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Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase has been put on non-disciplinary paid leave as part of Major League Baseball's sports betting investigation, according to a report from ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Clase joins fellow relief pitcher Luis Ortiz on leave. They're both tied to the same investigation.

The Guardians addressed the issue in a statement on Monday.

"The Guardians have been notified by Major League Baseball that as part of their sports betting investigation Emmanuel Clase has been placed on non-disciplinary paid leave per an agreement with the Players Association. We have been informed that no additional players or Club personnel are expected to be impacted. The Guardians are not permitted to comment further at this time, and will respect the league's confidential investigative process as we continue to fully cooperate."

Clase has recorded a 5–3 record with a 3.23 ERA in 48 games this season, with 24 saves.

Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Arsenal defender Gabriel will be unavailable for "weeks" after sustaining a thigh injury on international duty. The defender limped off during last weekend’s friendly against Senegal at the Emirates Stadium and missed the subsequent match against Tunisia. His injury now presents a significant setback for a team sitting four points clear at the top of the Premier League.

• Gabriel to sit out for an extended period

  Gabriel, 27, has been central to Arsenal’s outstanding defensive record this season, with the Gunners conceding just five league goals in 11 matches. However, his injury during the international break will be a major reason for concern for Arteta. The manager confirmed further tests will take place next Wednesday, though early indications suggest a worrying layoff.

  "Gabi is going to be out for weeks," said Arteta. "It's clearly a blow because he's our leader in our backline, and to me, it's never a positive thing. The good thing is that we have very good options, and people have to stand up now and do the job."

  Reports via indicate fears that the Brazilian could miss up to two months, ruling him out for the rest of 2025 and potentially all the way into mid-January. A best-case scenario would see him return after a month, possibly just before Christmas.

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  Hincapie and Mosquera in line to step up

  With Gabriel unavailable for Sunday’s north London derby, Arteta will turn to deputies Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera. Both defenders are under consideration for the crucial clash at the Emirates Stadium, a fixture that could have early implications for the Premier League title race. Riccardo Calafiori is also a doubt after withdrawing from Italy duty with a hip issue. The defender has not trained since returning to England, though Arteta confirmed he will be evaluated in Saturday’s final session.

  "He has been carrying a few things," said Arteta. "He hasn't trained yet. Tomorrow we have another training session, let's see how he is."

  Before the international break, Arteta was already without Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Jesus. Arteta has hinted that several of those could return soon, but timing remains uncertain. Odegaard is expected back in early December, while Jesus is on track to return in January following ACL recovery.

• Tottenham receive huge boost before the derby

  In stark contrast to Arsenal’s growing injury list, Tottenham head coach Thomas Frank delivered a series of positive updates ahead of Sunday’s derby. Spurs will welcome back Pape Matar Sarr, Lucas Bergvall and Randal Kolo Muani, all of whom trained on Friday and are available for selection. Sarr suffered a scare while on international duty with Senegal after limping off against Brazil, while Bergvall had withdrawn from the Sweden squad following further concussion checks. Kolo Muani, meanwhile, missed France’s qualifiers after picking up an injury in the 2-2 draw against Manchester United, but will feature against Arsenal wearing a protective mask. Mohammed Kudus, who missed Spurs’ last two matches, is also in contention to return.

  "Pape trained today,” Frank said. "He's ready, available. Lucas trained today. Ready, available. Kolo Muani, yes. Trained today. Available, of course, has a mask [he] needs to play with."

  Frank did, however, rule out Dominic Solanke, who is still recovering from an ankle injury that has plagued his season. Solanke’s last appearance came in August, and although the striker insists progress is being made, Spurs are unwilling to rush him.

  On Solanke, Frank said: "Dom is not ready yet. I think he also had an article recently where he spoke about it. So we are very, as I said, the same. Very aware that when we put him out there, we want to be absolutely sure, as sure as we can be, that no setback going forward. So I'm comfortable he will soon be ready, but I will not put a timeframe on it."

  There was further positive news for Spurs as Radu Dragusin, Archie Gray, Ben Davies and Kota Takai all returned to full training this week.

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  Derby stakes raised as Arsenal and Spurs prepare for collision

  Sunday’s derby promises to be an exciting affair as Arsenal will be battling to protect their position at the summit despite key injuries, whereas Spurs will arrive with renewed energy as major players return. For a defence built largely around Gabriel’s presence, the timing of the injury is far from ideal. If the worst-case prognosis is confirmed, he could miss 15 matches across the Premier League, Champions League, Carabao Cup and the FA Cup.

Newcastle United’s topsy-turvy campaign continued away at Brentford on Sunday afternoon.

Fresh off collecting another Champions League victory versus Athletic Club at St James’ Park in mid-week, the hope would have been that Eddie Howe’s Magpies would travel to the Bees and start to turn around their stuttering domestic campaign.

Unfortunately for the travelling masses at the Gtech Community Stadium, Newcastle would, instead, crash to their fifth defeat of the Premier League season already, as an Igor Thiago-inspired comeback clinched a 3-1 win for Keith Andrews’ hosts.

Eddie Howe has nowhere to hide after “another awful away day” as journalist Craig Hope brutally put it, with Dan Burn’s sending off late on starting the demise, which saw Brentford sneak home two quickfire efforts inside the final 12 minutes.

The 6-foot-7 warrior wasn’t on his own, though, in putting in another disastrous defensive display, as one of his partners on the day in Sven Botman, was also exposed as a weak link throughout the 3-1 loss.

Botman's poor performance in numbers

This is the second Sunday in a row where Newcastle have travelled to London and surrendered a one-goal lead, with West Ham United also getting the better of them by the exact same scoreline to start November.

In both defeats, the Dutchman has looked shaky and susceptible, with Botman even managing to score an own goal against the Hammers.

While he was spared his blushes in this regard against the Bees, he was still a liability in the centre-back positions throughout, as Thiago’s late 95th-minute game-clinching strike saw the below-par number 4 fail to keep a close eye on the action.

Away from being run ragged by the 24-year-old hotshot, Botman also trudged off at the end with only two of his six duels being won, alongside failing to win a single tackle to try and stop a Brentford side who only grew in confidence, the more the game went on.

Howe might well be tempted to throw Fabian Schar back into his starting XI if Botman keeps up these shoddy performances, with the 25-year-old only managing to collect a slim two clean sheets in league action this season when featuring for the up-and-down Magpies.

With Burn now suspended for Newcastle’s next league tie after the international break against Manchester City, and Nick Pope taken off towards the latter stages of the 3-1 loss, it could be a new-look defence that takes to the field against the revitalised Citizens, as another underperformer at the back fears Howe’s selection wrath.

Newcastle star was just as bad as Botman

Howe is now being stung for being too loyal towards long-standing St James’ Park servants, with Burn very visibly not at the required level anymore to be a starting left-back.

Kieran Trippier also struggled throughout on the right flank against Andrews’ hosts, with the return of Tino Livramento from injury – who Howe stated could be back for the clash against Pep Guardiola’s men – only troubling the 35-year-old’s starting position going forward even more.

Often, the ex-Atletico Madrid defender’s saving grace is his ability to conjure up an opening from nowhere, with an inch-perfect free-kick delivery getting the ball rolling in the Champions League last Wednesday night, as Burn then headed home the right-back’s inviting delivery.

Against Brentford, though, this split-second creativity was nowhere to be found, with Trippier failing to register a single accurate cross, which led to Nick Woltemade cutting an isolated figure up top, once more.

Trippier also gave up possession a high 20 times, while also looking rusty when Brentford attacked with pace and energy – much like Botman – with only four of his 11 duels being successfully won.

Livramento’s return from injury has possibly come at the perfect time, so Howe doesn’t have to persist with selecting his declining captain, with Burn also fearful he will be removed from the team for good, for Lewis Hall to take over left-back duties.

Howe stated at the full-time whistle that there are “no excuses” after the Toon succumbed to their fifth Premier League defeat of the season to date, with Newcastle needing to return after the international break refreshed and ready to break out of their inconsistent form, with both Trippier and Botman dropping down to the substitutes bench.

Newcastle star dubbed "utterly embarrassing" was just as bad as Burn vs Brentford

An afternoon to forget for the Magpies.

By
Tom Cunningham

Nov 9, 2025

Also: more Pakistani talent, local Under-19s on show, and questions over Shakib and Mashrafe’s participation

Mohammad Isam28-Dec-2024

Who will challenge Barishal for the title?

Fortune Barishal have another strong line-up for 2025. Tamim Iqbal leads a team that is nicknamed the “national team”, for the number of Bangladesh stars in it. Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah continue to be their middle-order mainstays, while Najmul Hossain Shanto and Towhid Hridoy have joined this year.Ariful Islam is their exciting new batting talent. Rishad Hossain and Ebadot Hossain add to their bowling strength. Their overseas firepower includes Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Nabi, Kyle Mayers, Dawid Malan and Pathum Nissanka.Rangpur Riders, meanwhile, are cock-a-hoop after their successful Global Super League (GSL) campaign. Alongside the likes of Nurul Hasan, Soumya Sarkar and Mahedi Hasan, they have enlisted Alex Hales and Saurabh Netravalkar. They also have Pakistani recruits Khushdil Shah and Iftikhar Ahmed, and Afghanistan’s AM Ghazanfar and Sediqullah Atal.Durbar Rajshahi and Dhaka Capitals are new franchises while Chittagong Kings are making a comeback. All three have acquired exciting cricketers from home and abroad. Khulna Tigers and Sylhet Strikers are banking heavily on local talent.

No Comilla this season

The record four-time BPL champions are missing this year because of their political connections. AHM Mustafa Kamal, the former ICC and BCB president who owned Comilla Victorians was also Bangladesh’s finance minister during the Awami League reign. That government has been overthrown and Kamal has been missing from the country since its fall on August 5.Dhaka and Barishal have signed three players each from last season’s Comilla squad. Dhaka took Litton Das, Mustafizur Rahman and Johnson Charles, while Barishal now have Towhid Hridoy, Tanvir Islam and Rishad Hossain.Chittagong have taken Moeen Ali and Aliss Al Islam while Khulna have signed up Mahidul Islam and Imrul Kayes. Jaker Ali, who got into the Bangladesh team last season after his exploits for Comilla, is going to be playing for his native Sylhet this time.

BPL free of PSL schedule clash

The good news for the BPL this year is that the Pakistan Super League (PSL) has shifted from its usual February window to April and May. That frees up the BPL franchises to sign Pakistani cricketers for possibly the entire season. Before the tournament begins, they have signed up 20 Pakistani cricketers including Shaheen Afridi. The BPL however will continue to clash with the ILT20 (January 11 to February 9), SA20 (January 9 to February 8) and Big Bash League (December 15 to January 27).

NCL T20s provide BPL with starlets

The BCB holding the National Cricket League (NCL) T20s just before the BPL has been a blessing for plenty of cricketers and franchises. The tournament was a success in itself as local players finally found a competitive ground to showcase their many skills. The franchises, as a result of the tournament, find most of their players in form – or at least with match time under their belts – going into the BPL.Thanks to the NCL T20s, the franchises were also able to identify and pick up young talent: five Under-19 cricketers including captain Azizul Hakim and pacer Iqbal Hossain Emon were signed. They were part of Bangladesh’s Under-19 Asia Cup winning squad recently and put up eye-catching performances at the NCL T20s.

What about the big five?

At the other end of the age scale is the uncertainty surrounding the participation of the veterans, Shakib Al Hasan and Mashrafe Mortaza. Shakib – also formerly aligned with the Awami League government – couldn’t play his farewell Test in Bangladesh in October after students protested his return. Mashrafe has also not made a public appearance since that day, as he, like Shakib, was a member of parliament with the Awami League. Mashrafe has more substantial political connections, so it remains to be seen if he will turn out for Sylhet Strikers. Shakib is part of the Chittagong Kings squad.Tamim meanwhile continues to lead the Barishal franchise, having led them to their maiden BPL triumph last season. He will have Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur in his team. Tamim credited Mushfiqur for his contributions as a fielding captain last season. Mahmudullah retired from T20Is earlier this year, but is in a rich vein of form in ODIs.

By hitting two home runs on Sunday, Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh broke the record for the most home runs by a catcher in a single season. Raleigh has now accumulated an MLB-leading 49 home runs on the season, breaking Royals catcher Salvador Perez's previous record of 48 home runs in 2021.

Raleigh's two-home run game additionally broke Ken Griffey Jr.'s Mariners franchise record for themost multi-home run games in a season, and Mickey Mantle's MLB record for most multi-home run games by a switch-hitter in a season, per Sarah Langs.

"It was a lot of fun," Raleigh said after the Mariners' 11-4 over the Athletics. "I guess I'll just remember tipping the cap to the crowd and everybody on their feet. It was really a cool moment."

Raleigh admitted that he initially felt hesitant to step back up on the field for his curtain call, but it turned out to be among the most memorable moments for him.

"I didn't know that would be a thing," Raleigh said. "They were kind of pushing me out there and I was like, 'I don't want to look dumb if I go out there.' It was really cool to see everyone up on their feet. Special moment, definitely will remember that."

What made the moment even more special was that his record-breaking performance took place in front of the home crowd, who gave Raleigh a standing ovation and chanted "MVP" after hitting the historic home run.

"Obviously our fans are amazing and to do it here—to do it anywhere would be really special—but to do it here in front of the fans and to give them that, see the appreciation was a really cool moment, on top of a really good game," Raleigh said.

Though Raleigh was rather humble about his achievement, Mariners manager Dan Wilson did a better job quantifying how impressive Raleigh's feats have been this season.

"Unbelievable," Wilson said, via Aaron Levine of . "As much as I want to talk about his homers, I want to talk about his blocking even more. When you talk about Cal Raleigh, you talk about homers, but you talk about the job he does behind the plate even more."

From making his first MLB All-Star Game, winning the Home Run Derby, becoming a legitimate MVP candidate to now breaking MLB records, it's been a storybook season for the Big Dumper.

New South Wales batter Nic Maddinson underwent surgery and nine weeks of chemotherapy over the winter after discovering a tumour in March

Alex Malcolm17-Oct-2025New South Wales batter Nic Maddinson has revealed that he has been in a battle with testicular cancer after finding a lump earlier this year.Maddinson, 33, has played three Tests and six T20Is for Australia, but had been absent from the New South Wales set-up in the early part of the season. He revealed he had been diagnosed in April and has only just resumed full training after undergoing surgery and nine weeks of chemotherapy.The left-hand batter played his last match for New South Wales in early March but was dropped for the final Sheffield Shield match of the 2024-25 season. Having felt rundown with what he thought was a virus, he mentioned to New South Wales doctor John Orchard in his post-season review that he had felt a lump.Scans revealed a tumour and he had surgery immediately to remove it. But further tests seven weeks later showed the cancer had spread.”Once I found out I had to have chemo, that was pretty hard to deal with,” Maddinson told the . “It had spread to parts of my abdominal lymph nodes and lung. That was a bit where it was pretty daunting.”Maddinson’s wife Bianca was also pregnant with their second child when he began chemotherapy and had to quit her job as a dentist to look after their toddler son while Maddinson underwent treatment.”By the second or third week, I lost all my hair. I was feeling pretty average,” Maddinson said. “I was taking types of steroids to manage side effects, but they would keep me up at night. I’d be at the hospital from about 11am to 4pm. Then a sleep. Then I’d force myself to have dinner. I’d sleep until about 1am, but sometimes I’d then be awake until 6am. I found that difficult. I was super drained and felt like I had to sleep 24/7.”I felt guilty. I couldn’t do anything around the house.”Maddinson told very few of his team-mates, with his close friend Adam Zampa being one exception.He completed his chemotherapy on July 14. Ten days later, he had his first hit in the nets. He had to wait another two months before he was cleared to resume full training.”Eight weeks after my last chemo round, I got good news. The treatment had worked,” Maddinson said. “My recent tests were all good, and I can go about getting back into cricket, which I love.”He is continuing to build up his fitness but is likely to be available to play Sydney premier cricket and possibly second XI for New South Wales in the coming weeks with an eye to possibly returning to the Shield team in November.”I would still love to play Test cricket again, but I’m more realistic,” Maddinson said. “The older you get, the less likely it is to happen.”I had a really good opportunity last year and I just didn’t really grab it. I’m just really excited to try and play cricket again. I was dropped at the end of last year, so I’m not expecting to be straight back in the side.”The most important thing would be to say I am available. That would be a nice day.”Nic Maddinson has played three Tests for Australia•Getty Images

Following the birth of his second son Wilder, he is grateful to be healthy again and has urged others to get checked it they feel something abnormal.”When I found out I needed chemo, it hit me hard because I almost didn’t go,” Maddinson said. “I thought it would go away. To know that I caught it probably as early as I could have, and it still spread into other parts of my body, that was scary.”I just think it’s so important if you have anything you’re worried about, get it checked out.”It feels silly to not tell my story. If one person reads it and gets checked, I’ll be happy. I grew up in the country and a lot of people fob it off. It’s a ‘she’ll be right’ attitude. Get the stuff checked out, it can make all the difference.”

Newcastle United have claimed their fans were "indiscriminately assaulted by the police" and are set to launch a complaint over how they were treated in Marseille. Following the 2-1 Champions League defeat on Tuesday at Stade Velodrome, the Magpies say officers utilised "unnecessary and disproportionate force" against their supporters, as well as using pepper spray, batons, and shields.

• Newcastle to complain to UEFA

  In a statement on the club's website, Newcastle said they will lodge a complaint with UEFA, Marseille, and French police off the back of the "unacceptable" fan treatment. The Toon added that many supporters were "visibly distressed" by how they were looked after when the game drew to a close. 

  The post reads: "We will be formally raising our concerns with UEFA, Olympique de Marseille and French police in relation to the unacceptable treatment of our supporters by police at Stade Vélodrome following Tuesday's UEFA Champions League fixture. Following the final whistle, our supporters were required to remain in the stadium for a period of up to one hour on the instruction of local authorities to ensure their safety when leaving the stadium. 

  "Plans were in place to move 500 supporters at a time, with a police escort to the Metro station for onward travel to Place de la Joliette. Our supporters were in good spirits despite the disappointing result and waited patiently and without incident during the holdback period. The post-match operation was observed at close quarters by our stewards and senior staff. 

  "Once the first group of supporters was released, the police began using unnecessary and disproportionate force to stop the remainder of our fans from moving any further. This was actioned through a combination of pepper spray, batons, and shields, with numerous supporters being indiscriminately assaulted by the police. Many supporters were visibly distressed, particularly in the upper concourse area of the away sector, where crushing became apparent." 

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  Newcastle call for investigation

  Newcastle have also called for an investigation into this matter to ensure "lessons are learned" and this behaviour is not repeated. The Magpies added that there was a lot of "frustration and anger" amongst the club's staff for how this was handled.

  The post adds: "Our staff immediately addressed the matter with the police, however this had limited impact on their excessive tactics. Fans leaving the stadium rightly shared their distress, frustration and anger with our staff, and we have subsequently received deeply concerning witness reports from supporters who were in attendance. Supporter safety and welfare should always be of paramount importance, and we strongly condemn the treatment of our supporters by the police during this incident. 

  "We will be calling on UEFA, Olympique de Marseille and local authorities to formally investigate this matter to ensure lessons are learned and this behaviour is not repeated. We are continuing to liaise with the United Kingdom Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) as we gather evidence on behalf of our supporters."

• Newcastle fans angry about treatment

  Newcastle season ticket holder, Liam Phillips, vowed never to return to Marseille after what he witnessed on Tuesday. He added that the locals were "very friendly" but the police "whacked people indiscriminately". 

  "To be cooped up from 4pm – and I didn't get back to my hotel until nearly 2am – that's almost 10 hours to watch 90 minutes of football," he told BBC Sport. "It just felt inhumane and felt to me like we were being treated like criminals when actually the vast majority if not everybody were just there to watch their team. There was no aggro. It was all good-natured. We just wanted to watch a game of football. There was no need for it."

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  Newcastle need fans' help

  Ahead of Newcastle's trip to Everton in the Premier League this weekend, the club called on supporters to provide any information they had on the unsavoury scenes in Marseille this week. 

  The club finished by saying: "We would like to hear from supporters affected by this incident as we collate as much supporting information as possible. This will also be shared with UEFA, UKFPU and the Football Supporters Europe organisation. Supporters who wish to share their witness report should email [email protected]."

Rawal, Harleen miss nailing down their spots as India build towards a home World Cup this September

Shashank Kishore24-Jul-2025

Kranti Goud – the breakout star

It’s hard to believe now, but the 21-year-old seamer from Madhya Pradesh, Kranti Goud, wasn’t in contention for the national team even as recently as April 2025. She wasn’t part of the ODI squad for the tri-series in Sri Lanka until an injury forced seam-bowling allrounder Kashvee Gautam out. Goud debuted in the final, where she ended with 0 for 22 in five overs.Then, when the preliminary squad for the England tour was selected, Goud’s name was missing from the original longlist of around 30, who were asked to submit their passports for the UK visa. But when she impressed at the specialised skills camp in Bengaluru, she was a belated addition.Related

• Onus on England to process lessons from India series loss

• Harmanpreet wants India to 'pass that benchmark'

• Harmanpreet ton, Goud six-for seal 2-1 series win for India

With Renuka Singh and Titas Sadhu injured, Goud came into the ODI series in England knowing she would potentially have to tussle for one bowling spot with Arundhati Reddy, since India had made it clear they were going to go spin-heavy, with Amanjot Kaur the other seamer in the mix.On Tuesday in Chester-Le-Street, Goud became the youngest India player, at 21 years and 345 days, to take a five-for in a women’s ODI, surpassing Jhulan Goswami’s record. Goud’s nip-backers and the ability to hustle batters made her a challenge for England’s batters. Goud’s use of slower deliveries and yorkers – like the one she bowled to dismiss Lauren Filer first ball – with England’s lower order looking to jailbreak were equally impressive.Her match haul of 6 for 52, which included a sensational inswinger that cleaned up Tammy Beaumont in the first over, didn’t win her the Player-of-the-Match award. That her captain Harmanpreet Kaur dedicated her award to Goud, while handing over a signed match ball with her bowling figures jotted down on it, showed how special the performance was. In a video posted by BCCI, Harmanpreet said: “It’s a great achievement for a bowler. We’ve been dying for a fast bowler like you. Well done, Kranti, you deserve it.”Like her statemate Pooja Vastrakar, Goud has shown all the attributes to be categorised as “fast”. Her dismissal of Richa Ghosh at the senior women’s one-day final on December 30, 2024 – a game where she picked up four wickets in a match-winning spell – got her noticed. Then when she sent back Meg Lanning at the WPL, Goud truly marked her arrival on the big stage. Four months on, he might have won her ticket to the World Cup.Harleen Deol (and Pratika Rawal) didn’t have that one standout performance that would cement their places in the side•Getty Images

Rawal vs Deol: No clear winner

Pratika Rawal’s solidity at the top of the order helped stitch opening stands of 48 and 64 in the first and third ODIs with Smriti Mandhana, but there was a sense that she missed out on both occasions. Rawal’s own scores in the series read: 36, 3 and 26. At a strike rate of nearly 70. Middling, not eye-catching. Rawal’s manner of run-accumulation – steady to start with and playing catch-up later on – worked against slightly weaker attacks like Ireland and West Indies. It didn’t in England.The pattern was somewhat similar with Harleen Deol, India’s No. 3, who made scores of 27, 16 and 45 at a strike rate of 66.16. Deol’s string of dots may have also led to Mandhana taking extra risks in the third ODI – she eventually perished in search of a boundary after making 45 in the series decider.There’s the obvious temptation to look at Shafali Verma, for her explosive style of play. While she hasn’t been in the ODI mix since October 2024, she is a part of the conversations. If the idea is to have one of Rawal or Deol bat at three, it’s likely they will trial there when India play Australia in three ODIs next month, their last set of games before the World Cup.However, if they are both going to hold on to their current spots, perhaps a conversation on their scoring rate needs to be had.Harmanpreet Kaur got to her century in just 82 balls in the final ODI•Getty Images

Harmanpreet Kaur is back!

All through the ODI series against Ireland, while the rest of the top order piled on the runs, Harmanpreet was out nursing a niggle. Prior to that, against West Indies, she made three quick starts, but couldn’t convert any of them. All told, she hadn’t hit an ODI half-century since October 2024, and had averaged 29 in 13 innings coming into the final ODI against England.On the surface, this wasn’t a real concern since the top order was delivering.But after scores of 17 and 7 in the first two ODIs, the captain needed to step up, and step up she did. Harmanpreet took till her 11th delivery to get off the mark, but looked mostly in control with her shot selection and timing. She even shelved the sweep until after she had passed fifty, and took the attack to the cleaners in typical style – tonking spin, hitting pace down the ground.Harmanpreet helped overcome the quick dismissal of the openers, steadied the innings with Jemimah Rodrigues, and made up for the middle-overs slowdown. Having underscored the importance of topping 300 in every innings, Harmanpreet had walked the talk in giving their four-pronged spin attack the cushion to choke England.”It was a very important match for us and I want to dedicate this to my dad, he has been waiting for this kind of knock,” she said after the game. “I was a little under pressure and wanted to do well for the team, and when you work hard the right time will come to deliver. Today was the right platform to deliver.”

It’s understood that the MPCA was keen on an expanded role for Patidar following his recent success

Shashank Kishore07-Oct-2025Rajat Patidar has been handed Madhya Pradesh’s all-format captaincy ahead of the 2025-26 domestic season that begins with the Ranji Trophy on October 15.Patidar got the job to replace Shubham Sharma after getting from MP director of cricket Chandrakant Pandit. It’s understood that the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association was keen on an expanded role for Patidar following his recent success.The 32-year-old Patidar was first trialled as captain during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy last season after he had spoken to Pandit over a similar possibility arising in the IPL with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He was given the job and repaid the faith by leading MP to the final, where they lost to Mumbai.Related

• Tireless Bawne will 'put the body on the line' again to try and win the Ranji Trophy

• Flower: 'Tremendous respect' for how Patidar remained calm despite all the scrutiny

• Patidar hails spinners Kartikeya and Jain in Duleep Trophy victory

Patidar has since led RCB to their maiden IPL title and recently helmed Central Zone to a title win in the Duleep Trophy, for the first time since 2014-15.Last week, Patidar led a strong Rest of India (RoI) squad, comprising big names like Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Abhimanyu Easwaran – all state captains – at the Irani Cup in Nagpur, where they lost to Vidarbha by 93 runs.He made 529 runs in 11 innings at an average of 48.09 in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season, with one hundred and two half-centuries. This was the second-highest runs tally for MP that season, behind Shubham’s 943 runs at 104.77.Patidar has been in excellent form already this season, hitting two centuries and three half-centuries in seven innings. One of his hundreds was in the final of the Duleep Trophy that helped Central Zone set up a massive first-innings lead, and eventually a six-wicket win, over South Zone.MP open their Ranji Trophy campaign with a home game against Punjab in Indore. The Ranji season will be played across two phases – the first will be played from October 15 to November 19, before the season takes a break for the white-ball tournaments. The second leg will be played from January 22 to February 1 next year, with the knockouts from February 6 to 28.

Arsenal are now the last team with a perfect Champions League record this season after they beat Bayern Munich 3-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday. The Gunners have recorded five wins from five and kept up their 100 percent start by ending that of the Germans' in the process. Jurrien Timber put Arsenal ahead in the first half, while Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli came off the bench to score.

Midway through the first half, Arsenal broke the deadlock. Bayern's terrible record on set pieces was emphasised before the game, and the hosts took full advantage from a corner, with Timber getting in front of Manuel Neuer to nod in a Bukayo Saka corner.

That lead should have been doubled soon after when Eberechi Eze played a neat one-two with Mikel Merino to set himself in on goal, but Joshua Kimmich made a brilliant recovery challenge to deny the derby-day hero. And that missed opportunity came back to haunt Arsenal as Bayern levelled the score seconds later. Kimmich's delectable ball over the head of Myles Lewis-Skelly found Serge Gnabry, whose first-time cross picked out teenager Lennart Karl to thunder in at close range.

After the break, Mikel Merino spurned a free header after an excellent cross from Saka to the back post, while Karl went down the other end in search of his second but his tame shot was held by David Raya. Merino then headed wide from a wicked Declan Rice corner and Neuer kept out Cristhian Mosquera from a few yards out shortly afterwards in a manic 15 minutes following the interval.

An almighty scramble saw Rice force Neuer into a low save with his foot, and the rebound didn't fall kindly for Saka to be able to convert, with the Bayern goalkeeper able to sweep up the loose ball, much to the frustration of a brooding home crowd.

With 20 minutes remaining, Arsenal went back in front. Riccardo Calafiori, just on as a substitute, drilled in a low cross right through the Bayern box, and Madueke arrived ahead of Konrad Laimer to tap in his first goal for the Gunners.

Bayern nearly pulled level again when another straight ball over the defence found former Gunner Gnabry, but he couldn't make contact with his acrobatic effort and Arsenal were let off the hook.

The hosts wrapped up the points in the final quarter of an hour after another howler from Neuer. Eze's dink over the top found Martinelli, who still had 50 yards to go to goal, only for the German keeper to try and meet him halfway, fluffing his clearance and allowing the winger to roll the ball into an empty net.

GOAL rates Arsenal's players from Emirates Stadium…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  David Raya (6/10):

  As has been the case for much of the season, the Spaniard had very little to do.

  Jurrien Timber (8/10):

  Got Arsenal off the mark with his third goal of the season, heading in Saka's corner. Scarcely troubled with his defensive duties despite Gnabry's fine performance, with the German winger having to vacate that flank to get most of his joy. Afforded a rest with White taking his place.

  William Saliba (7/10):

  Nearly cost his side when a clearance hit Zubimendi straight in the backside, but Raya was on hand to clear up the mess. Otherwise dealt well with Kane, who offered very little.

  Cristhian Mosquera (7/10):

  Similarly didn't allow Kane to have a sniff, allowing home fans to gleefully chant, 'Harry, what's the score?'.

  Myles Lewis-Skelly (4/10):

  A testing night for the teenager, who was continually targeted by Bayern's attackers, including in the build up to Karl's equaliser. Mercifully taken off for Calafiori.

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  Midfield

  Martin Zubimendi (7/10):

  Positionally and technically fine again, though his contributions paled in comparison to the scorers and midfield partner.

  Declan Rice (8/10):

  Ran through Bayern in the second half like they weren't even there. Unfortunate not to have grabbed an assist for himself with his tremendous set-piece deliveries.

  Eberechi Eze (7/10):

  Technically set up Martinelli though you could probably chalk that one down as a Neuer assist instead. Didn't look out of place on this Champions League stage. Subbed for the returning Odegaard.

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  Attack

  Bukayo Saka (7/10):

  For the most part a thorn in Bayern's side, coming up with the assist for Timber from a corner, but Arsenal fans may be worried about his rusty physicality. Taken off for Martinelli.

  Mikel Merino (6/10):

  Led the line well and had some opportunities to get on the scoresheet with a couple of headers, but lacked that scoring touch this time out.

  Leandro Trossard (5/10):

  Was set through on goal in the opening exchanges but completely fluffed his lines when faced with the onrushing Neuer. Substituted before half-time with an injury.

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  Subs & Manager

  Noni Madueke (8/10):

  Replaced the injured Trossard before the break. Took it upon himself to constantly get at the Bayern defenders and was eventually rewarded with a goal.

  Gabriel Martinelli (8/10):

  Similarly got what he deserved for showing enthusiasm and personality, racing beyond Neuer to add Arsenal's third goal of the evening.

  Riccardo Calafiori (8/10):

  Made an instant impact in place of Lewis-Skelly, putting in a cross that Madueke couldn't miss.

  Ben White (N/A):

  A late replacement for Timber.

  Martin Odegaard (N/A):

  Made his return from injury in place of Eze.

  Mikel Arteta (8/10):

  Credit to the Arsenal boss again. His side drifted to the end of the first half before they grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck, and his substitutions were pivotal to that.