David Moyes has been reluctant to rotate at Everton this season. The Merseysiders are 14th in the Premier League after a summer of sweeping change, yet signings such as Tyler Dibling and Merlin Rohl remain on the fringe.

In fairness, Moyes did say at the start of the season that Everton’s deep-rooted issues would take more than one summer to eradicate and remould into something progressive, but some are questioning why more is not being made of the resources at hand.

Everton

14th

19

Man United

8th

20

Tottenham

6th

20

Brentford

12th

21

However, there is one change the Scotsman would love to make that hasn’t been possible. Indeed, Jarrad Branthwaite continues to languish on the sidelines due to a hamstring injury, and his return would do the Toffees the world of good.

Moyes needs Branthwaite back at Everton

Branthwaite is arguably Everton’s best player. Certainly, he would be the most profitable, with Manchester United billed £70m for the potential signing of the England international last year. No move came to fruition.

But he has yet to grace the Hill Dickinson pitch, having sustained an injury in pre-season. Several weeks ago, a complication in the defender’s muscular recovery led to surgery, and now he is set for an extended spell on the sidelines, with some sources suggesting he will not be ready until after the new year.

This is a powerful and front-footed centre-half whose 6 foot 5 presence demands respect. Much has been made of Everton’s struggles in the final third this season, but we must also acknowledge the ramifications of not having your best defender fit for the opening months of the campaign (this was also true for Sean Dyche last year, when the Blues started off on a four-match skid).

Michael Keane has done a fine job in stepping in for the younger man this season, arguably outplaying the vice-captain James Tarkowski beside him, but there’s no question that Branthwaite, described as an “absolute monster” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, would walk back into the line-up when fit enough to do so.

Everton have made headway this season, but further improvements are needed if Moyes’ side are to break the surface of expectations and find a space among the heavyweights in the Premier League.

Moyes, to be sure, must be more open to unleashing those bit-part members of the squad. Perhaps they could make a marked difference. There’s one youngster who is considered an elite talent, and yet he has not featured this term. Moyes must now unleash him.

Moyes must unleash "generational" youngster

This summer, Everton completed a wave of signings. The most notable addition was Jack Grealish on loan from Manchester City, while big buys included Dibling and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry.

But the arrival of Adam Aznou from Bayern Munich, for around £8m, has fallen under the radar. The 19-year-old is an attack-minded left-back, though his versatility permits moonlit roles further up the field and even in an alternative right-back placement.

It is his dribbling that stands out most. Last season, while out on loan in La Liga with Real Valladolid, Aznou averaged two dribbles per game, which stood as the second-highest success rate of any defender in the Spanish top flight (data via BBC).

The Moroccan has even been described as a “generational talent” by the aforementioned Kulig, and it’s curious to note he is alongside Branthwaite in having yet to make his first-team debut for Moyes’ side.

The difference is that he has not been injured, but rather, kept from the action by his manager. Seven times in succession, he has sat on the bench in the Premier League, and seven times in succession, he has remained unused.

There are concerns about the player’s physicality, but there is undoubtedly a reluctance on Moyes’ part to unleash youngsters. Last month, Dibling started against Crystal Palace and ended the 63-year-old’s 185-match streak of not naming a teenager in the starting line-up. Dibling was hooked at half-time.

It has been said that Everton are open to loaning the teenager out this winter, sending him somewhere for a short stay and with the view toward providing him with a suitable environment for growth.

There is reason to this possible route, but whether it is truly the best course of action for an Everton side in need of more dynamism down the flanks is another question. However, Branthwaite before him went out on loan with PSV Eindhoven and returned to the Premier League a better player for it.

Perhaps Aznou could emulate his fellow defender in this regard, heading out for the second half of the campaign before returning next summer and shining thereafter.

Vitalii Mykolenko is limited in his attacking output, with data platform FBref ranking the Ukrainian among the bottom 9% of full-backs in the Premier League this season for shot-creating actions per 90 (0.86). Likewise, Jake O’Brien has been dependable in his makeshift right-back role, but he is naturally a centre-back and his game reflects this.

The left-footed Branthwaite’s return and the robustness he adds could actually be perfect for Aznou as the Morocco international looks to establish himself on Merseyside. It’s a debate with substance on both sides: Aznou could help Everton with his progressiveness this year, and yet a slow, gradual integration might be better for his long-term development.

Patience was always going to be required for a young and talented full-back whose experience on the major stage is shallow. In this, Moyes’ decision to keep him on the sidelines is understandable.

However, many would not agree. There have been opportunities to unleash Aznou, and instead, he plies his trade under Paul Tait’s wing in the development squad.

There’s a sense that Everton are going to attack the January transfer window and target a new centre-forward and fresh full-backs besides. Might it be that Aznou is the answer to the club’s issues down the wings?

In La Liga last season, he won an average of 2.2 tackles and 5.8 duels per game (as per Sofascore), triumphing in 51% of that latter metric.

Work is needed, of course it is, but surely this wonderful and exciting prospect deserves a chance to shine after Everton won the summer tussle for his signature.

Everton flop "failed a succession of managers", now he's saving Moyes

This Everton veteran is proving to be the unlikely signing of the summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 7, 2025

Rumoured Celtic manager target Craig Bellamy has shared praise for one Hoops player who has impressed under Martin O’Neill.

Celtic linked with shock Bellamy move

The Hoops are yet to appoint Brendan Rodgers’ permanent successor, with O’Neill steadying the ship with wins over Falkirk and Rangers.

The Irishman booked Celtic’s place in the Scottish League Cup final at the weekend and there have been class he could stay on until the end of the current campaign due to his relationship with Dermot Desmond.

Wales boss Bellamy has been one of numerous managers linked with the full-time vacancy, though, with those at Parkhead even weighing up contact at the end of October.

Celtic can make Tierney completely unplayable by hiring 4-2-3-1 manager

Bellamy has even spoken out on the rumours of a move to Glasgow, saying: “It’s not on my radar – and it won’t be on my radar. I can understand the links because I played there, [now] I’m coaching, so I definitely understand the links.

“But to me, I love what I’m doing at this present moment. I have to be honest, I’m completely focused on what’s to come. It looks it’s going to be a play-off in March, we know that and to me, that’s all I’m focused on and I know it’s a little bit cliched, but it’s the honest truth.

“I couldn’t want for anything more than what I have at this present moment and that’s where it lies with me.”

Bellamy shares praise for Celtic teenager Callum Osmand

Bellamy also expressed his disappointment that he could not consider Celtic teenager Callum Osmand for Wales selection after a change in the rules around the eligibility of players from the Channel Islands.

Jersey-born forward Osmand was capped by Wales at Under-16 and Under-17 level when players from the Channel Islands were able to represent any of the four Home Nations.

But a change in the rules means players from the Channel Islands – British Crown Dependencies who are not full FIFA or UEFA members – are now only eligible to play for England, and Osmand’s Wales career is at an end as he has no Welsh heritage.

Osmand made a dramatic impact since Celtic interim managers O’Neill and Shaun Maloney came in.

He made his senior debut in Celtic’s 4-0 win over Falkirk and netted his first goal for the club in Sunday’s 3-1 Hampden victory over Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final. The 19-year-old has even been added to Celtic’s Europa League squad.

The England and GT batter’s power game stems from his supreme game awareness

Alagappan Muthu19-Apr-202510:24

Boucher: Buttler’s takedown of Starc sealed it for GT

A very important thing happened in the third over of the Gujarat Titans (GT) innings in IPL 2025 on Saturday. Jos Buttler missed the scoop.There is inherent risk in this shot. Its success depends on taking the number one rule of bating and throwing it out the window, because to pull it off, you need to give up the stumps and use less than the full face of the blade.Yet, the scoop is Buttler’s go-to shot. When he got hit in the gut by Mitchell Starc, and lay flat on the ground, winded, he already knew what he was going to do next ball. He kicked himself off-balance with his back leg so that he would be position to scoop.Related

• Sai Kishore bowling just one over baffles experts

• Buttler bosses the chase to power GT to No. 1

And when he plays it, he means for the ball to hit bat. He is never looking for power. Having opened himself up to trouble – giving up his stumps, giving up his balance – all he wants from this point on is to bring the odds back in his favour. That’s why he only ever focuses on making contact.The other thing he makes sure to do is stay on his feet. The scoop requires premeditation. The bowler almost always knows what you’re trying to do before he has to release the ball, so he can adjust his length. Buttler has thought of all this. In a masterclass for six years ago, he said, “That’s the other reason I quite like doing it in this way. You dug one in there and because I’m still upright, I can manage to [motions the ball hitting his bat and going over his shoulder] almost help it away. So, I feel like here I’ve got a chance with the varying different deliveries.”When Buttler began playing his cricket, the people who were accessing the area behind the wicket often did so by going down on their knees – Tillakaratne Dilshan, Brendon McCullum, AB de Villiers. These are all great players and all of them had great success playing this shot. Buttler could easily have adopted the same methods, but he didn’t. He was clever enough to spot a flaw and then come up with a solution for it.

“Buttler’s scoop sets him apart, and not just as a 360-degree batter but as a critical thinker, a problem solver, a smarty pants”

Buttler’s scoop sets him apart, and not just as a 360-degree batter but as a critical thinker. A problem solver. A smarty pants. Here, when he missed his signature shot, he understood that the Ahmedabad pitch didn’t have enough pace. That was crucial information. It helped him focus his strength – which wasn’t in ample supply given he had fielded for 20 overs in 40-degree heat. He cramped up the tenth ball he faced. Still sent it for six, though. Buttler was the fourth-oldest player on the park on Saturday. The oldest had to leave the field for dehydration.”It kind of takes you by surprise actually, how much fluids you need or how draining it is,” Buttler said. “I certainly felt that batting. But it’s obviously part of the game. You’ve got to be fit and to be able to perform under pressure and in the heat.”ESPNcricinfo LtdFor the better part of four hours, Buttler was exposed to the kind of weather that makes it impossible to think about anything else. And yet that’s what he did. Think. He made 97 off 54 deliveries as GT chased 200-plus for the first time in the IPL. He found ways to combat spin – saw off Kuldeep Yadav (12 off 12, with one four) but pounced on Vipraj Nigam (29 off 14, with one four and three sixes). And he dismantled Starc.The DC fast bowler trusts his yorker. It pushed a game his team should have lost into a Super Over and he won it for them. So, he went for them again, except Buttler is built different. He understands the value of ball hitting bat.Starc was coming around the wicket. Four of his five deep fielders were on the leg side. Buttler knew all he had to do was pierce the ring on the off side. He didn’t need power for that. He didn’t need any of his tricks. He just had to plant an open face down on the ball and let Starc’s own pace work against him.The second ball of the 15th over – which went for 20 runs – was the epitome of Boss Buttler. He isn’t about aesthetics or technique or right or wrong. He just does whatever necessary to find a gap.

حقق منتخب السعودية، فوزًا هامًا على جزر القمر، في اللقاء الذي جمعهما اليوم الجمعة، ضمن منافسات كأس العرب بثلاثية مقابل هدف.

وافتتح منتخب السعودية الأهداف في الوقت بدل الضائع من الشوط الأول، عن طريق محمد كنو بعد ارتقاء رائع داخل منطقة الجزاء عقب عرضية سالم الدوسري.

وعزز كنو التقدم في الدقيقة 51 بعد تسجيل الهدف الثاني بعد عرضية من الدوسري حولها إلى المرمى بقدمه اليسرى.

طالع.. مجموعة السعودية في كأس العالم 2026

وأحرز برويهيم يوسف الهدف الأول لمنتخب جزر القمر في الدقيقة 61 بعد عرضية متقنة قادمة من الجهة اليمنى.

وسجل سالم الدوسري الهدف الثالث في الدقيقة 76، بعد اختراق من الجهة اليسرى قبل أن يسدد في الشباك.

وتأهل منتخب السعودية إلى دور الثمانية من البطولة بعد الفوز حيث رفع رصيده إلى 6 نقاط بينما ودع منتخب جزر القمر مع تبقي مباراة لكل منهما. أهداف مباراة السعودية وجزر القمر اليوم

The Quad Cities River Bandits lost to the Great Lakes Loons in a Midwest League matchup on Thursday. It was a particularly rough outing for the River Bandits as they lost by six runs and had their manager, catcher and a ballboy ejected by home plate umpire Richy Arredondo.

It all started in the top of the seventh when catcher Canyon Brown was thrown out during a mound visit. Coming off two straight walks Brown was talking to his pitcher and the pitching coach on the mound when Arredondo walked over, listened for a second and ejected the catcher.

Two batters and two runs later Loons first baseman Joe Vetrano swung and missed on a fastball that was not caught by catcher Chris Brito, who had just come in the game for Brown. The runner on second advanced to third as it was ruled a wild pitch, but the River Bandits argued it was a foul ball with manager Jesus Azuaje arguing so passionately that he got ejected.

Things only got weirder from there as a balk was called almost as soon as action resumed. And that's when the ballboy came out to give Arredondo more baseballs and did something to get himself ejected. As was the case with Brown, it isn't clear what exactly he did to earn the ejection, but Arredondo was emphatic with both of them.

The six-game series between these two teams will resume on Friday and go through the weekend with the same umpires working the game.

When this series concludes the Loons will return home to host the West Michigan Whitecaps. The Whitecaps are currently 81–35 and have a legitimate chance finish with the best record in the history of the Midwest League. The 1978 Appleton Foxes currently have that distinction after going 97–40.

MatériaMais Notícias

Em jogo de vida ou morte na Libertadores, o Grêmio venceu o Estudiantes por 1 a 0 em La Plata. Nathan Fernandes fez o gol da vitória do Imortal na Argentina, e a equipe de Renato Gaúcho segurou a vitória mesmo com o meia Villasanti sendo expulso no segundo tempo.

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➡️A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta!

Com o resultado, o Grêmio conquista seus primeiros pontos no Grupo C, mas segue na lanterna da chave. O Estudiantes divide a liderança com o Huachipato, ambos com quatro pontos. A equipe chilena ainda enfrenta o The Strongest.

➡️ Siga o Lance! São Paulo no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Tricolor

O Grêmio volta a campo no domingo, contra o Bahia, pela quarta rodada do Brasileirão.

✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
ESTUDIANTES-ARG 0 X 1 GRÊMIO
3ª RODADA – FASE DE GRUPOS DA LIBERTADORES
🗓️ Data e horário: terça-feira, 23 de abril de 2024, às 19h (de Brasília);
📍 Local: Estádio Jorge Luis Hirschi, em La Plata (ARG);
🟨 Árbitro: Gustavo Tejera (URU);
🚩 Assistentes: Martin Soppi (URU) e Horacio Ferreiro (URU);
🖥️ VAR: David Rodriguez (COL).

continua após a publicidade

➡️ Veja tabela com datas e horários dos jogos do Brasileirão

⚽ ESCALAÇÕES:

ESTUDIANTES-ARG (Técnico: Eduardo Domínguez)
Matías Mansilla; Eros Mancuso, Federico Fernández, Zaid Romero e Eric Meza; Santiago Ascacíbar e Enzo Pérez; José Sosa, Thiago Palacios e Mauro Méndez; Guido Carrillo.

GRÊMIO (Técnico: Renato Portaluppi)
Marchesín; João Pedro, Geromel, Kannemann e Fabio; Villasanti e Dodi (Pepê); Gustavo Nunes, Cristaldo e Soteldo; JP Galvão

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Tudo sobre

GrêmioLibertadores

Rangers’ truly miserable European campaign continues, with their hopes of reaching the knockout stages now hanging by a thread.

On Thursday night, despite taking the lead through James Tavernier’s spot-kick, the Gers were held to a 1-1 draw by ten-man Braga at Ibrox, with the Arsenalists equalising shortly after Rodrigo Zalazar had been sent off for headbutting Nicolas Raskin.

This ended a sequence of seven successive European defeats, the longest streak in the club’s entire history, but they will almost certainly need to beat Ferencváros, Ludogorets Razgrad and Porto to stand any chance of reaching the Europa League knockout stages, which isn’t particularly likely.

Having finished eighth in last year’s inaugural league phase, before reaching the quarter-finals, this quite the fall from grace.

Much of the blame lies at those at boardroom level, hence why chief executive Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell were both sacked on Monday, much to the delight of many supporters.

Nevertheless, new manager Danny Röhl still has to build a cohesive team with the pieces he has been given, so which of Thelwell’s summer recruits did not impress on Thursday night?

Nasser Djiga at fault once again

The final Tuesday of the final international break of 2025 could prove to be a pivotal day in Rangers’ season.

Mere hours apart, one in Mount Florida and the other in well, Miami in actual Florida, both John Souttar and Derek Cornelius suffered long-term injuries that’ll see them sidelined until Christmas at least.

Thus, just as Röhl had found his first-choice centre-back pairing, he will continue to be without them going into the busiest period of the season, left with no choice but to keep picking Emmanuel Fernandez and Nasser Djiga, despite the continued poor performances of the latter.

Djiga was massively at fault for Braga’s crucial equaliser on Thursday night, completely misjudging a cross into the box which allowed Gabri Martínez to slot home.

The 23 year old joined Wolverhampton Wanderers from Crvena zvezda in January for a reported £10m, but barely featured for the Premier League side, suggesting why that might have been the case since making the loan move north of the border.

It did not start well for Djiga, sent off on his Premiership debut for tripping up Finlay Robertson as the Gers were held to a 1-1 draw by Dundee at Ibrox, before this inexplicable decision which allowed Romeo Vermant to score the first of Club Brugge’s nine goals in the Champions League play-off round.

Djiga, frankly, is costing Rangers points time and time again, which has to be a concern ahead of three winnable Premiership matches in a week against Falkirk, Dundee United and Kilmarnock, but which other starter from Thursday night may have just played himself out of contention?

Rangers summer signing who struggled vs Braga

Röhl made a couple of surprise selection decisions against Braga; Connor Barron came into midfield, while Max Aarons got the nod over Jayden Meghoma at left-back.

The Bournemouth loanee has been in and out the team all throughout the campaign, deployed in both full-back positions, but did not stake a claim for more regular minutes here.

The statistics document the Englishman’s tough night.

Accurate passes

26

13th

Passing accuracy %

76%

12th

Key passes

Zero

10th

Attempted crosses

3

4th

Accurate crosses

Zero

7th

Defensive actions

3

16th

Tackles won

3

7th

Interceptions

Zero

12th

Clearances

Zero

19th

Possession lost

17

4th

Touches

59

6th

SofaScore rating

6.8

12th

As the table documents, despite the fact only two Rangers players, namely Tavernier and Fernandez, had more touches of the ball than Aarons, he did very little with all this possession.

The full-back completed just 26 passes, fewer than Braga goalkeeper Lukáš Horníček, was accurate with zero crosses and turned over possession on 17 occasions.

Fair to say, the Rangers support have not been enamoured by Aarons from the very start.

Under Russell Martin, he was controversially starting Champions League qualifiers instead of long-standing captain Tavernier, which most fans were not on board with, especially when Aarons was sent off just eight minutes into their 6-0 annihilation at the hands of Club Brugge at Jan Breydelstadion.

More recently, Aarons has been asked to fill in on the left-side, which he can do, but does not suit him naturally, especially on the ball, having to play on his weaker side.

Thus, for upcoming Premiership matches, where Rangers will dominate possession, expect Röhl to recall Jayden Meghoma at left-back, even if he has been far from convincing either.

Chalkboard

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

As for long-term, it would be no surprise to see both Aarons and Djiga return to their parents clubs in the new year, or at the end of the season at the very least.

Forget Djiga: Rohl must bin Rangers flop who lost the ball every 2 touches

Following Rangers’ 1-1 draw with Braga in the Europa League at Ibrox on Thursday, which flop must Danny Röhl axe who was even worse than Nasser Djiga?

ByBen Gray Nov 28, 2025

Manchester United are rivalling Premier League rivals Liverpool and Arsenal for the signing of Bayern Munich and France winger Michael Olise.

The 23-year-old has arguably matured into one of the best wingers in world football, excelling in a Bayern shirt since joining from Crystal Palace in the summer of 2024.

Olise has six assists already in the Bundesliga this season, which is more than Bruno Fernandes (three) and Bryan Mbuemo (one) combined in the Premier League, with a half-dozen league goals also coming his way, outlining his end product.

The Frenchman is a hugely sought-after player, which is no great surprise, given his age and talent – Liverpool have been linked with a move – and Bayern will be desperate to fend off any interest in him.

United may have spent big on attackers in the summer transfer window, bringing in Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko, but they are likely to be on the lookout for further additions in 2026, in order to make competition for places as fierce as possible.

Man Utd in the mix to sign £123m-rated Michael Olise

According to Caught Offside‘s Mark Brus, Manchester United are showing “serious interest” in £123m-rated Bayern star Olise, but Liverpool and Arsenal are also in the race to snap him up.

Olise would be a spectacular addition for United, with Bayern centre-back and teammate Dayot Upamecano heaping praise on his brilliance in the past, saying: “He’s a magician. His technical level is very high. He can do everything. He can score, set up, and even defend.”

That said, the one confusing aspect of United potentially signing him is the fact that he plays a similar role to Mbeumo, in terms of being a left-footed right winger who cuts inside to wreak havoc.

It could be argued that the Red Devils don’t need both, especially with Amad Diallo continuing to grow as player in that role, with those funds being focused on other key positions, such as central midfield.

Man Utd have advantage over Chelsea in race for "midfield sensation" Assan Ouedraogo

He has a massive future in the game.

ByHenry Jackson Nov 25, 2025

That’s not to say that United should pass up the chance to bring in Olise, though, and beating Liverpool and Arsenal to him would be a massive statement, and he has the talent to light up Old Trafford for years to come.

Man Utd have advantage over Chelsea in race for "midfield sensation"

Both teams have two points each and are looking to add to it in their push to make the knockouts

Sruthi Ravindranath19-Oct-20252:39

Preview – Sri Lanka can’t control their fate

Big picture: SL move from wet Colombo to dry Navi MumbaiBangladesh and Sri Lanka head into their clash with two points each, yet their campaigns couldn’t have been more different. For Sri Lanka, those two points came courtesy washed-out games in Colombo. They have now moved to hot and humid Navi Mumbai, where they will begin their final leg with an outside chance to make the top four.Bangladesh had started brightly with a win over Pakistan, but have struggled since. They have run top sides close, but have fallen short at crucial junctures. Though Bangladesh are yet to beat Sri Lanka in ODIs, they will fancy their chances, given their spin attack has troubled established batting line-ups. The loser of Monday’s fixture will be knocked out of contention for the semi-finals.The two sides have met each other four times in ODIs, with Sri Lanka winning two and the other two being washed out. It will be a long shot for Bangladesh to make the semi-finals, but they can get there if they win their next two games and hope other results go their way. Even a top-five finish will be significant for Bangladesh, their senior spinner Fahima Khatun said on the eve of the match, in what is only their second appearance at an ODI World Cup.While Bangladesh’s batting remains a concern, their bowling, led by spinners, has been their strength. But it was a different story against Australia, who razed down their target of 199 with ten wickets to spare.Sri Lanka have had similar issues. While their batters have often made promising starts, they’ve lost wickets in clusters. But the washed-out match against New Zealand, where they posted 258 before rain had the final say, showed a glimpse of what they can do. In this match, it will come down to how well they operate against Bangladesh’s spinners, while Bangladesh will want to show some of their batting capabilities in their quest for a first win against Sri Lanka in ODIs.Form guideBangladesh LLLLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka LLLLLIn the spotlight: Harshitha Samarawickrama and Sobhana MostaryHarshitha Samarawickrama has quickly risen through the ranks for Sri Lanka to become one of their batting mainstays. Since her 53 against India in the tri-series earlier this year, she has not scored a half-century in six innings though she’s got starts. Against England, she looked well set in the chase of 254 with a 58-run stand with Hasini Perera but lost her wicket to Sophie Ecclestone, which triggered a Sri Lanka collapse. Sri Lanka will be expecting more runs from their No. 4 as they look to finish their campaign on a high.Sobhana Mostary has been the most impressive Bangladesh batter in the tournament so far. She has two fifties, both coming against top oppositions in Australia and England. In a tournament where most other Bangladesh batters have struggled, the 23-year-old has stood out at No.5. She is adept at rotating the strike and finding the gaps. Against Australia, she was circumspect against Alana King but took on Annabel Sutherland and Darcie Brown, her 66 not out taking Bangladesh to a respectable 198.1:24

Fahima Khatun: We’ve lost games, but gained a lot of positives

Team news: Marufa Akter set to returnFast bowler Marufa Akter, who was rested for Bangladesh’s previous match against Australia, is expected to return to the side. “Marufa is better now, she has been training hard the last couple of days and I think we will have her fully fit for the next match,” Khatun said at her press conference.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Rubya Haider, 2 Fargana Hoque, 3 Sharmin Akhter, 4 Nigar Sultana (capt & wk), 5 Sobhana Mostary, 6 Shorna Akter, 7 Fahima Khatun, 8 Rabeya Khan, 9 Ritu Moni, 10 Nishita Akter Nishi, 11 Marufa AkterVishmi Gunaratne was on 12 when she was stretchered off the field against South Africa, after being struck by the ball on her left knee while completing a run. She, however, returned to bat and finished with 34 off 33 balls. Sri Lanka head coach Rumesh Ratnayake said she was “okay for selection” against Bangladesh.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Chamari Athapaththu (capt), 2 Hasini Perera, 3 Vishmi Gunaratne, 4 Harshita Samarawickrama, 5 Kavisha Dilhari, 6 Nilakshika Silva, 7 Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), 8 Piumi Wathsala, 9 Sugandika Kumari, 10 Malki Madara, 11 Inoka RanaweeraChamari Athapaththu is one away from 4000 ODI runs•Getty Images

Pitch and conditions: DY Patil Stadium gears up to host its first ODIThis will be the first-ever ODI at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. The stadium has hosted 14 Vijay Hazare (List A) games in the last three years. The average first-innings score has been 252 with teams chasing winning nine games. Dew is expected to play a role at the ground.The forecast is clear for the entire day, with temperatures set to hit a high of 36 degrees. On the eve of the match, Bangladesh’s Khatun said she expects it to be a “sporting wicket with batters and bowlers expected to benefit from it”. Sri Lanka coach Ratnayake echoed her views.Stats and triviaChamari Athapaththu is one run away from 4000 ODI runs and four wickets away from 50 ODI wicketsFargana Hoque is 79 runs away from 2000 ODI runsSri Lanka wicketkeeper Anushka Sanjeewani will play her 50th ODI match on Monday.

“Had the call gone our way, there was every chance the outcome of the match could have been different,” Fahima Khatun said

S Sudarshanan07-Oct-2025

Shorna Akter’s catching attempt wasn’t deemed good enough•Getty Images

Third umpire Gayathri Venugopalan’s decision to reprieve Heather Knight against Bangladesh came under the scanner after England escaped to a four-wicket win in their women’s World Cup 2025 match in Guwahati.In the 15th over of England’s chase of 179, Knight chipped legspinner Fahima Khatun to the covers, where Shorna Akter dived to her right and seemed to have taken a low catch. Knight started walking, but the on-field umpires referred it to the TV umpire, who felt that the fielder did not have her fingers under the ball and ruled it not out. Knight was on 13 at that point. She went on to finish unbeaten on 79 off 111 balls, taking her side home with 23 balls to spare.”At first look, I thought it was out,” Knight said after the match. “I thought it carried and thought it was a fair catch and walked off. But the TV umpire decided otherwise. I certainly had a bit of luck today. But probably with the year I have had, I deserved a little bit of luck. I tried to ride it and really make it count.”Related

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The tricky bit about these non-dismissals was that the TV umpire gave her ruling while saying the replays available to her were “inconclusive”. In the first instance, of the caught behind, an on-field decision of out was overturned on “inconclusive” evidence, which might have gone against Bangladesh. In case of the “catch” in the covers, too, replays seemed to suggest that the fielder had her fingers under the ball, but the on-field umpires hadn’t really given the batter out to start with.But so convinced was Knight of the legality of the catch that she had reached the boundary line before walking all the way back.Fahima, who finished with 3 for 16 from her ten overs, certainly felt the catch-that-wasn’t affected the final result.”It was a disappointing decision for us,” she said. “Every player in our team felt it was a clear dismissal. The decision was overturned after being given out, which was disappointing. We all know how crucial that wicket was. Had the call gone our way, there was every chance the outcome of the match could have been different.”This was one of the three reprieves for Knight, who was batting for the first time in international cricket since her return from a hamstring injury. She was ruled out caught behind on the first ball she faced. But a review saved her, after replays showed that Marufa Akter’s inswinging delivery had missed her inside edge and brushed the front pad instead. The impact, as it turned out to be, was well outside the line of off too. Then, in the seventh over, she was given lbw but used the DRS successfully once again. Ball-tracking showed that this time, the ball would have bounced over the stumps.”It was the first time I was out three times in an innings and had them overturned, that’s for sure,” Knight said. “It was a case of refocusing. I knew I didn’t hit the ball, and it was tricky conditions as well. It was swinging quite a lot, [which] can make it tricky for the umpires as well. But that’s the joy of DRS, isn’t it? It’s great to have that in place.”