappes.” The line referenced Caen’s dramatic decline since the footballer’s family-led takeover in 2024.

Mbappe, known for rarely engaging in off-field controversies, wasted no time responding. Posting on X, he wrote: “You’re welcome to come and save the city you love so much.

“PS: The guy kept begging us to get in with 1% without paying because he doesn’t have a penny but wanted to look like the little guy from Normandy.”

The jab sparked mixed reactions. Some accused Mbappe of arrogance and deflection, while others applauded his blunt defence. The incident, however, revived scrutiny of his ill-fated venture with Caen, a club now mired in relegation, layoffs, and mounting frustration among fans who once saw him as a saviour.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMbappe’s failed Caen project

In 2024, Mbappe became one of Europe’s youngest football club owners after purchasing an 80 per cent stake in Caen through his firm, Coalition Capital, investing around €20 million. What began as a symbolic homecoming, returning to the club that once nearly signed him as a youth, quickly turned into a cautionary tale of ambition and mismanagement.

By April 2025, Caen had hit rock bottom. A crushing 0-3 defeat to Martigues mathematically confirmed their relegation from Ligue 2, sending the club into France’s third division for the first time in 41 years. Supporters stormed the pitch in protest, unfurling a banner reading: “Mbappe, SMC is not your toy.”

The fallout was immediate. Sixteen staff members were laid off in a controversial restructuring, and fan trust evaporated. Christophe Vaucelle, head of the Malherbe Normandy Kop, summed up local sentiment, saying: “The Mbappe clan bears some responsibility. They arrived, stayed invisible, and disconnected from the fans. The situation is catastrophic.”

For Mbappe, the failure cut deep. Alongside Madrid’s Champions League exit that same week, Caen’s relegation marked one of the most turbulent months of his career, both as a footballer and businessman.

AFPHow Caen collapsed under new ownership

Behind the scenes, Mbappe’s management model at Caen was built on trust and delegation. His close associate Ziad Hammoud took over as club president, while sporting operations were overseen by general manager Josselin Flamand and technical director Pascal Plancque.

Recruitment head Reda Hammache later revealed that Mbappe stayed “informed but not intrusive,” relying on regular updates rather than day-to-day control. “He’s not the type to call and demand changes,” Hammache told . “He trusts us but gives input on big decisions.”

However, reports claim the absence of a strong leadership presence at the club left a vacuum. Miscommunication, unclear sporting direction, and repeated coaching changes – from Bruno Baltazar to Michel Der Zakarian and later Maxime D’Ornano – created instability. Dressing-room tension grew, morale plummeted, and results worsened.

For many fans, the perception that Mbappe had overextended himself as he juggles between Madrid, the French national team, and a football club further cemented the narrative that Caen was a vanity project gone wrong. The financial losses from relegation and dwindling ticket sales have only deepened the crisis.

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Fame, failure, and France’s changing relationship With Mbappe

The Orelsan feud struck a cultural chord because it exposed a growing rift between Mbappe and sections of the French public. Once seen as the golden boy of football, the Madrid star now faces skepticism about his off-field ambitions. This is not the first time Mbappe has clashed with figures from France’s rap scene, his earlier feud with Booba also revolved around ego and authenticity. But this latest exchange cuts deeper, tying together fame, money and regional pride.

As Caen continue life in the National League, the club’s focus has shifted toward stability and youth development under coach D’Ornano. Meanwhile, Mbappe must navigate the fallout by balancing his image as a global superstar with the growing backlash at home.

The Guyana-based league is aiming to become a Champions League T20 replacement of sorts

Matt Roller27-Nov-2024The world is coming to Guyana. So says the marketing slogan of the inaugural Global Super League (GSL), an invitation-only, five-team T20 competition which started Tuesday night. Only lasting 11 days, the tournament is unusually brief, with a ten-match group stage followed by a floodlit, Friday-night final at Providence Stadium in Georgetown.It will be the first major T20 competition to unite teams from several different domestic and franchise leagues since the short-lived Abu Dhabi T20, and evokes the defunct Champions League (CLT20). The catch? None of the five teams – Hampshire, Lahore Qalandars, Rangpur Riders, Victoria, and hosts Guyana Amazon Warriors – are reigning champions at home.The wider context that explains the GSL’s existence is that Guyana is in the midst of an oil boom. Nine years ago, the US-based ExxonMobil discovered oil off the north coast, with reserves now estimated at the equivalent of 11 billion barrels; now, the International Monetary Fund ranks Guyana as the fastest-growing economy in the world – by far.The upshot is a tournament designed to reflect the country’s ambition. “Guyana is the place to be,” Clive Lloyd, the league’s chairman, says. “There are a lot of things in store here for cricket… I’m hoping that a lot more people will come to experience being in Guyana. There’s a lot to see and do, people are friendly, and the country is expanding.”It was Mohammad Irfan Ali, Guyana’s president, who first publicly floated the concept of the GSL in April, and he unveiled the trophy last week during Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s state visit. Bobby Ramroop, the owner of the Guyana Amazon Warriors franchise, is heavily involved in the new league, and ExxonMobil is the title sponsor.The Guyanese government is trying to position the country as a destination for sports tourism, and cricket is front and centre. It is investing heavily in the sector, with new facilities under construction. Lloyd expects that a second cricket venue may be ready to host games in the second season of GSL, most likely in the Berbice region.The GSL has faced criticism from climate activists as a “sportswashing vehicle” on account of its association with the oil giant. The league’s argument is that by promoting tourism to Guyana, it will help the country diversify its economy and enable it to be less reliant on finite natural resources.There is a significant prize pot of US$1 million for the winning team, and the hosts are clear favourites: they were runners-up in the recent CPL, have a strong historic record at home, and have the majority of their squad available. That includes Gudakesh Motie, who is playing in the GSL rather than West Indies’ ongoing Test series against Bangladesh.Guyana, the GSL hosts, made it to the CPL final this year, though they didn’t win•Getty ImagesThe other teams are missing key players: Lahore Qalandars are without their star names like Fakhar Zaman, Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf; Hampshire and Rangpur Riders have lost James Vince and Shakib Al Hasan respectively to the Abu Dhabi T10; and Victoria’s squad draws heavily on their Major League Cricket partnership with San Francisco Unicorns.Each side is permitted to field up to five overseas players in its XI, and teams have made short-term signings to fill gaps in their squads – including several English players, who are available during their winter. Darren Gough and Mickey Arthur are new coaches for Qalandars and Riders respectively. Arthur has also signed for the subsequent BPL.The aim of the first season is primarily to provide proof of concept, with ambitions for a bigger tournament in 2025. “They’re trying to get more teams involved,” Lloyd says. “The prize money is excellent: I’m sure that winning a million dollars is quite healthy… This first one is important to make sure that excited cricket is played, so people want to come back.”The ten IPL franchises are conspicuous by their absence, though Hampshire’s involvement came about as a result of their recent buy-out by GMR Group, the co-owners of Delhi Capitals. Lloyd believes an Indian team could be involved in the future: “I hope so. They have some exciting cricketers, and it’d be wonderful for them to come this far and display their talents.”The GSL’s existence will prompt debate about the case for relaunching the CLT20, which was mothballed a decade ago, when broadcasters lost interest. The franchise world has evolved significantly since with the emergence of the PSL, BPL, SA20, ILT20, MLC and the Hundred, and the “big three” boards held early discussions about the prospect earlier this year.In practice, the GSL is unlikely to evolve into a full-fledged Champions League: it is all about Guyana, and would not function without Amazon Warriors’ involvement. But Lloyd is confident that it will not be a flash in the pan: “I think it could be very successful. This could be something that lasts quite a while.”

“My time as an explorer of the game around various leagues begins today,” R Ashwin says

Sidharth Monga27-Aug-2025R Ashwin has retired from the IPL. He made the announcement on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday morning, vowing to start exploring “the game around various leagues”.He ends as the fifth-highest wicket-taker in the IPL with 187 strikes at an economy rate of 7.2. Ashwin started off and ended playing for Chennai Super Kings, the team that represents his home city, but he also played for Rising Pune Supergiant, Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals, and captained Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings).

Special day and hence a special beginning.

They say every ending will have a new start, my time as an IPL cricketer comes to a close today, but my time as an explorer of the game around various leagues begins today.

Would like to thank all the franchisees for all the…

— Ashwin (@ashwinravi99) August 27, 2025