Plunket Shield: Glenn Phillips impresses on return from injury

The Boyle brothers – Jack and Matt – posted their career-best scores in the first round before they face each other in the second

Deivarayan Muthu21-Nov-2025Glenn Phillips returns to actionGlenn Phillips wasn’t originally named in Otago’s XII for the first round, but after clearing a late fitness test, he returned to action from injury and had a good workout against Wellington at Basin Reserve.Though Phillips scored only 6 in the first innings, he had a bigger role to play with the ball, bowling 37 overs across two innings and coming away with five wickets. Having proved his match fitness, Phillips could be back in contention for selection for the upcoming three-match Test series against West Indies. The allrounder has not played for New Zealand since the Champions Trophy final against India in Dubai in March earlier this year.After Wellington were asked to follow-on, Phillips found turn with a new-ish ball and had opener Sam Mycock caught at short leg. He then had Nick Kelly nicking to slip, for 150, with the older ball and proceeded to dismiss No. 11 Liam Dudding, setting up a simple 96-run chase for Otago. He then crashed an unbeaten 28 off 20 balls to ice the chase.After spending several months on the sidelines Phillips had an active week: he was retained by Gujarat Titans for IPL 2026 and impressed on his comeback from injury.

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Triple delight for OtagoOtago’s win, though, was set up by centuries from their top three: Jack Boyle, Jacob Cumming and Tom Jones. Jones, the grandson of former New Zealand captain Jeremy Coney, enjoyed a memorable debut for Otago, hitting 119 off 124 balls, including 16 fours and three sixes. He took charge after Jack and Jacob, the son of former New Zealand opener Craig, struck up a 210-run opening stand after Otago were asked to bat. Having moved from Central Districts, Boyle scored a career-best 156 in his first Plunket Shield outing for Otago. This was only the fourth instance of top-three batters scoring hundreds in a Plunket Shield innings.Matt Boyle also posts his career-best scoreJack’s younger brother, Matt, too lit up the opening round, following up his first-innings 70 with a career-best 156 not out in the final innings against Northern Districts in Rangiora. Matt came to the crease when Canterbury were 51 for 4 in pursuit of 370. He combined well with opener Chad Bowes (118) and wicketkeeper-batter Mitch Hay (59*) as Canterbury stormed back to chase the target and stun defending champions ND. This was Canterbury’s highest successful chase at Mainpower Oval. In the next round, Matt will come up against his brother Jack next week in Dunedin.Aryan Mann: a future star?In the injury-enforced absence of Tim Seifert and Ben Pomare, ND seem to have found a future star in Aryan Mann, who turned 19 in October and could be in action for New Zealand at the Under-19 World Cup in January next year. Having made his Ford Trophy debut last week, the wicketkeeper-batter scored twin fifties on Plunket Shield debut. During the process, he went after Ish Sodhi and showed why he is rated highly in the New Zealand cricket circles. Mann was also sharp behind the stumps, effecting four dismissals. Earlier during the winter, he had travelled to Chennai to hone his game at the Super Kings Academy in Chennai.”Aryan has come in and he’s been with us for a couple of years,” Northern Districts captain Jeet Raval told ESPNcricinfo in the lead-up to the red-ball season. “He’s an easy-going character and doesn’t get fazed by the occasion and I think he’s quite comfortable in his own skin. He’s worked hard to get to this level and we’ve seen how he operates on a daily basis. He belongs to this level and I have no doubts he will go on to achieve bigger and better things.”Bevon Jacobs was among the runs for Auckland•New Zealand CricketStackpole, Jacobs power AucklandAuckland kickstarted their Plunket Shield campaign with an innings win against Central Districts in Palmerston North. Dale Phillips, Glenn’s brother, and captain Sean Solia, who recently played for Samoa, fell early, but Bevon Jacobs and Lachlan Stackpole propelled Auckland to 406. While Jacobs fell six short of a century, Stackpole zoomed past the landmark and finished with a career-best 148 off 112 balls, including 11 fours and nine sixes.While Jock McKenzie and Simon Keene caused damage to Central Districts’ reply and helped Auckland enforce the follow-on, left-arm spinner Rohit Gulati triggered another Central Districts collapse with a maiden five-wicket haul in his second Plunket Shield match.

Head 'happy' to keep opening amid Khawaja debate

“If that’s what is needed to win a Test match and if that’s what’s required then, yeah, I’m fine with it,” Travis Head says

Matt Roller30-Nov-20253:17

Smith: Travis Head’s batting incredible to witness

Travis Head is “happy” to continue opening the batting after his match-winning century in the first Ashes Test, echoing Pat Cummins’ view that batting orders are “over-rated”. His comments come amid continued uncertainty over Usman Khawaja’s fitness and his future as an international cricketer.Head has been Australia’s first-choice No. 5 for the last four years but deputised at the top of the order in the second innings in Perth last week, with Khawaja off the field following back spasms. His stunning 123 off 83 balls helped Australia chase down a fourth-innings target of 205 in just 28.2 overs, taking a 1-0 lead into Thursday’s second Test at the Gabba.Khawaja, who turns 39 next month, has been retained in Australia’s 14-man squad and said this week that he “should be right” to play. But he has been given no guarantees over his place by selectors, and has come under significant scrutiny after averaging 31.84 in the last two years with a single century.Related

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Australia’s squad assembled in Brisbane on Sunday and Head said before their training session that his role for the second Test had not yet been discussed. But he made it clear that he was open-minded about staying at the top of the order. “I’m happy,” he said. “If that’s what is needed to win a Test match and if that’s what’s required then, yeah, I’m fine with it.”I’m preparing for anything at this stage… There’s a fair bit to work through. I’ve just got here. We haven’t really had many conversations over the last week. It’s been about just spending some time out of the game as much as you can. You don’t get much time to chill out in a massive series like this, where it’s pretty full-on every single day.”Andrew McDonald revealed after the Perth Test that his Australia side had previously considered using different openers in each innings of a match, and Head said that he was “open” to the idea. “We’ve talked about that a lot: how you get there, and what personnel we have to be able to potentially do that and the personalities in the line-up,” he said. “You’ve seen it a little bit in the T20 team as well, where we’re trying to push the boundaries in power-hitting, and [asking] do we take singles at certain stages… I feel like I can play in any role, so I’m open to it, and it’s just trying to work out in-game and in moments when that may come out and when you may use that.”All options are on the table and have been for a long period of time about where this team can potentially get better, and where there’s opportunities to potentially win games of cricket in moments. It’s always been on the table.”Head was in agreement with Cummins, who is set to miss the second Test in Brisbane because of his ongoing back stress concerns, saying, “I agree with Pat. I think you could use this order and these players in a range of different ways and whatever ways that is to win games of cricket.”We’ve seen it in red-ball [Tests] but particularly probably pink-ball [Tests] as well. Non-traditional stuff, with double nightwatchmen, how you use orders, and how you use players in certain situations. So I agree with Pat that I think they’re slightly over-rated… It’s ever-evolving, and we’ll see where we get to.”

Not Lammens: Man Utd flop is becoming their biggest liability since Onana

The 2024/25 campaign was truly one to forget for everyone involved with Manchester United, as the club registered their worst-ever Premier League finish.

Ruben Amorim’s side ended the year in a measly 15th position, sitting just three spots above the relegation zone, with various issues rearing their head throughout the season.

The Red Devils had a real goalscoring issue during their top-flight campaign, as seen by their measly tally of just 44 goals in their 38 outings – an average of just 1.15 per game.

However, at the other end, things were just as disappointing, as they shipped 54 goals in just 38 matches, ultimately leading to a total of 18 league defeats in 2024/25.

Many of the failures that season were directed that way of one man, with Amorim desperately needing to make the right call on his future during the recent summer window.

The stats behind Andre Onana’s failures for United in 2024/25

After David de Gea’s departure from United back in the summer of 2023, former boss Erik ten Hag decided to delve into the transfer market to bolster his ranks – landing the signature of Andre Onana.

As a result, the Dutchman decided to fork out a reported £47.2m for the Cameroonian’s signature – a deal which could go down as one of the worst in the club’s history.

Upon Amorim’s arrival last November, he decided to stick with the former Inter Milan shot-stopper between the sticks, but he was unable to match the confidence shown in him by the boss.

The 29-year-old featured 50 times across all competitions last campaign, but made nine direct errors that led to goals, many of which came in key moments.

From parried shots against Lyon to misjudging Morgan Gibbs-White’s effort against Nottingham Forest – it truly was a regular occurrence for Onana to drop numerous clangers.

His only appearance for the Red Devils this season came in the Carabao Cup defeat to League Two Grimsby Town – a game that would signal the end of his first-team place at Old Trafford.

Manchester United'sAndreOnanaduring the warm up before the match

Amorim decided to ship Onana out on loan to Turkish Super League side Trabzonspor, with the hierarchy backing him with a new goalkeeper on Deadline Day.

Man Utd have another Onana-esque liability

As a result of Onana’s departure, Senne Lammens was the man chosen to fill the void in the goalkeeping department for United, with the Belgian joining from Royal Antwerp.

At just 23, such a move may have been a daunting task to many, but the youngster has wasted no time in cementing the number one shirt as his own at Old Trafford.

He’s made six appearances for the Red Devils to date, keeping one clean sheet, but his goal prevented xG of 0.2, showcases his immediate impact between the sticks.

Lammens is also yet to register an error leading to a goal after his big-money transfer, with his arrival already solving one of the glaring issues in the squad from last season.

However, not all the new additions have slotted in as seamlessly as the goalkeeper, with full-back Patrick Dorgu unable to be as successful at Old Trafford.

The Dane arrived from Italian side Lecce back in January for a reported £30m, with such a move seeming to end the hierarchy’s hunt for a long-term left wing-back.

However, nearly a year on from his transfer, it’s evident that the 21-year-old simply isn’t at the level required and is now becoming a huge liability for Amorim’s men.

Dorgu has only started seven out of a possible 12 league games to date this campaign, with his latest showing highlighting why he’s been an inconsistent figure in 2025/26.

He featured for 58 minutes in the defeat against Everton on home soil, before being replaced by Diogo Dalot after struggling to make the desired effect at both ends.

Patrick Dorgu – stats against Everton

Statistics

Tally

Minutes played

58

Touches

40

Passes completed

75%

Tackles made

1

Aerials lost

100%

Crosses completed

0

Possession lost

11x

Dribbled past

1

Stats via FotMob

The youngster was labelled “unreliable” by one analyst, after only winning one tackle, and losing all four of the aerial duels he entered – offering a lacklustre option out of possession.

Even with the ball, Dorgu struggled to impress, only completing 75% of his attempted passes, losing possession a staggering 11 times whilst failing to complete a single cross.

As a result, he’s massively becoming a liability under Amorim, arguably the biggest one since Onana’s lack of form for the club back in the 2024/25 season.

A solution for all parties is desperately needed before the January transfer window, with the club potentially needing to reinvest in the market to solve the problem at left wing-back.

Alongside Zirkzee: Man Utd's "waste of time" must not start again for Amorim

Ruben Amorim has a bold decision to make over the future of one Manchester United flop.

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Liverpool looking to beat Barcelona to signing of gem who's similar to Pedri

Liverpool are reportedly eyeing the signing of AZ Alkmaar youngster Kees Smit, with the Dutchman expected to have a huge future in the game.

The Reds’ midfield is full of quality and depth, so from the outside looking in, there isn’t a great need to bring in new signings in the middle of the park for the time being.

That said, Alexis Mac Allister’s form has been a concern for Liverpool so far this season, and while the Argentine is still only 26 years of age, years of relentless football at club and international level may be taking its toll.

Not only that, but Mac Allister has been linked with a move to Real Madrid, and the likes of Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai could also be the subject of interest from other clubs, so the Premier League champions need to keep an eye out on potential additions.

Signing young players with a huge amount of promise is an avenue that Liverpool could go down at the end of this season, which is where Smit comes into play.

Liverpool eyeing signing of Kees Smit

According to Soccer News [via Sport Witness], Liverpool are interested in signing Smit from Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar, with the 19-year-old midfielder considered a massive young talent.

The Reds and Arne Slot are “seriously considering” tabling a bid for him, with Borussia Dortmund, Newcastle United, Barcelona and Real Madrid all mentioned as potential suitors, too. It is added that Slot is a fan of the teenager and that he was ‘charmed by him’ when he was a youngster at AZ Alkmaar.

Smit is a player with so much to admire about him, with scout Jacek Kulig hailing him as “fantastic” and Ronald Koeman comparing him to Barca star Pedri, which is high praise.

“I almost regret mentioning his name again (Pedri), but he’s a guy who plays in the same position. The way he turns away from his opponent, the way he scans the area, his two-footedness—I saw that in Pedri too. If he gets half his career, we’ll be very happy in the Netherlands.”

At 19, he could be eased in at Liverpool, arriving as a squad player who can mature at his own pace, before eventually becoming more of a fixture in Slot’s starting lineup.

Netherlands Under-21s

3

0

Netherlands Under-19s

16

4

Netherlands Under-18s

3

0

Netherlands Under-17s

7

0

Netherlands Under-16s

6

0

The teenager is already delivering impressive numbers, despite his tender years, with four goals and six assists coming his way in 50 appearances for Alkmaar.

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He has also represented the Netherlands at five different youth levels, including the Under-21s, and it feels like a matter of time until he received a senior call-up, with the 2026 World Cup around the corner.

Liverpool willing to sell first-team star to fund £150m Adam Wharton move

Braves Acquire Starting Pitcher From Cardinals Amid Slew of Injuries

The Atlanta Braves had been plagued by injuries to their starting pitching rotation, with multiple starters currently shelved with various ailments.

In dire need of healthy arms, the Braves took to the trade market and struck a deal with the St. Louis Cardinals in order to acquire veteran right-hander Erick Fedde, per a team announcement.

Fedde will step in as a much-needed starter who is ready to be deployed immediately. As it stands, Atlanta's starting pitchers currently on the injured list include Grant Holmes, Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach, Reynaldo Lopez and AJ Smith-Shawver. All three of Holmes, Sale and Schwellenbach went down with injuries this month.

Fedde, 32, had been designated for assignment by St. Louis earlier in the week. He owns a 5.22 ERA with 63 strikeouts across 101 2/3 innings and 20 starts on the year. It's been a disappointing season for him after he logged a 3.30 ERA across 31 starts with the Cardinals and White Sox in 2024, but he'll be hoping to turn things around with the Braves.

Heading to the Cardinals in the trade are cash considerations and a player to be named later.

Canada 2026 World Cup draw reaction: Jesse Marsch's squad get friendly World Cup draw – but could face Italy

Canada got the rub of the green as preparations for the 2026 World Cup kicked into full gear. Les Rouges will face Switzerland, Qatar and the winner of a European playoff to open the tournament next summer. On paper, it’s a winnable group – but if the playoff unfolds as expected, Jesse Marsch’s team could be staring down global giants Italy in the early stages.

Getty ImagesDraw: Switzerland, Qatar, TBD

The World Cup draw brought a kind set of matchups for Canada as they prepare for their first World Cup with Jesse Marsch at the helm. The American coach has repeatedly called for his team to be tested in big moments, and Group B will give him plenty to work with. Switzerland (17), Qatar (51) and the winner of European playoff A tie don’t offer anything particularly easy – but nor do they feel overwhelming.

Crucially, Canada seem to have avoided the biggest names expected to cause damage in Pot 2 and 3. Pot 4, however, is less forgiving. The winner of European playoff A could be former world champions Italy.

Beyond the group, the bracket could also get tricky. An early knockout matchup with Brazil is possible if Les Rouges finish second. Still, the immediate focus is on the group – and this looks surprisingly winnable.

Their Pot 2 opponent is Switzerland, a mixed side of late. They struggled in European qualifying, but beat both Mexico and the USMNT in pre-Gold Cup friendlies in June. Pot 3 produced Qatar, which also feels relatively friendly given the recent drop in form – a run that included defeats to Palestine and Zimbabwe. Pot 4 is where it could unravel. If they win their playoff, Italy (12) would be formidable. Other possibilities include Northern Ireland, Bosnia, and Wales.

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport Must-watch TV: Italy

The Canadians will be an excellent watch regardless of who they play. But a fixture with Italy would truly be wonderful. They are a little more expansive under manager Gennaro Gattuso, and uncharacteristically leaky at the back. Tournament games are supposed to be cagey. This might not be that. Should the unexpected happen and Wales advance, their fans would certainly make that fixture good watching.

Getty Images SportDangerous matchup: Switzerland

The UEFA playoffs are still to be determined, but Switzerland will be a tricky Pot 2 team. Even if their results have been mixed, they are still an experienced side, with Granit Xhaka pulling the strings in center midfield. 

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Getty Images SportKey opposition player: Manuel Akanji

It's an admittedly star-light group. But Switzerland's Manuel Akanji, a two-time Premier League winner with Man City, will make things tricky for Canada's attack. 

Crystal Palace keen on £11m “absolute star” wanted by two Champions League clubs

Crystal Palace have now joined the race to sign an “absolute star”, who is being targeted by some of Europe’s top clubs.

Palace on track to push for Europe after Burnley victory

After the disappointing 2-1 loss at home to Manchester United last weekend, Palace returned to winning ways against Burnley on Wednesday night, securing a 1-0 victory courtesy of Daniel Munoz’s goal on the stroke of half-time.

It was another resolute defensive display from the Eagles, who boast the second-best defensive record in the Premier League this season, having shipped just 11 goals, with only Premier League leaders Arsenal conceding fewer.

Having jumped to fifth place courtesy of the win at Turf Moor, there is every sign Oliver Glasner’s side could make a push for European qualification this season, particularly if they continue to be tough to score against, with captain Marc Guehi at the heart of their defence.

However, with Guehi’s contract set to expire at the end of the season, and Liverpool recently opening fresh talks, Glasner will have to start making plans for life after the England international soon, and Sporting CP’s Ousmane Diomande is one of the centre-backs of interest.

Crystal Palace are keen to strengthen at the opposite end of the pitch too, according to a report from TuttoAtalanta (via Sport Witness), which states they have now joined the race for Watford star Rocco Vata, alongside Fulham and two Champions League clubs.

Indeed, Eintracht Frankfurt and Atalanta are also vying to sign Vata, who has an affordable asking price, with it being revealed potential suitors will have to fork out a fee of around €8m – €12m (£7m – £11m).

Crystal Palace could now sign £80k-a-week "warrior" in "good value" January deal

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‘Half of Europe’ are credited with an interest in the former Celtic man, who has really kicked on since leaving Parkhead to join the Hornets back in 2024…

"Absolute star" Vata could be savvy addition for Palace

Scout Ben Mattinson has been left impressed by the 20-year-old’s performances since signing for Watford, lauding him as an “absolute star” back in January, and the starlet established himself as an important player last season, chipping in with seven goal contributions in 33 Championship games.

Palace have been very successful when recruiting players from the Championship in the past, signing the likes of Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise, and the Watford star could go on to achieve similar things, having performed very well across some key statistics over the past year.

Rocco Vata’s key statistics

Average per 90 (past year)

Assists

0.30 (88th percentile)

Successful take-ons

2.31 (92nd percentile)

Tackles

1.70 (79th percentile)

Given that Vata could be available for a very affordable fee, Crystal Palace should look to get ahead of the likes of Atalanta and Frankfurt in the race for his signature by making a January offer.

NZ coach Walter: Kane Williamson 'deserves' time to communicate availability

Kane Williamson’s availability for New Zealand’s home summer will take a little longer to lock in. However, head coach Rob Walter is content to give a player of his standing the extra time.Williamson, who is one of the group of players to hold a casual contract with NZC, made himself unavailable for the three-match T20I series against Australia, having previously missed the tour of Zimbabwe to play county cricket and the Hundred.The next part of New Zealand’s home season sees them play England in T20Is and ODIs before an all-format visit by West Indies in November.”Kane, we’re still in conversations as to what the summer is going to look like,” Walter told reporters after the Australia series. “He will play, no doubt about that. Just what and where is still in discussion.Related

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“I think the reality is we’re dealing with all the guys on casual contracts, actually in different positions from a playing point of view. Kane is one of those and he deserves the opportunity to sit and talk about what the rest of his year will look like. But I keep coming back to the most important thing, [which] is that he wants to play for his country, and so nutting out exactly what that looks like can take an extra week or two, but surely, he deserves that.”Walter confirmed that New Zealand would continue to be without Finn Allen (foot) and Adam Milne (ankle) for the visit of England while Lockie Ferguson (hamstring) and Glenn Phillips (groin) were unlikely to be fit.However, he was hopeful that white-ball captain Mitchell Santner and Rachin Ravindra, who was a late withdrawal from the Australia series after suffering a facial injury colliding with the boundary boards at training, will have recovered in time for the series which starts on October 18 in Christchurch.Walter was unperturbed about not being able to get his full-strength T20I side together in the build-up to next year’s World Cup.Mitchell Santner is likely to be available again•ICC via Getty Images

“I think we don’t live in an ideal world and so that’s part and parcel of it,” he said. “I’ve been part of a World Cup campaign [with South Africa] where the team assembled at its full strength three days before our first game and that team managed to make a final.”For me, it’s just the way it works. I think what’s more important is the environment and the team culture that sort of assimilates together when it needs to. We do know that by the back end of the India series [in January] prior to the World Cup, that’s when our full World Cup squad will be together.”For me, as long as the guys are playing competitive cricket, that’s important, and almost everyone has been part of the environment at some point so I would assume that they can fit seamlessly back into it.”Should all players be fit and available for the World Cup, there will be some selection squeezes, especially around the pace bowling and top-order batting. Tim Robinson took his chance after Ravindra’s injury to make an impressive hundred in the first match against Australia, while Jimmy Neesham claimed a four-wicket haul in the third game.Australia won the T20I series against New Zealand•Getty Images

“Ultimately when things are operating the way they should, everyone’s not fighting for their position, but understands that competition for places is there,” Walter said. “Ultimately you want your best crop of players in the park and in the squad.”They’re all quality players. At the end of the day, there’s going to be a quality player that’s left out, whoever that may be. As you’ve heard me say many times before, the stronger the player that’s left out, the better the system.”Reflecting on the Australia series, Walter was encouraged by the way his side fought back from 6 for 3 in the opening match and forced a collapse with the ball in the second but conceded they had areas that needed improving before facing England.”There’s little bits [of positives] here and there but, to be fair, we were a little bit off our best game and when you do that against [Australia], who’s won 25 of their last 30 T20 internationals, you’re going to find yourself on the wrong end of the result,” he said.”Some of the areas that we weren’t competitive in are actually quite easy fixes, [they] just require a little bit of extra time on our part…like any loss there’ll be some positives most of the time and then some stuff that you walk away with and understanding that you have to do better as we move forward.”With England arriving, you’ve got a team that’s going to play very similar to how Australia played in the series. So again, we get to check out if we actually have improved in the areas that we’ve identified and spoken about.”

Stars in another sky – KKR's 2024 heroes sparkle for their opponents

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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Rookies Ashwani and Rickelton lead MI to first win

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.

Better than Bradley: Liverpool star looked sellable, now he's their star man

Anfield erupted. It really did. That was the performance Arne Slot’s Liverpool have been searching for this season, with Alexis Mac Allister’s second-half header putting Real Madrid to the sword in the Champions League.

Real Madrid were overwhelmed, enervated, reduced to mincemeat in a similar fashion to last season’s win over the La Liga giants, and it could have been a wider, more sobering margin for Europe’s biggest hitters, but for a strong performance from Thiabaut Courtois between the posts.

The win over Aston Villa in the Premier League at the weekend stopped the rot, ended the four-game losing run, but this was a display of a different nature, the Reds going from strength to strength and reminding Europe of their prowess.

There have been many issues and imbalances within Slot’s squad this season, but this was an emphatic performance, outstanding from every department, both in possession and against the ball.

Epitomising this mini-revival on Merseyside, of course, was Conor Bradley.

Bradley proves too much for Real (again)

Not for the first time over the past year, Bradley came up trumps against Real Madrid’s devastating frontline, this time focusing his sights on Vinicius Junior, who was ineffective all evening against the Northern Irish star.

Content creator George Scaife remarked that he had “the game of his life” against Los Blancos, winning all three of his tackles, winning eight duels and recovering so many balls.

With Jeremie Frimpong sidelined with an injury, the 22-year-old has a real chance to kick on now and nail down a starting berth after a shaky start to the campaign which has presented him as unsure and somewhat unfit at times.

There have been times when Bradley’s place in the Liverpool side has been called into question, but he has the ability to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold, who made an unsuccessful return to Anfield on Tuesday, in the long run.

However, there’s another star who has become their main man, having looked endangered in the starting line-up after the summer spending spree.

Liverpool star is becoming one of world's best

There’s no question that Liverpool have been woefully out of sorts this season, but Dominik Szoboszlai has been a pillar of strength throughout the opening months.

Effortlessly good as an all-action midfielder and tenacious and industrious in a makeshift right-back berth, Szoboszlai’s energy and enterprise on the ball have been second to none, and he has been hailed as “our most important player” by one prominent Reds fan, also admitting that he “would be one of the ones to drop out of the XI” after a summer of spending that saw Florian Wirtz signed for a record-breaking £116m fee.

But the Hungary skipper has been nothing short of sensational, and he was once again the star of the show, peppering the Real Madrid goal and assisting the winner with a delightful set-piece delivery.

Szoboszlai’s Performance vs Real Madrid

Match Stats

#

Minutes played

90′

Goals

0

Assists

1

Touches

54

Shots (on target)

5 (4)

Accurate passes

30/39 (77%)

Chances created

3

Crosses

3/3

Interceptions

1

Recoveries

6

Duels won

2/9

Data via Sofascore

The Liverpool Echo saw it fit to hand the 24-year-old a 9/10 match rating, ahead, even, of the goalscoring Mac Allister, producing a masterful creative display and working overtime to overwhelm the Spanish midfield.

While the likes of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk continue to stand proud as the leaders in Slot’s squad, there’s little question that Szoboszlai is outplaying the lot this term, and as the Reds click into gear, raising their collective level, Szoboszlai could hit staggering individual heights.

Another Chiesa: Slot's treatment of Liverpool star is a "sackable offence"

Liverpool have a shrewd solution to one of their biggest problems this season.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 30, 2025

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