Sunderland fans will be very much aware that the congested winter months will be crucial to how their promotion prospects play out, with so much Championship football taking place across the rest of November and then December to come.

Up to this point, Regis Le Bris’ men have shown they are worthy promotion contenders – hence their current position right at the top of the second tier table – but no wins in their last three in the challenging league will already be making some Black Cats fans worried that they will inevitably slip off the summit.

Still, it’s been a fantastic start for the Wearside outfit, with some smart business in the summer helping them so far in being the early pace-setters.

The best summer business at Sunderland

Transfer activity in and out of the Stadium of Light over the off-season had the potential to derail the Black Cats, with the crushing blow of Jack Clarke leaving for Ipswich Town obviously hitting Sunderland hard.

The Mackems never outright replaced Clarke, but the Frenchman should be given credit for getting more out of Romaine Mundle down the left, who has filled the void of Clarke well with four goals fired home from 16 second-tier appearances.

He does almost feel like a new signing, considering he only joined at the start of 2024, but the likes of Wilson Isidor and Chris Mepham – who were purchases made by the former Lorient boss – have also settled in fantastically well.

Isidor has one more league goal next to his name than Mundle as Sunderland’s main leading man up top, whilst Mepham has been a defensive rock since also joining on loan from AFC Bournemouth, winning 5.4 duels per contest when playing for his new side in league action.

Sunderland haven’t always come away from a busy transfer window feeling pleased with their flurry of incomings, however, with their Premier League days full of notable expensive duds.

One sticks out, in particular…

Sunderland's £10m nightmare

Now very much deep into the twilight years of his playing days at 36 years of age, Jeremain Lens will not recollect his time on Wearside with much fondness.

Costing £8m to get through the door in 2015 to link up with one of his former bosses Dick Advocaat, this would end up being a rather poor-fitting match, rather than a glorious reunion for both the winger and the Dutch manager.

Before making his move to England a reality, Lens was fresh off a fruitful spell playing in Ukraine with Dynamo Kyiv, with 16 goals and 19 assists across 78 contests.

In stark contrast, the right winger only lasted 24 games at the Stadium of Light before exiting for pastures new at Beskitas in 2018, draining Sunderland of a whole lot of money in the process.

Lens only registered a meagre four goals and two assists during his short but cursed stay at the then top-flight outfit, with his overall wage costs coming in at around £2m, when you take into account his only full season at the club.

His £40k-per-week wage also meant he raked in over two times more than what Jobe Bellingham earns right now for Sunderland, with the promising midfielder only on a reasonable £12.5k-per-week salary, despite bettering Lens’ goal output by five.

In total, on top of his now extortionate £8m price tag, the damage done to Sunderland’s back account off the back of the Dutchman underperforming was around the £10m mark.

This isn’t the only case where Sunderland dented their bank account rashly when in the big time, with lessons hopefully learnt now, as Le Bris and Co go about their business more shrewdly in their mission to leap back up to the Premier League.

What Sunderland are doing to stop Jobe Bellingham leaving the club in 2025

He has been a key man in the early stages of the season, and they want to keep him.

By
Ben Browning

Nov 12, 2024

Arne Slot explained why he believes it was a "mistake" to start Dominik Szoboszlai in a shaky start against Southampton.

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• Liverpool were trailing by a goal at half-time
• Slot made three changes to refresh his side
• Second half performance sealed the comeback

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Despite trailing at half-time, Liverpool turned the game around in the second half with a decisive 3-2 victory, propelling them 16 points clear at the top of the Premier League. A quick goal from Darwin Nunez in the second half ignited the comeback and two penalty conversions from Mohamed Salah sealed all three points for Liverpool.

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  The result, however, came after a tactical reshuffle by Slot at the break. The manager made a bold decision to introduce Harvey Elliott, Alexis Mac Allister and Andy Robertson, replacing Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones and Kostas Tsimikas to freshen things up in the middle. The Dutchman revealed that his team’s lacklustre first-half display prompted the substitutions, and upon reflection, he admitted that it was a mistake to start Szoboszlai in the first place.

• WHAT SLOT SAID

  The Hungarian midfielder, known for his incredible work rate and endurance, was visibly not at his best during the opening 45 minutes. Admitting his selection mistake, Slot told reporters: "Today, if I could do it one more time over, I would have started it differently than I started today – but you don't know this in advance. Every time I am sitting here and talking about Dominik, I'm talking about he is a machine. He can keep on going, running and running and running.

  "It was maybe the first time this season I saw a different energy from him. Which is maybe normal. Maybe I made a mistake by playing him because he gives so much every single game. The good news is he only played 45 and is more rested for the upcoming week now than he is if I played him for 90."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

  With the victory over Southampton behind them, Liverpool will now shift their attention to Champions League action where they are set to face Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of their last-16 tie on Tuesday evening at Anfield. Following that fixture, the Reds will face Newcastle at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday.

Andy Robertson revealed what Arne Slot told his players during pre-season as he was determined to win the Premier League in his debut campaign.

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• Slot motivated Liverpool players to win Premier League
• Liverpool 15 points clear at the top of the table
• Reds face Newcastle in Carabao Cup final on Sunday

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Liverpool are clear favourites to win the Premier League title for a record-equalling 20th time in the 2024/25 campaign as they currently find themselves 15 points above second-placed Arsenal at the top of the table. After finishing behind Manchester City and Arsenal in the last two seasons, Arne Slot – who replaced Jurgen Klopp last summer – was determined to bring back the title at Anfield and accordingly motivated his players during their pre-season in the US, as revealed by star defender Andy Robertson.

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• WHAT ANDY ROBERTON SAID

  Speaking to reporters, the Scottish full-back said: "When you’re at a club like Liverpool, you can’t afford a settling-in period. It’s a massive club that expects to win trophies – and the manager was very clear on that from his first day. I remember his first meeting in America, and he basically said, ‘we finished third last season and the season before, but we now want to finish above the other two.’

  “So, in his mind, it was clear that he was coming to win trophies. It wasn’t like he’d be happy with the top four. It remains to be seen whether we do win trophies, but he’s put us in a helluva good place to try to achieve that. “When the manager and the coaches took the job, I think their remit was ‘we want to win trophies, we want Liverpool to be successful and not just by finishing in the top four.’ The players could get onboard with that."

  He added: "At the same time, the manager came into a changing room and saw players that expect and are hungry to win trophies. We got off to a good start, and that momentum has carried on, but there’s still nine games to go in the league, and we’ve got a lot of work to do. But as we sit here today, we’re in a really good spot."

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  Robertson and Co will aim to bag their first trophy of the season on Sunday as they are all set to lock horns against Newcastle United in the final of the Carabao Cup at Wembley. The Reds will hope to bounce after seeing their dream of winning a treble dashed at Anfield earlier this week as Paris Saint-Germain beat them in the tie-breaker and knocked them out of the Champions League from the round of 16 stage.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

  After facing Newcastle on Sunday, the Merseyside club will be back in action in the Premier League after the international break as they take on arch-rivals Everton at home on April 2.

Sunrisers have won three in a row after a wobbly start and, along with Kings, are part of a bunch of teams tied on six points

Srinidhi Ramanujam16-Apr-20221:00

Should Kings play Nathan Ellis for Odean Smith? Is Sunrisers’ pace attack most well-rounded?

Big pictureA resurgent Sunrisers Hyderabad will be looking to extend their purple patch and notch up their fourth win on the trot when they meet Punjab Kings at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.Such is the mid-table clog this season that, at the moment, all of two points separate teams ranked one to seven. Both Kings and Sunrisers are part of the crush of four teams on six points each, looking to join Gujarat Titans, Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore on eight.*A bowling-heavy side on paper, Sunrisers have shown they have enough firepower in the batting, evident from the recent performances of Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram and Nicholas Pooran. Opener Abhishek Sharma has also found his feet after a disappointing start to the season. And although captain Kane Williamson has been a bit sedate, as a batting unit, Sunrisers have been doing things just about right.Live in the USA

You can watch the action on ESPN+ in English and in Hindi.

They have a hat-trick of wins while chasing after losing their first two matches. Now they come up against Kings, a side that boasts significant batting muscle.Mayank Agarwal’s men could be intimidating with their hit-the-ball-hard-from-the-word-go mantra. They have been especially ruthless at the beginning of an innings, scoring at ten runs per over in the powerplay in four of their five matches. Such strong starts have laid the platform for Kings to post competitive totals, and they have scored 180 or more in four games. That the lowest strike rate for any of their batters in the powerplay is 129 this IPL says a thing or two about their aggressive approach up front.However, the same cannot be said of their bowling. They have relied heavily on pace mainstay Kagiso Rabada and legspinner Rahul Chahar, who have so far picked up 13 wickets between them. And while allrounder Odean Smith has grabbed six wickets, they have come while conceding 12.14 runs per over. Also, although Arshdeep Singh and Vaibhav Arora have the second and third-best economy rates respectively among Kings’ bowlers, they are yet to get among the wickets.With the tournament moving closer to the halfway stage, Kings would want match-winning performances from their bowlers to stay in the top four.Liam Livingstone has struck at 186.36 this IPL•BCCI In the news Washington Sundar missed Sunrisers’ previous match against Kolkata Knight Riders after suffering a split webbing on his bowling hand in the game against Gujarat Titans on April 11. Then, their coach Tom Moody had said that he expected the injury to “probably [take] a week or so to settle down”, which would imply him missing out on this game too.Likely XIs Sunrisers Hyderabad: 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Kane Williamson (capt), 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 6 Shashank Singh, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 J Suchith, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Umran Malik, 11 T NatarajanPunjab Kings: 1 Mayank Agarwal (capt), 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Jonny Bairstow, 4 Liam Livingstone, 5 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 6 Shahrukh Khan, 7 Odean Smith, 8 Kagiso Rabada, 9 Rahul Chahar, 10 Vaibhav Arora, 11 Arshdeep SinghStrategy punt Given the aggressive start that is expected from Kings’ openers Mayank and Shikhar Dhawan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s role with the new ball will be crucial if Sunrisers are to contain their opponents. And the numbers are in Bhuvneshwar’s favour: the two strike at only 107 and 98 respectively against him across all T20s. Equally important will be T Natarajan at the start; he has picked up four wickets in the powerplay at an economy rate of 6.5.Stats that matter Since 2021, Nicholas Pooran has hit 88 sixes in T20s, the second-most after Glenn Philips. Liam Livingstone has struck his runs at 186.36 this IPL. Dhawan is 19 runs away from becoming the second batter after Virat Kohli to reach the 6000-run mark in the IPL.*

Liverpool have now received promising news surrounding the future of captain Virgil van Dijk, whose current contract is set to expire at the end of the season.

Van Dijk's future at Anfield

The Reds are attempting to tie down a number of their key players to new contracts, with uncertainty also looming over the futures of Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Arne Slot risks losing all three players on a free transfer at the end of the season if the club’s hierarchy are unable to agree new deals, which is a cause for major concern, given the part they have played in Liverpool’s success in recent years.

Last week, it was reported that Van Dijk has already been offered a new deal, but the initial proposal fell short of his expectations, casting doubt over whether he will remain at Anfield beyond 2025.

However, recent updates have been far more promising, with Sky Sports reporter Melissa Reddy detailing the Dutchman is now expected to sign a new contract, alongside Salah.

Insider Mick Brown has also dropped a major update in a recent interview with Football Insider, and it is good news for Liverpool fans.

Brown said: “I’m confident he will sign a new contract. From what I’m told, Liverpool want to have it all agreed before the January transfer window.

“The announcement that he has put pen to paper would be a major boost for the club and the supporters heading into the rest of the season. Being able to announce the supporters that he has signed a new deal would give them a boost at a time where they’re top of the league.

“That’s now what I am expecting to happen based on what I’ve heard.”

Van Dijk set to stay at Liverpool

All the recent signs indicate the 33-year-old will be staying on Merseyside for the foreseeable future, which is a real boost for Slot, given just how instrumental he has been for a number of years.

Barring his injury-ridden 2020-21 campaign, the Breda-born defender has been indispensable to Liverpool since arriving from Southampton in a £75m deal back in January 2018.

Season

Appearances in all competitions

2017-18

22

2018-19

50

2019-20

50

2020-21

8

2021-22

51

2022-23

41

2023-24

48

2024-25

20

Related Liverpool looking at move for £66m wonderkid who's more exciting than Doak

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This season has been no exception, with the captain rated as the Reds’ second-best performing player in the Premier League, just behind the equally-important Salah, who Liverpool fans will also be desperate to keep hold of beyond the summer.

Lauded as “unbelievable” by Jurgen Klopp, the Netherlands international is showing no signs of slowing down despite his age, and it would be fantastic news if he commits his future to the club.

Given that negotiations with Salah are also progressing nicely now, Slot’s next task will be to convince Alexander-Arnold to commit his future to the club, amid growing interest from reigning Champions League winners Real Madrid.

Tottenham Hotspur are facing a crucial set of fixtures with a paper-thin squad, following a succession of injuries and suspensions, but that hasn’t stopped reports of players potentially departing N17.

Tottenham preparing for Carabao Cup quarter-final against Man United

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou is currently preparing his side for an all-important Carabao Cup quarter-final clash against Man United on Thursday evening, with the competition potentially representing the club’s best chance of winning major silverware.

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ByEmilio Galantini Dec 17, 2024

Postecoglou stated at the beginning of 2024/2025 that he usually wins trophies in his second season, comments which will surely be looked back on if the Australian fails to deliver on his promise to supporters.

In truth, barring a sensational 5-0 win away to Southampton, and 4-0 demolition of Man City at the Etihad Stadium, Spurs have looked far away from delivering a first piece of silverware since 2008.

Tottenham’s next five Premier League games

Liverpool (Home)

Nottingham Forest (Away)

Wolves (Home)

Newcastle United (Home)

Arsenal (Away)

The Lilywhites boast just those two victories from their last nine games in all competitions, a run which includes disappointing defeats to the likes of Ipswich Town, Chelsea and Galatasaray, but Postecoglou has been forced to contend with numerous injuries and suspensions in that time.

That being said, Man United have blown hot and cold under Ruben Amorim since the Portuguese’s arrival at Old Trafford, so there is every chance that Spurs could overcome the Red Devils – especially on home turf.

Postecoglou won’t be able to call upon a number of first-team players for the encounter, due to long-term injuries, and one of them is Brazil striker Richarlison.

The 27-year-old is currently sidelined with a thigh problem, which is expected to keep him out until mid-way through January (Premier Injuries), but teams from his homeland are expressing a serious interest in tempting him away mid-season.

Richarlison open to leaving Tottenham

Fluminense president Mario Bittencourt recently confirmed that he wants to sign Richarlison, and has sent official documentation to Spurs asking if they would like to open transfer talks.

“What is concrete is that we have expressed a formal interest in Richarlison. We know how difficult it is to bring him in,” said Bittencourt.

“We believe that he may want to be close to the Brazilian national team, to return home to the club where he excelled. I have a close relationship with him. I was vice-president of football when he arrived.

“We sent a first document to the English club, still without an offer, but asking if they would like to negotiate.”

However, according to UOL, Bittencourt and Fluminense will now face stiff competition from fellow Brazilian side Flamengo. The outlet reports that Fluminense have contacted Richarlison directly to express their interest in holding negotiations, and they’re prepared to offer Tottenham around £17 million to secure the ex-Everton star’s services.

However, Spurs are demanding nearly double that amount, and want around £34 million to consider selling. Chairman Daniel Levy and co are also adamant that they will not consider a loan deal, even with the option to buy.

Richarlison himself, while prioritising a stay in England, doesn’t completely close the door on a return to Brazil – and is open to either that or a move to Saudi Arabia.

علّق أحمد حسام ميدو، عضو لجنة التخطيط بنادي الزمالك، على ما تم تداوله خلال الساعات الماضية بشأن نية النادي إجراء تغييرات واسعة في الجهاز الفني وتشكيلة الفريق خلال الفترة المقبلة.

وقال ميدو، في فيديو عبر حسابه الرسمي على منصة “إكس”: “بالتأكيد الجميع تابع النص الموزع لكيفية هدم الزمالك، بمعنى إن الزمالك عاد للمنافسة، فماذا نفعل لكي نهدمه! للأسف، كل الكلام الموزع على الإعلاميين أمس، ويرددونه بالأمر، كلام ليس له أي أساس من الصحة”.

وأضاف: “(إحنا لا هنفور فرق، ولا هنجيب 15 لاعب، ولا هنمشي المدرب)، أمامنا 6 مباريات في الدوري، لو فزنا بها ممكن بنسبة كبيرة نكون الأبطال، أمامنا هدفان من الدوري: إما الفوز به أو التأهل لدوري الأبطال، ولن نفعل أي شيء يخرجنا من تركيزنا في تحقيق هذا الهدف”.

طالع أيضًا | القيعي يرد على ميدو: كنت ترغب في الانضمام لـ الأهلي.. ورفضناك لهذا السبب

وتابع: “نحن مؤمنون بأن الاستقرار مهم جدًا حتى نُحقق أهدافنا، لا كلام عن رحيل بيسيرو، عندنا ثقة كبيرة به، وإنه سيستطيع قيادة الفريق في المرحلة المتبقية من الموسم لتحقيق أهدافنا”.

وواصل: “الأمر الآخر، ولكي أريح الناس كلها، الزمالك في فترة الانتقالات القادمة لن يتعاقد بأي شكل من الأشكال مع أكثر من 3 أو 4 لاعبين بحد أقصى، بحسب المستجدات، ونحن بالفعل نعمل في هذا الملف بشكل جيد”.

واختتم: “وعندنا ثقة كبيرة جدًا في المدير الفني، ومجموعة اللاعبين المتواجدين حاليًا، إنهم سيقاتلون من أجل تحقيق هدفنا، وهو الفوز بالبطولة أو التأهل لدوري الأبطال، والفوز بكأس مصر”.

صباح الفل 🙏 #الزمالك pic.twitter.com/IaMomlLDbT

— Mido (@midoahm) April 15, 2025

Leicestershire defiantly held out for a draw in their LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two match against Durham at the Riverside, losing only two wickets on the final day of the contest.Durham declared overnight with a lead of 394 in the hope of pressing for their first victory of the campaign, but chances were hard to come by on a lifeless wicket. Ollie Gibson had a day to remember as he claimed his maiden first-class wicket to mark an encouraging performance with the ball in difficult conditions.Sam Evans provided the stoic defence required to see his team to the draw, collecting his first fifty of the term and holding out an end for over 250 deliveries, unbeaten on 77 before the captains shook hands. Durham moved to second place in the table after gaining 15 points, while Leicestershire collected 12 for their exploits to remain undefeated after two matches.After Durham declared their second innings, Leicestershire began their attempt to see out the day in defiant fashion with Hassan Azad and Evans. Chris Rushworth and Matthew Potts passed the bat on a few occasions, while the odd delivery kept low, but it was not enough to trouble the visitors’ openers. Both batters received blows to the body and Evans was struck on the helmet as he attempted to avoid a bouncer from Potts.However, they were rewarded for their resilience when Evans found the fence to bring up the fifty partnership in the 19th over. Leicestershire were on their way to shutting out the home side in the morning session, but Azad made an uncharacteristic mistake against Liam Trevaskis, losing his shape a the crease and was subsequently bowled through his legs to end the opening stand for 66. Frustration crept in for the home side after lunch as George Rhodes survived edging Potts between Ned Eckersley and David Bedingham, and a great shout for a catch at short leg by Sean Dickson which was deemed to have hit the ground.Gibson eventually prised out Rhodes to claim a deserved maiden first-class wicket, with arguably one of his worst deliveries of the match as the Leicestershire man gloved a leg glance behind to Eckersley. Evans’ defiance continued and he worked his way to his half-century from 140 balls, keeping matters simple with a stubborn resistance against the home side.Durham skipper Scott Borthwick attempted a variety of methods to look for a way into the Leicestershire line-up, but the Riverside day-four pitch offered no assistance for the home side in pursuit of their first win of the season. Evans and Colin Ackermann were steadfast in their defence and posted an unbeaten partnership of 84 for the third wicket before both sides agreed to call time on the contest, settling for the stalemate.

Second straight loss for defending champions CSK as Super Giants steal it at the close

Hemant Brar31-Mar-20221:57

Jaffer: Super Giants can’t drop Lewis for Stoinis now

KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock set the platform with a 99-run opening stand, Evin Lewis smashed an unbeaten 55 off 23 balls and Ayush Badoni played a cameo towards the end as Lucknow Super Kings chased down 211 with six wickets and three balls to spare. It was the sixth instance in seven games this IPL that the chasing side won the match.Earlier, Super Kings never took their foot off the pedal after being put in. Robin Uthappa struck a 27-ball 50, which included eight fours and a six, and Shivam Dube smashed 49 off 30 to help the side to a formidable 210 for 7.Super Kings, though, were aware it wasn’t necessarily a winning total. The conditions were dewy – the umpires changed the ball in both innings – and Super Kings were without Adam Milne, who missed out because of a side strain.It came down to Super Giants needing 34 from the last two overs. Ravindra Jadeja then handed the ball to Dube, who hadn’t bowled until then. And it showed. Badoni started the over by moving across and sweeping him over square leg for six. The next two deliveries were wides, and the last three were right in the slot for Lewis, who smashed them for 4, 4, 6.With nine needed from the final over, Mukesh Choudhary also bowled two wides before Badoni pulled him over backward square leg to level the scores. Two balls later, he hit the winning run to give Super Giants their first win.Uthappa, Moeen give Super Kings blazing start
Rahul had a big smile on his face after winning the toss but it didn’t last long as Uthappa hit Avesh Khan for two fours on the first two balls of the innings. That set the tone of the innings.Two balls later, Avesh pinged Uthappa on the helmet but when he tried another bouncer, to end the over with, it sailed over for four byes. In the second over, Uthappa flicked Dushmantha Chameera, first for a six and then for a four, and by the end of two overs, Super Kings had 26 on the board.Ravi Bishnoi’s brilliance in the field – a direct hit from backward point to run out Ruturaj Gaikwad – did give Super Giants the breakthrough but not the respite. Uthappa continued in the same vein, striking four fours in Andrew Tye’s one over, and Moeen Ali, who had opened his account with a hooked six off Avesh, smashed 4, 6, 4 off Krunal Pandya’s successive balls. At the end of the powerplay, Super Kings were 73 for 1.Dube keeps the fireworks going
Bishnoi once again provided the breakthrough, this time by trapping Uthappa lbw with the one that skidded off the surface and beat the batter with the pace. But Dube, promoted to No. 4, kept the scoreboard racing. He hit Chameera for three fours in four balls, and Super Kings crossed 100 in just 9.1 overs.Moeen fell to Avesh for 35 but with the dew set in by now, it didn’t get any easier for Super Giants. Dube’s hitting, coupled with some sloppy fielding, meant runs kept flowing.Rahul introduced Deepak Hooda into the attack but Dube didn’t hold back even against the offspinner, hitting him for a four and a six. His innings came to an end when he holed out to long-on off Avesh while attempting another big hit.Dhoni applies the finishing touch
MS Dhoni came to the crease with Super Kings 189 for 4 in 18.2 overs and straightway forehanded Avesh over extra cover for a six. It was the first time in the IPL that he hit a six off the first ball he faced. The next ball he carved over backward point for one-bounce four. Tye dismissed Jadeja and Dwaine Pretorius off successive balls in the final over but Dhoni wrapped up the innings with yet another four, which also brought him 7000 runs in T20 cricket.MS Dhoni scored a six-ball 16•BCCI

Rahul, de Kock start in style
Super Giants needed a quick start, and Rahul and de Kock gave them exactly that. Against the inexperienced new-ball pair of Choudhary and Tushar Deshpande, they hit eight fours and two sixes in the first five overs.Jadeja turned to Bravo for the sixth over and he almost removed de Kock but Moeen dropped a straightforward catch at mid-off. The next three overs featured two sixes, three fours, and Deshpande shelling a tough chance off Moeen to reprieve Rahul. At the halfway stage, de Kock was on 51 off 35 balls, Rahul on 40 off 35 and Super Giants on 98.Lewis steers Super Giants home
Pretorius ended the opening stand by dismissing Rahul, with Ambati Rayudu running sideway from backward square leg and taking the catch over his shoulder. Manish Pandey fell soon after, which left Super Giants needing 97 from the last eight overs.Lewis hit Deshpande for a four and six to keep the asking rate under control, but Pretorius struck again – de Kock top-edged a pull and Dhoni settled under the swirler.Lewis and Hooda kept the chase alive, both muscled a boundary each off Dwayne Bravo in the 16th over. Pretorius gave away only nine in the 17th and Bravo, after getting hit for a six, sent back Hooda in the 18th. Super Kings might have fancied their chances at that stage but a 25-run penultimate over by Dube dashed their hopes.

Lionel Messi has delivered an update on his withdrawal from the latest Argentina squad, with the Inter Miami superstar nursing a “small injury”.

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Workload being managed by Inter MiamiStill picked up a knock in MLS actionMust sit out 2026 World Cup qualifiersFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Albiceleste have confirmed that their captain will not be reporting for 2026 World Cup qualifying duty due to “discomfort in his adductor region”. As a result, Messi will play no part in meetings with arch-rivals Uruguay and Brazil.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

He will be a big miss for Lionel Scaloni’s side, with important points in the CONMEBOL section of qualification up for grabs. Every effort had been made at club level to ensure that Messi was not pushed beyond breaking point in the early stages of Inter Miami’s 2025 campaign.

DID YOU KNOW?

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has seen plenty of rest, as his workload is managed, but a muscle complaint was still picked up in a MLS clash with Atlanta United – a game that saw Messi register another stunning solo goal.

WHAT LIONEL MESSI SAID

The 37-year-old has posted on social media of being denied the opportunity to add to his collection of 191 international caps: “I'm sad to miss these important games against Uruguay and Brazil with the national team. I really wanted to play but a small injury means I need to rest for a bit, so I can't be there. I'll be supporting and cheering from here like any other fan. Let's go, Argentina!”

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