Category Uncategorized

Once a net bowler with CSK, Varun has worked on – and added to – his variations to become KKR’s spin frontman at IPL 2023

Deivarayan Muthu15-May-20233:26

Nayar: Varun has better clarity on how to target each batter

In 2018, Varun Chakravarthy had his first taste of the IPL as a net bowler at Chennai Super Kings in Chepauk. Varun was only playing fourth-division cricket in Chennai then, but there was something about him. He turned the ball both ways at high pace and troubled almost all the CSK batters, including MS Dhoni, at the nets.Five years on, in his first IPL game against CSK at Chepauk, Kolkata Knight Riders’ Varun out-spun CSK’s spinners and kept KKR in contention for the playoffs. When Varun bowled at the CSK nets, his stock ball was the googly and he would mix it up with sliders and carrom balls. He now has his legbreak to turn sharply and has become a more versatile spinner.According to ESPNcricinfo’s logs, the legbreak has been responsible for nine of his 19 wickets this season. After a rough IPL 2022, where he managed just six wickets in 11 games and was benched, Varun spent a lot of time nailing the legbreak with Abhishek Nayar, the KKR assistant coach, at the franchise’s academy as well as with AC Prathiban, the former Tamil Nadu offspinner, who had also worked with Varun at Madurai Panthers in the Tamil Nadu Premier League.Related

• Sparkling Rinku among few bright spots in disappointing KKR campaign

• IPL 2023 scenarios – Three spots left, seven teams in contention

• Rinku Singh, Nitish Rana silence Chepauk and keep Kolkata Knight Riders alive

• As it happened: KKR put CSK in a spin

• CSK find their new Hussey in fan-favourite Conway

In the past, Varun used to bowl legbreaks with a cross-seam or a scrambled-seam. In IPL 2023, he has got his legbreaks to turn more by bowling with an upright seam and giving more revs on the ball. The legbreak, which he bowls from the back of the hand like Rashid Khan, has made his other variations even more potent.With the Chepauk pitch gripping from the get-go, Nitish Rana handed the new-ish ball to Varun. The spinner’s first ball was a googly, which Ruturaj Gaikwad seemingly picked and swept for four. Two balls later, Varun tossed a legbreak up, which broke away from Gaikwad, drawing a thick outside edge to short third.Varun returned to the attack after the powerplay and challenged Devon Conway with bounce. He pinged Conway’s pad with a topspinner that went straight on, but extra bounce meant the ball was going over the stumps. Ajinkya Rahane then charged at Varun, looking for a straight six, but Varun dragged a legbreak away from his reach and had him sending a catch to long-off.The two strikes set CSK up for a boundary-less sequence of almost seven overs.”Yes, I’ve been working on my legspin this season, so hopefully it’s going well,” Varun said after the game. “Last season, I used to bowl cross-seam legspin, but it was not gripping that much, so I thought of mixing up the seam one and cross-seam one. So it’s definitely creating more doubt for the batsman.”He conceded 15 off his last over, the 18th of CSK’s innings, but it was still a decent over. He even dipped into his offbreaks, but Shivam Dube, CSK’s designated spin hitter, dared to mow him against the turn over midwicket for six.

“It still hurts us, that. He tortured [CSK’s batters] in the nets for a number of years, but with the auction and the way it is, we couldn’t retain him”Stephen Fleming

Varun’s growth from a net bowler at CSK to one of the mainstays of KKR’s attack has left Stephen Fleming impressed as well.”It still hurts us, that [missing out on Varun]. He tortured [CSK’s batters] in the nets for a number of years, but with the auction and the way it is, we couldn’t retain him,” the CSK head coach said. “And the thing is with the Tamil Nadu players all around the different teams, they knew about him as well and we were unable to keep him a secret. But we were very excited by him as a talent when he bowled against us in the nets and he went for a big price that first year.”He went off a little bit and now he has come back. He had some injuries and now he looks fit. He bowled very well today and he’s a weapon. When you have [Sunil] Narine and him operating, they’re a very potent combo in the right conditions. Probably at Kolkata, they don’t get the most favourable conditions to bowl on, so coming to conditions like this, they excel.”With Narine having his leanest full IPL season yet, in terms of both wickets and economy rate, Varun has fronted up to do the job that Narine used to do – bowl the difficult overs. Varun’s economy rate of 8.82 between overs 16 and 20 is the second best among spinners, behind Yuzvendra Chahal, and fourth best overall this IPL among bowlers who have bowled at least 50 balls during this phase. In the powerplay, only six spinners have bowled at least 50 balls this season and among them, Varun is the highest wicket-taker, with five.Nayar put Varun’s success down to his hard work at the KKR academy during the off-season and in the lead-up to the IPL season.Varun has bowled the tough overs this season and bowled them well•BCCI”After last season, we discussed quite a bit on what we thought went wrong and also I think when you play season after season, teams tend to target you differently,” Nayar said at the press conference. “One of things we tried to do throughout the off-season and throughout the season was to understand the challenges we were going to face. There is a stark difference in terms of how he’s using his deliveries – using the one that goes away [legbreak] a lot more than he was doing last year.”So, a lot of work went in not just technically and tactically but also understanding his mindset in terms of understanding how individuals are going to target him. I think last year when he didn’t have a great season, the ways in which every team was targeting him and certain areas where they constantly hit him. I think once we analysed and understood that, we obviously spoke about getting revs on the ball and getting more bounce and speed off the pitch… but also understanding which areas teams are going to target him.”We played at Eden Gardens, a smaller ground, where it is tougher for a bowler, and last time we were in Mumbai. Yes, he has been challenged, but a lot of hard work he has put in at the [KKR] academy over the whole season and not just prior to the IPL season. That has helped him in his preparation and in terms of clarity how he’s going to target each batsman or how he’s going to be targeted by each batsman.”When CSK had started their pre-game warm-ups, the Chepauk DJ was belting out plenty of songs of popular Tamil actor Vijay to rouse the crowd. It must’ve been a strange feeling for Varun, who is a huge fan of Vijay and who was the only Chennai boy in the two XIs on Sunday.After Varun’s mid-innings interview, the DJ played out Vijay’s from the movie . It probably wasn’t intended for Varun, but it was indeed another top spell from him.

Why have back-up allrounders earned so much money? Why did CSK pick Pujara? And much more

Dustin Silgardo19-Feb-20213:31

Did Maxwell deserve the price he got at the auction?

Back-up allrounders still get big money…
It’s doubtful whether Tom Curran, Dan Christian or Moises Henriques will end up as first-choice players for their franchises if everyone is fit. Yet each bagged more than INR 4 crore (USD 550,000 approx.). Curran played 10 games for Rajasthan Royals last season, but Christian last played an IPL game in 2018, and Henriques in 2017. So why so much love for these allrounders with middling IPL records?Teams are always keen on allrounders, even if they are second-choice players who can come in when there is an injury or if the teams need a different balance. There were not a lot in this auction, and by the time these three names came up, there were five teams who had money to spend and wanted an overseas allrounder. The Delhi Capitals snapped up Curran, the Punjab Kings beat Royal Challengers Bangalore to Henriques and RCB then got Christian instead. The Kolkata Knight Riders lost out in that race and got Ben Cutting for INR 75 lakh (USD 100,000 approx.), while Jimmy Neesham went to the Mumbai Indians for INR 50 lakh (USD 69,000 approx.) and Fabian Allen to the Kings for INR 75 lakh.What happened to all the overseas top-order batsmen?
Jason Roy, World Cup star, Alex Hales, second-highest T20 run-scorer since 2019, Aaron Finch, Australia’s white-ball captain, Evin Lewis, a former INR 3.8-crore player; none of them got a single bid at the auction. Dawid Malan, the No.1-ranked T20I batsman, went for just his base price of INR 1.5 crore (USD 206,000 approx.), and Steven Smith, previously on an INR 12.5 crore (USD 1.3 million approx.) contract, went for INR 2.2 crore (USD 300,000 approx.) this time.The reason was quite simply that demand for overseas top-order players was low, since the teams that had big budgets had settled opening pairs and wanted to save overseas slots for other roles. The Punjab Kings, who had the biggest remaining purse, have a strong top order, as do the Rajasthan Royals. RCB did put in a bid for Smith, but they have already expressed their faith in Josh Philippe. Also, since the batsmen’s names were read first, teams were conservative as they knew they’d need big money for allrounders and fast bowlers. By the time they came back around, a lot of teams had exhausted their purses.RCB break the bank on three players
RCB had INR 35.9 crore (USD 4.9 million approx.) to spend in this auction and splashed INR 34.05 crore (USD 4.68 million approx.) on three players: Glenn Maxwell, Kyle Jamieson, and Christian. It’s an interesting strategy from RCB – they end up with the smallest squad, of 22 players, but they do seem to have most bases covered. RCB had done some important business before the auction, trading in both Harshal Patel and Daniel Sams from Delhi, so they probably felt they needed just one more top-quality pacer – with Navdeep Saini and Mohammed Siraj already in the squad. Hence, the splurge on Jamieson. In terms of batting, they have hinted they will use Philippe this season and already have Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. Adding Maxwell gives them a strong top five, so they might not have felt the need to have a larger squad with more options.Space for a third?•BCCIAn Afghan spin trio at Sunrisers Hyderabad
After adding Mujeeb-ur-Rahman to their squad, the Sunrisers now have him, Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi forming a trio that has been successful playing together for Afghanistan. It’s unlikely Sunrisers can fit them all in the same XI, since they need overseas slots for the likes of David Warner, Kane Williamson and Jason Holder, but playing Rashid and Mujeeb together would give them an attacking spin option, particularly if the IPL is held in India, where fingerspinners such as Mujeeb have been successful.Why did CSK bid for Cheteshwar Pujara?
Pujara had not got an IPL contract since 2014, but this time around the Chennai Super Kings signed him for his base price of INR 50 lakh (USD 69,000 approx.). CSK had released M Vijay, so Pujara adds some Indian batting depth. While his T20 strike-rate of 109.35 is not appealing, given how poorly CSK’s batsmen fared last season, he may be someone who can come in as an accumulator if they decide to pack the side with their best bowlers for low-scoring pitches.West Indies and Sri Lanka struggle for representation
West Indian players have historically played big roles at IPL franchises, and most auctions tend to feature their talents. This time around, however, just one West Indian was signed at the auction – Allen. Some of the recent buys from the Caribbean have not worked out – Sheldon Cottrell had a poor end to his 2020 season, Oshane Thomas and Lewis both lost their places at their franchises after the 2019 season, and Rovman Powell never played a game after getting picked up by KKR in 2017. None of them got bids this time.No Sri Lanka players were signed this year and there have been very few signed in recent auctions too. Speaking on the subject, the Mumbai Indians coach Mahela Jayawardene explained that most of the overseas shopping at this auction was reserved for allrounders and quicks, and Sri Lanka don’t produce enough of those.”I’m sure the younger generation will come through and till then, it is disheartening but that is what it is,” he said. “IPL is a place where you try and get the best players in world cricket to come and play. And it’s a good message for the Sri Lankan players to lift their game up, get competitive, so they could be part of the IPL on their merit.”

A rising star who has been called a “young Xabi Alonso” is “one to watch” in the upcoming transfer windows as Manchester United seek to reinforce their midfield.

Man Utd set to replace Casemiro in 2026

Casemiro has enjoyed some improved form of late, rolling back the years and playing an important role in the 2-1 win away to Liverpool. It looks almost certain that the Brazilian will depart United at the end of this season, however, with the 33-year-old out of contract at that point and unlikely to be offered an extension.

Despite showing flashes of his former self, the Real Madrid legend has been criticised heavily throughout his time at United, including by Jamie Carragher, who famously told him to “leave the football before the football leaves you”.

Assuming Casemiro does move on for a new challenge, a top-quality younger replacement will be needed, in terms of someone who can provide a similar level of expertise in front of the defence and give Ruben Amorim midfield balance, allowing Bruno Fernandes to shine.

Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos has been linked with a move to United, with the 21-year-old reportedly wanting to emulate Casemiro’s career, while Benfica ace Florentino Luis has also been backed to come in once his loan spell at Burnley reaches its conclusion next summer.

Man Utd eyeing move for Bayern Munich star

According to Caught Offside‘s Mark Brus, Bayern Munich midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic will be “one to watch” at Manchester United and Sir Jim Ratcliffe next summer, as they do not believe Manuel Ugarte is good enough to succeed Casemiro.

“United see Pavlovic as one option to replace Casemiro. Manuel Ugarte is also not seen as a long-term option. A move in January is unlikely, but he’ll be one to watch next summer.”

Ugarte makes £6,240,000-a-year at United, but this would certainly be a worthy upgrade – Pavlovic is an enormous talent who has already become a key man for one of the best teams in Europe at the age of just 21, already making 65 appearances for Bayern.

The German has even been compared to former Liverpool and Real Madrid star Alonso by Bayern president Herbert Hainer, which is high praise.

Whether Bayern are willing to let such a prized asset in Pavlovic leave the club in 2026 is certainly up for debate, though, so it won’t be easy for United to entice him to the club.

A return to Champions League football arguably feels like a must if the Red Devils are to have any chance of signing him, but it is clear why he would be a leading target to replace Casemiro.

The next Giggs: Man Utd's academy star is "already better than PL players"

Manchester United have yet another incredible young gem in the hands of Ruben Amorim.

By
Ethan Lamb

Oct 24, 2025

Pavlovic already plays with a level of maturity beyond his years, both in and out of possession, averaging 1.5 tackles per game and completing 95.2% of his passes in the Bundesliga so far this season.

South Australia secured a Sheffield Shield double against Tasmania, beating them for the second time in four weeks.After winning in Hobart last month, the reigning champions backed it up by completing a comprehensive 10-wicket win at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday.Even without captain Nathan McSweeney (Australia A) and star quick Brendan Doggett (Ashes duty), SA proved too strong for Tasmania at home. The hosts claimed a first-innings lead of 231 after centuries to Jake Lehmann and Liam Scott powered them to 426.Related

• Buckingham claims four to put South Australia on top

• Scott, Lehmann tons help SA dominate Tasmania

Tasmania, missing Test opener Jake Weatherald and allrounder Beau Webster, were skittled for just 195 on day one. They didn’t fare much better in their second innings, but at least were able to force SA to bat again.Tim Ward (66), captain Jordan Silk (46) and a solid contribution from allrounder Nikhil Chaudhary (42) helped Tasmania to 260. Nathan McAndrew ended Ward’s resistance when he nipped one between bat and pad.Jordan Buckingham was the star with the ball, collecting 4 for 49 and 4 for 58. On the third day he trapped Ruwantha Kellapotha lbw with a full toss and had Nikhil Chaudhary pulling down the leg side.SA had no problem chasing down the minuscule target of 30, with Mackenzie Harvey and Henry Hunt completing it in six overs.A win was vital for SA, who entered this round in fourth spot on the ladder, just behind Tasmania. After a drought-breaking title win last season, SA started slowly with three-straight losses, but are in striking distance of another final berth going into the BBL break.

Despite Corbin Bosch’s best efforts, South Africa fell short of the 350-run target by 17 runs

Sidharth Monga30-Nov-20254:46

Takeaways – Kohli in comfort zone; Jansen, Kuldeep and Rana sparkle

Virat Kohli added to his world record of most ODI hundreds, Rohit Sharma brought up the world record for most ODI sixes, and a Sunday full house on a pleasant evening in Ranchi enjoyed watching India beat South Africa in a close first ODI of the three-match series. Kohli and Rohit turned back the clock in a 136-run partnership, Kohli went on long enough to hit seven sixes, and the fast bowlers inflicted just enough damage before the pitch eased out in the dew under the lights.The toss disadvantage that India had to overcome – having lost a 19th consecutive one in ODIs – was huge. During the afternoon, the old ball proved to be difficult to hit, resulting in a slowdown after the start Kohli and Rohit gave India. In the night, the pitch became dramatically easier to bat on.Related

Harshit takes the first step in fast bowlers' race for 2027 World Cup

'They are brilliant, and they are performing' – Kotak on Ro-Ko at 2027 World Cup

South Africa find reason for ODI optimism despite top-order tangles

Stats – Kohli and Rohit smash records in Ranchi run-fest

Kohli: 'If I'm arriving somewhere I'll arrive at 120%'

In the end, India needed every last bit of that start of 161 in 21.2 overs and the two wickets in the first over that Harshit Rana bowled with the new ball. Even after being 11 for 3, this is how South Africa’s next three partnerships went: 66 in 10.2 overs, 60 in 6.4 and 97 in 11.1. Marco Jansen and Matthew Breetzke scored 70s, Dewald Brevis and Tony de Zorzi 30s, and the target came down to 123 from 17 overs when Kuldeep Yadav got the wickets of Jansen and Bretzkee in the same over to ease India’s breath.South Africa still refused to go away with Corbin Bosch’s 67 bringing them to needing 19 off 10, but with only the last man for company, Borch found himself handcuffed against Arshdeep Singh’s yorkers. It was especially heartbreaking for Bosch after he had bowled overs 46, 48 and 50 for just 21 runs to keep India down to 349.This ODI followed the grammar of ODI cricket in recent years in India. The new ball does nothing in the afternoon, but you can cleverly offset it with the pitch’s slowness when the balls go soft. Under lights there is a small window of movement with the new ball, which you need to maximise, because once the dew sets in, batting gets easier on every count.Kuldeep Yadav celebrates after getting rid of Tony de Zorzi•BCCI

Kohli and Rohit respected the need to maximise the new ball themselves when the early wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal brought them together. For the first time when batting first in his career, Kohli hit two sixes in the first 10 overs, both off-drives that not long ago he might have kept down. Rohit, who is generally used to quicker starts, hit successive slog-swept sixes off offspinner Pernemal Subrayen to catch up with Kohli in no time.Rohit’s third six, a pull off Jansen moments after bringing up his fifty, took him past Shahid Afridi’s world-record tally of 351. It was also India’s eighth, the most they have hit in the first 20 overs of an innings. The next short ball from Jansen stayed low, trapping Rohit in front.Kohli, now 72 off 61, five sixes to his name, was deprived of strike as the next two batters struggled to come to terms with the slowness of the pitch. Ruturaj Gaikwad scored 8 off 14, Washington Sundar 13 off 19, and they also dominated the strike. Kohli had to grit his teeth and get through this period. He kept picking up singles with ease, but the period from Rohit’s dismissal to Kohli’s hundred brought India just 72 runs in 16.3 overs.When he brought up the hundred, Kohli broke into an emotional celebration. This was his first hundred since February; while he plays only one format, there is scrutiny around his and Rohit’s future. And now, Kohli went into a renewed assault, hitting two more sixes and scoring 35 off the next 17 balls. KL Rahul, who fought through the initial period, took India’s six tally to 16 and the score to 349.Rana immediately showed why the selectors and the team management show so much faith in him. In the second over of the innings, he swung the ball both ways and also found seam both ways to take the wickets of Ryan Rickelton and Quinton de Kock for ducks. Rickelton lost the top of middle with the ball swinging away and nipping back. Away swing and away seam were enough to take de Kock’s outside edge. Aiden Markram, captaining in the absence of the resting Temba Bavuma, looked to manufacture a cut off Arshdeep at the start of the fifth over but edged through to Rahul.Marco Jansen struck several meaty blows•Associated Press

By now the ball had stopped moving, the pitch had begun to skid, and the outfield had become moist only to become damp pretty soon. Everything played into the batters’ hands, leaving you wondering what a massacre it would have been but for those three early wickets.Kuldeep got de Zorzi lbw for 39 off 35, clever bowling from Rana contained a marauding Brevis for 39 off 28, and still Jansen and Breetzke proceeded to give India a right scare. After de Zorzi’s dismissal, Breetzke took upon the role of taking singles and watching the damage other batters did. What damage Jansen did in his 39-ball 70, the fastest fifty by a South Africa batter in India and the second-fastest against India.The dew got so heavy India had to forget about spinners for a while. Washington bowled only three overs. It was after having run through the fast bowlers that Rahul went back to Kuldeep, who, as wristspinners can sometimes do, drew the toe end from Jansen on a long hop. In the same over, Breetzke holed out to long-on, perhaps having got too close to the pitch of the ball.Incredibly, South Africa still refused to go away. Bosch kept South Africa interested with his maiden fifty, but never had the support left to pull off this heist. Arshdeep’s wicket-maiden in the 47th over seemed to have sealed the game, but Bosch still kept gasping. In the end, it probably came down to the two full tosses he missed from Prasidh Krishna in the 46th over.

Tottenham Hotspur are set to face bitter North London rivals Arsenal at the Emirates this afternoon, with the clash against the Gunners no doubt the biggest of the 2025/26 campaign to date.

Thomas Frank will be getting his first taste of what the Derby has to offer, but he will undoubtedly be hoping to be on the winning side later on this evening.

However, he faces a huge challenge ahead of him, with Mikel Arteta’s team currently sitting top of the Premier League and remaining unbeaten on home soil after their first five encounters.

To make things worse for the Lilywhites, they have only beaten the Gunners once away from home in the last 32 matches, with Frank potentially writing himself into the history books this afternoon.

If his men are to claim all three points against their bitter rivals, the manager desperately needs to drop one player from his starting eleven after his recent dismal form.

Why Brennan Johnson needs to be dropped against Arsenal

Brennan Johnson has endured a massive decline over the last couple of weeks, with the Welshman unable to match his form from the 2024/25 campaign.

The 24-year-old has only found the net twice in his first 11 outings of the league season, with his last effort coming way back in the 2-0 victory over Manchester City at the end of August.

However, he did start the last outing against Manchester United before the international break, but failed to deliver and made it nine games without a goal in England’s top-flight.

His underlying stats showcase his lack of impact against the Red Devils, with the Welshman only able to complete 50% of the dribbles he attempted in North London.

Johnson also only managed to find a teammate with one of his five crosses, whilst also failing to register a single shot on goal during his 90-minute display.

He gifted possession back to the opposition on 18 separate occasions – the most of any player in the squad – further highlighting his lack of success in the meeting.

As a result, the manager desperately needs to drop him from his starting eleven, with one player deserving of the opportunity to thrive against the club’s bitter rivals.

The Spurs player who can secure bragging rights over Arsenal

During the recent draw with Ruben Amorim’s men, Frank made some crucial substitutions that managed to save the game and secure a vital point in the Premier League.

Mathys Tel was brought off the substitutes bench in the 79th minute against the Red Devils and made an immediate impact on the meeting – as he scored just five minutes after stepping onto the field.

He wasn’t alone in thriving after his addition, with winger Wilson Odobert grabbing the assist for Richarlison’s stoppage-time effort, with both massively staking their claim for a starting role.

However, it’s unclear whether the manager will decide to hand any of the aforementioned stars a rare start – but they are massively deserving of an opportunity from a starting role.

Instead, Frank should look to recall a man who was billed as “Arsenal’s perfect Saka replacement” by pundit Adrian Clarke. Indeed, that man is Mohammed Kudus who must return to the starting eleven after missing each of the last two outings in all competitions with a minor injury.

The £150k-per-week Ghanaian only joined the Lilywhites in a £55m deal from West Ham United in the summer, but he’s wasted no time in impressing and is arguably one of the club’s most important players.

He’s already opened his account for the Lilywhites, whilst laying on four assists in the process – a tally which is the joint-highest of any player in the division.

Johnson has had the opportunity to fill the void in recent weeks, but he’s been unable to do so, with the manager needing to recall the 25-year-old this afternoon.

Kudus, who’s been labelled “world-class” by one analyst, has only lost once to the Gunners in his four previous meetings – even finding the net in the Carabao Cup win back in November 2023.

Mohammed Kudus – PL stats (25/26)

Statistics

Tally

Spurs rank

xG generated

1.39

3rd

xA registered

1.26

1st

Assists

4

1st

Big chances created

2

1st

Key passes per game

1.9

1st

Dribbles completed per game

3.6

1st

Stats via Sofascore

His numbers from the ongoing season, coupled with his previous wins against today’s opponents, showcase his ability to cause carnage in attacking areas when having the chance.

Given such numbers in recent history, Frank desperately needs to start the winger at the Emirates, with his pace and quality on the ball a real danger to any side that dares to stop him.

It’s a massive game and one that the supporters always want to win, with their chances of claiming a rare victory potentially falling into the hands of Kudus.

Related Spurs must sell "one of the worst signings in PL history" to fund Semenyo

Tottenham Hotspur must sell one player if they are to land Antoine Semenyo in January.

Posts 1 ByEthan Lamb Nov 20, 2025

In a boost to one of baseball's best bullpens, the Cleveland Guardians have added a veteran pitcher.

The Guardians are signing pitcher Paul Sewald to a one-year contract, they announced Wednesday afternoon—confirming a report from ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Sewald, 34, will reportedly make $7 million this season. Per Passan, his contract contains a mutual option for 2026.

The Las Vegas native debuted in MLB at 26 for the New York Mets in 2017. After four tough seasons with the Mets, he found a new lease on life with the Seattle Mariners in 2021—winning 10 games in relief that year with a 3.06 ERA.

In the last three seasons, Sewald has saved 70 games, struck out 195 batters in 164.1 innings, and pitched to a 3.23 ERA.

Cleveland—which went 92–69 last year and made the ALCS—will open its AL Central title defense on March 27 on the road against the Kansas City Royals.

Leach toils to six-wicket haul but hosts face a challenging final day at Taunton

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay01-Jul-2025Somerset 379 (Banton 84, Abbas 3-59) and 4 for 1 trail Nottinghamshire 509 (Haynes 157, Slater 124, Kishan 77, James 66, Leach 6-121) by 126 runsJack Haynes hit his third Rothesay County Championship century of the season to lead Division One leaders Nottinghamshire into a strong position on the third day of the match with Somerset at the Cooper Associates Ground, Taunton.Starting the day on 214 for three in reply to their opponents’ first innings score of 379, the visitors ran up 509 all out, Haynes leading the way with a career-best 157, while Ben Slater fell early for 124, Ishan Kishan made 77 and Lyndon James 66.Jack Leach ended a tough day for Somerset’s bowlers on an unhelpful pitch with hugely creditable figures of six for 121 from 53.2 overs, displaying exemplary accuracy as Notts steadily built a lead of 130. The hosts had to face one over before stumps and closed on four for one, nightwatchman Matt Henry bowled by Patterson-White’s final delivery.Unbeaten on 34 overnight, Haynes’ hundred occupied 176 balls and featured 11 fours and a six. It was just the innings his side required to first stave off any prospect of a significant first-innings deficit and then build what could prove a match-winning advantage.Leach opened Somerset’s attack at the start of play, bowling in tandem with off-spinner Archie Vaughan, and struck an early blow when Slater, having added only eight to his overnight score, aimed a back-foot forcing shot and edged a catch to wicketkeeper James Rew. It proved Somerset’s only success before lunch, despite taking the second new ball at 238 for four.Haynes went to a 92-ball fifty and found a more aggressive partner in Kishan, who quickly dispatched a delivery from Matt Henry over fine leg for six with a vicious pull shot to bring 250 up. On 60, Haynes survived a confident shout for a catch behind off Leach, but it was a rare moment of alarm for Notts as they closed in on Somerset’s total.By lunch, the scoreboard read 322 for four, Kishan having just moved to a half-century off 83 balls, with four fours and two sixes. The deficit was down to 57 and Haynes was looking rock solid on 81.The pattern continued in the afternoon session, Haynes pulling a boundary off Vaughan to bring up the century partnership. Somerset then had two difficult chances to make a much-needed breakthrough as Kishan offered low diving chances to wicketkeeper Rew down the leg side off Kasey Aldridge and Craig Overton at slip off Vaughan.Notts looked set to collect a third batting point when moving to 347 for four with five balls remaining of the 110th over, but Aldridge prevented Kishan from scoring from any of them. It was a minor setback as Haynes went to his eighth first class hundred, and third of the season, with a boundary off a leg-side full toss from Aldridge.The fifth-wicket stand was worth 138 when Kishan edged a delivery from Leach onto his front pad and presented a straightforward catch to Tom Abell at short-leg. The Indian wicketkeeper had faced 128 balls and increased his boundary count to eight fours and two sixes.James had a scare with only a single to his same when edging Leach through the legs of wicketkeeper Rew standing up to the stumps. That was as good as it got for Somerset as tea was taken with Notts 431 for five and leading by 52 runs.The final session saw James go to fifty off 87 balls, with 7 fours, before Haynes brought up his maiden 150, having faced 287 deliveries and struck 15 fours and two sixes. Their century stand followed as Somerset continued to toil in the warm sunshine.Haynes finally fell lbw trying to sweep Leach with the lead just short of 100. Liam Patterson-White was then stumped pushing forward to Vaughan before the tireless Leach made it a five-for, turning a ball from on leg stump to force Brett Hutton to edge to slip.Farhan Ahmed departed to Vaughan for a duck and James edged a drive off Leach to slip, but by then it was Nottinghamshire’s highest ever total at Taunton.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Athletico-PR venceu o Grêmio por 2 a 1, de virada, na noite desta quarta-feira (18), em Porto Alegre, pela 27ª rodada doCampeonato Brasileiro. Com gol de Kaíque Rocha já nos acréscimos da partida, o Furacão conquistou três pontos importantes fora de casa.

RelacionadasGrêmioEmpresário de Douglas Costa diz que Grêmio segue sem pagar dívida com o jogadorGrêmio17/10/2023GrêmioGrêmio recebe visita de Edu Gaspar, diretor esportivo do Arsenal e ex-SeleçãoGrêmio17/10/2023VaivémBruno Henrique tem renovação travada com o Flamengo, Athletico-PR aceita liberar Vitor Roque antes… O dia do mercado!Vaivém17/10/2023

+ Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

Com o resultado, o Tricolor Gaúcho estacionou nos 44 pontos, mas permaneceu na terceira colocação do Brasileirão. Já o Furacão foi à mesma pontuação e subiu para o quinto lugar.

+ Você quer trabalhar no seu clube do coração? Matricule-se no curso Gestor de Futebol e entenda como!

CINCO LANCES QUE MARCARAM O DUELO

> NA TRAAAAAVE! Com apenas um minuto de bola rolando, o meia Zapelli recebeu levantamento da direita e cabeceou, acertando a trave. Quase o primeiro gol dos visitantes em Porto Alegre.

> PLACAR ABERTO! Apesar do susto no minuto inicial, quem abriu o placar foi o Grêmio. Aos 6′, Cristaldo deu passe para Luis Suárez. O uruguaio acionou Lucas Besozzi, que finalizou de canhota e colocou o Imortal na frente.

> BEEEEENTO! Após contra-ataque rápido do Imortal, Cristaldo acionou Luis Suárez, que ficou livre na área e estava em posição perfeita para finalizar, mas o uruguaio parou na boa intervenção do goleiro Bento.

> TUDO IGUAL EM PORTO ALEGRE! Após boa troca de passes entre os jogadores do Athletico-PR, Zapelli, que já tinha acertado a trave, recebeu na área e acertou chute cruzado. Partida empatada.

> !VIRADA NOS ACRÉSCIMOS! Quando tudo se encaminhava para um empate na Arena do Grêmio, Kaíque Rocha subiu mais que todo mundo após cobrança de falta e cabeceou para o fundo da rede. Virada do Furacão já nos acréscimos!

Como foi o primeiro tempo?

A partida começou já com susto para os donos da casa após Zapelli acertar a trave, mas quem abriu o placar foi o Grêmio. Aos 6′, Lucas Besozzi finalizou de canhota e abriu o marcador. Apesar do gol sofrido, o Athletico-PR não se abalou e estava melhor na partida. Mesmo assim, Luis Suárez quase ampliou para o Imortal, mas parou na boa intervenção de Bento. Para coroar o bom momento no jogo, aos 37′, o Athletico-PR deixou tudo igual com Zapelli.

E a etapa final?

O jogo continuou aberto, apesar da superioridade do Grêmio na primeira metade do segundo tempo. O Furacão conseguiu levar perigo nos contra-ataques impulsionados por boas trocas de passes. O Imortal continuou pressionando em busca da vitória diante da sua torcida, mas o Athletico conseguiu a virada. Após cobrança de falta praticamente na entrada da área, o zagueiro Kaíque Rocha subiu mais que a marcação e garantiu os três pontos para os visitantes já nos acréscimos.

O que vem por aí?

Com o resultado, o Grêmio estacionou nos 44 pontos, mas permaneceu na terceira colocação do Brasileirão. Já o Athletico-PR foi à mesma pontuação e subiu para o quinto lugar. Na próxima rodada, o Tricolor Gaúcho visita o São Paulo já neste sábado (21), às 18h30, no Morumbi. Já o Furacão vai até o Nilton Santos enfrentar o Botafogo também no sábado, às 21h.

FICHA TÉCNICA
GRÊMIO 1 X 2 ATHLETICO-PR
27ª RODADA DO BRASILEIRÃO

Data e Horário: 18/10/2023, às 19h (de Brasília)
Local: Arena do Grêmio, em Porto Alegre (RS)
Árbitro: Luiz Flavio de Oliveira (SP)
Assistentes: Daniel Luis Marques (SP) e Thiaggo Americano Labes (SC)
VAR: Pablo Ramon Gonçalves Pinheiro (Fifa-RN)
Cartões amarelos: Canobbio, Alex Santana, Thiago Heleno, Cuello e Kaíque Rocha (Athletico-PR); Reinaldo e Luis Suárez (Grêmio)
Cartão vermelho: Reinaldo
Gols: Lucas Besozzi (1-0, aos 6′ do 1ºT), Zapelli (1-1, aos 37′ do 1ºT), Kaíque Rocha (1-2, aos 48′ do 2ºT)

GRÊMIO: Gabriel Grando; Fábio (João Pedro, após o intervalo), Geromel, Kanneman e Reinaldo; Nathan (Josué, aos 22′ do 2ºT), Cristaldo (Luan, aos 39′ do 2ºT) e Pepê; Iturbe (Everton Galdino, após o intervalo), Lucas Besozzi (Ferreira, após o intervalo) e Luís Suarez. Técnico: Renato Portaluppi.

ATHLETICO-PR: Bento; Cacá, Thiago Heleno e Lucas Esquivel; Erick (Alex Santana, após o intervalo), Fernandinho (Hugo Moura, aos 22′ do 2ºT), Canobbio e Cuello; Zapelli (Kaíque Rocha, aos 35′ do 2ºT), Vitor Bueno (Rômulo, aos 22′ do 2ºT) e Pablo (Arriagada, aos 35′ do 2ºT). Técnico: Wesley Carvalho.

Kamindu Mendis and Chamari Athapaththu took home the night’s biggest awards, being named the men’s and women’s cricketers of the year, respectively, as Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) held its awards night on Monday.The SLC awards, nominally an annual event, was being held for the first time since 2017, and feted those who had contributed to Sri Lankan cricket for the 2024 calendar year.Kamindu’s record-breaking year, unsurprisingly, made him the best Test batter after he struck 1049 runs at 74.92 over the 12-month period in consideration, comfortably beating Dinesh Chandimal’s 724. Internationally, only four batters – Joe Root, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ben Duckett and Harry Brook – struck more than Kamindu during this period but none played as few as his nine Tests, the next lowest being 12.The two best batter awards in the men’s white-ball category were split between Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka, with the former’s 628 runs at a strike rate of 127.64 pipping Nissanka’s 622 at 138.53 for the T20I award, while Nissanka returned the favour in the ODI category as his 694 runs at an average of 63.09 outgunned Kusal’s 742 at 53.00. Nissanka also became the first Sri Lankan to score a white-ball double-hundred in this period, when he took apart Afghanistan during an unbeaten 210 off 139 in February 2024.The night’s biggest winner, however, was Athapaththu, who bagged six awards in total, including women’s cricketer of the year. She swept the batting, bowling and allrounder awards for T20Is in a year where she scored 720 runs – second only to Smriti Mandhana – and picked up 21 wickets in the format. In ODIs, her 458 runs at 65.42 along with nine wickets in as many games, meant she was named the best batter and allrounder in the format too. Only Kavisha Dilhari’s 17 wickets across eight ODIs – earning her the best ODI bowler award – prevented an Athapaththu clean sweep.Chamari Athapaththu almost swept the awards for women•SLC

There was more variety in the men’s awards. In Tests, Prabath Jayasuriya was named best bowler for his 48 wickets across nine Tests, making him the joint-fourth highest wicket-taker in Tests for the calendar year. He beat out Asitha Fernando, who had 37 wickets in the same period.Dhananjaya de Silva was awarded best Test allrounder for his 710 runs and six wickets across ten Tests, though he faced minimal threat on that front with Milan Rathnayake, with just four Tests under his belt, his only competition.In the white-ball category, Wanindu Hasaranga came away with three honours, securing the best bowler award in both T20Is and ODIs after taking 38 and 26 wickets in each of the formats, while his 179 runs in T20Is meant he was also named best T20I allrounder.In ODIs, men’s national team skipper Charith Asalanka picked up the best allrounder award; his 605 runs at 50.41 were only bettered by Kusal and Nissanka, while his economical contributions with the ball where he picked up ten wickets at an economy rate of 4.78 – only behind Maheesh Theekshana – saw him play a pivotal role in a year that saw Sri Lanka rack up a 12-3 win-loss record in the format.Janith Liyanage, who made his ODI debut in January 2024, was named emerging player of the year following an impressive 12 months in which he struck 462 runs at 46.20 and helped shore up Sri Lanka’s middle order.Kamindu Mendis was named the Men’s Cricketer of the Year at the Sri Lanka Cricket Awards 2024•SLC

On the domestic front, women’s domestic cricket was honoured for the first time at the SLC awards with performances in the Major Clubs Women’s Invitational Tournament up for recognition. Allrounder Rashmi Silva was named best bowler, while Harshitha Samarawickrama picked up the best batter award. Nilakshika Silva was named best allrounder.In the men’s domestic category, Chamika Karunaratne was named Player of the Tournament in the Major Clubs Men’s T20 Tournament, while Akila Dananjaya took home the best bowler award and Pawantha Weerasinghe was named best batter.In the Major Clubs Men’s 50 Over Tournament, Dilshan Munaweera, Krishan Sanjula and Thanuka Dabare, were named best bowler, best batter and best allrounder respectively, while in the Major Clubs 3-day Tournament Dilum Sudeera and Sahan Kosala were named best bowler and best batter with Ravindu Fernando named Player of the Tournament.A total of 46 awards were presented during the ceremony, including match referee of the year and umpire of the year, which went to Pradeep Jeyapragash and Chamara de Zoysa respectively, as well as several lifetime achievement awards.Many present and former cricketers were in attendance, with Sri Lanka’s sports minister Sunil Kumara Gamage the guest of honour.