Vote for the best individual Border-Gavaskar Trophy performance by an Indian in Australia since 2000

Alagappan Muthu12-Nov-2024Update: The fan voting exercise has ended. Rahul Dravid’s Adelaide 2003 performance has been picked as the winner.ESPNcricinfo LtdRahul Dravid celebrates a famous win at Adelaide Oval in 2003•AFP via Getty ImagesRahul Dravid – 233 and 72* in Adelaide, 2003India win by four wickets, lead series 1-0Long before Rahul Dravid was immortalised for revealing that he too had the ability to yell his head off, he was immortalised for having the ability to yell his head off and also punch the air. The image of him doing so as he hit the winning runs in Adelaide almost 20 years ago is part of Indian cricket history. It was only the fourth time they had ever won a Test match in Australia – and their first victory since 1981 – and they had to come from behind to do it. From way behind, 556 runs to be exact. But Dravid kept whittling away at it, wearing Australia down not once but twice. Finally, after 12 and a half hours at the crease, scoring more runs than he has ever done or will ever do in a single Test, it made perfect sense that he would be there at the end, soaking in the Adelaide sunshine, teeth gritted, arms up high, the personification of triumph.Dravid’s heroics in that match gave India a 1-0 lead, in a series they went on to draw in Australia for the first time since 1985.Round of 16: Dravid’s 233 & 72* beat R Ashwin’s 3-57 & 3-92.Quarter-final: Dravid’s 233 & 72* beat Sachin Tendulkar’s 241* & 60*.Semi-final: Dravid’s 233 & 72* beat Jasprit Bumrah’s 6-33 & 3-53.Watch the highlights of these performances on the Star Sports network at 10am, 1pm, 4pm and 7pm IST, from November 12 onwards.Rishabh Pant – 89* in Brisbane, 2021India won by three wickets, and the series 2-1All the things that didn’t make sense on this tour – India all out for 36, their three jillion injuries, the hassle of cricket in quarantine – found meaning when Rishabh Pant began to play the innings of a lifetime. He was 23 and he helped obliterate a record that had stood for way longer than he’d been alive. Australia’s undefeated streak in Brisbane was 32 years old when it was finally laid to rest. “This is one of the biggest things in my life right now,” Pant said after a performance that proved just how dangerous a batter he could be when he adopts even the smallest bit of restraint.Chasing 328 at the Gabba – 324 on the final day – India still needed 161 runs with about 43 overs to go when Pant walked in at No. 5. He got going, and kept going, even as wickets fell and the overs ticked by. Eventually, with only minutes left on the clock, he lashed Josh Hazlewood down the ground to accomplish one of the greatest series wins in Test history.Round of 16: Pant’s 89* beat Ajit Agarkar’s 6-41.Quarter-final: Pant’s 89* beat VVS Laxman’s 167.Semi-final: Pant’s 89* beat Virat Kohli’s 115 & 141.Voting closes at 11am IST on November 17. The winner of this match-up will be decided by the total votes cast on polls conducted across ESPNcricinfo, Star Sports and Disney+ Hotstar platforms.

A Phillies fan went viral for all the wrong reasons earlier this month when a home run ball close their seat was snatched by another fan who returned to his seat to give the ball to a young fan he attended the game with.

The fan who initially sat closer to the ball took exception to the move and marched over to the group to get the ball back. The man who initially ended up with the ball relented and passed it back in what was an awkward exchange. You can watch the moment below:

The internet, and even ESPN's anchors, had their day going off on the woman for her lack of perceived ballpark etiquette. It all worked out in the end, as the young fan who had the ball taken was given a new ball and a prize pack from the Marlins staff. Phillies outfielder Harrison Bader, who hit the controversial home run, sent him home with a signed bat too.

Nick Castellanos, another Phillies outfielder, weighed in on the moment with a different approach in an appearance on the podcast.

"Whenever I'm playing catch or I go, I always aim for a kid," he said via . "You always have that ambitious adult sometimes that will come and grab it but when I see that I don't just see a ball. I see a very frustrated lady for years that probably felt like she was getting the s— end of the stick. And now this thing happened, and she's like, 'I'm not finishing second here. I need this for me.'"

Betts and Castellanos discussed that the public doesn't know what's going on with the angered woman and maybe she was trying to get the ball for someone else. It's nice to see them giving a stranger the benefit of the doubt because you never know when someone else is having a bad day, but you have to hope that bad day doesn't impact a memorable moment for a young fan.

A different, closer angle of the moment came out where you can hear the fan arguing, "that was ours, you took it from me, that was in my hands." She probably didn't think the moment would gain as much steam as it did, especially to the point where players on the team she roots for are discussing it. The internet definitely let her have it, but it seems like Castellanos is giving her the benefit of the doubt.

Whisper it quietly, but Manchester United are close to being a proper team once again. They have a competent goalkeeper at last in Senne Lammens, as well as top-level forwards who cannot only create quality chances but also finish them off in Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha. They have also developed some resilience, as evidenced by their crucial late goals at Nottingham Forest, Tottenham and Liverpool of late.

But they are still missing a crucial element of any team with aspirations to return to the Champions League and compete for the Premier League title: a consistent and top-class midfield. Ruben Amorim's side have been getting by with Bruno Fernandes sitting deeper alongside Casemiro, who is enjoying an Indian summer. Both players have been performing admirably in their respective circumstances, but they both have asterixis by their names.

Fernandes is 31 and the spectre of him winding down his career in Saudi Arabia has not fully gone away despite him resisting the advances of Al-Hilal last summer. Casemiro, meanwhile, might be rolling back the years right now, but he turns 34 in February and his contract is up in June, albeit with the option to trigger a one-year extension. 

Neither player screams long-term planning, and it is no secret that United need and want to sign a top-class midfielder who can lead the team for many years. It is becoming increasingly clear, too, that the man they should be looking at to return them to the highest level is Elliot Anderson, who just happens to also be the future of the England team.

AFPTop of the class

Anderson was one of the main driving forces behind Nottingham Forest’s brilliant 2024-25 campaign as they finished seventh in the Premier League in their third season back in the top-flight, narrowly missing out on the Champions League while reaching the FA Cup semi-finals. But while the Tricky Trees’ results have nosedived amid the upheaval of having three separate coaches already this term, Anderson has continued to stand tall. Taller than every other midfielder in the Premier League, in fact.

Name every attribute you want a midfielder to have, and there is a good chance Anderson will lead the way in it. According to , he sits No.1 among Premier League midfielders in passes attempted, passes completed, progressive passes, passes into the final third, short passes attempted and completed. 

He also has the highest passing distance among midfielders (and the fourth-highest in the league) and highest progressive passing distance of any midfielder. In that last category, he is ranked 20th in the league in a field dominated by goalkeepers. The closest midfielder to him is Fernandes in 30th, then Granit Xhaka at 45th while his England team-mate Declan Rice is 50th. Anderson has an accumulated progressive passing distance of 3844 metres, 447 more than Fernandes, 986 more than Xhaka and 1049 more than Rice. 

In addition, he has more touches on the ball than any other midfielder, and the most ball recoveries.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportDoing it all

"Elliot Anderson can do it all," said former United and England winger Ashley Young. "He can defend, he can get on the front foot, he can play line-breaking passes. He can create, he can do the other side of it as well and win the tackles and release the players further forward."

Anderson displayed that passing vision with an assist for Chris Wood on the opening day of this season, threading the ball into the forward's path from behind the halfway line. In England’s 5-0 win away to Serbia in September, meanwhile, he provided a pre-assist with his forward pass to Morgan Rogers, whose flashy flick of the boot released goal-scorer Noni Madueke. No Serbia player managed to dribble past him that night, while in the 5-0 drubbing of Latvia last month which sealed England’s spot at the World Cup, Anderson completed 121 passes, the most by any player in an England away game since 2008.

What has really stood out for England has been Anderson's ability to take the ball from defence and glide past opponents to distribute it further downfield. "His physicality for a player of his size, the way he can keep people away from the ball and get about the pitch is a big strength," said his England team-mate Dan Burn, who also played alongside him at Newcastle. "He's always wanting the ball wherever he is. He's so calm when he gets it, he's got that eye for the passes that we probably need."

Getty Images SportOn autopilot

Speaking after his excellent debut for England against Andorra amid an otherwise dreary team performance in June, Thomas Tuchel said of Anderson. "He has the physicality, he's a very mobile No.6. He has the body, he loves to defend, he loves to put his body inside to win duels. He loves passing, he loves to break the lines. And he's just very mobile in his game."

Rice, who has lacked a consistent partner for England since Kalvin Phillips' peak at Euro 2020, is really enjoying playing alongside Anderson: "He has taken it all in his stride and is playing like he plays for his club. When you have a lad who is that confident and comes in and feels he does not have to do anything different, it's like autopilot the way he plays. We are building up a nice little partnership."

Anderson’s versatility explains why he has managed to perform well for each of his three Forest coaches, going from the counter-attacking football of Nuno Espirito Santo to the positional play of Ange Postecoglou and then back to the more reactive play of Sean Dyche. Nuno deployed him all over the midfield, from an anchoring No.6 to a driving No.8 to a creative No.10 when Morgan Gibbs-White was unavailable. 

Eddie Howe also played Anderson in more attacking roles when in charge of him at Newcastle before he was sold to Forest for £35 million ($46m) in a move that was widely considered to have been to ease the Magpies' PSR concerns.

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Getty Images SportWorth the money

Forest might be about to make a massive return on that investment as the latest reports claim they will demand between £100m and £120m ($131.5m-$158m) for Anderson. It is a similar price tag that United were quoted by Brighton for Carlos Baleba over the summer, which ultimately led to them turning away from the Cameroon international. 

Anderson’s stock has risen way above Baleba’s in the last three months, and a £100m-plus fee is not actually that outlandish when compared to the two leading midfielders in the league over the last couple of years, Rice and Moises Caicedo. Arsenal paid a club-record £105m to sign Rice from West Ham in 2023. He was 24 at the time and was also an England regular at that stage, albeit with considerably more experience than Anderson given he had both a European Championship and a World Cup under his belt. Caicedo, meanwhile, moved from Brighton to Chelsea at the age of 21 that same summer for £115m.

Rice has been the main driving force behind Arsenal’s consistent results over the last three seasons while Caicedo was instrumental to Chelsea finishing fourth in the league last season and to them winning the Club World Cup. And if Anderson, who only turned 23 at the start of November, continues on the same path he is at the moment, there is no reason why he could not do the same for United.

His ability to play in different midfield roles will also be useful for the club’s succession planning. He could fill in for Casemiro next season as Amorim’s primary holding midfielder if the Brazilian leaves this summer before taking the baton from Fernandes in 2027, when the captain’s current contract will be up.

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

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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.”

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.

Arsenal have learnt some worrying news on Martin Odegaard's fitness after Norway manager Stale Solbakken revealed a concerning update on the midfielder's injury progress, casting serious doubt over when the 26-year-old will return to action with fears he could be sidelined beyond the international break.

• Gunners hit with fresh concern over Odegaard

  Odegaard has been out since suffering medial ligament damage in his left knee during Arsenal’s 2–0 victory over West Ham on October 4. The injury occurred midway through the first half after a collision with winger Crysencio Summerville, which forced the Norwegian off after just 30 minutes. 

  At the time of the injury, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta confirmed the severity of the problem, saying: "We haven't had him since the start of the season for one reason or the other. The shoulder twice and then this injury. We'll have to wait and see the extent of that injury, and we'll find solutions, but obviously he's our captain and is a player that gives us a completely different dimension with the things that he can do, especially in attacking."

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• (C)Getty Images
  

  Solbakken provides update on captain

  Initial scans suggested a six-week layoff, and Arsenal were hopeful of having him back for the north London derby against Tottenham later this month. But Solbakken’s latest update has cast doubt on that timeline. 

  Speaking ahead of Norway’s crucial World Cup qualifiers against Estonia and Italy, the manager said, "It is steady. It is going in a steady direction but he is some distance away."

  Despite being unfit to play, Odegaard has joined up with the national squad in a non-playing role, helping motivate his team-mates as Norway chase their first World Cup appearance in nearly three decades. Solbakken confirmed that the Arsenal star would continue his rehabilitation under Norway’s medical team, first in Oslo and then in Milan, where the squad will travel for Sunday’s showdown with Italy.

  "He will fly in [to Oslo] after his rehab on Thursday," he said. "Then he will continue his rehab with us and will be with us from Thursday afternoon. I don't know when the flight leaves. But he will be with us until Milan."

• Odegaard Opens Up on His Recovery Journey

  Odegaard recently revealed that he has been training relentlessly to regain full fitness: "The rehab is going well. I had a few days off after the West Ham game, because I couldn’t do much work and had to rest my knee anyway, so I went to Norway. But I’ve been back for a week now and working every day to keep my fitness up as well as trying to heal the injury, so it’s busy days at the moment. It's hard work and long days in recovery, but that’s what you want and I feel like it’s going well so far."

  The Arsenal skipper also shared details of the remarkable technique he’s using to accelerate his return. 

  "It’s going well and I’m progressing a lot," Odegaard said. "I’ve started moving around more and I’ve been running on the anti-gravity machine this week. It’s hard work, but nice to feel that progression; it gives you more motivation."

  At Arsenal’s London Colney training base, several anti-gravity treadmills allow players to train without placing full strain on injured joints. These machines use a pressurised air chamber to reduce body weight in one per cent increments, letting athletes move pain-free while rebuilding strength and balance.

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• Getty
  

  Norway’s World Cup dream still alive

  While Arsenal monitor their captain’s recovery, Norway are fighting to seal qualification for their first World Cup since 1998. A win against Estonia on Thursday could secure their ticket to next summer’s tournament in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, provided Italy drop points against Moldova. Norway hold a commanding +26 goal difference, well ahead of Italy’s +10, and boast a superior head-to-head record after thrashing the Azzurri 3-0 in Oslo earlier this year.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras irá processar John Textor, sócio majoritário da SAF do Botafogo, nas esferas civil, criminal e esportiva, sobre as acusações feitas pelo americano de suposta manipulação de resultados no futebol brasileiro e favorecimento da arbitragem ao Verdão nas duas últimas edições do Brasileirão.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

– A Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras informa que tomará todas as medidas legais cabíveis – nas esferas civil, criminal e esportiva – contra o dono da SAF do Botafogo, John Textor, para que ele responda pelas declarações irresponsáveis e levianas que, recorrentemente, têm envolvido o nome do atual bicampeão brasileiro. A nossa história de 109 anos é pautada pela ética e pelo respeito aos adversários e entidades. Se Textor tem informações sobre a prática de atos ilícitos no futebol brasileiro, que as apresente imediatamente aos órgãos competentes, incluindo os públicos.

O Palmeiras espera que Textor apresente as provas que declarou ter e reiterou respeito ao clube carioca. Na sexta-feira (8), o STJD abriu um inquérito sobre as alegações, e o dono da SAF do Botafogo tem até terça-feira (12) para apresentar provas que sustentem suas acusações. O americano afirma ter áudios de “juízes gravados reclamando de não terem propinas pagas”.

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Em vídeo divulgado pelo Botafogo, o dono da SAF do Botafogo disse que o árbitro envolvido no suposto jogo manipulado tem sotaque carioca e apitava uma partida em uma “divisão menor”.

A diretoria do Verdão também questiona os estudos apresentados sobre suposto favorecimento da arbitragem ao Verdão no Brasileirão 2023. O proprietário do time carioca contratou a empresa Good Game!, que chegou à conclusão que o Glorioso ficaria com 21 pontos de vantagem em relação ao Alviverde na competição.

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➡️ Veja os grupos e datas dos confrontos no Paulistão

VEJA, NA ÍNTEGRA, A NOTA DIVULGADA PELO PALMEIRAS

“A Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras informa que tomará todas as medidas legais cabíveis – nas esferas civil, criminal e esportiva – contra o dono da SAF do Botafogo, John Textor, para que ele responda pelas declarações irresponsáveis e levianas que, recorrentemente, têm envolvido o nome do atual bicampeão brasileiro.

A nossa história de 109 anos é pautada pela ética e pelo respeito aos adversários e entidades. Se Textor tem informações sobre a prática de atos ilícitos no futebol brasileiro, que as apresente imediatamente aos órgãos competentes, incluindo os públicos.

Aceitar a derrota, por mais dolorida que ela seja, é o primeiro passo a ser dado por quem almeja se reerguer. Vale lembrar que, no ano passado, sofremos uma dura eliminação na semifinal da Libertadores, mas a superamos rapidamente porque tivemos autocrítica e não terceirizamos culpas.

Em vez de administrar um momento de instabilidade com a frieza que se espera de um empresário, porém, Textor prefere se portar como um caricato cartola à moda antiga.

Ressaltamos o nosso mais profundo respeito pelo Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas, clube centenário com o qual tivemos o privilégio de disputar, em 2023, um dos mais emocionantes Brasileiros da história.”

Tudo sobre

BotafogoJohn TextorPalmeiras

Excitement is building ahead of Sunday’s Old Firm derby; let’s hope it is better than the last!

When Glasgow’s big two most recently met in August, Russell Martin and Brendan Rodgers were in the respective dugouts, but both are now gone, meaning it’ll be new Rangers boss Danny Röhl against Martin O’Neill at the weekend.

The Irishman is more than double the German’s age, retiring as a player five years before Röhl was even born.

Well, under their new 36-year-old head coach, Rangers might just be on a roll, enjoying back-to-back Premiership victories for the first time this season, beating Kilmarnock 3-1 at Ibrox and then Hibernian 1-0 at Easter Road on Wednesday.

If Röhl is going to claim a statement victory in his first-ever Glasgow derby, he simply must unleash Rangers’ “creative” star at Hampden.

Connor Barron's absence vs Celtic explained

As was widely reported this week, Connor Barron will miss Sunday’s League Cup semi-final against Celtic due to suspension.

That’s because the midfielder has been booked during both League Cup fixtures this season, coincidentally cautioned in the 78th minute against Alloa Athletic and then Hibs, thereby serving a one-match ban.

Barron started for the first time under Röhl in Leith on Wednesday, actually giving away a late penalty, bringing down Junior Hoilett, but, thankfully for him, Jamie McGrath’s attempt from 12 yards was dramatically saved by Jack Butland.

Despite this, speaking during Sky Sports’ coverage, Scott Allan asserted that Barron “had a fantastic game tonight… I thought he was excellent”, while Kris Boyd noted he was going to be awarded man of the match, prior to this almost costly foul.

So, Barron’s unavailability will be a blow, but Röhl has a more than able deputy waiting in reserve.

Rangers' creative star who must start vs Celtic

With Nicolas Raskin a guaranteed starter, the Belgian one of the first names on the team sheet, the question is who should partner him in midfield?

Well, there is surely only one man for the job, namely Mohamed Diomandé.

The Ivorian international has only featured in one of Röhl’s three matches in charge to date, suspended for the hammering at the hands of Brann, starting against Kilmarnock last Sunday before, surprisingly, remaining an unused substitute at Hibs.

The 24-year-old has had a bit of a stop-start season, albeit he’s not the only one, but last season’s statistics very much emphasise his importance.

Minutes

4,028

3rd

Goals

6

4th

Assists

9

3rd

Shots

61

5th

Big chances created

14

2nd

Key passes per 90

1.2

5th

Tackles per 90

1.6

6th

Interceptions per 90

0.9

6th

Average rating

7.19

6th

As the table documents, only captain James Tavernier and the departed Jefté played more minutes than Diomandé for Rangers across all competitions last season.

Meantime, all three players who scored more goals than him have also gone, namely Cyriel Dessers, Václav Černý and Hamza Igamane, twice on target against Celtic, netting in December’s League Cup Final and March’s memorable win at Parkhead.

On top of this, he ranked highly for assists, big chances created and key passes, as well as in the top six for tackles and interceptions, underlining that he is an all-round midfielder.

Upon his arrival in Glasgow from Nordsjælland, then director of recruitment Nils Koppen praised the Côte d’Ivoire international’s “creative play and strong defensive work”, adding that he would add a “high level of athleticism” to the Rangers team.

Meantime, Stefan Bienkowsk of Transfermarkt labels him one of the most ‘accomplished [young] central midfielders’ in European football, while Joshua Barrie of the Rangers Review documents how he can cover a lot of ground, concluding that his best attribute is his ‘ability to receive between the lines’.

Against a Celtic team who will be equally up for this huge cup tie, Diomandé’s out-of-possession work rate and in-possession quality makes him a must in Röhl’s team.

This is especially the case given that Röhl is forecast to go with a 3-4-2-1 formation, up against Celtic’s midfield trio, giving the duo in there, likely to be Raskin and Diomandé, extra work and added responsibility.

Better than Danilo: Undroppable star is becoming "Rangers' best player"

Following Rangers’ 1-0 victory over Hibs at Easter Road on Wednesday, one star proves he is more undroppable than Danilo

ByBen Gray Oct 30, 2025

Prendergast’s efforts against Pakistan took her up eight spots to 19th among T20I batters and climb to sixth in the allrounder rankings

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Aug-2025

There is a new No. 1 in the women’s T20I bowling rankings. Australia allrounder Annabel Sutherland has claimed the top spot – for the first time in her career – after her closest rivals, including Pakistan’s Sadia Iqbal, suffered a bit of a dip in form.This, despite Sutherland not playing a T20I since March, which helped her retain her rating of 736, enough to take the lead as the others around her faltered.Left-arm spinner Iqbal dropped one spot to move to joint-second alongside India’s Deepti Sharma after she picked up just three wickets across the series against Ireland, which Pakistan lost 2-1 in Dublin earlier this month.Full rankings tables

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Ireland allrounder Orla Prendergast, meanwhile, has surged to a new high in the rankings after a standout series against Pakistan.The 23-year-old allrounder was instrumental in Ireland’s series win, scoring 144 runs at a strike rate of 135.84 and taking four wickets to earn the Player-of-the-Series award.Her efforts saw her jump eight spots to 19th among T20I batters and to sixth in the allrounder rankings – both career-best positions.Ireland’s Laura Delany and Rebecca Stokell also made gains, moving up to joint 50th and 77th respectively among batters.On the Pakistan side, Muneeba Ali (32nd) and Fatima Sana (59th) made notable progress despite the series defeat.

The New York Mets have not been playing their best baseball as of late, but they're in the heat of the NL East race as the All-Star break quickly approaches.

First baseman Pete Alonso has been a big part of New York's success this season. The Mets waited until late in the offseason to decide to bring Alonso back, and they're surely happy that they did.

Alonso is hitting .287 with 20 home runs and 73 RBI, and was named to his fifth All-Star team on Sunday. The slugger also was invited to participate in the Home Run Derby during All-Star week in Atlanta for a sixth time, but Alonso declined this year's invitation. He won Home run Derby back in 2019 and '21.

"I just decided not to do it this year," Alonso said Sunday. "I have never really fully enjoyed the three off days, so I just want to be in the best possible position to help this team win in the second half. I'm in a groove with certain things. I definitely will do it again. It doesn't mean no forever."

Alonso is the latest player to decline an invitation. Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber, Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, and New York Yankees MVP candidate Aaron Judge also turned down the opportunity to participate in the event.

So far, the only known participants for the July 14 Home Run Derby are Seattle Mariners catcher and MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh, Washington Nationals star James Wood and Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr.