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Celtic kick off their Scottish Premiership title defence this weekend against St Mirren and could now be closing in on a defensive reinforcement, according to reports.

Chris Sutton urges Celtic to do more transfer business

Underwhelming is the word most Celtic fans would use to describe their summer transfer window despite Kieran Tierney, Ross Doohan, Benjamin Nygren, Hayato Inamura, Callum Osmand and Shin Yamada coming through the Parkhead entrance.

Despite the reigning champions being linked with plenty of names over recent weeks, Chris Sutton has urged Celtic to sign a left-back, striker and winger to avoid being caught short in the name of squad depth.

He stated when asked about their remaining business: “A striker. I think left-back is still an issue as well. I think the signing of Kieran Tierney is really exciting. They’ve got Inamura in as well, but I still think that’s an area of concern.”

Later, he added on wide reinforcements: “You look at the wide areas, losing Nicolas Kuhn even though it was good money. If anything happens to Daizen Maeda, you’re in trouble. James Forrest. You’ve got Yang. I think Marco Tillio’s back as well. You get the sense it’s not where Brendan wants to be.”

Sarpsborg winger Sondre Orjasaeter has been targeted by Celtic, but Brendan Rodgers could now be dragged into the latter stages of the window as he looks to recruit options on either flank.

Michel-Ange Balikwisha has told Royal Antwerp he wants to join Celtic

The Bhoys are in the market for more recruits this summer.

BySean Markus Clifford Jul 24, 2025

Truthfully, Celtic have been slow to act on the transfer front. Whether that is a by-product of waiting for quality to become available near the end of the window is one thing, though they could finally be set to strengthen an area in need of work.

Celtic in pole position to loan Manchester City's Jahmai Simpson-Pusey

According to Manchester Evening News, Celtic are in pole position to loan Manchester City defender Jahmai Simpson-Pusey despite the 19-year-old being the subject of alternative interest from Championship clubs.

Previously, the Hoops made contact over a swoop for the Citizens talent, and it is said that he has been earmarked for a temporary move elsewhere following an outstanding campaign last year that saw him claim the Premier League 2 Player of the Season gong.

Jahmai Simpson-Pusey 24/25 – youth and senior level

Appearances

33

Goals

2

Assists

1

At first-team level, he featured six times for Manchester City across all competitions, leading Pep Guardiola to praise Simpson-Pusey’s “composure” in a 2-1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion.

Injury and arrivals at the Etihad Stadium in central defence have clogged his pathway to senior stardom, though a straight loan at Celtic would allow the former England Under-18 international to sample challenging for domestic trophies and competing in Europe.

In recent years, Celtic have been an unspoken friend of the City Football Group, which has seen the likes of Jeremie Frimpong, Patrick Roberts and Olivier Ntcham go on to be landmark names at Parkhead.

After losing Gustaf Lagerbielke and Maik Nawrocki, Simpson-Pusey could be the ideal candidate to offer depth and potential within the Hoops’ backline.

وجه حسام حسن، المدير الفني لـ منتخب مصر، وإبراهيم حسن مدير المنتخب، رسالة دعم وتحفيز إلى محمد صلاح قائد الفراعنة والمحترف ضمن صفوف ليفربول الإنجليزي قبل إعلان الفائز بالكرة الذهبية للعام الحالي 2025.

ويتواجد محمد صلاح، ضمن القائمة المرشحة لحصد الكرة الذهبية لأفضل لاعب في العالم لعام 2025، الذي يقام مساء اليوم الإثنين.

طالع | موعد والقنوات الناقلة لحفل الكرة الذهبية 2025 اليوم

ونشر حسام وإبراهيم حسن عبر الحساب الشخصي لهما على “إنستجرام: “قياساً بالصعوبات التي واجهها طوال مشواره فهو يستحقها”.

وأضاف: “قياساً بحجم التحديات التي تغلب عليها فهو يستحقها، قياساً بسنوات من التألق والتميز والإبداع في أقوي دوري في العالم فهو يستحقها”.

وتابع: “قد تصل للقمة ولكن كل الصعوبة تكمن في الاستمرار علي القمة، وقد وصل للقمة واستمر عليها لسنوات طويلة بفضل الله اولا ثم موهبته واجتهاده وإصراره حتى أصبح نموذجاً يحتذى به لكل الباحثين عن النجاح”.

وأكمل: “فهل آن الآوان أن تنصفه كرة القدم وينصفه من بيدهم اختيار الفائز ؟”.

وأتم: “دعواتنا ودعوات كل المصريين وكل الجمهور لـ محمد صلاح حول العالم بأن يكون هو الفائز بالكرة الذهبية لتكون خير تتويج لمسيرة لاعب عظيم قد لا يتكرر مرة أخرى في تاريخنا الكروي المصري والعربي والإفريقي بل والعالمي”.

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If Australia and Afghanistan winThree teams will finish on four points. If Australia win by a run, Afghanistan will need a 36-run margin against Bangladesh to move ahead of Australia on net run rate. If Australia win a run-chase off the last ball, Afghanistan will have to win their game in 15.4 overs or sooner (assuming first-innings scores of 160).Related

• Afghanistan better placed than Bangladesh in dash for last semi-final spot

• Marsh confident Australia will be 'up and about' for India challenge after Afghanistan loss

• Hardik serves reminder of his power and excitement with the bat

• Naib after historic win: 'Thank god we at last beat Australia'

• Stats – Afghanistan's maiden win against Australia in any format

India are sitting pretty with an NRR of 2.425. For them to get knocked out, both Australia and Afghanistan will have to win by big margins. Australia will need to beat India by 41 runs to go past them on run rate, while Afghanistan will have to beat Bangladesh by at least 83 runs.If India and Bangladesh winIndia will top the group with six points, while the other three teams will be tied on two each. In that case, NRR will decide the second team from the group. Australia, with a NRR of 0.223, are currently best placed among the three teams: even if Afghanistan lose by just one run, Australia will need to lose by 31 for their run rate to slip below that of Afghanistan.Bangladesh will need to win by 31 runs for their NRR to sneak ahead of Afghanistan’s, but they will also need Australia to lose by 55 runs, to finish second in the group.If Australia and Bangladesh winIndia and Australia will qualify for the semi-finals with four points, while Afghanistan and Bangladesh will finish on two.If India and Afghanistan winIndia and Afghanistan will qualify for the semi-finals with six and four points.

Arsenal have asked about signing an “important” Real Madrid player amid their reliably reported talks for Brazil international Rodrygo, but negotiations over the latter are proving far from straightforward.

Rodrygo to Arsenal talks stall due to wage demands

As reported by Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, a very reliable source when it comes to transfer news, Arsenal have been in discussions with all parties over a summer deal for the 24-year-old.

Arsenal offer "game-changer" a five-year contract worth nearly £30m to join

The north Londoners are moving ahead with ambitious summer plans.

ByEmilio Galantini May 28, 2025

Rodrygo bagged 13 goals and 10 assists over 50 total appearances under Carlo Ancelotti during 2024/2025, but his future at the Bernabeu is far from certain amid Arsenal’s serious interest.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

It’s been reported that the South American is dissatisfied with his role in the squad, as he wants to be used in his preferred role on the left-hand-side rather than on the right, which is where he’s been forced to play due to the presence of Vinícius Jr and Kylian Mbappé (Ben Jacobs).

Sensing an opportunity, sporting director Andrea Berta commenced work to potentially tempt Rodrygo with a north London move, amid the club’s serious pursuit of a new winger who could provide further cutting edge in the final third.

However, since beginning talks, the transfer has hit a snag due to Rodrygo’s salary demands, prompting Berta to look at alternatives like Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma.

The Japan international isn’t Berta’s only different option for the wide area, though, with another Real Madrid star under consideration at the Emirates.

Arsenal ask about conditions for Arda Guler deal

That man is Turkish attacking midfielder Arda Guler, who started Real’s last six La Liga games of the season and gradually became a more imperative player for Ancelotti during the latter stages of 24/25.

The 20-year-old bagged five goals and nine assists in 42 total appearances by the end of Ancelotti’s final campaign in charge, with the Italian branding him an “important” player in the squad.

Ancelotti also tipped the versatile forward to have a big future at the Bernabeu, leaving little surprise he’s on Berta’s shortlist of attacking targets for Arsenal.

That is according to journalist Graeme Bailey, who reports for The Boot Room that Arsenal have asked about the conditions of a deal for Guler. Whether they’ve approached Real themselves or the player’s agents isn’t exactly stated, but it is believed Los Blancos won’t sell him under “any circumstances” this summer.

Other forwards attracting Berta’s attention come in the form of Nico Williams, Rafael Leao, Jamie Gittens, Alejandro Garnacho, Ademola Lookman, Bryan Mbeumo and Mohammed Kudus, as per TBR, with Arsenal seemingly in hot pursuit of a star new wide player.

It might be an old cliché, but a week in football is indeed a very long time, and Arsenal are evidence of that.

Before Tuesday night, morale couldn’t have been much higher among the fans, as following the demolition of Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals, there was a belief that they’d beat Paris Saint-Germain at home.

However, the hosts found themselves 1-0 down in the first three minutes, and while they weren’t blown away, it was a disappointing result, and certain starters, like Martin Odegaard, were particularly poor.

It’s not been a good campaign for the Norwegian international, and if he doesn’t seriously improve next year, he could be replaced by one of Hale End’s most promising prospects, someone looked upon in a similar way to Lamine Yamal.

Odegaard's worrying form

After he won his second successive Player of the Year Award at the end of last season, it would be fair to say that most fans and pundits alike expected Odegaard to have another brilliant campaign this year, but unfortunately, that has not been the case.

For starters, he picked up an ankle injury on international duty in early September that kept him out of the team for two months, and since his return, he’s not looked like the mercurial midfielder of seasons past.

For example, in the 22/23 campaign, he racked up a brilliant haul of 15 goals and seven assists in 45 games, and then last year, he did just as well, scoring 11 goals and providing 12 assists in 48 appearances.

Appearances

45

48

40

Minutes

3404′

4053′

3072′

Goals

15

11

5

Assists

7

12

10

Goal Involvements per Match

0.48

0.47

0.37

Minutes per Goal Involvement

154.72′

176.21′

204.8′

This season, however, he’s only been able to amass a rather middling tally of five goals and ten assists in 40 games.

It’s not just the output either, as while it’s harder to quantify, his impact on the flow of games has seriously diminished, with Tuesday night’s display a prime example, as content creator Connor Humm argued that he may as well have just “sat in the stands” as he was so anonymous in the middle of the park.

In short, Odegaard’s form has fallen off a cliff this year, and while it’s unlikely he’ll be replaced in the summer, another season like this one, and he could well lose his place in the team, especially as Hale End looks to have produced a generational prospect who’s been talked about similarly to how Yamal was, and it’s not Ethan Nwaneri.

Odegaard's future replacement

This season has seen the proper introduction of Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly into Arsenal’s first team, and based on how well they have adapted to senior football in such a short space of time, we reckon fans might start to see a lot more of Max Dowman next year.

Yes, the potential Odegaard replacement in question is none other than the next wonderkid of the Hale End production line, although based on his form for the junior sides and how those in the know are speaking about him, he might just be the best of the lot.

In fact, according to respected talent scout Jacek Kulig, the 15-year-old phenomenon is “the most exciting” prospect “since Lamine Yamal,” which, based on his incredible performance against Inter Milan last night, is supreme praise.

It’s not just him though, as Declan Rice, who has taken on a mentorship role with him, has described the youngster as “the best 15-year-old in the country”, analyst Ben Mattinson has described him as “a ridiculous player”, and academy expert Will Balsam goes one step further, describing him as “one of the greatest footballing brains that’s ever come through Hale End.”

It might sound hyperbolic, but the teenager’s statistics help to illustrate the point.

Appearances

21

Minutes

1765′

Goals

16

Assists

4

Goal Involvements per Match

0.95

Minutes per Goal Involvement

88.25′

Despite being just 15 years old and primarily playing in midfield, the unreal talent has scored 16 goals and provided four assists in 21 appearances, totalling 1765 minutes this season.

That means he is currently averaging a goal involvement every 1.05 games or every 88.25 minutes of action, which just isn’t normal for someone his age and helps explain why he’s being placed in the same bracket as Yamal by so many.

Ultimately, if Odegaard continues to perform this poorly next season, we would not be surprised to see Dowman slowly introduced in his place, as while he’s still so young, he is clearly a world-beater in the making.

Arsenal eye Gabriel Martinelli alternative who Tottenham bid for last year

The north Londoners are targeting one of Unai Emery’s key men.

ByEmilio Galantini May 1, 2025

Leeds United are preparing for life back in the Premier League after winning promotion from the Championship at the second time of asking under Daniel Farke.

The Whites and the 49ers Enterprises have already been linked with replacing the Leeds manager ahead of their top flight return due to concerns about his previous record with Norwich City.

In what would be a ruthless call from the Elland Road board, Leeds are also likely to be very busy in the transfer market to bolster their squad with quality on the pitch to remain a Premier League side.

Latest Leeds 2025 summer transfer targets: in pictures

Leeds summer transfer targets 2025

Player

Age

Club

Kalvin Phillips

29

Man City

Manor Solomon

25

Tottenham

Sam Johnstone

32

Wolves

Julian Weigl

29

Borussia Monchengladbach

Evan Ferguson

20

Brighton

Tomas Soucek

30

West Ham

Caoimhin Kelleher

26

Liverpool

Nico Elvedi

28

Borussia Monchengladbach

George Hirst

26

Ipswich Town

Aaron Ramsdale

26

Southampton

Nicolas Raskin

24

Rangers

Hidemasa Morita

29

Sporting CP

Abdoulaye Doucoure

32

Everton

Angus Gunn

29

Norwich City

Tammy Abraham

27

AS Roma

James Trafford

22

Burnley

Djordje Petrovic

25

Chelsea

Modibo Sagnan

26

Montpellier

Zaidu Sanusi

27

FC Porto

Dembo Saidykhan

21

Vancouver Whitecaps

1 Kalvin Phillips Man City

Former Whites midfielder Kalvin Phillips has found life difficult after leaving Leeds for Man City in 2022. Recent loan spells at West Ham and Ipswich Town haven’t worked out for the defensive midfielder, who could now be on the search for another new club this summer.

Reports have linked Phillips with a return to Leeds, saying that he is keen on the idea of heading back to his boyhood club.

Kalvin Phillips stats at Leeds

Appearances

234

Goals

14

Assists

13

Yellow cards

54

Red cards

4

Minutes played

18,257

2 Manor Solomon Tottenham

Loanee Manor Solomon has helped Leeds into the Premier League with some crucial displays during the run-in, and he is expected to become a permanent Whites player this summer.

The Israel international could cost around £15m, with claims he is set to be Leeds’ first signing of the window.

3 Sam Johnstone Wolves

A new goalkeeper to replace Illan Meslier could be high up on the to-do list for Leeds, and Sam Johnstone of Wolves is thought to be of interest at Elland Road.

A goalkeeper with plenty of Premier League experience now after stints with West Brom, Crystal Palace and Wolves, Johnstone was actually on the books of rivals Man Utd early in his career and starred against Leeds back in 2023.

4 Julian Weigl Borussia Monchengladbach

Farke has previously worked with midfielder Julian Weigl at Borussia Monchengladbach and recent claims have suggested that initial contact has taken place over a move to Leeds.

The Monchengladbach captain has plenty of experience in the Bundesliga and has even played in the Champions League, so he could add that extra bit of quality in midfield for the Whites.

5 Evan Ferguson Brighton

With doubts at Leeds over Joel Piroe and Patrick Bamford in the Premier League, a new striker looks set to be signed ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, with Brighton’s Evan Ferguson a target.

The Irishman has been on loan at West Ham for the second half of the 2024/25 season, and by the looks of things, Leeds could try their luck with a forward who could be the “next Harry Kane”.

6 Tomas Soucek West Ham

Towering West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek is another Premier League player to be linked with Leeds, especially after falling out of favour under Graham Potter recently.

The Czech Republic international is wanted by Leeds and Everton with the 49ers even willing to pay him a whopping £120,000-a-week, an increase on his current Hammers deal.

Tomas Soucek: Major titles won

Trophy

Years won

Europa Conference League

2023

Czech First League

2017, 2019, 2020

Czech Cup

2018, 2019

7 Caoimhin Kelleher Liverpool

Another goalkeeper who could replace Meslier at Elland Road is Liverpool’s Caoimhin Kelleher, who could be a man in demand over the coming months.

Kelleher has impressed when called upon at Anfield and may well become number one for the first time in his career in Yorkshire.

Caoimhin Kelleher: Major titles won

Trophy

Years won

Premier League

2020, 2025

Champions League

2019

FA Cup

2022

EFL Cup

2022, 2024

UEFA Super Cup

2019

8 Nico Elvedi Borussia Monchengladbach

Another Borussia Monchengladbach player who Farke knows well is defender Nico Elvedi, who has been with the Bundesliga side since 2015.

Reports claimed that Leeds were preparing a £10m offer to sign the experienced Switzerland international if promotion was secured, something they can now do.

9 George Hirst Ipswich Town

Leeds could look to raid the teams coming down from the Premier League, with recent rumours of a move for Ipswich Town forward George Hirst.

The Tractor Boys are looking to keep the attacker at Portman Road with a new deal due to interest from the Whites and fellow promoted side Burnley.

10 Aaron Ramsdale Southampton

Another Premier League relegated target is goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, who reportedly has a £25m release clause in his Southampton contract.

The Englishman has admirers from Leeds and the likes of Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest, although he could get regular game time at Elland Road.

Turning their attention towards future stars, Liverpool scouts are now reportedly keen for sporting director Richard Hughes to sign one particular 16-year-old gem ahead of Barcelona this summer.

Liverpool could endure summer of change

With Trent Alexander-Arnold’s exit now more inevitable than ever and the likes of Andy Robertson and Darwin Nunez struggling for form under Arne Slot, it could be a summer of change at Liverpool. What they will hope to avoid, however, are departures for Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, with a new deal for the former now considered a matter of when and not if, as per David Ornstein.

The Dutchman provided a fresh update on his deal following Liverpool’s 3-2 defeat at the hands of Fulham, telling reporters: “There is progress, yeah. Listen, these are internal discussions and we’ll see.

“I love the club, I love the fans and they were there for us again [at Fulham]. We wanted to reward them, but I ask them to be there again on Sunday and make the stadium an amazing venue like always for us.”

Of course, Van Dijk’s main focus will be on ensuring that Liverpool seal the Premier League title once and for all in their remaining seven games. Sat 11 points clear of chasing contenders Arsenal, the Reds need just four wins to secure their crown. Even if doubt began to creep in against Fulham too, the Reds could instantly put that to bed against West Ham United this weekend.

Related Slot may have unlocked a Mascherano & Alonso hybrid in Liverpool “machine”

Many of Liverpool’s players have hit new levels under the Dutchman’s management.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Apr 9, 2025

Meanwhile, once their place at the top of English football is confirmed, their focus will turn towards the summer transfer window. Already, a number of names have threatened to steal the headlines on that front and if reports are anything to go by, those at Anfield are in for a busy few months ahead of next season.

Liverpool battling Barcelona to sign Mederic

Though it’ll be bigger names like Jonathan David and Milos Kerkez who steal the headlines this summer, no matter where they find themselves playing next season, Liverpool are still keeping an eye on welcoming future stars.

According to Africa Foot, as relayed by Sports Witness, Liverpool scouts are now keen for Hughes to sign Obli Kouame Jean Mederic ahead of interest from Barcelona, who want to add him to their famous La Masia academy.

The 16-year-old defender has reportedly been outstanding at the U17 Africa Cup of Nations this month and has done enough to attract the attention of Liverpool, Barcelona, Marseille and Atalanta.

Helping Ivory Coast finish top of their group at the U17 AFCON, Mederic is certainly one to watch at just 16 years old. Liverpool, of course, aren’t afraid to shop around other academies, having welcomed Harvey Elliott from Fulham in the past and – more recently – Rio Ngumoha from Chelsea last summer.

Now, they could get one over on Barcelona by welcoming Mederic at the first chance they get this summer. It’s then that the Ivory Coast defender would join up with the Reds’ academy, before perhaps one day joining the likes of Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate within Slot’s backline.

Radha Yadav says “only the fielding part changed the momentum” in the fourth T20I where India restricted England to 126 with a supreme performance in the field

Valkerie Baynes10-Jul-2025Charlie Dean was face down and covered in dirt, so you couldn’t read her lips or hear her voice over the celebrating Indian fans, but the violent jerk of her head suggested an expletive or two may have been uttered.Her dismissal, and frustration at it, summed up England’s woes and India’s strength in the fourth T20I all at once; England failed to mount a challenge and their opponents were hungry, as illustrated by their superb fielding display.So, when Dean reverse-swept Radha Yadav straight to short third, yet set off for a single only to be sent back by partner Sophie Ecclestone, N Shree Charani fired the ball to the keeper’s end with speed and accuracy and Richa Ghosh whipped off the bails as Dean dived in vain.Related

• Harmanpreet and Mandhana hope India 'break the barrier' for maiden World Cup glory

• Harmanpreet embraces 'happy headache' with India's depth on the rise

• 'One more ball, please' – The quiet rise of N Shree Charani

• Spinners set up historic series win for India

Charani, who only made her T20I debut at the start of this series and is the leading wicket-taker, already had two wickets for the match and England were 101 for 7 after electing to bat. They added 25 more runs as Ecclestone and Issy Wong attempted to give themselves something to bowl at.But India took the spoils, thanks firstly to Charani and fellow left-arm spinner Radha, who was named the Player of the Match for her 2 for 15 and contributions to India’s efforts in the field, which was a big improvement on the previous match at The Oval, which England won by five runs in the last over.In the fourth T20I at Old Trafford on Wednesday, India’s batters also showed what could be done on a pitch they had exploited with their spin-heavy attack when openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma put on a strong powerplay and Jemimah Rodrigues finished their pursuit of 127 with three overs to spare.”We spoke in the last meeting that we have to cut down the twos and we actually did that today and we were really pumped up to do that,” Radha said. “Only the fielding part, I thought, changed the momentum.”

“She probably would’ve batted through that on that wicket and got us to a score that we could have defended”Tammy Beaumont on the missing Nat Sciver-Brunt

Just as important for India had been delivering on a promise to themselves to take home a maiden T20I series victory on English soil, which they can now do with an unassailable 3-1 lead with one match to play on Saturday.”The day we came here, we spoke about eight matches and we were like, we will go absolutely hard at them no matter what,” Radha said. “The belief and the dedication this time is really different. I don’t know about the past, but this time, this team, this atmosphere, magical this is, and we are actually onto something. We want to create something big going forward.”So this is the path we want to go [on] and there’s still a lot of things we have to correct. We have that in our minds, but… this is a different team and we are going to dominate no matter what. Batting-wise, we are doing so well, but particularly bowling and fielding sets the tone for us. Batting has been really good, but bowling and fielding we touched upon and it is showing in the results.”Radha Yadav was named the Player of the Match•Getty ImagesSave for two minor blemishes – when Sophia Dunkley beat Deepti Sharma at cover point for the first boundary of the match, off the 15th ball, and when Amanjot Kaur, seeming blinded by the sun as she ran the wrong way from deep backward square leg and failed to stop a four off Tammy Beaumont – India were flawless in the field.Arundhati Reddy took three cool-as-you-like catches in the deep to remove Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Beaumont and Paige Scholfield, and Radha took a sharp, low catch at backward point to dismiss Dunkley, reaching for a slower, wider delivery as Deepti pulled her length back to the advancing batter.Radha also did brilliantly running and diving to her left to stop what had looked like a certain four as Scholfield attempted to pierce the gap between deep midwicket and long-on. Amanjot took a blow to her right wrist fielding off her own bowling as Scholfield struck the ball firmly back at her but she took a wicket two balls later, pinging the top of middle and off as Amy Jones backed away to give herself room.Charani trapped Alice Capsey lbw for 18 off 21 deliveries and Scholfield’s dismissal left England six wickets down before they had reached the 100-run mark. Dean followed and the hosts walked off at 126 for 7.Jemimah Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh sealed the chase•ECB via Getty ImagesBeaumont, England’s stand-in captain while Nat Sciver-Brunt is injured, conceded that was 20 runs too few.England have lost 22 wickets to spin so far in this series, as India have persisted with the same four-spinner, two-seamer attack throughout, and Beaumont also acknowledged the hole left by Sciver-Brunt in offering a counter to that.”Nat Sciver-Brunt is irreplaceable, isn’t she, really? She’s come off as the leading run-scorer in the WPL, so she would’ve known the bowlers we’re facing inside out,” Beaumont said. “Her experience through that middle order and how aggressive she is and particularly the way she plays spin, it’s really aggressive, and she’s a real boundary-hitter for us. She probably would’ve batted through that on that wicket and got us to a score that we could have defended.”We’re so lucky to have someone like Nat, but her workload’s incredibly high and, unfortunately, these things happen. We’ve got three games where people need to step up into those shoes for just a little bit and hopefully she’s back and raring to go for some 50-over cricket for the next few months.”The final T20I will be played at Edgbaston on Saturday followed by a three-match ODI series starting in Southampton on July 16.

Stokes’ signing has added to their formidable list of allrounders, but death bowling could be a concern

Deivarayan Muthu27-Mar-20233:17

Is death bowling a concern for CSK?

Where CSK finished last seasonNinth, just above bottom-placed Mumbai Indians on net run rate.CSK squad for IPL 2023MS Dhoni (capt & wk), Moeen Ali, Bhagath Varma, Deepak Chahar, Devon Conway (wk), Tushar Deshpande, Shivam Dube, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Sisanda Magala, Ajay Mandal, Mukesh Choudhary, Matheesha Pathirana, Dwaine Pretorius, Ajinkya Rahane, Shaik Rasheed, Ambati Rayudu, Mitchell Santner, Subhranshu Senapati, Simarjeet Singh, Nishant Sindhu, Prashant Solanki, Ben Stokes, Maheesh TheekshanaPlayer availability – Theekshana, Pathirana arrive lateMaheesh Theekshana and Matheesha Pathirana will only be available to CSK after participating in a six-match white-ball series for Sri Lanka in New Zealand, which will end on April 8. This means they will miss CSK’s first three games. Devon Conway and Mitchell Santner, though, have been released by NZC to be available for the entire IPL season.South Africa fast bowler Sisanda Magala, who has been signed as a replacement for the injured Kyle Jamieson, might also arrive late, if he is picked to play the home ODIs against Netherlands on March 31 and April 2.Left-arm seamer Mukesh Choudhary is a doubtful starter as he is recovering from a back injury at the NCA in Bengaluru.Related

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There is a chance, too, that Super Kings could lose Ben Stokes’ services if they go deep into the tournament. Stokes has said he will play England’s one-off Test against Ireland at Lord’s, which is scheduled to begin four days after the IPL final, and “give [himself] enough time to to get back and play that [Ireland] game”.What’s new with CSK this yearThey forked out INR 16.25 crore (USD 1.9 million approx.) for Stokes, their marquee signing at the auction. Haryana left-arm spin-bowling allrounder Nishant Sindhu and Chhattisgarh left-arm spin-bowling allrounder Ajay Mandal have been picked as back-ups for Ravindra Jadeja. Ajinkya Rahane and former Under-19 World Cup winner Shaik Rasheed are the new reserve batters.The good – CSK return to ChepaukSuper Kings return to Chepauk for their first full season at home since 2019. They have almost every variety of spin – mystery spin, legspin, offspin, left-arm fingerspin – to exploit its slow and low pitches. Head coach Stephen Fleming has already spoken about their plans to recreate their old spin-to-win formula at home. They also have excellent batters who can counter spin like Ruturaj Gaikwad, Conway and Moeen Ali.Having worked his way back from a serious knee injury, Jadeja has won games for India in both red-ball and white-ball cricket. In the two matches he has played at Chepauk over recent weeks, including one in the Ranji Trophy for Saurashtra, Jadeja found grip, turn and bounce. With Dhoni no longer the master finisher he once was, Jadeja will also have to do that job with the bat.CSK have a surfeit of allrounders who lend depth to both batting and bowling, affording Dhoni to occupy the ‘luxury spot’. If Santner starts the season, they could have batting depth all the way down to No.10.Maheesh Theekshana could be a regular death-overs option for Super Kings•BCCIThe not-so-good – Who will bowl at the death?
With both Theekshana, who bowls at the death for Sri Lanka, and Magala, a specialist death bowler for South Africa and Sunrisers Eastern Cape, set to join the squad late, CSK might have to scramble for options at the back end of the innings. Especially when they go away from home.Two of CSK’s first-choice players – Gaikwad and Chahar – are coming back from injury. England will be watching Stokes’ workloads carefully as well, given his knee problems over the winter, and the Ashes coming up in the summer. Robin Uthappa’s retirement leaves a vacancy in their batting line-up but it is unclear who can fill it. Shivam Dube is an option, but he too is on the road back from injury and hasn’t played a competitive game since November 2022. And then there’s Rahane with a T20 strike rate of 119.CSK could potentially have five left-handers in their top seven, which exposes the line-up to offspinners and other bowlers who take the ball away from them. Sunrisers Hyderabad, for example, could target CSK’s left-hander-heavy line-up with Washington Sundar, Aiden Markram and Glenn Phillips.Schedule insightsSuper Kings will play five of their first eight matches away from home before they look to maximise points from their stretch of home games on black-soil pitches at Chepauk. The black-soil track that was used for the series decider between India and Australia offered sharp turn throughout the game.CSK’s afternoon fixture against arch-rivals Mumbai on May 6 at Chepauk will be the 1000th match in the IPL.The big question