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Paul Pogba's return to action has been among the most anticipated events in European football this season, with the French midfielder signing a two-year deal with Monaco as a free agent after serving an 18-month doping ban. Monaco boss Sebastien Pocognoli has hinted that his return to the squad was close, with a new report now revealing when Pogba could realistically make his debut for the Ligue 1 giants.

Pogba close to a return after more than two years

Football offered Pogba a chance at redemption earlier this summer when he signed a two-year contract with Monaco as a free agent. The 32-year-old was overcome with emotion, breaking down in tears as he put pen to paper – a clear sign of what it meant to him to finally move past the torment of his doping suspension. Initially handed a four-year ban after testing positive in September 2023, Pogba later saw the sanction reduced to 18 months.

Since then, he has been working relentlessly to regain full fitness and form, openly expressing his dream of earning a place in France’s squad for the 2026 World Cup. "Of course, it's the wish of every French football player to play for the French national team," said Pogba in July.

AdvertisementAFPPogba could be in the Monaco squad against Paris

Per reports before this month's international break, it was understood that it was possible for Pogba to make his debut for Monaco against Angers on October 18. However, it's been four games since the end of the international game without any sight of the Frenchman. He was not named in the squad during Monaco's enthralling 5-3 win over Nantes on Wednesday. However, now suggest that Pogba could be in line for a return to action against newly-promoted Paris FC this weekend. 

"Yes, it’s possible he could be reintegrated into the squad [against Paris]," Monaco head coach Sebastien Pocognoli said on Wednesday. "There’s still one training session with a certain workload, and if he feels good, we’ll be on track with the plan we set out. It wouldn’t be illogical to see him on the team sheet."

'Not the Pogba of old'

It was always going to be an uphill task for the former Manchester United and Juventus midfielder to get up to speed with the rigours of top-flight football after not playing for almost two years. In July, Monaco CEO Thiago Scuro explained that the club had designed a meticulously planned rehabilitation program to recover Pogba's fitness levels. 

"I can guarantee you that Paul won't be able to play against Le Havre [in the opening game of Ligue 1]," said Scuro in July. "He must have been joking. We have to be realistic and honest. We expect a three-month process to be able to rehabilitate him. When you see it on TV, high-level sport can seem easy, but you have to realise the intensity required. And Monaco is one of the most intense teams in Ligue 1 and in Europe in terms of play. So our players have to be very fit to be on the pitch. But it's our job to give him the tools to do that."

On Tuesday, Pocognoli emphasised that Pogba will be judged based on the footballer he is today rather than taking his past laurels into account. 

"I think that we will have to undergo a process together by judging him on the player that he is today, quite simply. The Paul from Manchester United or from his first stint at Juventus, was a few years ago now," he said. "All players evolve over time and through their experiences. We have to judge him exactly on what he is now, with his baggage but also his age. From what I have seen, he still has the technique that we know, but I think that the rhythm of the matches will give us indications [about his level]. I hope to get the best out of what he can give us."

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Getty Images SportMonaco emerge early Ligue 1 contenders

Monaco have ushered into a new era following the sacking of previous head coach Adi Hutter. Under Pocognoli, the French side have played four games, winning twice and drawing as many times. Monaco have emerged as early contenders to challenge Paris Saint-Germain's throne in Ligue 1, as they currently sit in second position with 20 points after 10 games, one point behind Luis Enrique's side. 

Pogba's return will be a timely boost to Monaco's hopes of pushing for the league title, but it remains to be seen which version of the player we will get to see in action on the pitch. Should the 2018 World Cup-winning midfielder become an important part of the puzzle in the following months and shrug off his injury woes – given his well-documented fitness issues from the past – then he could become a decisive factor. 

A Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) side led by Jitesh Sharma asked Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to bat first on a fresh Lucknow track. Jitesh said they wanted to use the early moisture in the surface. Phil Salt was fit and named in the XI, while regular captain Rajat Paitdar was only fit to bat but not to field so he was named in the substitutes list.SRH welcomed back Travis Head, who missed their last match because of illness, Abhinav Manohar and Jaydev Unadkat. Mohammed Shami, who had also missed the last match, was named in the substitute list so he could come in when SRH bowl.This was an important match for RCB, who had already qualified for the playoffs, but were in contention for a top-two finish, which can give them cushion in the playoffs. RCB were second on the table with 17 points, but had a game in hand over Gujarat Titans (GT), who had 18 points. The third team in the race for a top-two finish was Punjab Kings (PBKS), tied with RCB on 17 points from 12 matches.Sunrisers Hyderabad 1 Travis Head, 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Ishan Kishan (wk), 4 Nitish Reddy, 5 Heinrich Klaasen, 6 Aniket Verma, 7 Abhinav Manohar, 8 Pat Cummins (capt.), 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Eshan Malinga, 11 Jaydev Unadkat
Impact sub options: Mohammed Shami, Harsh Dubey, Sachin Baby, Zeeshan Ansari, Simarjeet SinghRoyal Challengers Bengaluru 1 Phil Salt, 2 Virat Kohli, 3 Mayank Agarwal, 4 Jitesh Sharma (capt. & wk), 5 Romario Shepherd, 6 Tim David, 7 Krunal Pandya, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Yash Dayal, 10 Lungi Ngidi, 11 Suyash Sharma
Impact sub options: Rajat Patidar, Rasikh Salam, Manoj Bhandage, Jacob Bethell, Swapnil Singh

Real Madrid centre-back Dean Huijsen has pulled out of the Spain squad for the October World Cup qualifiers after he suffered a muscular injury. Huijsen, who joined Los Blancos from Bournemouth this summer, has appeared in all of Madrid's matches, except for the Espanyol clash, where he was suspended. He also played the full match against Villarreal last weekend.

• Huijsen out of Spain squad for October qualifiers

  Huijsen was forced to pull out of the Spain squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifying games against Georgia and Bulgaria on October 11 and 14 after the Real Madrid medical team assessed his condition, and the centre-back was diagnosed with a muscular injury. 

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Madrid confirms Huijsen's injury

  The official statement from Real Madrid read: "Following tests carried out on our player, Dean Huijsen, today and assessed by the Real Madrid medical services, he has been diagnosed with a muscular injury to the soleus muscle in his left leg. Further updates will follow."

• Huijsen a key figure in Xabi Alonso's squad

  Under new manager Xabi Alonso, the former Bournemouth defender has established himself as a key member in the Spanish coach's starting lineup, as he has featured in every game for Madrid across all competitions this season, except for the Espanyol clash, where he was suspended after picking up a red card against Real Sociedad. In the club's latest 3-1 win over Villarreal last weekend, Huijsen played the full 90 minutes, but might have picked up the injury at the end of the clash.

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• AFP
  

  Madrid's injury crisis worsened

  Madrid are already missing their right-backs, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dani Carvajal, as both defenders have been sidelined with injuries at the start of the season. Now, Huijsen's injury further makes the situation worse for Alonso, whose side are currently leading the title race by just two points. Alonso will hope that the Spanish defender's injury isn't too serious and he recovers before Madrid face Getafe on October 19. 

Debutant Vignesh Puthur picked up three wickets for MI, but CSK closed out a comfortable win in the end

Sidharth Monga23-Mar-20251:36

Chawla: Noor was ‘spot on’ with his lengths

Chennai Super King’s bowling acquisitions during the off-season paid immediate dividends as their four new bowlers took nine wickets between them to restrict Mumbai Indians to 155 for 9, a total that they chased down with ease but not without a hiccup against debutant left-arm wristspinner Vignesh Puthur, who is yet to represent his state side in senior cricket.However, it was the other left-arm wristspinner, younger than Puthur but a veteran by experience, who made the telling impact. Noor Ahmad registered his best IPL figures and the best figures for a CSK spinner against MI, 4 for 18, to capitalise on the inroads made by Khaleel Ahmed, whose CSK debut was not too shabby either: wickets of the openers and analysis of 4-0-29-3.CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad made the chase look like a walk in the park with 53 off 26, bringing the requirement down to a run a ball in the ninth over, but this is when they started losing wickets to Puthur, struggling to impart power into his slow wristspin. Three of them holed out in the deep, but Rachin Ravindra anchored the chase with 65 not out off 45 to see them home.Related

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Noor Ahmad's wristspin is art in fast forward

Khaleel rocks MI earlyKhaleel is a dichotomous IPL bowler. He is worse than the average fast bowler during afternoon games, and better than the average fast bowler in night games. The only explanation for it is that there is a small window for movement with the new ball under lights, and he is a different beast when the ball moves. It showed in how he denied the openers a big hit with the little bit of movement that was available. The eventual dismissals looked soft – Rohit Sharma caught at forward square leg and Ryan Rickleton bowled off an inside edge – but they were the results of the pressure created by Khaleel himself.To make it better for CSK, their returning homeboy R Ashwin took a wicket in his first over. There is not much mystery to the Ashwin who has returned to CSK after more than a decade, but his length was immaculate, making it a risk every time the batters wanted to attack him. He ended up with figures of 4-0-31-1, the wicket being that of Will Jacks inside the powerplay.1:45

‘He’s still got it’ – Hayden lauds Dhoni’s reflexes behind the stumps

Noor undoes Tilak and SuryakumarDown at 36 for 3 in 4.4 overs, MI needed something special from their two best batters, stand-in captain Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma. The latter hit right back by taking two fours off Ashwin and then hitting two sixes off Ravindra Jadeja, against whom Suryakumar doesn’t enjoy a good match-up.Noor then applied the handbrake with some elan. He was so difficult to pick that even MS Dhoni was beaten by a mile when he turned one past Varma’s outside edge. That seed of doubt cast, he went back to what he does more often, turn the ball the other way at high speed. Suryakumar was beaten on the outside edge and stumped in a flash by Dhoni.Debutant Robin Minz couldn’t get going and tried a desperate shot only to be caught at long-off. Tilak was beaten both in the air and off the pitch: caught on the crease, he had no time to adjust to the ball that turned back in and trapped him lbw. Noor came back at the death to bowl Naman Dhir around his legs.Nathan Ellis took care of one of the former CSK players, Mitchell Santner, but the other, Deepak Chahar gave MI something to bowl at with a cameo of 28 off 15.Ruturaj Gaikwad celebrates his half-century•AFP/Getty Images

Gaikwad, No. 3, runs away with the chaseCSK made a surprise move of promoting Rahul Tripathi ahead of Gaikwad, but it didn’t last long as Chahar carried on from where he had left off with the bat, taking a wicket in his first over with a well-directed short ball.Gaikwad, though, batted like a dream, taking down Trent Boult and both former colleagues, Chahar and Santner. S Raju, who is supposed to be a good death bowler, made an indifferent start with the new ball, and CSK raced away to 62 for 1 in the powerplay. The field spread, but Gaikwad kept going, hitting Jacks for a beautiful inside-out six against the turn, suggesting an easy pitch to bat on.Puthur halts CSKWith just 82 needed off the last 13 overs, CSK would have wanted to register a big net-run-rate bonus, which is perhaps why they kept trying to hit Puthur’s slow left-arm wristspin for sixes. More than anything it was his slow pace and the slight slowness of the pitch that kept resulting in catches on the fence. Still, Gaikwad, Shivam Dube and Deepak Hooda is not a bad debut haul at all.By now, it was almost like the home crowd was willing MI to take wickets so that they could get a glimpse of Dhoni with the bat. When Jacks bowled Sam Curran for 4 off 9, it drew a big cheer but the sight of Jadeja quelled the excitement.Ravindra sees CSK homeThe steepest the task got was 31 off the last four overs, but this is when MI gave CSK some pace to work with, and Jadeja immediately hit Boult for a four. Ravindra was the only batter to hit boundaries off Puthur: three sixes, all thanks to momentum generated by his use of feet to charge at the bowler. A run-out in the 19th over gave the Chepauk crowd what they wanted, they even got a six to seal the game, but off the bat of Ravindra as Dhoni stayed unbeaten on 0 off two.

MatériaMais Notícias

Tem coisas que só acontecem com o Botafogo mesmo… O Glorioso anunciou na tarde desta sexta-feira (30) a saída do técnico Luís Castro rumo ao Al Nassr, da Arábia Saudita, e jogou um balde de água fria nos torcedores que sonhavam com a permanência do português.

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+ Até 50% OFF em produtos Alvinegros para os torcedores fanáticos!

Mas, aqui entre nós, torcedor: quem não se sentiria seduzido pela oportunidade de treinar um dos maiores jogadores da história (Cristiano Ronaldo) e ganhar a ‘mixaria’ de R$ 3 milhões por mês para viver em outro país?

+ Botafogo vai ao mercado: confira treinadores estrangeiros livres no mercado

+ IMPERDÍVEL! Transmissão ao vivo dos jogos do Glorioso na Sul-Americana por apenas R$1,00!

A decisão do técnico é compreensível, mas sabemos que dinheiro não é tudo! No ‘mundo Árabe’, Luís Castro não será ovacionado como era no Nilton Santos, não terá a chance de vencer o Brasileirão ou a Sul-Americana e, principalmente, não receberá muito mais que seus colegas mais bem pagos no Brasil.

Quando comandava o Glorioso, Luís Castro era o terceiro técnico mais bem pago do país, recebendo aproximadamente R$ 1 milhão por mês, atrás apenas de Jorge Sampaoli (R$ 2 milhões por mês) e Abel Ferreira (R$ 2,8 milhões por mês). Ao que tudo indica, o ex-técnico do Alvinegro não ficou satisfeito em superá-los apenas no campo e resolveu apelar para a conta bancária…

E comparando com os principais treinadores do mundo, será que o português receberia muito menos se continuasse no Botafogo?

Agora, já não há mais o que fazer. Luís Castro deixou o Botafogo rumo ao Al Nassr. Resta ao Glorioso encontrar um novo treinador para manter o nível competitivo da equipe, e os principais cotados são o português Bruno Lage e Rogério Ceni.

تحدث نيكو جونزاليس، لاعب فريق مانشستر سيتي، عن فوزهم الثمين في مباراة اليوم ضد برينتفورد، في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، موسم 2025/26.

وحل مانشستر سيتي ضيفًا على برينتفورد في الجولة السابعة من الدوري الإنجليزي، حيث حقق فوزًا بهدف دون رد، عن طريق النجم إيرلينج هالاند (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

وقال نيكو جونزاليس، في تصريحات نشرها موقع الدوري الإنجليزي: “كان الأمر صعبًا للغاية، لأكون صريحًا، عانينا كثيرًا، برينتفورد فريق قوي جدًا، حققنا فوزًا مهمًا للغاية”.

وتعكر صفو فوز مانشستر سيتي بعد إصابة النجم رودري حيث اضطر إلى الخروج مبكرًا في الدقيقة 22 من عمر الشوط الأول، وحل مكانه نيكو جونزاليس.

وعن ذلك، قال نيكو:”لقد قدمنا ​​أداءً رائعًا في الدقائق الأولى وكان رودري مهمًا جدًا لنا، أتمنى أن يتعافى قريبًا، دخلت الملعب دون إحماء، وهو أمر صعب للغاية، لكنني شعرت أنني بخير”.

وفيما يخص إيرلينج هالاند وتسجيله هدف الفوز، قال: “هو دائمًا ما يسجل، لا يمكننا الاعتماد عليه بشكل دائم، ولكنه يقدم موسمًا رائعًا”

وعندما سُئل عن رأيه بشأن كون جوارديولا أسرع مدرب في الدوري الإنجليزي يحقق 250 فوزًا، قال: “ما فعله في السنوات العشر الماضية أمر مذهل”.

واختتم: “كان هنا بالفعل عندما كنت في الرابعة عشر منعمري، وشاهدت العديد من مباريات مانشستر سيتي، العمل معه الآن حلم أصبح حقيقة”.

There’s already been plenty of change at Manchester City this summer, but there could yet be one more twist to the tale amid reports that they’re now in talks to sell one of their most experienced stars.

Guardiola: Man City "ready" for "better" season

Whilst injuries more than played their part last season, there’s no denying that Pep Guardiola’s side found themselves at the end of an era. From a dominant run of four consecutive Premier League title wins, the Citizens stuttered into a top four place and were eventually able to breathe a huge sigh of relief when they found enough form to comfortably qualify for the Champions League.

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Now, after a summer of several changes, they’ll be desperate to regain their throne from a Liverpool side who have also spent big in recent months. Whether those at the Etihad can do enough to stand in the way of a star-studded Liverpool side will be the big question this season, but Guardiola has already assured that his side will be “better” than last time out.

Up first for City is a trip to the Midlands to square off against Wolverhampton Wanderers. In what should be a routine first test, the rest of the Premier League will have the chance to take a first glimpse at the likes of Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki as City aim to avoid an opening day slip.

Meanwhile, away from the pitch, there’s still plenty of change to come. Reports are now indicating that City are in talks to sell one of their most important players.

Man City in talks to sell Ederson

According to Fabrizio Romano, Manchester City are now in talks to sell Ederson to Galatasaray. The Turkish club have reportedly offered around €10m (£9m) to sign the Brazilian, but have already been told by those at the Etihad to raise that bid if they want to welcome the goalkeeper this month.

Romano also claimed that if Ederson does depart this month, then City will push on with their move to sign Gianluigi Donnarumma from Paris Saint-Germain. The Italian has been frozen out at the French club with just one year remaining on his current contract, allowing City to come swooping in.

Although Guardiola once dubbed Ederson “incredible”, it looks increasingly likely that his time with the Brazilian could be coming to an end this month, with Donnarumma taking the goalkeeper’s place in an unexpected summer twist.

Manchester United continued their pre-season preparations with a fairly drab 0-0 draw against fellow Premier League side Leeds United on Saturday.

Ruben Amorim’s side featured two new signings in Diego Leon and Matheus Cunha, whilst the Red Devils are still finalising a deal to sign Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford.

Whilst there will be a lot of focus on who Manchester United bring in to bolster their squad during the summer transfer window, the club also need to move on the players who are not going to be involved under Amorim next season.

One of those players, Marcus Rashford, appears to be on the verge of a move away from Old Trafford, as Barcelona have agreed a deal to sign the England international.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Barcelona are set to sign the 27-year-old attacker on a season-long loan, with an option to make the deal permanent next summer.

David Ornstein has added that the Spanish giants are also set to pay 100% of the forward’s wages during that loan spell, in what will come as a welcome relief to Manchester United.

Why Rashford to Barcelona is a good move for all concerned

Rashford is reportedly on £300k-per-week at Old Trafford, as per Capology, and that equates to around £15.6m per year, which shows that the club are set to save a huge amount of money as part of this deal.

Whilst it is not set in stone that the winger will sign for Barcelona on a permanent transfer next summer, as it is only an option, United can be thankful that they are not paying his enormous wages next season, given that he was not a part of Amorim’s thinking.

It is money that could be allocated elsewhere, potentially to bring in further attacking reinforcements, as Rashford has not been consistent enough in the final third to prove that he is worth spending that kind of money on.

The England international was sent out on loan to Aston Villa for the second half of the 2024/25 campaign, which shows that Amorim did not see a future for the academy graduate in his side.

24/25 (Man Utd & Villa)

11

£15.6m

£1.4m

23/24 (Man Utd)

8

£15.6m

£1.95m

22/23 (Man Utd)

30

£10.4m

£346k

21/22 (Man Utd)

5

£10.4m

£2.08m

As you can see in the table above, Rashford has failed to hit double figures for goals in two of the last four seasons in all competitions, and has only cost under £1.4m per goal scored in a season in one of the last four.

These statistics suggest that it is for the best that the English forward joins Barcelona on loan, with his wages paid in full, because United will be offloading a player, even if potentially just for next season, who has not justified his cost.

His exit will also create a space in the squad for United to bring in a replacement for him before the end of the summer transfer window, and the club are reportedly eyeing a star who could be an upgrade on him.

Man United make contact to sign Ligue 1 star

According to Foot Mercato, Manchester United are interested in a deal to sign Paris Saint-Germain’s versatile attacker Randal Kolo Muani.

The reporter claims that the Red Devils have already made contact with the Ligue 1 champions, as they pursue a potential transfer for the France international.

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Aouna adds, though, that Newcastle United have also made contact with PSG over a potential deal for the forward, which means that there could be stiff competition for his signature this summer.

The journalist’s article on Foot Mercato also reveals that Juventus are interested in a deal to bring him back to Turin, after he spent the second half of last season on loan with the Italian giants.

This latest report does not outline how much money it would take to strike a deal with PSG for Kolo Muani, but a price tag of £50m was mentioned earlier in the summer.

Why Man Utd should sign Randal Kolo Muani

The Red Devils should push to win the race for his signature in the coming weeks because he could arrive at Old Trafford as an upgrade on Marcus Rashford.

Like the soon-to-be Barcelona player, the French attacker is a versatile talent who can play out wide on either flank or through the middle as a centre-forward, which would provide Amorim with a plethora of ways in which to utilise his qualities.

In fact, France teammate Kylian Mbappe described Kolo Muani as being a “very complete” forward, and United could benefit from his brilliant all-round play as their new centre-forward, if they can secure a deal for him this summer.

The 26-year-old star scored eight goals and provided one assist in 16 matches in the Serie A during the second half of last term, whilst Rashford only scored six goals in 25 outings in the Premier League.

xG

0.36

Top 41%

Goals

0.62

Top 9%

Shots on target

1.08

Top 27%

Successful dribbles

1.39

Top 20%

Touches in opposition box

6.03

Top 20%

Interceptions

0.31

Top 14%

As you can see in the table above, the Juventus loanee produced high quality in a host of key metrics, as he excelled as a dribbler and a goalscorer, whilst also putting in hard work to win the ball back for his side.

Whilst, with one assist, the creative side of his game was not on full display, Kolo Muani did assist 17 goals in 46 games for Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2022/23 campaign, which shows that he can be a fantastic creative threat when at his best.

The £50m-rated star, who scored two goals in three games at the Club World Cup, has delivered at least ten goals in all competitions in each of the last five seasons, whilst Rashford, as aforementioned, has only managed that in two of the last four years.

Kolo Muani could arrive as an upgrade on the England international because of his impressive form for Juventus in the second half of last season, as well as the almost guaranteed goals that his record suggests that he would provide in the final third.

Amorim's own Rodri: Man Utd agree personal terms to sign £26m sensation

Manchester United are starting to make things happen in the summer transfer market.

ByAngus Sinclair Jul 19, 2025

Hasaranga had been ruled out of CPL 2024 earlier but now comes in for Sikandar Raza

Deivarayan Muthu04-Sep-2024

Josh Clarkson has played 89 T20s so far•Getty Images

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, who had been depleted by injuries in the opening week of CPL 2024, have now been bolstered by the return of Wanindu Hasaranga* and signing of New Zealand’s big-hitting allrounder Josh Clarkson. Hasaranga had been ruled out of the tournament only last month because of a hamstring injury, and was replaced by Tabraiz Shamsi at the time, but he now comes in for the injured Sikandar Raza. Clarkson, on the other hand, will slot in for Tristan Stubbs, who will return to South Africa for national duties.Shamsi is also headed home for CSA commitments for a week, and he will be temporarily replaced by the Pakistan-born USA wristspinner Mohammad Mohsin. Mohsin, 28, has played 14 games for Stephen Fleming’s Texas Super Kings in the MLC, picking up 15 wickets at an economy rate of 7.43.Clarkson is arguably the hardest hitter of a cricket ball in New Zealand and can also bowl at brisk pace. On Tuesday, Clarkson was awarded his first New Zealand central contract, but he is not in the Test scheme of things yet, so he has signed up for his first franchise T20 league stint. Clarkson has played 89 T20s so far, scoring 1673 runs at a strike rate of 147.40 and taking 11 wickets at an economy rate of 9.15.Related

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Stats – Pooran breaks Gayle's T20 six-hitting record

Josh Clarkson awarded New Zealand central contract

Patriots head coach Malolan Rangarajan, the former Tamil Nadu allrounder who also works with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, rued the injuries, which have disrupted the balance of their side. “Obviously, we started off the tournament with an unfortunate injury to Sikandar Raza, who was a well-thought out and important pick for us,” Malolan said on Tuesday before Patriots had announced Clarkson as their new signing.”We’ve scrambled and we’ve tried to sign a replacement and we’ve had a few hiccups at the start of [the season], with Sherfane [Rutherford] missing out the first game and Rilee [Rossouw] getting injured in the first innings of our fielding. But I think the boys have responded brilliantly to all the challenges that’ve been posed at them.”While Patriots began the season with a thrilling last-ball win against Antigua & Barbuda Falcons in Antigua, they suffered back-to-back defeats at home against Trinbago Knight Riders and St Lucia Kings. They posted 200-plus totals in both innings, but their bowlers came in for heavy punishment in both games. Their fielding has also come into sharp focus: they have dropped at least seven chances so far. Patriots captain Andre Fletcher has called for a stronger response from his team.”Well, it’s all about execution,” Fletcher said. “We’ve been working hard as a bowling unit, I must say. Even before the tournament started, we had a camp here in St Kitts and then we played a practice game in Nevis. We’ve been working hard as a bowling unit. The guys have been putting in the effort as to bowling with the wet ball and bowling [at the] death and bowling actually to one side of the field, thinking about whether this batter from the other team is playing and how we’re going to bowl to this batsman. The effort is there and the practice as I mentioned we put in a lot, but it just boils down to execution. We haven’t been executing as well as we ought to but, I’m confident.”Fletcher: ‘I’m big on players being comfortable and enjoying themselves’Losing and losing on the bounce might result in an unhealthy dressing room – Patriots have just won two out of their 12 games across the past two seasons – but Fletcher said that they have stuck together and blocked the outside noise.”As a leader, I try to be not under pressure,” Fletcher said. “Yes, I know a lot will be going around, especially when you lose a game. The first game we win…spectators and fans will be like: ‘good leader and great leader’ and two games lost ‘you’re the worst’.”It’s expected and they always want a win. For me, I just try my best to see where maybe I can improve as a leader. I wouldn’t doubt myself; I’ve done it before and it’s just a matter of getting the guys together. One thing I don’t want is pointing fingers and we’ve responded well after the two losses, so we are gelling really well as a team and for me that’s important. When teams lose people start segregating and the vibe of the team tends to go down, so I’m big on players being comfortable and enjoying themselves.”A chain is as strong as its weakest link, so for me as a leader I will continue to keep the guys together and ensure that they’re comfortable. People would love to see us go out there and entertain them, but it doesn’t make sense to entertain with a loss. We have to entertain with a win and it’s straightforward.”*0315hrs, September 5, The story was updated after the CPL sent a release about the replacement players

The Blaze 144 for 3 (K Bryce 62, S Bryce 52*) beat South East Stars 141 for 9 (Redmayne 25, Graham 3-16, Groves 3-33) by wicketsKathryn Bryce continued her outstanding season with a match-winning 62 off 44 balls as The Blaze, who were losing finalists in both women’s regional competitions last season, beat South East Stars by an emphatic seven wickets to lift the Charlotte Edwards Cup at Derby.Bryce, who led the Scotland side she skippers to qualification for their first T20 World Cup earlier in the summer, shared a decisive partnership of 79 with her younger sister Sarah, who herself rose to the occasion with an unbeaten 52 from 46 balls as Stars’ total of 141 for 9 was passed with eight balls to spare.Kathryn finishes the competition as leading runscorer for good measure, having hit an impressive five half-centuries in a tally of 477.It rewarded The Blaze captain Kirstie Gordon for her own strong leadership after the heartbreak of losing both finals to Southern Vipers last year. Her team have suffered only one defeat and avoided Vipers this time after the defending champions were knocked out by Stars in the semi-finals, in which The Blaze beat Central Sparks by five wickets.That sole defeat was inflicted by Stars, who bowled Blaze out for 84 in a five-wicket win on the same ground last Sunday. A repeat victory for the 2021 competition winners never looked on the cards here.The Blaze conceded 22 in the first over after opting to bowl first, yet bowled with discipline and skill thereafter to restrict Stars to 141 for 9, Australian allrounder Heather Graham taking 3 for 16 and legspinner Josie Groves 3 for 33.Georgia Redmayne top-scored with 25 and Alice Davidson-Richards 23 for Stars in what looked like a sub-par total even on a deteriorating surface.Despite left-arm seamer Grace Ballinger’s expensive first over, Stars were limited to 45 for 2 in the powerplay. Bryony Smith (17 from seven balls) was leg before sweeping Gordon’s left-arm spin, and Phoebe Franklin bowled by Graham for 10, having not batted in Stars’ semi-final win over Southern Vipers.More setbacks for the Stars followed as Groves, stepping up in the absence of England star Sarah Glenn, found turn and bounce in a deteriorating surface to have key batters Sophia Dunkley and Paige Scholfield stumped, leaving Stars 62 for 4 in the ninth.Emma Jones clobbered Groves for six square on the on side but she was bowled by Graham in the next over. A recovery of sorts by Redmayne and Davidson-Richards ended when mid-on Marie Kelly, having dropped the latter on 19, made amends off the next ball, giving Groves her third wicket.Having added 31 with her sixth-wicket partner, Redmayne was out when she failed to clear mid-off before Tash Farrant was caught on the square leg boundary off a Gordon full toss in a penultimate over that went for only three, The Blaze skipper finishing as the competition’s leading wicket-taker with 22.Graham bowled Dani Gregory, her last over costing just two after The Blaze restricted their opponents to 16 in the last four.The Blaze chase was finely poised at 49 for 2 after six overs, Kathryn Bryce shaping up nicely again on 29 from 16, although they had lost Tammy Beaumont, run out backing up in a piece of brilliance by bowler Farrant, before Kelly miscued to extra cover. By halfway, Kathryn and sister Sarah were still together, with the target down to 58 more.Kathryn, who had made 44 in the semi-final, edged two slightly fortunate boundaries off Franklin before completing her fifth half-century of the competition from 31 balls.Her hopes of being there to finish the job were ended when she was bowled attempting to reverse sweep legspinner Gregory, leaving that privilege to Sarah, who completed her own half-century off 45 balls before Graham heaved Ryana MacDonald-Gay over mid-off for the winning boundary.