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England will not be making any additions to the squad with one Test in Dharamsala remaining after the Ranchi encounter

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Feb-2024

Rehan Ahmed umpires for Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir during England training•Associated Press

Rehan Ahmed’s tour of India has been cut short, with the England legspinner returning home for an urgent family matter. In a statement, the ECB also said Rehan will not be returning for the rest of the series, and neither will England seek a squad replacement.Rehan, the 19-year-old, featured in England’s first three Tests against India. He picked up 11 wickets at an average of 44, including a match-haul of 6 for 153 in Visakhapatnam. He was, however, left out of the England XI for the fourth Test beginning in Ranchi. It is understood Ben Stokes’ decision to omit Rehan was not related to him having to return home, which only emerged after the team had been announced at 1pm on Thursday. Rehan was present at England’s final training session that afternoon, helping out with various drills. He flies home on Friday, day one of the fourth Test.Earlier this month, England had to wait on Rehan’s availability for the third Test after learning of “paperwork discrepancies” with him on arrival from the UAE before the third Test. However, it was resolved, and Rehan picked up three wickets in England’s 434-run defeat in Rajkot.For the fourth Test, England are lining up with offspinner Shoaib Bashir replacing Rehan. The other spinner in the England XI is left-arm spinner Tom Hartley, their highest wicket-taker on the tour with 16.

Liverpool squeezed past Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday afternoon, avoiding a setback to maintain their sizeable lead at the top of the Premier League.

Now, Aston Villa at Villa Park. It won’t be easy, although the Reds have avoided defeat in their last nine top-flight meetings with the upcoming opponents, albeit drawing two of the previous four.

With Manchester City hosting Arne Slot’s table-toppers at the weekend, change may be afoot. Liverpool have run roughshod over the majority of their league opponents this season but must be wary as nerves begin to dig their claws in.

Lifting the title is becoming a very real possibility, but Liverpool need to avoid a setback here and will have to do so without several first-team stars.

Liverpool dealt fitness blows

Cody Gakpo was absent against Wolves after picking up a knock during last week’s draw at Goodison Park and has been ruled out once again for this one.

It’s a blow, to be sure, but Liverpool have depth and a host of players who need to step up to the plate and ease Mohamed Salah’s burden.

Though Gakpo is in contention for a return against Pep Guardiola’s side, Slot has provided a begrudging update on Joe Gomez’s fitness, with the versatile defender set to be sidelined for several more weeks, potentially requiring surgery on a hamstring injury.

Of course, Villa have got a number of issues themselves, chiefly to their depleted defensive ranks. Liverpool can damage Unai Emery’s side, for sure.

However, the Lions did boost their ranks in January, and there’s one man in particular – Marcus Rashford – who will have the spotlight on him this evening.

Slot praised the 27-year-old’s quality and may be tempted to make a big change for the looming contest.

Slot could make a bold call vs Villa

Trent Alexander-Arnold is one of Liverpool’s greatest latter-day players, but he looked somewhat off the boil during the narrow Wolves win, and Slot could replace him with Conor Bradley for this one.

The games are coming thick and fast, and Gomez’s injury update calls for caution, lest Liverpool lose another key part ahead of the business end of the season.

Alexander-Arnold said in 2020 that a clash against Manchester United two years before was “the most difficult” in his fledgling career, owing largely to being pitted against Rashford.

The Three Lions winger has felt more than most the ebb and flow of football, but there’s little question that he’s one of the dangerous forces in the Premier League when on his a-game.

It’s early days yet, but you feel that Rashford is ready to play with a new lease of life at Villa Park, and having scored five goals from ten games against Trent in his career, switching things up might pay off for Slot.

It would be a big – some may even say brazen – call from the Netherlands tactician, but Bradley’s mobile and athletic style of play could be the perfect way to neutralise Villa’s winter recruit.

Marcus Rashford – Past 6 Premier League Seasons
Season	Apps (starts)	Goals	Assists
24/25	16 (12)	3	1
23/24	33 (26)	7	2
22/23	35 (32)	17	5
21/22	25 (13)	4	2
20/21	37 (33)	11	9
19/20	31 (31)	17	7
Stats via Transfermarkt

He’s down but not out. Rashford has proved over separate campaigns his capacity for brilliance, and freshening things up, bringing Alexander-Arnold’s heir apparent to the starting fold, might knock Emery’s pre-game preparations askew.

There’s also the matter of Liverpool’s weekend fixture. Indeed, Manchester City await on Sunday, with Liverpool last winning at the Etihad Stadium in the league way back in November 2015, just two months into Jurgen Klopp’s tenure.

Days after, Liverpool meet Newcastle United at Anfield in the next crunch fixture in a sea of crunch fixtures. They have the following weekend off due to being dumped out of the FA Cup, but the last 16 of the Champions League rolls up the ensuing midweek.

Liverpool vs Arsenal – Upcoming PL Fixtures
Liverpool	Arsenal
Aston Villa (A)	West Ham (H)
Man City (A)	Nott’m Forest (A)
Newcastle (H)	Man United (A)
Southampton (H)	Chelsea (H)
Everton (H)	Fulham (H)

It’s relentless, but Liverpool are up for the task. However, Slot will likely be wary after his side’s uninspiring performances against Everton and Wolves, with Arsenal only too eager to pounce on a Reds setback and bridge the title gap.

Bradley is more than capable of silencing Rashford and helping his team toward a stirring Villa Park victory that would see Liverpool tackle the weekend fixture with renewed vigour and confidence.

As per FBref, the Northern Ireland star ranks among the top 10% of full-backs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for both passes attempted and the top 5% for progressive carries and tackles per 90.

He’s dynamic and ceaseless. Bradley’s 4.28 touches per 90 in the attacking box also put him in the top bracket of positional peers, showcasing a different type of attacking flair to that of Liverpool’s vice-captain.

Against the likes of Rashford and Morgan Rogers, his defensive game will surely be called into play more than a few times – luckily he’s already proved against the very best that the game has to offer that he has no qualms about getting stuck in with crunching challenges.

Hailed as an “unbelievable talent” by Northern Irish footballer Richard Donnelly, Bradley’s proved time and time again that he’s capable of playing a central role in Slot’s project.

All of a Liverpool persuasion want Trent to stay put, but if he does leave for Real Madrid, Bradley is more than ready to step up.

Chalkboard

Should he start against Aston Villa, he will prove as much all over again.

He left in 2021: Liverpool flop sold for £12m is now outscoring Nunez in PL

He could have played a part for the Anfield side over the past few years.

By
Angus Sinclair

Feb 17, 2025

It would be fair to say that the last few weeks have been rough for Ipswich Town.

Kieran McKenna’s side have played arguably the best football of the three promoted sides in the Premier League this season, but following their 2-1 loss to Southampton last Saturday, their fourth on the bounce, they find themselves down in 19th and three points off safety.

Nevertheless, this afternoon’s FA Cup Fourth Round tie away to Championship side Coventry City offers the Tractor Boys the chance to forget about their lacklustre league form and pick up a much-needed win.

Ipswich’s recent results
Competition	Opponent	Result
Premier League	Southampton (H)	2-1 (L)
Premier League	Liverpool (A)	4-1 (L)
Premier League	Man City (H)	6-0 (L)
Premier League	Brighton (H)	2-0 (L)
FA Cup	Bristol Rovers (H)	3-0 (W)

However, McKenna must make one key change to the starting lineup and drop one of the worst performers against the Saints to ensure that happens.

The Ipswich Town star who must be dropped

It will likely come as no surprise to many of you that the player we are talking about is goalkeeper Arijanet Muric, who joined the club from Burnley in the summer for a fee of £10m that could reach £15m.

Unfortunately for all parties, if that higher fee is based on how the 26-year-old performs, it doesn’t look like it’ll be hit, as the Kosovan shot-stopper has been poor for some time now.

That was certainly the case last weekend, as his attempt to stop the Saints’ opener was laughable at best and while the second wasn’t quite as bad, he still should have parried the ball into a safer area.

It might sound harsh, but it’s an opinion shared by the East Anglian Daily Times’ Alex Jones, who awarded him just a 4/10 at full-time, and even that rating looks kind when you look at his statistics.

In 98 minutes, he made just two saves, prevented negative 1.55 goals, which means the shots he faced amounted to an expected goals figure of just 0.45, maintained a passing accuracy of just 76% and was accurate in just one of his ten attempted long balls.

In short, it was a shambolic showing from Muric, and while club captain Sam Morsy is probably fair to claim that he’s becoming something of a “scapegoat,” that is in large part down to his dire form, and therefore, he must be dropped.

The Ipswich ace who must replace Muric

The player McKenna should be turning to in place of Muric this afternoon is the club’s latest signing, Alex Palmer.

The 6 foot 3 shot-stopper joined the club on transfer deadline day for around £2m, and while you’d often want to give new arrivals time to settle into the club, he should be more than ready to come right into the starting lineup.

For example, before making the move to Suffolk, the Kidderminster-born keeper had already made 30 appearances for West Bromwich Albion this season, in which he had kept 11 clean sheets.

He was just as impressive last season, keeping 19 clean sheets in 48 games, and there’s no need to worry about his temperament either, as former manager Carlos Corberán described him as someone who plays “with a lot of maturity.”

Moreover, in that same article, The Athletic described him as a ‘calming influence’ on his teammates, which sounds like the sort of number one a team in a relegation scrap needs.

Ultimately, there is always a slight risk in signing a goalkeeper from a lower league, but given how poor Muric has been of late, it’s a risk the club had to take, and in turn, McKenna has to start him this afternoon.

He left in 2015: Ipswich loan flop is now outscoring both Delap & Lath

The incredible goalscorer would be perfect for Ipswich this season.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Feb 5, 2025

Manchester United have some exciting young talent in the first-team squad. One of their best players this term has been Amad. The Ivorian has been a pivotal player for Ruben Amorim so far, playing as either a wing-back or in the number ten role. So far this season, he has nine goals and seven assists in all competitions.

Another star youngster in the Red Devils squad is Kobbie Mainoo. Amorim has managed his minutes well this season, ensuring not to overplay him, something former boss Erik ten Hag was guilty of. Mainoo’s best performance of the season came away to FCSB on Thursday night in the Europa League, after he managed to score and assist in a 2-0 win.

United are now eyeing up a couple more young stars, Mathys Tel and Geovany Quenda, who could add to the quality that Amad and Mainoo give them.

Man Utd's pursuit of Tel and Quenda

It would be a bold move for Amorim’s side to bring in two premium talents in Europe. Tel is wanted by the Red Devils on loan, according to Florian Plettenberg, with fellow journalist Fabrizio Romano suggesting Tottenham Hotspur have had a £50m bid accepted by Bayern Munich, although the race is still open.

Although opportunities have been limited for Tel this term, he showed what he can do in the 2023/24 season. The Frenchman scored ten goals and provided six assists in 41 games, although he played the equivalent of just 16 games.

Quenda, who is valued at £33.4m according to David Ornstein, is wanted by the Red Devils next summer. The journalist suggests the 13-time Premier League champions are yet to make a formal offer but implies they are likely to make a move.

He was compared to Arsenal star Bukayo Saka by Sporting CP academy coach Fabio Roque. The youngster has two goals and six assists for Amorim’s former side this term, having played 34 times.

As good as these youngsters are, United might have someone even better in the first-team squad, who is actually worth even more than both of them combined.

The United star worth more than Tel and Quenda

The player in question here is United’s number 17, Alejandro Garnacho. It has been an exceptional rise to the top for the Red Devils “generational” star, as football statistician Statman Dave described him.

The Argentina international has played 121 times already for the English giants, despite being just 20 years of age. He has scored 23 times and registered 15 assists.

Perhaps his best goal for the club came against Everton, an incredible overhead kick which won him the Puskas award.

This season, the Red Devils attacker experienced a dip in form but still has eight goals and six assists in 35 games. It has been a tough campaign for United as a team, but Garnacho has still put in some impressive performances this term.

Garnacho stats by competition 2024/25
Competition	Games	Goals	Assists
Premier League	22	3	1
Europa League	8	1	1
EF Cup	3	3	3
Community Shield	1	1	0
FA Cup	1	0	1
Stats from Transfermarkt

There has been talk of the winger departing Old Trafford in the January transfer window. Romano reported earlier in the month that Chelsea and Napoli were interested in signing the winger, although that seems unlikely at this stage of the window.

Market Movers

In terms of a price, the 20-year-old is valued at far more than both Tel and Quenda, with CIES Football Observatory pricing him at as high as £95m.

Whilst that might be considered a lot of money for suitors to pay, it also seems an insignificant amount given what he offers United.

He has already made many key contributions in a United shirt, including a goal in an FA Cup final against Manchester City and the Puskas award-winning goal against the Toffees. That, surely is worth more than £95m.

It surely seems like a mistake for United to sell Garnacho, given his potential, ability and knack for scoring big goals. He might well form a key partnership with Tel and Quenda, but the fact he is worth more than both combined speaks great volumes about his ability and value to the club.

Dream Rashford upgrade: Man Utd plotting to sign £80k-p/w star after Dorgu

He could be Man Utd’s second signing after Patrick Dorgu

By
Joe Nuttall

Jan 30, 2025

Chahal has been ignored by the India selectors for the ongoing Asia Cup and the upcoming World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Sep-2023

Yuzvendra Chahal has been out of favour as the India ODI team is concerned•Getty Images

Yuzvendra Chahal is in line to play first-class cricket for Kent, after signing up for three matches in the ongoing County Championships “subject to regulatory approval”.Ignored by the national selectors in India for the ongoing Asia Cup and the upcoming ODI World Cup, at home over October and November, Chahal “will be available for selection in Kent’s remaining two home Championship matches against Nottinghamshire & Lancashire, as well as Kent’s away fixture against Somerset,” the club said in a statement.”This is an exciting challenge for me, playing in English county cricket, and one I’m very much looking forward to,” Chahal said in the statement.Kent are currently placed one off the bottom in the ten-team County Champions Division 1 table, and in danger of being relegated to Division 2 next season.”We’re delighted to have secured a spinner of Yuzvendra’s quality for the last three Championship matches of the season, with Matt Parkinson not available to us until next year, and Hami Qadri recently injured,” Kent’s director of cricket Paul Downton said. “He is really looking forward to playing in English conditions and will bring a significant amount of skill and international experience to our squad.”Kent had also availed of the services of fast bowler Arshdeep Singh earlier in the season. He played five matches in June-July, picking up 13 wickets in eight bowling innings. New Zealand’s Ben Lister is the other overseas player in the Kent roster at the moment.Chahal, who hasn’t always been a regular in first-class cricket, played two games in the last season of the Ranji Trophy for Haryana, his team in India’s domestic circuit, picking up three wickets at an average of 92.33. Overall, he has 87 wickets from 33 first-class matches, but is better known for his exploits in white-ball cricket, where he has 121 wickets from 72 ODIs at an average of 27.13 and 96 wickets from 80 T20Is with an economy rate of 8.19. He has never played Test cricket.

The 19-year-old becomes the youngest since Ricky Ponting to score two centuries in a Shield game

AAP10-Oct-2024Sam Konstas has continued to flag his strong potential as a superstar of the future, writing his name alongside Ricky Ponting in the history books with another Sheffield Shield century.The teenage opener put New South Wales in control of their clash with South Australia at Cricket Central in Sydney, compiling 105 from 225 balls after making 152 in a breakout first innings.The hosts declared at 282 for 6 late on day three, with South Australia 7 for 1 chasing 389 runs for victory on day four after Nathan Lyon struck early to dismiss Conor McInerney without scoring.Earlier, 19-year-old Konstas became the youngest player since Ponting to record two centuries in the same Shield game. Australia’s most successful Test captain achieved the feat as an 18-year-old playing for Tasmania against Western Australia in 1992-93.Konstas is the third youngest to do so in Shield history behind Ponting and Archie Jackson. Konstas beat Sir Donald Bradman who first achieved the feat as a 20-year-old.”Obviously very special,” Konstas said of the feat. “But hopefully we get the job done tomorrow and keep doing our basics well.”Konstas was given an extra life by Test wicketkeeper Alex Carey, who dropped a sitter before the teenager got off the mark on day three.Having also missed a stumping in the first innings, Carey saved face with a diving catch that dismissed Nic Maddinson and continued the opener’s meagre start to his second stint at NSW.But Konstas nevertheless made the visitors pay. He brought up his half-century off Lloyd Pope in the 37th over with a four that rushed past extra cover so fast that Jordan Buckingham needed to jump to avoid the fence as he chased the ball past the boundary.South Australia managed to slow Konstas down after tea as batting partners fell around him.”They had different plans, they were bowling a wider line,” Konstas said. “I had to be a bit ruthless and cop my medicine a bit.”But the teenager finally brought his century up as the final hour of play approached, smacking a six over deep midwicket from Ben Manenti’s bowling.South Australia finally removed him, with McInerney sprinting to long-on to catch him off Pope.Earlier, Lyon continued an impressive lead-in to the Test summer, finishing his first Shield innings of the summer with a five-for.Lyon ripped through the South Australian tail to ensure they were back in the sheds inside the first hour on day three, all out for 260.Nathan McAndrew skied Lyon to deep square leg before Pope nicked off two balls later and set the stage for NSW to extend their lead, which was already 106 runs at the innings break.Lyon expects to play two more matches for NSW ahead of the five-match Test series against India that begins in Perth late next month.

Barcelona's preparations for their La Liga title defence have been thrown into disarray by off-field problems, with Hansi Flick expressing his unease.

Flick "not happy" with failure to register new playersRashford and Garcia ineligible for La Liga openerBarca in race against time to resolve the issueFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Flick has admitted he is "not happy" with the club's ongoing player registration issues, which have left summer signings Marcus Rashford and Joan Garcia unregistered ahead of Saturday's La Liga opener. Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Friday, the German coach acknowledged the difficult situation but stated that he retains trust in the club to find a resolution.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The registration saga is a familiar problem for Barcelona, who have battled La Liga's stringent financial regulations for several seasons. The club's inability to officially register its new players overshadows the start of their title defence and places pressure on the board's financial management. The issue is compounded by an injury to star striker Robert Lewandowski, as his high-profile replacement, Rashford, remains ineligible to play.

This is the second consecutive year that Barcelona have been unable to register all of their players before the opening weekend of the season. Flick himself referenced the recurring issue in his press conference, stating, "The same thing happened last season."

WHAT HANSI FLICK SAID

Speaking on the registration issue, Flick said, "This is the situation, it's not something I'm happy about, but I trust the club. We have to wait until tomorrow. The same thing happened last season. We have to focus on what we can do. As for the rest, I trust the club."

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?

The club's administration is now in a race against time to complete the necessary registrations to allow Rashford and Garcia to feature against Mallorca. 

UEFA are considering transforming the annual Super Cup fixture into a four-team tournament that could be staged outside of Europe as early as next season.

UEFA keen to make Super Cup tournamentUS and Middle East could hostWould mirror Spanish Super Cup Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Currently contested between the Champions League and Europa League winners, the UEFA Super Cup may soon see its format doubled. According to reports, a proposal is on the table to include four teams, likely adding other European competition winners into the mix, and stage the matches abroad. The change could see the curtain-raiser relocated to major venues in the United States or Middle East in an attempt to tap into growing global interest and boost broadcasting revenue.

AdvertisementAFPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

This year’s match between Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham is taking place in Udine at the 25,000-capacity Stadio Friuli – the first time Italy has hosted the fixture. However, the venue was the only bidder, highlighting a potential lack of enthusiasm among European cities. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has already said that playing top European club games in the US is "possible", while Spain’s four-team Super Cup has been held in Saudi Arabia since 2020.

DID YOU KNOW?

The UEFA Super Cup was first played in 1973 between Ajax and AC Milan, with the Dutch side winning 6-1 on aggregate. Until 1998, the fixture was contested over two legs before switching to a single neutral venue.

AFPWHAT NEXT?

A decision on the format is expected ahead of the next media rights bidding round. If approved, the expanded Super Cup could debut before the 2026-27 season, potentially marking the first time the event is staged outside Europe.

Leeds United now face Burnley in a transfer battle to sign a Premier League level defender on a free transfer this summer, according to a new report.

Leeds eyeing more transfers after Nmecha deal

The Whites confirmed their first signing of the summer transfer window on Sunday afternoon, as Lukas Nmecha agreed to join Leeds once his contract at Wolfsburg expires at the end of the month.

The attacking midfielder is a player who is likely to be an important figure in Farke’s team this season, but the club are not resting with just his arrival, as they are already working on more additions.

As reported by Africa Foot, Leeds have made contact with Manchester City over signing Juma Bah on a loan deal. The 19-year-old joined the Blues back in January but spent the rest of the campaign on loan at RC Lens. He now looks set for another temporary move away, with Leeds and Southampton fighting for his signature.

He'd be better than Bijol: £5m defender now wants to sign for Leeds

Leeds United could seal a better transfer than snapping up Jaka Bijol by landing this deal.

ByKelan Sarson Jun 15, 2025

Meanwhile, defender Jaka Bijol has agreed terms over a move to Elland Road this summer and a deal appears to be nearing completion. He is not the only defender on the club’s radar, as a report from Football Insider states that Alex Moreno is also interested in a move to Leeds this summer. The 32-year-old could be available for £5 million, as the Whites are in the market for a new left-back.

Leeds face Burnley in Keane battle

The list of potential new defenders to sign doesn’t stop there, as according to the Liverpool Echo, Leeds are among the teams interested in signing Michael Keane from Everton.

Keane, who has been at Goodison Park since July 2017, is out of contract at the end of this month, and while he remains in talks over a new contract, he is looking more likely to leave. That has alerted Leeds, who, along with Burnley and Sheffield United, are keen on swooping in and securing the defender on a free transfer.

The 32-year-old, who has been dubbed “immense” in the past by Harry Redknapp, has fallen down the pecking order at Everton in recent seasons. Keane went from playing 32 games in the Premier League during the 2021/22 season to playing just 12, 9 and 14 times in the last 3 campaigns.

Apps

230

Goals

16

Assists

10

Keane could be a viable option for the Whites to provide more depth behind Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk, and there aren’t many free signings on the market who provide such a wealth of top flight experience.

The Women’s T20 Challenge opener pits the two teams to have combined to win all the editions so far, and promises big entertainment

Annesha Ghosh23-May-20223:26

Harmanpreet: Difficult to get balance right in a short tournament

Who are playing
Defending champions Trailblazers, led by Smriti Mandhana, take on Harmanpreet Kaur’s Supernovas, two-time champions in what is a three-season tournament. Play begins at 7:30pm local time at the MCA Stadium in Pune.Head to head
Since locking horns in the inaugural edition, held as a one-off exhibition game in Mumbai in 2018, the two sides have faced each other a further four times, including in two finals. While Supernovas rode Harmanpreet’s 37-ball 51 to win the title clash in 2019, Mandhana’s 49-ball 68 gave Trailblazers the trophy in Sharjah in 2020.How the squads stack up
Supernovas: Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Taniya Bhatia (vice-capt), Alana King*, Ayushi Soni, Chandu V, Deandra Dottin*, Harleen Deol, Meghna Singh, Monica Patel, Muskan Malik, Pooja Vastrakar, Priya Punia, Rashi Kanojia, Sophie Ecclestone*, Sune Luus*, Mansi Joshi.Trailblazers: Smriti Mandhana (capt), Poonam Yadav (vice-capt), Arundhati Reddy, Hayley Matthews*, Jemimah Rodrigues, Priyanka Priyadarshini, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Renuka Singh, Richa Ghosh, S Meghana, Saiqa Ishaque, Salma Khatun*, Sharmin Akhter*, Sophia Dunkley*, Sujata Mallik, Shradda Pokharkar.
2:15

Mandhana on Shraddha: Really looking forward to how she progresses

Form guide of key players
Smriti Mandhana: The opening batter struck one half-century in her 236 runs in eight innings at the recent Senior Women’s T20 Trophy, where she led Maharashtra to a runners-up finish. Her highest score in the tournament, 84 against Railways in the final in Surat, came in a losing cause.Earlier this year, she missed the one-off T20I against New Zealand, the only game in the format India have played this year, because of her delayed arrival and quarantine in the country. Before that, in the 2021-22 WBBL that ended in November, Mandhana, playing her first season for Sydney Thunder, smashed a 64-ball 114, the joint-highest score in the competition’s history.Harmanpreet Kaur: The India T20I captain scored 121 runs, two half-centuries included, in three innings for Punjab in the domestic T20 tournament. Against New Zealand, she made a 13-ball 12. She had a prolific WBBL last season, and was named the Player of the Tournament after topping the batting and bowling charts for Melbourne Renegades. She made 406 runs at a strike rate of 130.96, including three fifty-plus scores and 18 sixes, during Renegades’ dominant run to the playoffs.She reinvented herself into a powerplay bowler there, dealing precious blows at the death, taking 15 wickets at 7.45 with her fingerspin.Sophie Ecclestone is in the building, and no batter is safe•BCCIWhat to look forward to
Sophie Ecclestone vs the rest of the world: The No. 1 bowler in the women’s game comes off a blockbuster FairBreak Invitational and ODI World Cup, finishing atop the wicket charts in both tournaments. Having played for Mandhana’s Trailblazers since her Women’s T20 Challenge debut in 2019, the England and Supernovas left-arm spinner could well have serious questions to ask of her former captain (as she likely will of anyone given her red-hot form). Also, if Ecclestone’s newly cultivated boundary-clearing prowess is anything to go by, on view in ample measure at the nets on Sunday, she could be a threat with the bat, too.Deandra Dottin vs the lesser mortals: Harmanpreet, just let the World Boss from Barbados bowl the 20th over already! Regardless, spectators at the MCA Stadium, be on your feet when Dottin is batting because you might have to do a lot of catching in the stands. In between, you can just marvel at how acrobatic she is on the field.Salma Khatun applying the choke: Don’t be surprised if the Bangladesh and Trailblazers offspinner picks up wickets in a heap for not too many. Her knack for taking wickets in a pile almost finished Australia off in the ODI World Cup in March-April. The only glimmer of hope for Supernovas is they are unlikely to slot in a left-hander in their top five.