تحدث فيرجيل فان دايك، قائد نادي ليفربول، عن عودة محمد صلاح للتواجد في تشكيلة الريدز خلال مباراة برايتون بالدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.
وعاد محمد صلاح ليتواجد في تشكيلة ليفربول، حيث شارك كبديل خلال مباراة برايتون يوم أمس السبت، ضمن الجولة الـ15 من الدوري الإنجليزي على ملعب آنفيلد.
وقدم محمد صلاح مردودًا رائعًا وقدم تمريرة حاسمة ساعد بها ليفربول في الفوز على برايتون بهدفين مقابل لا شيء.
وكان محمد صلاح قد تم استبعاده خلال لقاء ليفربول وإنتر ميلان بدوري أبطال أوروبا الأسبوع الماضي، بقرار فني من المدير الفني آرني سلوت.
وجاء اسبتعاد محمد صلاح في ظل التصريحات النارية التي أطلقها الدولي المصري تجاه سلوت وإدارة ليفربول، بعدما ابتعد ابن الـ33 عامًا عن التشكيلة الأساسية للنادي الإنجليزي خلال الفترة الماضي.
اقرأ أيضًا.. ستيف نيكول: لا يجب رحيل صلاح قبل التعاقد مع هذا اللاعب
وأكد فان دايك في تصريحات نقلتها “بي بي سي سبورت”، أن لاعبي ليفربول متحدون أكثر من أي وقت مضى، موضحًا أنه يتمنى بقاء محمد صلاح مع الريدز خلال الفترة المقبلة.
وقال فان دايك عن محمد صلاح والذي سيشارك مع منتخب مصر في كأس أمم إفريقيا: “أظهرنا هذا الأسبوع أننا متحدون تمامًا، سنمضي قدمًا كفريق واحد”.
وأضاف: “محمد صلاح سيشارك في كأس الأمم الأفريقية، ونأمل جميعًا أن يحقق النجاح هناك، وأن يعود ليصبح لاعبًا أساسيًا لنا لبقية الموسم”.
واختتم الدولي الهولندي في حديثه عن محمد صلاح: “لكن من جهة أخرى نحن جميعًا نفهم كرة القدم، ولا نعلم ما سيحدث، أتمنى أن يبقى لأنه أحد قادة الفريق ولا يزال لاعبًا مهمًا جدًا للنادي، ولكن هناك جوانب أخرى لهذه المسألة”.
Are Chelsea outside challengers for the Premier League title this season?
Based on the weekend’s results, they are, as Enzo Maresca’s Blues comfortably got the better of Burnley 2-0 on the road to remain second spot in the early league standings, while Liverpool and Manchester City fell to unwanted defeats.
Maresca’s men managed to pick up that routine win, even with Moises Caicedo out of the starting lineup at Turf Moor, as Chelsea’s standout £115m midfielder was rested after a gruelling international break with Ecuador.
Thankfully, the defensive midfield partnership that did start in Lancashire in Enzo Fernandez and Andrey Santos rose to the occasion, with Santos stealing many of the plaudits at the full-time whistle, despite Fernandez’s late strike sealing all three points.
Santos' standout performance vs Burnley
Fernandez rightfully received plenty of praise at the final whistle, with the World Cup winner now up to 11 goals and ten assists in 2025 for the Blues as a forward-thinking midfield spark.
But, with Caicedo out of the starting XI, Chelsea also needed a talent prepared to dig deep and do the required defensive work that the South American does week in week out, with the 24-year-old averaging 5.2 ball recoveries and winning 5.4 duels per Premier League contest this season, away from also chipping in with three goals and an assist.
Thankfully, Santos stepped up into his role effortlessly against Scott Parker’s hosts, with two tackles won, seven duels won, and four ball recoveries amassed, showing off the 21-year-old’s full-blooded approach.
On top of that, Santos also ended the game with one big chance created from his 34 accurate passes, with analyst Raj Chohan even stating that he provides a “lot of value” to the team as a stellar stand-in option for the likes of Caicedo.
The promising number 17 will hope he can get more first-team minutes soon, away from being in the shadow of the ex-Brighton and Hove Albion man.
But, he isn’t the only midfield asset being directly compared to Caicedo now.
Chelsea's next Caicedo
It’s clear that Chelsea have great faith in the youngsters rising the ranks at Stamford Bridge currently, with Maresca prepared to start a whole plethora of exciting, young talents, away from just throwing Santos into the first-team spotlight.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Indeed, in attack, Estevao has been handed chances galore this season to impress, with a Premier League goal and assist coming the hotly tipped Brazilian’s way subsequently.
Moreover, Marc Guiu would gift Fernandez his goal at Turf Moor on a plate, with the 19-year-old now becoming a regular impact player off the bench. Could Dario Essugo be the next starlet to make a wild impression?
Already, the £18.5m summer purchase – despite only being 20 years of age – has shone in some challenging environments for two loan sides in Chaves and Las Palmas in Liga Portugal and La Liga respectively.
His attritional, yet polished displays, have even led to scout Jacek Kulig hailing the Portuguese enforcer as a “one-man army.”
Moreover, Kulig also boldly labelled Essugo as “one of the most exciting DMs in Europe” for his continued excellence with Las Palmas, even as they succumbed to relegation.
In the current Chelsea set-up, based on his numbers last season in that relegation-troubled camp, he would surely shine as bright as Caicedo has managed in West London.
Essugo in 23/24 & 24/25
Stat (* = per 90 mins)
23/24
24/25
Games played
18
27
Goals scored
0
1
Assists
0
0
Touches*
40.8
48.4
Accurate passes*
24.5 (85%)
30.0 (86%)
Tackles*
1.7
2.2
Ball recoveries*
4.2
4.4
Clearances*
1.7
1.6
Total duels won*
5.3
4.9
Stats by Sofascore
Looking at the table above, it’s clear that Essugo will be prepared to battle and tussle for Chelsea when first-team chances eventually arrive at his door, winning 4.9 duels per game last season in La Liga action, not a million miles off Caicedo’s 5.4 tally this campaign back in England.
Unfortunately, the only drawback for Essugo so far is that he is sidelined with a nasty injury at the moment, but he did shine briefly in Caicedo’s place against AC Milan in pre-season, with 100% of his ground duels won from just 17 minutes of action.
Thankfully, Maresca has Santos to fall back on in defensive midfield for the time being, if Caicedo continues to look fatigued.
But, do not rule out Essugo exploding onto the scene when he returns from the treatment room, with Chelsea’s midfield options full to the brim with quality.
Shades of Kante: 8/10 Chelsea man had his "best performance" yet vs Burnley
As Chelsea beat Burnley 2-0 in the Premier League at Turf Moor, which player put in their “best performance” for the club, looking N’Golo Kanté-esque?
Lamine Yamal has been told that relentless comparisons with Lionel Messi are “not helping” his development, with “unnecessary pressure” being lumped onto the teenager’s shoulders. The Barcelona wonderkid has cleared every hurdle put in front of him so far, but he is only 18 years of age and could do without being asked to follow in the footsteps of an all-time great.
Next Messi: Yamal treading similar path to Argentine icon
Yamal has, however, had to get used to that discussion. Ever since he stepped out of the same La Masia academy system as Argentine GOAT Messi, similarities have been drawn between two exciting left-footed forwards.
A fearless approach to his game has allowed Yamal to turn a deaf ear to any detractors, with the record books being rewritten, and he has stated on a regular basis that he does not consider himself to be the ‘next Messi’. He intends to build his own legacy, but that will only be possible if distractions on and off the field can be avoided.
AdvertisementGettyGOAT comparison: Why Yamal vs Messi debate helps nobody
Ex-Barcelona midfielder Gaizka Mendieta has told : “Comparisons to Lionel Messi are not helping Lamine Yamal. It doesn't help anyone. It doesn't help mainly and mostly the player. You know, 'the number 10, there's the new Messi. He does things that Messi used to do at his age.' When I hear these conversations, it's about, 'name me how many Messis are in football history.' How many players like Messi have you seen in football history? I can maybe count three. Okay, and then how often have you seen these players? Huge gaps in between, I don't know, 20, 30, 40 years, 50 years. It's very rare that you see players like Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.
“Messi and Ronaldo, I think it's quite unique that you see two players like that playing at the same time and era. So one is very difficult. And second, to put that pressure on a player of 18 years old that is going to play in the next 20 years at that level, I wish and I hope he will do it, but I think it's so difficult. It's very difficult. Not only the level of football, but also injuries and so many things. He’s 18, he's still growing. He's still developing muscle and bones. So there are so many factors there that we have to be careful about these comparisons. It’s unnecessary pressure on a player. Look, let's enjoy it. He is an amazing talent, let's enjoy what is there game by game. Let’s hope he will make it to 40 and be the next Messi. But there's no pressure. We've seen many others including Ansu Fati and Munir El Haddadi being called the next Messi and so many in Argentina, but it’s not that simple.”
Transfer trigger: Will Barcelona sign Rashford?
Yamal can call on the support of those around him at Camp Nou, with England international Marcus Rashford among those currently on hand to help shoulder the responsibility of providing goals and assists. He has impressed during a loan spell from Manchester United, but it remains to be seen whether a permanent transfer option will be triggered.
Mendieta added of the 28-year-old forward: “Marcus Rashford has been excellent. He's been fantastic for the team. Seven assists, I think with three goals. But, most importantly, he's an addition to the team. I think a deal will come down to finance. As a player, the way Marcus Rashford is playing, there will surely be interest, but it's about where Barca will be with their finances at that moment in time. And of course, what Rashford wants for his contract, how much he's prepared to negotiate, because we know Barca cannot afford to pay those contracts. On the sports side, for sure, 100%. The question is, can both sides come down to a financial agreement?
“It's sad to say, but I think the fact that Raphinha has been injured is helping. If Raphinha was fit, I'm sure they would be rotated. There would have been changes between them two. But the fact that he's been injured has allowed him to play regularly every game, which is helping to settle better. I think him being away from England and the Premier League has helped, he was always in the spotlight, not always for the right reasons.
“I think he's enjoying that life in Barcelona. It's great knowing he can go to restaurants, people will not bother you. He can go to the beach, he can get on with his lifestyle in Barcelona. And that's helping him to settle in the team. The style, I think, suits him. He doesn't need to run as much as he thought he had to do in the past and it's more about tactics and understanding when to make those runs and those passes or crosses or actions. I think all these factors are helping him to be the player he wants to be and the fans are enjoying it.”
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Getty/GOALBarcelona fixtures: Next up for Yamal & Rashford
Yamal and Rashford have helped Barcelona to the top of the Liga table, in their ongoing title defence, with the Blaugrana taking advantage of the dip in form being endured by Clasico rivals Real Madrid. Hansi Flick’s side will be back in action on Tuesday when taking in a testing home date with Atletico Madrid.
The nomad Athletics finally appear to be doing something right.
On Wednesday, the franchise announced it will be wearing a uniform patch honoring franchise great Rickey Henderson during the 2025 season. The emblem will be a circle containing the name Rickey and his number, 24.
This was a no-brainer.
The Oakland Athletics selected Henderson in the fourth round of the 1976 MLB draft and he made his big league debut in 1979. He played 14 seasons for the franchise in four separate stints, from 1979 until '84, then from '89 to '93, '94 to '95, and again in 1998. He won a World Series with Oakland in 1989 and was named American League MVP with the franchise in 1990.
The A's retired Henderson's number and he is a member of the franchise's Hall of Fame. In 2009, the 10-time All-Star was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as a member of the Athletics.
Henderson died on December 20, 2024, after battling pneumonia.
He is MLB's career leader in runs (2,295), stolen bases (1,406), leadoff home runs (81), unintentional walks (2,129), most consecutive seasons with a home run (25) and most seasons leading the league in stolen bases (12).
Henderson is an all-time great and it's right of the A's to honor him this season.
Essex remain winless after 13-run loss in seesawing contest at Chelmsford
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay04-Jul-2025
Josh Shaw claimed 3 for 29 to lift Gloucestershire•Dan Istitene/Getty Images
Jack Taylor’s second fifty in three matches made it three wins in a row for Gloucestershire to spark hopes of retaining the Men’s Vitality Blast.Gloucestershire had begun their defence with five straight defeats but victories over Kent Spitfires, Hampshire Hawks and now Essex have given hope they can sneak back to finals day via the back door.Captain Taylor had dragged his side to a par score of 184 with 50, to go with Ben Charlesworth’s 47 not out, before Josh Shaw’s three for 29 made sure the Eagles fell 13 runs short.The 2019 champions Essex remain winless, with their only points coming from a wash-out. They can now only get a maximum of 22 points with fourth placed Glamorgan already on 20 points.For the third home match in a row, Simon Harmer chose to bowl first but it was Gloucestershire who edged the powerplay.They managed 58 runs, par for the first six overs at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground, but lost Miles Hammond just about caught at slip by a juggling Paul Walter and Cam Bancroft attempting back-to-back sixes.But Essex demonstrably won the middle overs by holding the visitors to just four boundaries from the end of the seventh over to the start of the 16th.Darcy Short failing to kick on from reaching 33 and Ollie Price barbequing himself didn’t help their cause, but tight bowling closed off their scoring options.Taylor’s hard running dragged Gloucestershire back into the innings before his hard-hitting got them closer to a defendable score.Firstly, he took Matt Critchley for three fours in an over and then he carted Luc Benkenstein for two huge sixes – one of which smashed a press box window.It helped the Gloucestershire skipper reach his seventh T20 fifty in 34 balls.A wicket in each of the last three overs kept the away side to 184, with Mohammad Amir taking two of them to return three for 33, while Charlesworth’s useful 31-ball cameo left him unbeaten on 47.In the two previous games at Chelmsford, Essex had been set targets of 221 and 220 and it had quickly been apparent the chase would be above them.On this occasion, they stayed in the fight despite losing regular wickets. Michael Pepper and Jordan Cox each went big then got out in the powerplay, while Dean Elgar suffered a tortured nine balls in a half-hour spell in the middle.Paul Walter threatened to be the man to put Essex in complete control with a spritely 39 but he and Benkenstein fell in the same Charlesworth over leaving the hosts needing 82 in eight overs.Critchley and Charlie Allison clubbed 21 and 17 off the 14th and 15th overs, but then Critchley was bowled by Shaw as the momentum swung like a Newton’s cradle.But Harmer clothed to point, Allison holed out, Noah Thain picked on long on, and Amir was run out as the game fell out of Essex’s grasp as Gloucestershire squeezed at the death.
O Atlético-MG venceu o Botafogo por 1 a 0 na noite deste sábado (16), na Arena MRV, em Belo Horizonte, pela 23ª rodada doCampeonato Brasileiro.Em um jogo de pouca inspiração dos dois lados, o atacante Paulinho marcou aos 35 minutos do segundo tempo e garantiu a vitória para o Galo.
FICHA TÉCNICA ATLÉTICO-MG 1 X 0 BOTAFOGO CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO – 23ª RODADA
Local:Arena MRV, em Belo Horizonte (MG) Data e horário:16 de setembro de 2023, domingo, às 21h (de Brasília) Árbitro:Ramon Abatti Abel (Fifa/SC) Assistentes:Bruno Raphael Pires (Fifa/GO) e Thiaggo Americano Labes (SC) VAR:Rodrigo Guarizo Ferreira do Amaral (VAR-FIFA/SC) Cartões amarelos:Di Plácido (Botafogo), Mariano e Zaracho (Atlético-MG) Gol:Paulinho (1-0, aos 35′ do 2ºT)
ATLÉTICO-MG: Everson; Mariano, Maurício Lemos, Bruno Fuchs e Guilherme Arana; Battaglia, Otávio e Pedrinho; Pavón, Paulinho e Alan Kardec (Zaracho, aos 26′ do 2ºT).Técnico:Luiz Felipe Scolari.
BOTAFOGO:Lucas Perri (Gatito Fernández, após o intervalo); Di Plácido (Janderson, aos 39′ do 2ºT), Adryelson, Victor Cuesta e Marçal; Marlon Freitas, Tchê Tchê e Eduardo; Júnior Santos (Luis Henrique, aos 20′ do 2ºT), Tiquinho Soares (Diego Costa, aos 20′ do 2ºT) e Victor Sá (Segovinha, aos 29′ do 2ºT).Técnico:Bruno Lage.
Still on the hunt for their next manager, Rangers have identified their new “leading candidate” to take the job, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Gerrard's Ibrox decision explained
It’s been a woeful start for the 49ers, there’s no escaping it. They instantly had a big decision to make in the summer and turned to Russell Martin as a result, but the manager failed to win over the rest of Ibrox from the very start. As soon as he stepped foot in the dugout, the former Southampton boss looked unlikely to last and just 123 days later, that proved true.
So, it was back to the drawing board for Kevin Thelwell, Paraag Marathe and the rest of the new Rangers board, who quickly identified Steven Gerrard.
The former Liverpool star has made his desire to return to management no secret and it looked as though that would come courtesy of the Gers. After meeting with the 49ers, however, Gerrard came to the conclusion that now is not the right time to return to Ibrox.
Many have had their say as to why that is ever since, including Ally McCoist. The Rangers legend recently claimed that the Scottish Premiership winner must have been left unconvinced by the current project.
McCoist told reporters: “He wouldn’t have come for the interview in the first place would he (if it was a financial). Either they haven’t sold him it, or I would suggest something has happened in the interview process that hasn’t taken his fancy.”
No matter the reason, Rangers are back to square one and have been left with no choice but to identify a new “leading candidate”.
Fabrizio Romano drops update on Rangers' "leading candidate"
According to Romano, Kevin Muscat is now the “leading candidate” to take the Rangers job following Gerrard’s rejection. The Shanghai Port manager was linked with the job back in 2023, before Philippe Clement was hired instead, and could now get the chance to step into the dugout just two years later.
The big obstacle for Rangers to overcome will be getting Muscat out of his Shanghai Port deal. The Chinese Super League side still have four games remaining of their league campaign and sit two points clear on their way to winning the title. Whether Muscat will want to leave before he rounds off an excellent season is the question that those at Ibrox must be asking.
Yokohama F. Marinos manager Kevin Muscat.
As for his expertise, the 52-year-old would make perfect sense. He’s won everywhere that he’s been, he played for Rangers in the past and he has been a candidate for the job in the past. When his Yokohama side played Manchester City in a pre-season friendly back in 2023, Pep Guardiola was left stunned by the positivity and aggression of Muscat’s side as City ran out 5-3 winners.
Mitchell Marsh “has made an adjustment in his technique where he is really holding his shape going down the ground,” Varun Aaron says
ESPNcricinfo staff23-May-20252:23
Moody: Marsh has ‘golden ticket’ to just intimidate bowlers
Before IPL 2025, fans’ memories of Mitchell Marsh were invariably of the big Australian hobbling off the field, with headlines later confirming that he was out for the season. It could have been similar this year, but a batter-only deal appears to have worked wonders for both Marsh and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), “the golden ticket” freeing him up to focus on only one aspect of his game, as Tom Moody put it.”I think firstly he is fit. I think in previous seasons we’ve seen Mitch Marsh sort of start but then find himself injured. I think a lot of that’s the workload of trying to be the allrounder,” Moody said on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out. “He’s not bowling now, so he’s exclusively a batter that doesn’t field. So he’s got the golden ticket. Now he sort of understands his game. This is not just recent but the last three years, four years, he’s really come to terms with his game and what he needs to bring to the party.”And that’s what we saw tonight, just take the game on and just intimidate the opposition with his presence.”For the record, the 64-ball 117 he hit on Thursday night against Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad took his season tally to 560 runs from 12 innings, placing him at No. 4 on the Orange Cap list for the moment. LSG are out of the race for the playoffs, but Marsh is in line to finish among the top few run-getters for the season.Related
Marsh jumps to fourth spot on Orange Cap table after century
Marsh ton, O'Rourke three-for headline LSG's big win against GT
What must have made LSG happier is that they didn’t have to spend too much on Marsh, who has a history of injuries, at the last auction. He came to them at INR 3.40 crore (US$ 0.40 million approx.).”He was bought cheap – a steal – and sometimes that fires you up,” JioStar expert Aakash Chopra said. “Earlier, he had a big price tag and low returns. This year, he’s come in differently. The Ekana pitch [in Lucknow] suits him – ball comes on nicely. And his sixes? When he hits, they stay hit. Shot selection has also improved. He’s showing real class.”On Thursday, Marsh scored 60 of his runs down the ground, four of his eight sixes and three of his ten fours coming in that area, while the pull was his most productive shot, accounting for 32 of the runs he scored. Talk about power – only 12 runs came behind the wicket.”I think he had an issue with balls coming into him before. He would get out lbw [and] bowled quite a lot,” Varun Aaron said. “But now he has made an adjustment in his technique where he is really holding his shape going down the ground, and today we saw so many shots hit so powerfully down the ground. He’s always had the power. I mean, he comes from Perth. He’s always had the ability to play the short ball really well.”Taking over the thought from Aaron, Moody added, “The thing with Mitch, what makes him so devastating when he’s on, is that you can’t go upstairs [bowl the short ball]. From a fast bowler’s perspective, if that’s taken away from you – the short ball that can rush and hurry on to people – that’s taken away from you, and you have the ability to hit the sight screen like he can, he becomes so difficult to bowl you. Your length options are so limited. He’s brutal with the short ball. He really does hit the ball hard.”
Manchester United have now joined the race for an England international, who Thomas Tuchel was left impressed by against Andorra.
Man Utd remain keen on new midfielder
Ruben Amorim was able to make a number of improvements to his squad during the summer transfer window, but one position he failed to strengthen was central midfield, despite well-documented interest in Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba.
It is clear Amorim isn’t overly convinced by Kobbie Mainoo, which could exacerbate the need to bring in a new central midfielder, with the 20-year-old featuring for just 45 minutes in the Premier League so far this season.
Amid a lack of game time, there were suggestions that Mainoo was considering a move late in the transfer window, so if Amorim doesn’t give the Englishman regular minutes before January, it seems feasible that he could push for a move this winter.
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Given a lack of game time, the youngster hasn’t been called up by England for the current international break, and the Red Devils have now set their sights on signing a different Three Lions midfielder.
That is according to former Red Devils scout Mick Brown, who revealed that Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson is now of interest to United, in an interview with Football Insider.
Brown said: “Man United have been looking at Anderson,
“He’s done a tremendous job at Nottingham Forest and then he’s come into the England side and turned in a man-of-the-match performance. United see him as exactly the type of midfielder they would like to bring in.
“He gets up and down the park, he’s confident and secure in possession of the ball, and he’s not afraid to put in a tackle which is something they need.”
"Phenomenal" Anderson catching the eye for England
On what was his England debut against Andorra last week, the 22-year-old made a fantastic first impression, with Tuchel saying: “Very good, very, very good. He was a bit nervous this week but then did good, and we said let’s try it, and he did it. That was the test and I think he passed the test.”
The central midfielder has also been singled out for praise by international teammate Reece James in the past, with the Chelsea defender describing him as a “phenomenal” player, who should have received a call-up sooner.
Not only that, but the Forest star has made a fantastic start to the new Premier League campaign, averaging a 7.15 WhoScored match rating in the opening three games, which is the highest figure in the squad.
Statistic
Average per 90 (past year)
Assists
0.19 (88th percentile)
Successful take-ons
1.18 (89th percentile)
Tackles
3.07 (88th percentile)
Clearances
2.40 (87th percentile)
Aerials won
1.89 (89th percentile)
As such, Man United should undoubtedly make a move for the £40k-a-week midfielder if he is available, but it could be difficult to tempt Forest into a sale.
A stronger show in the middle order could end up having a say in which way the contest sways
S Sudarshanan18-Feb-2025
Meg Lanning’s Capitals have won one and lost one match each•WPL
Who’s playingDelhi Capitals vs UP Warriorz Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara, 7:30pm ISTWhat to expect: Battle of middle-ordersThat Capitals have the most successful opening combination in the WPL meant that the middle order has escaped scrutiny. But not anymore, after they almost lost their opening fixture this season and then went down heavily to RCB. Capitals’ middle-order batters (Nos. 4 to 7) average 21.97, which is the lowest in the WPL. Jess Jonassen (13), Marizanne Kapp (12) and Jemimah Rodrigues (12) have batted the most innings in these positions for them.In stark contrast, UP Warriorz have the best average for these positions (28.44), with Deepti Sharma (14), Grace Harris (14) and Tahlia McGrath (9) being the regulars. This could partly be attributed to the fact that they have used five opening pairs across the three seasons.Related
Athapaththu to leave WPL early to play for Sri Lanka
A stronger show in the middle order could end up having a say in which way the contest sways. Warriorz are yet to get off the mark, having lost their opening game to Gujarat Giants.Team news and likely XIsCapitals played their full-strength XI in the last outing against RCB. Expect them to go in with a similar structure that allows them batters till No. 11.Delhi Capitals (possible): 1 Meg Lanning (capt), 2 Shafali Verma, 3 Jemimah Rodrigues, 4 Annabel Sutherland, 5 Marizanne Kapp, 6 Jess Jonassen, 7 Sarah Bryce (wk), 8 Shikha Pandey, 9 Radha Yadav, 10 Arundhati Reddy, 11 Minnu ManiWarriorz could think of getting in Poonam Khemnar to shore up the lower middle-order firepower. There could also be a case to play Anjali Sarvani for the left-arm seam angle.UP Warriorz (possible): 1 Kiran Navgire, 2 Vrinda Dinesh, 3 Uma Chetry (wk), 4 Deepti Sharma (capt), 5 Tahlia McGrath, 6 Grace Harris, 7 Shweta Sehrawat/Poonam Khemnar, 8 Alana King, 9 Sophie Ecclestone, 10 Saima Thakor, 11 Kranti GoudPlayers to watch: Shikha Pandey and Kiran NavgireOverlooked from the Indian side after the T20 World Cup 2023, Shikha Pandey continues to grab the spotlight with performances in T20 competitions around the world. After the WPL last year, she played in the Women’s Caribbean Premier League, Women’s Big Bash League and Women’s Super Smash, picking up 25 wickets across them. She’s begun WPL 2025 on the right note – keeping MI in check in the opening game and conceding runs at 6.75 runs per over against RCB even when the scoring rate was close to nine. She has been the third-most economical bowler in WPL 2025 so far.Kiran Navgire opened the batting with Vrinda Dinesh for UP Warriorz•BCCI
In the WPL, Kiran Navgire takes a liking to spin. She has a strike rate of 156.84 against spin (95 balls faced) as opposed to 106.50 against pace (123 balls) in the competition. She has been dismissed 22 times by pace and only five times by spin in the WPL. When she hit 125 not out against Arunachal Pradesh in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy earlier this season, four of her five sixes came against the spin duo of Shivi Yadav and Reetika Agarwal. Is there a case for Warriorz to bat Navgire in the middle order? Or for her to see off fast bowling and wait for spin, in case she continues to open?Key statsDeepti Sharma is one of only four players in the WPL with over 400 runs and 15-plus wickets.Meg Lanning, the leading run-scorer of the WPL, has been in a slightly lean patch in T20 cricket. She has only three half-centuries (one of them in the Hundred) and averages 21.34 since the last WPL.Since her ODI best of 3 for 62 against Australia, Saima Thakor has picked up just one wicket in nine outings across formats. She went wicketless in Warriorz’s first match.