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A blazing fifty by Zaman was followed by Lynn’s match-clinching ton, the first-ever by a Qalandars batsman in the tournament

The Report by Peter Della Penna15-Mar-2020How the game played outThe dynamic opening duo of Fakhar Zaman and Chris Lynn terrorised a second-string Multan Sultans bowling unit, pummeling 72 runs in the powerplay during a 100-run partnership to mow down a target of 187 as Lahore Qalandars clinched their first-ever playoff berth in the fifth season of the Pakistan Super League with a nine-wicket win. A blazing half-century by Zaman was followed by Lynn’s match-clinching ton, the first-ever by a Qalandars batsman in their five-year history in the tournament.Qalandars were off to a shaky start again early in the tournament this season after losing their first three matches but a stunning resurgence propelled in their fourth match by the ferocious hitting of Ben Dunk dug them out of the cellar. The pyrotechnics of Zaman and Lynn in their season finale against Sultans ensured Dunk’s prior efforts were not in vain. Bouncing back from a 10-wicket drubbing at the hands of Karachi Kings on Thursday, Zaman and Lynn seized on the fact that Sultans could afford to rest several of their frontline bowlers after having clinched first place outright 48 hours earlier.Zaman led the initial onslaught, bringing up a 25-ball half-century during a brutal seventh over assault on Moeen Ali’s offspin. After Zaman was stumped following a charge gone awry to Usman Qadir’s legspin in the 9th, Lynn took centrestage with more belligerent hitting.The Australian brought up a 22-ball half-century in the 10th over swatting Ravi Bopara over cow corner for six. The maximum barrage continued against Khushdil Shah in the 14th, who was carted for back-to-back straight sixes to take Lynn into the 80s. Another heave over cow corner off Bilawal Bhatti took him to 98 before a pair of singles off Junaid Khan brought up the first century by a Qalandars batsman in their five-year history. Lynn then ended the match by heaving Ali Shafiq twice over the leg side rope in the 19th to seal his side’s maiden playoff appearance with seven balls to spare.Turning pointMomentum was with Sultans after a sloppy bowling display in the latter half of the first innings allowed Khushdil to feast his way to an unbeaten 70 off 29 balls. But Zaman and Lynn stole it right back with their thunderous powerplay. A consistent short ball plan to Zaman failed repeatedly as he hooked and pulled for boundaries at will.However, the most savage treatment by Zaman was meted out immediately after the first six when he attacked Ali in the seventh over. He charged Ali’s second ball, driving him hard over mid-off for six. An attempted to bowl fuller, flatter and wider next ball was negated when Zaman swept him through the leg side for four. Two balls later, Zaman was galloping down the wicket again to lift Ali over long-on for another six. At 89 for 0 with the required run rate down to 7.53, Sultans were left completely deflated.Star of the dayLynn has had a monster reputation on the T20 franchise circuit over the last several years, particularly in the Caribbean Premier League and Big Bash. But amazingly, this performance was his first century in T20 franchise cricket outside of Australia. There was a great maturity to the knock as well. With Zaman applying the early pressure, Lynn was content to rotate the strike and only attack when there was a genuine loose ball. Though he had several close shaves early on with a couple of inside edges missing the stumps on the way to the fine leg boundary, Lynn got his eye locked in midway through the chase and from there on showed no mercy.The big missThe arsenal of bowling guns were rested today by Sultans. The first time these two sides played in their opening match of the season, Imran Tahir was named Man of the Match for his two key wickets while Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Irfan and Shahid Afridi were no less impactful in a match that was clinched with 29 balls to spare chasing a target of 139. Their collective absence was noticeable in the toothless display produced by much of the Sultans bowling unit that took the field on Sunday afternoon.Where the teams standSultans could afford to rest all of those aforementioned names because they had already clinched first place and the No. 1 seed in the PSL playoffs regardless of today’s result, though the loss kept them on 14 points. Barring a miracle, they will play Peshawar Zalmi in one semi-final unless Quetta Gladiators beat Karachi Kings and erase a monumental net-run-rate deficit in the process to steal fourth place from Zalmi. Qalandars end the league phase in third place on ten points and will meet Karachi Kings in the other semi-final on Tuesday.

MatériaMais Notícias

O atacante Mailson, com passagem pela Chapecoense, Criciúma e CRB, destacou o desejo de todos no clube baiano em conquistar o acesso para a Série B este ano. Segundo o atleta, o grupo está muito focado nisso.

Veja o ranking dos treinadores mais longevos da Série A do Brasileirão

– Sem dúvida, a meta de todos no clube é conquistar o acesso para a Série B, o que seria histórico e confirmaria o bom momento que vive a Jacuipense. Vamos lutar muito para que isso aconteça este ano. – afirmou.

VEJA TABELA E SIMULE AS PARTIDAS DA SÉRIE C DO BRASILEIRÃO

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Ainda de acordo com o atleta, sua meta é fazer uma grande competição.

+ Conheça o novo aplicativo de resultados do LANCE!

– Tenho trabalhado muito para ajudar e para crescer de produção neste semestre. Vou me dedicar ao máximo para manter a intensidade nos treinos. – concluiu.

Arsenal are flying in the Premier League this year, and, say this bit quietly, they might actually get the job done this time.

Mikel Arteta's men weathered their festive period slump and have since blown teams away, scoring three or more goals in six of their last eight league games.

It's not just on the domestic front that the Gunners look dangerous, though. Their penalty shootout win over Porto in the Champions League showed a steely side that's been missing since the days of Patrick Vieira and Dennis Bergkamp.

David Raya might've received the most plaudits thanks to his shot-stopping heroics – and rightly so – but it was a performance in the model of the club's young captain, Martin Odegaard, who might just be playing the best football he has in an Arsenal shirt at the moment.

Martin Odegaard's season in numbers

Odegaard is a player who has only recently begun receiving the sort of praise that he should have been getting from pundits a lot earlier in his Arsenal career.

Instead of boring comments about how Declan Rice should take the captaincy off of him, he is being spoken about as one of the best players in the country, which is precisely what he is.

Last season, the Norwegian maestro matched the record for the number of non-penalty goals scored by an out-and-out midfielder, finishing the campaign with 15 goals and seven assists in 45 appearances.

This year, the 25-year-old has racked up nine goals and seven assists in 36 outings, and while that's a relatively similar average of 0.44 goal involvements per game, he has been much more effective overall.

Whether it's a quick one-two with Bukayo Saka on the right, an exquisite through ball for Gabriel Martinelli to latch onto out on the left, or just some mesmeric close control to keep possession, he does so much for the side, and often in such aesthetically pleasing ways.

And then there is his captaincy style. He's not your archetypal drill Sergeant, bellowing orders at his teammates a la Roy Keane, but he doesn't need to be in the modern game, and the fact that he was named captain of Norway and Arsenal by age 23 shows he has the respect of those he plays with.

Moreover, how he played against Porto – assisting Leandro Trossard beautifully – and the manner in which he kicked off the team's penalty shootout is a perfect example of his leadership credentials and nerves of steel.

In all, the Gunners are incredibly lucky to have a player like Odegaard in their team and on the books, for that matter, as according to Football Transfers' Expected Value model, the former Real Madrid ace is worth around €70m, which is about £60m, or £26m more than the £34m they paid for him.

However, that's still less than a former Arsenal midfielder would cost the team in today's market.

How much Mesut Ozil would be worth in 2024

Yes, Arsenal's midfield general from the mid-2010s, Mesut Ozil, would cost even more than Odegaard in the modern market despite the Norwegian's talismanic qualities. Still, we'll get to the price in a moment.

The World Cup winner endured a troublesome conclusion to his time in north London, falling out with Arteta and spending considerable time sitting on the sidelines before finally moving to Fenerbahçe in Turkey. However, before it all fell apart, he was extraordinary.

In all, the Gelsenkirchen-born "artist," as talent scout Jacek Kulig described him, made 254 appearances for Arsenal, scoring 44 goals and providing 79 assists.

In his first season in N5, the 5 foot 11 genius played a crucial role in ending the club's eight-year trophy drought, starting four of the six games in the 2014 FA Cup run, including the final, in which he played 106 minutes.

The 92-capped international won another three FA Cups in his time at the club, alongside two Community Shields, and produced some unreal moments of magic, such as his utterly ridiculous solo goal against Ludogorets in the Champions League.

He may not have won the league or any European silverware while in London, but his impact on Arsenal for those first few years was undeniable, and had he been playing in a better team, like the ones that came before or after him, he may well have won it all in red and white.

So, with all of that said, how much would he cost in today's money? And, for that matter, how would we know? Well, thanks to the number whizzes and financial boffins at Totally Money, that's how.

In the case of Ozil, the £42m the Gunners paid for him in 2013 would now be worth around £77.5m, comfortably beating the current Arsenal captain's valuation of £60m from Football Transfers.

It's absurd to think that the German's transfer fee has almost doubled in the space of nine and a half years, and it begs the question, how much will Odegaard be worth in 2034?

Arsenal's amazing £10m signing would now be worth more than Rice in 2024

An Arsenal star of yesteryear would be worth more than Declan Rice in the modern market.

By
Matt Dawson

Mar 16, 2024

The only bright spot for Afghanistan was debutant Amir Hamza, who ended with figures of 5 for 74

The Report by Hemant Brar28-Nov-2019Shamarh Brooks’ maiden Test century and Rahkeem Cornwall’s match haul of ten wickets took West Indies to the doorstep of victory by the end of day two of the one-off Test in Lucknow.After starting the day on 68 for 2, West Indies were bowled out for 277, with Brooks’ 111 giving them a lead of 90. The only bright spot for Afghanistan was debutant Amir Hamza, who ended with figures of 5 for 74. Then, just like in their first innings, the hosts squandered another good start and were stuttering at 109 for 7 at stumps, just 19 runs in front.Javed Ahmadi and Ibrahim Zadran gave Afghanistan a 53-run start. While both batsmen looked resolute in their approach, Ahmadi was helped by a slice of luck as well when he was caught at leg slip but replays showed Cornwall had overstepped.However, an error in judgement from Zadran brought an end to the stand as the batsman offered no shot to a Cornwall offbreak and was given lbw. That was followed by a horrendous mix-up between Ahmadi and Ihsanullah, resulting in the latter being run out.Cornwall then dealt two big blows, dismissing Rahmat Shah and Asghar Afghan in identical manner. Both of them got inside edges on to their pads, and Brooks pouched the chances at short leg. Having picked up 7 for 75 in the first innings, the offspinner finished the day with a match haul of 10 for 116.Ahmadi brought up his fifty in the company of Nasir Jamal, and took Afghanistan to 96 for 5, but three quick strikes from Roston Chase under the floodlights dented them further. Jamal played down the wrong line and was bowled, while Hamza, the nightwatchman, and Ahmadi were taken at first slip.Earlier, Brooks showcased excellent mix of attack and defence against the Afghanistan spinners, who tried too hard for wickets at most times. Rashid Khan had a couple of strong lbw appeals turned down and that added to their frustration. However, in the absence of DRS for the game, there was no choice but to accept the on-field decisions.Rahkeem Cornwall celebrates a wicket with captain Jason Holder•Getty ImagesWhile Afghanistan did make inroads and one wicket invariably brought another, Brooks stayed firm. After counter-attacking for the first half of his innings, he assumed a more measured approach after lunch but didn’t miss out on the loose deliveries. Rashid, in particular, was at the receiving end as Brooks took 69 off 108 balls from the legspinner.In all, Brooks struck 15 fours and a six before being bowled by Hamza while looking for quick runs with his side eight wickets down.John Campbell, the other overnight batsman, took to attack straightaway. The strategy paid off as he deployed a variety of sweeps – slog, lap, reverse – to counter the left-arm spin of Hamza and took 15 from the bowler’s second over of the day. He brought up his maiden Test fifty with a single to deep square-leg, courtesy a conventional sweep.Brooks was more orthodox at the other end but no less attacking. In one Rashid over, he struck two fours and a six as West Indies went past 100. Campbell and he added 82 in just 19.1 overs before Hamza broke the stand with Campbell’s wicket for 55, scored in 75 balls. But it was as much Ihsanullah’s wicket too, as the slip fielder moved swiftly to his right upon seeing Campbell shaping up for a lap sweep, put in the dive and completed the catch one-handed.Shimron Hetmyer and Chase didn’t last long and at 150 for 5, it looked like Afghanistan had clawed their way back. But Shane Dowrich thwarted their hopes. Like the batsmen before him, Dowrich too started aggressively, hitting three fours in no time to move to 15 in as many balls. It wasn’t that the Afghanistan spinners didn’t create any chances. Apart from the lbw shouts, Rashid got Brooks to edge one behind but Afsar Zazai dropped the catch. The batsman was on 59 at that time.Brooks and Dowrich added 74 for the sixth wicket and took the side into the lead. But once Zahir Khan got Dowrich lbw, the rest of the batting didn’t last long. Hamza picked up three of the remaining four wickets, while Cornwall was wrongly given out lbw off Rashid, with the ball brushing the inside edge on its way to the pads.

It's all coming to a head in the Premier League now, with the 2023/24 campaign drawing toward its closing stage and the heat throughout the division intensifying.

Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham Hotspur side recently dispatched Aston Villa away from home to slash their deficit to the fourth-placed team to just two points, and with a game in hand.

While Spurs were dismal for large portions of last season, there has been a refreshing new take under Postecoglou's management that has seen the transfer recruitment polished and the progress on the pitch ramped up, with some entertaining and proactive football to boot.

While the likes of James Maddison, Micky van de Ven, Brennan Johnson and Guglielmo Vicario have been tremendous since completing transfers to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last summer, the club's youthful underbelly speaks of an exciting future fighting for silverware and competing on the continent.

Related 8/10 Spurs star has been even more impressive than Johnson recently

Ange’s side are clicking into gear as they chase down Champions League qualification.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Mar 12, 2024

While this wave of quality within the Lilywhites academy is far greater and more prolific than anything seen over many years, Tottenham have chugged out a prospect or two over the years (Harry Kane, stand up) but they haven't always been convinced of remaining in north London, with Chelsea winger Noni Madueke a prime example.

Why Spurs let Noni Madueke leave

Days ago, Madueke celebrated his 22nd birthday in London, and while he has yet to cement a regular starting berth for Chelsea after returning to England, he's definitely made some good choices thus far in his career.

Madueke spent much of his teenage years on the Tottenham books, impressing for the academy and even making an appearance back in the 2016/17 U18 Premier League campaign, yet to break into adulthood.

But he departed the club when PSV Eindhoven came calling and detailed in an interview with Sky Sports the reason for making this decision aged just 16.

"Tottenham was a great academy and they’ve got a great development plan. I’d been offered a scholarship agreement at Tottenham but I’d seen a lot of the boys – that were good as well – just kind of get lost in the system and I just didn’t want that for me.

“Going to PSV is not going to harm my development at all and if I’m good enough, I’m going to play quick in the first team, so that was really my mindset. I’m thinking ‘if I jump the queue, I’ll just be better than all my peers because whilst they’re playing Under-18’s and Under-21’s, I’ll be playing against men.”

It's hard to argue that Madueke's thought-out approach to his early development was inauspicious, having caught the eye as one of the Dutch Eredivisie's most promising youngsters after leaving London.

Noni Madueke's transfer value after leaving Spurs

Madueke, despite his youth, posted 20 goals and 14 assists across 80 senior appearances for PSV before leaving, with his performances leading talent scout Jacek Kulig to pronounce him a "wonderkid."

Such displays caught Chelsea's attention around 14 months ago as they looked to combat an abject start to life under Todd Boehly's ownership, and Spurs' London rivals forked out some £29m to snap him up in January 2023.

Related Spurs made big mistake with £27m flop who's earning more than Van de Ven

This player failed to live up to the hype in the Premier League, albeit with some good moments.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Mar 13, 2024

Chelsea continue to flatter to deceive and Madueke has not quite enjoyed the return to the capital that he would have envisaged, but he's undoubtedly a top talent and Tottenham might come to regret pushing him toward the exit so soon.

His fleet-footedness and dynamism would be perfect in Postecoglou's system and he certainly offers skill surpassing that of Manor Solomon and Bryan Gil, the latter notably without a single goal or assist in 2023/24.

On a wage of £50k-per-week at Chelsea, Madueke is actually earning the same weekly salary as Van de Ven right now, so were he kept hold of for longer Spurs could have enjoyed his precocity for little expense before, potentially, shipping him out for a lucrative fee.

Or indeed utilising his abilities and bringing him to the fore at an improving and attractive project in N17.

Noni Madueke's Chelsea career so far

Madueke arrived at Stamford Bridge in the middle of a bleak winter, with cash splashed on a slew of stars to shape this new era at Chelsea. It didn't work.

Tottenham did not enjoy a good campaign by any stretch but Chelsea slumped to a 12th place Premier League finish, with 11 victories and 16 defeats.

Madueke was young and untested in English football but he impressed sporadically, starting seven times in the top-flight, scoring once – in a defeat against Arsenal – completing 82% of his passes, averaging 1.1 key passes, 2.8 dribbles and 5.2 successful duels per game, as per Sofascore.

He has the trappings of a real player and Chelsea recognised this, with writer Bobby Vincent speaking of Madueke's potential and the regard that he was held in by the club's powers that be.

The journalist said: "There's a genuine belief from senior officials at Chelsea that the former Spurs youngster can develop into a world-class talent at Cobham. Madueke is a really exciting footballer to watch and he will certainly cause problems for full-backs thanks to his blistering speed, his fearlessness and his directness with the ball at his feet."

The cogs haven't quite meshed together yet but Madueke has some standout qualities that point toward a future of real success, with his core attributes already on show.

As per FBref, he ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries, the top 2% for successful take-ons, the top 1% for touches in the attacking penalty area, the top 17% for tackles and the top 1% for clearances per 90.

But what does that actually tell us? Well, he's got some breakneck pace at his feet, that's for sure, and while he's been neither clinical nor incisive in his goalscoring and playmaking under Mauricio Pochettino's wing, he's deadly on the wing and surges into the danger area with frightening regularity.

Moreover, Madueke is an active defensive member and will always chip in and provide support to his defensive peers, demonstrating the kind of commitment and desire that Postecoglou demands from his players.

Noni Madueke: Similar PL Players

#

Player

Club

1.

Dejan Kulusevski

Tottenham Hotspur

2.

Bernardo Silva

Manchester City

3.

Miguel Almiron

Newcastle United

Sourced via FBref

Had Tottenham given him an opportunity, there's no telling whether he could have garnered a similar fee to the one that pulled him toward Stamford Bridge, but there's no question that a bit more prudence might have been wise, allowing him to complete a series of loan moves to settle his feet on the major stage.

Described as a "mentality monster" by reporter Samuel Isaksson-Hurst in the past, Madueke has everything he needs to find his feet in London, performing from the outset with constancy in the Premier League.

Ruefully, it's a shame it's not going to be with Tottenham.

England's Euro 2024 has not gone according to Gareth Southgate's plans, and he has been warned that his newest experiment will hurt the Three Lions.

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• Saka could be deployed as a left wing-back
• Seaman warns Switzerland will target Arsenal star
• Southgate could ring tactical changes in QF tie

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  As England trailed by a goal against Slovakia in their round of 16 clash, Southgate began experimenting with the shape of his side as he brought on Chelsea's Cole Palmer in place of make-shift left-back Kieran Trippier. Subsequently, Saka moved to the left-flank to make space for Palmer and a shift to a three-man defence saw the Arsenal youngster play as a left wing-back. Reports have suggested that Saka could once again be deployed in that role against Switzerland – however, Arsenal legend David Seaman has warned Southgate against it.

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  WHAT SEAMAN SAID

  Speaking to Betway, Seaman said: "I don’t like seeing Bukayo Saka playing at left-back. If I was the opposition, he would be my main target because he’s not a defender. If he starts at left-back, that gives teams a chance to really put him under pressure, and any decent coach will do that.

  "Maybe he could play on the left side of midfield, but not at left-back because we need a defender there. The other question is whether you risk Luke Shaw in a quarter-final, because he hasn’t played in such a long time.

  "I don’t see why Trippier has to change, unless it’s through injury. The back four has not really been the problem, and it’s not like the opposition have been getting down our left side. It was happening more against Kyle Walker on the other side.

  "Marc Guehi is now suspended for the quarter-final and is also dealing with a shoulder injury. I think he has been really impressive, especially with how he reacted after receiving the booking that ruled him out.

  "Ezri Konsa came on as a substitute against Slovakia, which shows who Gareth trusts in that position. I would imagine that will probably be the only difference with the team when we play Switzerland.

  "Hopefully Konsa will be as effective as Guehi has been, and at least he’s now had some game time, so it won’t be brand new to him. It’s not a worry to me at all."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Saka himself had addressed the possibility of being shifted to left-back following the suggestions of Ian Wright. Saka said: "No, obviously I love Ian Wright. He says so many great things about me but I don't think putting me out of position was the solution. I think we can talk about this but it's in Gareth's hands and we just all have to trust whatever Gareth selects on the day."

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Saka actually started his career as a left-back when he made his Arsenal debut before being transitioned into an inverted left-winger for the Gunners, a position that has seen him become one of the best players in the Premier League.

Cristiano Ronaldo almost missed one of the worst own goals ever as he turned his back to scold Joao Cancelo seconds before Turkey's error.

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• Mistake in Turkey's defence led to own goal
• Lack of communication gifted a second to Portugal
• Ronaldo almost missed the goal as he berated Cancelo

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Manchester United goalkeeper Altay Bayindir found himself at the centre of a nightmare scenario after a calamitous own goal. The Turkish shot-stopper was left utterly helpless when Samet Akaydin's errant back-pass went past him and into the back of his own net. Despite desperate attempts by his Turkish teammates to prevent the ball from crossing the line, it ultimately resulted in a disastrous own goal, giving Portugal a 2-0 lead.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Joao Cancelo intended to release Ronaldo into the channel, but the Al-Nassr forward remained central, expecting the ball in that area. Ronaldo's frustration was palpable as he threw his arms up in exasperation, directing his ire towards Cancelo for the misplaced pass.

  However, as the Portuguese talisman turned his back to scold Cancelo, he almost missed the ensuing chaos. Akaydin, under pressure, attempted a risky back-pass to his goalkeeper, Bayindir. The miscommunication and poor execution led to the ball trickling agonisingly past Bayindir and into the net. Ronaldo's frustration quickly turned to elation as he realised the mistake had gifted Portugal a comfortable lead.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR PORTUGAL?

  Bruno Fernandes scored the third for Portugal in the 56th minute and the cruised to a comfortable victory over Turkey which sealed their place in the knockouts. They will be back in action against Georgia in their final group-stage match on June 26.

Shorter regular seasonAfter much criticism of last season, the home-and-away part of the season has been cut down from 54 to 42 days, beginning December 17 and ending on January 27 across the Australia Day holiday weekend. It will mean more double-header match days and some busy periods of playing and travel for teams – often with two games in three days – but the new timeframe keeps the majority of the league stage within the school holidays and should help stop the tournament drifting.New finals structureAs part of keeping the regular season alive with fewer dead games, five of the eight teams can now reach a new-look finals stage that gives the teams finishing in the top two a second chance to make the finals. After the competition expanded to a full home-and-away season last year it was clear that there wasn’t enough reward for consistency across the season with the team finishing fourth having the same route to winning the tournament as the side that tops the table. Playing 56 matches to lose just three sides is a lot although the teams in the 4th v 5th match would need to win four consecutive matches to take the title. The new format will also allow a little more time to market and prepare for the final with one of the hosts known a week before it takes place.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Christmas Eve night game ditchedThere have been some minor tweaks within the regular season, among the more significant being scrapping the evening game on Christmas Eve which last season was held at the Sydney Showground featuring the marquee Sydney derby but attracted a very modest crowd. The popular afternoon fixture on the same day – which will be Hobart Hurricanes v Melbourne Renegades – has been retained, but after that it will be about wrapping those last minute presents. For now, Christmas Day also remains clear of a match although that could be something reassessed in the future.BBL v India-Australia ODIAfter the New Year Test against New Zealand at the SCG, Australia’s men’s team won’t be in action on home soil again during the BBL. They are, however, playing a one-day series in India and one of those matches – the third on January 19 – will go head-to-head with the Brisbane Heat facing Melbourne Renegades at the Gabba. There are BBL matches on the days of the other two ODIs, but they are afternoon matches that precede the games in India for television audiences, while there are plenty which follow a day of Test cricket as has been standard.Regional venues retainedThe tournament is again being taken away from the major centers in attempt to spread the game. The Hurricanes will play their first ‘home’ game of the season in Alice Springs against Sydney Sixes – last year’s match at Traeger Park was moved away at the last minute due to an unfit outfield – while the Heat play two games on the Gold Coast over the Christmas/New Year period (December 20 and January 1). The Stars will also play the Hurricanes on the Gold Coast on December 27. There are four fixtures with venues to be confirmed: two for the Thunder who played in Canberra last season, one for Melbourne Stars, which is expected to be Moe in regional Victoria, and one for the Sixers in regional New South Wales.No easy answer to big name overseas starsIt is hoped that by shortening the regular season by 12 days and the whole tournament by a week that it will help attract overseas players who were put off by the length of last season. However, that was only part of the problem and budgets remain a key stumbling block to getting A list stars involved. When AB de Villiers’ signing was mooted, before he pulled out, it would only have been possible with funding from additional sources. There is, though, the chance that Australia’s international players will appear a little more often – those in the ODI squad to travel to India could be available for the final two regular season matches and the final, while any Test-only names who are wanted by BBL clubs will be free after early January.

An excited Brenden Aaronson has nothing but "respect" for the 14-year-old Manchester City-bound Cavan Sullivan.

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• Sullivan will head to City when he turns 18
• Signed largest Homegrown deal in USA history
• Fifth youngest signing for an MLS senior team

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Earlier in May, in a landmark move for Major League Soccer (MLS), Sullivan signed the largest Homegrown deal in the league's history with the Philadelphia Union. The contract includes a significant clause: upon turning 18, Sullivan will transfer to English giants Manchester City, for a transfer fee that could reach up to $5 million (£4m/€4.6m).

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Alongside City, Germany's Borussia Dortmund, known for its excellent track record in developing young players, showed strong interest. Currently, the plan is for him to gain professional experience at Subaru Park until he is ready to take on the challenges of the Premier League.

• WHAT AARONSON SAID

  Aaronson, who played for Union Berlin on a loan deal from Leeds United in the 2023-24 season, expressed his admiration for Sullivan, who is being touted as the planet's best 14-year-old talent.

  “I haven’t seen him play because he’s so much younger than me, but I’ve heard about how much of a superstar he’s going to be,” Aaronson told “It’s really great for U.S. soccer, and it’s great for the Philadelphia Union. To see a 14-year-old signing professionally is definitely something that we don’t see very often in America. I mean, they’re young nowadays, but not that young. So it’s amazing to see.

  "I give him full credit because he seems like a confident kid. He seems like he believes in himself, and he’s not afraid to do things. And I respect that because that’s what you need at that age. I can see a lot of things about his game that will help in the future for sure.”

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Sullivan is the fifth-youngest signing to an MLS first team in history. If he makes his first-team debut for the Union in the Leagues Cup game against Charlotte FC on July 27, he will break Freddy Adu’s record as the youngest player to appear in an MLS game by two days. This potential milestone highlights the rapid trajectory of Sullivan's career and the high hopes placed on his shoulders.

Delhi are already in the playoffs, but will hope to win their final group game to try and book their place in the top two

The Preview by Hemant Brar03-May-20192:25

We have bench strength to cover for Smith – Samson

Big picturePlaying at home is always an advantage. The familiar conditions give you the chance to dominate the opposition. Except when you are Delhi Capitals (or Daredevils). Out of the 69 IPL games they have played at Feroz Shah Kotla over the years, they have won 30, giving them a win percentage of just 44.1.Capitals have done marginally better this time. Their home record in IPL 2019 stands at three wins and three losses from six games. The other things they have done well this time is qualifying for the playoffs – for the first time since 2012 – and now have a chance to throw their hat in the ring for a valuable top-two finish.Form guide (last three completed games, most recent first)

Capitals: Lost to Super Kings by 80 runs, beat Royal Challengers by 16 runs, beat Royals by six wickets
Royals: Beat Sunrisers by seven wickets, beat Knight Riders by three wickets, lost to Capitals by six wickets

However, when they face Rajasthan Royals at home on Saturday, they will once again be without Kagiso Rabada, out for the remainder of the tournament after picking up a back injury. Moreover, Royals have a better overall record at the Kotla, with four wins and as many losses from eight games.A win will take Capitals to 18 points, and if Mumbai lose their last league game – against Kolkata Knight Riders – Capitals will likely finish second on the points table. But a loss may jeopardise their chances given their negative net run-rate (-0.096).Royals, on the other hand, are hanging by the thinnest of threads after a washout against Royal Challengers Bangalore. To make it to the playoffs, they not only need to beat Capitals but also hope that Sunrisers Hyderabad lose to Royal Challengers Bangalore, and for the winners of the Kings XI Punjab v Kolkata Knight Riders to lose their last match.But Royals must be confident as they are coming into this game on the back of two successive wins in their last two completed games while Capitals had a heavy defeat against Chennai Super Kings in their previous match.In the newsRabada has been ruled out of the IPL. He had complained of discomfort after Capitals’ match against Royal Challengers on April 28, then missed Capitals’ last match, against Super Kings on Wednesday, and has since gone back to South Africa.For Royals, with Steven Smith having returned to Australia, Ajinkya Rahane will once again assume the captaincy role.Shreyas Gopal takes off after another top order strike•BCCIPrevious meetingWhen these two sides met earlier in the tournament, Rishabh Pant’s scintillating 78 not out off 36 balls outshone Rahane’s unbeaten 105 as Capitals chased down Royals’ 191 with four wickets and as many balls in hand.Likely XIsDelhi Capitals: 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Prithvi Shaw, 3 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 4 Colin Ingram, 5 Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 Chris Morris, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Sherfane Rutherford, 9 J Suchith, 10 Amit Mishra, 11 Trent BoultRajasthan Royals: 1 Ajinkya Rahane (capt), 2 Liam Livingstone, 3 Sanju Samson (wk), 4 Rahul Tripathi, 5 Ashton Turner, 6 Riyan Parag, 7 Stuart Binny, 8 Shreyas Gopal, 9 Jaydev Unadkat, 10 Varun Aaron, 11 Oshane ThomasStrategy punt Chris Morris has conceded 180 runs in the 18 overs – for an economy of 10.0 – he has bowled in the first 15 overs of an innings so far. In contrast, his returns at the death – where you would normally expect a bowler to leak runs – have been exceptional: ten wickets at an economy of 8.4. In Rabada’s absence, it makes sense for Capitals to use Morris as much as possible at the death. With five wickets in three matches, Oshane Thomas has lived up to expectations. Among the Royals pacers to have bowled this year, Thomas has the best average (13.2), best economy (7.3) and best strike rate (10.8). Thomas has picked up wickets in all three phases too. Therefore, Royals should use him in short bursts. Stats that matter With 18 wickets in 13 matches, Shreyas Gopal is currently the third leading wicket-taker this season. Shreyas has picked up 13 wickets with googlies, the most by a spinner in IPL 2019. And significantly, all his wickets have been of top-order batsmen (No. 1 to No. 5). Rahane needs 14 more to bring up 5,000 T20 runs. Shikhar Dhawan is four short of 100 sixes in the IPL.