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Kane Williamson, playing his first match of the season, made an imperious 89 off 51 balls and propelled Sunrisers Hyderabad to their fourth win in four home matches

The Report by Deivarayan Muthu19-Apr-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details3:16

Hogg: Dehi should have batted Morris higher up

Kane Williamson, playing his first match of the season, made an imperious 89 off 51 balls and propelled Sunrisers Hyderabad to their fourth win in four home matches.Williamson was named New Zealand’s T20 international player of the year last month and yet he could not break into Sunrisers’ XI until their sixth game. This was probably because his record in the IPL doesn’t match up to his usual standards. Before today, Williamson had only one six in eight IPL innings. On Wednesday, he hit five times as many on a used pitch to lead Sunrisers to 191 for 4.Delhi Daredevils put up a good fight, led by Shreyas Iyer ‘s riveting 50 off 31 balls with five fours and two sixes. But even he could do little against an equation that eventually read 24 off the last over. Siddharth Kaul was asked to finish the match off but he was smacked for six second ball. The seamer recovered by bowling two dots and getting rid of Angelo Mathews to secure a 15-run win.Dealing with a two-paced pitch
On a track where some balls stopped on the batsmen while others skidded on, run-scoring was not easy. David Warner was dismissed for his first single-digit score in 19 T20 innings as a bouncer from Chris Morris came on slower than he expected. Jayant Yadav’s accurate non-turning offbreaks gave Sunrisers no breathing space at the other end. They managed only 39 for 1 in the first six overs.The enforcer
Williamson, coming in place of Mohammad Nabi, became handy for Sunrisers. After getting set, he smashed back-to-back sixes off Mathews and began changing the pace of the game. Suddenly, Sunrisers had hustled 52 in five overs between the seventh and the 11th.Williamson raised his second IPL fifty off 33 balls and surged into top gear. He took legspinner Amit Mishra for 21 runs off nine balls. He exploited any gap the Daredevils left unprotected. In the ninth over, seeing Zaheer Khan posting his boundary riders on the off side and leaving fine leg up, he walked across his stumps and scooped the ball away.The anchor
Shikhar Dhawan, having hit the first ball of the match for four, was happy in Williamson’s slipstream. Together they put on Sunrisers’ 10th century partnership and the first not involving Warner. Only after the stand was broken did he try something fancy. A full delivery from Mathews in the 18th over was almost helicoptered over the midwicket boundary. Just as he looked set to bat through the innings, Morris dismissed him for 70 off 50 balls. It was Dhawan’s third-highest score for Sunrisers in the IPL.Kane Williamson led the way for Sunrisers Hyderabad•ESPNcricinfo LtdSamson, Nair set Delhi up
Mohammed Siraj, playing his first IPL match, got lucky when Sam Billings chipped a leg-stump half-volley straight to short midwicket. Sanju Samson and Karun Nair, however, showed him no such mercy. Samson picked up a length ball and flicked it with the angle over the long-on boundary, while Nair drove a wide half-volley through the covers. He then reached his first 30-plus score in 15 innings across all formats, since the triple-century in Chennai, when he launched Moises Henriques over long-off for a six. By then, Daredevils were 80 for 1 in nine overs.The slowdown
Sunrisers then prised out two wickets from nowhere. Vijay Shankar, the substitute fielder, speared a flat throw from long-on to run Nair out for 33. Rishabh Pant then wasted his promotion to No. 4, hoicking a Yuvraj Singh full ball from outside off to long-on. Only 18 runs came off the next three overs as the asking rate ballooned past 12. Samson attempted to prick the balloon, but only skewed a slower ball from Siraj to cover.Iyer’s late rearguard
Daredevils’ hope rested in Iyer now and he fanned them with two sixes off legspinner Rashid Khan who ended with 0 for 33 in four overs. Mathews, sent ahead of the in-form Morris, however, laboured to 31 off 23 balls. Ultimately, Morris, who has a strike-rate of 238.7 this season, did not face a single ball.Sunrisers, though, might have been worried when Kaul conceded 13 off the 18th over and later when Iyer carved a reverse-swinging yorker from Bhuvneshwar for a four. But Kaul bounced back in the final over to hand Daredevils their third defeat.

Christian Pulisic scored his third goal of the Serie A season to lead AC Milan to a win over Lazio.

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Pulisic scores third goal of seasonMilan top Lazio 2-0Musah impresses as early substitute

The U.S. men's national team star had scored in his first two Milan appearances before making little impact in the next four games as he went in and out of the XI. There was no keeping him quiet on Saturday, though, as the American scored a key goal in the second half to help seal all three points for the Rossoneri.

Pulisic wasn't the only American to impress in the win, with Yunus Musah coming off the bench early to replace the injured Ruben Loftus-Cheek, nearly earning an assist as he set up an Olivier Giroud chance late in the first half.

Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

It was a highly physical match between the two Serie A sides, and one that was extremely tight until Pulisic's breakthrough goal.

The American's strike came in the 60th minute, with Pulisic finally breaking the deadlock with a fantastic half-volley. Rafael Leao will be credited with the assist, having raced through on the left wing before playing a bouncing cross to the penalty spot. Pulisic was there to finish, striking the ball into the net to score a key early-season goal for Milan.

Pulisic was joined on the scoresheet by Noah Okafor, who came off the bench to score Milan's second goal from another Leao assist. It was the striker's second in as many games as he begins to get going for Milan.

Musah, meanwhile, had some decent game time as he came on in the 29th minute. The American midfielder's fantastic cross to Giroud nearly resulted in a goal just before halftime, but, after an initial save on the Frenchman's first shot, Tijjani Reijnders couldn't quite turn the ball into the back of the net.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The focus will be on Pulisic, who is continuing to shine after arriving in Italy. Milan's attack is crowded, albeit not as crowded as Chelsea's and, with a crucial Champions League game looming, Pulisic made the perfect statement to Stefano Pioli.

To be fair, Pioli already seems to be a believer, with the trio of Pulisic, Leao and Giroud seemingly his preferred attack. That trio currently has Milan atop Serie A with that group combining for 10 of Milan's 14 goals in these first seven games.

Pulisic, though, was not named to Milan's starting XI against Newcastle in Europe, with Pioli instead turning to Samuel Chukwueze. Can Pioli leave Pulisic on the bench next week against Dortmund? It'll be tough after this performance.

Musah, meanwhile, also put in a positive performance as he continues to try and play his way into Pioli's starting XI. In addition to his near assist, he had a solid shot on goal in the second half as the ex-Valencia man was highly involved throughout for Milan.

GettyUSMNT IMPACT

Pulisic's role with the USMNT is unquestioned, so, from that perspective, the U.S. are simply glad to see the winger fit, confident and scoring ahead of October's friendlies.

Musah, meanwhile, is a player that could be battling for a starting midfield spot if the U.S. does, in fact, move Gio Reyna into a No.10 role.

The bad news for the USMNT is that Tyler Adams is out injured again, robbing the team of their top No.6 heading towards those games against Germany and Ghana. With Musah continuing to take steps forward at Milan, though, he should be ready to step in.

The fact that Pioli turned to Musah instead of ahead of Tommaso Pobega shows that the American midfielder is doing something right. He hasn't yet earned a starting XI spot, but, after his manager hailed him as a "complete player" ahead of this match, he did plenty to prove him right in this one.

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GettyGOAL'S RATINGS

Christian Pulisic (8/10):

Got the crucial goal and was dangerous throughout. Routinely targeted by physical play with few calls from the referee, Pulisic never drifted out of the game and, ultimately, helped decide it with his goal.

Yunus Musah (7/10):

Thrown into a tough situation as an early sub, but he responded well. Passed the ball well, created a few chances and looked comfortable throughout. A positive step.

The Melbourne Renegades kept their chances alive in the BBL with a six-run win that knocked the Adelaide Strikers out

The Report by Geoff Lemon16-Jan-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMarcus Harris reached his fifty off 29 balls•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Strikers struck off, Renegades surviveThe Melbourne Renegades stayed alive in the sixth edition of the Big Bash League, finally closing out a contest after a couple of thrilling losses, and knocking out the struggling Adelaide Strikers with a six-run win.Asked to bat at the Adelaide Oval, the Renegades set a decent total of 171 for the loss of nine wickets, built around Marcus Harris’ dominant innings of 85. No other batsman really got going, Callum Ferguson the next best with 26, though all of the top five got starts.Ben Laughlin bowled an exceptional spell of 2 for 15 from his four overs, while Michael Neser returned 2 for 14 from three, but the Renegades made up for it by punishing Kieron Pollard, Liam O’Connor, Ish Sodhi and Wes Agar.The final result looked closer on paper than it was in the flesh, the chase effectively extinguished when captain Brad Hodge was out 37 runs short of victory with 20 balls to spare, after little substantial support from the top order. Jono Dean clubbed the Strikers to within some hope of a comeback win, but Thisara Perera finished off with the ball after so famously failing to do so in last week’s record chase against the Hobart Hurricanes.We’ll always have HarrisThe Renegades opener was the difference, and proved his value as a recruit from Western Australia, belting his 85 from 53 deliveries. Six of his shots went to the fence and four cleared it, his moderate start dropping into gear with three consecutive fours off Agar in the third over.He flew past a half-century thanks to a couple of sixes off Pollard in the eighth. Cameron White and Tom Cooper fell around him, but Harris pushed on to within reach of a maiden T20 century in his 20th game.When he fell with the score on 149 and four overs to go, a possible Renegades score of over 200 went begging, as the last six batsmen kept to single figures. In the end, though, Harris alone had been enough.Strikers waste another good chancePeter Nevill is accompanied off the field after being struck in the face by Brad Hodge’s bat•Getty Images

Tim Ludeman and Ben Dunk got the start that should have enabled the Strikers to chase comfortably, with 53 runs from the first six overs. But not for the first time this season, the rest of the innings lost its way. Ludeman holed out, Dunk missed a straight ball from part-time offspinner and part-time Dutchman Cooper, and the slide began.”I’ll just look to be super positive against Perera. Pollard is great against spin, so hopefully that takes some pressure off him.” That was Hodge’s offering to the commentary team during the chase. “We know Perera will be bowling a lot of slower balls, so hopefully we get onto a few.”It was Pollard rather than Hodge who got onto one, a ball that dropped short and sat up. Pollard hammered it out to deep square leg, flying for a flat six. Or that’s what everyone thought had happened, except that a screamer from Callum Ferguson at the boundary intercepted it.Once again it was poor Hodge trying to herd a bunch of kittens across the finish line. That paved the way, though, for a fluke accident that took the shine off the win for the Renegades. As Hodge looked to lift the rate, his bat flew out of his hands after a particularly violent slog sweep, and flew behind the pitch where Peter Nevill stood a few paces back.With the wicketkeeper’s eye on the ball at deep backward square, he didn’t see the bat that then hit him in the side of his face, forcing him to come off with a massive swelling on the right side of his jaw. Perera knocked over Hodge later the same over, while opposing captain Aaron Finch deputised with the gloves.Be the crowd favouriteThe competition for bringing the crowd into the game was split between Harris and Neser. Aside from Neser’s bowling providing a couple of deep catches, he put on a show himself by the fence.First he hung on to one at deep midwicket to dismiss White. Then he dropped Ferguson at long-on, held Perera at long-off, and snared James Pattinson at deep midwicket towards the end of the innings.Harris brought onlookers into the game literally via the last of his sixes from a gorgeous straight hit off New Zealand legspinner Sodhi. A security guard on a camp chair at the boundary wasn’t watching play, and only just responded to the crowd’s calls to yank his head out of the way. Harris tried to send him the next ball as well, but the pull shot hung just inside the rope for Dean to claim.The late season wash-upVery simple. This was a knockout match, even as the second-last of the season for both teams. The Strikers and Renegades went into the game at the bottom of the ladder on four points each, needing to win their last two to match the eight points of the teams currently occupying the finals positions.The Renegades had certainly had the better season on the field, losing twice from the last ball of matches, while the Strikers had struggled. In the end, things went to form, and Red Melbourne stayed in contention.

Essex have added Neil Wagner to their ranks for 2017 as they look to compete on their return to Division One

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-2016

Essex have added Neil Wagner to their ranks for 2017 as they look to compete on their return to Division One. Wagner will fill the main overseas role for the first half of the season, playing Championship and 50-over cricket, before the arrival of Mohammad Amir.Wagner, the New Zealand left-armer, had a successful spell at Lancashire last season, helping them to briefly top the table as he picked up 32 wickets at 29.28. He will add experience to Essex’s attack after the retirements of Graham Napier and David Masters earlier this year.”I really enjoyed my time in England with Lancashire last season, but I am excited about linking up with Essex and building on the team’s success in 2016,” Wagner said. “I want to bring my experience to the team and help us win games. I hope to help the squad get off to a good start in both competitions.”Wagner, who only plays Tests for New Zealand, is expected to be available for all of the Royal London Cup group stage and up to eight Championship matches, depending on when Amir joins up with Essex after the Champions Trophy.Chris Silverwood, the head coach, had been looking to bolster his pace-bowling stocks after losing Napier and Masters, who took 103 wickets between them as Essex claimed the Division Two title. Jamie Porter, 23, has an impressive record but 2017 will be his first taste of Division One cricket, while Essex will hope Matthew Quinn and Matt Dixon continue to develop.”Neil will bring vast experience at the highest level to the club, as well as a skill set that will be valuable in the opening months of the season,” Silverwood said. “He performed excellently for Lancashire last year and is also useful with the bat lower down the order. Hopefully he can help us hit the ground running in 2017.”

India and Tamil Nadu seamer L Balaji will reitre from first-class and List A cricket, but has stated that he will be available for smaller T20 leagues

Arun Venugopal16-Sep-20161:01

Quick Facts: Lakshmipathy Balaji

India and Tamil Nadu seamer L Balaji will retire from first-class and List A cricket, but has said he will be available for smaller T20 leagues.Balaji will meet TNCA president N Srinivasan later this evening to formally announce his retirement. The TNCA, it is learnt, is keen for Balaji to be bowling coach for the 2016-17 domestic season, a role he also fulfilled in the 2015-16 season. Balaji is expected to take a call after discussing the terms of his contract during his meeting with Srinivasan.”I have taken a decision on not playing senior-level cricket any longer in any format. I have asked the TNCA to not pick me for the Tamil Nadu team this season,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “I am still looking to continue playing the smaller leagues, but let’s see how it goes.”Balaji, 34, made his first-class debut for Tamil Nadu in the 2001-02 season, against the Colombo District Cricket Association, and took 37 wickets in his maiden first-class season in India. The following season, he finished as the joint highest wicket-taker in the Ranji Trophy in 2002-03, with 47 dismissals, and went on to make a Test debut in October 2003 against New Zealand in Ahmedabad.Overall, Balaji played 106 first-class matches, taking 330 wickets at an average of 26.10, with 16 five-fors and four ten-wicket hauls. In List A cricket, his record stands at 145 wickets in 100 matches at an average of 29.35. He also captained Tamil Nadu for three seasons – from 2011-12 to 2013-14, with the side reaching the Ranji Trophy final in 2011-12.Balaji picked the spell against Delhi in the Ranji Trophy semifinal in 2002-03 as one of his favourites in his first-class career. Balaji took 5 for 49 in the second innings, and seven in the match, to help Tamil Nadu beat Delhi by 132 runs. “I think I have been part of some very interesting matches,” he said. “I picked up a five-for in the second innings against a team that featured three, four Test players like Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag and Aakash Chopra. My spell of 6 for 24 against Bengal in 2008-09 [Ranji Trophy quarter-final] was also very special.”His last first-class appearance came in the 2014-15 Ranji Trophy final, in which Karnataka beat Tamil Nadu by an innings and 217 runs. Before the 2015-16 season, Balaji was named bowling coach and was also picked as a player, though he did not eventually play any first-class matches in the season. His appearances for Tamil Nadu in 2015-16 were limited to four one-day matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.Since then, Balaji has only played in the inaugural Tamil Nadu Premier League T20 tournament, where he has taken eight wickets so far for Albert TUTI Patriots.Balaji played eight Tests between 2003 and 2005, picking up 27 wickets at an average of 37.18. His best performances in Tests came against Pakistan in the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons. On the tour of Pakistan in 2004, Balaji took 12 wickets in the three-Test series, including a haul of 7 for 171 in the decisive Rawalpindi Test, which India won to claim the series 2-1.The following year, when Pakistan toured India, Balaji was among the wickets again, ending with 14 wickets in three matches. This included a match haul of nine in the first Test in Mohali, where he also claimed his only five-for in the format.Balaji also played 29 ODIs between November 2002 and August 2005, before suffering a career-threatening stress fracture for which he underwent back surgery. He eventually made a comeback to the Indian side after being picked for the ODIs in Sri Lanka in early 2009, but played only one match in the series.Despite his international career remaining ridden with injuries, Balaji said he was fortunate to having played alongside his childhood heroes. “To play alongside bigger brothers like Zaheer [Khan], Ashish [Nehra], Harbhajan [Singh] and Yuvi [Yuvraj Singh]… they have always been looking after me,” he said. “Also playing with the six legends – Viru [Virender Sehwag ], Sourav [Ganguly], Anil [Kumble] bhai, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman – was a dream come true.”I am very indebted to my seniors from my state; I have learnt a lot from every cricketer I have played and interacted with. The TNCA has been very supportive, especially when I had a surgery, and N Srinivasan, especially, backed me. Of course, I am indebted to my family, my wife, my sisters, and my friends, without whom I wouldn’t have made this level from being a tennis-ball cricketer.”I have made the physio’s job and the doctor’s job very tough for a few years, so I would like to thank them for helping me come out of a career-threatening injury. I kept them busy for sometime, and in the end made good friends in a different field.”

Liverpool have deployed chiefs to assess Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha ahead of a potential summer move to Anfield, according to reports.

What's the latest on Palhinha to Liverpool?

The Reds are known to be in the market for a few new central-midfield additions during the upcoming window, with four players in that position set to be out of contract and therefore likely to be on their way out, and Palhinha has been identified as a possible candidate.

The Portugal international only arrived at Craven Cottage back in July, but has taken the Premier League by storm, as in his 31 appearances to date, has quickly become Marco Silva’s best-performing defensive player with a match rating of 6.99, as per WhoScored.

GiveMeSport reports that Jurgen Klopp had his eyes on the SW6 talisman even before he joined the Whites, so has clearly been a long-term admirer of his target, though a deal won’t be easy to complete with another four years still to run on his contract at Craven Cottage.

According to Football Insider, Liverpool have “sent scouts” to monitor Palhinha on several occasions as they weigh up making an official approach ahead of the 2023/24 term. The Merseyside outfit have a “strong relationship” with his agency, Gestifute, which is owned by Jorge Mendes – the same agent who also acts for Fabinho, Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez. The Reds are hoping to bring in “multiple” midfielders at the end of the season as the boss plots a huge overhaul and the £50k-per-week talent is one of the names on his list of options.

Would Palhinha be a good signing for Liverpool?

Palhinha may not be as high-profile a player as the likes of Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham and Chelsea’s Mason Mount, who Liverpool have also been linked with, but the man dubbed an “artist” by journalist Josh Bunting, could be a fantastic acquisition at Anfield.

The 6 foot 3 ace is naturally a defensive midfielder, as displayed by him ranking in the 99th percentile for tackles – making 105 this season alone, winning 60 in total, which is higher than any of his fellow teammates, as per FBRef.

The Lisbon native is also capable of contributing to his side’s efforts in the final third having scored four goals since joining, with this form at both ends of the pitch. And perhaps more importantly, his influence on the Fulham team is stark.

Indeed, Fulham have lost every game he has not featured in this season, such is his impact in midfield. Therefore, whilst his price tag remains to be seen, we think there is enough evidence for FSG to splash the cash to secure his services later in the summer.

ESPN journalist Luis Miguel Echegaray has been left in disbelief as Chelsea cool their interest in former Barcelona boss Luis Enrique.

What’s the latest on Enrique to Chelsea?

The 52-year-old has been on Todd Boehly’s radar since the west Londoners opted to dismiss former manager Graham Potter at the start of April.

Enrique is also reliably believed to have even flown to England for talks with Chelsea recently, coming as the club step up their pursuit of a new manager.

Frank Lampard has been placed in temporary charge until the end of the Premier League campaign, a tenure which has gone disastrously thus far with still no victory since taking the hot seat.

Out of the Champions League and with zero chance of clinching silverware, it’s back to the drawing board for Boehly with managers high on the agenda.

Enrique was thought to be among the primary contenders to take over at Chelsea alongside former Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann, with the latter sacked unceremoniously despite leading his former club to a Champions League quarter-final.

Now, though, according to a report by The Telegraph, Chelsea have apparently cooled their interest in Enrique – with the Champions League winner not among Boehly’s main contenders for the role.

Reacting to this news, Echegaray has been left surprised – explaining that Enrique could be ‘perfect’ for the job.

Taking to social media, he explained:

Instead of the former Spain boss, it is believed that Nagelsmann and former Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino are set for further talks and Boehly has even already been ‘impressed’ with the latter coach.

Should Chelsea turn away?

Enrique has plenty of credentials and arguably far more than some other names to have been linked.

Indeed, the former Celta Vigo boss holds multiple league titles alongside a Champions League winners medal – all while encouraging a possession-based, attack-minded style of football.

His status as a free agent stands out as yet another incentive for Chelsea to make a move for him, so The Telegraph’s update does indeed come as a surprising one.

Perhaps it was Enrique’s lack of experience in England which ultimately lead to this decision, but one way or another, some supporters will be disappointed.

MS Dhoni has said it was very important for India to not trip up in the final of the Asia Cup to hold the critics at bay, and to keep the team’s momentum intact leading up to the World T20. The unit is a balanced one ahead of the showpiece event, he said, with the only question mark hanging over seamer Ashish Nehra who might have to make way for Mohammed Shami.”India losing a final is a bigger headline than India winning a final,” Dhoni said after sealing an eight-wicket win over Bangladesh in Mirpur with a six over midwicket. “It’s like putting in a lot at stake: if you win then they say ‘nothing really’; if you lose to Bangladesh, say people ‘oh, you lost to Bangladesh?'”You’re supposed to win. It’s like a game where a lot is at stake but when you win, you actually don’t take anything forward.”However, Dhoni added, Bangladesh’s recent top form at home – including a 2-1 ODI series victory over India in June 2015 – translated into this victory meaning a lot more. “Things have changed. It’s not like the 2004 Bangladesh team. They have a fantastic squad right now. They have improved a lot, and that’s what is showing in their performance on the field. So it was an important one to win.””As far as staying in the present is concerned, it always helps. If you start thinking about what happened when the last time we were here… of course you feel hurt, but what’s important is to forget all of that and concentrate on the present. You can’t do much about the past, you can only take the learnings from the past and that’s what we did today.”Dhoni said the focus now turned to the World T20 for his team, which is already “in the groove” for the tournament. “If you see the kind of performances that the team has given, they will carry a lot of confidence into the World T20. They know what has been really going well for them, what their strengths are.”While he is satisfied with how the XI is looking, Dhoni said, he is also still waiting to see how Shami’s recovery progresses; Nehra has “done very well” for the team but might be replaced by Shami if the latter can get fit in time. Shami was initially part of the Asia Cup squad, but was ruled out of the tournament after it was found he had failed to fully recover from a hamstring injury that had kept him out of the limited-overs series in Australia in January.”Whether Shami is fit or not, we’ll see. He still has a bit of time,” Dhoni said. “The only reason he was picked was because, he is someone who can deliver with the old and new ball, yorkers being his strength.”I think it’s very difficult to replace [Jasprit] Bumrah. He has the strength of bowling yorkers at will, and with the new ball also he has contributed. Nehra has also contributed. Few games ups and downs happen in T20. Hardik Pandya, he’s a fast-bowling allrounder. If Jadeja or him can bat No. 8 and they can give me three or four overs, then it looks like a better balanced side.”For Shami to replace [someone], it would be Ashish. Ashish is the only slot, but to replace Ashish would be very tough. The reason being he has done very well for us, he has moved the ball around. But Shami will have to prove his fitness in the warm-up games. If he does, he will stay ahead with the team.”Nehra was India’s joint second-highest wicket-taker at the Asia Cup, with six wickets at an average of 16.50. He was the most expensive of their specialist bowlers though, conceding 7.07 runs per over, with his poorest returns coming in the final where he took 1 for 33 in his three overs.

Journalist Ben Jacobs has claimed that Arsenal are currently among the "frontrunners" to land midfield transfer target Declan Rice in the summer window.

What’s the latest on Declan Rice to Arsenal?

While the Gunners will no doubt be primarily focusing on the exploits in the Premier League as they look to win the division as he enter the final 11 games of the campaign, others will still have one eye on the upcoming transfer market.

In fact, it seems the West Ham United captain may even be looking ahead to the end of the season as he dropped a big hint about his future when saying in December that he wants to play Champions League football soon.

This no doubt would have put a number of clubs on high alert and while speaking about the player on the Devils United podcast, Jacobs said Manchester United and Chelsea are both keen on the player but tipped Arsenal to get the deal done if things remain as they are.

He said: "Declan Rice is a player that Manchester United have liked for a while, but Arsenal and Chelsea are thought to be the frontrunners.

"And the reason for that is because, a bit like what I said a moment ago, Rice just really likes living in London and has spoken glowingly about Mikel Arteta.

"So I sense that Arsenal are frontrunners, but Chelsea are still very much in that race as well."

Why does Declan Rice want to join Arsenal?

As Jacobs alludes to, Rice is understood to be very keen to learn under manager Arteta – with the midfielder said to be a big fan of the Spaniard (via The Guardian).

What's more, the Gunners seem to be in the market for a big new midfielder signing – evidenced by their failed attempts to sign Moises Caicedo in the winter – so the West Ham captain may be able to see a clear path for him to claim a spot in the starting XI.

On top of that, the club's superb season now means the prospect of winning major trophies in the near future is a lot more realistic and this will no doubt appeal to Rice who is yet to win any silverware up to this point in his career.

Of course, clubs like Chelsea and Man Utd will also be able to offer him similar incentives, so it's not a done deal just yet. But it does feel as though this transfer is in Arsenal's hands for now.

The future of West Ham United defender Vladimir Coufal has taken a twist as an update emerges on a potential new deal in east London.

Latest West Ham news

David Moyes and his Irons side have enjoyed an absolutely terrific start to the new Premier League season, coming after they sold former superstar Declan Rice to Arsenal for £105 million in the summer transfer window.

The departure of Rice was seen as a major worry for West Ham, but so far, they have shown that the absence of their ex-powerhouse is proving little issue.

Summer signing Edson Alvarez has excelled in the 24-year-old's stead, impressing national media with some of his displays in claret and blue.

West Ham have also bolstered their coaching department with the appointments of John Heitinga, Mark Robson and Henry Newman, who will assist Moyes behind-the-scenes at Rush Green.

“I would like to welcome John to West Ham United and also welcome Mark and Henry into the first-team group," said Moyes to the club's official website.

“John is someone I have known for a long time. He has gained some very good experience since beginning his coaching career in the Ajax Academy and working his way up to their first-team. Mark and Henry are both already familiar to everyone here at the Club and have deserved the opportunity to step up within our structure.

“John, Mark and Henry will each bring experience in different areas and complement the strengths we already have in the coaching team alongside Billy, Kevin and Xavi. I look forward to working with them and building on the positive start we have made to the new season.”

It is also believed that the Hammers are eyeing up former star Jesse Lingard to further reinforce their ranks ahead of a tough and congested campaign of fixtures.

Their promising start to the 2023/2024 season has also seen some members of the West Ham squad thrive compared to last term, like striker Michail Antonio and Coufal.

Concerning the latter player, there has been a very interesting update on his future.

Will Vladimir Coufal leave West Ham?

Indeed, the Czech Republic international has seemingly re-established himself as Moyes' preferred right-back, coming after he was usurped in favour of Thilo Kehrer over 22/23.

Journalist Pete O'Rourke, writing for Football Insider, has now claimed that initial talks have been opened over extending Coufal's stay at the club.

The 31-year-old's current terms are set to expire at the end of this season, and while they have the option to extend by a further 12 months, it is believed West Ham are plotting to reward his exceptional performances thus far.

Coufal "could even land a new deal" following his "impressive" start, with the full-back having "turned his career around" under Moyes.

He is currently preferred over fellow right-back Ben Johnson, who is yet to play a single second in the top flight.

While Johnson's contract is also set to expire at the end of the current campaign, it appears Coufal is the one currently in line for fresh terms as things stand.

It will be very interesting to find out the conditions of this potential contract for Coufal, who was also a "key member" of the Conference League-winning squad.