Category Uncategorized

After his public spat with Atalanta manager Ivan Juric, Tottenham Hotspur are now reportedly ready to accelerate their move to sign Ademola Lookman in 2026.

It comes as no surprise that those in North London have identified an attacking target. Thomas Frank’s side have lacked conviction at times this season, with their striker problem recently made worse by Randal Kolo Muani’s injury. Despite initial news indicating that his injury is not serious, reports are now claiming that the Frenchman has suffered a fractured jaw.

The injury comes at a frustrating time for the forward, who is yet to score a goal for Tottenham in a difficult run of form. Even in the middle of that form, however, Frank could do with having Kolo Muani available.

With Dominic Solanke still sidelined, the Dane has just Richarlison and academy graduate Dane Scarlett to call on against Arsenal in his first official North London derby in charge of Tottenham.

It’s an attacking problem that Spurs know they must address and club chiefs have already reportedly set their sights on Rodrygo to do exactly that. The Real Madrid star has an uncertain future in Spain after falling out of favour under Xabi Alonso and Spurs are reportedly willing to spend as much as £70m to secure his signature as a result.

There’s no doubt that the Brazilian would be a statement signing as one of the best wingers in the world, but he may not be the only one that the Lilywhites pursue in 2026.

In an attacking overhaul, those in North London have also set their sights on Lookman and are reportedly ready to step things up in the race for his arrival.

Tottenham ready to accelerate Lookman move

As reported by TuttoJuve, Tottenham are now ready to accelerate their move to sign Lookman in 2026 with the talented forward desperate to move on from the Italian club.

Related Spurs must sell £22m dud who's one of "the worst players at a big six club"

Tottenham need to make some changes in 2026.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Nov 10, 2025

The former Fulham ace was denied a move away in the summer, despite handing in a transfer request, and has since fallen out with manager Juric and removed Atalanta from his Twitter bio. Ever since he was denied a summer switch, an exit has simply looked inevitable.

As the saga continues, it’s Spurs who are attempting to take full advantage to welcome the Nigerian back to the Premier League. Although the Lilywhites won’t be the only club in the race, the fact that Lookman is represented by the same agency as Mohammed Kudus could provide them with an unexpected advantage in any negotiations.

It’s certainly a transfer race that would be worth winning, too. Before their recent disagreement, Juric went as far as to describe Lookman as “spectacular” and there’s little doubt that he’s still Atalanta’s most important player.

Forget Spence: Frank has a future superstar who can end Porro's Spurs career

يستعد منتخب العراق، لانطلاق مشوراه في بطولة كأس العرب 2025 المقامة في قطر، خلال الأيام المقبلة.

ويقع منتخب العراق في المجموعة الرابعة في بطولة كأس العرب 2025 والتي تضم الجزائر والبحرين والسودان.

طالع.. مجموعة منتخب مصر في كأس العرب 2025 بعد اكتمالها

وتنطلق منافسات بطولة كأس العرب يوم 1 ديسمبر بمشاركة 16 منتخباً، مقسمة على 4 مجموعات كل مجموعة تضم 4 منتخبات.

يُذكر أن النسخة الأولى من كأس العرب أقيمت عام 2021 في قطر، وتُوج بها منتخب الجزائر بعد الفوز بالنهائي، بينما اكتفى منتخب مصر بالوصول إلى نصف النهائي واحتلال المركز الرابع في الترتيب النهائي للبطولة. مواعيد مباريات العراق في كأس العرب

– العراق ضد البحرين، الأربعاء 3 ديسمبر 2025، 4:30 مساءا بتوقيت مصر، 5:30 مساءا بتوقيت السعودية

– العراق ضد السودان، السبت 6 ديسمبر 2025، 6:00 مساءا بتوقيت مصر، 7:00  مساذابتوقيت السعودية

– العراق ضد الجزائر، الثلاثاء 9 ديسمبر 2025، 7:00 مساءا بتوقيت مصر، 8:00 مساءا بتوقيت السعودية.

Glasgow Rangers are concerned about Youssef Chermiti and could let him leave in January for another Europa League side.

Chermiti's time at Rangers so far after £8m transfer

Things haven’t gone to plan for Chermiti at Ibrox so far following his £8m move from Everton in the summer, making him the club’s second most expensive signing in history.

1

Tore Andre Flo

£12m

Chelsea

2000

2

Youssef Chermiti

£8m

Everton

2025

3

Ryan Kent

£7m

Liverpool

2019

4

Michael Ball

£6.5m

Everton

2001

5

Mikel Arteta

£6m

Barcelona

2002

On £30,000-a-week, Chermiti has scored just one goal for the Gers, coming in Danny Rohl’s first Scottish Premiership win in charge against Kilmarnock.

Both supporters and those inside Ibrox were ideally hoping for more from the forward following glowing praise from ex-manager Russell Martin back in September.

“It’s a long-term investment for the football club, I think it will be a brilliant investment for the football club. I think he’ll do extremely well for us. There won’t be any expectation on him in here, I’m sure externally maybe that changes.

“He wants to learn, he wants to grow and he wants to help the team. Youssef has tools that you’d really want in a number nine. Good athleticism. Great kid. Wants to learn. Brilliant record at youth level.

“He hasn’t really had the chance he probably wanted at first-team level yet. Obviously in the toughest league in the world as well.

“We’ll judge him on here and now and what he does for us. We’re really excited to have him in because he’s a seriously talented player and also there was a lot of interest throughout Europe in top leagues for him.”

Rangers star was forgotten under Martin, now he'll be Rohl's own Braga

Danny Rohl may find his own version of Claudio Braga in this Rangers star who was forgotten under Russell Martin.

ByDan Emery Nov 5, 2025

Chermiti’s is contracted in Glasgow until 2029 and so far, he has made £300,000 in wages, working out at £60,000-a-week for every start he has made for the club in the 10 weeks he has been at Ibrox.

Rangers concerned and could loan Chermiti to Europa League side

Now according to a report from Ibrox News, Rangers have been left concerned with Chermiti’s performances and could now loan him out in January.

Europa League side Braga are eyeing up a temporary deal for the forward in the New Year, whereas clubs in Turkey could also make a move.

Should Chermiti leave Scotland for the second half of the 2025/26 season, Rohl would be left with Bojan Miovski and Danilo as his centre-forward options.

The 49ers Enterprises may then need to recruit another attacker in the winter window, and right now, the £8m fee on Chermiti isn’t looking like a smart piece of business.

Danny Rohl now orders Rangers to make three January signings, priority revealed

Neymar delivered once more for Santos as the Brazilian icon inspired a crucial 3-0 win over Cruzeiro to secure the club’s Serie A survival. However, he admitted afterwards that his future is uncertain as he plans to undergo knee surgery. With his contract expiring in a few weeks and transfer speculation growing, the 33-year-old’s emotional post-match comments have heightened doubts over whether he will remain with his boyhood club.

Neymar helps Santos avoid relegation with 3-0 win

Santos wrapped up their season with a decisive 3-0 win over Cruzeiro, a result that ensured the club avoided relegation to Serie B. Neymar once again played a key part in the attacking structure, influencing the game as a creator this time out rather than a finisher, having scored five goals across the two matches prior. The victory capped a late surge in form that carried Santos from danger into 12th place with 47 points.

The match itself followed a clear pattern from the outset, with Santos dictating the tempo in front of an energised Vila Belmiro crowd. Thaciano struck twice in the 26th and 28th minutes, taking advantage of the momentum that Neymar and the frontline generated with their fluid combinations. Joao Schmidt added a third shortly after half-time, sealing the win and all but confirming Santos’ mathematical safety. For Neymar, the match completed a final stretch played under physical duress, as he continued pushing through persistent knee pain.

AdvertisementNeymar casts doubt over his Santos future

After the 3-0 win, Neymar laid bare the physical and emotional weight he carried throughout the season’s final stretch: "I came for this, to try to help the best way I can. These have been tough weeks for me. I thank those who were with me to lift me up. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't have played these matches because of these injuries, this knee problem. I need to rest and then we will have this knee surgery."

When addressing his future, Neymar added: “I do not know, really. I don’t know. I need some days now, I need to rest, disconnect then decide my future. For sure my priority always goes to Santos.”

Neymar's strong end to the season restores Santos' hopes

The resurgence Neymar delivered in the final weeks came after a turbulent season in which he managed only 19 appearances due to recurring injuries, as his hamstring issues repeatedly disrupted his rhythm throughout the year. Despite the fitness issues, his late-season form, with three goals and two assists in two crucial matches before the Cruzeiro clash, proved transformative in the tight relegation fight.

Neymar’s return to Santos in January had initially been framed as a dream homecoming, but pressure mounted as his fitness and form fluctuated. His outburst last month generated criticism, with claims that he was destabilising the squad rather than leading it. The narrative shifted only when results demanded a hero, and Neymar delivered exactly that.

His performances against Juventude and Sport restored hope around Vila Belmiro that Neymar can still be decisive, even as he prepares for knee surgery this winter.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Brazil and the World Cup dream for Neymar alive?

Santos now face a pivotal decision period, as Neymar’s contract expires in just a few weeks and negotiations remain delicate due to his impending surgery. The club is expected to maintain dialogue with his representatives, but any new agreement will depend heavily on recovery estimates and clarity around his long-term physical condition. Regardless of affection on both sides, the timing complicates an immediate resolution.

A broader layer to the story is Neymar’s continued ambition to return to the Brazil national team for the 2026 World Cup. Coach Carlo Ancelotti has left the door open, insisting he will call Neymar if he is fit enough to contribute, which places even greater importance on a successful procedure and full recovery. For now, the coming months will determine not only his club destination but the trajectory of the final stage of his career.

Reddy has been suspended from playing and has 14 days to respond to the charges against him

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Nov-2025USA cricketer Akhilesh Reddy has been charged by the ICC with three violations of the Anti-Corruption Code and is suspended from playing effective immediately.The charges stem from alleged misconduct during the ongoing Abu Dhabi T10 tournament, where Reddy is playing for Aspin Stallions and has featured in two matches so far.He has been booked under the following sections of the anti-corruption code:Article 2.1.1 – Attempting to fix, contrive, or improperly influence, or being party to an agreement or effort to improperly influence, the result, progress, conduct, or any other aspect of matches in the ADT10 2025.Article 2.1.4 – Soliciting, inducing, enticing, instructing, persuading, encouraging, or intentionally facilitating (or attempting to do so) another Participant to breach Article 2.1.1 during one or more matches in the ADT10 2025.Article 2.4.7 – Obstructing the investigation by deleting data and messages from a mobile device that may have been relevant to the inquiry.Reddy, 25, had only made his international debut earlier this year, when he played four T20Is for USA in the North America T20 Cup. He has 14 days to respond to the charges.

Mitch Swepson took three wickets and Lachlan Hearne scored his first Sheffield Shield century as Queensland closed on victory

AAP17-Oct-2025Alex Carey holds the key to South Australia’s hopes of manufacturing a draw on the final day of their Sheffield Shield match against Queensland.The Test wicketkeeper is the last realistic hope for the hosts, who lead by 68 runs with five wickets in hand at Adelaide Oval.The run out of Jake Lehmann in the last session was disastrous and the hosts went to stumps at 238 for 5. Carey is 37 and Liam Scott has made 20.Lehmann hesitated when he went for a quick single and a sharp throw by substitute fielder Hugh Weibgen to bowler Mitchell Swepson dismissed him for 12.Every other South Australia batter made a start, but so far Jason Sangha’s 55 is the only half-century.Swepson bowled superbly to take the first three wickets. The spinner trapped Henry Hunt lbw for 26, breaking up the opening stand of 57.He then bowled opener Conor McInerney for 46 and Usman Khawaja took a sharp chance at slip to dismiss Nathan McSweeney for 26.Michael Neser found the gap between bad and pad to bowl Sangha, who hit four fours in his 116-ball stay.Earlier, Lachlan Hearne scored his maiden Shield ton as Queensland made 398 in their first innings.They resumed at 319 for 6 and Hearne reached 106 before he was the eighth Queensland batter to fall.McInerney bobbled the sharp chance at first slip off Wes Agar’s bowling, but Carey took the catch to remove Hearne. It was Agar’s fifth scalp of the innings, giving him his sixth five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.

Middlesbrough have made a manager with “an impressive CV” a top target to replace Rob Edwards, and it would be a “significant coup” if they can get a deal done.

Edwards confirmed as Wolves boss as Middlesbrough receive £3m

Wolves confirmed the appointment of Rob Edwards as their new head coach on a three-and-a-half year deal on Wednesday.

The 42-year-old left the Riverside and agreed a contract until 2029 with Wanderers after they sacked Vitor Pereira earlier this month. It is reported Boro will receive around £3million in compensation after Edwards only joined them in June on a three-year contract.

Edwards, who managed Luton in the Premier League, begins a fourth spell at Wolves after making 111 appearances as a player as well as enjoying time as a coach and interim boss. He will be joined by assistant head coach Harry Watling after the pair worked together at Middlesbrough, with the rest of his backroom staff to be confirmed in the near future.

Wolves chairman Jeff Shi said: “I know Rob very well and I have seen his growth in different jobs. He’s a very good person, he knows the club very well, he knows the city, the fans and he is very talented.

“When he was a youth coach here, he showed his tactical awareness, but after he took first-team jobs he started to grow his own identity, character and leadership.

“We need to refresh the whole club with a new coach’s philosophy, bringing his own identity and ideas, and we can build on that. We are at a new chapter for the club and Rob will be a key piece of that.”

For Boro, it is now about finding a swift replacement as they aim to continue their Championship promotion push without Edwards.

Middlesbrough make Steven Gerrard a top manager target

As reported by Rousing the Kop and journalist Graeme Bailey, Steven Gerrard is among the top targets for Middlesbrough to replace Edwards.

Steve Gibson is a long-term admirer of the former Rangers and Aston Villa boss, who is out of work after leaving Al-Ettifaq in January.

Gerrard almost returned to Ibrox last month and is open to a return to the dugout, with a move to the Riverside something that could appeal to him.

Gerrard has never managed in the Championship, with his most successful period as a manager coming in Scotland, winning the league title with Rangers.

Club

Games

Points per game

Rangers

192

2.15

Aston Villa

40

1.18

Al-Ettifaq

55

1.33

The 45-year-old primarily plays an attacking 4-3-3 system and is closing in on 300 games as a manager. Could that benchmark come at the Riverside?

New Zealand have reached the T20 World Cup semis as underdogs, and emotions are already running high for two of the team’s most celebrated players

Valkerie Baynes16-Oct-2024Sophie Devine struggled to keep it together.The emotions had already spilled over after reaching the T20 World Cup semi-finals as probably the biggest underdogs until West Indies did it 24 hours later. Now her focus turned to sharing that moment with fellow White Ferns stalwart Suzie Bates and it was almost too much.”Jeez, you’re going to make me cry again, get the tissues ready,” Devine said before taking a long pause and a deep breath to ensure she could get the rest of her words out.”Sometimes I forget how lucky I’ve been to play with Suze. I forget how lucky I am that not everyone gets to play with Suzie Bates and that’s not just what she does on the field, it’s what she does off the park.”You talk to any cricketer that’s had the joy of playing alongside her, playing against her, and they’ll say that she’s one of the greatest humans ever. For us to be here in this tournament, it might be our last, who knows?”But to be able to have a little moment there and just connect with one another, it is really special because we’ve been through a lot together. We’ve grown up together. She’s probably grown up a bit more than me, but she’s just such a special human, not only to me, but to New Zealand cricket and to world cricket.”She’ll go down as one of the absolute legends of the women’s game and to think that I’ve been so lucky to spend my whole career playing alongside her… she’s taught me so much, not only as a leader but just as a person and to always want to be better for yourself and for the group.”Related

'We are breaking barriers every day' – Bates proud to fly the flag against ageism

Eden Carson – NZ's reel sensation who clicked at the biggest stage

West Indies knock England out, join South Africa in semi-finals

Time for India to reboot after group-stage exit from Women's T20 World Cup?

Hope, grit, resolve: emotions overflow amid New Zealand's revival

Bates made her debut in an ODI against India in 2006 aged 19, just a few months before a 17-year-old Devine made her first appearance for the White Ferns on their tour of Australia. Devine also made her T20I debut on that trip while Bates had to wait until the following year.Back then, Bates was still maintaining a elite-level basketball career, representing New Zealand at the 2008 Beijing Olympics before switching her focus to cricket.She has now played 169 T20Is and 163 ODIs with more than 10,000 runs and 136 wickets across the two formats, while Devine has 7,233 runs and 208 wickets from a career punctuated by a brief mental health break in 2021.New Zealand hadn’t reached the knockout stages of the T20 World Cup in eight years so, with both approaching the end of their careers, this meant a lot.”She was a bit emotional, Soph,” Bates told ESPNcricinfo’s Powerplay podcast. “It just makes all those hard times when perhaps you’ve doubted yourself, you’ve doubted where the group’s heading and as leaders you’re trying to rack your brain about how to move forward, there’s some good times but there’s some dark times as well when you don’t quite achieve what you want to achieve.”Moments out there when you take that final wicket and realise we’ve made it to the semi-final for the first time in eight years, it makes all those tough times worth it.”Devine had said before the tournament that it would be her last assignment as T20I captain. She will continue to lead the side in ODIs but wanted to clear a path for the next generation.”Her leadership this tournament after announcing she was going to step down has just been absolutely brilliant,” Bates said. “She wears her heart on her sleeve and I know as a leader she takes the losses pretty hard so to be able to get that one for her in her last tour as captain, everyone was a bit emotional and she’s been such a great leader of this squad so it’s nice for her to have this feeling.”It wasn’t the first time Devine had been reduced to tears at a T20 World Cup but, unlike in South Africa 20 months ago, she was happy. Back then, the White Ferns’ campaign was in tatters following heavy back-to-back defeats at the hands of Australia and South Africa and the road ahead looked so very long.Even earlier this year, Devine had spoken of a lack of depth coming through the New Zealand system because of a small population, competing sports and a need to bridge the gap between elite and development pathways.Things didn’t look to be improving immediately before the World Cup either as New Zealand entered the tournament having lost 10 T20Is in a row to England and Australia. They even lost a warm-up game against England two days beforehand.But a comprehensive win over South Africa in another warm-up just before that, followed by their upset of India in their opening World Cup game gave the White Ferns confidence.Devine performed well in both those victories, but throughout the tournament she has been impressed by youngsters like spinners Eden Carson and Fran Jonas and 20-year-old wicketkeeper Isabella Gaze.On the bench for New Zealand’s final group game against Pakistan, whom they thrashed by 54 runs to seal their place in the last four, were young seamer Molly Penfold, and experienced bowlers Jess Kerr, Hannah Rowe and Leigh Kasperek, which Devine saw as a promising sign for the future, which had looked bleak not so long ago.”Well, one thing’s still the same, I seem to be crying,” Devine said. “It’s really important that we reflect on where we’ve come from in terms of that South Africa World Cup. We learnt a lot about ourselves not only from that World Cup but the following 12-18 months.”It’s going to take time to build depth, especially in a country as small as New Zealand, it’s not going to happen overnight. It’s really positive signs, but we know that this is just part of the journey. We’re moving in the right direction, but there’s still a long way to go.”Sophie Devine on her relationship with Suzie Bates: “We genuinely just love each other and love seeing each other succeed”•Getty ImagesWhile a T20 captain won’t be chosen until next year, a logical choice could be Amelia Kerr. She has acted as stand-in captain before and is often seen talking tactics and moving fielders with Devine and Bates, representing the blend of experience and youth between the squad’s newcomers and the old heads.At just 24, Kerr has played 83 T20Is and 74 ODIs and has been a fixture on the global franchise circuit. Heading into the semi-finals, she is the competition’s leading wicket-taker with 10 at an average of 7.20 and economy rate of 4.90.”That was probably one of my earliest learnings when I stepped into the leadership and captaincy role, I thought I could be everything to everyone and it’s just not possible,” Devine said.”I want to fix things and I want to help people and I want to make sure everyone’s okay, but I’m also not that person for everyone. So, to be able to call on the likes of Suzie and Melie as well, I feel really fortunate that I’ve got that support around me.”It’s taught me a lot around leadership. It’s not managing people, it’s just relationships and caring about people. That’s one of our greatest values in this White Ferns group, is we speak a lot about caring for one another as people before cricketers.”I hope that you can see that out there with the way that we celebrate one another’s successes. We genuinely just love each other and love seeing each other succeed.”

It seems like Manchester United will focus the next stage of their rebuild on the midfield. There are a few players who have futures up in the air, at least in the short term. One of those is Casemiro, whose contract expires in the summer, and it is unclear at this stage if he will extend his deal at Old Trafford.

The other player who might not have a clear future at United is Kobbie Mainoo. He has been underused by Ruben Amorim this season, and could depart the club on loan in January, with Napoli one side who could make a move.

If they do leave, there are a few midfielders from within the Premier League that United could target.

United’s main midfield target

A recent report from TEAMTalk suggests that United have three names on their shortlist when it comes to a new midfielder. All of those currently play in the Premier League, with Brighton’s Carlos Baleba and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton two of those players.

Transfer Focus

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

Expand Collapse

The third man is someone who is one of the most highly rated midfielders in the Premier League right now.

TEAMtalk report that the Red Devils ‘would like to seal a deal’ for Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson as one of their key targets in the middle of the park.

This will not be a straightforward deal to do, with the England international a player of interest to former club Newcastle United, too.

However, the Red Devils are showing a keen interest and could look to get a £60m deal over the line. Forest, however, would want closer to £80m if this move were to go ahead.

Man Utd's perfect Carrick successor

There is no doubt that 23-year-old Anderson is one of the most exciting midfielders in England. Described by Thomas Tuchel as “one of the best midfielders in the Premier League”, he’s seemingly secured a spot in the German’s starting lineup for the 2026 World Cup.

He has been exceptional this season in the middle of the park for Forest. In a campaign of great turmoil where they’ve had three different managers, the 23-year-old has been incredibly consistent, playing 14 games, scoring and assisting once.

That included a superb assist for Chris Wood on the opening day of the season.

His underlying numbers also reflect just how well he has played. The boyhood Newcastle star ranks in the top 1% of Premier League midfielders for several key metrics, including progressive passes per 90 minutes, of which he’s played 8.82, and ball recoveries, completing 8.36 each game.

Anderson – 25/26 PL stats

Stat (per 90)

Record

Rank vs. PL midfielders

Passes completed

63.73

97th

Progressive passes

8.82

99th

Passes into final third

8.55

99th

Take-ons completed

1.27

97th

Ball recoveries

8.36

99th

Stats from FBref

There are certainly similarities between Anderson and one of the all-time great midfielders in United’s history, Michael Carrick.

The former England international was metronomic at the heart of the Red Devils midfield for many years, shining under Sir Alex Ferguson especially.

He made 464 appearances for the 13-time Premier League champions, winning five of those league titles and one Champions League.

He even chipped in from the base of midfield with 24 goals and 35 assists.

He was a player highly rated by teammates, with Gary Neville saying he brought “authority, control, peace” to the pitch. This is certainly similar to Anderson, who, as the numbers show, is a true controller in the midfield, able to dictate play at will.

Anderson, it feels like, could bring a similar level of composure to the United midfield that Carrick did all those years ago. England boss Tuchel thinks highly of him, describing him as “a very complete, mobile central midfielder.”

However, it is not just their playstyle that is eerily similar. Carrick was born and raised in the North East, just like Anderson, with the pair growing up in close geographical areas. There are a few fair connections between the duo.

In signing Anderson, United could be adding their new Carrick to the middle of the park. He could certainly bring the same sort of brilliance on the ball and tenacity without it that their former number 16 did during his time at the club.

Related Man Utd have their own version of Semenyo & he's Amorim's "best player"

Manchester United are again being linked with Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, heading into January…

Posts ByRobbie Walls Nov 19, 2025

Overlooked in selection but unplayable on the field, his left-arm spin upstaged the pacers and put Central Zone in command of the final

Ashish Pant11-Sep-2025When Central Zone captain Rajat Patidar won the toss in the Duleep Trophy final, he was clear in his decision to bowl first. “Very simple,” he said at the toss. “There are overcast conditions, it is a fresh wicket and has a good grass cover on it.”It had rained relentlessly in and around Bengaluru for most of Wednesday evening, which kept the surface at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence under covers. There was a thick band of cloud overhead on the morning of the final and the pitch had a greenish tinge to it.But despite the favourable conditions, none of the three Central Zone fast bowlers, Deepak Chahar, Kuldeep Sen and Aditya Thakare were incisive enough. There was lateral movement both off the surface and in the air. They got the occasional plays-and-misses and lbw appeals, but the consistency was missing. The South Zone openers, Tanmay Agarwal and Mohit Kale, also to their credit, left the ball reasonably well.Related

• Saransh Jain keeps 'India logo on my jersey' dream going with another statement display

• Saransh Jain, Kumar Kartikeya hand Central big advantage

• Hungry and on the move, C Andre Siddarth sets sights on Ranji Trophy glory

• Devdutt Padikkal is back, determined to make up for lost months

The run rate was under two an over but with the three quicks going wicketless in their opening spells, Patidar switched to spin, bringing on left-arm spinner Kumar Kartikeya in the 16th over.Kale, on 9 off 49 balls at the time, thought this was his chance to score. Kartikeya’s final ball of his first over was a gentle tossed-up delivery at 87.3kph, pitching on middle and going on with the arm. Kale’s T20 instincts took over as he eyed a cross-batted swipe. But he missed and saw his middle stump pegged back. A few overs later, Kartikeya sent back left-hander R Smaran with a similar ball. A flighted delivery on middle, which Smaran tried to hoick across the line, managed a top-edge and square leg took an easy catch.Kartikeya then delivered what was arguably the ball of the day. From around the wicket, he pitched a flighted delivery on leg stump, got it to dip and then spun it sharply past South Zone captain Mohammed Azharuddeen, turning him into an S and rattling his stumps.On the opening morning of the Duleep Trophy final, where the fast bowlers were expected to do the damage, South Zone’s top-order had been wrecked by Kartikeya. And he did so by just bowling orthodox left-arm spin and landing the ball in the right areas. By lunch on the opening day, South Zone had been reduced to 64 to 4.”When I saw the wicket, I thought I might not get any help in the beginning because it was the first day,” Kartikeya said after the first day’s play. “I just wanted to land the ball in the right areas and not leak any easy runs.”I realised that keeping a tight economy rate should be my top priority, so that the batter comes under pressure and makes mistakes. I just wanted to do my basics right and not try too much. My main aim was to bowl with patience, because that will eventually benefit us.”With his Madhya Pradesh team-mate Saransh Jain also joining in on the wicket-taking fun, Central Zone ran through the South Zone batting unit. Kartikeya picked one more wicket, trapping Gurjapneet Singh lbw, to finish with 4 for 53 in 21 overs. By tea on the opening day, South Zone had been bowled out for 149.Kumar Kartikeya struck thrice in the first session of the final•PTI Two years ago, Kartikeya was the architect of MP’s maiden Ranji Trophy title win, finishing as their leading wicket-taker with 32 wickets. He followed it up with another 30-plus wicket season in 2022-23 and finished the 2023-24 season with 41 wickets.His 2024-25 Ranji Trophy numbers were also decent: 28 wickets in six matches, but with the emergence of Harsh Dubey and Manav Suthar, two left-arm spin allrounders, Kartikeya was pushed down the pecking order. He didn’t make it to the original Central Zone squad for the Duleep Trophy and only got a chance in the final with Dubey and Suthar leaving for India A’s series against Australia A.But instead of sulking at not being picked in the initial squad, Kartikeya is “taking this as an opportunity”.”I have no control over the selection of the team, but I have control over my bowling, and I want to do that well,” Kartikeya said. “I was waiting for this chance for a long time. My mindset was clear that whenever I bowl, be it at the start, middle or end, I have to pick wickets.”A traditional left-arm fingerspinner, Kartikeya added legspin to his bowling arsenal around three years back. He initially used it only in white-ball cricket, but in the last two years, he has started to bowl the legbreak in red-ball cricket. He bowled a few legbreaks on Thursday as well, and while he didn’t get a wicket, he knows “if nothing is working, I also have the legspin in my armoury.””Legspin is a useful tool to have on any surface,” Kartikeya says. “I get a lot of benefit from that. Earlier, I used to bowl legspin only in white-ball cricket, but in the last two years, I have started bowling legspin in red ball cricket. Whenever I get a flat track, where left-arm spin is not that useful, I bowl legspin.”Central Zone have won the Duleep Trophy just once, in 2014 against South Zone. Incidentally, it was a left-arm spinner Ali Murtaza, who fashioned their title win with seven wickets. Eleven years later, another left-arm spinner has helped Central Zone gain the upper hand on the first day. Can he lead them to a second Duleep Trophy title?