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Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is desperate to bolster his attacking options this summer, and Hugo Ekitike is a major target.

The Blues face competition from Manchester United, however, as the Red Devils have entered the race for the young Frenchman.

This could put Maresca on high alert, and he will do everything he can to try to lure the Eintracht Frankfurt striker to Stamford Bridge.

He isn’t the only transfer target to emerge from the Bundesliga, as news has emerged about their potential interest in a current RB Leipzig starlet.

Chelsea could target Bundesliga sensation

If a move for Ekitike does go through, Maresca will be keen on linking up with players who will be able to provide him with plenty of chances in the final third.

Of course, Cole Palmer will be ideal for him, but how about having a talent like Xavi Simons available?

Writer Bobby Vincent stated during a Q and A for football.london could perhaps be a target.

“As for Xavi Simons, I’ve heard his name mentioned a couple of times this summer as a potential option but nothing absolutely concrete yet,” said Vincent.

“He is someone who has cropped up in the past as well, so there is definite interest there.”

The Dutchman is still only 22 years of age and would make an ideal long-term option for Maresca, especially as he could work wonders with Ekitike.

Why Chelsea must sign Xavi Simons

Last season in the Premier League, Palmer created 24 big chances. Next on the list were Enzo Fernández with 13 and Pedro Neto with 11. These were the only players with over ten big chances created.

By signing Simons, Maresca would be getting a player who will be able to generate plenty of opportunities for Ekitike, who scored 22 goals in all competitions for Frankfurt this season.

Indeed, across 25 domestic matches last season, the youngster created 12 big chances, while also averaging two key passes per game and recording seven assists for Leipzig, which speaks to the kind of quality that he could provide the French striker with in front of goal.

Xavi Simons’ statistics last season
Metric	Bundesliga	Champions League
Goals	10	0
Assists	7	0
Big chances created	12	4
Key passes per game	2	1.4
Successful dribbles per game	1.3	1.4
Via Sofascore

It is no wonder he has been hailed as a “fantastic talent” in the past by talent scout Jacek Kulig. Now, Simons is finally delivering on his massive potential.

While Leipzig may have underwhelmed in the Champions League last season, Simons, who has been hailed as a “pocket rocket” by analyst Raj Chohan, shone from an individual perspective.

Indeed, when compared to his positional peers in the tournament, the 22-year-old ranked in the top 2% for shot-creating actions (5.91) and total shots per 90 (2.69) while also ranking in the top 9% for successful take-ons (1.88) and in the top 12% for touches in the opposition penalty area (3.49) per 90.

This set of statistics proves that Simons is among one of the finest attacking midfielders on the continent when it comes to creating chances, which is why he would be a dream signing alongside Ekitike as they could link up in the final third with the Dutchman creating chances for the striker to tuck away.

It could be a dream duo for the club next season, and if the club go far in the Club World Cup, there will be money to spend.

Chelsea can sign a bigger talent than Ekitike with move for £65m "maverick"

Chelsea could have the chance to reignite a move for a former target

By
Ross Kilvington

Jun 14, 2025

Manchester United are beginning to motor in the summer transfer window and could now make progress in signing a defensive addition, according to reports.

Manchester United look for arrivals after Matheus Cunha

Ruben Amorim is aware there is alot of work to do this summer at Old Trafford and there is plenty of movement expected to occur in both directions, though he can smile at the thought of having Matheus Cunha to work with at the Red Devils.

Signing a five-year deal, the Brazil international will earn £200,000 per week after his move from Wolverhampton Wanderers and could rise to their second-highest earner if Bruno Fernandes leaves the club for Al Hilal alongside other permutations.

Financially, it may be difficult to secure everyone on Manchester United’s shopping list after missing out on around £100 million by virtue of losing out in the Europa League final.

Regardless, Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s swinging cutbacks may have left some room for manouvre alongside the aforementioned news that Al Hilal have set a five-day deadline regarding Red Devils captain Fernandes. If the skipper does leave, his goal contributions could be replaced by Bryan Mbeumo, after David Ornstein revealed on Monday that the Cameroon star wants to join the Red Devils.

Defensively, Amorim wants to strengthen his side and could try to land a bargain £15 million deal for Brighton & Hove Albion star Pervis Estupinan.

Big Delap upgrade: Man Utd make approach to sign "unbelievable" £55m star

Manchester United could soon land an upgrade on Liam Delap by going after this sharpshooter instead.

1

By
Kelan Sarson

Jun 1, 2025

Intriguingly, the Ecuador international has just two years left on his deal at the Amex Stadium, which may force the Seagulls to sell before his value begins to dwindle if he doesn’t sign an extension. Now, the Red Devils could be set to pounce for another defender after opening talks over a swoop for his services.

Manchester United could land Udinese star Oumar Solet

According to reports via TBR, Manchester United could land Udinese centre-back Oumar Solet this summer after agent Claudio Pasqualin noted that the 24-year-old may depart the Serie A outfit following talks between both clubs.

Five similar players to Oumar Solet (FBRef)
Nico Schlotterbeck	Borussia Dortmund
Waldemar Anton	Borussia Dortmund
Alessandro Bastoni	Inter Milan
Matt Doherty	Wolverhampton Wanderers
Marc Guehi	Crystal Palace

Labelled “excellent” by Fabrizio Romano, Solet has notched a solitary goal and two assists in 19 appearances across all competitions, but his main sphere of influence exists at the other end of the field. Making 92 recoveries and winning 20 duels on Serie A duty this term, reports claim that the 25-year-old could move for £34 million, fitting Manchester United’s philosphy of finding value for money on the market.

As Real Madrid president Florentino Perez looks to make room for even more stars this summer, Manchester City could reportedly take full advantage by welcoming an attacking talent of their own.

Man City "a thousand million points behind Liverpool" – Guardiola

It was around this time last year that Manchester City were on their way to securing a fourth consecutive Premier League title before squaring off against Manchester United in the FA Cup final. On a Wembley outing which ultimately ended in defeat, Pep Guardiola’s side could have been forgiven for their title hangover which allowed United to take full advantage.

A year on, however, they will not be handed that same forgiveness if they fall to defeat against Crystal Palace this weekend. The Citizens are no longer champions. It’s Liverpool’s crown to lose these days. Instead, Guardiola has endured his most difficult season in the Manchester City dugout and is yet to secure Champions League qualification with just two games remaining.

Guardiola even went as far as to admit that victory in the FA Cup final would not suddenly turn City’s season into a success, telling reporters: “The damage would be minimum. It’s not going to confuse [that] the season has been good. The club has to take the decision, the right ones, so next season will be better.

“We are a thousand million points behind Liverpool. I said many times the season hasn’t been good because we define if the season is good or not with the Premier League. This season it could not happen, at the same time we tried to avoid the damage. We have to be calm now and recover.”

Perfect Reijnders alternative: Man City preparing bid for "magic" £60m star

Man City could well be ready to step up their interest in an alternative to Tijjani Reijnders

ByJoe Nuttall May 14, 2025

However, what such a difficult campaign has seemingly done is spark Manchester City into life in the transfer market. Already, names such as Florian Wirtz are threatening to steal the headlines and he could yet be joined by a Real Madrid star at The Etihad.

Man City in direct contact with Rodrygo

According to Sport in Spain, as relayed by Sport Witness, Manchester City are now in direct contact with Rodrygo over a summer move. The Real Madrid winger is someone that Perez is reportedly willing to sell for the right price, whilst the Brazilian himself has grown discontent with his role towards the end of Carlo Ancelotti’s tenure.

It’s not often that Madrid lose a Galactico, but as Rodrygo looks to become the main man, the Spaniards could do just that if Manchester City make their move in the coming months.

With 13 goals and 10 assists to his name this season, the Brazilian winger has impressed once again under Ancelotti, who has been a fan of his for some time despite the winger’s reported discontent.

The Real Madrid boss told reporters in 2022: “Both Valverde and Rodrygo are special players. And that’s what modern-day footballers have to be. They can play in different positions and they possess both technical and physical attributes.”

Manchester City find themselves on a decent run of form, which has seen them remain unbeaten in their previous six games in the Premier League and FA Cup.

With an FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest to look forward to this weekend, especially as the competition represents the only chance they have of silverware this season, Pep Guardiola will be desperate for a win.

With just five league games left between now and the end of the campaign, City are yet to guarantee a top-five finish, which will see them secure qualification for the Champions League for the 15th year in a row.

It promises to be an exciting end to the season for the club. If FA Cup glory is achieved, plus a solid finish in the top flight, Guardiola could enter the summer with some renewed hope of starting a fresh era at the Etihad.

After several signings made during the winter transfer window, the Spaniard is already thinking ahead to the summer equivalent as one of Europe’s top young talents is being earmarked for a move to City.

Man City's summer transfer plans

With Kevin De Bruyne set to depart the Etihad Stadium this summer, City will be in the market for a new attacking midfielder.

Morgan Gibbs-White, Nottingham Forest’s mercurial playmaker, has already been earmarked for a possible summer switch but the Citizens may have to pay upwards of £100m.

The England international isn’t the only player on City’s radar in the attacking midfield positions, however.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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Indeed, according to Football Insider, Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz remains the number one target for City to replace De Bruyne this summer.

German publication Bild reported last week that City could be set to pay the £129m fee that the German side has set for the player, although Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are also showing plenty of interest in the German international.

This high fee could give City a major advantage over the other teams, as detailed by former City financial advisor Stefan Borson who told Football Insider: “The impression I get is that they see Wirtz as that kind of headline signing to replace Kevin De Bruyne, and they recognise that to do that deal is going to cost what it costs.

“I think in some ways City might quite like the fact that that is the price because it pretty much rules out Real Madrid from the situation, and it possibly also rules out Bayern Munich as well.”

Replacing the ageing Belgian with someone who has the world at their feet could boost their confidence heading into next season, no doubt about that.

He is also comparable to another young maestro who is making waves on the continent – Lamine Yamal.

Why Wirtz could be Man City's very own Yamal

Yamal has been breaking records since he made his Barcelona debut at the age of just 15 years, nine months and 16 days in April 2023, becoming the youngest-ever debutant for the club in La Liga.

He hasn’t stopped there. A few months later, the winger made his debut for the Spanish national side aged just 16 and even scored, becoming both the youngest player and scorer for his country after the win over Georgia in September 2023.

At the 2024 European Championships, Spain won the title with Yamal playing a key role. His stunning goal in the semi-final against France set the nation on their way to an eventual 2-1 win, which powered them into the final.

He is on a fast track to greatness, and this season has been his most productive yet. Indeed, the 17-year-old has scored 14 times while grabbing 22 assists as Barcelona edges towards the La Liga title.

Although he plays in a different position to Wirtz, operating as a natural winger rather than an attacking midfielder, the two share some similar statistics this season.

Yamal is even the seventh-most comparable player to the Leverkusen star as per FBref.

The pair have registered similar statistics across a range of metrics in their respective domestic leagues, including goals and assists (19 vs 18), shots on target per 90 (1.26 vs 1.15), shot-creating actions per 90 (5.76 vs 5.53), touches in the attacking penalty area (122 vs 187) and successful take-on percentage (50.3% vs 49.6%) this season.

Should Guardiola get a deal for Wirtz over the line in the coming months, he could be signing his very own version of the Spanish superstar, that’s for sure.

Despite being only 21 years of age, it feels as though Wirtz has been around for a lifetime. He made his debut for Leverkusen during the 2019/20 season, even scoring in the Bundesliga.

The next two seasons saw him go from strength to strength, registering 18 goals and 22 assists for the club across just 69 matches. His emergence from raw talent into a potential world-class star was evident, but then disaster struck.

In March 2022, he suffered a cruciate ligament tear that saw him miss 43 games for club and country, ruling him out of the 2022 World Cup in the process.

This type of injury may have kept plenty of players down on their luck. Not Wirtz, who has arguably returned even stronger.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has previously hailed the 21-year-old as a “superstar”, and that is exactly what he was last season for Leverkusen. The club won the domestic double.

Florian Wirtz’s stats for Leverkusen this season

Metric

Champions League

Bundesliga

Goals

6

9

Assists

1

10

Big chances created

4

16

Key passes per game

2.8

1.9

Successful dribbles per game

2

2.7

Via Sofascore

Throughout the 2023/24 Bundesliga season, Wirtz created 12 big chances, averaged 2.3 key passes per game and succeeded with 2.5 dribbles each match – a success rate of 51% – which helped the club claim their first ever league title.

Although Leverkusen won’t win any silverware this term, Wirtz has still contributed superbly, netting 15 goals along with recording 13 assists in all competitions.

He has yet to hit his peak and this is what is so enticing about the youngster. Guardiola will be able to push him towards becoming one of the best in the world should he end up at City this summer.

Related Man City have found their own Declan Rice in "outstanding" homegrown star

Pep Guardiola might well have his own Declan Rice at Manchester City with this terrific talent.

Posts 1 ByKelan Sarson Apr 21, 2025

Series has been marked by Sri Lanka fightbacks, but only because of catastrophic top five

Vithushan Ehantharajah30-Aug-20240:59

Kamindu Mendis hasn’t given up hope of Test fightback

Milan Rathnayake dropped his hands, crouched, swayed and did not turn his back on the ball. And yet having done pretty much everything right, he still ended up wearing Olly Stone’s bouncer flush on the grille.Stone, closely followed by the rest of the England team, checked to see if he was okay before the Sri Lanka physio ran on for a more thorough assessment. Once the concussion protocols were administered – and passed – Rathnayake shaped up again. Stone bumped him again. This time he ducked, turned his head, closed his eyes and prayed as the ball cannoned into his gloves.The bowling allrounder lasted just two more balls, eventually walking back up to the away dressing-room in the Lord’s pavilion, to which Sri Lanka’s top six had already returned the best part of 10 overs beforehand. This is Rathnayake’s second Test, and so the experience probably still fresh, new and exciting. But he would have been within his rights to throw his arms in the air once he got back to his senior batters and ask, “lads – any chance?”Sri Lanka’s first innings was only 29 overs old with his dismissal, but they were already seven-down and trailing by 309 runs. Rathanayake had arrived at six-down, with just 87 on the board. Though he was unable to do as he had done in last week’s first Test, Kamindu Mendis, their second-innings hero in Manchester, mustered 74 to provide the faint silver lining on this particular mushroom cloud of a batting performance. That England did not enforce the follow-on with a lead of 231 was out of comfort for their bowlers rather than convenience.Nothing, though, was ever going to cover for yet another top-order failure. One that looks a whole lot worse when you win the toss and decide to bowl in pristine batting conditions, asking an attack who had never previously toured England before to take ten wickets when the sun is out and the cloud spotless. Oh – and having dropped the only bloke with any previous experience on these shores. The least you could do in that situation is give them a bit of time off and get somewhere near 400. That was the whole point of asking the hosts to go first, right?Dimuth Karunaratne was out chopping on, for 7•Getty ImagesThe small crumb of comfort for Dhananjaya de Silva , who made that call at 10:30am on Thursday morning, was that at least his dismissal for a four-ball duck was one of the more excusable. Even so, as the skipper was squared up by Matthew Potts on the downward slope, you did wonder if he had to commit as much as he did to an attempted push into the leg side. Some of his fellow experienced batters, however, warrant further scrutiny.Dimuth Karunaratne, an opener regarded as one of the steadiest accumulators in the game, has been collecting only regrets these last two weeks. The latest being diverting a delivery from outside off onto his own stumps when it was always going across him, with lunch due at the end of the over. Angelo Mathews, while brilliantly picked off by Potts, had been too accommodating to the Durham quick. Four of the seven dot-balls he faced, before the knockout blow that squared him up to clip the top of off, could have been worked away for singles, either through cover or off the legs. Something – anything – to elicit a change in length. As for Dinesh Chandimal, only a note on his pillow last night would have offered him more notice than Ollie Pope waving Dan Lawrence into a catching position just behind square leg.That trio were not the only ones deserving of criticism. Pathum Nissanka was also guilty of failing to clock a field shift, working the ball so confidently to leg slip that he even added a little flick of the wrist as a flourish. But Karunaratne, Mathews and Chandimal are all on their third tour of England. And while you can talk about gaining experience in county cricket, playing more warm-up matches and addressing financial inequality, sometimes it’s just about doing better because you really should know better.Even with only one match against a mish-mashed England Lions – which they lost, by the way – the squad has had a decent build-up to this series, with some in situ as early as August 6. Other decisions also warrant an explanation. It’s one thing to give Nishan Madushka the gloves – even if he is only the third-best keeper in the squad – but persisting with him as an opener, despite the fact Nissanka is better equipped to do so outright, was a tad confusing. When Madushka walked out at 12:18pm to start the reply to England’s 427, having kept for 102 overs, it looked like an elaborate joke.Milan Rathnayake ducks into a short delivery from Olly Stone•AFP/Getty ImagesEven as you are reading this, there is probably some pen-pusher at Sri Lanka Cricket’s head office, inside the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, who has been ordered to fire up his computer and open that file labelled “Guys, what the hell? – Bad Tour Review Template, DO NOT DELETE.doc”. A few of those columns have probably already been filled.Sri Lanka’s top five are currently boasting a combined average of 19.26, the third-lowest for a visiting side to England in 50 years. In that same period, across first innings alone, only Bangladesh’s top five in 2005 have averaged less than Sri Lanka’s 11.80 in 2024. Unsurprisingly, this is the worst first-innings performance from a Sri Lanka top five in any series of two Tests or more.We are only halfway through this series, even if it feels like this second Test – and series – has just one more meaningful day to go. And there is a world where Sri Lanka fight back in their second innings as they did last week.But just as was the case then, they probably won’t as far as the result is concerned because of how badly their most trusted batters have botched the first.

The 12 remaining teams will vie for four semi-final spots as the tournament heads towards an exciting conclusion

Raunak Kapoor21-Jan-2023The format
While it is called the Super Six, there are still 12 teams left in the tournament, as the top three sides from the four groups in the group stage have made it to the next round. These include – in that order – Bangladesh, Australia and Sri Lanka from Group A; England, Pakistan and Rwanda from Group B; New Zealand, West Indies and Ireland from Group C; and India, South Africa and UAE from Group D.In the Super Six, teams will be divided into two groups of six each, but each team only plays an additional two matches in this round. For instance, Bangladesh, who topped Group A, will now play South Africa and UAE, who had finished second and third respectively in Group D. Similarly, Group D toppers India will play Australia and Sri Lanka, who were second and third in Group A. Thus, these six teams comprise Super Six Group 1.Over to Group 2 in Super Six, which consists of England, West Indies, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan and Rwanda. England had topped Group B, and will thus play West Indies and Ireland, who had come second and third from Group C. On the other hand, New Zealand, who were first from Group C, will meet Pakistan and Rwanda from Group B in the Super Six.Related

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Also, teams carry forward the points and the net run rate from the group stage from the two matches against the other teams from their group who also qualified for the Super Six. So India’s points and net run rate against fourth-placed Scotland will not be included; the same for New Zealand against Indonesia, and England against Zimbabwe, etc.Eventually, the top two teams from each of the two Super Six groups advance to the semi-finals.Who are the favourites after the group stage?
The four group toppers are best placed to make the semi-finals after the Super Six stage. Bangladesh, England, New Zealand and India were group winners, with three wins out of three. While India, England and New Zealand dominated each of their games, Bangladesh were tested to a degree by Australia and Sri Lanka, but otherwise looked comfortable. With two wins carried forward for each of the table toppers, if they win their two super six games, they will cruise to the semi-final. No other team will be able to reach four wins.Shweta Sehrawat (left) is the highest run-getter of the tournament so far•ICC via GettyKey fixtures
India vs Australia on January 21 will headline the Super Six line up. Bangladesh’s opening-day win over Australia means India will now have arguably the toughest Super Six fixtures against Australia and Sri Lanka. What is more, India play Sri Lanka the very next day on January 22.New Zealand have had it quite easy so far after restricting Indonesia and Ireland to 74 each, and West Indies to 68 in the group stage. While they took 27 of 30 wickets, they lost just one across the three matches, having had to bat for less than 24 overs so far. But their biggest test will be against Pakistan on January 24.Stand-out players
India’s Shweta Sehrawat leads the run-scoring charts with 197 runs in three games, along with the tournament’s highest individual score of 92* against South Africa. Sehrawat has faced 116 balls so far without yet being dismissed. Shafali Verma, India’s captain and Sehrawat’s opening partner, is striking at 233.96, the highest by some distance in the tournament, with scores of 45 from 16 deliveries, and 78 off 34. But she missed out in the last group game against Scotland.England captain Grace Scrivens was very impressive in the group stage. She has 120 runs in three innings, and five wickets to go with that.The top three six-hitters of the tournament feature two names from Bangladesh: Afia Prottasha with five – just as many hit by Shafali – and Shorna Akter with four.England captain Grace Scrivens was very impressive in the group stage•Getty/ICCWhat to expect?
In spite of the unfriendly schedule, India start firm favourites against both Australia and Sri Lanka. Sehrawat’s form and G Trisha’s runs in the group stage mean India do not rely only on the experience of Shafali and Richa Ghosh. Moreover, they will also take confidence after restricting UAE to 97, and Scotland to 66.England should cruise through to the semi-final with fixtures against Ireland and West Indies, both of whom have looked well below par when up against formidable opposition.New Zealand have a potentially tricky game against Pakistan, who troubled England in phases with the ball but couldn’t stay in the game with the bat. That New Zealand start their Super Six campaign against Rwanda could mean their batting remains untested ahead of their match against Pakistan.Bangladesh have been outstanding in the group stage. If they keep up the standard they did against Australia and Sri Lanka, they should cruise past UAE and hosts South Africa, who have had their moments with the ball, but got only 112 against both Scotland and UAE in the group stage, even if they won both matches. And so it is their bowling and catching that have largely kept them alive in the tournament.The tournament has already given us one run-out at the non-striker’s end, two hat-tricks – including a haul of four wickets in as many consecutive balls – along with a highest team score of 219 by India, and a lowest of 25 by Zimbabwe. But what have been missing so far is a century by a batter, and a Super Over finish.

From being seventh not so long ago, the Sunrisers Hyderabad turned it around to finish third in the league stage

Hemant Brar05-Nov-2020At one stage in IPL 2020, the Sunrisers Hyderabad were lurking at the seventh place with just three wins from nine games. They were also hit by a spate of injuries to their key players: Mitchell Marsh was ruled out in the very first match, Bhuvneshwar Kumar after four matches, Kane Williamson was in and out while Vijay Shankar picked up niggles. Then, to book a playoff spot, they needed to win their last three league matches against the top three teams on the points table.And, yet, somehow everything fell into place for David Warner’s men. They not only beat the Delhi Capitals, the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Mumbai Indians in successive matches but also did it so comprehensively that by the end of the league stage, they were positioned third.Here’s a look at the factors that have helped the Sunrisers turn their campaign around.Finding the right combination
A big factor in a team’s success in the IPL is how quickly they can find their best XI. It took the Sunrisers nine matches. And even then it was more by accident than design.When Williamson pulled out injured for the match against the Rajasthan Royals, the Sunrisers were left with no other option than to play Jason Holder. Playing his first IPL match in four years, Holder made an instant impact by picking up three wickets and effecting a run-out as the Sunrisers went on to win by eight wickets.Holder’s performance meant he was there to stay. Once Williamson was fit, he couldn’t be left out either given the Sunrisers’ fragile middle order. Therefore, the Sunrisers had to replace Jonny Bairstow with Wriddhiman Saha and that’s how they stumbled upon their best combination.The Holder effect
Holder was in the middle of a vacation when he was called up as a replacement for the injured Marsh. He didn’t get a game straightaway but once he made it to the playing XI, he benefitted the side in more than one ways.Jason Holder has delivered immediately•ESPNcricinfoAfter Bhuvneshwar was ruled out of the tournament with a hamstring injury, the Sunrisers were looking for someone to lead their pace attack. Holder filled that void. With Abdul Samad not living up to the expectations, the Sunrisers wanted someone to shore up their lower-order batting. Holder put his hand up.With the ball, Holder has picked up ten wickets from five games at an economy of 7.90. With the bat, his decisive 26 not out off ten balls saw the Sunrisers over the line in a tricky chase against the Royal Challengers.Sandeep bowling three overs in powerplay
Of all the Holder benefits, arguably the biggest one is him taking care of the death overs along with T Natarajan. That allowed the Sunrisers to use Sandeep Sharma’s three overs upfront, a move that has worked wonders.Sandeep’s ability to swing the new ball both ways at an annoying pace fetched the Sunrisers good returns in the powerplay. His effectiveness was further augmented by his canny use of the knuckle ball and the slowing nature of the pitches in the second half of the tournament. In his first six games, Sandeep had three powerplay wickets at a strike rate of 26. In the last five, he has six at a strike rate of 15.Sandeep Sharma has the led way for Sunrisers Hyderabad•ESPNcricinfoWickets in the powerplay mean Sandeep not only got big names out but also got them out cheaply: Shikhar Dhawan for 0, Virat Kohli for 7 and Rohit Sharma for 4, among others. In terms of most wickets in the powerplay this season, he is behind only Trent Boult and Jofra Archer.Warner back to his aggressive best
All the above factors helped the Sunrisers stay competitive but the one which rammed the advantage home was Warner rediscover his mojo.In the first ten games of the tournament, Warner had 335 runs at an average of 41.87 and a strike rate of 124.07. Decent numbers for an anchor but not for someone who is supposed to set the tone. Compare them to his last four outings: 194 runs at an average of 64.66 with a strike rate of 165.81. That’s the Warner the Sunrisers were missing.What liberated him? Opening up his front leg and going all out to find some runs on the pitches that were getting slower and slower. That decision could have also stemmed from having Williamson and Holder down the order. Either way, the Sunrisers aren’t complaining.David Warner has hit form at the right time•ESPNcricinfoSaha striking with the bat
Replacing Bairstow with Saha was a brave decision, because who separates as prolific an opening pair as Warner and Bairstow had been in the last season. However, it paid off handsomely.In the IPL, Saha has been one of the best strikers of the ball in the powerplay and he proved it once again with the knocks of 87 off 45, 39 off 32 and 58* off 45 in the last three innings. With Warner at his aggressive best at the other end, there was no respite for the bowlers.Against the Capitals, Warner and Saha added 107 in just 9.4 overs to set the platform for a formidable total. Two games later, the two chased down 150 against the Mumbai Indians all by themselves.

Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez is baseball's consensus top trade candidate this season, as the Diamondbacks appear primed to rent out their slugger ahead of his free agency.

However, a wrench was thrown into their plans Monday. Suarez was hit on the hand by a pitch against the Detroit Tigers, forcing him out of the game.

Tigers pitcher Will Vest threw the fateful pitch in the ninth inning—a 95 mph sinker with his team ahead 5–1. Suarez left the contest 1-for-3.

This season, the Venezuela native is slashing .247/.319/.579 with 36 home runs and an MLB-best 87 RBIs—yet another plus season for one of the game's most consistent sluggers. Suarez owns six 30-homer seasons and three 100-RBI seasons since debuting in 2014.

After the game, Arizona manager Torey Lovullo signaled Suarez would receive X-rays and called him day-to-day, via Cody Stavenhagen of .

The Diamondbacks are currently 51-56, and is 6.5 games back of the National League's final wild-card playoff spot. It will play two more games against Detroit before the trade deadline, which is Thursday.

Russell Wilson and his family are in attendance for Sunday's edition of the Subway Series, as the New York Yankees prepare to host the New York Mets at Yankee Stadium.

Prior to the game, Wilson and his family got to spend some time on the field during batting practice, during which Wilson's children got to meet some of their favorite ballplayers, including superstar outfielder Aaron Judge.

Judge had an awesome surprise ready for the kids, too. After greeting Wilson's children, Judge was seen gifting each child a pair of his batting gloves.

Wilson has some strong ties to New York and the Yankees organization. In addition to joining the New York Giants in the offseason, Wilson was previously acquired by the Yankees in a trade with the Texas Rangers, who had acquired him in the Rule 5 Draft in 2013.

The Super Bowl-winning quarterback, who also played middle infield as a high schooler, was drafted by two MLB teams, once in the 41st round by the Baltimore Orioles in 2007 when he was coming out of high school, and again in the fourth round by the Colorado Rockies in 2010.

New York traded for him in exchange for cash considerations in 2018 and even invited him to spring training. Wilson suited up for the team in a Grapefruit League game that spring, serving as a pinch-hitter for Judge.

Although Wilson never fully lived out his baseball dreams, he's remained close to one of the organizations that gave him an opportunity, and he got to experience a wholesome moment with his family ahead of Sunday's game.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has withdrawn the national team from next month’s tri-series in Pakistan following the death of three local cricketers in a cross-border attack in the Urgun district of the country.Following the incident, the ICC and BCCI expressed solidarity with the ACB, who also urged “the implementation of firm and decisive measures against those responsible for this inhumane attack.” Pakistan’s government issued a statement contesting the claims that “cricketers” had died in an “airstrike”.In a post on X on Friday, the ACB claimed several lives had been lost in the attack, including three local cricketers who had been returning home after playing a “friendly” match in Sharana, the capital of Paktika province. “The ACB considers this a great loss for Afghanistan’s sports community, its athletes, and the cricketing family,” it said in a statement.Describing the incident as “tragic”, the ACB said “as a gesture of respect to the victims” it had “decided to withdraw from participating in the upcoming Tri-Nation T20I Series.”