Richarlison é o nono jogador a marcar duas vezes numa estreia da Seleção Brasileira em Copa do Mundo

MatériaMais Notícias

Grande destaque da vitória da Seleção Brasileira sobre a Sérvia na última quinta-feira, o atacante Richarlison entrou em um seleto grupo de jogadores que marcaram duas vezes numa estreia de Copa do Mundo com a Amarelinha. Até então, apenas oito atletas haviam balançado as redes mais de uma vez. O Pombo foi o nono.

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O levantamento foi feito pela “365Scores”, plataforma de dados e estatísticas. Antes do camisa 9, Neymar havia marcado dois gols na estreia de 2014. Na ocasião, o Brasil bateu a Croácia por 3 a 1, na Arena Corinthians.

+ Veja a tabela, os jogos e os grupos da Copa do Mundo de 2022

Em 1958 e 1970, anos que a Seleção Brasileira foi campeã, dois jogadores também marcaram duas vezes em cada uma das estreias. Na primeira, Mazzola foi o artilheiro do dia. Já na segunda, Jairzinho, o Furacão, foi quem fez duas vezes.

Apenas um atleta marcou três vezes: Leônidas da Silva, o Diamante Negro, no Mundial de 1938, na França.

+Daniel Alves ou Militão como titular da Seleção? Redação do LANCE! diz melhor opção após lesão de Danilo

VEJA A LISTA COMPLETA

1938 – Brasil 6 x 5 Polônia – Leônidas da Silva (3) e Perácio (2)
1950 – Brasil 4 x 0 México – Ademir (2)
1954 – Brasil 5 x 0 México – Pinga (2)
1958 – Brasil 3 x 0 Áustria – Mazzola(2)
1970 – Brasil 4 x 1 Tchecoslováquia – Jairzinho (2)
1990 – Brasil 2 x 1 Suécia – Careca (2)
2014 – Brasil 3 x 1 Croácia – Neymar (2)
2022 – Brasil 2 x 0 Sérvia – Richarlison(2)

Sources: Club América set to sign top Clausura 2025 scorer José Raúl 'La Pantera' Zúñiga from Tijuana

The move comes amid Henry Martín’s injury concerns and pressure from fans to bring in top talent.

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Zúñiga scored 12 goals last seasonAmérica paid $3 million for 100 percent of his rightsHe will sign a two-year deal with an option to extendFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

With the new Liga MX season getting underway this weekend, Club América are closing in on a major attacking reinforcement. Multiple sources have confirmed the club has reached a deal to sign José Raúl “La Pantera” Zúñiga from Xolos de Tijuana.

The 30-year-old Colombian striker, who tied for the Clausura 2025 golden boot with 12 goals, is said to be joining América on a permanent deal worth $3 million. He’ll reportedly sign a two-year contract with an option to extend, and his salary will be higher than what he earned at Tijuana.

ESPN was the first to report America signing Zúñiga.

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So far, América’s summer window has been relatively quiet, with only Alexis Gutiérrez and Isaías Violante arriving. After losing the Clausura 2025 final to Toluca, fans have been vocal in demanding higher-caliber signings – especially with injuries continuing to sideline star striker Henry Martín.

With other rumored targets like Diber Cambindo (Necaxa) and Denis Bouanga (LAFC) out of reach, the front office turned its focus to Zúñiga, whose physical presence, pace, and reliable finishing made him a standout last season. He shared the top scorer honor with Uroš Đurđević of Atlas and Paulinho Dias of Toluca.

Getty Images SportDID YOU KNOW?

América initially tried to secure Zúñiga on loan, but Tijuana rejected the proposal. That pushed the board to act fast and trigger a full transfer – despite some hesitation about signing a player already in his 30s.

Zúñiga is expected in Mexico City soon to undergo medical tests. If all goes well, he’ll be officially unveiled as América’s newest forward – just in time for the start of the new campaign.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR CLUB AMÉRICA?

André Jardine’s América will kick off their Apertura 2025 campaign this Friday with a Matchday 1 clash against FC Juárez.

36,8 mil ingressos já foram vendidos para Palmeiras x Athletico-PR pela Libertadores

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras abriu a venda geral dos ingressos para o duelo com o Athletico-PR, que ocorrerá na terça-feira, dia 6 de setembro, às 21h30, no Allianz Parque, pela volta das semifinais da Libertadores. Até a última atualização divulgada pelo clube, às 11h deste domingo, 36,8 mil já foram comercializadas.

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GALERIA

>ATUAÇÕES: Danilo tem desempenho sofrível, e Merentiel é herói

TABELA

> Confira a tabela completa e simulador do Brasileirão!

As entradas podem ser adquiridas por todos os torcedores por meio do site www.ingressospalmeiras.com.br.

Caso ainda haja disponibilidade de ingressos, a venda física no Allianz Parque acontecerá nos dias 4 e 5 de setembro, das 12h às 19h, nas bilheterias do Portão B (Avenida Francisco Matarazzo). Já no dia 6, data do jogo, não haverá venda de ingressos nas bilheterias por conta do regulamento da competição.

Associados e donos de cadeiras cativas terão à disposição o setor de cobrança, localizado no 1º andar do prédio administrativo do clube social, para adquirir as entradas. O atendimento será nas mesmas datas e horários, além do dia 6, das 12h até o intervalo da partida.

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Confira o valor dos ingressos:

Gol Norte – R$ 180
Superior Norte e Sul – R$ 230
Superior Leste e Oeste – R$ 250
Gol Sul – R$ 300
Central Leste – R$ 320
Central Oeste – R$ 400

Chelsea set to sell £38m+ player Maresca doesn't want for profit in summer

Chelsea are already putting their transfer plans in place ahead of the upcoming window and may now be set to make one of their first-team stars available to interested bidders, per a report.

Chelsea make a swift start on summer transfer activity

Enzo Maresca has plenty on his plate with the Blues’ quest to secure a Champions League qualification spot in the Premier League alongside aiming to finish the campaign with a flourish by claiming the Conference League title.

However, Chelsea already have one eye on the summer transfer window regardless of their on-field objectives. Stamford Bridge will see the arrival of Geovany Quenda and Dario Essugo after deals were agreed to bring both to west London for around £62m, albeit the former is set to link up with his new teammates in 2026.

Unlikely to touch the sides, the Blues are also in the mix to sign River Plate forward Franco Mastantuono, who has a £35 million release clause at the South American giants.

Admittedly, Chelsea’s approach to bringing young talent through the door at Cobham has drawn plenty of scepticism. Still, BlueCo have made it clear they want to build a portfolio of prodigious stars for the club to develop in years to come.

Chelsea’s under-21 signings in 2024/25

Player

Previous club

Omari Kellyman

Aston Villa

Renato Veiga

Basel

Mathis Amougou

Saint-Etienne

Aaron Anselmino

Boca Juniors

Mike Penders

Genk

Caleb Wiley

Atlanta United

Marc Guiu

Barcelona

Whether they manage to make the jump to stardom or not is hard to gauge at this point. Nevertheless, players must also depart to make way for arrivals to stay compliant with PSR regulations.

With that in mind, Maresca appears to have made his mind up on one star who now looks set to leave Stamford Bridge in the near future amid recent developments.

Chelsea set to make a profit on Axel Disasi this summer

According to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are set to sell Axel Disasi this summer for a profit as he is no longer part of Maresca’s plans at Stamford Bridge.

Sent out on loan to Aston Villa in January, he is one of several high-earners who could be moved on to free up space for new additions this summer – Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell and Armando Broja are also set to be placed on the chopping block.

Chelsea must axe “special” star who’s earning more than Quenda & Madueke

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Connor Holden

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Brought in for £38.3m in August 2023, Disasi has scored five times and registered two assists in 61 appearances for Chelsea. On loan at Aston Villa, he has followed that up with a further six outings under Unai Emery.

Showcasing his firm presence across the backline, the France international has won 33 duels in the Premier League this season. However, that is unlikely to be enough for his parent club to factor him into their future plans.

On the face of it, a deal that allows Disasi regular first-team football and inherits the Blues a tidy profit would be a smart piece of business that would suit all parties.

Rahem Sterling sends out curt goodbye message to Arsenal after dismal loan spell ends and winger heads back to Chelsea

Raheem Sterling has sent out a very brief message to Arsenal as he prepares to leave the club after a loan spell and return to Chelsea.

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Sterling spent 2024-25 season on loan at ArsenalIs set to return to parent club ChelseaSends out message to clubFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Chelsea sent Sterling to Arsenal on loan at the very end of last summer's transfer window, but the winger failed to make any impression in north London. Sterling did not manage a single Premier League goal for the Gunners and only made seven starts in the top flight in the 2024-25 campaign.

AdvertisementWHAT STERLING SAID

Sterling has said goodbye to Arsenal on social media. He wrote only: "Thank you for making my family feel welcome ❤️"

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Sterling will now head back to Chelsea but is facing an uncertain summer. There appears to be little future for him at Stamford Bridge, although he remains contracted to the club until 2027. Another move may therefore be the best option for both parties, but it's not clear if he will stay in England or look to head abroad.

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@paigemilan InstagramWHAT NEXT FOR STERLING?

While Sterling's future is not yet known, he will still take a keen interest in Arsenal's fortunes as eight-year-old son Thiago has signed for the club's academy.

Shakib 'didn't think' Bangladesh would lose, but praises Ireland for spirited comeback

Andy Balbirnie lauded Tucker’s hundred, McBrine’s all-round show and Tector’s fifties, as Ireland returned to Tests after four years

Mohammad Isam07-Apr-2023

Ireland recovered from 13 for 4 in second innings, although the 138 target didn’t trouble Bangladesh•AFP/Getty Images

Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan praised the visiting Ireland team for mounting a comeback on the third day of the Dhaka Test, but said that the hosts had never lost faith in themselves at any stage of the game. Ireland recovered from 13 for 4 – and then 51 for 5 – at one stage to eventually score 292 in the second innings, and set Bangladesh a respectable 138 to chase.”We didn’t think we would lose the Test, but in this format you get a lot of time to stage a comeback,” Shakib said. “It is lesser in ODIs and even lesser in T20s. Ireland played well yesterday. We didn’t expect it. They showed a lot of fight, but that’s their nature. They are fighters. That’s what they showed to us.”Bangladesh eventually won the solitary Test of the tour by seven wickets, although they had to be patient with the ball for most of the third day. It was arguably Ireland’s best day in Test cricket, particularly poignant as they were playing the format after four years. Earlier in the match, although their batting had collapsed and folded for 214 in the first innings, their bowlers reduced Bangladesh to 40 for 3, before the hosts eventually ended 155 ahead.Related

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Meanwhile, there were questions around the lack of overs that Shakib bowled on the third day, even as Ireland mounted a fight. Bangladesh’s fast-bowling coach Allan Donald himself wasn’t sure after play as to the motive behind the move, as Shakib opted to bowl just six overs across the third day. When asked the reason for his choice after the win, Shakib was typically nonchalant in his reply at first, but later said he wanted to build a strong Test bowling attack.”There’s no real explanation. Someone isn’t bound to bowl,” he said. “If you have five or six weapons, you don’t have to use them all the time. Does it mean that the other Bangladesh bowlers aren’t good enough? I believe that we have good bowlers to take 20 wickets in a Test match.”They have certainly showed it – especially on a good pitch, the type we don’t really play on. Mirpur usually doesn’t have such a good wicket for three or four days running.”Shakib said that one of the ways Bangladesh wants to play positive cricket is by having a robust bowling attack so that it not only gives the captain more options to bowl the opposition out, but also provides some balance to the side.”You need more bowling options if you want to take 20 wickets; there’s no other way,” he said. “You will only want fewer bowlers when you have a defensive mentality, like when you want to draw the game or somehow bat well. If you want to win, you have to play with five or six bowlers.”[Mehidy Hasan] Miraz is capable of batting at No. 7, which gives us more bowling options. It is good for our team. We can rotate the bowlers, and not put too much pressure on one bowler. Taijul [Islam] obviously bowled a lot in this game, and he bowled well, but we still have a lot more options now.”Lorcan Tucker hit 108 on Test debut, while Andy McBrine got 72 and six wickets•BCB

‘Pressure was on Bangladesh’ – Ireland captain BalbirnieAndy Balbirnie, Ireland’s captain, said they believed that a 180-run target for Bangladesh would have been tricky even as the pitch remained good enough for batting on the fourth day.”The wicket was still pretty good,” he said. “Ebadot [Hossain] bowled well in the morning. He attacked the stumps, but we were confident we could get a 180 lead. Our message was [that] all the pressure was on Bangladesh. If they had lost this game, there would have been a lot more people in this press room.”Even if they were 100 for none chasing 130, the pressure was on them; no one expected Ireland to come here and win a Test match. We knew we needed early wickets, but the way Litton [Das] played took the momentum away. But we stuck at it, [and] created chances, but it just wasn’t to be.”Balbirnie was full of praise for offspinner Andy McBrine and wicketkeeper-batter Lorcan Tucker for their performance in this game. McBrine followed a six-for with the ball in the first innings with a 72 with the bat in the second – thus becoming only the second overseas cricketer to take six wickets and score a half-century in a Test in Bangladesh – while Tucker hit 108 and became the second Irishman to score a Test hundred on debut.”[McBrine is] a really high-quality performer, someone you always want in and around your team,” Balbirnie said. “I thought his innings yesterday was top class, took the momentum that Lorcan had set up and went with it. He had a clear plan when he was batting, [and] he’s very good for the ball.”I thought first innings we were maybe off with the ball. I know we took ten wickets, but they went at a decent rate. So I can’t really fault the bowlers. We hadn’t bowled long periods in a while, and coming back for third spells and their efforts were really good, and all the bowlers wanted the ball in their hand.”Balbirnie said that Tucker’s century was one of the best he had seen by an Irish batter. He also mentioned about Harry Tector’s twin fifties as noteworthy performances, with the batter also being on Test debut.”I am so thrilled for him. Over the last 18 months, he has come into his own,” Balbirnie said. “That was arguably as good a hundred as I’ve seen in an Irish shirt. Kevy (Kevin O’Brien)’s first hundred [in Ireland’s first Test] is up there, but yesterday he counter-punched. And it was an amazing effort having kept for 70-80 overs; his body wasn’t used to that, and having not played a Test match.”But there were a lot of special performances – Harry’s two 50s in the game. The top order could have done better, but it’s a good sign the middle order is going well going into next week [when Ireland play two Tests against Sri Lanka].”

"تاريخي وحياة".. إنفانتينو ينهال بالمديح على الأهلي ويوجه رسالة لجماهيره

تغزل جياني إنفانتينو، رئيس الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم “فيفا”، في فريق الأهلي قبل مواجهة إنتر ميامي الأمريكي.

ويلعب الأهلي أمام إنتر ميامي في افتتاح بطولة كأس العالم للأندية 2025، الأحد المقبل، في تمام الساعة الثالثة فجرًا.

طالع| هل توجد إصابات؟.. موقف لاعبي الأهلي قبل مواجهة إنتر ميامي

وقال إنفانتينو في تصريحات نشرها الموقع الرسمي للأهلي: “أعتقد أنه لفخر كبير بكل تأكيد لفريق مثل الأهلي أن يلعب افتتاح النسخة الأولى من كأس العالم للأندية”.

وأضاف: “الجميع يعرفون أن الأهلي نادٍ تاريخي، فاز بأكبر عدد من الألقاب في تاريخ الكرة الإفريقية ولديه الملايين من المشجعين في جميع أنحاء العالم، وأتوقع حضور عدد كبير منهم إلى هنا”.

وتابع: “المباراة الافتتاحية لأول نسخة من كأس العالم هي حدث سيدخل تاريخ كرة القدم، وتواجد الأهلي في هذه البطولة وخوضه مواجهة الافتتاح سيدخلانه تاريخ البطولة بكل تأكيد”.

وواصل: “أنا سعيد لكل أصدقائي في مصر وكل أصدقائي في الأهلي، وأنا أتطلع لهذه المباراة، وأعلم أن جماهير الأهلي لديها الشغف والحماس لدعم فريقها في هذا الحدث العالمي”.

وتابع رئيس الاتحاد الدولي: “لقد زرت النادي الأهلي من قبل وأعرف شغف جماهيره بكرة القدم، وأعلم أن الأهلي يمثل لجماهيره (الحياة)، وجمهور النادي هم من أسباب كتابة تاريخه وهم يساهمون دائمًا في صنع مستقبله، إنه أمر خاص ومميز للغاية وهو ما يجعل حتى المحايدين يشجعون الأهلي”.

ووجه إنفانتينو رسالة لجمهور الأهلي: “هيا يا شباب، تعالوا إلى هنا، شجعوا فريقكم، واستمتعوا بكأس العالم للأندية، هذا الحدث العالمي الذي يُلعب للمرة الأولى”.

£50m Tottenham star considers Bayern Munich move in potential Kane repeat

Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou could suffer a potential Harry Kane repeat, as one Spurs star considers joining the England international at Bayern Munich.

Players who could leave Tottenham this summer

Spurs face a small exodus of certain players in the summer, with a few out of contract and others out of favour under Postecoglou.

Postecoglou offered £50m Premier League star as agents hold Tottenham talks

The Australian’s side have been made aware he could be available.

ByEmilio Galantini Feb 26, 2025

Richarlison is the first nominee for a potential Spurs exit this summer, after the Brazilian was subject to interest from the Saudi Pro League last summer, but instead chose to remain at N17 to battle his way into Postecoglou’s first-team.

Tottenham’s next five Premier League fixtures

Date

Bournemouth (home)

March 9th

Fulham (away)

March 16th

Chelsea (away)

April 2nd

Southampton (home)

April 5th

Wolves (away)

April 12th

Unfortunately, it’s been a very dismal campaign for the striker when it comes to injuries and general availability. As a result, reports have claimed that Tottenham are open to selling Richarlison this summer.

Richarlison injured for Tottenham

Meanwhile, following an unsuccessful second campaign on loan, it is highly likely that Spurs won’t take up the £8.5 million option to buy in Timo Werner’s temporary deal from RB Leipzig.

Tottenham are keen to keep Mathys Tel beyond his loan spell, but there is no guarantee that the Frenchman will choose to stay at the club, even if Spurs do want to trigger the £45 million option to buy in his contract.

Sergio Reguilon, Alfie Whiteman and Fraser Forster are all out of contract and free to leave Spurs in July, and while Ben Davies is in the same boat, credible media sources have reported that the Welshman is set for an extended one-year stay (The Athletic).

Club captain and star winger Son Heung-min was also set to leave at the end of this season on a free deal at one stage, but Spurs triggered the one-year extension clause in his contract to stop the South Korean departing at zero cost.

Heung-min Son for Tottenham

Son is said to be attracting interest from Saudi Arabia ahead of the summer, with certain Pro League sides willing to shell out around £42 million, but if clubs are determined to strike a deal this summer, then they may have to pay as much as £50 million, according to ex-Tottenham scout Bryan King.

Son considering move from Tottenham to Bayern Munich

Now, according to a report from Spain, it is believed that Son is actually considering a move to Bayern, where he would link up with ex-teammate Kane at the Allianz Arena.

Vincent Kompany’s side are said to be attracting the 32-year-old, who are also keen on the winger themselves as they seek to solidify their status as Germany’s top side after losing out on the Bundesliga title to Bayer Leverkusen last season.

Heung-min Son for Tottenham

While Son’s form has taken a dip since his excellent 2023/2024 campaign, he’s displayed flashes of brilliance, and the forward’s leadership would be irreplaceable.

“Son will have a year left on his contract and he is in his early thirties,” King said. “I think Tottenham would want a minimum of £50 million to sell him. He brings plenty of value to the club off the pitch, think about how many people travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to watch him.

“I’m not sure exactly how many people come every week. However, there always seems to be plenty of people travelling in from South Korea to see Son play.”

"Even above Sesko" – Arsenal "dream" of signing £150m striker for Arteta

Arsenal chiefs have identified a “dream” forward in the form of a marquee star, as manager Mikel Arteta still waits on a potentially crucial striking addition.

Arsenal targeting late January window deal for striker

With this year’s winter window approaching its final days, the Premier League title-chasers are still struggling to land their ideal number nine who can ease the pressure on Kai Havertz’s shoulders.

Arsenal offered £50m attacker who scored 21 goals last term

The Gunners are still searching for a new forward.

By
Emilio Galantini

Feb 1, 2025

Arsenal fell short with an audacious £60m bid for Aston Villa star Ollie Watkins earlier this week, cheekily testing their resolve just before Unai Emery’s side took on Celtic in all-important Champions League clash.

The offer was never likely to be successful, especially considering Jhon Duran’s move to Saudi Arabia with Al-Nassr, so it is now up to the Gunners to identify alternative signings with the clock ticking.

Arsenal’s next five Premier League games

Date

Man City (home)

February 2nd

Leicester City (away)

February 15th

West Ham (home)

February 22nd

Nottingham Forest (away)

February 26th

Man United (away)

March 9th

According to some reports, Arsenal have been offered Bayer Leverkusen star Victor Boniface, which could be worth Arteta’s consideration when factoring in the Nigerian’s 21-goal haul in all competitions last season.

Meanwhile, other media sources claim that Arsenal are considering a last-gasp bid for Dusan Vlahovic, but Juventus are unlikely to make a transfer straightforward considering Thiago Motta’s men have such little time to source a replacement.

RB Leipzig starlet Benjamin Sesko – whose capture would be another very difficult deal to pull off – has also been linked throughout the winter window.

Arsenal want Newcastle United star Alexander Isak above all

However, there is one name who Emirates Stadium transfer chiefs want above every other striker: £150m Newcastle United star Alexander Isak.

Newcastle United's AlexanderIsakwith managerEddieHowe

That is according to reliable journalist Ben Jacobs, who told Curtis Shaw TV (via TBR) that Isak is Arsenal’s “dream” striker signing – and for obvious reasons when looking at his impressive goal tally this term.

“The most viable top choice for Arsenal, as I’ve said many times, is Benjamin Sesko,” said Jacobs.

“Number two in terms of feasibility is Alexander Isak, but he’s the number one in terms of the dream, even above Sesko. Those two are above [Viktor] Gyokeres at the moment.”

Isak’s 19 goals across 25 appearances in all competitions tell just half the story, with Magpies boss Eddie Howe branding his superstar a “world-class” talent.

“Alex is a world-class talent,” said Howe.

“The way he took his goals, he has that coolness and composure very few have. When you add into the mix his technical skills, I think he’s got it all. He has unique skills, and the challenge is to get him into the game as much as we can. Earlier in the season, we weren’t doing that, but now the team are performing much better.”

In truth, if Isak keeps up these types of performances, it is surely only a matter of time before Real Madrid come knocking – and it looks near-impossible that Arsenal could tempt Newcastle to sell mid-season.

Virat Kohli "completely blown away" by Suryakumar Yadav's innings

The two batters discuss their game plan during their match-winning partnership against Hong Kong

Shashank Kishore01-Sep-20222:36

Suryakumar – ‘I’ve told the captain and coaches I’ll play anywhere, just play me’

Virat Kohli was “completely blown away” by the innings Suryakumar Yadav played against Hong Kong on Wednesday, saying that he “changed the momentum of the game on a pitch that wasn’t as easy as he made it look.”Kohli and Suryakumar scored contrasting half-centuries during an unbroken partnership of 98 off 42 balls for the third wicket. And it was only after Suryakumar came in with seven overs to go that India were able to accelerate and post a total of 192 for 2 in Dubai.”SKY played an outstanding knock, a knock that I enjoyed thoroughly from the other end,” Kohli said during a conversation with Suryakumar for BCCI.tv. “I’ve seen so many innings when we play in the IPL [against each other], or that being done to other teams, but this was my first experience of watching very closely. I was completely blown away. I honestly believe that the way you played today, if you can stay in that zone, you can literally change the complexion of the game against any team in the world.”Related

Suryakumar blitz lifts India to top of Group A

Suryakumar Yadav and Virat Kohli: one flies as the other fights

India’s innings was a tale of two halves. In the first, KL Rahul scored only 36 off 39 balls, his slowest T20I innings in which he’s faced at least 30 deliveries, and while Kohli was not as rusty, he had to fight hard for his runs.Kohli was on 33 when Suryakumar joined him in the middle and swept his first two balls to the deep square-leg boundary. He hit four fours and a six in his first ten deliveries to set the tone for a masterclass in 360-degree batting.”When I was sitting inside, me and Rishabh [Pant] were speaking about how we could take game this ahead as the wicket was a little slow,” Suryakumar said. “When I went into bat, I tried to just be myself and do what I love doing. It was a really simple plan: taking the first 10 balls, I wanted to hit three-four boundaries and when I got that, I just kept batting.”Suryakumar played scoops, sweeps, flicks and hit two stunning sixes over point to bring up his half-century off just 22 balls – his fastest in T20 internationals. He struck four sixes in the final over to finish unbeaten on 68 off 26 balls, while Kohli remained not out on 59 off 44. India scored 78 off the last five overs.”At that moment, I knew I needed you there,” Suryakumar said to Kohli. “That’s why I told you that you just bat from one end, it’ll be easy to cover up because I’ve seen you a lot of times, when you take 30-35 balls, the next 10 balls you bat with a strike rate of 200-250. It was important for me that you stay there so that I bat freely until the 20th over. And the same thing happened. I really enjoyed it.”After coming back from a 42-day break, Kohli reiterated how “mentally fresh” he was feeling at the moment. He had returned with an innings of 35 off 34 balls against Pakistan, and though his half-century against Hong Kong wasn’t the most fluent innings, Kohli was able to accelerate at the end.”My plan was simple, like in the last game,” Kohli said. “I’ve come off a decent break, month and a half. Six weeks is a long time, especially at the international level when you get out of touch with the game, but I came mentally fresh. So I really enjoyed myself in the last game as well, against a quality attack. I kind of got the pace of the wicket, but I knew my job was to stabilise the innings and build a partnership with whoever I play with. And in between when the situation allows me to, take a risk and find a boundary every now and then.”But again, when you [Suryakumar] came in, I told you I’m going to keep going but the moment you started and gave me a clear indication of how you’re feeling, my role immediately changed to holding one end. As you said, you could go out and express yourself almost every ball. That is something I enjoy doing, so that even if god forbid you didn’t get those runs, then I could take charge, or we have Rishabh [Pant] or in another game Hardik [Pandya], Dinesh [Karthik] or [Ravindra Jadeja] Jaddu.”It was just applying whatever knowledge I have accumulated over the years for the benefit of the team. It was nice to get a couple of games where I felt good with my batting. For me, milestones and number of runs are irrelevant, it’s how you feel when you bat, and I felt very good.”With wins in both their matches, India are the first team from Group A to qualify for the Super 4 stage of the Asia Cup.

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