Former Germany midfielder Dietmar Hamann has become the latest to join the bandwagon and criticise the national team after their loss to Slovakia.
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Manchester United’s pursuit of Benjamin Sesko this summer feels as though it’s been dragging out for months, with an end to the saga currently not in sight for the Red Devils.
Ruben Amorim’s side have struggled to win the race for the RB Leipzig striker’s signature, also facing competition from fellow Premier League side Newcastle United.
Rumours have been circulating that current centre forward Rasmus Hojlund could potentially be included in any move to bring the cost of the transfer down this summer.
However, with the September 1st transfer deadline rapidly approaching, the hierarchy will need to act quickly if they are to secure the Slovenian’s signature ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
There’s no denying that the 22-year-old will remain as their number one target between now and the end of the window, but other targets are being considered as a result of the saga.
The latest on United’s hunt for new additions this summer
As previously mentioned, Newcastle are also considering a move for Sesko, even taking the next step in their pursuit of the forward after submitting their second offer in recent days.
However, David Ornstein confirmed this afternoon that the Red Devils have made their own offer for the 22-year-old, totalling £74m including add-ons – leaving the player to decide which move he prefers this summer.
Despite the update on a move for Sesko, bids are also being prepared for other options, with PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma a player in their sights, according to Stretty News.
They claim that the Red Devils and Jason Wilcox are preparing a €30m (£26m) bid for the 26-year-old, who currently has one year left on his contract with the Ligue 1 giants.
It also states that the Italian international could be keen on a move to England this summer, after his current employers landed Lucas Chevalier to be their new number one this summer.
Why United’s £26m target would be a better signing than Sesko
There’s no doubt that, after scoring just 44 league goals in their 38 outings last season, United desperately need a new striker if they are to rise up the table throughout 2025/26.
The additions of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo have already added needed quality into the final third, but further moves by Wilcox and co are needed if the club are to endure any success during Amorim’s reign.
Sesko, who scored 21 times last season, would undoubtedly offer an upgrade to the boss, but with the Magpies’ advances, it could make a deal somewhat trickier, even though they have made their own offer in recent hours.
Cheaper alternatives have already appeared on their radar, with Ollie Watkins and Nicolas Jackson two Premier League-proven options they could turn to as a result.
Both could easily fill the needed void at the top end of the pitch, with any money saved potentially playing a huge part in their move to land goalkeeper Donnarumma.
A shot-stopper has also been desperately needed, with current number one Andre Onana out injured, but also dropping multiple clangers during his spell in the side last season. Indeed, he made five errors leading to a goal in the Premier League and Europa League combined.
The Cameroonian cost the side in numerous key moments, including the Bilbao final, where he was unable to keep the ball out from Brennan Johnson’s close-range effort.
Donnarumma, who’s been labelled “phenomenal” by former ‘keeper Diego Lopez, has showcased his talents in recent times, registering 2.2 saves per 90 last season, helping the French side win the Champions League.
He also ranked in the top 15% of all ‘keepers in Europe for goals conceded per 90, handing United that needed quality they’ve been lacking between the sticks in recent months.
Statistics (per 90)
Tally
Games played
24
Goals against per 90
1.08
Saves made
2.2
Save percentage
70%
Pass accuracy
86%
Defensive actions outside the box
0.9
% of passes launched
13%
Errors leading to goals
0
The major key to any move for the former AC Milan star is his lack of errors, not making a single mistake that led to a goal, which would see him massively provide an upgrade on Onana.
£26m for a player of his calibre in today’s market would be phenomenal business, handing Amorim a superb option to bolster his chances of success at Old Trafford.
There’s no doubt that Sesko would provide an excellent option in attacking areas, but there are cheaper options available this summer that could offer just as big of an impact, which could also free up funds to pursue a move for Donnarumma.
Amorim's very own Ibrahimovic: Man Utd to make bid for "phenomenal" talent
Manchester United are making moves for a player who could replicate Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
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The South Africa head coach says that growing the talent pool means sometimes playing youngsters in big series
Firdose Moonda16-Nov-2024South Africa’s white-ball coach Rob Walter will make “no excuses,” for South Africa’s 3-1 defeat to India but explained the series as a “balancing act,” between fielding the best XI and exposing younger players to top-level competition.In particular, South Africa’s attack, who conceded over 200 three times in four matches, were in focus. They were without the experience of Kagiso Rabada (rested), Lungi Ngidi (injured), Anrich Nortje and Tabraiz Shamsi (both no longer nationally contracted) and appeared out of their depth, or at least out of practice. Marco Jansen and Gerald Coetzee both made their returns from months on the sidelines as they recovered from injury and concentrated on conditioning, Andile Simelane debuted in the series, Nqaba Peter played his first internationals at home and Lutho Sipamla returned to the fold after a period of three years, all of which left Keshav Maharaj as the senior-most hand, who lacked support.Walter argued that is in the inevitable consequence of trying to deepen the player pool.Related
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“To grow the net of players, there’s times we have to play younger guys even in big series against good teams. And ultimately, that’s where they’re going to learn the most,” he said in Johannesburg after South Africa’s 135-run defeat in the fourth T20I. “It’s really a balancing act and there’s no right or wrong. We’re trying to get it right, we’re trying to get rest right, we’re trying to get rotation right, we’re trying to get exposure right all at the same time. But it doesn’t excuse the performance. We still need to be better and that starts with me as the head coach of the team.”Since Walter took over in February 2023, South Africa have played seven bilateral T20I series and not won any of them, which he acknowledged is an “incredibly difficult,” thing to accept. But it may be made easier with the knowledge that he is also the only coach to oversee the men’s team to a major tournament final, at this year’s T20 World Cup.Asked to explain the discrepancy between their bilateral form and the tournament success, Walter did not miss a beat. “The easy answer is that when we go to the world tournaments, we’re picking our very best 15 players but we can’t pick those same 15 players every single time we play. It’s just not feasible. It’s just too much cricket. So, the rest of the time we have to build our base of players up to be to the same level, which is what you’re seeing with the Indian side, right?”Only four of the XI that won the T20 World Cup in June were part of the Indian squad that beat South Africa in this series, which speaks as much to the quality of their depth as it does to the concern with South Africa’s and Walter recognised that.Lutho Sipamla returned to the fold for South Africa after three years•AFP/Getty Images”Their fringe players are stepping up and creating pressure on the guys that are in main XI,” he said. “Ultimately, if you look at the stats around the number of players used by the different international sides, they all sit in the same space over the last two years, in between 30 and 36 players roughly. Everyone’s attempting to do the same thing because the cricket landscape is actually the same for everyone.”And that’s where he may stand corrected, to some extent. India are the only country who do not have to concern themselves with losing players to franchise leagues because they do not allow their active players to compete anywhere but the IPL, which offers sufficient compensation. South Africa, whose home currency, the Rand, is the weakest among SENA countries, are at particular risk of their players opting for hard currency payments in leagues abroad and the two biggest examples are Nortje and Shamsi. Both opted out of central contracts this year – Nortje partly because he wanted to manage which formats he played as he came back from a severe injury – and though they are available for South Africa, there is also a need to look elsewhere.”A guy like Anrich, I certainly wouldn’t doubt his want to play for South Africa and his commitment to do that. But he made a decision personally around contracting so that he could move away from playing Test cricket for a while. I think physically he was finding it a bit tough to do everything and I respect that,” Walter said. “At the end of the day, when it comes to the world tournaments, we want to pick our best side. And if he is one of those best players, we consider him. Shammo has done exactly the same thing. We need to be cognisant of what’s happening in world cricket. It’s not easy and the national side is competing with franchise cricket. The money lies in franchise cricket, not international cricket. That’s the reality that we live in.”There was an audible sigh before he finished that thought. “And so, again, the balancing act continues.”
Brendan Doggett’s six-for toppled the visitors before McSweeney was solid for Australia A
Andrew McGlashan31-Oct-20241:00
Bailey: Bancroft’s consistency will count for something
Australia A 99 for 4 trail India A 107 (Doggett 6-15) by eight runsEvents on the first day in Mackay were unlikely to have provided a definitive answer about who opens for Australia in Perth, but the selectors will have been left scratching their heads more than ever after Sam Konstas and Cameron Bancroft collected ducks and Marcus Harris couldn’t convert a start for Australia A with Nathan McSweeney doing most to advance his credentials.When McSweeney inserted India A, thoughts were that the batting contest may have to wait a while, but after Brendan Doggett bagged a career-best 6 for 15 – in conditions that offered some assistance throughout to make life tricky for the batters – contenders to partner Usman Khawaja in the first Test were taking strike before tea. And two of them were out before the interval.Related
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Konstas, the 19-year-old who has been the most talked-about player this season, edged behind in the opening over against Mukesh Kumar as he looked to drive, and Bancroft, after four single-figure Sheffield Shield scores, was given caught down the leg side although replays showed it came off the thigh pad. Bancroft, who couldn’t force his way back into the Test side last season despite prolific domestic form, threw his head back in frustration.Harris reached double figures but was unconvincing. He survived a huge appeal for caught behind and was then dropped on 8 at third slip by Baba Indrajith against a ball that straightened from around the wicket from Kumar. After the let-off he managed a pleasing on-drive but gave his innings away when he flashed at Prasidh Krishna, who is part of India’s Test squad, and was sharply taken at second slip. Prasidh could have had a third late in the day when Cooper Connolly was given a life in the cordon.To add to the intrigue McSweeney, who bats three in the Sheffield Shield but is No. 4 here to accommodate the three openers above him, played as solidly as anyone all day, facing 110 balls for his 29, to give further credence to the talk that he may yet be the solution at the top of the order.Speaking earlier in the day in Melbourne, Australia head coach Andrew McDonald admitted there was more uncertainty around selection than is ideal, but the final decision would not come down to a single innings.Sam Konstas walks off after making a duck•Getty Images
“I think sometimes you’re pushed into a space where you can’t give certainty a long way out,” he said. “There is a balance in that we prefer to be more settled coming for the summer, no doubt. If you have certainly that’s fantastic, but there’ll be moving parts in the summer as well that create discussions and decisions about who’s going to play the next Test. Whilst we want to give clarity and certainty, sometimes that’s not always able to happen.”There’s a lot of context and consideration around body of work for those senior players in Marcus Harris and Cameron Bancroft. Clearly Sam Konstas hasn’t been able to have that body of work behind him because of the limited Shield cricket that he’s played, and Nathan McSweeney is somewhere in the middle of that.”You take Sam for example, he’s had limited experience in Perth, and then obviously up to the Gabba, so there’s incredible challenges for players who haven’t played in those conditions before, but it’s not to say that he can’t do that either – he’s a fast learner.”The tone for the bowler-dominated day was set in the second over when India A captain Ruturaj Gaikwad was brilliantly caught down the leg side first ball by Josh Philippe. Jordan Buckingham added a second in his first spell with a lovely delivery to find the edge of Abhimanyu Easwaran who is another in India’s full Test group.Sai Sudharsan made a promising start before edging behind against Doggett to begin what would be a memorable day for the South Australia quick who was only in the side as a second reserve having been called up to replace the injured Liam Hatcher, who in turn had replaced Mark Steketee.Doggett hit the perfect full length on a surface offering the quicks encouragement and troubled all the batters. After offspinner Todd Murphy had removed Indrajith on the stroke of lunch – given caught at short leg when it was unclear if bat was involved – Doggett really got to work after the interval as he scythed through the middle order.Ishan Kishan flashed an edge behind looking to counterattack and Devdutt Padikkal, who had provided the most resistance and was the day’s top scorer with 36, edged an attempted drive to give Philippe his fifth catch. Doggett’s fifth came when he trapped Manav Suthar with a yorker and a career-best sixth when he cleaned up Prasidh to leave India A 86 for 9. Navdeep Saini (23) managed to lift the total into three figures.
أكد بيب جوارديولا، مدرب مانشستر سيتي، أنه يريد أن يستمر في تقديم كرة القدم التي يحبها، وذلك حتى نهاية مسيرته الكروية واعتزال التدريب.
وتلقى جوارديولا انتقادات كبيرة، بعد الدفاع بشكل مبالغ فيه أمام آرسنال يوم الأحد الماضي، ضمن منافسات الجولة الخامسة من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.
مانشستر سيتي فشل في تحقيق الفوز على آرسنال وتعادل معه بهدف لكل فريق على ملعب الإمارات، حيث سجل جابرييل مارتينيلي هدفًا متأخرًا حرم السيتيزن من خلاله من تحقيق الانتصار.
ويستعد مانشستر سيتي لمواجهة مرتقبة مساء اليوم الأربعاء مع نظيره هدرسفيلد تاون، ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس الرابطة الإنجليزية.
اقرأ أيضًا.. تشكيل مانشستر سيتي المتوقع أمام هدرسفيلد اليوم في كأس كاراباو
وقال جوارديولا في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “مترو”: ”حتى اعتزالي في هذا النادي أو حتى تاريخ اعتزالي بشكل عام أتمنى أن ألعب بالطريقة التي أريدها، أحيانًا لا نكون قادرين على اللعب بشكل جيد والخصم أفضل، عندما ندافع بعمق يكون بسبب أمور عديدة”.
وأضاف: ”لكن من حيث المبدأ أفضل استعادة الكرة إلى الأمام والاستحواذ على الكرة كثيرًا لتفكيك دفاع الخصوم ومحاولة معاقبتهم، لطالما كنت هكذا وسأظل كذلك، إذا لم يحدث ذلك أقول لكم لأننا كنا سيئين، لم نكن جيدين وليس لأننا نريد ذلك”.
وأوضح: “دائمًا عندما فاز مانشستر سيتي بالدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز كنا فريقًا مملًا، أليس كذلك؟ لهذا السبب قلت حسنًا، سأعتمد على الهجمات المرتدة أكثر هذا الموسم”.
وأردف: “دائمًا ما يكون فريقنا مميزًا للغاية عندما نضغط بقوة، فشكلنا وطريقة لعبنا تجعلنا نستعيد الكرة بشكل أسرع، هذا ما ميز فريقنا خلال العقد الماضي، وعندما لا نملك ذلك وهذا ما حدث ضد أرسنال لأننا لم ندفع بالكثير من اللاعبين في الهجوم، فسوف نعاني ونلجأ إلى الدفاع بشكل أعمق”.
وتابع: “أنا متأكد من أننا سنتحسن تدريجيًا، ففي المباراتين ضد مانشستر يونايتد ونابولي رأينا أشياءًا تعجبني كثيرًا في جوانب عديدة، صحيح أننا ارتكبنا أخطاءًا لكن هذا ليس السؤال”.
واختتم: “ضد آرسنال، لأنهم فريق جيد دافعنا، وهذا لم يحدث من قبل في مسيرتي لفترة طويلة جدًا، معًا متماسكين في الوسط والعمق، لم نكن قادرين على فعل ذلك أبدًا ونجحنا في الدفاع، أعتبر هذا أمرًا إيجابيًا للغاية لمستقبلنا”.
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.
Glasgow Rangers have reportedly submitted an offer worth over £1m in an attempt to sign their latest EFL star for Russell Martin.
Latest Rangers transfer news
The Gers have endured a frustrating start under Martin. After such a promising summer, which has been full of incomings, there was plenty of hopes that a new manager, new owners and a new season would result in the ultimate change. So far, however, that has been far from the case.
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He struggled in the defeat.
ByTom Cunningham Aug 14, 2025
Whilst Rangers did find a way past Viktoria Plzen on Tuesday night, it wasn’t without suffering defeat and falling back on their first-leg smashing to sneak in to the next round of Champions League qualifiers.
Outside of European football, things haven’t been much better, either. For the first time since 1989, the Scottish giants have failed to win either of their opening two league games – drawing against Motherwell and Dundee – and Martin wasted no time before airing his particular discontent about their opening day struggles.
Since his scathing review, it remains to be seen whether the former Southampton boss can tame the egos within the Rangers squad as more reinforcements potentially arrive this month.
Rangers submit opening offer to sign Charles
According to The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath, Rangers have submitted an opening offer to sign Pierce Charles worth over £1m but are yet to receive a response from Sheffield Wednesday. The Owls could certainly do with such a sale amid their financial troubles, but Dejphon Chansiri’s failure to respond currently means that any deal is off the table.
Whether the Gers attempt to get a response for a second time remains to be seen. Charles’ sale would reportedly go a long way towards paying staff wages at Sheffield Wednesday, which makes it all the more frustrating for all involved at the club that neither Rangers nor West Ham United have had a reply regarding their offers.
What’s more, it’s easy to see why clubs like Rangers and West Ham are interested in Charles. At just 20 years old, Charles forced his way into Sheffield Wednesday’s plans last season and earned the praise of former boss Danny Rohl, who said: “We have two young, good goalkeepers.
“We have James Beadle who deserves a lot of credit since he arrived last year in the relegation fight, he helped us to get a lot of points. On the other side we have our own goalkeeper with Pierce, who has worked very hard. He is now the number one for his national team and has improved a lot – he deserved it as well.”
As speculation increases over Alexander Isak’s future, Newcastle United are now reportedly racing to sign a former Manchester City player in a £30m deal this summer.
Alexander Isak asks to leave Newcastle
Having been sent home by Eddie Howe before Newcastle’s pre-season game against Celtic last weekend and then left out of the Magpies’ squad for their Asia tour, Isak now reportedly wants to leave St James’ Park. There was an insistence that the Swede had suffered a thigh injury and that was the reason for his pre-season absence and not anything transfer related, but that has since been revealed to be a smokescreen for his desire to depart.
Newcastle’s biggest fear has been realised and they now face an almighty battle to keep hold of their star man. Liverpool could reportedly come calling if they manage to sell Luis Diaz and their interest in Isak has been an open secret all summer long. Meanwhile, clubs in Saudi Arabia are also reportedly plotting a move.
It would, of course, be quite the twist if another club owned by PIF made their move to sign Isak from Newcastle, but whether such a deal takes place remains to be seen.
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The Magpies aren’t giving up.
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As for Newcastle, their attention must once again turn towards the transfer market. The Magpies have endured a tumultuous summer – missing out on a number of targets – and must now ensure that they get deals over the line for the likes of Yoane Wissa before potentially replacing Isak.
Newcastle join Adarabioyo race
One way that those in Tyneside could begin to spend any potential Isak money is by improving their backline. According to Caught Offside, Newcastle have now joined the race to sign Tosin Adarabioyo from Chelsea this summer. The defender is valued at just £30m by the Blues and could be on the move amid interest from the Magpies, Crystal Palace, West Ham United, Napoli and AC Milan.
Minutes
1,409
3,330
Progressive Passes P90
2.68
2.03
Tackles Won P90
0.83
0.65
Aerial Duels Won P90
2.68
3.95
Compared to Dan Burn, Adarabioyo would offer Newcastle an instant upgrade in possession. Meanwhile, the former Manchester City gem would also be an impressive alternative to Giorgio Scalvini.
Newcastle are reportedly interested in the Atalanta man, but with a deal yet to take place, the door has seemingly opened for the likes of Adarabioyo this summer.
Initially rising through the ranks at Man City before establishing himself at Fulham then joining Chelsea, Adarabioyo earned impressive praise from Pep Guardiola in the past.
The Spaniard told reporters: “He is fast, strong in the air, and has the quality to look forward behind the line for the next pass. He definitely has a future in the first team.”
Devdutt Padikkal, who was in Australia with the ‘A’ squad, has been asked to stay on with the Test party
Nagraj Gollapudi16-Nov-2024
Shubman Gill during India’s match simulation on Friday•Getty Images
Questions around India’s batting order for the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth grew after Shubman Gill hurt his left thumb on the second day of India’s intra-squad training match at the WACA.He picked up the injury while fielding in the slips and left the field, not to return. It could not be confirmed if the injury will affect Gill’s selection for the first Test, starting November 22 at the Optus Stadium in Perth.Gill has been bating at No. 3, but has also been lined up as an option for the opening slot alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal in case Rohit Sharma is not available for the first Test because of the birth of his second child.It has also been learnt that Devdutt Padikkal, who was part of the India A group in Australia, will stay back with the Test squad*. It could not be confirmed, however, if Padikkal will be part of the main squad or the reserves.Rohit Sharma welcomes second child but still not confirmed to play in PerthWhile they await a proper assessment of Gill’s injury, the Indian camp received the good news that Rohit’s wife Ritika Sajdeh had given birth to their second child on Friday. With the due date for delivery close to the Perth Test, Rohit had communicated to the BCCI and the selectors that he might not be available for the series opener.Related
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In the wake of the 3-0 whitewash India suffered against New Zealand recently, Rohit, it is learnt, even considered travelling to Australia to train with the team and return for the birth of his child.It’s not clear yet if he will travel to Perth in time to be available for the first Test.Another opening option, KL Rahul, had left the field during the first day of the simulation match after being struck in the elbow by a short ball. He did not come out to bat later in the day as India’s main batters had another turn at the crease. Rahul did not take the field on Saturday either.Abhimanyu Easwaran is the other option India have for the top of the order.Gill, who batted twice on Friday, made 28 in his first go before being caught at gully off a Navdeep Saini back-of-length delivery. He made an unbeaten 42 upon his return to the crease.
MP captain Patidar’s unbeaten 40-ball 81 wasn’t enough as Mumbai chased down 175 with 13 balls to spare
Himanshu Agrawal15-Dec-2024Mumbai have yet another star in the making, and yet another trophy in a cabinet which is fast running out of space. Even before the ball landed beyond the straight boundary to confirm victory in the 2024 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final against Madhya Pradesh, Suryansh Shedge was leaping and punching the air. He now has three crucial contributions in his last four innings, the latest of which helped Mumbai seal a 175-run chase with 13 balls to spare.Shedge hit an unbeaten 36 off 15 balls while adding an unbroken stand of 51 from 19 deliveries with Atharva Ankolekar, who hit the winning six. Shedge smashed three fours and three sixes during his knock, none more impressive than a six which would have made Suryakumar Yadav proud. The 21-year-old got across to a length ball from Venkatesh Iyer in the 17th over, and nonchalantly swiped him over long leg to all but confirm Mumbai’s second Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title. He now has knocks of 30* (eight balls), 36* (12) and 36* (15) in three of his last four T20 games.Related
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The chase was set up by Suryakumar and Ajinkya Rahane, who finished as the tournament’s highest run-getter. They took some time to add 52 for the third wicket, but that helped steady Mumbai after they were 47 for 2 in the fifth over. Rahane even got lucky when, off the last ball of the powerplay, he got a leading edge which flew to mid-off, where Rajat Patidar dived to his left only for the ball to escape his grasp.Rahane and Suryakumar built steadily, but with another 110 runs required from 69 balls, Suryakumar accelerated. He scooped and lofted Rahul Batham for four and six. Rahane started the next over by reverse sweeping and pulling Kumar Kartikeya for four. Venkatesh got Rahane for 37 in the 12th over, but Suryakumar bashed Batham for two sixes in the 13th.Rajat Patidar smashed an unbeaten 81 off 40 balls•PTI Shivam Shukla then had Suryakumar caught at short fine leg for 48. When Shedge and Ankolekar came together Mumbai needed 46 from 32 balls, and the match could have gone either way. But the two ensured the trophy came their way.Earlier, MP needed Patidar, their captain, to make a match out of it. He was only behind Rahane on the runs charts and continued to rake in the runs, cracking an unbeaten 81 off 40 balls with six fours and six sixes. MP were 86 for 5 at the start of the 13th over, but Patidar looked immovable, helping MP score 80 runs in the last seven overs.There was the pull, the loft, the upper cut, the slice, and the swipe to savour for a sizeable Chinnaswamy crowd, as Patidar picked up the pace after managing just nine from as many deliveries at the start. His shots had plenty of power, the ball crashed into the stands, and it made for a fearless display of T20 hitting. But, at the end of the day, Patidar’s heroics were not quite enough.