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The Delhi Capitals medium-pacer talks about his most memorable final overs in T20 cricket, the guidance he has received from Ashish Nehra, and more

Interview by Nagraj Gollapudi15-Apr-20254:56

‘Preparation is my greatest strength’

Mohit Sharma corrects me and points out he is not 34 but 36 years old. “I will take it as a compliment, though,” he says, chuckling, during our meeting in Chennai earlier this month. Despite his international career falling off the map due to a combination of back injuries and the emergence of younger, fitter, highly skilled fast bowlers, Mohit, who last played for India in 2015, has managed to find a second wind in his IPL career. In 2022, eight years after he topped the IPL wickets table for Chennai Super Kings, he joined Gujarat Titans as a net bowler, and the following season was the second highest wicket-taker in the tournament. He delivered the eventful last over in the 2023 IPL final, where his former CSK team-mate Ravindra Jadeja denied Mohit and Titans what would have been their second title in a row.The backbone of Mohit’s fast bowling has been his variations, delivered with a grunt. Cutters, slower balls and slow bouncers are the weapons he uses to counter the batting carnage in the second half of T20 innings, where he normally operates. In this interview, he speaks of having only gratitude and no regrets about that 20th over in the 2023 final, and opens up on a career that is now limited to just domestic T20s and the IPL.How’s life at the moment?
My life is in peace right now. It is going good. Pressure is part of the process, and personally, I feel it is important to have pressure. Even if, at times, the pressure can be too much, it always teaches you something.Related

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• Almost-forgotten Mohit is back, and he's the same bowler he used to be

When I say “last over”, what comes to your mind?
A lot of things have been associated with the last over for me ( [Ashish Nehra, the head coach] was repeating the same things from sidelines throughout the match: “Pandit [Mohit’s nickname], breathe, relax.” He always says when you are at the top of your bowling mark, you need to be clear about what you are going to do. The ball is in your hand. It doesn’t matter what others come and tell you. You have to execute it, so there shouldn’t be two things in your mind.

“I thought there is no bigger thing than education. I started reading up on biomechanics of fast bowling. Then I started dabbling in a course on sprint mechanics. If you want to pursue coaching, you need to understand what coaching is, because it is totally different to playing”

Before 2023, you had last played a full IPL season in 2018. In 2019 and 2020, you played one match each. In 2022, you went unsold in the auction, but Nehra called you to train with the Titans squad. Is it true that around this point you were thinking of ending your career but that Nehra advised you not to?
A lot happened for me between the end of the 2018 IPL and the start of the 2022 season, including having back surgery. I had a good domestic season [in 2021-22], including the Syed Mushtaq Ali and Vijay Hazare Trophy. My body was responding well post-surgery. When I went unsold, Ashu videos of my bowling. Ashu ). He is like an older brother in my life and has always guided me. If not for that chat, I might have taken a call on my career that year or the following season. After that I thought I will continue playing till my body supports me.I have been lucky that in the second phase of my career, the coaches I have encountered have been like my older brothers more than coaches. They don’t think it is my decision, so I should take it [alone]. They jump in to guide me to the right path. They have experienced more in life. If I have encountered such a situation once or twice in my life, some of these coaches might have been through it 20 times.Mohit chats with his Titans captain Hardik Pandya during the 2023 IPL final against CSK. At the start of the final over, CSK needed 13. Mohit conceded only three from the first four balls, but Ravindra Jadeja hit him for a six and a four off the last two balls•Associated PressLike, the Delhi Capitals coaching staff – Hemang [Badani] bhai, Munna [Munaf Patel] nicknamed me “Maria Sharapova” [the former Grand Slam champion known for her loud grunt]. I’d say: “With the grunt, batsmen will feel the ball will come at 145-150kph even though the ball comes slower, so it is a plus point for me!”What is the fastest you have ever bowled?
After the 2015 World Cup, in the T20 series against South Africa, I clicked 145.4kph once. At that World Cup, Umesh [Yadav], Shami and myself were consistently operating at 140kph.One has to accept things change with age, and in T20 cricket speed is not everything.
Absolutely. You have to accept that. You can’t have an ego. Cricket will not stop for you. You will have to adapt yourself according to the way cricket is evolving.When we spoke back in 2014, you mentioned that you write down your positive and negative feelings on two separate sheets and bin the one with the negative thoughts. Do you still do that?
Yes, I still do that. I tear up the negative ones. Regardless of the result, I have ensured the work ethic that I have had since my Under-19 days does not change. As long as I’m playing I will continue doing things the way I did when I started.”When I am bowling at the death now, my options include bowling a dot ball, but I also have an option to get a wicket every second ball”•Deepak Malik/BCCIDoes doing those things keep you sane?
[stillness, stability] is probably the right word. I get clarity on what I should focus on and what I should not focus on. In current times, our minds get scattered even if nothing much has happened in two balls. So my work ethic has taught me that if I have only three things, then I need to stick to those three rather than thinking that if I get hit for a six off a bouncer with pace then I ) The bowler runs in saying: I will get you out; the batsman says: I will hit you for a six. When there’s nothing to lose, a person learns a lot. If you disregard some of the early matches of this IPL [as of April 3], and three-four matches from the last IPL, the bowlers have started to dominate.If you noticed last evening [in the RCB vs Titans game], how brilliantly [Mohammed] Siraj bowled [against RCB] and Prasidh [Krishna] too. Our bowlers are also learning how to execute the plans more accurately so that [the carnage] that starts from the first ball, we can delay that a bit and at least we [bowlers] get some breathing space.Has the planning changed or have the pitches also become more supportive of bowlers?
It sounds nice hearing such a thing, but with the bounce, you also get hit for sixes! The wicket in [the RCB-Titans] match was good, but it was not like it was seaming or there was extra bounce. It was RCB’s home ground, they provided that wicket. But how GT’s bowling unit executed plans was magical for me. They were bowling in such good areas and the ball was swinging amazingly. If you saw, Siraj was not just swinging the ball, he was also bowling cross-seams and other variations, and his plans were very clear. I am not saying the wicket should not be supportive, but whatever pitches we get, our plans need to be clear.

It might go against everything you’d expect to see from a right wing-back, although the decision to deploy Amad in that role is currently working wonders for Ruben Amorim and Manchester United, with the Ivorian striking up a devastating partnership with Bryan Mbeumo in recent weeks.

The presence of two left-footers both seeking to cut inside had caused problems in the early knockings of the campaign, not least when they collided in the area in the opening day defeat to Arsenal, with doubts creeping in over whether the duo were simply too similar to thrive together in tandem.

Since the win over Sunderland, however, in which the pair showed shades of Yorke and Cole with their interchanges, this right-wing pairing has simply taken off, with the two men combining at Anfield and at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

For all the question marks over Amad’s defensive prowess, having been caught out for Morgan Gibbs-White’s header at the City Ground, the 23-year-old is certainly making up for those shortcomings by dominating proceedings at the top end of the pitch.

That impact has no doubt been highlighted even further by the issues on the other flank, with Amorim still yet to find a permanent solution at left wing-back.

Man Utd's solutions at left wing-back

Heading into the January window, this might be an area that Jason Wilcox and co look to strengthen again, amid links to the likes of Inter’s Federico Dimarco, despite having seemingly solved that problem almost 12 months ago.

Indeed, the addition of Lecce’s Patrick Dorgu looked to have handed Amorim a perfect fit for this system, with the versatile Dane having previously featured as a winger, as well as at full-back, making him ideal for a rampaging left-sided role.

Perhaps as to be expected for a player who only recently turned 21, however, Dorgu is undoubtedly still a work in progress, a fact heightened most notably at the Etihad, where he had the most touches in the opposition box for United (12), yet had little to show for it.

An improved display did follow last time out against Spurs, having won nine duels in total, although that rawness to his game was seen in the final third, as he lost possession 24 times, as per Sofascore.

That is perhaps why Amorim had turned to Diogo Dalot as an unorthodox option prior to that, albeit with the Portuguese full-back not exactly shining in that role either, having been caught out for Nicolo Savona’s goal against Nottingham Forest.

The 26-year-old, as is to be expected for a right-footer, looks distinctly uncomfortable on that flank, forced to cut in repeatedly, rather than burst into potential space ahead of him down the left.

There is something of a wildcard option in the form of summer arrival, Diego Leon, although the 18-year-old – who did score a stunning solo goal for the U21s against Spurs – is still finding his feet in the youth ranks, having yet to make a competitive senior appearance.

The Paraguayan, thankfully, isn’t the only teenage sensation that Amorim can turn to in the near future.

How Man Utd can replace Dorgu

It will take more than one transfer window to get this squad where both Amorim and INEOS want it to be, although the Old Trafford side can’t simply rely on incomings and investment – the academy set-up also needs to be utilised.

Perhaps in midfield, the Portuguese coach could look to a player like 17-year-old sensation, Jim Thwaites, while at wing-back, a future star is brewing in the form of 18-year-old, Harry Amass.

The ex-Watford starlet – who made his senior debut last season against Leicester City – ended 2024/25 with seven senior appearances to his name under Amorim, having most notably come off the bench in the 5-4 thriller against Lyon in the Europa League.

Tipped to be “Luke Shaw’s successor” by journalist Alex Turk – with Shaw himself singling out his compatriot as one to watch – Amass has long been tipped for a starring role in the first-team, a fact only heightened by his displays out on loan at Sheffield Wednesday.

The teenager joined the struggling side on loan over the summer, having since gone on to make a real impression for the Owls, notably netting a delightful strike from range in the recent defeat to Southampton.

That effort showcased everything Amorim would surely want from a wing-back, as Amass took it upon himself to drive into the centre of the pitch, before providing a real quality end product.

Lauded as “one of the most exciting teenage full-backs in Europe” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the diminutive talent has started all 11 games since moving to Hillsborough, with ten of those seeing him play the full 90 minutes.

Games (starts)

11 (11)

Goals

1

Assists

0

Big chances created

2

Key passes*

0.7

Pass accuracy*

79%

Successful dribbles*

1.4

Total duels won*

50%

Tackles & interceptions

3.2

Such is the success of that loan spell so far, in which he has featured in a left midfield or left wing-back berth, there is already talk of further moves between the clubs, with United academy stars such as Victor Musa and Gabriele Biancheri in line to potentially follow him to Sheffield.

Whether Amass does actually see out the season in his temporary home remains to be seen, however, with recent reports revealing that there is the presence of a break clause in January, ensuring he could return to United in the New Year.

Should that occur, it would likely be with another loan in mind, although with neither Dorgu nor Dalot nailing down that left-sided role this season, Amorim should certainly consider bringing Amass back into the fold.

Their own Wharton: Man Utd teen looks like he's "stepped out of La Masia"

Manchester United could save themselves millions in the transfer window, by looking for an in-house Adam Wharton.

ByRobbie Walls Nov 14, 2025

By giving bowlers a little leeway down the leg side, cricket will bring new skills and forgotten strokes into play

Abhinav Mukund13-Aug-2025After the thrilling finish in the Oval Test earlier this month, Shubman Gill said that nothing should be changed in terms of the Test cricket playing conditions. Rightly so, with all the games in the England-India series going the full distance.But what about the other formats? The ICC has made a few changes in their playing conditions for white- ball cricket. One change in particular, which is to be trialled from October, has piqued my interest. This relates to the wide-ball rule.This change, which aims to provide a certain amount of wriggle room for a bowler when faced with a batter moving around in their crease before or during a delivery, says that the position of the batter’s legs at the point of delivery will be used as the reference point for a wide. Further:Related

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[…] A ball that passes the popping crease between the leg stump and the protected area marker [will not be] called a Wide. To help with this, the protected area marker line will be extended to the popping crease and act as a guide for the umpires.

Any leg side delivery that passes behind the batter’s legs and outside of the line at the time the ball reaches the popping crease may still be called a Wide. Previously, a wide had been called for a delivery that would not have been called wide if the batter had retained their normal batting position.

Effectively, a ball that passes just a little behind the batter’s legs will not be ruled a wide. But before we get into the details, I want to talk about the existing playing conditions. (The Laws of Cricket and the ICC’s playing conditions are interconnected, with the latter supplementing and sometimes modifying the former for specific competitions.)The wide law as it stands currently states that if the ball passes wide of where the striker is standing, or has stood at any point after the ball came into play for that delivery (and if it would also have passed wide of the striker standing in a normal batting position), it should be given a wide. And while a wide is called as soon after the ball passes the batter’s wicket as possible, it is considered to have been a wide from the time the bowler entered their delivery stride.So, according to the Laws, the movements of the batter during the delivery are taken into account for adjudging a wide – which gives the batter leeway to move about their crease to possibly attempt to manipulate a wide call in their favour. In contrast, the ICC’s new proposed playing conditions state that the ball needs to pass within the protected area marker on the leg side when it goes past the crease. This is a fixed reference point. If the ball passes close to the pad near the batter’s legs and moves away afterward, outside the protected area line between that point and the bowling crease, it will be called a wide.Ashwin KumarIn the recently concluded Tamil Nadu Premier League, a similar wide law was trialled, but using the framework of the Laws of cricket. A three-point system was used to judge wide calls:

• Where was the batter standing at the point of the release of the ball?
• How close to the batter was the ball when it passed them?
  
• How close to the stumps was the ball when it went past them?

This ensures that, even if the batter was moving all over the place before the ball was bowled, the wide call was based on the position of the batter at the point of the bowler’s release.How did the new rule play out in the TNPL?In the 2023 tournament, 319 wides were bowled; in 2024, 311; and in 2025, 275. So there was a significant drop in the number of wides called this year, under the new rule. But surprisingly, that did not impact the scores at all; rather, the scores were higher.In 2023, 9570 runs were scored. In 2024, this grew a little, to 9659. And in 2025, it went up more substantially, to 10,048. In a power-hitting, flat-batting world, it was wonderful to see the batters adapt and play the leg glance or flick against the ball going down leg. You don’t often see those shots in a T20 game.Did the new rule give an advantage to the bowler?T Natarajan, who has played multiple years of IPL and won the TNPL title with the IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans this year said, “There is a definite advantage in terms of bowlers who have control – especially in the death, when the go-to delivery is a wide yorker. The stump yorker comes into play with this [new] rule, as it gives you the margin of error to miss your line by a few inches.” This puts doubt in the batter’s mind, he said. “It adds an element of variety in your bowling.”Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy thinks the rule presents fast bowlers with more of an advantage than it does spinners. “While the pacers can add a lot more variety with a yorker or bouncer, the only advantage I had was if I got the googly slightly off target and it beat the batter on the leg side – it wouldn’t be called a wide. Otherwise, spinners who have the ability to bowl the yorker can use it to their advantage in a T20 game.”Batters win you sponsorships, bowlers win you championships. The T20 game, in particular, is built on batting exploits and the long sixes that batters hit. As fans, we generally tend to want to see more sixes being hit and not lower scores.Did the new bowler-favouring rule mean we saw fewer sixes this year in the TNPL? Surprisingly not: 418 were scored in 2024, 463 were scored this year. Batters found a way to adapt. The battle between bat and ball was heightened thanks to this rule.The ICC has announced the revised rule will come into effect from October on a trial basis for six months in ODIs and T20Is. In ODIs, with two new balls for the first 34 overs (another new rule) we might see bowlers attempt to swing the ball without fear of being called wide for going fractionally down the leg side. We might see reverse swing attempted a lot more at the death. Tactically, having a leg-side-dominant field in the middle overs could be an option for captains, as you are allowed only four fielders outside the 30-yard circle in that period.Batters will need to work on their leg-side game – not many have the leg glance or flick in their repertoire because of the strong hold that flat-batting has on the game. There will be a definite need for batters to alter their technique ever so slightly if they want to succeed against a bowler who has good control.Personally, I would like the ICC playing conditions to mirror the Laws of cricket, and account for the batter stepping out or moving around in the crease before the ball is bowled, without just making it a standard rule of judging whether the ball passed inside the protected area markers or not.This could, however, make it a nightmare for the umpires, who will have to note when the bowler starts his delivery stride, and also keep in mind where the batter was in his stance when making their decisions. In the TNPL and IPL you are allowed to call for the DRS for wides; in an international game you are not. I am pretty certain this will change soon, though the pace of play may be affected. Certainly the modified rule in the ICC playing conditions will have an impact in deciding the results of games.As a batter myself, I am overall in favour of the new rule. It provides an exciting element, especially in the closing stages of a T20 game, bringing an element of unpredictability to what a bowler can do, without the fear of being penalised. It gives bowler and batter another layer of skill to display. I won’t be surprised if we have games decided on one or two legal deliveries that previously might have been called wide.

The international break has provided Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank with a two-week break to prepare for the North London derby clash with Arsenal next weekend in the Premier League.

Spurs were held to a 2-2 draw with Manchester United last time out in the top-flight, thanks to a last-gasp Matthijs de Ligt goal, and they have only won one of their last four matches in all competitions.

This means that the Lilywhites will need to improve their performance if they want to come away with a result against their bitter rivals, and the Premier League’s current leaders.

Whilst the international break has provided the coaching staff with more time to prepare for the match, it has also thrown up a potentially disruptive injury to one of Frank’s key players.

Pape Matar Sarr had to go off in the second half of Senegal’s clash with Brazil, ironically, at The Emirates with an injury, and it remains to be seen how serious a blow that is.

The latest Spurs injury news ahead of the North London derby

It is fair to say that the Lilywhites have had their fair share of injury issues in the 2025/26 campaign, as they currently have 11 players who are either out or about to return from injury, not including Sarr.

James Maddison is the one player who will certainly not be returning to action any time soon, as the England international suffered an ACL injury in pre-season that will keep him out until next year.

James Maddison

Cruciate ligament tear

01/06/2026

Dejan Kulusevski

Knee injury

28/11/2025

Radu Dragusin

Cruciate ligament tear

21/11/2025

Kota Takai

Foot injury

21/11/2025

Yves Bissouma

Knee injury

21/11/2025

Dominic Solanke

Ankle injury

21/11/2025

Ben Davies

Hamstring injury

21/11/2025

Archie Gray

Calf injury

21/11/2025

Lucas Bergvall

Head injury

21/11/2025

Mohammed Kudus

Unknown

21/11/2025

Randal Kolo Muani

Head injury

21/11/2025

As you can see in the table above, Tottenham have a host of players who Transfermarkt suggests could return for the North London derby, but that is their prediction and has yet to be confirmed by Frank or the club.

It has been reported, for example, that Randal Kolo Muani could be out for up to eight weeks with his jaw injury, which means that it would be surprising to see him return next weekend.

Senegal boss Pape Thiaw claimed that the injury was not a “big deal”, suggesting that there will be no long-term lay-off, but Spurs must prepare for the possibility that they will not have Sarr available, or at least ready to start, against the Gunners.

The Senegal international has started six of his ten appearances in the Premier League so far this season, per Sofascore, and his absence would leave a hole to fill in the middle of the park.

Lucas Bergvall would have been in contention to take Sarr’s place in midfield after returning to the Sweden squad for the international break, but he was excused from international duty after suffering a setback in his return from a concussion.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

This suggests that the 19-year-old central midfielder will either be unavailable for selection or lacking in match fitness, having not played since the clash with Chelsea on the first day of the month.

With this in mind, Spurs could ease the blow dealt by this potential injury to Sarr by unleashing experienced campaigner Rodrigo Bentancur alongside Joao Palhinha against Arsenal.

Why Spurs must unleash Rodrigo Bentancur against Arsenal

Playing the Uruguay international alongside the summer signing from Bayern Munich may not be the most popular suggestion, as there have been complaints from some supporters that it is a bit of a negative pairing.

Bentancur ranks within the bottom 38% of midfielders in the top five leagues and European competitions for progressive passes per 90 (4.13) over the past 365 days, whilst Palhinha ranks in the bottom 7% with 2.92 progressive passes per 90, per FBref.

This suggests that the perception that this midfield pairing lacks progression in possession is a fair one, but it is defensive quality that Spurs will need against Arsenal, who are top of the Premier League and have scored 20 goals in 11 matches.

Therefore, playing the £75k-per-week star next to Palhinha could be the way to go next weekend, particularly if Sarr and Bergvall are not 100% ready to start after their respective issues.

The former Juventus midfielder, described as a “mentality monster” by one analyst, came off the bench against Manchester United last time out, but started eight of his first nine appearances in the Premier League this season, per Sofascore, which shows how much Frank has relied on him.

Tackles

2.14

Top 43%

Interceptions

1.83

Top 2%

Tackles + interceptions

3.97

Top 14%

Blocks

1.52

Top 16%

Passes blocked

1.02

Top 27%

Clearances

2.64

Top 8%

Aerial duels won

1.92

Top 10%

As you can see in the table above, Bentancur ranks very highly among his positional peers in a host of key defensive metrics in the top five leagues in Europe and European competitions over the past year.

These statistics illustrate the defensive quality that he can provide in front of the back four alongside Palhinha, which is further evidenced by the club’s return of seven clean sheets in the 16 games that they have been on the pitch at the same time this season, per FBref.

This suggests that Spurs may have their best chance of keeping Arsenal at bay by playing Bentancur and Palhinha at the base of the midfield to protect Cristian Romero and Micky van De Ven next weekend.

Whilst they may not provide the youthful energy that Bergvall and Sarr bring to the team, the experienced midfield pairing could be a solid option to go with if the aforementioned duo are not available or fit enough to start.

Frank must sell £55k-per-week Spurs flop who was looking "like Dembele"

Tottenham Hotspur must now look to offload one player who has failed to deliver in North London.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 16, 2025

Stats highlights from the first Test between India and West Indies, which India won by an innings and 140 runs

Shubh Agarwal04-Oct-20255:49

Bishop: Want WI batters to stop being satisfied with 20s and 30s

An innings and 140 runs – India’s massive victory margin in the Ahmedabad Test is their third-biggest against West Indies. They beat West Indies by an innings and 141 runs in Dominica in 2023 and by an innings and 272 runs in the Rajkot Test in 2018.India’s last five Tests against West Indies in India include four innings victories for the hosts and a 10-wicket win (Hyderabad, 2018).4 – Number of times Ravindra Jadeja has scored a hundred alongside taking a four-wicket haul in the same Test. He leveled with Garfield Sobers and his long-time spin-bowling partner R Ashwin, in terms of achieving this feat most times. Only Ian Botham is ahead with five such instances.Jadeja was wicketless in the first innings but scored an unbeaten 104 and picked four wickets for 54 runs in the second innings. His performance also earned him his 11th Player-of-the-Match award in Test cricket. He equalled Rahul Dravid, with only Sachin Tendulkar (14) ahead on this list.10 – Number of hundreds for KL Rahul as an opener for India. He went past Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma, who have nine Test tons each as openers. Only M Vijay, Virender Sehwag and Sunil Gavaskar are ahead of him.KL Rahul climbed up the ranks•ESPNcricinfo LtdIt was also only Rahul’s second Test hundred at home, after his 199 against England in Chennai in 2016. His wait of 3212 days is the longest between two home Test tons for an Indian batter. Previously, Mohinder Amarnath had to wait for 2885 days between 1979 and 1986.1746 – Number of balls Jasprit Bumrah took to complete 50 Test wickets in India. Among the 30 bowlers to achieve this feat, Bumrah is the fastest in terms of number of balls bowled. He surpassed Mohammed Shami (2267 deliveries) and Harbhajan Singh (2272) by a margin of more than 500 balls. Bumrah has the best bowling strike rate (35.8) and bowling average (17.32) in this club.89.2 – The least number of overs batted by West Indies in a Test against India where they have been bowled out twice. They batted 44.1 overs in the first innings and 45.1 overs in the second. Their previous worst came in their last Test tour of India where they could last only 98.5 overs across both innings in the Rajkot Test in 2018.West Indies have batted 12 times in Test cricket this year, out of which they have failed to last 50 overs on eight occasions.308 – The number of runs West Indies managed across both innings, the second lowest for them against India in a defeat.West Indies have a batting average of 15.60 this year, the lowest among the 12 Full Member nations. Zimbabwe, the second lowest in the table is over five runs/wicket better than West Indies – 20.87.Across Test history, only New Zealand in 1958 had a worse batting average (12.65) among nations that played at least five Tests in a calendar year. West Indies have been bowled out under 300 eight times this year, the most such instances for a Test team in a calendar year.

Closing in on his arrival, Kim Hellberg has already reportedly made the decision to overhaul Middlesbrough’s backroom staff and hand interim manager Adi Viveash a new role at the club.

The Swedish manager has already caused plenty of controversy around the Championship after he rejected Swansea City in favour of Boro in a late twist, and is now set to arrive in Teesside with the task of picking up where Rob Edwards left off.

Having reportedly paid £250k to secure his services, Boro will be hoping to see Hellberg get off to the perfect start, but to say he doesn’t have an easy start would be an understatement.

With Viveash set to remain in charge against Oxford United this Saturday, Hellberg’s first game in charge is likely to come against Championship leaders Coventry City. If nothing changes between now and that game, then Middlesbrough will be able to go within a point of the league leaders with victory on their manager’s debut.

It will be interesting to see how the 37-year-old sets his side up for that game. His preferred formation is a 4-2-3-1, which Boro played so often under Edwards and will now look to use to their advantage under a new manager. This should at least help ease any period of adjustment for all involved.

The Swede isn’t wasting any time before implementing other changes, however. Reports are now claiming that he’s already made an immediate staff overhaul involving interim boss Viveash.

Hellberg makes instant Viveash decision at Middlesbrough

According to Sky Sports’ Keith Downie, Hellberg has already appointed David Selini as his assistant manager and made the decision to keep Viveash on as a technical coach as part of a staff overhaul. The young coach has instantly got to work to make changes in an attempt to hit the ground running in Riverside.

It’s a new role that Viveash has more than earned. The Boro coach stepped up for the club when Edwards departed, leading them to a 2-1 victory over Birmingham City and there’s no doubt his presence will help to welcome Hellberg to the job.

Meanwhile, Selini is also an interesting appointment. The Hammarby assistant has only worked with Hellberg for over a year, but is now set to join him in the Championship at just 31 years old.

In Hellberg and his assistant, Selini, Boro have placed their trust in a young management team and must now hope that their gamble ends in the pay out of promotion.

Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh is on a tear like none other. It's almost weird to watch a Mariners game where he doesn't hit a home run.

Although he didn't go yard until late in Seattle's 12–3 win over the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park Friday evening, he ended the night with two home runs for 38 total thus far on the season. And we haven't even hit the All-Star break yet.

The first came in the top of the eighth on a fly ball to left field that looked fairly effortless off the bat. It ended up clearing the wall for a solo shot that gave the Mariners an insurance run in a tight game.

Seattle opened the game up in the ninth, highlighted by a no-doubter off Raleigh's bat to deep left. This time, a grand slam became his 38th long ball of the year.

With the two-homer game, Raleigh moved one home run shy of San Francisco Giants left fielder Barry Bonds's record 39 home runs before the break, which he set in 2001. Per the Mariners, Raleigh became the first player with 38 or more homers and 80 or more RBIs before the All-Star Game since 1933—the same year the first All-Star Game was played.

Bonds hit 73 homers once his record-setting '01 campaign was all said and done, which remains the record for the most in an MLB season. Raleigh has the rest of the series in Detroit, two more contests, to potentially tie and pass Bonds for the most long balls before an All-Star break.

He's set to participate in the Home Run Derby in Georgia Monday before he starts at catcher for the American League in the All-Star Game.

Big picture: Can India save the series?

Back in 2015-16, when the Test contest between India and South Africa was named Freedom Trophy, or alternatively the Mandela-Gandhi Trophy, both sides committed to treat it as a marquee contest. For the first time since 1992-93, they played four Tests in a series. A major part of such a commitment is to avoid the unsatisfactory two-match series. It was good while it lasted. All of four series. This is the second straight two-match series between these two evenly matched rivals.While India are not responsible for shortening of these series, they are at the receiving end of the series’ brevity. Once again, a series win is impossible for them after 2.67 days of cricket. The best they can do now is level it; the worst will mean a second series defeat at home in the last three after 12 years of winning every home series.Related

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

• Rishabh Pant's battle with Simon Harmer could define his first Test as captain

• What type of pitch will India want in Guwahati?

• Mystery pitch leaves SA guessing ahead of Guwahati Test

It should come as no surprise that the leaders of the time find themselves under the pump despite all the success in ODIs and T20Is. In fact, it speaks to the health of Test cricket in India that a home defeat, even if it comes against the world champions, draws such sharp reaction.After two fruitless tours of India in the last decade, South Africa would have been glad the depth of their attack was not tested in Kolkata. With Kagiso Rabada missing and Keshav Maharaj off colour, they still managed to take 20 wickets mostly through Simon Harmer and Marco Jansen.With some of the equivocality around their world champions status now dissipated, they will look to find a way once again to take 20 wickets and go away with a series win from the toughest place to tour. India will want to test that depth and make sure their country continues to stay the toughest place to tour, and not get relegated to “formerly the toughest place to tour”.3:30

Botha: New ball should play a role with early start to the Test

Form guide

India LWWWD
South Africa WWLWW

In the spotlight: Ravindra Jadeja and Simon Harmer

The first Test practically came down to a second-innings shootout between the two best spinners in the match. The margin for error was so low that you couldn’t afford even one remotely ordinary spell. Simon Harmer, now as good a spinner as any in the world, took 4 for 21. Ravindra Jadeja, after bowling a near-unplayable spell of 13-3-29-4 on the second evening, went searching a bit on the third morning. This Test will hopefully bring out more aspects of their bowling.2:45

Karim wants India to pick both Sai Sudharsan and Padikkal

Team news: Gill and Rabada ruled out

India will be without their regular captain, Shubman Gill, who faced only three balls in the first Test and retired with a neck injury. With six left-hand batters already in the XI making Harmer an even more potent threat and no reserve right-hand batter in the squad, allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy might come back in if only for the sake of variety. There are also suggestions that B Sai Sudharsan, who made way for the extra spinner in the last Test, might come back to No. 3. Based on what they did at training a day before the Test, Axar Patel is the spinner likely to miss out. Rishabh Pant will be India’s fourth Test captain in the last 12 months.India (probable): 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 KL Rahul, 3 B Sai Sudharsan, 4 Dhruv Jurel, 5 Rishabh Pant (capt, wk), 6 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Mohammed SirajRabada is out of the second Test as well, but South Africa are bolstered by Lungi Ngidi’s return. Expect him to replace Corbin Bosch. The one question South Africa will ponder is if Wiaan Mulder, who didn’t have much to do in the first Test, should make way for a spin allrounder in Senuran Muthusamy or a specialist batter in Dewald Brevis. If that change does happen, Tristan Stubbs might have to move up to No. 3.South Africa (probable): 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Ryan Rickelton, 3 Wiaan Mulder/ Dewald Brevis/ Senuran Muthusamy, 4 Tony de Zorzi, 5 Temba Bavuma (capt.), 6 Tristan Stubbs, 7 Kyle Verreynne (wk), 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Simon Harmer, 10 Keshav Maharaj, 11 Lungi Ngidi2:53

Saba Karim: Pant will be unpredictable as captain

Pitch and conditions

This is a big occasion for Guwahati as it becomes the eastern-most Test venue in India. The inadequacy of one time zone in a country as vast as India is apparent from how this Test will need to start at 9am in order to beat the early sunset. The first session break, at 11am, will be tea; lunch will be taken at 1.20pm.It is hardly ideal that all eyes will be on the pitch of a debutant venue but it is what it is after an underprepared surface in Kolkata undid India. There has been high drama around the pitch with coach Gautam Gambhir saying it had been made to his order only for batting coach Sitanshu Kotak to say that Gambhir actually sacrificed himself to prevent throwing the curator under the bus, in the process throwing said curator under said bus.Both the captains expect this pitch to be good for batting in the early exchanges before starting to turn. Which is exactly what they said before Kolkata, except that now they have added that it should play better than Kolkata. So make of it what you will.

Stats and trivia

• Kolkata was the first Test and the first toss that South Africa won in India since 2010.
• Nobody other than Bosch and Muthusamy in the South Africa squad averages over 40 with the bat in Test cricket. None of them averages 50 in first-class cricket overall.
• Before he took over the Test captaincy, Temba Bavuma averaged 34.53. As captain, he averages 57.

Inter Miami aim to defend home turf against NYCFC, while San Diego visit Vancouver in two finely poised conference finals. GOAL’s writers break down both matchups.

Right then – conference finals time. Zoom out, consider the options, and try to be objective, and maybe we were always headed here. As much as the haters wanted Inter Miami to stumble, the Lionel Messi storyline is simply too rich to ignore. San Diego FC have been good all season and fully merit their spot. Vancouver’s acquisition of Thomas Muller last summer signaled their ambition – and their willingness to spend big to get here.

And then there’s NYCFC. Credit to the Pigeons, who have ticked every “Cinderella story” box imaginable. If they reach the final, the feel-good narrative stays very much alive. But can anyone realistically stop Miami now? And will Vancouver’s massive investment in Muller pay off with an MLS Cup final appearance?

It’s all perfectly poised. GOAL U.S. writers break down two massive matches in another edition of… The Rondo.

Getty Images SportWhat's your prediction for Inter Miami-NYCFC?

Tom Hindle: Is it immensely offensive to NYCFC to say this might not be particularly close? Miami are too good for pretty much anyone at the moment, and if that Messi guy shows up this should really be an unfortunate formality for the Herons. A 3-1 win here.

Ryan Tolmich: If NYCFC were full strength, maybe this would be a bit closer. No disrespect to them, of course, but their injury issues aren't going to help. Miami should cruise through this as a result, giving Messi his first crack at an MLS Cup.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesHow significant of an upset would an NYCFC win be?

TH: Massive. Atlanta United is obviously the famous MLS playoff one in recent memory, but this would run it close. The Pigeons might have a shot in other circumstances, but they're without their main goalscoring threat. Pascal Jansen has them playing some good stuff, and they won't be embarrassed, but they simply don't have the quality to get it done. 

RT: Pretty damn significant. Shorthanded, on the road and against the greatest of all time? Good luck with that! Now, Miami have fallen before, and last season's loss to Atlanta was an all-time MLS upset. This, though, would probably be even crazier than that given the circumstances and stakes, even if it is a one-off game.

ImagnShould Luis Suarez start for Miami?

TH: Not even remotely. Javier Mascherano has found a winning combination with Mateo Silvetti in the XI, and it should be enough to carry Miami into the MLS Cup final. Now, if they get there, it might be a different story. But should be on the bench for now. 

RT: Probably not, at the moment. The club appears to have something going with the pieces around Messi, and that is almost certainly the formula for these playoffs and the next era of Miami soccer. Plus, is it the worst thing to have Suarez off the bench as a "break in case of emergency" supersub?

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Getty Images SportPrediction for Vancouver-San Diego?

TH: This is a really tough one. The smart pick, though, might just be Vancouver, who beat the (other) best team in the West last weekend. Thomas Muller is a star through and through, and they're good enough at the back, too. San Diego will play some tasty stuff, but it's hard to look past Muller and Co. 

RT: Whitecaps should cruise here, right? They have momentum and, of course, quality, not to mention the superstar factor of Muller. The Whitecaps, at the moment, seem to have those "team of destiny" vibes. San Diego, too, have some of those vibes given all they've accomplished, but the Whitecaps' run still feels just a bit more real given the talent they've amassed to make it happen.

وجه إبراهيما كوناتي، لاعب فريق ليفربول، رسالة قوية إلى جماهير النادي الإنجليزي قبل مباراة يوم الأحد المقبل ضد نظيره فريق وست هام، في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ويستضيف ملعب “لندن الأولمبي” مباراة فريقي ليفربول ووست هام، في الجولة الثالثة عشر من الدوري الإنجليزي، موسم 2025/26.

اقرأ أيضًا.. هامان: صفقة ليفربول قد ترحل في يناير.. لا يبدو سعيدًا ولديه مهلة قصيرة

ويعاني ليفربول من فترة سيئة للغاية في مختلف المسابقات، بعدما تعرض للهزيمة في 9 من أصل آخر 12 مباراة، مما يمثل أمرًا كارثيًا لكتيبة آرني سلوت.

وكتب كوناتي عبر حسابه الشخصي بموقع “إنستجرام”: “علينا أن نتقبل هذه اللحظة بصدر رحب، النقد جزء لا يتجزأ من كرة القدم، وسنقاوم في كل مرة ونتجاوز هذه المحنة”.

وأضاف: “جماهيرنا هي الأهم في هذه اللحظات، من يقفون بجانبنا في السراء والضراء، من يغنون لنا حتى في أصعب اللحظات! صوتكم ودعمكم يعنيان لنا كل شيء، نعلم أننا بحاجة إلى التحسن، وسنواصل النضال من أجلكم، دائمًا”.

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