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Sitting out injured when RCB lifted the IPL trophy was frustrating, but he’s returned to action with his eyes firmly set on “high ambitions”

Srinidhi Ramanujam08-Sep-2025It’s been a stop-start year-and-a-half for Devdutt Padikkal. There was a Test debut in March last year and a second cap in Perth in November. He began 2025 with a century and an 86 in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and enjoyed a successful homecoming in the IPL with consistent scores for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). But just as he really seemed to be hitting his stride, with back-to-back match-winning half-centuries against Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals, a hamstring injury ruled him out of the rest of the season, forcing him to watch from the outside as RCB won their first-ever title. The injury also kept him out of contention for India A’s tour of England in May-June.It was only this week that Padikkal returned to top-level domestic cricket, and he did so with a solid 57 for South Zone against North Zone in the semi-final of the Duleep Trophy. The innings came at a handy time, with Padikkal part of the India A squad for two unofficial home Tests against Australia A starting September 16 in Lucknow.”It [this tournament] was very important,” Padikkal tells ESPNcricinfo. “I haven’t played much red-ball cricket for some time now. So coming into this game, I knew that I needed to make sure that I was getting back into the groove of things. I am really happy that I was able to spend some time out there and get a few runs.”Related

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• Technical changes unlock Padikkal's ball-striking ability

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• 'No one asks us how our body feels' – Thakur on players' workloads

Padikkal walked out to bat when South Zone were 103 for 1 on the second session of day one, with the seamers still finding a little bit of movement at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. He looked confident from the get-go, driving elegantly through the covers, cutting behind square for a pair of boundaries, and pushing the ball down the ground with ease. He raced to his half-century in just 64 balls, and hit seven fours before chasing a wide delivery and nicking Anshul Kamboj to the keeper.By his own admission, Padikkal was playing “too many shots”, likely a carry-over from his recent stint in the Maharaja Trophy (Karnataka’s T20 tournament), where he was the Player of the Tournament for his chart-topping 449 runs in 12 innings for Hubli Tigers, including an unbeaten 99.”That’s the frustrating part,” Padikkal says of his dismissal. “It’s just a moment of lapse of concentration, which probably is more down to the fact that I have played very little red-ball cricket over the last few months. So that’s something that I need to work on.”Obviously, coming from T20 cricket directly here, I felt like I was playing a few too many shots, even in the first innings. Which is something that I need to think about a little bit. And hopefully, going into the A series, I can work on that.”A hamstring injury cut short a promising IPL season for Padikkal•BCCIJudging by his approach in the second innings, he already seems to have done so. On the final morning, South Zone took five quick wickets to bowl North Zone out for 361, securing a crucial first-innings lead and a place in the final. When Padikkal joined N Jagadeesan, the pair swapped roles from the first innings, during which the latter had crafted a 352-ball 197. Jagadeesan, a picture of patience during that innings, hit a flurry of boundaries now to reach his fifty off just 60 balls. Padikkal, meanwhile, finished unbeaten on 16 off 54 balls, hitting just the one four.Padikkal admitted that the months away from the game were some of the hardest he’s gone through, particularly as a local boy watching RCB lift the IPL trophy without him.”Obviously, the first couple of weeks were the hardest,” he says. “Because you have to come to terms [with the fact] that you are not going to be playing much cricket for a month or so. And especially watching the IPL from home was a bit challenging.”I would have loved to be a part of that side, winning the trophy. That is the first couple of weeks and after that, again, you just switch into that zone of trying to get better.”During rehab, it gives you a lot of time to just focus on yourself in terms of what you need to work on. Because during a season, it is very hard to really give that time to yourself to look at the specific areas that you need to work on. So during my rehab, I was just looking to find things that I struggled with during the season physically and in terms of my technique, and trying to see how I can make that adjustment going into the next season.”So, I feel I used that very well during those couple of months. I am really happy where I am at now.”After the Duleep Trophy final, Padikkal’s next assignment is an unofficial Test series for India A against Australia A•PTI Now back in the India A set-up, Padikkal isn’t just looking to make up for lost time but hoping to make a statement. With two home Test series on the horizon – India are playing two Tests each against West Indies in October and South Africa in November – he knows he could get an opportunity if he stays consistent.”You know, every game that you play, especially for India, is very important,” he says. “We have a few home Test series coming up. I’m looking forward to making a mark in the A series to hopefully stake a claim for that team as well. But at the same time, you have to just go out there and bat.”I really enjoyed batting here in red-ball cricket. And just more opportunities to play red-ball cricket are always welcome.”For all the ups and downs, the ambition remains intact. After earning his Test cap, Padikkal doesn’t want to dwell on milestones with his eyes firmly set on the long haul.”I wouldn’t say life’s changed [since the Test debut],” he says. “Obviously, playing Test cricket for India is one of the biggest achievements you can have as a cricketer. But at the same time, I have high ambitions. So just playing or just making my debut is not what my career is going to be about.”Hopefully, I can continue to represent India at the highest level and continue to win games for them. That’s always been my aim. It was a great feeling on that day. But from the next day, it’s about getting back on the ground again.”

In Game 7 of the 2025 World Series, Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas joined baseball’s history books. Now, it appears he will take a victory lap in 2026.

Rojas is signing a one-year contract worth $5.5 million to play his final season with Los Angeles, according to Wednesday afternoon reports from Daniel Álvarez-Montes of and Alden González of ESPN. Per Álvarez-Montes and González, Rojas will move into the Dodgers’ front office after the season.

The Los Teques, Venezuela native has played 12 Major League Baseball seasons—eight with the Marlins and four with Los Angeles. He has a .260/.314/.362 lifetime slashline with 57 home runs and 363 RBIs.

None of his home runs were bigger than the one he hit on Nov. 1 of this year—with one out in the top of the ninth of Game 7 of the World Series and the Dodgers trailing the Blue Jays 4–3, Rojas launched a solo shot to left field to tie the game. Los Angeles went on to win the game in 11 innings.

The Dodgers are scheduled to raise their banner on March 26 against the Diamondbacks.

Life is bigger than baseball.

So with Dodgers pitcher Alex Vesia sidelined for the World Series due to a "deeply personal family matter,” his fellow Los Angeles relievers have been playing with the No. 51, Vesia‘s uniform number, written on their caps to honor the relief pitcher. But it wasn‘t just the Dodgers.

The Blue Jays bullpen, in solidarity with its Dodgers counterpart, also donned the No. 51 on their World Series caps during Los Angeles‘s Game 6 victory.

And the gesture was not lost on the Dodgers.

"I didn't notice until [Chris] Bassitt—actually after Bassitt struck me out and then I was looking up at the board to see the replay, and that's when I saw that he had 51," Dodgers outfielder Kiké Hernández said. "And instead of being mad that I struck out, I was kind of going back to the dugout thinking, 'Did Bassitt play with Vesia at some point?' And then after the game I saw that everybody had them."

The gesture clearly meant a lot to Hernández and the Dodgers.

"For those guys to do that, it's incredible," Hernández said. "They're trying to win a World Series, but they understand that this is—life is bigger than baseball, and baseball‘s just a game. For them to do that with the stakes—where we were at with the stakes, hat‘s off to them. And I want them to know that we appreciate them.

"Regardless of what happens tonight, we appreciate what they did."

Vesia was left off the Dodgers’ World Series roster

The Dodgers had said as part of a statement that Vesia, who appeared in 68 games for the Dodgers in the 2025 regular season and another seven contests in the postseason, "is away from the team as he and his wife Kayla navigate a deeply personal family matter."

The veteran lefthander was one of the Dodgers‘s most reliable relievers this season, posting a 3.02 ERA and 0.99 WHIP while recording 80 strikeouts in 59 2/3 innings pitched.

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Morelos voltou a marcar pelo Santos após mais de dois meses. O centroavante fez o quarto gol do Peixe na goleada por 4 a 1 sobre o Guarani, pela terceira rodada da Série B do Brasileirão. Mesmo assim, o técnico Fábio Carille ainda acha que o jogador pode mais.

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– Morelos pode mais. Já conheço esse atleta há algum tempo. Eu dificilmente desisto de atleta. Claro que você tem um grupo que você conta com 30, 33. Ele não me deu problema nenhum no dia a dia. Todos os dias vem para treinar, comprometido, trabalhando bastante. Não me deu motivo algum para afastá-lo.

O colombiano foi titular no jogo de volta da final do Paulistão, contra o Palmeiras, mas não foi bem. No jogo seguinte, ficou fora da estreia santista na Série B, contra o Paysandu. Mas, entre a titularidade e o corte, o jogador retornou à equipe inicial no duelo contra o Avaí, pela segunda rodada da competição nacional.

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Muito do motivo de Morelos recuperar a posição foi a má condição física de Julio Furch. O atacante argentino sofreu uma lesão na região da coxa esquerda, voltou a ser relacionado, mas tem sentido bastante o púbis.

O garoto Enzo, que foi titular contra o Paysandu, na primeira rodada da segundona, perdeu espaço pela má atuação. Por outro lado, Willian Bigode retornou de uma lesão muscular que o tirou mais de dois meses de campo e agora voltouaseropção.

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نجح الهولندي كودي جاكبو في تسجيل الهدف الثاني لصالح ليفربول أمام وست هام، في المباراة التي تجمع بينهما ضمن منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ويواجه الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ليفربول نظيره وست هام يونايتد اليوم، الأحد، في إطار منافسات الجولة الثالثة عشر من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، على ملعب “ويمبلي”.

وسجل جاكبو الهدف الثاني لصالح الريدز في الدقيقة 92 بعد عرضية من كورتيس جونز استغلها ووضعها في مرمى الحارس أريولا ليطمئن جمهور ليفربول بالثلاث نقاط.

كان ألكسندر إيزاك قد سجل الهدف الأول في الدقيقة 59 من عمر وأحداث المباراة ليكتب التقدم الأول في اللقاء ويعطي الأسبقية لفريق ليفربول ويقربه أكثر من الـ3 نقاط.

Nottingham Forest are now keen on a January move for a Champions League defender, amid doubts over the future of Murillo.

Murillo's future at the City Ground up in the air

It recently emerged that Murillo has now become Barcelona’s top target, with Evangelos Marinakis willing to cash-in on the Brazilian for £53m, and journalist Pete O’Rourke has also named Premier League rivals Chelsea as potential suitors.

With the centre-back contracted until 2029, Forest are in a strong negotiating position, but there is certainly no shortage of interest in his services, with Mikel Arteta a big fan, and Arsenal have also now identified the 23-year-old as a top target.

Although results have improved under Sean Dyche, the Tricky Trees are still very much in a relegation battle as things stand, so it would be a risk to sell one of their key players this winter, but it would not be a surprise if the defender has his head turned, amid interest from some of Europe’s top clubs.

According to a report from Football Insider, Chelsea could make a big-money move for Murillo when the January transfer window opens, and Nottingham Forest are now keen on signing Inter Milan defender Stefan De Vrij, whose future at the San Siro is in doubt.

De Vrij’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season, and having not received much game time, he could be open to a move this winter, with a place in the Netherlands’ 2026 World Cup squad at stake.

Forest have set out to sign a new centre-back in January, with Dyche personally keen on bringing in new additions more suited to his style of play.

Perfect for Anderson: Nottingham Forest make £21m PL star their top target

Nottingham Forest have their eyes on another Premier League star ahead of the January transfer window.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 27, 2025 De Vrij would arrive at Forest with wealth of top-level experience

With the 33-year-old’s contract due to expire next summer, he could plausibly be available for a low fee, and the £117k-a-week defender’s vast top-level experience could be invaluable for Forest in their bid to avoid relegation and compete in Europe.

The Dutchman has 77 caps to his name for the Netherlands, while also making 48 appearances in the Champions League and 14 in the Europa League, and he was recently singled out for high praise from compatriot Rafael Van der Vaart.

The former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder said: “In the air, he can clear those four balls from the goal, and he always stays calm. I’ve come to appreciate him immensely. Usually, I prefer a player with more style, but he doesn’t make mistakes.”

Given his age, De Vrij wouldn’t be a viable long-term replacement for Murillo, and Forest should look to hold onto the Brazil international for as long as possible, but he could be a savvy addition to the squad on a short contract, with an option to extend.

It was recently reported that Tonda Eckert is in pole position to be named the permanent Southampton manager after an impressive performance as the interim head coach.

The German tactician has won four of his five Championship games in the dugout, notably beating Charlton 5-1 away from home, but did lose 3-2 to Millwall last weekend.

It would be understandable if Sport Republic feel that Eckert has done enough in his interim spell in charge to earn the job on a permanent basis, but there is cause for concern with the former U21s boss.

Why Southampton should not appoint Tonda Eckert

The Saints are in a position, having just come down from the Premier League, where this may be their best chance to return to the top-flight before they have to cash in on more of their top talents with parachute payments dwindling.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

This means that it would be a big risk to appoint a permanent manager based on five games as a first-team manager in England, as he had never managed a game at any level in any country before this run of matches, per Transfermarkt.

It is hard, therefore, to judge whether the first four wins were a byproduct of a ‘manager bounce’ or if they were down to his coaching, as he does not have a managerial history to back up his credentials.

Southampton need to find their next Nigel Adkins, who joined from Scunthorpe United to lead Saints to promotion from League One and the Championship and left the club in 15th place in the Premier League in his only season in the top-flight.

Instead of appointing Eckert, Sport Republic could hire their own version of Adkins by making a move for reported target and free agent manager Michael Carrick.

Why Carrick could be Southampton's next Adkins

Like Adkins, Carrick would arrive at St. Mary’s with a wealth of experience in English football already under his belt, thanks to his time with Middlesbrough.

The former Saints boss had managed Scunthorpe for four seasons, including two in the Championship, and won promotion from League One on two occasions, before taking Southampton from League One to the Premier League.

Carrick, of course, will not have to get the club out of the third tier, thankfully, but he is an English manager who has the potential to be a brilliant appointment.

Matches

16

30

Wins

4

18

Draws

5

4

Losses

7

8

Points

17

58

Points per game

1.06

1.93

League position

18th

4th

One of the reasons why he could be a great hire for the Saints is that he has achieved success in the position that they currently find themselves in, as he took Boro from 18th to 4th in his first season with the club.

The former Manchester United midfielder then led Middlesbrough to 8th and 10th place finishes in the second tier, but they ranked 5th and 6th for Expected Points in those two seasons, per FotMob, which suggests that his coaching deserved higher league finishes than it got.

Carrick, who Tom Cleverley once claimed “oozes class” as a manager, is a proven Championship head coach who has shown, over three seasons, that he can coach a team to deliver play-off quality performances, which Eckert, through no fault of his own, does not have in his corner.

The ex-Boro boss also picked up seven points in two games as interim manager at Manchester United in the Premier League before his spell in the Championship, and played 481 games in the division as a player, per Transfermarkt.

This suggests that he could also be an appointment with the Premier League in mind, because of his experience at that level, whilst Eckert has never played, managed, or coached in that league.

Therefore, Carrick appears more likely to be Southampton’s next Adkins than Eckert is, because of both his proven quality in the Championship as a manager and his potential to be a successful Premier League boss.

Southampton can hire big Eckert upgrade with move for "world-class" manager

Southampton can hire an even better manager than Tonda Eckert by making a move for this free agent boss.

ByDan Emery Dec 2, 2025

This is why Sport Republic should consider pushing to appoint the English tactician as their next permanent manager, rather than giving the interim German boss the job on a permanent basis.

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Um velho conhecido vai voltar à Cidade Tricolor neste mês de dezembro. Trata-se do atacante Rafael Ratão, de 30 anos, que pertence ao Bahia e estava emprestado ao Cerezo Osaka, do Japão. Ele tem contrato com o clube baiano até dezembro de 2026, mas a diretoria não descarta uma nova negociação.

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A previsão é que Rafael Ratão desembarque no Brasil no dia 12 deste mês depois de uma boa passagem pelo Japão, com 23 gols em 44 jogos, sendo titular na grande maioria deles. Ele ainda foi o artilheiro do Cerezo Osaka na J-League (primeira divisão japonesa), com 18 bolas nas redes e três assistências em 36 jogos. Ainda há, inclusive, a possibilidade de Ratão estar na seleção do campeonato, já que foi eleito um dos 30 melhores atletas da liga. O resultado será divulgado nesta quinta-feira.

Apesar dos números, o Bahia ainda não definiu se Rafael Ratão vai se reapresentar junto com o restante do grupo para a pré-temporada, a partir do dia 5 de janeiro, no CT Evaristo de Macedo. O clube cogita negociar o atleta novamente.

continua após a publicidadeA passagem de Ratão pelo Bahia

Contratado na segunda janela de transferências de 2023 junto ao Toulouse, da França, ele chegou para ser mais uma opção de versatilidade para o ataque, com possibilidade de jogar como um camisa 9 ou até mesmo ponta. Ratão, no entanto, teve dificuldades para conquistar a titularidade no time de Rogério Ceni e não convenceu a torcida do Bahia.

O jogador fez, ao todo, 54 partidas com a camisa tricolor, com dez gols marcados e quatro assistências.

➡️Frustração no fim do ano mostra que a régua elevou para o Bahia

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In their quest to win their first World Series title since 2008, the Phillies have been dealt a devastating blow.

Philadelphia pitcher Zach Wheeler will miss the rest of the season after being diagnosed with venous thoracic outlet syndrome, the team announced Saturday afternoon. Wheeler, 35, leads the National League in strikeouts (195) and WHIP (0.94); his 11.7 strikeouts per nine innings lead all of baseball.

"The recommendation is to undergo thoracic outlet decompression surgery in the coming weeks," the Phillies' statement said. "Details of the surgery are forthcoming."

Venous thoracic outlet syndrome is a rare blood-clotting disease; Wheeler successfully had one such clot removed on Monday. The three-time All-Star last pitched on Aug. 15, taking a no-decision in a five-inning outing in a 6–2 Philadelphia win over the Nationals.

The Phillies lead the Mets by six games in the NL East division, and are eying their second straight divisional crown.

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.”