Abhishek didn’t have a great start to the day and Gill had not been in great touch in the tournament, but both redeemed themselves, and how

Shashank Kishore22-Sep-20252:08

Chopra: Abhishek-Gill completely decimated the Pakistan attack

Abhishek Sharma’s evening started poorly. Three balls into India’s Super Four match against Pakistan at the 2025 Asia Cup, he put down a chance at deep third to reprieve Sahibzada Farhan. And when a shot at redemption came in the eighth over, he tipped the ball over the long-on boundary, giving Farhan another life. The result: a 34-ball half-century that set the platform for Pakistan.Having spent the rest of the innings patrolling various pockets in the outfield where he took an excellent catch to send back Saim Ayub, Abhishek’s real opportunity to redeem himself didn’t come until the start of India’s 172-run chase. Exactly a week ago, Abhishek had charged at Shaheen Shah Afridi, walloping ten off the first two balls to kickstart India’s chase.This time, Mohammad Haris was quick to play some mind games, standing up to the stumps to prevent Abhishek from charging again. Except, Afridi was having none of it. With Haris back to his usual spot, Afridi dished out a snarky bouncer. With a fine leg in place, the idea seemed legit, until Abhishek got inside the line and hooked him for six.Related

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It was to be the start of a batting exhibition that helped Abhishek forget the nightmarish opening act. When he was finally out for a 39-ball 74, Abhishek had to drag himself off, visibly distraught at missing a century that was there for the taking. In between the drops and his dismissal, Pakistan’s vaunted pace attack was sent on a leather hunt.It didn’t matter if he was hustled off the previous delivery – like when Mohammad Nawaz put down a miscued pull at midwicket in the third over – or got streaky runs off thick outside edges. The intent to make a statement in the powerplay trumped everything.At the first sign of spin in the fourth over, he muscled Abrar Ahmed over deep square. And when Haris Rauf went hard length, he charged at him by opening up the off side. With Abhishek, beneath the intent is often a strong belief that this high-risk, high-reward approach will help deliver impact.”It’s just the way he is,” Suryakumar Yadav said at the post-match press conference. “Abhishek is very selfless when it comes to his batting style. In the powerplay, he goes hard, but even after that he knows what’s required. He analyses situations, he’s learning every game. Most importantly, he never misses practice. Even if he doesn’t want to bat, he’ll be at the ground, doing something. If you keep working that hard, god always has plans for you.”1:56

Chopra: Pakistan spinners were underwhelming

On the eve of the match, that “something” was as significant as his powerplay salvo. He was helping his best friend, Shubman Gill, find his groove at an optional training session. Against UAE and Pakistan, Gill had been dismissed looking to attack. Two nights ago against Oman, he was cleaned up by a ripper of an inswinger.And so, even though they’d had a late night thanks to the drive back from Abu Dhabi to Dubai, Gill was back in the nets to work on a few aspects later in the evening with Abhishek and Varun Chakravarthy for company, while the rest of the squad enjoyed an off day.When Gill struggled for timing, Abhishek was beside him – at times offering inputs, sometimes even bowling certain deliveries in the absence of other net bowlers, to have Gill attempt certain shots until he got the .On Sunday, Gill had that almost immediately as he picked up two fours off Saim Ayub’s first over. But it wasn’t until he lofted Afridi over mid-off with nonchalance that he truly got going. Soon enough, there was a bit of bite. There were words exchanged, and tension was palpable.Gill wasn’t going to lie low. He responded by unleashing a shot that could be his trademark – the short-arm jab for four off Rauf. Hard length, high pace – no problem. As Rauf turned back to see Abhishek punch the bat and yelp “shot”, Rauf waved his hands away at him angrily.And then as Gill and Abhishek met mid-pitch, there was a fierce staredown with Rauf, followed by an exchange of words that needed the umpires to intervene. By then, India were flying, and the game was tilting.

“Abhishek is very selfless when it comes to his batting style. In the powerplay, he goes hard, but even after that he knows what’s required”Suryakumar Yadav

Gill kept threading gaps behind point both off pace and spin, hitting fearlessly through the line over extra cover, and even added range to his repertoire with a reverse sweep off Ayub, a stroke Suryakumar particularly relished.”With Shubman, everyone knows what kind of player he is,” Suryakumar said. “The only thing I’ll say is he knows how to score runs. Today he backed his shots, took fewer risks, trusted his strokes. And that reverse sweep – I was really happy. He’s been working on it a lot.”For a brief spell, the Gill-Abhishek madness that helped India pummel 69 in the powerplay made it seem like Pakistan were 15 short, like Salman Agha had assessed later. Afridi had been taken for 24 off his two wicketless overs, while Abrar and Ayub, despite their mystery spin, were equally flat.Abhishek reached his fifty off just 24 balls, and amid the war of words, he celebrated his landmark by blowing a kiss to the crowd – seemingly towards his family, while Suryakumar punched the air in the dugout. The best friends were now proving to be a menace to their opponents.”It’s really important to be very good friends off the field,” Suryakumar explained of their camaraderie. “When you open together, that bond matters. Sometimes you don’t have to say anything in the middle. Just a look is enough – to take a cheeky single, to complement each other if one’s flying or if one’s struggling. That friendship comes into the picture when they bat together.

“He [Gill] knows how to score runs. Today he backed his shots, took fewer risks, trusted his strokes. And that reverse sweep – I was really happy. He’s been working on it a lot”Suryakumar Yadav on Shubman Gill

“It’s like a fire and ice combination. They complement each other really well. And that’s what I want to see. If someone is batting brilliantly, the other can take the backseat and rotate the strike. It was required today to have a very good start. And they did [provide that].”There was also some history woven into the fire. Back in 2018 at the Under-19 World Cup semi-final, Afridi and his mates had needled Gill with the line: “our bowling isn’t Bangladesh.” Gill answered with a hundred and celebrated animatedly, hurling words towards the Pakistan team as he hit a last-ball six to bring up three figures. That day, Abhishek added the kicker: “Our batting isn’t Pakistan either.”Seven years later, in Dubai, flashes of that aggression and fire they exhibited as teenagers were in full view again. By the time Gill fell, India were cruising at 105 for 1 in ten overs. Abhishek batted on for a bit more to impart more agony.By the end, the dropped catches that had threatened to define Abhishek’s evening seemed distant. Instead, two friends who grew up pushing each other to be their best versions, and live their India dream together, delivered in a statement win.Their “fire and ice” was more than just a glimpse of an opening act that is here to stay.

Newcastle United have now reportedly set their sights on welcoming an impressive Bundesliga talent back to the Premier League in 2026.

Newcastle receive shock Wissa hope before Burnley

In their 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday night, Newcastle certainly could’ve done with the added firepower of Yoane Wissa. They welcomed the news that he’d been left out of the DR Congo squad for the African Cup of Nations, but were yet to welcome their summer signing back from the sidelines.

That, however, could be about to change. The Daily Mail’s Craig Hope dropped an unexpected update on Wissa’s fitness on Wednesday afternoon, claiming that the forward is now “pushing” to make a shock return to the bench against Burnley.

With fixtures coming thick and fast, to say Wissa’s return against Burnley would be a major boost for Eddie Howe would be an understatement. The Newcastle boss is yet to see his summer signing in action.

The returning forward may not be the only player to hand Howe a much-needed boost in the coming months, either. The January transfer window is now less than a month away and reports are claiming that Newcastle are preparing their move to sign Igor Thiago in a Wissa repeat.

The Brentford forward, who replaced Wissa in West London, has only been outscored by Erling Haaland in the Premier League so far this season and may have done enough to earn a big move.

It looks like those at St James’ Park are ready to add that quality in depth all across the pitch too, with Bilal El Khannouss also emerging as a 2026 target.

Newcastle determined to sign El Khannouss

As reported by TeamTalk, Newcastle are now determined to sign El Khannouss in 2026 and could attempt to secure his signature once his loan spell at VfB Stuttgart comes to an end next summer.

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During his time away from Leicester City, the midfielder has thrived – scoring five goals and creating another six in all competitions. But his heart remains set on a return to the Premier League that Newcastle could offer him next year.

Dubbed one of the “most intelligent creators” by Como scout Ben Mattinson back in April, it’s clear that El Khannouss wants to end some unfinished business in the Premier League.

The 21-year-old went out with a whimper at Leicester City last season, but could come roaring back to England’s top tier courtesy of Newcastle next year.

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Tottenham have been tipped to sign a Man City star for around £50 million in January, with Spurs named as the perfect destination for him.

Spurs scour for new attackers to fix Frank's creativity problem

As per multiple reports, co-sporting directors Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange could be about to raid the winter transfer market for attacking reinforcements to solve a key Thomas Frank problem.

The Dane has been heavily criticised for weeks amid Spurs’ real struggles for creativity in the final third, and this was on full display in their recent London derby defeats to Chelsea and Arsenal.

The Lilywhites barely laid a glove on their cross-town rivals in both encounters, and Tottenham currently boast the second-lowest total of shots on goal out of every Premier League side so far.

xG

11.0

17th

Non-penalty xG

11.0

16th

Progressive passes

413

12th

Shots

110

19th

Shots on target

40

15th

Average shot distance

15.6 yards

17th

Injuries haven’t helped Spurs either, with club-record signing and first-choice striker Dominic Solanke missing for most of this early season and hasn’t played at all since their 2-0 win away to City at Eastlands.

Talismanic creators Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison are also out with long-term problems of their own, leaving the north Londoners desperately short of attacking impetus in certain areas.

Randal Kolo Muani provided real encouragement on Wednesday that, once Solanke returns, Spurs could be well stocked for quality centre-forwards.

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Kolo Muani’s put in a man of the match performance against parent club PSG in the Champions League, scoring a brace and providing an assist for Richarlison, so Frank will be hoping he can build upon that against Fulham.

If so, Tottenham’s search for a striker could well be put on hold until the summer, with the club reported to be massive admirers of FC Porto sensation Samu Aghehowa after his electric 2025.

Spurs are however believed to be in the market for a winger at the very least, and Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo is attracting real admiration from N17 amid news of his £65 million release clause.

The Ghanaian’s clause will be active for an early period in January as well, but Spurs face overwhelming competition from the Premier League’s biggest hitters for Semenyo’s signature.

If a move for the 25-year-old proves too complicated, perhaps revisiting a deal for Savinho could be an option.

Ex-club chief tips Tottenham to sign Savinho in January

The Brazil international was a top target for Spurs towards the end of the summer window, but City repeatedly blocked a move down south and eventually convinced him to sign a new deal.

However, since then, Savinho has attracted mixed reviews, and with the 2026 World Cup looming, January represents an opportunity to pack his bags and shine elsewhere.

Amid Tottenham’s search for another winger, ex-Everton CEO Keith Wyness has tipped Spurs to sign Savinho in January, and is convinced that the Sky Blues will let him go for around £50 million.

Savinho was actually keen on joining Spurs in the summer, according to Fabrizio Romano, meaning they might not run into much trouble on the player side of things.

The 21-year-old bagged 11 goals and 10 assists in his final season at Girona before joining City, spearheading them to a brief but surprising La Liga title challenge.

Savinho can also play on both the right and left-hand side, with the prospect of Mohammed Kudus and the South American on either flank coming as pretty tantalising.

Chasing a DLS-revised target of 125 in 12 overs, Heat were undone by two-wicket bursts from Molly Strano, Heather Graham and Nicola Carey

AAP15-Nov-2025Lizelle Lee kept Hobart Hurricanes rolling, and Brisbane Heat winless thanks to a power-packed knock in their rain-impacted 16-run WBBL win in Sydney on Saturday.Lee hit an unbeaten 59 off 45 balls, striking six fours and three sixes either side of a rain delay on Saturday. Hurricanes were flying before their innings was reduced to 12 overs and they purred to 114 for 1, with Heat’s target increased to 125 based on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern system.Jess Jonassen (1 for 12 from three overs) and Lucy Hamilton (0 for 26 off three) were the only Heat bowlers to escape punishment.Danni Wyatt-Hodge (44 in 26 balls) combined with Lee in a 106-run opening stand, which only ended in the final over.Grace Harris (28 in 21) hung in as Heat lost regular wickets attempting to maintain the scoring rate and finished at 108 for 9 thanks to a last-ball six from Sianna Ginger.Molly Strano (2 for 17), Heather Graham (2 for 25) and Nicola Carey (2 for 10) proved too clever for the Heat batters.The loss was Heat’s third straight to begin the season while Hurricanes sit on top of the table with three wins.

Rehan Ahmed has been ruled out of any further participation on the England Lions tour of Australia after suffering a right lower leg strain during the Ashes warm-up match against England in Perth.Legspinner Rehan batted at No. 5 for the Lions, making 16 off 41 balls on day one before becoming one of six wickets for England captain, Ben Stokes. He played no part with the ball, or in the Lions’ second innings, with the ECB announcing afterwards that he would return home to begin his recovery.Related

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Rehan had signed up to play for Hobart Hurricanes in the 2025-26 BBL, but the BBC reported that the injury was not expected to impact his involvement in the competition, which starts in a month’s time.England Lions are scheduled to play another four-day match at Lilac Hill, against a Cricket Australia XI, next week, before a one-off unofficial Test against Australia A in December. The Lions are also expected to be involved in a pink-ball tour game between England and the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra between the first and second Ashes Tests.It had been speculated that Rehan, who missed out on selection as the second spinner in the main Ashes squad to Will Jacks, could stay on with England after the Lions programme concluded.