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Gabriel Agbonlahor has criticised Thomas Frank and a Tottenham Hotspur star in the wake of the 2-1 defeat against Fulham on Saturday afternoon.

Frank under major pressure after Fulham defeat

Spurs remain without a Premier League win on home soil since defeating Burnley 3-0 on the opening day of the season, following the 2-1 loss against the Cottagers at the weekend, which saw Frank’s fall down to 12th place, having now lost as many games as they’ve won.

The Dane is under major pressure after the latest setback, with it being revealed that former Barcelona manager Xavi is now under serious consideration as a replacement, and a move could be made if there is not an improvement in results by the end of this month.

Games

21

Wins

8

Draws

5

Losses

8

Points per game

1.38

That said, some of the blame has to lie with the players, according to Agbonlahor, who recently said live on talkSPORT that Frank’s men need to start stepping up to the plate, and the pundit was particularly unimpressed with the start Xavi Simons has made to life in north London.

The former Aston Villa striker said: “A lot’s got to change, Jeff. Players have got to start turning up. Xavi Simons has got to come to the table and start performing.

“You never know what Spurs’ starting team is going to be. Looks very confused doesn’t he? Sometimes it’s five-at-the-back, then it looks like it’s a diamond, then now it’s Bergvall off the left.”

Simons needs to step up sooner rather than later

Of course, any player in their debut Premier League season should be given time to adapt, but Simons needs to start showing signs of improvement very soon, given that he is yet to score for Tottenham, and has registered just two assists in 15 matches in all competitions.

The Dutchman was benched against Fulham, but didn’t make much of an impact after replacing Richarlison on the hour mark, failing to register a single key pass or create a big chance.

Jamie O'Hara loses it with Xavi Simons after what Tottenham star did in Fulham defeat

The summer signing was one of many underwhelming performers.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Nov 29, 2025

Some Spurs players are also already starting to have doubts about Frank, as they believe the 52-year-old makes too many changes to his attack and focuses on the opposition too much, and the manager will need to start improving results quickly before he loses the dressing room entirely.

It is still early days for the former Brentford boss, but things certainly haven’t worked out so far, with £52m summer signing Simons flattering to deceive, and things don’t get any easier, with Spurs set to travel to St. James’ Park to take on an in-form Newcastle United side on Tuesday night.

Crystal Palace are now weighing up a January move for a goal-scoring midfielder, who enjoyed a very impressive 2025 campaign.

Palace join race for new midfielder

Palace have fared very well recruiting young players in recent years, with Adam Wharton one of the best examples, most recently assisting Eddie Nketiah’s opening goal in the 2-1 victory against Fulham, which helped send Oliver Glasner’s side up to fourth in the Premier League table.

However, the Eagles seem to be in a constant battle to retain the services of their star players, with Eberechi Eze joining Arsenal in the summer, while Marc Guehi remains of interest to the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Real Madrid.

Wharton is also attracting interest from some of the world’s biggest clubs, with Manchester United and Liverpool being named as potential suitors, which means Glasner may have to start thinking about bringing in a long-term replacement before too long.

According to a report from Football Insider, Crystal Palace have now set their sights on a new target, with it being revealed they are weighing up a January move for UCD midfielder Adam Brennan, who has enjoyed a fantastic 2025 campaign.

Indeed, Brennan has amassed 13 goal contributions for the League of Ireland First Division side this term, registering nine goals and four assists in 28 outings, meaning a whole host of English clubs are now lining up to secure his signature.

Hull City invited the 18-year-old on trial last month, but the Tigers have now been joined by Birmingham City, Wrexham and the Eagles in the battle for his services.

Brennan could be one for the future

Despite competing in the second-highest division of Irish football, it is still impressive that the teenager managed to find the back of the net so regularly at such a young age during the 2025 campaign, showcasing that he could be a future star.

Related Crystal Palace could now sign £80k-a-week "warrior" in "good value" January deal

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That said, with the Irishman yet to prove himself in the top tier, it could be a while before he is ready to test himself in the Premier League, and Palace should look to hold on to Wharton for as long as possible.

The former Blackburn Rovers man remains under contract until 2029, which means the Eagles should be in a strong negotiating position, and if they manage to keep the core of their squad together, they could make a real success of the current season.

Palace currently find themselves in the Champions League places, and managing to qualify for Europe again could convince Glasner to stay, amid previous interest from the likes of Man United and Tottenham Hotspur.

With the Austrian’s contract up in the summer, Palace retaining their top players could be the best course of action when it comes to keeping hold of their manager, but Brennan could also be a shrewd long-term addition to the squad.

The USWNT’s chemistry is clicking at every level, with Catarina Macario and Rose Lavelle driving a dominant showing and Olivia Moultrie rising fast.

The U.S. Women’s National Team had one goal in mind against Italy: start fast. And in just over a minute, they did exactly that. A quick combination between Rose Lavelle, Alyssa Thompson, and Olivia Moultrie led to an early breakthrough, with the Americans on the board almost immediately and silencing No. 12 Italy within seconds. Manager Emma Hayes joked about it being the caffeine gum the team gets, but then dived into her belief that she is helming a quick-learning group. 

"I've said it many times. They're so coachable, these players, and malleable, and everything we're starting to drive in terms of the messaging is really sinking amongst them all," she said. "If I'm honest, there are so many areas, I still think we have to do better, but I thought it was a really good team performance." 

Moultrie, who scored a brace last month against Portugal, added her fifth international goal on Friday night. From there, it turned into a Cat Macario showcase. The forward struck twice for the USWNT, pushing her tally to six goals on the year.

Macario was everywhere – finishing chances, creating danger, and pressing aggressively to force Italy into turnovers high up the field.

The Americans looked fluid, controlled possession, and found goals. And importantly, they started fast, a point emphasized by Lavelle, who is coming off an NWSL Championship and MVP honors, and said the team’s focus was to come out “fast and strong.” Hayes also stressed the importance of finishing this year strong with qualifiers coming up in 2026. 

“All of our energy is on qualifying for the World Cup," she said. "That’s everything we’re focused on. We close out the year with one more game, then we have January camp, the SheBelieves Cup, and two other opportunities before we get into October.

“There’s not a lot of time, so every single minute matters. Our focus is qualification.”

GOAL breaks down the winners and losers from Inter&Co Stadium.

ImagnWINNER: Rose Lavelle

Imagine winning the NWSL Championship a week ago, scoring the game-winner, earning MVP honors – and then five days later buzzing around the field for the USWNT like it’s nothing. Enter Rose Lavelle. The midfielder hardly looked like someone coming off a historic club season; she was sharp on the ball, quick on her feet, and involved in nearly every attacking sequence.

After the match, Lavelle told Turner Sports, “I think we have such great midfielders. Every time you get on the field with them, it’s so fun, and I think we just keep growing and building connections every single game.” 

The chemistry is evident, and even as Hayes rotates and introduces new faces, the midfield depth remains elite.

“It can be tough when you have injuries, and you have a lot of rotation,” Lavelle said, reflecting on the USWNT’s challenges this past year. “But at the same time, I think it allowed us to tap into our depth and allowed a lot of people to get experience in really, really good, hard games.”

AdvertisementGettyLOSER: Italy

It had been 15 years since the USWNT last faced Italy, and despite the Azzurre entering the match ranked No. 12 in the world, they struggled to find any real rhythm against the Americans.

Aside from a few moments that tested the U.S. back line, Italy posed little threat. They finished with just 31 percent possession to the USWNT’s 67 percent, managing only two shots on target and seven attempts overall. The sides meet again in a few days, and a shift away from the 4-4-2 might be necessary if Italy hopes to trouble the U.S. more seriously.

Getty ImagesWINNER: Olivia Moultrie

It’s getting harder to overlook Moultrie, who has been clinical for the USWNT. After recording her second career brace against Portugal, she scored again on Friday to set the tone against Italy.

While her finish was decisive, Moultrie’s overall influence stood out just as much. She was constantly on the ball, showing the composure and awareness expected of a top midfielder. Her runs were well timed, and she combined seamlessly with Rose Lavelle, Claire Hutton and Sam Coffey throughout the match.

The goal was the fifth of her international career – and she’s only 20.

The midfield looks as strong as it has in some time, and performances like this from the young midfielder will give Emma Hayes plenty to think about.

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Getty ImagesLOSER: Substitutes

On both sides, there was little change in quality when the reserves entered, though the U.S. saw a more noticeable drop-off. Once Macario came off and Jameese Joseph came on, the standard had already been set – and the same was true in midfield. Matching or building on what players like Lavelle and Moultrie established is a difficult task, especially in a match against a strong opponent like Italy.

In games like this, the next player up has to meet the pace and intensity set by the starters. On Friday, the first XI delivered and dictated the game. The bench, however, struggled to match that level.

Sadio Mane has lifted the lid on his fractious relationship with Mo Salah and revealed what really happened during the public falling out with his former Liverpool team-mate during the 3-0 win at Burnley in August 2019. Mane has also named the player who he feels he's had the best playing relationship throughout his trophy-laden career.

Showdown at Turf Moor

The Senegal international, who was unmarked in the box, was visibly furious with the Egyptian icon for not passing him the ball for a goal-scoring opportunity, Salah chose to shoot and was crowded out by defenders. Moments later, when Mane was substituted, he had an animated outburst on the bench, gesticulating angrily in Salah's direction and had to be calmed down by team-mate James Milner. The incident, though quickly resolved in a private conversation the next day, became an iconic moment highlighting the healthy but intense competitive streak between the two world-class forwards during their time at Liverpool. Mane has now spoken at length on the strained relationship between the pair and events on the day at Turf Moor. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMane: 'You can pass to me more'

Mane said: "Everybody says the same (that there was a rivalry), but I don’t think it’s a bad thing. I’m someone who is quiet, but I’m friendly with everybody in the team. I think Mo is also a very nice guy. I think though, on the pitch, you saw – sometimes he would pass to me, sometimes he wouldn’t pass to me; sometimes he would pass to me, sometimes he wouldn’t pass to me. Only Bobby (Roberto Firmino) was there to share the ball.

"And I still remember one game (against Burnley) when I was really, really angry because he didn’t pass to me when he should have. I was really angry after the game. The next day he came up to me. He wanted to talk to me, but he didn’t know how to say it. He still thought I was angry at him because we hadn’t seen each other (the night before), we just went home.

"He said, 'Can we talk?' I said, 'OK, no problem, we go'. And he said, 'You think I didn’t want to pass to you? I didn't score. Bobby scored. But even when I got the ball, I wasn’t thinking or see you to pass. I just got the ball and I wanted to shoot. But I have nothing against you. And honestly, if I can pass to you and if I see you, I will do'.

"I said, 'No, don’t worry. It passed, it passed. I was angry because I think you can pass to me more with your quality'. I think since that day we became even closer. And sometimes it happens. For me, it wasn’t personal. He just wants to score, score, score. And then I said to him: 'Mo, I can help you a lot because I know you want to be a top scorer. I can help you because I don’t have this problem. I’ll help you more'."

Major move to Saudi Arabia

After six successful years at Liverpool, Mane joined Bayern in June 2022, but only spent a single season with the Bavarian giants. In that one year he helped the team win the German Super Cup on his debut and, despite an injury that ruled him out of the 2022 World Cup, secured the Bundesliga title. In August 2023, Mane moved to Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr, where he plays alongside global football icon Cristiano Ronaldo. With Al-Nassr, he has won the Arab Club Champions Cup and he was also crowned African Footballer of the Year for the second time in 2022, shortly after his move to Germany. 

And despite the illustrious list of team-mates he’s played with, Mane has revealed the one star who he believes he had the best partnership with.

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Getty Images SportMane reveals favourite playing partner

Mane said: "People usually talk about the front three – me, Bobby, Mo – but if you see (Andy) Robertson, you see the overlapping and this desire to win every single ball. It’s just amazing. I think it my best partnership in all my career because we knew each other. It was just natural. I helped him, he helped me. When I had the ball, if we played against one winger which was really tough for him, in the next day in training, we’d say: ‘Hey, help me, I help you’. It’s what he said. I said: 'Don’t worry, me, I will be here. I will be here for you. Don’t worry. We’ll catch him, we'll put him in the pocket'. It was teamwork."

أكد وائل جمعة نجم الأهلي ومنتخب مصر السابق، أن مشاركة المنتخب الثاني في بطولة كأس العرب هذه النسخة ستكون مختلفة عن النسخة الماضية بسبب اختلاف الظروف. 

وستنطلق بطولة كأس العرب، يوم الإثنين 1 ديسمبر، بمواجهتي تونس أمام سوريا والمباراة الثانية تجمع بين قطر صاحب الأرض مع فلسطين.

طالع.. مواعيد مباريات منتخب مصر في كأس العرب 2025

ومن المقرر أن يستهل منتخب مصر، مبارياته بمواجهة الكويت، ثم يلاقي الإمارات ويختتم دور المجموعات بمباراة الأردن.

وقال وائل جمعة في تصريحات على قناة “بي إن سبورتس”: “نتمنى أن مشاركة منتخب مصر في كأس العرب تُكلل بالتوفيق والفوز بالبطولة فالظروف مختلفة، عن البطولة الماضية، كنت أتمنى مشاركة لاعبي المنتخب الأول في البطولة كأعداد لكأس أمم إفريقيا مثل منتخب تونس، وتكون فرصة لزيادة الانسجام والتفاهم بين اللاعبين والاستفادة بالبطولة، كل التوفيق للمنتخب الثاني”.

وعن مباراة الأهلي والجيش الملكي في دوري أبطال إفريقيا، أكد: “كانت هناك مشكلة واجهت توروب عند قدومه وهي الضعف الدفاعي للأهلي قبل توليه المسؤولية، والفريق كان يتعرض للاختراق للعمق وكانت مسؤولية صعبة، وهو كمدرب مطالب بالتعامل معها، وهو تعامل معها بشكل جيد وخاصة أمام شبيبة القبائل الجزائري”.

وواصل: “الثنائي مروان وديانج أعطى عمقًا للأهلي وأنهوا الخطورة التي كان يقع فيها قلبي الدفاع، توروب أعطى حرية هجومية لـ بن شرقي وزيزو وتريزيجيه، والأهلي تضرر من رحيل وسام أبو علي، ولو كان متواجدًا ستكون انتاجية الأهلي أفضل من ذلك، والأهلي مطالب أن يتعاقد مع رأس حربة في الفترة المقبلة”.

وأختتم: ” كوكا من اللاعبين المجتهدين، الأهلي لديه مشكلة، غياب محمد شكري الذي أتى من اجل تعويض رحيل علي معلول، يوجد مركزين لا بد من تدعيمهم في فريق الأهلي الظهير الأيسر والمهاجم”.  

AC Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri has been warned that he will soon be "finished like Jose Mourinho" by Antonio Cassano, who has brutally claimed that the Serie A leaders play "dreadful" football. Although the Rossoneri have lost only once this season, on the opening weekend against Cremonese, and have since collected eight victories and four draws to rise to the top of the table, Cassano remains entirely unconvinced with their style.

• Getty Images
  

  Cassano in fierce critique of Serie A leaders

  Cassano drew a stark comparison between Allegri and Mourinho, arguing that both coaches have become relics of another era. He lamented what he views as a betrayal of Milan’s traditional values, which are attacking flair, elegance, and expressive football. In his eyes, the current iteration of Allegri’s Milan stands in direct conflict with those ideals.

  Speaking on the podcast, Cassano issued a blistering assessment of Milan’s approach, suggesting the club’s identity is being eroded under Allegri’s watch.

  "Remember what I said about Mourinho being finished and that sooner or later he would end up being forgotten. The same will happen to Allegri," he said. 

  "I can’t imagine Milan in 2025 playing dreadful football because of their coach: Milan are history, beauty, aesthetics and quality. And what do they do? Everyone sits in front of the goalkeeper; there’s no depth, then you win the ball back, counter-attack and score."

  For all the criticism, Milan’s numbers are strong. They have scored 19 goals and conceded just nine in their 13 Serie A fixtures. The team boasts of a defensive solidity characteristic of Allegri’s coaching style. But Cassano contends that results alone should not shield the manager from scrutiny, especially at a club built on decades of artistic football.

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• AFP
  

  Mourinho's fall from grace

  Cassano’s comparison to Mourinho arrives at a time when the Portuguese manager’s recent struggles remain fresh. Mourinho left Fenerbahce earlier this year following a difficult stint lasting just 62 games, as he was dismissed after a Champions League play-off defeat to Benfica. The former Chelsea and Inter boss, who has two Champions League titles to his name, endured a testing time in Turkey was fraught with frustration, particularly with officiating, and he openly admitted upon returning to Portugal that he had chosen the wrong project.

  "My career so far has been rich; I've coached the biggest clubs in the world, in different countries," he said after taking the reins at Benfica for a second time. "I made the wrong choice; sometimes I don't have the right word in Portuguese… no regrets, because regrets don't help us at all in life, but the awareness of what we did well and what we did wrong exists. I made a mistake going to Fenerbahce; it wasn't my cultural level, it wasn't my football level, it wasn't my level. Obviously, I gave everything until the last day."

  Former Fenerbahce president Ali Koc later shed more light on the separation, describing it as "painful" while insisting the club needed a more expansive style to suit the Turkish side’s expectations. 

  He said: "Why did we let go of Mourinho? I'm explaining it here for the first time. It was a bitter parting. Our chemistry was perfect, and his accomplishments are evident. Just being able to bring him here was a great achievement. Above all, it was difficult to part with someone I was friends with. We knew our coach was a defensive player when we brought him in. But we talked about the need to play more dominantly at the end of the season. Earning 99 goals and 99 points is our genetic code.

  "Being eliminated by Benfica wasn't a problem, but the way we were eliminated was unacceptable. This made me feel like last year's football would continue. We parted ways because we believed this squad would play better football at this point. This kind of football works in Europe, but in Turkey, we have to crush them in most matches. We're struggling to get ahead after falling behind in every match."

• A bitter irony in Cassano’s accusations

  Cassano himself won the only Serie A title of his career under the same man he now savages. His 2010-11 Scudetto triumph came with Allegri at the Milan helm, yet that shared success did little to soften his message. Mourinho, meanwhile, appears to be steadying himself at Benfica. After a shaky start back in Lisbon, his side have climbed to third place in the Liga Portugal, six points adrift of Porto, and now look far more competitive heading into their clash with Sporting on Friday evening.

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• Getty Images
  

  Allegri unlikely to change his methods

  For all the condemnation, Allegri's Milan team remain firmly in the Serie A title race and are defensively robust. Hence, the Italian manager might just stick to his guns, ignoring Cassano's criticism as noise. The Rossoneri resume their campaign on Thursday with a Coppa Italia Round of 16 trip to Lazio. 

The trophy belongs as much to the current players as the past, who represented India with limited means, often shuffling between jobs to make ends meet

Vishal Dikshit03-Nov-2025

India’s world champions celebrate with Jhulan Goswami and Anjum Chopra•Getty Images

The most ironic celebratory scenes unfolded as the victorious Indian team took the ODI World Cup trophy around the ground in Navi Mumbai to Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami and Anjum Chopra and they all said “Thank you”.As a weeping Goswami towered over captain Harmanpreet Kaur on one shoulder and vice-captain Smriti Mandhana on the other, she whispered those two words with her eyes shut, almost not knowing how else to appreciate the gigantic effort of finally bringing the trophy home. Mithali then held the trophy high with the squad surrounding her, offering rapturous applause. She had come so close to winning it herself eight years ago. Now that she had it, she cuddled it as tight as she could, big, beaming smile on her face.Chopra threw her arms around Harmanpreet with “you have done it,” not long after she had said, “finally, finally, finally” on commentary, just as the Indian team’s celebrations had begun. Perhaps she was counting the two World Cup finals India went down in, in 2005 and 2017, and that the third time was the real “finally” that sparked an endless celebration for the players and their families, both at the ground and the adjacent team hotel, all the way to the wee hours of Monday morning.Related

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They took the trophy to Reema Malhotra as well, who turned out 64 times for India, and was Harmanpreet’s senior in the 2009 and 2013 World Cups. The duo reunited and sang “”, a popular Hindi song that means “give me my rights, here and now,” and largely symbolises rebellion and struggles against social and political norms.The irony of thanking the current side lay in the fact that these former players were the ones who had paved the way, laid the foundation and groomed some of these players who were wearing World Cup medals around their necks.It is the current fast bowlers who should be thankful to Goswami, who convinced her parents to let her play cricket as a teenager, for which she had to take a train every morning before dawn from her hometown in Chakdaha to Kolkata (about 80 kilometres away).It is the current batters who should be thankful to Mithali for smashing a Test double-century four months before she turned 20 and then taking up the India captaincy at 21, chaperoning the side to two World Cup finals.It was under Goswami that Harmanpreet made her international debut in 2009; it was under Mithali that Harmanpreet became vice-captain and then took over after Mithali’s departure in 2022. Chopra, too, had shown a young Harmanpreet the ropes more than 15 years ago and now fondly calls her protégé , an Indianised version of captain.8:05

‘What dream? We’re living it’

“Yes, Jhulan was my biggest support,” Harmanpreet said after the final. “When I joined the team, she was leading it. She always supported me in my early days when I was very raw and didn’t know much about cricket.”I used to play with boys, and the school principal picked me up, and within a year, I started representing the country. In the initial days, Anjum supported me a lot. I always remember how she used to take me along with her team. I learnt a lot from her and passed it on to my team.”Both of them have been a great support for me. I’m very grateful that I got to share a special moment with them. It was a very emotional moment. I think we all were waiting for this. Finally, we were able to touch this trophy.”Even though Harmanpreet was feeling “numb” at the press conference, she explained how this historic feat belonged to a myriad of people behind the scenes – families, close friends, coaches, who stood by them through the highs and lows. And all the former players, some of whom laid the foundation stone of women’s cricket in India decades ago.Two of them are Diana Edulji and Shantha Rangaswamy, who watched the players from the stands at the DY Patil Stadium on Sunday night. They are two pioneers of the game who started with nothing and continue to contribute in administrative capacities to date.Rangaswamy was India women’s first official captain in 1976, and was the first to lead them to a Test series win. Born in a family full of academicians, Rangaswamy didn’t have the means to take a bus to college but went walking around Bangalore (now Bengaluru) to study and train for multiple sports. Early in her career, she even played with her father’s broken bat against Australia before establishing herself as an allrounder.Edulji, just two years younger than Rangaswamy, forced her way into boys’ cricket teams in South Bombay and came from the generation that had to raise funds on their own for India women’s first overseas tour of New Zealand in 1976-77.Mithali Raj has been a role model for a lot of the current players•ICC/Getty ImagesExpectedly, the finances accrued weren’t enough and they were forced to stay in the houses of a few Indian families and local players, which then became the norm for some of the future tours. Edulji was the first to lead India in a Women’s World Cup, in 1978 at home, before Rangaswamy did it in 1982.The trophy that the Indian team are still shooting reels with, perhaps belongs as much to the players who represented India, not just without contracts or match fees but especially under the Women’s Cricket Association of India (WCAI), a body set up by lovers of the game in 1973.The WCAI’s history is dotted with its own share of financial difficulty before every overseas tour, before every World Cup – which even made India miss the 1988 edition – and until the BCCI took the women’s game under its wings in 2006. By then, India had featured in six World Cups without much formal support or money.The prize money of INR 51 crore that the BCCI announced the day after the World Cup glory in a way also belongs to those who shuffled between jobs to make ends meet while playing cricket. To those who defiantly fought against gender norms and initial administrative hurdles to set in place a system for girls to start thinking about cricket professionally, even after the likes of Harmanpreet and Mandhana had picked up their bats.”This one’s for those who were before us and set the foundation,” Jemimah Rodrigues wrote on her Instagram on Monday.It has taken generations of players, their parents, close friends and relatives to make all these efforts materialise into a World Cup trophy. The role of the media to popularise the game was also not lost on Harmanpreet.As soon as she finished her press conference after the final, she called some reporters to the podium – especially those who have contributed to the coverage of women’s cricket – and took selfies with nearly all of them holding the trophy. Coincidentally, they used the same words everyone around Harmanpreet had been saying: “Thank you.”

From missing the U-19 World Cup to starring for Karnataka, Smaran’s rise has been built on discipline, long levers, and belief

Shashank Kishore14-Aug-2025In March 2025, whispers of a new name began echoing through IPL scouting circles: R Smaran.Clips from his trials with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) had gone viral within the inner sanctums of IPL talent scouts. Smaran wasn’t just clearing the ropes; he was launching spinners out of the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.Smaran, 22, received excellent feedback from almost all the trials he attended, but quietly decided to craft his own routines over the next few weeks to make up for the disappointment of not featuring in the IPL.Batting sessions, gym work, and running throughout the day were topped up with pickleball in the evenings. He wanted to keep himself away from overthinking. And then, when he least expected it, his phone rang. Sunrisers Hyderabad came calling. They needed a replacement for the injured Adam Zampa.He was no legspinner, and nowhere close to a like-for-like replacement. But the intriguing signing was an indication he might be a long-term investment. But even before the doors could fully crack open, they slammed shut.Smaran tripped over the advertising hoardings while attempting a catch at training and injured himself. And just like that, his IPL season was over.

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On Tuesday, in just his second competitive outing since his season ended, Smaran smashed an unbeaten 55 off 22 balls for Gulbarga Mystics against defending champs Mysore Warriors in the KSCA Maharaja T20 Trophy.Fittingly, the left-handed batter hit a six, out of the ground and into the trees, to seal the win. There couldn’t have been a better start to what is going to be his second season as a professional cricketer.Smaran is tall, nearly six feet. The penchant to clear the ropes comes from having long levers that he uses to his advantage. But that is only one aspect of a game that he says is very much “work in progress.” In his short career already, he’s shown the ability to grind his way through. Smaran is strong square of the wicket, a by-product of his ability to pick lengths and play well off the back foot. He also prides himself on being an excellent player of spin, something a lot of former Karnataka players and talent scouts have vouched for.”Right from the beginning, I’ve had the ability to clear fences,” Smaran tells ESPNcricinfo. “But I think there’s still a fine line between formats, where in order to be really good at all three formats, you still have to learn to curb your game.”But I think in T20, especially with the wickets being the way it is – really good to bat on – and the size of the grounds in India also not being the greatest when it comes to T20. I think it just comes naturally to me. I wouldn’t say [I’m] a six-hitter, but I back myself to hit sixes on the balls that are loose to me.R Smaran scored 516 runs in ten innings in the last Ranji Trophy season•R Smaran/KSCA”But growing up, the red ball was always a priority. Even now, my main goal is to represent India in Tests. And I think T20 will come as a by-product of that.”Smaran’s 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season started poorly. Five matches in, he hadn’t notched up a single half-century batting in the top five. When Ranji season hit a pause midway for the white-ball leg, the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s (SMAT), he wondered if he’d fluffed his chances.Smaran sat out the first game, but was later drafted into the XI for their second game against Tripura after the selectors decided to drop Manish Pandey. Smaran hit a half-century on debut – 57 off 31 – to help chase down 191.”That knock was a confidence booster, since I had a string of low scores,” he says. “Team-wise, SMAT wasn’t great for us, but it gave me the batting rhythm I needed and I was able to carry that forward into the Vijay Hazare Trophy.”That 50-over tournament was a game-changer for Smaran. Having endured the pressure of replacing Pandey, a senior player in the XI, he hit a superb 101 off 92 in the final against Vidarbha. He helped bail Karnataka out from 67 for 3 in wintry conditions as they posted 348. They ended up winning by 36 runs.Smaran finished as Karnataka’s second-highest run-getter, hitting 433 runs in seven innings at an average of 72.16 with two hundreds and two half-centuries.

“Growing up, the red ball was always a priority. Even now, my main goal is to represent India in Tests. And I think T20 will come as a by-product of that.”R Smaran

“My only goal was to win games for the team,” he says. “One game after another, we started winning. Slowly the belief came in that we can go all the way and win the championship. Once we won, it was surreal.”It’s on the back of this run that Smaran entered the second leg of the Ranji season, in January this year, under immense pressure to keep his spot. On a green top at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Smaran saw the Shubman Gill-led Punjab being bundled out for 55. And when he walked in to bat, conditions were far from easy. Smaran defied the odds and conditions to convert his maiden first-class century into a double ton.”That knock needed mental discipline because conditions were tough, particularly the first day,” he remembers. “It gave me the confidence that I had the ability to play a different style of cricket if required. I’m glad it came off.”Smaran ended the Ranji season with another century to boot against Haryana. Having started the season poorly, he accumulated 516 runs in ten innings at an average of 64.50.

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By 2019-20, Smaran had been a prolific run-getter for Karnataka Under-19s, and was shortlisted as part of a wider pool of targeted players the BCCI felt would form part of their mix for the Under-19 World Cup in 2022.But in early 2020, Smaran had a stress fracture on his right shin. He played through pain, but eventually he had to listen to his body. He was advised to take eight months off the game.Fortunately for Smaran, the injury came around Covid lockdowns. It meant he didn’t miss much competitive cricket, but the long layoff from injury led to weight gain that hampered his form upon return.Smaran couldn’t quite make the same impression as he pushed for an India Under-19 berth. He was left out of the Under-19 World Cup, and India went on to win the tournament under Yash Dhull’s captaincy.R Smaran smashed an unbeaten 55 off 22 in the KSCA Maharaja T20 trophy on Tuesday•Maharaja T20″It felt like the world had ended,” he says about not being selected for the Under-19 World Cup. “I didn’t look forward to anything for the next month. My coach Syed Zabiullah, he’s like family to me. He lifted me up and told me this isn’t the end and there’s lots to look forward to. The main goal should be representing Karnataka at the highest level.”Smaran had two prolific seasons after he fully regained his fitness, but found it hard to break into the Karnataka setup. Until a debut finally came late last year.”I’m glad that it happened last year,” he says. “So overall, I think a lot of credit goes to Syed sir for pushing me throughout during the off-season as well. And also me for putting that effort into training, gym and also hitting the nets.”Smaran’s journey is an ode to his dedication. It was particularly tough because he didn’t come from a family that had anything to do with sport. His father, a mechanical engineer, makes solar inverters. His mother, a housewife, wanted her son to also be an engineer.

I just lacked the confidence [when I started last season]. But now I feel that while I’m still not there, I’ve gotten a step better in terms of knowing my game well.”Smaran on his game

“But the way I progressed, even my mom now keeps asking me, when I’m going to do my Masters,” Smaran, who has a bachelor’s degree in commerce, laughs.”After I represented the state in age-groups, they were like, okay, you can pursue commerce now and pursue cricket,” he says. “I think there’s a lot of conflict between me and my parents (laughs), but I think they’ve really supported me throughout and they’ve let me pursue what I love. But yeah, lot of engineers in the family.”As he looks ahead, Smaran is focused on trying to tick another box. “To bring home the Ranji Trophy for Karnataka,” he says. It’s something they haven’t been able to achieve since 2014-15.”I just lacked the confidence [when he started last season]. But now I feel that while I’m still not there, I’ve gotten a step better in terms of knowing my game well. The main goal while batting is to win games for your team. Whichever team that is, and the rest will take care of itself.”

“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.”

India are 1-0 down against South Africa, with only one day remaining of their two-Test series, and the best they can hope is for the scoreline to remain 1-0. Going into the fifth day in Guwahati, India are 27 for 2. They are chasing an all-but-impossible target of 549.A series loss against South Africa will be India’s second in their previous three home series. Last year, they suffered an unprecedented 3-0 whitewash against New Zealand, which ended a proud run of 17 straight home-series wins over a 12-year period.In this scenario, allrounder Ravindra Jadeja suggested that saving the Guwahati Test would be a “win-win situation” for India. Jadeja used the English phrase, and it must be noted that it isn’t his first language.”We will have to bat well, take it session by session,” Jadeja said. “If we don’t give a wicket in the first session, then there will obviously be pressure on the bowlers, that they need to bowl us out. For us, that will be the win-win situation – if we can bat out the full day tomorrow. For us, it’ll be as good as a winning situation.”Related

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This series has flipped the script on India’s previous home series against South Africa in 2019, which they won 3-0. Jadeja suggested South Africa hadn’t done too much differently between that tour and this one, other than winning tosses. India won all three tosses in 2019, and South Africa have won both this time.”I don’t find any difference from what we played against them in 2019,” Jadeja said. “I think they almost have the same squad. In cricket, I feel it’s all about timing. It starts from winning the toss. If we would have won the toss on this wicket, then we would have been in a good situation right now. But that’s part and parcel [of the game]. So, now, [it’s about] what comes next – that is, day five. We have to play good cricket and we have to trust our defence. That’s the key. If we play out day five, then, as I said, it’s a win-win situation for us.”Jadeja was an integral member of India’s teams through their 12-year winning run in home Test series. When asked how difficult it has been to go through India’s ongoing period of negative results at home, Jadeja said it was simply a challenge he and his team-mates had to accept.”See, it’s not difficult. In cricket, it’s always about the situation,” he said. “If you are 312-315 runs ahead in the game, then any batsman can come and play freely. They’re not thinking about spin or bounce, or how the wicket is. But when you’re 300 runs behind and you have to go out and play out a day, defend through it, and know you have a 550-run target, and you know the ball is turning and bouncing, that plays on the mind more.R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were crucial to India’s unbeaten 12-year run at home•BCCI

“We’ve also been [in winning situations]. Like, from 2012 to 2024, in 12 years we did not lose a series at home. In that time, we’ve handle these situations well. But the time was such that we won a lot of tosses and we scored big in the first innings. We’ve beaten oppositions by an innings. It has happened a lot of times.”The more you play cricket, the more new experiences you have. So as cricketers, me and the team, it is a challenge we accept. We will not deny it, and ask why we are having to play in this situation. If it has come, we as players have to take the positives and move on from it. Our attitude will be positive and it will help the team. All the individuals will look to give their 100%.”Whichever batter goes to bat tomorrow will look to give their best. But sometimes, even if you don’t succeed, you learn from [the situation] and know the mistakes you’ve made, and what you can improve on in such a situation again.”India have been in transition over the last year or so having lost a number of senior players. Jadeja felt going through a difficult time like this would help the young players in the team learn and grow,”Look, for the youngsters in the team, I think this is a learning phase. Their career is just starting. In international cricket, no matter what format you play, it’s not easy. No matter what format you play, it’s always a little challenging. So, in India, when a situation like this happens, and you play 3-4 youngsters in the team, it feels like the whole team is young and inexperienced. And that gets highlighted.”But when India wins in home conditions, people think it’s not a big deal. You have to win anyway. So people think that if you win a series in India, it’s not a big deal. But if you lose a series in India, it becomes a very big deal. But even the team that comes here and plays against is representing their country.”So that’s the beauty of cricket, there’s always a surprise. Something new happens year by year. So, for a youngster, it’s a learning phase. If they handle this situation well, they will become mature as players, and India’s future will be better.”