The longer this goes on, the noisier it will get for Liverpool and their new signings and their recruitment strategy when viewed through a wider lens.

Five defeats from six in the Premier League have snuffed out any hopes of Arne Slot retaining his throne at the top of the division. Arsenal are eight points ahead at the summit, but it is the stark polarity in technical implementation and fluency that is a greater threat to Liverpool’s campaign.

That and the Reds’ startling defensive fragilities. Ibrahima Konate has been at the centre of Liverpool’s problems this term, and Virgil van Dijk is hardly at his best either. A variety of full-back pairings have yet to provide sustainable results, and Alisson Becker’s absence through injury hasn’t helped matters.

But Liverpool are all wrong, and it has at times felt as if Slot it trying to put square pegs into round holes. To solve this crisis of confidence and cohesion, sporting director Richard Hughes appears to be getting ready to add a high-level midfielder to the Anfield ranks.

Liverpool looking to sign a midfielder

Liverpool have got plenty of creativity in their ranks, even if Slot is not wielding his playmakers’ abilities to the max at this moment. But Liverpool need more in the way of build-up play.

Ryan Gravenberch is one of the most talented midfielders in the Premier League, and he has excelled since Slot shifted his countryman into a deep-lying central berth.

But Liverpool are embroiled in a pressing conundrum this season, lacking the intensity and physicality and drive to recycle possession. This was painfully clear on Sunday against Manchester City, who outperformed Liverpool across almost every department.

The Merseysiders also look a bit lost, tactically. That’s a disquieting thing to say, and the dichotomy between Slot’s first and second terms at Liverpool are illustrated clearly through this point.

What Liverpool need is a genius midfielder to rival Gravenberch at number six and revive Liverpool’s energy and build-up and pressing. Gravenberch is great, but Fabinho’s presence is missed in the Liverpool midfield, that Brazilian anchor whose composure under pressure and crisp, intelligent distribution paid dividends under Jurgen Klopp.

It is perhaps for this reason that Hughes and FSG have centred their sights on Paris Saint-Germain’s Vitinha.

According to Caught Offside, Liverpool are keeping a close eye on the Portugal international ahead of the turn of the year and are willing to offer a staggering €130m (about £114m) fee. Arsenal and Juventus are also understood to be keen on the 25-year-old.

This won’t be an easy one to pull off, of course. Vitinha is contracted to the Parc des Princes until 2029, and he is considered by PSG to be one of their most untouchable players.

What Vitinha would offer Liverpool

Vitinha is rather good at football. It seems obvious that he would raise the level of Liverpool’s midfield, having dominated under Luis Enrique’s wing, winning a historic quadruple last season and continuing to dazzle at the heart of the PSG super-team this term.

Described by Portugal manager Roberto Martinez as being “the best midfielder in the world”, Vitinha has been instrumental in Paris’ golden footballing age, playing 169 times across all competitions for the club since joining from Porto for £34m in 2022.

Here is a midfielder who has played in the Premier League before, featuring 19 times and starting five of those fixtures in 2020/21 while on loan with Wolverhampton Wanderers.

This was a bit-part role for a young and raw player. Vitinha is now levels above that one-time player whose passing and skill have found a maturity befitting a team at the very top of the European pyramid.

It is such a player who could turn things around for Liverpool, perhaps even establishing himself as the Redmen’s finest midfielder since those days of Fabinho in Klopp’s system.

These players do not share that many stylistic similarities, but Fabinho was considered among the finest in the world when tackling his way through the Premier League, and Vitinha, as mentioned already, is believed by some to be the very creme of the world crop, finishing third in the men’s Ballon d’Or rankings this year.

1.

PSG

Ousmane Dembele

2.

Barcelona

Lamine Yamal

3.

PSG

Vitinha

4.

Liverpool

Mohamed Salah

5.

Barcelona

Raphinha

This is a midfielder who can do it all. His passing is out of his world, and his is a scholarly footballing mind. As per data-led platform FBref, Vitinha ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe over the past 12 months for pass completion, passes attempted and progressive passes, the top 9% for shot-creating actions and the top 8% for progressive carries per 90.

Moreover, Vitinha has won 60% of his ground duels in Ligue 1 this season, emphasising the underrated combativeness to his game.

Gravenberch is mobile and crisp on the ball and progressive when the right chance presents itself, but he is not as skilled on the ball as Vitinha, and while Klopp’s heavy-metal system demanded an enforcer like Fabinho, Slot’s more centralised build-up patterns demand a profile like Vitinha, especially now Trent Alexander-Arnold has up and left.

This is why Vitinha would be such a credit to the project, very much becoming Slot’s own version of Fabinho without matching the 32-year-old, who now plays for Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad, in regard to the deeper analytical dive of his playing style.

The ripple effect of such an acquisition would be astounding. Energy and movement and belonging would give rise to the likes of Konate and Van Dijk’s latent brilliance as a defensive partnership. Vitinha would direct play and orchestrate from the middle. Here you would find Wirtz unlocking his skills once again, and the web of passing patterns would strengthen across the central and attacking thirds.

Liverpool said their farewells to Fabinho a time ago, and success has been had in the years since his sale. But Liverpool miss him still, and while Vitinha is a wildly different profile, his technical skills and ability to navigate his way through intense pressure underscore the importance of getting this one over the line and reviving the Slot machine.

More than Wirtz: £36m Liverpool star is becoming a "serious issue" for Slot

Liverpool were condemned to a fifth defeat in six Premier League matches at the Etihad.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 10, 2025

Wayne Rooney has hailed Granit Xhaka as "probably the signing of the season" after the veteran midfielder's remarkable influence on Sunderland's stunning Premier League return. The 33-year-old Swiss star has been pivotal in the newly promoted side's rise to fourth place, guiding a young squad with leadership, consistency, and class since joining from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer.

• Xhaka raises the bar at Sunderland

  Xhaka’s move to Sunderland last July raised eyebrows across the football world, but four months into the 2025-26 campaign, the decision is proving to be an inspired one. The former Arsenal midfielder has been central to the Black Cats’ superb start, as the newly promoted side sit fourth in the Premier League table after 11 matches — just one point off the top three. Sunderland’s success has been built around Xhaka’s composure and control in midfield, as he’s started and completed every league game under head coach Regis Le Bris.

  The Swiss international has contributed one goal and three assists, but his impact extends far beyond the statistics. He leads the team in almost every key metric — from assists and chances created to successful passes, duels won, and distance covered — underscoring his indispensable role in the squad. As captain, Xhaka has provided structure and stability for a youthful Sunderland side adapting to the top flight for the first time since 2017.

  His performances have not only silenced the sceptics who questioned whether he could still perform in the Premier League at 33, but also earned him widespread praise from pundits and now, from a Premier League legend in Rooney.

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  Rooney labels Xhaka as the 'signing of the season'

  Manchester United and Premier League legend Rooney was full of admiration for Xhaka's impact, declaring him the standout signing of the season so far. Speaking on BBC's, he said: "Coming back to the Premier League you wonder if he can do it. Obviously, with a promoted team as well coming up, what impact could he have? But he's probably been the signing of the season. He has been brilliant."

  Rooney went on to highlight the midfielder's resilience, referencing his turbulent years at Arsenal: "When he had the situation with Arsenal, when he fell out with the fans it showed his character to go and play for Arsenal again. To get through that and then go and perform for Arsenal, and then at Leverkusen to be part of a team to beat Bayern Munich to the title for the first time in over 10 years has shown what a good player he is."

  He also praised Xhaka's off-field influence, particularly in a youthful Sunderland dressing room: "Sunderland have got a very young squad as well. He'd almost be like a father figure and he'll be a big help for the coach as well to be the in-between man as captain. And they made a lot of signings in the summer, he'll be a massive help for the manager and with them players, for sure, using his experience."

• Xhaka's return to England boosts his Premier League legacy

  Xhaka's story at Sunderland represents one of the most compelling Premier League narratives of the season. Having joined in a reported £17 million deal from Bayer Leverkusen – where he helped secure the club's first-ever Bundesliga title in 2024 – the Swiss international arrived in the North East with both experience and expectation on his shoulders. Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris immediately installed him as captain, recognising the leadership qualities that had defined his later years at Arsenal and Leverkusen.

  Since his debut, Xhaka has personified professionalism and tactical intelligence, seamlessly adapting to Sunderland's fluid 4-3-3 setup. His calmness in possession, positional awareness, and vocal authority have provided a foundation for the team's compact defensive structure and disciplined build-up play. Statistically, his influence is unmatched – ranking first in touches, chances created, and recoveries per game – metrics that underline how deeply integrated he is in every phase of Sunderland's approach.

  The turnaround in Xhaka's career is particularly impressive given the criticism he faced during his time at Arsenal. Once viewed as a divisive figure, he has evolved into one of Europe's most respected midfield generals. His experience at Leverkusen, where he rediscovered his form under Xabi Alonso, has clearly carried over to his new challenge, allowing Sunderland's youthful lineup to flourish around him.

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  Sunderland and Xhaka looking forward to massive tests

  With Sunderland flying high in the Premier League, the focus now turns to maintaining their momentum through the winter months. After the international break, the Black Cats will take on Fulham and Bournemouth, before facing off against true giants in Liverpool and Manchester City. Those two games, similar to their draw against Arsenal, will truly test Le Bris' side as to whether they can maintain their early form and actually challenge for European spots this season.

  Xhaka himself has shown no signs of slowing down, continuing to set the tone both in training and on matchdays. His experience across top European leagues has given Sunderland a competitive edge and an identity built on discipline and confidence, qualities that resonate throughout their squad.

West Ham United are now eyeing a January move for Stuttgart midfielder Angelo Stiller, who is also being targeted by the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester United.

West Ham risk being cut adrift if their form doesn’t start to improve soon, with Nuno Espirito Santo so far being unable to instigate a major turnaround in results, and they have another tough test on the horizon against Newcastle United later today.

The 2-1 loss against Leeds United last time out could prove to be a real six-pointer at the end of the season, and the Hammers looked particularly weak in midfield, with Andy Irving and Tomas Soucek both struggling.

Both midfielders lost the majority of the duels they contested, with Irving winning just one of five, while they also failed to create a big chance throughout the match, which suggests Nuno may need to strengthen his options in the middle of the park this January.

The need to bring in a new midfielder is also exacerbated by Guido Rodriguez not being part of Nuno’s plans, with the midfielder being benched for the majority of the campaign, having seemingly failed to impress the manager.

West Ham eyeing move for Angelo Stiller

According to a report from Fussball Europa (via Sport WItness), West Ham are now eyeing a January move for Stuttgart midfielder Stiller, who could be brought in to replace Rodriguez, if they are able to move the 31-year-old on.

The £75k-a-week midfielder wants to leave this winter, and the Hammers are eager to get him off the books, with the German maestro being targeted as a direct replacement.

David Sullivan & co clearly mean business, given that the 24-year-old is held in very high regard, with the likes of Man United and Real Madrid also being named as potential suitors.

Once lauded as “special” by Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley, the central midfielder has been tipped to go on and play for a big club by Ben Mattinson, given his ability to dictate the tempo.

As such, it is somewhat difficult to envisage West Ham competing for the Germany international in January if they don’t claw themselves out of relegation trouble beforehand, but it would be a major statement of intent if they were able to get a deal done.

Related West Ham hold discussions to sign Brazil duo with 35 goals between them this year

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Posts ByEmilio Galantini Oct 30, 2025

The Stuttgart star is particularly impressive at setting up chances for his teammates, placing in the 98th percentile for assists per 90 over the past year, having averaged 0.30.

Stiller could be a real difference-maker in the Hammers’ quest to avoid relegation, but results must start improving soon if they are to tempt him into a move, starting against Newcastle today.

Fabrizio Romano shares update on Lucas Paqueta's West Ham future

Manchester Originals miss chance to close gap on table-toppers as they slump to 16-run loss

ECB Media24-Aug-2025

Ellyse Perry struck an unbeaten 55•Getty Images

Manchester Originals missed the chance to take a big leap towards qualifying for The Hundred Eliminator next Saturday after falling to a 16-run defeat to lowly Birmingham Phoenix at Emirates Old Trafford and slipping out of the top three.The Originals, who have never progressed beyond the group phase of the women’s competition, looked strong favourites after restricting the visitors to 111 for 3 but Aussie seamer Megan Schutt (3 for 14) spearheaded an inspired performance with the ball after Ellyse Perry’s second successive half-century and a sparky knock from Sterre Kalis had given them something to defend.Both Originals openers were dismissed for ducks, Kathyrn Bryce run out by Emma Lamb and Beth Mooney falling to a superb running catch by Marie Kelly off Schutt, before Em Arlott snared Alice Monaghan to leave the hosts 14 for 3.That became 14 for 4 two balls later when 19-year-old off-spinner Phoebe Brett had Amelia Kerr caught at mid-on by Arlott. Deandra Dottin and Seren Smale steadied the ship somewhat before Hannah Baker snared the former, caught at long-off as she tried to up the ante.Smale dug deep for her 34-ball 29, eventually caught at short fine-leg by Brett to give Schutt her third wicket, and Lauren Filer struck three boundaries in her unbeaten 19, but the Originals were eventually dismissed for 95 from the final ball of their innings.Earlier, Phoenix skipper Perry had chosen to bat after winning the toss but her team were soon in trouble, Georgia Voll falling for a four-ball duck after picking out Monaghan at deep square-leg off Mahika Gaur.The Originals’ high-class bowling attack was relentless, the visitors crawling to 15 in 24 balls when Lamb offered a simple chance to Dottin off Sophie Ecclestone before Amy Jones succumbed to Dottin to leave the score 17 for 3.Perry (55 not out from 48) and Kalis mounted a rescue operation, the Aussie legend reaching her half-century by dispatching Bryce for six over mid-wicket and Kalis unbeaten on 43 from 39 when the innings concluded on 111 for 3.It didn’t look like being enough against an Originals side which had won their three previous matches but Phoenix prevailed to move up to seventh in the table and push their opponents down to fourth, behind London Spirit on net run rate.The Originals now face a crucial final group match against Northern Superchargers on Tuesday, with the Spirit visiting Oval Invincibles tomorrow.Kalis, the Meerkat Match Hero, said: “It was obviously a tough start; the pitch was doing quite a bit. When I got in, it was a tough situation because we’d lost some early wickets. But Perry and I rebuilt, and I thought it was a good score on that pitch. It was definitely the kind of surface where, once you got in, it became a bit easier to score.”In the end, it was a brilliant win. We had to play really good cricket to defend a low-ish total, and we knew early wickets were going to be key and we got them. Obviously it’s been a bit of a tough campaign for us but what we can do now is play our best cricket and today, we showed what kind of team we are. It was a brilliant effort.”

Alex Crook, chief football correspondent at talkSPORT, has provided an update on rumours linking Bruno Lage with a return to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Last December, Wolves hired Vitor Pereira to replace Gary O’Neil, who had nearly steered the club into a relegation battle. Through a strong run of form and sense of unity in the second half of the season, Pereira guided Wolves away from the bottom three, ultimately finishing comfortably within the confines of mid-table.

Across the summer, Wolves lost important players, including Rayan Ait-Nouri, Nelson Semedo and Matheus Cunha. As has often been the case in recent years, the Midlands side replaced them with players who were not of the same calibre, which has hampered their 2025/26 campaign.

After 10 games in the Premier League, Wolves remain without a win and have just two points. Pereira, despite signing a new contract just weeks ago, was sacked at the start of November, sparking a hunt for Wolves to find their new manager.

O’Neil had been linked with what would’ve been a sensational return, only to pull himself out of contention. Other names include Erik ten Hag, no stranger to the Premier League following his tenure as Man United manager. In his latest job, however, the Dutchman was sacked by Bayer Leverkusen after just three matches.

Elsewhere, a boss that Wolves are particularly acquainted with has been linked with a return to the Premier League.

Lage reportedly on Wolves' radar

In recent days, Wolves have been linked with a move for former manager Bruno Lage. The Portuguese first joined Wolves in 2021, replacing Nuno Espirito Santo at the helm. Despite a promising start, form ultimately faltered under Lage, who was dismissed in late 2022.

Since then, Lage has worked in both Brazil and his native Portugal, having last been in charge of Benfica, who sacked him in September. Given his status as a free agent, Lage’s links to a Wolves reunion are understandable, though it appears that there is little truth to the rumours.

It remains unclear who will be the next manager of Wolves, though a reunion with either O’Neil or Lage now appears impossible. Given how their respective tenures ended, it may suit the club to pursue a manager that has no prior links at Molineux.

"World-class" manager wants talks with Wolves

Celtic are eyeing a potential move for England Under-21s manager Lee Carsley as their next boss, as they look to find the perfect replacement for Brendan Rodgers at Parkhead.

Rodgers’ second spell in charge of the Hoops went out in a whimper, following an underwhelming start to the season in the Scottish Premiership, with Martin O’Neill placed in interim charge.

While the Irishman has seemingly only come in for a short spell as manager, taking charge until the right permanent appointment is made, a new report has claimed that he would be willing to take the job until the end of the season.

Victory at home to Rangers on Sunday afternoon would not only be a massive step in the right direction for Celtic, but could even persuade those high up at the club that O’Neill is the right man to continue for longer than originally expected.

That’s not to say that other potential candidates aren’t being mentioned, however, with Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna backed to be Rodgers’ successor, and Club Brugge head coach Nicky Hayen also seen as an option.

Lee Carsley linked with Celtic job

Now, 67 Hail Hail claim that Celtic are eyeing Carsley to be their next manager, with the Hoops “long-term admirers” of him, meaning he could “be in contention” to come in.

That said, the former Republic of Ireland international “isn’t a frontrunner for the job”, so at this stage, others feel more likely to take charge at Parkhead.

Carsley would be an interesting choice for Celtic if they did go down that route, with Roy Keane heaping praise on him during his brief stint as England’s interim boss before Thomas Tuchel came in.

Perhaps the biggest risk in Celtic appointing Carsley is the fact that he is yet to manage at club level, with his only roles coming with England, including his current Under-21s role.

England Under-21s

2025-present

11

2.27

England (interim)

2024

6

2.50

England Under-21s

2021-2024

29

2.41

England Under-20s

2020-2021

1

3.00

For that reason, bringing him in would be a gamble at a point when a safe pair of hands is required to steady the ship after a frustrating end to Rodgers’ reign.

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With Ange Postecoglou unlikely to return to Celtic, should the Hoops appoint a “box office” title-winning manager instead of Kieran McKenna?

Nov 1, 2025

Carsley may be desperate to prove his worth in the club game, though, and if he impresses Celtic’s bosses more than the rest, they need to be trusted.

Celtic manager search takes twist as O'Neill makes decision about interim role

Pitches on which batting is a lottery bring the opposition’s less-skilled spinners into the game

Sidharth Monga04-Nov-20241:25

Worst collective batting display from India in a Test series?

Indian players hate it when people talk about pitches at home. Part of it is because of the derisive clichés used to describe turning tracks: dustbowls, “rank” turners, wrestling pits. They don’t want a three-day Test on a turning pitch to be considered inferior to a three-day finish on a green seamer.However, having eaten their cake, the Indian cricketers also want to have it by suggesting they have no say in the preparation of pitches, when they almost micromanage the process often to the annoyance of the ground staff. Even during the 2023 “ICC” ODI World Cup in India, of the five venues that produced “average” pitches, three did it only for India matches and one just before India turned up. Now the semantics of what is “average” and “good” is debatable, but there were enough indications that India wanted to play specific opponents on specific types of pitches, and their wishes were granted even in an ICC tournament.Related

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You could argue there is nothing wrong with that – gaining a competitive advantage in professional sport. Groundsmen exist not to make ideal pitches but surfaces that help the home team win. Apart from in Australia, where there’s evidence that a chief groundsman can tell off an interfering captain, this happens nearly everywhere. The nature of pitches in England can go from turners to seamers depending on Australia’s strengths in that Ashes cycle. South Africa can drive their groundsmen up the wall by insisting on extreme home advantage, sometimes to their own peril. Pakistan recently had national selectors practically take over the pitch-making process.In India, you hope the team’s constant demand for spin-friendly surfaces is a cold, professional choice informed by analytics, and not an emotional reaction to the whitewashes in England and Australia after which the players started asking for extreme turners. Incidentally, the current coach Gautam Gambhir was the first one to publicly make that demand when he was a player.It can be argued the pitches on which India played New Zealand in Pune and Mumbai actually diminished their home advantage. India have lost seven home Tests in the last 12 years, and four of those defeats have come on extremely helpful surfaces for spinners. Of the other three defeats, one featured an extreme weather event that led to excessive seam on the first morning in Bengaluru, and other needed a freakishly lucky innings from Ollie Pope in Hyderabad.It was the third defeat, when Joe Root took full toll batting first in Chennai in 2021, that seems to have spooked India. Ever since then, they have doubled down on their demand for excessive turn from day one. This result seemed to vindicate MS Dhoni’s theory that the toss plays a less crucial role on pitches that turn big from day one. The pressure of maximising World Test Championship points from home Tests played a role too.A rank turner reduces the gap in skill between India’s spinners and the opposition’s spinners•AFP/Getty ImagesHowever, there is no evidence of the toss becoming less crucial on rank turners. Hawk-Eye data in this piece by Kartikeya Date shows that the Mumbai pitch took three hours before offering big turn to India’s spinners. Those three hours are worth 100 runs in relatively easy conditions. For a long time, India had batters to overcome this disadvantage if they lost the toss; now they don’t seem to do so.It is not like draws become a worry for India on “normal” pitches either. Of the seven drawn Tests in the country since 2013, three were impacted by weather, two were on uncharacteristically slow pitches even for India, one surface didn’t break up because of overnight dew in Rajkot in November, and in the last draw New Zealand hung on by one wicket.By asking for and getting pitches that turn from day one, and get progressively difficult to bat on, India bridge the gap between their superior spinners and the visiting ones who now need to sustain their skill and control for much shorter periods.Spinners averaged just under 24 collectively in India’s 3-0 defeat to New Zealand. ESPNcricinfo’s Shiva Jayaraman has used that average as the marker to differentiate between normal pitches and excessive turners in India. He found that in Tests since 2017 in which spinners collectively averaged less than 24, India’s spinners averaged 16.37 while visiting spinners averaged 22.91.However, the real difference in the quality of spinners becomes evident when they are made to work harder for their wickets. In Tests since 2017 where spinners collectively averaged above 24, Indian spinners averaged 26.22 while visiting spinners averaged a whopping 57.04 per wicket. These pitches also tend to bring in reverse swing, which India’s fast bowlers are really good at.Since 2020, six visiting spinners have taken their maiden five-fors in Test cricket in India: Joe Root, Mitchell Santner, Todd Murphy, Tom Hartley, Matt Kuhnemann and Shoaib Bashir. It seems counterintuitive to help narrow the gap between their skills and what R Ashwin does with the ball in the air or Ravindra Jadeja’s unrelenting accuracy over long periods. You can understand the ask for an extreme turner at the end of a long season, for example, but not when the bowlers are fresh.India’s batters have struggled big time on pitches that excessively help spinners•AFP/Getty ImagesThe drop in average for India’s batters against spin is also huge when batting becomes a lottery at home. For example, since 2017, Virat Kohli has averaged 90.25 against spin on pitches where spinners have averaged over 24 per wicket, but that plummets to 20.13 on pitches when spinners average less than 24 per wicket. Considering that batters – as India’s captains tend to be – make the decisions on the nature of pitches, it’s quite noble that they are going for wins without worrying about personal records. But if they zoom out a little, they will see that playing on turners is possibly hurting the team’s results as well.Under Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma, India made the conscious decision to play on what was given to them in Test cricket, and they continued to do so despite losing the first Test against England in early 2024. They won that series 4-1. However, India’s response to the Bengaluru defeat against New Zealand under Gambhir and Rohit has been extreme for some reason.Had India won the toss in Pune and Mumbai, they would likely have won the last two Tests. But they don’t have the batting quality now to overcome the disadvantage of losing the toss, which gives the opposition about three hours of decent batting conditions before the ball starts to do all sorts, which was precisely why Dravid and Rohit wanted to play on normal surfaces.As a result, since 2017, India have won 16 Tests, lost three, and drawn five on pitches where spinners average over 24 per wicket, and won ten and lost four on extreme pitches. The numbers become 6-2-3 and 6-3 when they lose the toss. At some point, the line between bravery and gambling seems to have become blurred in recent years.

The BCCI has introduced a “serious injury replacement substitute” rule for in domestic cricket to prevent injured players from risking themselves further in the match. This applies to games that take place over multiple days and will come into effect from the Duleep Trophy, which opens the 2025-26 season on August 28. It will be active in the Ranji trophy as well, India’s premier first-class cricket competition.This replacement can be any non-playing member of the squad, should be like-for-like, and will need an approval from the match referee after teams are able to medically produce a report that underlines the seriousness of the injury of the concerned player. The injury has to have happened during the game and needs to be external (like taking a blow resulting in a deep cut or fracture) rather than internal (like a hamstring strain).This addition was debated within the BCCI circles in the aftermath of Rishabh Pant batting with a broken foot against England in Manchester, and has been swiftly incorporated into the playing regulations.The regulation states, “under all circumstances, the serious injury replacement player shall be from nominated substitutes at the time of toss.”Only in the case where the wicketkeeper is seriously injured and needs a replacement then the match referee may allow a wicketkeeper from a player outside the nominated substitutes if there is no wicketkeeper in the nominated substitutes.”Both the player being replaced and the replaced player shall be considered to have played in the match for records and statistical purposes.At present, international cricket only allows substitutions in the event of a player suffering concussion or contracting the Covid-19 virus.During India’s tour of England earlier this year, Pant (foot) and Chris Woakes (shoulder) suffered dislocations, which left their respective teams in a 10 vs 11 battle. Both players braved further injury to come out and help their team’s cause, which added to the debate about whether there needs to be place in the rules for substitutions in case of serious injury.India coach Gautam Gambhir was for it. England captain Ben Stokes was less so, arguing that the system could be gamed.The ICC, in reviewing its own playing conditions earlier this year, was open to the idea of its member nations trialling injury substitutes in domestic cricket.BCCI adopts ICC’s ball change rule
The BCCI has also adopted ICC’s new rule change in ODIs that phased out two balls in the format after 34 overs. The rule will be in effect from the Vijay Hazare Trophy, BCCI’s 50-over competition for senior men.”Each fielding team shall have two new balls for its innings to be used in alternate overs, i.e. one from each end for overs 1 to 34,” the new guideline states.”At the end of over 34, the fielding team will choose one of the two balls from the innings to be used for all the remaining overs of the innings. The other ball will be added to the stock of replacement balls for the innings.”

Harmanpreet Kaur also rose ten spots to move to 11th on the list for batters

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jul-2025England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt has displaced India opener Smriti Mandhana to become the No. 1-ranked ODI batter in the world.She was the highest run-scorer with 160 runs at 53.33 average in the recently concluded three-match ODI series against India.While Mandhana slips one position to second in the latest ODI rankings, there is a notable jump for India captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who is up ten spots to 11th on the batting charts after making a total of 126 runs in the series. Jemimah Rodrigues also rose two spots to 13th on the list.Harmanpreet didn’t start the ODI series well, but finished with 102 in the last match, which helped India seal the series 2-1. She also became the third India women’s batter to breach the 4000-run mark during the course of her seventh century.Rodrigues managed 101 runs in three games, with a highest score of 50 in the final game and 48 in the first.

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South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt is third in the rankings, while Australia allrounder Ellyse Perry and Australia captain Alysa Healy round out the top five of the list in ODIs.There was also some movement for the Ireland players following their 2-0 ODI series win over Zimbabwe. Allrounder Orla Prendergast rose 12 spots to move to joint-22nd on the ODI batters list after an unbeaten 67 in the second ODI. She also rose ten places on the bowlers’ list and moved to tenth position on the allrounders list.England spinner Sophie Ecclestone continues to lead the ODI bowling list after finishing as the second-highest wicket-taker in the ODI series against India with five wickets. Ashleigh Gardner, Meghan Schutt, Deepti Sharma and Kim Garth round out the top five of the bowlers list.

تحدد معلقو مباراة منتخب مصر الثاني أمام الكويت، التي تقام بينهما الثلاثاء، في مستهل مشوار المنتخبين ببطولة كأس العرب 2025.

ويشارك منتخب مصر في بطولة كأس العرب، بقيادة جهاز فني يضم حلمي طولان مدير فني ومعه أحمد حسن مديرًا للمنتخب وعصام الحضري مدربًا للحراس، وذلك بقرار من اتحاد الكرة المصري.

ويلعب منتخب مصر ضد الكويت، في إطار منافسات الجولة الأولى من عمر مواجهات دور المجموعات من بطولة كأس العرب بقطر.

ويتواجد منتخب مصر في المجموعة الثالثة من بطولة كأس العرب، بجانب كل من الأردن والكويت والإمارات.

طالع | أحمد عاطف لـ “بطولات”: جهاز المنتخب أجرى فحوصات لإثبات إصابتي دون علمي

وتقام مباراة مصر والكويت، يوم الثلاثاء الموافق 2 ديسمبر 2025، في تمام الساعة 4:30 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة.

وتنقل مباراة مصر والكويت، عبر قناني بي إن سبورت المفتوحة على النايل سات والكأس 1 المفتوحة أيضًا. معلقين مباراة مصر والكويت في كأس العرب

قناة بي إن سبورت: حفيظ دراجي.

قناة الكأس: خالد الحدي ومنتصر الازهري.

وتقام بطولة كأس العرب، في قطر، إذ تنطلق في الأول من ديسمبر وتستمر حتى 18 من الشهر نفسه بمشاركة 16 منتخبًا.