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

Former Rangers manager Ally McCoist feels the club’s new owners, staff and Russell Martin “underestimated” the size of the task at Ibrox before the head coach was sacked.

Martin lasted just four months in charge and paid the price for a poor start after Sunday’s 1-1 William Hill Premiership draw with Falkirk.

Rangers only won five out of 17 games under Martin with their sole league victory coming courtesy of a stoppage-time winner at Livingston. A Champions League exit was followed by defeats in their opening two Europa League games against Genk and Sturm Graz.

Martin was appointed soon after an American consortium secured a majority stake in Rangers but the new-look board now face another major decision.

McCoist: 49ers and old Gers staff made fatal error

McCoist said on TalkSPORT: “We’re sitting eighth in the table and we have a negative goal difference so there’s no surprise at all.

“I think probably the new owners and certainly the old management staff probably underestimated the size of the job.

“There’s a lot of people maybe just look a little bit at Scottish football and say ‘Celtic and Rangers will win their games and that’s it finished because that’s what they do’. But football is a lot more difficult than that.

“I just think that aligned to really poor, really poor business in the transfer market in terms of recruitment.

“It’s easy to blame the manager and that’s where the buck stops, we all know that’s what happens, but the players have got to take some of the responsibility as well. Some of the defending…

“The goals Rangers lost in midweek (against Sturm Graz) were incredible.

Kris Boyd slams "embarrassing" thing Martin had Rangers do in Sturm Graz defeat

It was another night to forget.

ByTom Cunningham Oct 3, 2025

“Rangers look like wee boys. Falkirk out-ran Rangers, they out-fought Rangers and that can happen occasionally but it’s been happening on a regular basis. It’s not good enough.

“The away games. They’ve been to St Mirren, Motherwell, Falkirk, Livingston. It’s not as if they have been to Celtic, Hearts, Hibs, Aberdeen. These are games you are expected to win.”

Boyd: Thelwell's transfer business not good enough

Another former Rangers striker, Kris Boyd, expanded on McCoist’s main point and believes questions will be asked of the likes of sporting director Kevin Thelwell.

“Scotland’s a difficult place to play football,” Boyd told Sky Sports News.

“There’s a lot of people, especially down south, that think it’s easy, it’s not that good. And sometimes the football isn’t that good, you can’t get away from that.

“But it’s a difficult place to play because both clubs in this city demand that you win. Both can’t win at the same time and when you’re not winning, you come under huge scrutiny.

“And that’s where Rangers are at right now because not only Russell Martin hasn’t delivered. There’s a lot of people within the football club failing to deliver in their duty right now as well, and the focus will turn on them.”

Boyd added: “There’s fingerprints from other people over some of the signings that have arrived at Rangers.

“When you think of (Youssef) Chermiti, for £9million, you’ve got to be looking for more. You’ve got to be looking for somebody that’s going to come in and start and have an impact. You’re more or less looking for the finished article, not a project.

“Rangers recruitment, they’ve tried to hit the jackpot with every single signing, bringing them in, giving them an opportunity to try and move them on for bigger money.

“You need to have a core at this football club that allows you to build from within, and that has been lost.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras enfrenta o Deportivo Pereira nesta quarta-feira pelas quartas de final da Libertadores 2023 e o jogo será muito especial para o volante Richard Rios.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasLeon Dario Muñoz, a lenda colombiana do Palmeiras que jogou no Deportivo PereiraPalmeiras23/08/2023PalmeirasPalmeiras volta para Pereira após 29 anos e defende bom retrospecto na ColômbiaPalmeiras23/08/2023PalmeirasNa Colômbia, Palmeiras treina completo e fecha preparação para encarar o Deportivo Pereira; veja provável timePalmeiras22/08/2023

+ Veja tabela da Libertadores-2023 clicando aqui

Visitando o seu país natal pela primeira vez como jogador profissional, o camisa 27 comentou da alegria de enfrentar um time colombiano pelo Verdão.

– Feliz de estar de volta ao meu país. Será a minha primeira partida aqui como jogador profissional. Feliz porque a minha família poderá assistir e hoje teve esse carinho das crianças, que é sempre muito bom receber. Desde que fiquei sabendo da possibilidade de classificação do Pereira, torci para encontrá-los. Estou feliz por estar aqui – afirmou o meia que veio do Guarani.

continua após a publicidade

Apesar do amplo favoritismo e do abismo que separa os dois elencos, Richard Rios pregou muito respeito ao Deportivo Pereira e pediu atenção ao Palmeiras.

– O Pereira vem fazendo sua história, sua trajetória, e a gente vai respeitar como respeitamos todos os times. A gente veio aqui para fazer o nosso trabalho e levar um bom resultado para o Allianz Parque – finalizou o volante de 23 anos.

continua após a publicidade

+ Deportivo Pereira x Palmeiras: onde assistir, desfalques e prováveis escalações do jogo pela Libertadores

Atleta com a maior sequência de partidas nesta temporada: com 16 jogos consecutivos, Richard Rios vai completar o seu jogo de número 34 com a camisa do Palmeiras e tem apenas três gols nessa primeira temporada no Maior Campeão do Brasil.

Deportivo Pereira e Palmeiras se enfrentam nesta quarta-feira (23), a partir das 21h30 (horário de Brasília), e o jogo terá transmissão da Rede Globo e dos Canais ESPN.

Sachin Tendulkar and James Anderson will have their names etched on prestigious silverware as ECB and BCCI have decided to name the Test series between England and India the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.ESPNcricinfo has learned that both Tendulkar and Anderson will unveil the trophy at Lord’s during the World Test Championship (WTC) final which gets underway from June 11.England and India will kick off the new WTC cycle by playing a five-Test series starting at Headingley (Leeds) from June 20.Related

• Tour blog – Mhatre, Malhotra shine as second Youth Test ends in draw

• Bumrah confident India can take down 'ultra-aggressive' England

• Overton recalled to England Test squad for India series

• Gambhir: Haven't taken a call on which three Tests Bumrah is going to play

While Anderson, who featured in 188 Tests, retired last July, Tendulkar quit in 2013 having played 200 Tests. Until now the series played in England was called Pataudi Trophy, after former India captains Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi and Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi (his son) while the equivalent in India was called Anthony de Mello Trophy, named after one of the founding figures of BCCI who was also the board’s inaugural secretary and president between 1946-47 to 1950-51.The trend follows the naming of the Crowe-Thorpe trophy in November 2024, which goes to the winner of Test series between England and New Zealand. Similarly, India and Australia compete for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Tests.

Tottenham could sign a highly-rated player in the winter window, knowing that he was once keen on a move to N17.

The recent board restructure, which resulted in ex-chair Daniel Levy resigning and CEO Vinai Vinkatesham taking a more prominent role alongside members of the Lewis family, has prompted some optimism over their future recruitment plans.

Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol recently mooted the possibility of further squad investment from ENIC, who may now be willing to spend more on both wages and transfers overall to hand Thomas Frank the best chance of on-pitch success.

The Lilywhites are already one of world football’s highest revenue-generating clubs, according to the Deloitte Money League, and Levy’s success in turning the club into a financial powerhouse cannot be understated.

World Football’s highest revenue-generating clubs — 2025	Value
Real Madrid	£1.2 billion
Man City	£727 million
PSG	£700 million
Man United	£668 million
Bayern Munich	£664 million
FC Barcelona	£659.5 million
Arsenal	£621.5 million
Liverpool	£620 million
Tottenham Hotspur	£533 million
Chelsea	£474 million

However, Levy’s reputation for underspending compared to rivals was a key complaint of his tenure, and arguably contributed towards Tottenham’s lack of silverware during the 24 years he was chairman.

Now, Spurs insist a “new era” has begun with the swathe of recent boardroom changes, and it will be very intriguing to see how the north Londoners tackle their first transfer market post-Levy.

Frank has overseen an excellent start to 2025/2026, and worked wonders to tempt Xavi Simons with a move to Tottenham, according to super agent Ali Barat.

Reports over the summer claimed that Frank was also really pushing to sign Man City forward Savinho, and the Dane apparently believed that he could do ‘big things’ in north London, as per the reliable Fabrizio Romano.

Pep Guardiola was publicly clear that he wanted to keep the Brazil international and a potential Spurs move ultimately fell through, with City rejecting two bids, including an offer just under £61 million (Fabrizio Romano).

Savinho transfer to Tottenham alive for January after previous Levy plan

As per journalist Dean Jones, speaking to TEAMtalk, Levy was prepared to pay up to £65m for Savinho in the summer, and Tottenham know the winger wanted to join them before deadline day on September 1.

Spurs are still keeping an eye on Savinho, and it is believed they could move in January if Frank’s side get enough encouragement.

Savinho has played just 37 minutes in all competitions so far.

This is partly down to injury, but if the ex-Girona star continues to be on the fringes of Guardiola’s plans, a January move could well tempt him.

Savinho faces a battle to get into the starting eleven on a regular basis amid Jeremy Doku’s sensational start to the season, and with the 2026 World Cup looming, the 21-year-old may fancy a move elsewhere as Frank’s side maintain a serious interest.

His best-ever campaign yielded 11 goals and 10 assists in 41 appearances for title-chasing Girona in 23/24, and Guardiola has called Savinho an “exceptional” player.

Mikel Arteta believes Eberechi Eze still has plenty more to bring to Arsenal’s attacking play after watching him score his first goal for the club in Wednesday’s 2-0 Carabao Cup win over Port Vale.

Eze struck just eight minutes into the match at Vale Park but, despite that early strike, Arsenal struggled to create clear opportunities against their League One hosts, not killing the game off until substitute Leandro Trossard struck in the 86th minute.

Arteta expecting more from Arsenal signing Eze

But Eze’s goal – his first since he returned to the club in a £60million move from Crystal Palace – already looked like being enough for Arsenal on a night when the 27-year-old was the brightest of Arsenal’s attacking players.

Eze, on £9.3m a year at the Emirates, started on the left of Arsenal’s attack for this match but has already lined up in a number of different positions for Arteta in his five appearances to date.

Arsenal spent the summer looking to add greater depth to the squad as they aim to compete on multiple fronts this term and that showed on the team sheet here as Arteta made nine changes from Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Manchester City but still fielded a strong side.

Kepa Arrizabalaga made his debut in goal, Christian Norgaard got a first start in midfield and Bukayo Saka clocked up an hour as he returns from a hamstring injury, with Arteta saying he now had a number of decisions to make ahead of Sunday’s trip to Newcastle.

Weekly wages: Arsenal FC 2025/26 highest-paid players

Who is top of the Arsenal payroll?

ByCharlie Smith Sep 23, 2025

“What we need to do… is generate the performances that we want with the players that haven’t really played together, with a completely different midfield than they’ve played together before, with a front line that is different as well,” he said.

“Max [Dowman] came in as well and connect(ed) immediately with the team. It’s a lot of positives to take from the game. That’s exactly what we want, that they’re giving us and me those headaches because that means that they are so connected with the team, that they really want to help the team. Everybody will play a lot of minutes.”

Newcastle United have been dealt their perennial early-season injury issues, but there’s little question that Eddie Howe’s side are in a good position to meet their targets this year; perhaps they will even exceed them.

The backline has stood strong and firm for most of Howe’s tenure, but he has reinforced the St. James’ Park defences this summer and appears to have added layers to the existing fold too. Nick Pope has five clean sheets from seven Premier League matches, and as the goalkeeper ranks joint-fifth for saves made (19), all can be observed to be pulling their weight.

However, with Alexander Isak sold to Liverpool for a record-breaking fee, the Magpies entered the campaign freighted with fresh worries about the quality in attack. Yoane Wissa still hasn’t made his debut for the club as he recovers from a knee injury, and that has been fuel for the fire.

But the intensity of the blaze has been allayed through the fast start to life in England of Nick Woltemade.

Newcastle's big-money buy

If Newcastle are fools for spending the big bucks on Woltemade in August, what does that make those who opted against landing such a unique and dangerous centre-forward?

Seven games in, the former Stuttgart man has notched four goals in black and white, and he’s earning the respect and focus of more than just Tyneside’s devoted fans.

Different to Isak, Woltemade still boasts far more than a sharp shot, and his early foray into the English game has told of an exciting future for both player and club, the potential to join Isak and maybe even the legendary Alan Shearer in the highest regard of those strikers who were not one cut but several above the rest.

Four goals in seven hardly make a young and aspiring forward the next Shearer, but already the 23-year-old has proved himself a reliable goalscorer in the Premier League, with the sharpness of mind to rival Isak for the crown as Newcastle’s best modern nine.

However, Shearer’s role and reputation in Newcastle surpassed the success he had as a goalscorer. A true talismanic force, he led the club for many years and understood inherently what it means to be a Geordie.

And Newcastle may have their next version. No, it’s not boyhood fan Dan Burn (although he is of course a legend in his own right).

No, the man in question here arrived from overseas, but he’s an adopted son of this city and one of the key pillars of the Howe era.

Howe's own version of Shearer

It all started with Howe. And then Howe got to work during the January 2022 transfer window and signed a wealth of talented players to climb away from relegation danger and up and up the Premier League ladder.

And among the first through the door was Bruno Guimaraes, who joined from Lyon for a £41m fee toward the end of the window. He was 24 at the time, and it was considered a coup.

Into his fifth campaign on Tyneside, the Brazil international has been both a leader and a marvel in the middle of the park, with his combative defending and fierce pressing and elegant passing leading all the big clubs to come sniffing. He has remained loyal.

But the £100m prices that have been mooted here and there underline his skill and the belief from elsewhere that Newcastle have a truly special player in their mix.

Hailed as a “machine” of a midfielder by blogger Thomas Hammond, the 27-year-old has maintained impressive fitness levels and has been deployed more often than any other Newcastle player across Howe’s tenure.

Howe’s Most-used Newcastle Players

Player

Seasons

Apps

Fabian Schar

5

163

Bruno Guimaraes

5

160

Dan Burn

5

158

Jacob Murphy

5

144

Joelinton

5

138

Data via Transfermarkt

He’d bleed for the badge, and has been rewarded for his tenacity and commitment with two Champions League campaigns in three terms, winning the Carabao Cup last year besides.

The £160k-per-week talent is unquestionably one of the best in the business, and he is also the captain of the United fold, with Howe speaking in the past of his awe for Newcastle’s “difference-maker”.

Had he never arrived, Newcastle might never have hit the heights reached over the past few years. Perhaps the drive and verve they played with for much of 2024/25 would never have led them to triumph in the Carabao Cup.

But even in defeat, Guimaraes speaks with a passion that cannot be forged, cannot be imitated. The loss to Liverpool in August would be a case in point, having taken a subtle dig at Isak as he held his head high even after Rio Ngumoha sank hearts across St. James’ Park with a cruel last-minute winner.

There stood a leader, a talisman Shearer was proud of watching. Isak might have had the 55-year-old’s respect for his ability to find the back of the net, but Guimaraes is by far a better embodiment of what it takes to wear the Newcastle badge.

Shearer is the all-time record scorer in the Premier League with 260 goals. Even for a phenomenon like Manchester City’s Erling Haaland (who has 94 goals), that will take some beating.

The retired striker said he lived out his “dream” at Newcastle, even though Manchester United came calling when he was at Blackburn Rovers, even though he unlaced his boots and hung them up without any silverware to display across ten campaigns on Tyneside.

Guimaraes bears a trophy in his own cabinet, but he too has had offers from more established superpowers, and he remains when some of his high-level teammates have ventured off for greener pastures.

He wears the armband, and he deserves it. Guimaraes is the leader of this remarkable Howe project, and he is closer to Shearer than Isak ever was.

Related PIF have overpaid for "mega-money" Newcastle signing & it's not Woltemade

One of Newcastle’s key signings over the summer may well have an “inflated valuation” & it’s not Nick Woltemade.

Posts ByJoe Nuttall Oct 9, 2025

The teams have been involved in some of the fiercest battles over 30 years, and now clash for the big title at Lord’s

Alex Malcolm10-Jun-20252:47

Five key questions ahead of the WTC final

Big picture: Is South Africa’s XI more settled than Australia’s?This will be the first World Test Championship final at Lord’s, the home of cricket. But it won’t be the first time Australia and South Africa meet in a Test match at Lord’s. In 1912, the two sides met in the fifth match of a Triangular Test tournament between the only three Test nations in the world at the time, that ran from late May until late August, with England triumphing.Although the tournament was an unsuccessful one-off event, in some ways it was a precursor to the World Test Championship (WTC). For the record, Australia beat South Africa at Lord’s by 10 wickets 113 years ago. They start this week’s final as defending champions and warm favourites, with former South African greats even acknowledging and embracing the underdog status.Those same former greats and the team itself can feel the weight of this final. South Africa are fighting history, with their only previous title being the ICC Knockout in 1998. They are fighting perceptions, too, of having supposedly not earned their place in the decider because of a perceived easy route, despite winning their last seven Tests after winning just one of their first five in the two-year cycle. They are also fighting a familiar foe. South Africa and Australia have played out some of the feistiest and most entertaining Test battles over the past 30 years.Related

Cummins backs Australia's new-look top three; Bavuma smells an 'opportunity' there

Australia's Awesome Foursome among the best in Test history

Conrad on SA's C-word tag: 'Unfair to burden this group'

FAQs – Is there a reserve day and what happens in case of a draw?

But their most recent meeting in 2022-23 was arguably the most uncompetitive in three decades. And despite some suggestions from Kagiso Rabada, among others, that things could get spicy, the Australia team that will arrive at Lord’s on Wednesday is not a stereotypical one.While South Africa can feel the weight of history and the significance of this final on their Test future, Australia have taken an entirely different approach. Previous Australian teams might have taken a trip to Gallipoli or the Somme to imbibe the spirit of the Anzacs ahead of a final like this. Those days, though, are long gone for this Australian team. Just as they did two years ago ahead of the WTC 2023 final, they prioritised five days of golf in northern Scotland over a practice match as part of another relaxed and bespoke build-up.2:58

Finch: Australia’s batting gives them the edge over SA

Most of Australia’s squad have been there and done it before. They know what to expect and how to handle the occasion, with the core of the group gunning for a fourth world title across three formats in four years. They boast of one of the best bowling quartets of all time, and have one of the best batters of all time in Steven Smith, who has been back near his best this year. Travis Head is also on a streak of consecutive match-winning centuries in his last two global finals.But they had some key questions to answer over the XI. Cameron Green being fit to bat, and in fine form, but unable to bowl is a spanner in the works given he has not played in Australia’s last seven Tests. He will now bat No. 3 for just the second time in his first-class career, in his first Test in 15 months, while Marnus Labuschagne opens the batting for the first time in Test cricket. It will also mean Usman Khawaja will have a fifth different opening partner in nine Tests.South Africa’s batting order has lined up as expected. But most of them will be unknowns of sorts to Australia’s attack, with only Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma having played Test cricket against them before, although Australia’s quicks have seen plenty of Tristan Stubbs and Ryan Rickelton in the IPL, with Stubbs and Mitchell Starc having also played together.Form guideSouth Africa: WWWWW
Australia: WWWWD1:05

Finch: The way Labuschagne has been playing is ‘concerning’

In the spotlight: Kagiso Rabada and Marnus LabuschagneKagiso Rabada has been in the headlines for the wrong reasons over the last few months, and it will be intriguing to see how he performs in the WTC final. He looms as Australia’s biggest threat, given he dismantled England in his last Test appearance at Lord’s, and has tormented Australia down the years – especially when the ball swings and seams. The break from the IPL may have done Rabada a favour in terms of freshening up for the final. Australia collared a tired Rabada in flat conditions in the last two Tests of the 2022-23 series. But coming in fresh with a chip on his shoulder, and brandishing a brand-new Duke’s ball under dank skies at Lord’s, he looms as a potential match-winner for South Africa.Marnus Labuschagne is under the most pressure he has ever faced in his Test career. Nearing his 31st birthday, with 57 Tests and over 4000 runs to his name, he should have been in the prime of his career and at the peak of his powers. Instead, Labuschagne is fighting for his immediate future. He is now being asked to bat out of position for the first time in six years. His performances in three innings for Glamorgan last month would have done little to allay any fears about his overall form. Labuschagne’s last first-class century came opening the batting for Glamorgan, but it was over 12 months ago. The selectors, though, are banking on his experience shining through in the final.Team news: Ngidi the third quick; Konstas made to waitSouth Africa’s same top six that faced Pakistan in January has been retained at Lord’s, with Wiaan Mulder continuing at No. 3. Tony de Zorzi, though, misses out. There also appears to be no temptation to throw an all-out pace attack at Australia. Lungi Ngidi, meanwhile, has got the nod ahead of Dane Paterson.South Africa : 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Ryan Rickleton, 3 Wiaan Mulder, 4 Temba Bavuma (capt), 5 Tristan Stubbs, 6 David Bedingham, 7 Kyle Verreynne, 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Lungi Ngidi2:03

Smith: Top-order batting ‘as tricky as I’ve seen’

Australia, extraordinarily, will try a new batting combination in the final, with Labuschagne opening and Green batting at No. 3. Green won’t be able to bowl, so Beau Webster will provide the extra seam overs if required. Josh Hazlewood has returned in place of Scott Boland as the third quick despite Hazlewood breaking down with injury in each of the last two Tests he played, which left Australia with a three-man attack on both occasions.Australia: 1 Usman Khawaja, 2 Marnus Labuschagne, 3 Cameron Green, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Travis Head, 6 Beau Webster, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Josh HazlewoodPitch and conditions: Look up and look downIt had been a very dry start to the English summer up until the last week. Neither Australia nor South Africa have much experience of playing at Lord’s in early June, and there will be some guessing about the conditions. Given the dry spring, the surface is on the drier side which could mean more of an impact for the spinners. The forecast looks good with warm temperatures coming, although there is a chance of a few thunderstorms.Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, and Josh Hazlewood are the first four-man attack in Test history to play together with 250 wickets each•Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesStats and trivia Australia and South Africa have met three times in neutral Tests, with all three played in 1912. Australia won two of those Tests at Manchester and Lord’s. The third at Nottingham was drawn. Pat Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon are the first four-man attack in Test history to play together with 250 wickets each. But Rabada alone has 327 wickets at a better average and strike rate than all four of them. Australia have played 40 Tests at Lord’s for 18 wins, seven losses and 15 draws. South Africa have played 18 there, winning six, losing eight and drawing four. Quotes”You only get a few opportunities if you’re lucky in your career to try and win one. It’s a trophy we’ve spoken a lot about over the last couple of years. We wanted to be in this final. Personally, I think that 2023 World Cup title is going to be tough to beat, but this is a good one. Test cricket is my favourite format.”
“In our preparation, a lot of it has been emotive. It has been about understanding what the occasion is about, being here at Lord’s, and from a motivation point of view, there’s not much that I can do. If players needed to be motivated, then that would be a problem. Now it’s just kind of getting down to the fact that we actually need to play the game. Let’s play what is in front of us. Let’s not get caught up into too much of the story and what could be. And just be ready for what’s to come.”

SAIDS confirmed the presence of Benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, in its findings

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jun-2025

Kagiso Rabada will feature in the WTC final•Gallo Images

The recreational drug which resulted in South Africa seamer Kagiso Rabada’s one-month suspension from cricket has been confirmed as cocaine by the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS). The organisation, which is a signatory of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), publishes the findings of adverse drug tests a month after the appeal period for sanctioned athletes lapses.SAIDS published its findings today, June 3, which confirmed the presence of Benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, in Rabada’s results. Benzoylecgonine is formed in the liver after the ingestion of cocaine, and is excreted in urine.Rabada was tested on January 21, during the SA20. He played in the entirety of that competition, for MI Cape Town, and for South Africa at the Champions Trophy before his results were known. He was informed of his positive test in late March, and served a one-month ban between April 1 and May 1, which kept him out of a significant part of the IPL, though his absence from the tournament was put down to personal reasons.Related

Rabada sorry about drug use but 'won't be Mr-I-Apologise'

SA hope Rabada puts ban behind him as WTC final beckons

Rabada cleared to play again after serving doping suspension

The duration of Rabada’s sanction was determined by the nature of the drug (recreational and not performance enhancing), his commitment to an educational program, and that he ingested the substance on a non-match day, which is classified as out of competition. All that reduced his ban to one month. Rabada did not appeal against the one-month ban.On May 3, Rabada issued a statement through the South African Cricketers Association, in which he admitted use of a recreational drug but did not provide any further details. By then, he had already served his sanction and returned to the IPL, where he played two matches for Gujarat Titans before joining up with the South African squad for the World Test Championship final. Rabada has received support from CSA, national coach Shukri Conrad, and captain Temba Bavuma, who all said they had drawn a line under the issue.Last Friday, when South Africa left for the United Kingdom, Rabada made his first public statement since serving his ban and said he would not be seen as “Mr I apologise” but would discuss it in more detail with his team-mates.Rabada also anticipates a backlash from Australia, whose former captain Tim Paine has already criticised the secrecy around Rabada returning to South Africa from the IPL in early April. Rabada indicated he was ready for whatever they throw at him. “They come at you, and I think that gets the best out of me – and they have been notorious for that over the years, right? So yeah, let’s see.”

After Thomas Tuchel’s England side defeated Wales in convincing fashion, courtesy of goals from Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins and Bukayo Saka, their focus now turn towards Tuesday’s trip to face Latvia.

It was another statement victory from the Three Lions, who found themselves three goals to the good by the 20th minute. Starting as they meant to go on, Rogers was perfectly placed to slam home Marc Guehi’s cutback in the third minute, before Watkins converted courtesy of Saka’s pass just eight minutes later.

The best goal was saved for last. Saka cut inside in vintage fashion before finding the upright to leave Karl Darlow with no chance. It is fair to say that Tuchel is finally beginning to make his impact as the 2026 World Cup closes in.

Four England stars Thomas Tuchel could rescue after Southgate struggles

The former Chelsea boss isn’t afraid to make some bold choices…

ByTom Cunningham Sep 7, 2025

Now looking ahead to Tuesday’s World Cup qualifier against Latvia, we’ve taken at five things to expect from England.

5 Elliot Anderson and Declan Rice's midfield partnership

Ever since Kalvin Phillips dropped out of England contention, the Three Lions have had a midfield problem next to Declan Rice. For so long, it was that aforementioned duo at the heart of Gareth Southgate’s midfield. They sat deep and provided the foundation for England’s best attacking players to thrive and that’s when they had some of their best success – reaching the final of the 2020 Euros.

As England fell short at the final hurdle once again at the 2024 Euros – this time against Spain – it was clear that balance was missing from their midfield without a clear partner for Rice. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kobbie Mainoo and Jude Bellingham all tried filling that role, but all failed. And now, a new contender has emerged under Tuchel.

Minutes

630

543

Goals

0

1

Progressive Passes

63

36

Ball Recoveries

55

29

Elliott Anderson thrived in September’s international break and his partnership with Rice dominated Wales and could do the same against Latvia. If it proves as successful as last time, then the Three Lions could have an unexpected answer to their problem.

4 How will Lewis-Skelly respond to Tuchel's warning?

Tuchel certainly hasn’t been afraid to say what he thinks so far and the latest to discover that trait has been Myles Lewis-Skelly. The Arsenal man has struggled to get into Mikel Arteta’s strongest side so far this season and has been warned that it could cost him his World Cup place if things don’t change soon.

It makes the game against Latvia crucial for Lewis-Skelly. Whilst he hasn’t been given the opportunity to impress for Arsenal this season, the defender should look to take full advantage of Tino Livramento’s injury to stake his claim for a starting place under Tuchel in the coming months.

Whether it’s 22-year-old Livramento or 19-year-old Lewis-Skelly, the battle to claim that starting left-back spot only looks destined to heat up as the World Cup approaches.

3 Red-hot Kane to continue ruthless streak

There were some opinions at last year’s Euros that suggested Harry Kane was no longer the man to lead England’s frontline. The forward, carrying an injury throughout the tournament, often struggled to make his mark and watched on as Cole Palmer, Ollie Watkins and others stole the spotlight.

Now, at 32 years old, some may have expected the former Tottenham Hotspur forward to continue those struggles before gradually being forced out of Tuchel’s side. However, the reality is that Kane is neck and neck with Erling Haaland as the world’s best striker – even at 32.

Any suggestions that he’s no longer good enough to lead England are long gone. Instead, the question often asked about the striker these days is just how many he’ll score. In his last 10 games for Bayern Munich, he has scored an incredible 18 goals and looks destined to continue that ruthless streak for the Three Lions.

2 Nico O'Reilly provides Tuchel with unexpected dilemma

Although it’s easy to complain about the international break, it does provide some memorable moments for the likes of Nico O’Reilly, who has earned his first call-up following Reece James’ injury. The Manchester City left-back has made the role his own under Pep Guardiola, which is no easy task, and now has an unexpected chance to do the same for England.

Tuchel has already shown his willingness to not only hand fresh players their chance, but also hand them a permanent place if they impress enough. Anderson has so far benefitted from that, Loftus-Cheek could do so, and O’Reilly may well be next in line to hand the England boss a selection headache.

1 Has Rashford done enough to start?

After reclaiming his England place, Marcus Rashford will now have all eyes on a starting place. Last month, it was Noni Madueke who surprised many with his performances.

This time around, Rashford could take his Barcelona form into the England camp. No longer the shunned Manchester United star, the winger has been back to his best on the biggest stage in Spain.

England have so often missed his directness from the left-hand side, but his form simply did not warrant a starting place. Having scored three goals and assisted another five in eight games for Barcelona, though, the 27-year-old has arguably done enough to break into Tuchel’s strongest side against Wales and Latvia.