'I wouldn't have learned some things' – Abhishek happy with gradual rise to the top

“There will be more miracles going forward,” Abhishek Sharma says of the India T20I team

Shashank Kishore29-Sep-2025India opener Abhishek Sharma is happy he took the stairs and not the elevator to the national team like some of his 2018 Under-19 World Cup team-mates – Shubman Gill and Prithvi Shaw, for example – had, saying he wouldn’t have “learned some things” if that had been the case.”There have been ups and downs,” Abhishek said at the end of the Asia Cup, where he was the Player of the Tournament. “Some players get in easily. Some come in after some difficulty. But I feel this [domestic grind] was necessary. If I had made it quicker as a [national team] player, I wouldn’t have learned some things.”While Shaw was fast-tracked to the national team, making his Test debut in 2018 itself, Gill broke through in early 2019. For Abhishek, the turning point came only after the pandemic, in 2021, by which time he had refined his game. With Yuvraj Singh’s guidance, he transformed from a middle-order finisher and part-time left-arm spinner into an opener with an enhanced power-hitting game.Related

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Abhishek ended the Asia Cup as the top run-getter – 314 in seven innings, including a run of three straight half-centuries leading into the final. Pathum Nissanka was a distant second, with 261 runs.Abhishek’s robust powerplay approach, and his takedown of Shaheen Shah Afridi in successive games against Pakistan, earned him a lot of plaudits, which he attributed to the freedom given to him by the team management. This run of form more or less guarantees him a spot as India’s first-choice opener as they build towards their T20 World Cup title defence.”Since the time I have been in the [national] team, I have not felt is a pressure match. We prepared for every match in the same way,” he said. “Surya [Suryakumar Yadav] and GG [Gautam Gambhir] have given me confidence. When you want to play a high-risk game, failures do come. But the way they handled me, I am able to play like this because of that.”Abhishek stressed that the template of aggressive batting he had adopted was something the entire team had bought into, and would look to carry forward.”It is very important to get such support from the team,” he said. “We have been wanting to play this brand of cricket with intent from the start. Irrespective of the opposition, we will continue playing like this.”I’ve had more time to work on a few things. So I’ve worked a lot on those things. I feel this is the start for the team. There will be more miracles going forward.”

Powerplay malfunction puts SRH on the brink

Their bowling issues haven’t been spoken about quite as much as their batting woes, but they may have played just as big a role in the predicament they find themselves in

Karthik Krishnaswamy02-May-20253:03

Have SRH been the most disappointing team this season?

There are partnerships that go at more than two runs per ball, and there are partnerships that delight cricketing purists. Rarely do you get one that ticks both boxes.The 87-run stand between Shubman Gill and B Sai Sudharsan in Friday’s game between Gujarat Titans (GT) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) was a rare example. It came off just 41 balls, and it included 13 fours and two sixes. All those boundaries came inside the powerplay, and they came off these shots, as per ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data: six pulls, three flicks, two cover drives, a straight drive, a steer, a dab and a cut.That the sixth-highest powerplay score of IPL 2025 (82 for no loss) came up without any slogs, scoops or reverse hits was remarkable, and the first instinct of the viewer might be to hail the quality of the batting. And that wouldn’t be wrong: Gill and Sai Sudharsan have both been in stellar ball-striking form throughout the season, and Friday’s partnership overflowed with silken timing and pinpoint placement.Related

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Watch those highlights again, though, and you’ll also see that so much of the timing and placement came off bad bowling from SRH. Mohammed Shami set the tone in the first over with a half-volley drifting onto Gill’s toes – duly flicked for six – and the errors in line and length kept coming, over after over.Shami gave Sai Sudharsan width and then overcompensated during a 20-run third over. Then SRH captain Pat Cummins came on and bowled three floaty half-volleys to Gill in the fourth, before Harshal Patel delivered a half-volley, a full-toss and a hip-high short ball angling down leg to Sai Sudharsan in the fifth.Cummins put an extraordinarily high number to the cost of SRH’s bad balls through the powerplay.”Our powerplay with the ball wasn’t too great,” he said on the broadcast. “I’m probably as guilty as anyone there. [We] probably let them get 20 or 30 extra just with some bad balls. Maybe hang on to one or two catches throughout the middle, again I’m guilty there, and maybe chasing 200 looks a bit more realistic.” As it happened, SRH had to chase 225.Cummins was then asked about the challenge of bowling to Sai Sudharsan and Gill, who now sit first and fourth in the Orange Cap standings.2:36

Chopra: If Shami struggles, his England ticket will be in doubt

“They’re class batters,” Cummins said. “They don’t do anything outlandish. If you bowl bad balls they just put it away, and we probably dished up too many bad balls. They’re quality, they know this venue well, so yeah, we just weren’t quite at our best.”Gill and Sai Sudharsan are hugely gifted batters, but they are throwbacks of a sort. They score quicker than the kind of batter who would have been called an anchor five years ago, but they are still more reluctant than many other IPL opening pairs to relinquish control in the search for accelerated boundary-hitting.On Friday, the perfect storm of finely tuned batting rhythm, excellent batting conditions and ordinary bowling gave them the best of both worlds: 15 boundaries within the powerplay as well as a control percentage of nearly 92. At one point, Sai Sudharsan was batting with a strike rate of 244 and a control percentage of 100.Of the 12 powerplays this season that have ended with 75-plus scores, GT’s on Friday was the only one with a 90-plus control percentage.!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data[“datawrapper-height”][t]+”px”;r.style.height=d}}}))}();

That graphic demands a closer look. First, note the four powerplays marked in blue – SRH were the bowling side on all those occasions. They have been at the receiving end of a third of the 12 highest-scoring powerplays of IPL 2025.Now look at the concentration of blue near the top of the graphic. Of the 12 highest-scoring powerplays this season, the three with the highest control percentages have involved SRH’s bowlers.It’s no coincidence, then, that SRH have the worst powerplay economy rate (10.65) of any team this season. Sometimes, high economy rates can be a factor of bowling at a high-scoring home ground, or of coming up against two or three outstanding top-order displays, on days when even good balls disappear. There seems to be a case, however, to say that SRH’s powerplay bowling has been a genuine problem area.Shami has epitomised this. He conceded 48 in three overs on Friday, and didn’t get to bowl a fourth over for the sixth time in nine matches. It’s now been more than five months since his return to action following his year-long injury layoff, but he still doesn’t seem to have regained the zip off the surface that makes him so dangerous when his body is fresh and his action is in sync. With five Tests in England looming, India will be worried.For the time being it is SRH who will worry, not just about Shami but the rest of their attack too, particularly in the first six overs. There has been so much attention paid to SRH’s top order this season, and their falling-off after a relentlessly record-breaking 2024. Their bowling issues haven’t been spoken about quite as much, but they may have played just as big a role in the predicament they find themselves in.

Bancroft century boosts Gloucestershire's unbeaten streak

Overseas star carries his bat in 144-ball 143 to give his side four wins from four

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay15-Aug-2025Gloucestershire 289 for 5 (Bancroft 143*) beat Glamorgan 288 for 9 (Byrom 94, Northeast 52, van Buuren 3-33) by five wicketsCameron Bancroft scored a superbly-judged unbeaten hundred to guide Gloucestershire to a convincing five-wicket victory over Glamorgan and extend their winning start to the Metro Bank One-Day Cup campaign to four games at Bristol’s Seat Unique Stadium.Set 290 to win and retain top spot in Group A, Gloucestershire were indebted to their overseas star, who carried his bat in posting 143 from 144 balls, striking 17 fours and two sixes and sharing in stands of 72 and 84 with Ben Charlesworth and Graeme van Buuren for the third and fifth wickets respectively as the home side reached their target with 20 balls to spare.Recalled to the team, allrounder van Buuren had earlier claimed 3 for 33 with the ball to ensure Eddie Byrom’s outstanding innings of 94 from 108 balls was made in a losing cause. Byrom staged a stand of 127 in 22.1 overs for the second wicket with Sam Northeast, who raised a 59-ball 52 after Gloucestershire had won the toss. Dan Douthwaite weighed in with a hard-hitting 43, but seamers Matt Taylor and Josh Shaw took three wickets apiece to restrict the Welsh county to 289 for 9.Gloucestershire remain the only side to boast a 100 percent record after four matches, but 2024 competition winners Glamorgan are still seeking their first victory and will have to win all of their remaining fixtures if they are to stand any chance of making the knockout stages.Gloucestershire inserted their neighbours on a flat surface and Matt Taylor struck an early blow, luring Asa Tribe into driving low to mid-off in the second over.Initially tied down by nagging line and length, Byrom and Northeast eventually broke the shackles, both heaving Taylor over the mid-wicket boundary rope as their alliance raised 50 in 49 balls.Gloucestershire engineered an opportunity with the advent of Ollie Price’s off-breaks, Northeast hitting to deep midwicket on 19. Although Zaman Akhter took the catch, his momentum carried him over the boundary and the batter enjoyed a fortuitous escape. There were no such issues for Byrom, who moved smoothly to a 46-ball half-century with his seventh four, a fluent straight drive off Craig Miles.The hundred partnership occupied 16.4 overs as Gloucestershire’s seamers struggled to contain the second-wicket pair, who were further aided by some uncharacteristically loose fielding from the Group A leaders. Making good his earlier escape, Northeast posted 50 from 57 balls, only to give van Buuren’s slow left arm the charge and be stumped by James Bracey immediately afterwards with the score 135 for 2.This was the breakthrough Gloucestershire had been wanting and experienced allrounder van Buuren then removed the in-form Kiran Carlson for nine in his next over, Glamorgan’s captain nicking behind as the visitors slipped to 151 for 3 at the halfway stage. Welsh ambition required Byrom to bat on and register a substantial score, but the Zimbabwe-born left-hander fell to a superb catch by Tommy Boorman on the deep square leg boundary as van Buuren struck another potentially crucial blow.Byrom had provided the innings with a solid platform but with the score 194 for 4 in the 35th, Gloucestershire felt they were back in the game, an impression confirmed when Will Smale edged a catch behind off the bowling of Matt Taylor and departed for 26.Just when Glamorgan looked as though they might fall short, Douthwaite launched a counter-attack, including four sixes and dominating a stand of 52 in 7.2 over for the sixth wicket with Zain-ul-Hassan before falling to the returning Shaw.Bracey afforded Gloucestershire’s chase a super-charged start, raising 34 from 25 balls in an opening stand of 43 in 5.3 overs with Bancroft. But Ned Leonard redressed the balance in his first over, taking two wickets in three balls to reduce the home side to 43 for 2. Bracey was caught at the wicket and then Price was out slashing at a delivery outside off stump, Northeast palming the ball into the air for Tribe to complete the dismissal at first slip.Bancroft and Charlesworth responded to adversity in positive fashion, finding the gaps and running hard between the wickets to add 50 in 10 overs and rebuild the innings without taking undue risk. Having contributed 37 to a stand of 72 for the third wicket, Charlesworth then lost concentration, lofting Carlson to wide long-off where Douthwaite took a superb catch on the run to reduce the home side to 115 for 3 in the 20th.Undeterred, Bancroft went to 50 from 59 balls and he and Jack Taylor advanced the score to 145 for 3 at halfway, at which point Gloucestershire were required to score a further 145 at 5.8 an over. The home side’s task was rendered more difficult when Taylor was deemed to have feathered a catch behind off the bowling of Harris in the 26th.Guiding the pursuit thereafter, Bancroft moved to his sixth career List-A hundred off 100 balls by lifting Andy Gorvin over the long-on boundary. He found an able ally in van Buuren, who proved especially strong off the back foot, scoring at a run a ball to ensure the rate stayed below six an over.Glamorgan lost wicketkeeper Alex Horton to a hand injury and he was replaced behind the stumps by Smale, but Gloucestershire’s fifth-wicket pair were already in control, combining deft placement with quick running to keep the scoreboard moving. Harris returned to pin van Buuren lbw for 36, but Boorman contributed a brisk 27 not out to an unbroken stand of 57 for the sixth wicket with Bancroft to calm any nerves and render the outcome a formality.

Football Manager wonderkids: The best youngster in every position in FM26

Following the release of the beta last week, Football Manager fans have finally been able to get to grips with the new game ahead of the full launch on November 4th, and it has been a long time coming.

The 2025 edition of the game was cancelled, with Sports Interactive studio director Miles Jacobson revealing the problems with the game would’ve done irreversible damage to their reputation if it had been released.

It is full steam ahead for FM26 however, with a number of exciting new additions being made, including official FIFA tournaments, a Premier League license, over 40 new roles and the introduction of women’s football.

However, many of the core principles have stayed the same, and undoubtedly one of the most satisfying parts of FM saves is developing lesser-known talents into world-beating stars.

Goalkeeper Guillaume Restes

Every top side is built from the back, and one of the most exciting up-and-coming goalkeepers is Toulouse’s Guillaume Restes, who has already made 18 appearances for France’s U21 side, indicating the youngster could be the heir to Mike Maignan.

Just 20-years-old, the Frenchman is still in the very early stages of his career, but he has emerged as Toulouse’s first-choice option between the sticks, keeping three Ligue 1 clean sheets this season.

If you aim to emulate Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal by building from the back, Restes will provide a rock-solid foundation, but be sure to snap him up quickly, as the goalkeeper is likely to attract interest from plenty of Europe’s elite clubs.

Hidden gems: Quenten Attigah, Tommaso Martinelli, Alessandro Nunziante

Right-back Givairo Read

Previously an unfashionable position, with Jamie Carragher famously quipping “no one wants to grow up and be a Gary Neville”, Trent Alexander-Arnold showcased just how influential right-backs can be during his time with Liverpool.

It may be difficult to replicate Trent’s stellar assist record, but there are plenty of options to choose from in FM26, although many are already at top clubs, such as FC Barcelona’s Hector Fort and Real Madrid’s Jesus Fortea.

Givairo Read, on the other hand, may be easier to prise away from Feyenoord, despite the 19-year-old breaking out as a first-team player for the Dutch side, chipping in with two assists in nine Eredivisie games this season.

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Anyone for project San Marino?

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Hidden gems: Martim Fernandes, Daniel Banjaqui, Marco Palestra

Centre-back Willy Kambwala

Manchester United may end up ruing the decision to let Willy Kambwala leave in the summer of 2024, with the 21-year-old going on to make an immediate impact for Villarreal last season, making 19 appearances in La Liga.

Kambwala also caught the eye in a United shirt in the very early stages of his career, when called upon against Liverpool near the end of the 2023-24 campaign, at which point he was just 19-years-old.

If you do try to sign the Villarreal star, watch out for United, who retain a buy-back clause which doesn’t expire until 2027.

Hidden gems: Matteo Palma

Left-back Myles Lewis-Skelly

Lewis-Skelly needs very little introduction, given the impact the 18-year-old has made at Arsenal since such a young age, infamously mocking Erling Haaland with his celebration after scoring in the Gunners’ 5-1 rout of Manchester City last season.

The teenager hasn’t featured quite as regularly for Arteta’s side this season, but it is a testament to his ability that he has already amassed six international caps for England, with the youngster’s World Cup debut very much on the cards next summer.

The north Londoners are likely to demand a huge fee for their left-back, however, so it may also be worth taking a look at the more affordable options below…

Hidden gems: Saba Kharebashvili, Davinchi, Tom Rothe

Central midfield Ayyoub Bouaddi

It is no surprise that Ayyoub Bouaddi has already started to attract the attention of some top clubs, with Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal all hatching plans to sign the Lille midfielder.

Boauddi only turned 18 earlier this month, but he has already emerged as a key first-team player for Lille, making 66 appearances for the French club, during which time he’s displayed his versatility by featuring in both defensive and attacking midfield roles.

Having been born just one month too late to be included in the previous edition, FM26 fans should be chomping at the bit to sign the Lille starlet, given that beta players have already discovered he develops into a midfielder with phenomenal physical and mental attributes.

Hidden gems: Tom Bischof, Niccolo Pisili, Kees Smit

Right-wing Lamine Yamal

It would be impossible to compile this list without mentioning Lamine Yamal, who is already regarded as one of the best wingers in world football, currently sitting in second place in the 2026 Ballon d’Or power rankings.

Having established himself as one of the best players in the world, however, signing Yamal is likely to break the bank, which means it may be worth taking a look at some lesser-known prospects, such as Vasco da Gama’s Rayan, who Tottenham Hotspur recently opened talks to sign.

Still, if you choose to start a Barca save or somehow manage to persuade the La Liga giants to cash-in, you can be sure the 18-year-old will remain one of the best right-wingers in the world for a decade to come.

Hidden gems: Rayan, David Martinez, Ian Subiabre

Left-wing Kenan Yildiz

Much like Bouaddi, Juventus winger Kenan Yildiz has already started attracting major interest from the Premier League, with it recently being revealed Man United were preparing an ‘aggressive pitch’ to sign the 20-year-old.

Having initially made his breakthrough in the 2023-24 campaign, it was last season in which Yildiz truly started to flourish, regularly providing goals and assists for Juventus across all competitions.

Competition

Appearances

Goal contributions

Serie A

35

12

Champions League

10

2

Club World Cup

4

5

Italian Cup

2

1

Italian Super Cup

1

1

The Turkish starlet announced himself to the world with his stellar performances at the Club World Cup, and he could make all the difference in your pursuit of European domination on FM26…

Hidden gems: Jeremy Monga, Gabriel Mec

Attacking midfielder Arda Guler

Arda Güler has already gotten his big move to Real Madrid, which means he will no doubt cost a pretty penny on FM26, but the Turk has shown all the signs he is capable of reaching the very top level with his performances under the helm of Xabi Alonso.

Alonso clearly has a lot of faith in the 20-year-old, having played him in every La Liga match this season, and the Turkish youngster has repaid his manager with three goals and four assists.

FM fans will know all about the Real Madrid star, given that he was among the highest-potential players on FM24, and he is once again set to be one of the most exciting young attacking midfielders, although there are some potentially more affordable alternatives.

Hidden gems: Rodrigo Mora, Luca Williams-Barnett

Striker Vitor Roque

South American strikers have helped transform countless struggling sides into European champions in FM saves over the years, and Vitor Roque has the ability to do exactly that.

The 20-year-old Brazilian has been prolific in front of goal for Palmeiras in the 2025 Serie A, picking up 13 goals and three assists in 27 matches, and it no doubt won’t be too long before links with a move to England re-appear, having previously been targeted by Newcastle United.

With the now one-time Brazil international still currently plying his trade in his home country, a deal will not break the bank, at least in comparison to his potential, which is among the highest of any striker in the game, as it has been revealed he is expected to cost around £45m.

Hidden gems: Sami Bouhoudane

Fernando Tatis Jr. Didn't Want to Admit His Pick for Best Player in MLB

Fernando Tatis Jr. thinks it’s obvious who the best player in Major League Baseball is, but that doesn’t mean he wants to admit it.

During his media availability at the MLB All-Star Game, Tatis was asked who he thought the league’s best player was. He had an answer but didn’t want to say the name.

“I feel like that’s a really obvious question,” the San Diego Padres right fielder said with a laugh. “But he’s my rival, I’m not gonna mention his name. You know it already, 17 for the blue team.”

Tatis is obviously referring to Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, who has won three MVP awards. It’s pretty funny that the Padres-Dodgers rivalry has gotten so heated that one All-Star has to begrudgingly admit another is the best player in baseball.

So far this season, Ohtani is slashing .276/.382/.605, with a National League-best 32 home runs and 60 RBIs. It’s actually shocking to see his OPS below 1.000. He’s currently fifth in MLB with 4.7 fWAR, and his wRC+ (168) ranks fourth.

Obviously Tatis was joking around, but there are only two possible answers to that question. New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge has a legitimate claim to that title this season, but it’ll be tough for anyone to beat Ohtani in that contest. Especially now that he’s back pitching.

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