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The Chennai Super Kings batsman didn’t have a great start to the IPL, but he managed to turn things around

Interview by Shashank Kishore25-Nov-2020Ruturaj Gaikwad, 23, has finished what he calls the “one of the most challenging times” in his career yet. His second IPL season with Chennai Super Kings should have only been about finally being able to break into the XI and make it count. Instead, it started with him testing positive for Covid-19 multiple times and spending large amounts of time in isolation.Currently on a break from cricket after finishing the IPL with three back-to-back match-winning half-centuries, Gaikwad spoke about the time in isolation, the challenges of a bio-bubble life, and how chats with MS Dhoni and Mike Hussey helped him overcome negativity.Tell us about the IPL season. It seems to have been really tough for you, on and off the field.
It was full of ups and downs. There were a lot of lessons. It was a tough start with me testing Covid positive. There were many days where I just couldn’t do the things I wanted to, and I understood none of it was in my hands – I simply had to wait. It was a very tough time, but I’m thankful to the support I got both from the team and the management. And after that, even when I started playing and got two ducks in my first three games, they kept faith in me.What was the experience of being in isolation like?

I had tested positive but I was asymptomatic. So I had to be in isolation for two weeks and then return two negatives [results] before I could rejoin the bubble. It was a time where I literally couldn’t do anything. It played on my mind, because your team-mates are all training hard, trying to prepare in the best possible way with whatever time they have for a tournament as demanding as the IPL. So it was a tough time for me. I won’t say it was easy.ALSO READ: Ruturaj Gaikwad: Covid has made me toughDid you develop a routine during your time in isolation?
It’s easy to drift into negativity. It’s a bit like being dropped and just sitting at home and doing nothing. You get that feeling sometimes. I just tried to distract myself. I watched a lot of TV shows and movies – literally all day sometimes. Then I kept talking to friends or family back home over video calls. My family was worried about how I’d handle it all by myself. It got really tough when I tested positive even after completing the two-week isolation, despite following all the routines I was given. It was very frustrating. I kept testing positive for another week, so all in all, I lost about four weeks of preparation time.What did you tell yourself then?
I just had to keep reminding myself that someday or the other I would test negative and get back to the ground. I also had the faith and belief that this wasn’t going to be my last chance to play in the IPL. I knew I had the ability and potential, so if not this year, I knew I would make a comeback some other time, maybe next year. This helped me channel things in a positive way.What did you speak about to your coach, Stephen Fleming, and MS Dhoni during this time?
They just wanted me to focus completely on my health and body, take care about how I was feeling in the mind and not allow myself to get too worked up. They kept asking me to speak to whoever I wanted at any time of the day or night. They didn’t want me to drown in negativity. MS told me: cricket-wise, you’re good; it’s just a matter of time. Those words helped me stay positive.

“If I am in a situation where I need six off two balls, I can time the ball and get the runs, as compared to someone else who will rely on big hits, so I’m not too fussed about power-hitting”

It must have been such a relief to test negative after four weeks.
Oh, it was amazing! I think we’d played Mumbai Indians and the entire team had just returned to the hotel when I [could finally meet] them. That’s when I realised, however much you talk to someone online or on video calls, it isn’t the same as seeing them in person. I hadn’t seen my team-mates for 30 days and suddenly they’re all patting you on the back, they’re around you. It was great.Our management ensured we were all in a very good space. Our team room was a lively space, where the entire team connected with each other. I got to know them all personally, whether it was DJ Bravo, Shane Watson, Faf or Dhoni. I never felt there was a senior-junior gap. Maybe if we weren’t in a bubble, things would have been different with a lot of photo shoots, sponsor events, commercial events, etc. But because we were all in one space, it helped to get to know everyone in and out, get to know their interests, likes and dislikes. It was really nice.Finally, you’re going out to debut for CSK. Walking in to bat at No. 5 in a chase of 217. And then, first ball, you’re out. What is going through your mind?
It took me four weeks to recover. I literally had two training sessions. Even though I was asymptomatic, I felt I got a bit tired easily. It takes a toll on your stamina. You have to take a lot of deep breaths, keep breathing. So for me, coming into the match and playing with that kind of intensity suddenly was a bit difficult. Maybe it wouldn’t have been had I had two weeks of preparation time.Did you regret that shot – running down the pitch first ball and being stumped?
Coming into that situation, I knew I wasn’t prepared and it was for reasons beyond my control. I had never batted at No. 5 in my career. Maybe in a few club games I may have batted at four. And if I was in this situation in a local game, I would instinctively take the bowler on. So I just trusted my instinct. I was pretty sure if I had a way, I could have easily scored ten runs off ten balls for myself. After all it was my debut. Nobody wants to get out for a duck. But I thought about what the team needed. We had lost three wickets, it was a big chase, the asking rate was high and I decided to go after the spinner. It just didn’t come off.Then in your next game you batted with Faf du Plessis in another big chase, 176 against the Delhi Capitals. You came out in the middle order again, and this time you were run out.
Yes, again I went out to bat in the middle. MS Dhoni told me to take my time, back my game and then once I got stuck in, I can go after the bowling. I had made 5, and then I was in this mix-up with Faf. I knew in that situation, he was more important to the team’s cause. It was important that he be there in the middle.I wasn’t prepared for these two games, to be honest.Trent Boult got Gaikwad for a duck in the very first over of Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians match in Sharjah•BCCIAnd then you opened the innings, in your third game, against the Mumbai Indians, and Trent Boult gets you first ball.
I was really disappointed with this duck. Two ducks in three games. Disappointed because I was opening, something I’m used to. After that game, Dhoni had a long chat with me. He said, “We know the situation you’ve gone through and how you’ve just come out of it. Just enjoy the remainder of the season without worrying about pressure or expectation. You will be playing all three remaining matches. Just enjoy your time in the middle and don’t think of what has happened.” Knowing I would still get my chances after three low scores lifted me up massively. He also spoke about how sometimes results won’t go your way despite best preparation and that as long as I was honest to the game and prepared in the best way I could be, nothing else should bother me.ALSO READ: The first single, the first hit, and Ruturaj Gaikwad shows he can do itWas there any one person you really connected with at CSK, someone you could talk a lot to about your game?
I really enjoyed spending time with Mike Hussey and talking to him. After that game against Mumbai, he told me many world-class batsmen have struggled against quality swing bowling in the past. And I was facing [Boult] for the first time. I forged a close bond with Hussey, because our games are quite similar. We rely on timing, taking quick singles. He spoke a lot about batting, the level of preparedness you should have, how you try and assess bowling, conditions, and so many other things.And finally the runs just flew off your bat and you finished with three half-centuries in a row.
It was more of a relief for me – it told me that I am good enough to be at this level and take on the best players in the world. I knew within that it was just a matter of time and it was nice to see it all come together finally.It has been nearly a month since you returned from the IPL, what have you been up to?
I’ve taken time off to be with family. I’m just giving myself some time to recover from what was a difficult time. It’s not like I’m complacent or anything, it’s not like I want to enjoy myself because I’ve scored three fifties in a row. It’s more about what I went through.What are you looking forward to doing with regard to your cricket before the next IPL?
I want to work on my fitness – that’s something I couldn’t put much work into for the last three months. So it’s fitness and strength training. As far as my batting goes, I think timing is my strength, and if I am in a situation where I need six off two balls, I can time the ball and get the runs, as compared to someone else who will rely on big hits. So I’m not too fussed about power-hitting. Yes it’s important but I’m happy with where my game is at. I would like to work more on timing the ball to perfection, working on my strengths once I start training again.

The New York Yankees have made another move ahead of the July 31 trade deadline.

After acquiring third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies on Saturday, the Yankees are bringing in Amed Rosario from the Washington Nationals in exchange for pitcher Clayton Beeter and outfield prospect Browm Martinez. The deal was first reported by YES Network's Jack Curry.

Rosario signed a one-year deal with the Nationals before this season and has slashed .270/.310/.426 with five home runs and 18 RBIs in 46 appearances. He has spent time with the Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay Rays, Cleveland Guardians and New York Mets before his arrival in Washington. He has made appearances at second base, third base, shortstop and in the outfield for the Nationals this season.

Beeter is a 26-year-old pitcher who has made five total appearances for the Yankees over the past two seasons. In two appearances for the Yankees this year, he gave up six earned runs in 3 2/3 innings pitched. For Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, he has pitched in 18 games this year with a 3.10 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 20 1/3 innings, surrendering just seven earned runs.

In the Dominican Summer League, the 18-year-old Martinez has slashed .404/.507/.632 with three homers, 16 RBIs and 13 stolen bases.

Akeal Hosein reached his hotel room in Dhaka at 4:00am on Tuesday. The West Indies selectors summoned him for the second ODI, following two injuries in the squad. Hosein joined the team in the bus to the Shere Bangla National Stadium around noon. By the end of the night, he was bowling the Super Over for West Indies, defending ten runs.Hosein had an unfavourable match-up with the left-handed Soumya Sarkar taking strike. He started off with a wide and then a no-ball. Bangladesh got four runs without facing a legal ball. Hosein somehow managed to salvage the over from there, avoiding getting hit for a boundary, even though he did concede one more wide with four needed off the last ball. So he had to go again and this time he kept his lines and gave up just one run.”I don’t think I have anything left in me again, buddy,” Hosein said after bringing West Indies back from the brink to level the series 1-1. “Got to the hotel at 4:00am. But it’s part of the job, and once you commit to something and once you give your word, you better be ready to turn up and give 100%. No excuses, and I almost messed it up, but thankfully, you know, I took the team home in the end.”Hosein is a world-class limited-overs performer but this was his first ODI in two years. Granted he was playing on an absolute, raging turner in Dhaka, he was still under pressure bowling the Super Over.Related

• Rage against the pitch – it's Bangladesh vs West Indies vs the surface in series decider

• Shamar Joseph out of Bangladesh ODIs with 'discomfort in shoulder'

• Hope conquers Dhaka as West Indies prevail in Super Over

Hosein managed to get the ball to turn into the left-hander’s body when Sarkar and Najmul Hossain Shanto were on strike. Against Saif Hassan, he bowled over the wicket, not allowing the right-hander to free his arms.”It’s a tricky pitch,” he said. “It’s not one that is turning at a fair pace. The ball is jumping a bit, so for me, to the left-hander, it was definitely to make him hit square. He’s [Sarkar] quite a powerful guy, so I think that if he has arms, he can hit through the line easily.”So, for me, it was just trying to spin the ball from as close as possible on a good length and force him to hit square, because that square boundary was quite big.”Hosein had faced a similar situation, in the Hundred last year. He didn’t have to bowl the Super Over back then, but did bowl the final set that pushed the game into overtime.”I have been in a situation like this,” Hosein said. “It was an Eliminator in the Hundred. And it started off quite similar. I bowled a no-ball. In the Hundred, a no-ball is two [runs]. And I had to defend nine [10] or something like that. And one ball [the no-ball] went for six, and then they needed two [three] off four [five] balls or something.”I remember Chris Jordan coming up to me, and he said, ‘don’t worry, you got this.’ and I said to myself, ‘if he can believe that I have this, with two [three] runs to go, Liam Livingstone, world-class hitter on strike, with four [five] balls to go, if Chris Jordan can believe, why can’t I believe?'”Hosein said that he was surprised not to see Rishad Hossain come out to bat in the Super Over on Tuesday. West Indies believed the lower-order batter who had confidently struck an unbeaten 39 off 14 balls earlier in the game, was the obvious choice for Bangladesh.”Yes, I was a bit surprised. I mean, the guy that seemed to do the most destruction in the match, 39 off about 14 deliveries not out, and he’s not in your Super Over, hitting to the short side where he struck two sixes.”We all were a bit surprised that he didn’t come out at all, and you know, it worked in our favor. He was one of the few guys who sort of packed that power and he had that reach because he’s quite a tall guy.”Sarkar, who was one of Bangladesh’s batters in the Super Over, said that the captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz and coach Phil Simmons picked the batters for the Super Over.”The coach and captain took the decision,” Sarkar said. “We actually didn’t know Akeal Hosein would bowl. If two left-handers had gone in, and then an off-spinner came on, we would be in trouble. That’s why there was a lefty and a righty. You’ll see the same with their team; they also batted with a lefty [Sherfane Rutherford] and a righty [Shai Hope].”Hosein also shared the funny story about the unusually black coloured surface used for the first Bangladesh-West Indies ODI on Saturday.”I turned my TV on. The first thing that I did was check my TV, because I thought there was something wrong with it. I thought the color had gone or something like that. The pitch was black, and I was like, ‘surely something is wrong with my television'”, he said.

Astonishing onslaught led by opening pair condemns South Africa to record-shattering loss

Firdose Moonda12-Sep-2025

England 304 for 2 (Salt 141*, Buttler 83) beat South Africa 158 (Markram 41, Archer 3-25) by 146 runs England scored their highest T20I total and the third-highest in history; Phil Salt broke his own record as the holder of England’s highest individual score in the format and scored the fastest century by an English batter, off 39 balls as South Africa were whiplashed. England levelled the series 1-1 with their biggest win in this format. The result means Sunday’s match will decide the series.On a belter of track, England hit 30 fours and 18 sixes for a total of 228 runs in boundaries. That made up 75% of their score of 304 for 2, headlined by Salt. He has four hundreds, the most by an England batter and five of their top eight scores. South Africa’s bowlers have never conceded more in a T20I innings and three of their attack are in the top six of the most expensive returns in a match. Kagiso Rabada (0 for 70), Lizaad Williams (0 for 62) and Marco Jansen (0 for 60) were all returning from injuries and though they each had a brief outing in the series opener in Cardiff, this game will be considered their comeback, proper. They won’t be pleased with how they showed up.Among the many things that went wrong for them was discipline as South Africa conceded eight wides and five no-balls and effectively bowled two extra overs at England. All told, South Africa have conceded 772 in the last 75 overs on this tour, across the third ODI and first and second T20Is.Though South Africa have the record for the highest successful chase in this format – 259 for 4 – this was a much tougher task. They needed to score at 15.25 runs per over and, despite reaching 50 for 0 after 21 balls, were never really in the hunt. Aiden Markram’s 41 off 20 balls was his highest score in 18 innings but he lacked support. Bjorn Fortuin’s 16-ball 32 was the next highest score and concerns over the middle order remain.Lhuan-dre Pretorius fell to Jofra Archer for 2•Darren Staples/AFP via Getty Images

A century in the Powerplay England were on it from ball one, when Salt sliced a full, wide ball from Jansen over point for four. And ball two, when Salt slammed Jansen through fine leg for four more. And ball three, when he cut Jansen in half in his followthrough for a third successive boundary. You get the picture. Jansen’s opening over cost 18, not his most expensive, but joint-third. Rabada’s first over of the innings cost 7 before Jos Buttler took 22 off Williams. Left-arm spinner Fortuin conceded 20 first-up and then Rabada changed ends and got pasted for 20. Buttler reached his fastest fifty in the format off Rabada, off the 18th ball he faced, when he boshed a short ball through square leg. Nineteen-year old Kwena Maphaka closed out the Powerplay in an over that went for 12, as Buttler raced to 65 off 24 balls. Pouring Salt in the wounds While Buttler dominated the first six overs, he was dismissed in the eighth when he swept Fortuin to Tristan Stubbs at deep backward square and left it to Salt to add the spice. He did not disappoint. The over after Buttler was dismissed, Salt laid into Williams, who tried to change his pace and bowl the yorker but neither worked. Salt sent a legcutter over midwicket for six, brought up his fifty off 19 balls off the first attempted yorker and hit the second, which turned into a wide full toss, over extra cover for six more.Related

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By then, South Africa were clueless. Maphaka tried a slower ball and Salt sent it over short leg, then he went short and Salt pulled fine, and even when he got it on a good length, Salt sent it down the ground. He took England to 166 for 1 at the halfway stage. When Rabada returned, to bowl the 13th over, Salt took advantage of two free hits as the senior seamer struggled for rhythm, then reached his century off the second. And Salt wasn’t done there. When he stepped outside his stumps and sent Williams over square leg for six, he became the holder of the highest individual score for England in T20Is. He survived when Maphaka thought he had caught Salt at wide long-on with a relay catch but replays showed Maphaka’s heels were on the boundary cushion and he conceded another six. Salt finished on 141 not out from 60 balls, the seventh-highest score in a T20I. ESPNcricinfo Ltd

An Archer hat-trick but not the traditional way Jofra Archer was rested from the rain-reduced first T20I but roared back and played a part in each of the first three South African wickets. After South Africa got off to a decent start with 50 runs in the first 3.3 overs, they were starting to hit their stride. Ryan Rickelton took 16 runs off the first three balls of Archer’s second over and thought he had four more when he viciously swiped at the fourth ball but Liam Dawson at short midwicket pulled off the ultimate intercept to end his innings. Rickelton was dismissed for 20. Three deliveries later, Archer’s slower ball had the better of Lhuan-dre Pretorius, who top-edged a slog-sweep and was caught at short third. South Africa were 53 for 2 after five overs. They already needed a massive effort to hunt down the target but with Dewald Brevis at No.4, they would have still believed.Brevis hit the first ball he faced, from Sam Curran, for four but then tried to send Curran over mid-wicket and miscued. Archer was at mid-on and barely had to move to complete the catch which left South Africa 57 for 4 in the Powerplay and the game all but gone. Archer did get a third, when he returned in the 12th over, with South Africa 115 for 5. Jansen played a legcutter straight back to Archer who had to get down low and then recover from the ball busting out of his right hand as he clutched it in his left to complete the catch. And for good measure, he took two more catches, to dismiss Tristan Stubbs and Kagiso Rabada.Curran aims for the moon Super-duper slow (aka the moon-ball) is the Sam Curran way and he was the pick of the English bowlers as he used his change-ups well. While Curran bowled some deliveries at around 47mph, he had Brevis caught off a quicker one and Donovan Ferreira was deceived by a short ball. Ferreira tried to hit a cross-batted slog but skied the ball over Buttler, who did well to run back and take the catch. Curran finished with 2 for 11 in two overs with an economy of 5.50. Only Will Jacks, who took two wickets in his only over and conceded two runs, had a better return with 2 for 1.

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Três escolas de samba da Série Prata do Rio de Janeiro ligadas a torcidas de times de futebol buscam este ano vaga inédita na Série Ouro e, consequentemente, a realização do sonho de desfilar na Marquês de Sapucaí: Botafogo Samba Clube, Fla Manguaça e Força Jovem.

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A escola Botafogo Samba Clube será a primeira a desfilar entre as três, na terça-feira (13), às 21h05, na Estrada Intendente Magalhães, em Campinho, na Zona Norte da cidade. Com o enredo “Taina-Kan: A Estrela Solitária”, a escola, fundada em 2018, contará a história baseada em uma lenda Karajá de amor e rejeição entre uma indígena e uma estrela solitária.

➡️Siga o Lance! Fora de Campo no WhatsApp e saiba o que rola fora das 4 linhas

A Fla Manguaça, criada em julho de 2020 por integrantes da torcida organizada de mesmo nome, vai desfilar na madrugada de quarta-feira (14), às 3h45. A escola levará para a avenida o enredo “Quer apostar?”, enaltecendo o lado desafiador do ser humano em acreditar em si próprio, nas suas intuições, seus palpites e na probabilidade em buscar seus anseios e conquistas.

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A Força Jovem, ligada à torcida vascaína do mesmo nome, vai desfilar na sexta-feira (16), às 22h25, com o enredo “São Januário, a força de um povo”, em homenagem à história do estádio. A agremiação desfilou pela primeira vez em 2020 pelo grupo de avaliação do Carnaval do Rio, com o nome de União Cruzmaltina. Em setembro de 2023, a escola de samba mudou de nome e passou a se chamar Força Jovem.

Já a Guerreiros Tricolores, escola formada por sambistas torcedores do Fluminense, desfila este ano na Série Bronze, também na Intendente Magalhães, na madrugada de domingo (18), às 2h40.

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Heather Knight is expected to be fit for the World Cup after being named in England’s squad for the tournament, but her side will be without veteran seamer Kate Cross, who has been overlooked for selection.Knight, the former England captain, hasn’t played since injuring her hamstring during England’s home series with West Indies in May but it’s understood that her recovery is sufficiently on track to warrant her selection on Thursday.Danni Wyatt-Hodge also returns to strengthen the batting after being omitted in the 50-over format throughout the English summer, having made her last ODI appearance during the ill-fated Ashes tour of Australia in January.That means batter Maia Bouchier and allrounder Alice Davidson-Richards miss out, as does Cross, with England opting for four spinners to play in India and Sri Lanka during the tournament which starts next month.Sophie Ecclestone leads the spin contingent, which also includes fellow left-armer Linsey Smith and offspinner Charlie Dean, as well as legspinner Sarah Glenn, making her return after featuring in the West Indies series but missing out on the subsequent visit by India through June and July.England’s seam attack consists of Lauren Bell, Lauren Filer and Em Arlott, who made her international debut in May. Nat Sciver-Brunt is hopeful of returning to bowling in her allrounder role after a long-standing Achillies problem.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Head Coach Charlotte Edwards said the tournament posed a “huge challenge” but she believed her side was capable of competing “with anyone”.”Being selected to play for your country in a World Cup is one of the biggest honours in sport and I’m delighted for all the players named in the squad,” Edwards said.”Conditions mean we have gone for the extra spinner and we’re lucky to be able to have such depth in this department, it’s fantastic to welcome Sarah Glenn back. That does mean there’s no room for Kate Cross, Maia Bouchier or Alice Davidson-Richards, which will be disappointing for them.”It’s also great to have Danni back in the squad, she’s been in good form in domestic cricket and she’ll bring dynamism and depth to our batting, alongside Heather, who we are absolutely delighted to be able to select. She’ll be a huge asset for us.”Commentating on the women’s Hundred match between Oval Invincibles and Trent Rockets a few hours after the announcement, Cross expressed her disappointment.”A lot for me to process,” Cross said on Sky Sports. “It’s probably been a disappointing summer in terms of England cricket. I feel like I’ve done quite well in this tournament. I performed for Lancashire.”But it’s difficult when you go into a subcontinent World Cup and you can tell that the head coach wants a little bit more spin in her armoury, then it makes sense in my head. So there’s a lot of logic that’s mixed with a lot of emotion at the minute.”Cross revealed she had only learned of her omission at 9am on Thursday, two hours before the squad was announced.She will next play for Northern Superchargers against Invincibles on Saturday as her side, currently placed second on the table, look to keep themselves in finals contention.Missing out on the 50-over World Cup places Cross at an interesting juncture in her career. She turns 34 in October and, while a home T20 World Cup beckons next year, she has fallen out of England favour in the shorter format.She played her last T20I during the tour of Ireland in September 2024 while the first-choice squad were in the UAE preparing for the T20 World Cup, where England eventually crashed out in the group stages.She has also forged a successful side-hustle in commentating, although she acknowledged the difficulties of her on- and off-field careers colliding on a day like this.”I probably wouldn’t have talked about this openly live on the television if I wasn’t doing commentary,” she said. “But I’ve got 24 hours to turn it around to play a game for the Northern Supercharges on Saturday.”It’s been a bit of a whirlwind but this is professional sport, we sign up to it, it doesn’t always go your way, and I’ve held back the tears so there we go, we can finish talking about it.”The World Cup runs from September 30 to November 2 and will be the first ICC tournament in charge for Edwards and captain Sciver-Brunt.England Women’s squad: Em Arlott, Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Heather Knight, Emma Lamb, Nat Sciver-Brunt (capt), Linsey Smith, Danni Wyatt-Hodge

Chelsea goalscorer Tyrique George says he and his young teammates were told to “have fun and really be free” before they swept aside Ajax 5-1 in the Champions League at Stamford Bridge.

The 19-year-old was one of three teenage scorers as Enzo Maresca’s side romped to a resounding victory against poor opposition, who played with 10 men from the 17th minute after captain Kenneth Taylor was dismissed.

It was the signal for a Chelsea avalanche as 19-year-old striker Marc Guiu opened the scoring a minute later before Moises Caicedo made it two via a deflection.

Brazilian winger Estevao Willian converted a penalty to become Chelsea’s youngest Champions League scorer, capping surely his best display yet since arriving from Palmeiras, after Enzo Fernandez had also netted from the spot.

George’s goal in the second half, albeit via a deflection, compounded Ajax’s humiliation and brought fulfilment of a childhood dream for the academy graduate.

Maresca's message to Chelsea's youngsters

“It was a really good night,” he said. “I’m really happy to score my first Champions League goal and it was a great win.

“We got so many goals, we played well, we had fun out there as well.

“We’re all young and having fun. We’re having fun on the pitch and that’s it. The manager tells us to have fun and really be free when we’re in attacking areas and that’s what we showed last night.’

“I was just itching to get on and try and score. That’s what I did, so I’m happy.”

George’s only previous goal this season had come against Lincoln in the Carabao Cup third round, but he is increasingly trusted by Maresca after breaking into the first team last term.

He netted one of his side’s most important goals last season – an 83rd-minute equaliser as Chelsea came from behind late to beat Fulham 2-1 at Craven Cottage in April, just when it looked like their bid to finish in the top four was fizzling out.

Maresca is now reaping the benefits of his faith in the youngster, particularly on Wednesday when he was without both of his big-money summer signings up front, the suspended Joao Pedro and long-term injury absentee Liam Delap.

“It’s an amazing feeling (to score),” said George. “I’ve wanted it ever since I was eight years old, to score in the Champions League. It’s what dreams are made of.

“I think it’s just down to working day-by-day in training. I think that’s what’s making us win, so we just need to keep going and keep going.

“We just want to keep going, keep improving and keep getting wins.”

نجح فريق الكرة الأول بنادي بيراميدز، في تسجيل الهدف الثاني في مرمى الاتحاد السكندري، ضمن مباريات الدوري المصري الممتاز. 

ويواجه فريق بيراميدز نظيره الاتحاد السكندري، في الجولة الـ13 من بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز، على ملعب الدفاع الجوي. 

طالع.. فيديو | مروان حمدي يسجل هدف بيراميدز الأول أمام الاتحاد السكندري

وتمكن أحمد عاطف قطة لاعب بيراميدز من إحراز الهدف الثاني لصالح فريقه في مرمى الاتحاد السكندري، بعد تمريره من مروان حمدي لأحمد عاطف ليضعها في شباك زعيم الثغر في الدقيقة 79 من عمر الشوط الثاني. 

وفي الدقيقة 82، تحصل الاتحاد السكندري على ركلة جزاء، نجح كريم الدين مدافع زعيم الثغر في تقليص الفارق أمام بيراميدز، لتصبح النتيجة تقدم السماوي بهدفين مقابل هدف.

ويطمح فريق بيراميدز في مواصلة الانتصارات أمام الاتحاد السكندري، من أجل استمرار المنافسة على لقب الدوري المصري الممتاز.  هدف بيراميدز الثاني أمام الاتحاد السكندري 

Heather Knight’s unbeaten half-century steered England to a 17-run victory and a 3-0 sweep of the T20I series against West Indies.Knight arrived at the crease with England 21 for 2 batting first for the first time in the series after being sent in by West Indies captain Hayley Matthews.She batted with superb placement and timing to reach an unbeaten 66 off 47 balls with seven fours and a six, but she pulled up with a tight right hamstring late in her innings was replaced in the field by substitute Tammy Beaumont.Nat Sciver-Brunt, Knight’s successor as captain, was England’s next best with 37 in the first test of their batting all series, having chased down 147 and 82 in the first two games for the loss of just two wickets and one respectively.Matthews led the way for her side with the ball and latterly the bat, just as she had done in the first match, scoring a century in a losing cause at Canterbury. Her three wickets for 32 in four overs helps contain England while Jahzara Claxton, on debut, was also excellent with 1 for 15 from her four overs.Matthews’ 71 off 54 balls kept her side in pursuit of 145 in a match briefly interrupted by rain but, as has been a theme of the tour, no one from her side could match her.Lauren Bell struck with the first ball of the innings•ECB via Getty Images

England’s opening stumbleDanni Wyatt-Hodge was bowled off the first ball of the innings for the second match in a row and third consecutive time by Zaida James. It took her tally for the series to just 17 at 8.50 and compounds a disappointing start to the international season after being dropped for the ODI leg of West Indies’ visit which follows from Friday in Derby.In contrast, Sophia Dunkley had entered the match with an unbeaten scores of 81 and 24 to her name, but Matthews made it two-down for England when Dunkley’s attempted cut resulted in an edge behind and the hosts ended the powerplay on 24 for 2, their lowest for the series by a long shot.Knight’s knock comes at a costSciver-Brunt and Knight settled into a rhythm, Knight’s superb reverse-sweep off Matthews racing away for four followed by two more boundaries from Sciver-Brunt, who advanced down the pitch to despatch Afy Fletcher over mid-off and three balls later timed one perfectly through the leg side.Sciver-Brunt survived on 36 when she skied a Matthews delivery over the covers but a back-pedalling Fletcher couldn’t hold on. Knight slog-swept the next ball for six and, when Sciver-Brunt holed out two balls later, it fell to her predecessor to marshal the innings.She did so beautifully as Amy Jones, required to bat for the first time all series at No.5, chimed in with four fours on her way to a 17-ball 22 although she couldn’t convert her start, flummoxed by the flight of a Matthews delivery which clattered into her stumps.Alice Capsey fell cheaply in her only chance of West Indies’ visit, having been overlooked for the ODIs, giving Claxton her maiden international wicket when she chipped straight to Realeanna Grimmond at deep extra cover.Knight brought up her eighth T20I fifty with a reverse-paddle for four off Ashmini Munisar and a wristy shot over short third off Aaliyah Alleyne also flew to the boundary. At that point Knight was in obvious pain, down on her haunches taking deep breaths between facing and clearly hobbling between the wickets. But she punched through it to face the final ball of the innings, going inside-out over the covers to find the boundary once more.WI trip up earlyLike Wyatt-Hodge, Qiana Joseph fell early to the same bowler for the third consecutive time when she was bowled first ball by a Lauren Bell inswinger.A four and a six in two balls off Charlie Dean suggested Matthews was in similar mood to last Wednesday when her unbeaten 100 off 67 balls came in a losing cause. Amid the constant threat of rain, she kept her side in touch while Dean saw three chances go begging off her bowling in the 11th over.In echoes of the infamous T20 World Cup meeting between these sides, Sciver-Brunt put down a straightforward chance off Grimmond – on 12 at the time – at midwicket, Dean couldn’t hold a return catch and Jones failed to gather a faint outside edge behind the stumps.Hayley Matthews notched a 41-ball fifty•PA Photos/Getty Images

Matthews leads once moreWest Indies and England fans alike gasped when Matthews flicked an Em Arlott delivery off her pads towards deep midwicket, where Wyatt-Hodge did well to parry the ball back inside the rope to save a boundary, but Matthews ran two to raise her half-century.Matthews followed that immediately with a one-bounce four over mid-on and she struck back-to-back boundaries off Sarah Glenn so that she was on 66 by the time the rain finally set in to force the players from the field for about 25 minuntes.Linsey Smith claimed two wickets in as many deliveries during the first complete over after the resumption: Shabika Gajnabi bowled for a run-a-ball 14 and Claxton held at midwicket by Sciver-Brunt. Alleyne survived the hat-trick ball but the momentum had swun firmly in England’s favour with West Indies needing 32 runs off the last three overs. When Matthews launched the next ball down Arlott’s throat at long-on to give Bell her second wicket, it was all over, Bell closing with an economical 2 for 11 from four overs.

Big picture: Rajasthan Royals are running out of chances

One team is fine-tuning, the other is still mixing and matching. One team can’t win at home, the other can’t seem to win at all.Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) remain winless at home in IPL 2025 – a curious blemish in a promising campaign. Unbeaten on the road and sitting comfortably in the top four, their struggle for a ‘W’ at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium is a riddle they must solve quickly because two of their next three games, including Thursday’s against Rajasthan Royals (RR), are at home.Related

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The latest visitors to Bengaluru might be the best opponents for RCB at this stage. RR are on a four-match losing streak, and are stinging from back-to-back heartbreaks – twice failing to score nine runs in the final over, against Delhi Capitals (DC) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). To compound matters, they are without regular captain Sanju Samson, and Riyan Parag, standing in as leader, hasn’t looked the same force with the bat that he did last season.While RCB’s home form has been poor, their unbeaten run on the road speaks of a team that’s found balance and belief – settled players who know their roles. They also know “The Chinnaswamy deserves some wins as well”. RR, in contrast, are still tinkering. Questions about their combination continue to linger; their batting often lacks depth despite the Impact Player rule; a misfiring middle order has too often left them chasing games they have controlled up to a point.They will want to get things right with their playoffs chances fading fast. RCB would hope that doesn’t happen just yet.

Form guide

Royal Challengers Bengaluru WLWLW
Rajasthan Royals LLLLW27:55

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In the spotlight: Phil Salt and Riyan Parag

When Jofra Archer and Phil Salt last crossed paths in Jaipur, it was a fiery duel. Archer laid the trap – short, sharp and relentless – and Salt, ever the aggressor, took the bait more than once and took Archer down. Since then, Salt has twice fallen in the first over to the short ball, both times to Arshdeep Singh. As round two with Archer looms, the question lingers: will Salt back himself to go for it despite those two reversals against Arshdeep?Returning from shoulder surgery and rehab, Riyan Parag hasn’t been in anywhere near the form he exhibited during a breakout IPL 2024. And he has had more than just that to wrestle with: captaincy duties in half of RR’s matches so far have added another layer of weight. His 39 against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) nearly saw RR home, but his dismissal with 19 needed off 12 proved costly in a crushing loss. With six games to go and playoffs hopes hanging by a thread, Parag must find that spark again – not just for himself, but for a team in need of a lift.

Team news and likely XIIs

RCB are unlikely to change their combination, barring last-minute niggles or injuries.Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 1 Phil Salt, 2 Virat Kohli, 3 Devdutt Padikkal, 4 Rajat Patidar (capt), 5 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 6 Romario Shepherd, 7 Tim David, 8 Krunal Pandya, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Yash Dayal, 12 Suyash Sharma.Samson hasn’t travelled with the squad to Bengaluru as he nurses a side strain. With the ball, Sandeep Sharma has been off-colour in the last two games. He conceded 19 in a momentum-turning final over against DC and then went for 55 in four overs in their game against LSG. If RR want to look past him, there’s Akash Madhwal waiting in the wings.Rajasthan Royals: 1 Vaibhav Suryavanshi, 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Riyan Parag (capt), 5 Dhruv Jurel (wk), 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Shubham Dubey, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Maheesh Theekshana, 11 Tushar Deshpande, 12 Sandeep Sharma/Akash Madhwal.

The big question

Pitch and conditions

The skies over Bengaluru have cleared, and the city has experienced harsh sun most days. The ground staff has covered the Chinnaswamy pitch with two layers of hessian over the past two days, shielding it like a secret. Conditions here this season have been a bit like 2017, when a drainage overhaul brought slow surfaces and low-scoring games. All told, both camps arrive armed with deep local intel, and in RR’s corner is head coach Rahul Dravid, a man who knows this ground as well as anyone. Now, it’s a question of who can read the signs best.1:01

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Stats and trivia

• RCB’s spinners have struggled at home, picking up just one wicket in 15 overs at an average of 144 and an economy of 9.6. Away, they have been far more effective, claiming 15 wickets at 35.1 with an economy of 8.5.
• Virat Kohli has hit unbeaten half-centuries in each of RCB’s three successful chases this season, living up to his chase-master reputation.
• RCB are the only team who have gone at an economy rate of under eight in the powerplay this season.
• RR’s economy rate of 12.5 in overs 17-20 is the second-worst of all teams this season.
• Archer has single-handedly owned RR’s powerplay while bowling, picking up six wickets in 17 overs at an economy rate of 8.2. The others have picked up three wickets in 31 overs.
• After a slow start to the season – 34 runs in his first three games – Yashasvi Jaiswal offers hope for RR, having hit four quick half-centuries in his last five innings.