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Lucknow Super Giants’ team mentor Zaheer Khan has parted ways with the franchise after just one season. ESPNcricinfo has learned Zaheer informed LSG of his decision on Thursday.It is understood that the primary reason for Zaheer quitting is that his vision for the franchise did not align with that of head coach Justin Langer and team owner Sanjeev Goenka. While Zaheer’s relationship with captain Rishabh Pant remained strong, he was affected by the thought process that played a role in LSG sliding down the points table in the second half of IPL 2025.Zaheer had joined LSG in August 2024, filling the vacancy left by Gautam Gambhir’s exit after IPL 2023. Zaheer had been with Mumbai Indians from 2018 to 2022 and agreed to a two-year contract with LSG, taking charge of scouting, planning and strategy.Related

• Zaheer: Looked like it was Punjab curator at our home game

• Bharat Arun named LSG bowling coach

After making the playoffs in their first two IPL seasons in 2022 and 2023, LSG did not reach the knockouts in the last two seasons. In 2025, they finished seventh with six wins from 14 games. It was a season of contrasting halves: LSG had five wins in their first eight matches but only one in the last six. Of the eight games they played at their home ground, the Ekana Stadium, they won only two.LSG had made headlines at last year’s mega auction when they bought Pant for INR 27 crore (USD 3.2 million approx.), making him the most expensive player ever in the IPL. The team was built around him, but Zaheer put in place building blocks he felt were needed to grow stronger every season. Despite there being a lot of chatter about Pant opening the batting, Zaheer spoke to the wicketkeeper-batter early on and told him that the better strategy would be for Mitchell Marsh to open with Aiden Markram. That strategy, Zaheer impressed on both Pant and the leadership group, would reduce the burden on their best batter, Nicholas Pooran, who was the No. 3.The role clarity allowed the batters to play with freedom and perform consistently. Markram had never opened in the IPL before, while Marsh, despite having been in the IPL for more than a decade, had never made a major impact. The move worked: Marsh was the fifth highest run-getter in IPL 2025 with 627 runs at a strike rate of 163.70, Pooran made 524 runs at 196.25, and Markram 445 at 148.82.

Rajat Patidar named vice-captain while Deepak Chahar is set to return from injury

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Aug-2025

Kuldeep Yadav didn’t get a game in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy•Getty Images

After warming the bench through the recent five-match Test series in England, Kuldeep Yadav will return to action in the Duleep Trophy, where he will lead Central Zone’s spin attack.Vidarbha left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey, who broke the record for most wickets in a Ranji Trophy season when he picked up 69 in his side’s run to the title in 2024-25, will combine with Kuldeep and Rajasthan’s Manav Suthar for Central Zone.Dhruv Jurel, who had replaced the injured Rishabh Pant in India’s series-levelling win at The Oval, will captain Central Zone with Rajat Patidar named his deputy.Related

'I will do it – that's what is left' – stronger, fitter Khaleel waits to get back what he lost

Kishan ruled out of Duleep Trophy opener, Akash Deep advised rest

Shubman Gill to lead North Zone

Mohammed Shami in East Zone squad

Iyer, Sarfaraz in West Zone squad

Left-arm seamer Khaleel Ahmed, who had cut his county stint short with Essex for personal reasons will return to action and will lead Central Zone’s seam attack along with Deepak Chahar. Chahar, 33, had suffered an injury during IPL 2025 and missed two games for Mumbai Indians, but recently he was bowling at the India nets at Lord’s and The Oval.Yash Rathod, who was the top scorer in the previous Ranji season with 960 runs in 18 innings at an average of over 50, and his Vidarbha team-mate Danish Malewar, who scored 153 and 73 in the final against Kerala, were rewarded for their strong form. UP captain Aryan Juyal also made the cut along with Madhya Pradesh offspinner Saransh Jain and Chhattisgarh batter Sanjeet Desai. Vidarbha’s Ranji Trophy-winning coach Usman Ghani was named the head coach of the team.Fast bowler Kuldeep Sen, who has played a solitary ODI for India, was among the stand-bys.The Duleep Trophy has reverted to its traditional format of a zonal contest after a season where four teams – A, B, C and D – comprising players in the Test fray were picked by the Ajit Agarkar-led senior men’s selection committee. Teams for this year’s tournament will be picked by zonal selection committees, comprising one member from each of the state sides from the zone.Central Zone will start their Duleep Trophy campaign against North East on August 28 at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.Central Zone squadDhruv Jurel (capt, wk), Rajat Patidar, Aryan Juyal, Danish Malewar, Sanchit Desai, Kuldeep Yadav, Aditya Thakare, Deepak Chahar, Saransh Jain, Ayush Pandey, Shubham Sharma, Yash Rathod, Harsh Dubey, Manav Suthar, Khaleel AhmedStand-bys: Madhav Kaushik, Yash Thakur, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Mahipal Lomror, Kuldeep Sen, Upendra Yadav

Tottenham winger Mohammed Kudus has seriously impressed since arriving in a £55 million deal from West Ham in the summer window, and he’s now drawing comparisons with a Spurs legend.

Kudus made headlines this summer as the first player to transfer from West Ham to Spurs since Scott Parker in 2011 — effectively ending a 14-year unofficial transfer embargo between the fierce London rivals.

The move generated plenty of buzz, and with it, a weight of expectation that Kudus has so far handled with a blend of flair, work rate and dynamism.

Since then, Kudus has set about proving he belongs at the heart of Tottenham’s rebuild under Thomas Frank.

His first telling contribution on paper came at Leeds, where a deflected low finish from the Ghanaian opened his goal account and delivered the Lilywhites a crucial 2-1 win — all whilst ending their pre-international break curse and the home side’s year-long unbeaten run at Elland Road in the league.

Used primarily as an inverted right-winger, Kudus has routinely tormented full-backs with an outstanding dribble completion rate — quickly becoming the side’s most dangerous attacking outlet.

Kudus has completed more successful take-ons per 90 than any other winger in the Premier League, according to WhoScored, and is currently the division’s fifth-best performer by average match rating.

Mohammed Kudus

3.6

Iliman Ndaye

2.7

Yankuba Minteh

2.6

Jeremy Doku

2.4

Bukayo Saka

2.3

via WhoScored

The former Ajax sensation also has five assists to show from his opening nine Premier League matches, outshining fellow new arrival Xavi Simons, who has struggled to match Kudus’ scintillating form in the final third.

The early signs are that Spurs have acquired a genuine difference-maker, and he’s now drawn a very intriguing comparison with ex-fan favourite Mousa Dembélé, even if the latter played a completely different role.

Supporters look back on Dembele and remember him fondly as a real linchpin of Mauricio Pochettino’s midfield, with the Belgian making nearly 250 appearances before he departed for the now-folded Guangzhou City in China.

Mohammed Kudus draws Mousa Dembele comparison at Tottenham

Speaking to Tottenham News, pundit John Wenham explained exactly why Kudus is a regen of Dembele at Tottenham — specifically talking about his strength on the ball.

Frank has been equally blown away by Kudus since his arrival at N17, calling his one-v-one ability “crazy”.

Like Dembele, Kudus is remarkably difficult to dispossess, with the agility to spin away from challengers and the power to carry the ball through deep midfield areas or wide channels.

The feeling among coaches and analysts is that Kudus could become a more advanced and goal-threatening Dembele, with journalist Alasdair Gold also making that comparison in early October.

The sky appears to be the limit for him right now, and midfielder Joao Palhinha has some stern competition for the ‘best summer signing’ accolade as we slowly approach the halfway point of 25/26.

Tottenham told Xavi Simons "reality" as Thomas Frank already gets one thing wrong

The South Africa captain’s composed fifty and his gutsy call to bowl Maharaj proved to be the difference in a nervy win

Firdose Moonda16-Nov-20254:55

Philander: ‘On that surface 123 was like 350-400’

Sometimes a captain gets a feeling of what to do. With tea looming at Eden Gardens on a tense day three, Temba Bavuma had one of those times.India needed 47 runs with three wickets in hand. In reality, they had only two because of Shubman Gill’s injury-enforced absence. Left-hand batter Axar Patel was on strike. He had 10 runs off 12 balls and looked steady but not particularly dangerous. Aiden Markram’s three overs had cost just five runs and he had burgled a wicket, so it seemed sensible to keep him and build pressure. Bavuma had a different idea.Despite the risk that would come from turning the ball into Axar, Bavuma turned to his left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj. Immediately, it looked like a stroke of genius.Axar could not resist the offer and slog-swept Maharaj to deep midwicket, where Ryan Rickelton was positioned for that shot. But looking into the sun and with spectators in the background potentially blurring his view, Rickelton lost the ball. What could have been a catch became a boundary and suddenly, Bavuma’s decision looked like a tactical blunder, especially with so few runs to play with. It got even worse when Axar hit Maharaj for two sixes in the next three balls and shaved off a third of what India needed in four balls and wasn’t done.Related

Bavuma and South Africa look to silence every last doubter in Guwahati

'Job's far from done' – Conrad eyes series win

Thrills vs skills: Are Test pitches sacrificing balance in favour of results?

Bavuma, Harmer and Jansen script sensational South Africa win

The Bavuma-Bosch 'turning point' in Harmer's Test at Eden Gardens

Axar went again off the fifth ball, another slog sweep, but he top-edged it. The ball hung and then dipped through the Kolkata air for the longest few seconds of the last three days.Bavuma sprinted from midwicket to almost long-on and initially looked like he had run too far. The ball was almost behind him when, looking back, he got his self-labelled “small hands” to it and held on by his fingertips. “There’s not much time to think during those moments. The ball went quite high, so I was just trying to make sure that I caught the ball,” Bavuma said after the match.When he did, Bavuma also proved his own plan, which seemed to be unravelling over the previous four balls, right. How had he felt in the moment when Axar was attacking? “You try and keep to your wits. The decision [to bowl Maharaj] stays a decision. It doesn’t change because of the way the guy is batting,” he said. “I knew there was sense behind the decision, so at no point did I second-guess the decision.”That was the way Bavuma played for most of this match.After his first-innings dismissal for 3, when he fell to Kuldeep Yadav’s leg-side trap, Bavuma rewrote his role in the game with a match-winning second-innings 55 not out, which showed a level of self-assurance of a player at his peak. No other batter made more than 39 in the match as variable bounce and, what Bavuma called, “spin that was a little bit on the extreme side yesterday” planted confusion through their game plans. “He went against the grain of everybody else in the match,” Shukri Conrad, South Africa’s coach, said.One of the biggest differences between Bavuma’s innings and everyone else’s was the way he absorbed pressure in the early stages. He scored just four runs off the first 23 balls he faced, and 17 of those deliveries were from the spinners, who were brilliant in squeezing South Africa. “You feel suffocated as a batter but Temba was comfortable. I don’t think anybody’s ever happy to be suffocated but he was comfortable that if he stuck to his game plan, knowing he was going to get beaten by balls on the outside, but as long as he didn’t get beaten on the inside, he knew he could bat through this,” Conrad said.Bavuma explained that given the conditions, he had to rely on the blueprint that is built around the block more than usual. “I found it a bit tricky to trust the bounce of the wicket. Some balls were bouncing nicely, others were squatting, so that was a bit tricky, which made cross-batted shots a bit harder but I always back my defence. My game is that simple. I try to play around my defence,” Bavuma said.2:08

Philander: Conrad’s done himself justice as South Africa coach

In total, he defended 59 of the 136 balls he faced, and the bulk of that was on the second evening, when some of South Africa’s shot selection left much to be desired. While Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs were done by lack of turn, Wiaan Mulder and Tony de Zorzi by extra bounce, Markram swept straight to short leg and Kyle Verreynne and Marco Jansen got slog sweeps horribly wrong. Bavuma was on 29 off 78 balls overnight. His only two aggressive shots were a sweep off Ravindra Jadeja and a backfoot punch off Kuldeep Yadav that went for four.The sweep came out a few more times on the third day, when Bavuma had to drag South Africa to a defendable total and could not have done it without support from Corbin Bosch, with whom he added 44 for the eighth wicket. Their approach on the third morning was to “just try and play what’s in front of me and try not to have too many preconceived ideas”, Bavuma said.That mindset brought what Conrad called a “calmness” to South Africa overall because they know that even though Bavuma is as likely as anyone to get a ball he can’t keep out, he very seldom gives his wicket away and works for every run. Bavuma created his own opportunities to accumulate singles (33) and twos (3) by playing with soft hands and setting off for his runs quickly, often just as he had hit the ball. “The fact that he’s been here before might also have given him that bit of confidence,” Conrad said.But being in India before was also humiliating for Bavuma, especially his most recent visit in 2023, at this very ground. Eden Gardens was where he finished the ODI World Cup as the only member of the top five not to score a century and where he played in the semi-final with a hamstring injury. He hasn’t hidden away from what he called his own “poor record” in the country and had come on this Test tour determined to improve on that and prove himself in these conditions. Now, South Africa are unbeaten in 11 Tests under his captaincy.That he has achieved something special was evident when the almost 40,000 people who came to watch the match on Sunday gave him a standing ovation when he reached his half-century. Though they were stunned into silence by his catch later on, it was clear that the Kolkata faithful appreciated South Africa’s efforts, and Bavuma may well have won them over. “It was crazy. Obviously the crowd cheers quite loudly when India has done something good but it gives us energy and keeps us connected to the game. As much as it spurs on the Indian team, it also has a positive influence on us,” Bavuma said.And sometimes when you have a feeling that things are going your way, you end up with a result like South Africa’s.

Saturday afternoon saw Leeds United suffer yet another defeat in the Premier League, condemning them to a spot in the relegation zone this week.

The Whites lost 3-2 away to Manchester City, after a late Phil Foden goal managed to secure the three points for Pep Guardiola’s side late on.

Despite the result, there were some positives to take from the game. Daniel Farke’s side defended with plenty of heart, with two of City’s goals coming inside the first minute and stoppage time. It was also good to see both Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha on the scoresheet.

Yet, not all of their attackers shone. Daniel James did not put in his best performance, continuing his tough start to the season.

Dan James' season in numbers at Leeds

It was certainly a disappointing showing from James against Guardiola’s men. Normally such a direct presence in attack with his electric pace, the Welshman perhaps did not have the impact he or Farke may have hoped.

The former Manchester United star really struggled to get into the game, having just 12 touches of the ball, failing to create a chance and not having a shot. Journalist Graham Smyth of the Yorkshire Evening Post gave him a 5/10 for his performance and said he did not “get to do too much” going forward.

Indeed, that has been the theme of this season for the former Manchester United winger who has not really managed to get a good run of games together. He’s featured ten times in the Premier League, but has only played 352 minutes, the equivalent of 3.9 full 90-minute games.

He is off the back of good form for Wales, too. In the November international break, he helped his country reach the World Cup playoffs, assisting against Liechtenstein and scoring against North Macedonia.

James’ future at Leeds is arguably up in the air, given his lack of game time this season and poor performance against City. Leeds have an attacker out on loan who could leapfrog him, too.

Leeds are brewing a Dan James replacement

This summer, the West Yorkshire side loaned out some good players, perhaps coinciding with their attacking additions of Nmecha, Calvert-Lewin and Noah Okafor. Largie Ramazani is one example of an attacker out on loan.

Another is currently plying his trade for Yorkshire rivals Hull City. It has been a superb season for a certain Joe Gelhardt, who has shone for the Tigers in the Championship. The versatile forward has played as a number 10 and on the right so far this term.

He’s done that to great success in the 2025/26 campaign. The Liverpool-born attacker has nine goals and two assists to his name in 18 second-tier appearances this term. The most recent one of those strikes was a winner away to Stoke City in the 90th minute this weekend.

Indeed, Gelhardt’s attacking numbers this season are impressive. He’s averaging 0.72 goals and assists and 0.53 goal-creating actions per 90 minutes, which rank him in the top 6% and 19% of Championship forwards, respectively. He is extremely efficient in the final third.

Goals and assists

0.72

94th

Shots on target

1.58

99th

Goal-creating actions

0.53

81st

Take-ons completed

1.9

81st

Ball recoveries

4.99

82nd

This sort of form is surely pleasing to see for Farke and Leeds. A player like James has struggled to have an impact in the first team this term, and with Gelhardt’s form and output, it is easy to see how he could leapfrog the Welshman.

The former Wigan Athletic star has played senior football at Elland Road. Whilst he only has 10 goals and assists in 57 games, the signs of his talent are there. Jamie Carragher has even described the 23-year-old as a “special” player in the past while long-time Merseyside Boys’ manager Tim Wyatt even said that Gelhardt caught the eye just as much as Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney did when they were all 14 years of age.

Looking ahead to the future, it is easy to think that the forward could break into Leeds’ squad and have a real impact. James has underwhelmed this term, and it is quite conceivable that he could be overtaken by Gelhardt.

He’s not played a first-team game for the Whites since last October when he appeared as an eight minute substitute against Norwich in the Championship. It would be some turnaround if he could work his way back into Leeds’ plans.

Leeds eyeing move for 4-3-3 Farke successor who has admirers at Elland Road

The Whites are struggling for form in the Premier League and could now change tact in the dugout.

BySean Markus Clifford Nov 28, 2025

Australia’s selectors have still not locked in a consistent opening duo since David Warner’s retirement

Andrew McGlashan14-Oct-2025David Warner has urged Australia’s selectors to stick with Sam Konstas for the first Ashes in Perth believing he has the game to take on England’s fast bowlers.Australia have been through a revolving door of partners for Usman Khawaja since Warner’s retirement in early 2024. Konstas, who is the incumbent but made just 50 runs in six innings against West Indies earlier this year, is one of five options used across the last 15 Tests.The selection race will resume this week with the second round of the Sheffield Shield, where Konstas will feature for New South Wales against Victoria at Junction Oval, facing an attack including Scott Boland and Fergus O’Neill.Related

'Stripped back' Labuschagne takes leap towards Ashes recall

Ashes tracker: Labuschagne shines as Konstas stumbles

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Konstas endured a difficult first outing of the domestic season with scores of 4 and 14 against Western Australia in Perth on what Nathan Lyon termed a “naughty” WACA pitch while NSW coach Greg Shipperd also urged context around Konstas’ returns.Meanwhile, Marnus Labuschagne peeled off 160 for Queensland, which came between two one-day hundreds as he makes a compelling case for a recall and looms as another opening option.”I’d like them to try and probably stick with Sam and give him a crack,” Warner said at Kayo Sports’ Summer of Cricket launch in Sydney. “He scored that hundred in the Australian A series [in India last month]. He batted outstanding there.”I don’t think we’ve seen exactly what we know Sam Konstas can do. Last year… he probably got overwhelmed by the occasion and we saw some very highlighted cricket. But I’ve seen him build innings, I’ve seen him play some fantastic innings and I’d like to see him go back to just doing that.”

David Warner picks who he thinks should open alongside Usman Khawaja in the Ashespic.twitter.com/yFvMI9XWHF

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) October 13, 2025

When Konstas made his debut at the MCG against India he was picked with the specific role of disrupting Jasprit Bumrah, who had dominated Australia’s top order. He was an immediate success in that role with 60 off 65 balls and then produced two cameos at the SCG. However, he was left out in Sri Lanka, when Travis Head opened in a conditions-specific selection, before being tasked with taking on difficult batting conditions in the Caribbean.Warner believes his early salvos in Test cricket left him uncertain about the tempo needed for sustained success but, while acknowledging England have a stock of fast bowlers, does not see their attack needing such a left-field approach.”They don’t have a Jasprit Bumrah so he doesn’t have to worry about that,” Warner said. “They’ve got some fast bowlers but he can tackle that.”Last year, I felt like he just got caught up in the occasions. He got caught up in thinking it was the only way to play that way against Bumrah and then did it to the other players.Marnus Labuschagne brought up a century in his first Shield innings of the season•Getty Images”I don’t think he needed to change his game to the other bowlers. He could have just stayed there and played the normal way. There was one guy that was getting a lot of people out and… [Konstas] just didn’t want to get out to him because he was bringing the ball back in.”He countered that and he could have went back in and just batted normally. So I think if he can work out that and identify those periods, I think he’ll go a long way.”Warner added that Labuschagne had probably already done enough to return to the line-up but was less convinced about him opening. “I think when you’ve got a lot of Test cricket under your belt, you know what he’s capable of and know what he can do,” he said. “If someone’s averaging 50 in Test cricket, you’ve probably got to go back to that. Does he open? I wouldn’t like to see him open. I’d like him to shuffle back down to three.”If Labuschagne did return at No. 3, it would mean pushing Cameron Green down the order and would leave Beau Webster struggling to retain his place. Webster has been forced to sit out the opening two rounds of the Shield with an ankle injury but, barring a major form slump on his return, is expected to be part of the squad for Perth.

Ex-Manchester United winger Antony has admitted that the decision to turn down Bayern Munich during the summer transfer window was driven by a desire to prioritise his family, with Real Betis and the life he had started to build in Spain ultimately the better choice in that respect. The Brazilian was on loan with Betis last season and made that move permanent in September.

Kompan wanted Antony at Bayern

Although his Manchester United form, barring a goalscoring run in his first few Premier League games, made him one of the club's worst ever signings when considering the enormous fee, Antony still managed to attract interest from perennial Bundesliga champions. It came after resurgent form during a half-season loan at Real Betis reminded the football world of his ability.

Bayern lost Leroy Sane and Kingsley Coman during the summer, to Galatasaray and Al-Nassr respectively, making a winger an area for the recruitment department to target. Antony's 14 goals and assists for Betis in 26 La Liga and Conference League appearances prompted Bayern boss Vincent Kompany to personally get in touch, which took the player by surprise.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportAntony: Bayern interest really shook me up

"I'm going to be completely honest. It really shook me up," Antony told during an interview which addressed the Bayern interest.

"We're talking about a global giant, Bayern Munich, where a coach with that kind of history, Kompany, calls me. And we have a conversation there, he was super polite to me, said he always really liked my football, and this was at 11pm, a little after 11.

"Whether I wanted to or not, it really affected me. Because of the greatness of the club, the greatness of the coach, and the way he approached me, the way he talked to me."

Family matters more to Brazil winger

Antony got engaged to girlfriend Rosilene Silva towards the end of 2024, shortly after welcoming their daughter in to the world – the player already had a five-year-old son, Lorenzo. They made the move to Spain as a family when Manchester United agreed a short-term deal with Real Betis and they quickly fell in love with the city of Seville and a new life in southern Spain.

It was clear from an early stage that Antony wanted to return to Betis when the initial loan ended, but it was far from guaranteed for a long time because the finances of a proposed deal threatened to price the La Liga club out of keeping him. Ultimately, he held out, turning down opportunities to head elsewhere – Bayern included.

"What weighed heavily on my decision was also my family," Antony added. "It's about looking out for my children. Lorenzo loves this place, loves this city [Seville]. When we were on vacation in Brazil, without knowing anything, he always asked: 'Dad, when are we going back to Spain?'"

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Getty Images SportReal Betis could challenge for trophies

Bayern could have offered virtually guaranteed silverware, already six points clear at the top of the Bundesliga table only 10 games into the season. The Bavarian giants are also favourites to win Germany's DFB-Pokal and fancy their chances in the Champions League.

A trophy with Betis will be much more of a challenge, owing to the club's smaller stature. But they have started well in La Liga – only Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid (1 each) have lost fewer games than Betis’ two through 12 games – and are well place to challenge for a Champions League place.

Los Verdiblancos won the Copa del Rey as recently as 2021-22 and almost delivered a European trophy last season, reaching the Conference League and initially taking the lead against Chelsea. This season, they're unbeaten in the Europa League through four matchdays and look a good bet to reach the knockouts.

Antony is clearly happy too, starting 2025-26 the way he finished 2024-25. In his first 11 games as a permanent Betis player, it's eight goals and assists across La Liga, the Europa League and Copa del Rey.

In baseball, several different roads can lead to a save—and on Friday, Houston Astros pitcher Jason Alexander took the most unconventional.

After Lance McCullers Jr. pitched the first six innings of the Astros' game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Alexander entered in his stead. He proceeded to throw three shutout innings and give up two hits, while walking two and striking out two.

The result? A save for Alexander in a game Houston won 18–1, as a pitcher who throws at least three innings in relief and finishes a game with a lead of any size receives a save. That is tied for the 24th-most lopsided margin of victory in a game with a save in baseball history per Baseball Reference; Texas Rangers pitcher Wes Littleton holds the record with a save in his team's infamous 30–3 win over the Baltimore Orioles in 2007.

The historic save was the first of Alexander's career; he's pitched parts of two seasons with three different teams. He has just three saves in the minors, where he reportedly returned after Friday's game and where he has primarily been a starting pitcher.

It feels like a safe bet to say none of those were as painless as this one.

It is understood that both franchises have spoken to all three players involved

Nagraj Gollapudi09-Nov-202511:36

Sanju Samson – RavindraJadeja trade: shocking, or not?

In one of the most high-profile player trades in IPL history, Rajasthan Royals are set to trade wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in exchange of allrounders Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran.It is understood that both franchises have spoken to all three players involved but neither franchise confirmed the development when ESPNcricinfo reached out to them.Both RR and CSK have to send an expression of interest naming the three players involved in the trade to the IPL governing council. As per the trading rules, once the players’ written consent comes in, the franchises can have further discussions for a final agreement, which will also be ratified by the governing council.Samson and Jadeja have been with their respective franchises for a long time. Samson has represented RR for 11 seasons, while Jadeja has played for CSK since 2012, barring the two seasons in 2016 and 2017 when the franchises were suspended. Samson had indicated after IPL 2025 that he was looking for a change and wanted to be released by RR.Related

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• Williamson joins LSG as strategic advisor, Langer to continue as head coach

• Abhishek Nayar appointed KKR head coach ahead of IPL 2026

• Diageo mulls RCB sale, launches 'strategic review'

Jadeja was retained by CSK ahead of the 2025 mega auction for INR 18 crore as the second player after captain Ruturaj Gaikwad. Along with MS Dhoni, Jadeja has been a constant part of their core. He has been part of three of CSK’s five title wins.Jadeja played a crucial role in CSK’s win in the 2023 final, with his batting heroics in the last over against Gujarat Titans. It was also his best season with the ball as he finished with 20 wickets. He followed the feat with the bat in 2025, scoring 301 runs in the season, including two fifties.Jadeja has played 254 IPL matches, the fifth-most in the tournament behind Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Dinesh Karthik. With 143 wickets, he is the highest wicket-taker for CSK with best bowling figures of 5 for 16. He has the most Player-of-the-Match awards (16) along with Dhoni too. In 2022, Jadeja was appointed CSK captain, but handed the captaincy back to Dhoni midway after a poor start to the season.Sam Curran was bought back by CSK in 2025•BCCI

RR was the first team Jadeja represented in the IPL as a 19-year-old, and also the first team he won the title with in 2008. Jadeja played for RR for the first two seasons but was suspended in 2010 by the IPL for trying to negotiate a contract with Mumbai Indians directly. After the ban, Jadeja featured for Kochi Tuskers in 2011 before being bought by CSK for USD 2 million in 2012.After an impressive maiden IPL in 2013, when RR finished third as well as runner-up in the Champions League T20, Samson was the youngest player retained at 19 ahead of the 2014 season. That first stint lasted until RR’s two-year suspension in 2016-17 and Samson rejoined the franchise in 2018. He was appointed captain in 2021 and, in 2022, working with Kumar Sangakkara, RR’s team director, led the franchise to the IPL final for the first time since 2008.Samson has led RR in 33 wins and 33 defeats in 67 matches. In 2024, when RR made the playoffs again, he had a 500-run IPL season for the first time, scoring 531 at an average of 48.27 and strike rate of 153.47. He was one of six players retained by RR ahead of last year’s mega auction at INR 18 crore and he also remained captain. However, a side injury ruled him out of the second half of IPL 2025, and RR kept losing matches from strong positions to finish ninth out of ten teams.Samson is RR’s leading run-scorer with 4027 runs, has the joint-most 50-plus scores (25), the joint-highest score (124), and has taken the most catches (149). After he informed RR that he wanted to be released, the franchise initiated trade talks with several teams.Curran began his IPL career at Punjab Kings in 2019 and played for them again in 2023 – when he became the league’s most expensive player at INR 18.5 crore – and 2024. In between, he played for CSK in 2020 and 2021. Curran was bought back by CSK for INR 2.4 crore in the 2025 season, when he finished with 114 runs and only one wicket in five games.

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.

£65m Newcastle duo should be fuming with Howe's team selection vs Spurs

Two Newcastle players, in particular, are unlikely to be too happy right now.

ByMatt Dawson Dec 3, 2025

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.

Newcastle serious January bid for £13.5m "playmaker" likened to Tonali