Carragher said Man Utd star was "terrible", now he's Amorim's key player

Manchester United’s spell under Ruben Amorim has been largely unsuccessful, with the 40-year-old’s job even coming into question before his one-year anniversary in the role.

From 15th-placed Premier League finishes to Carabao Cup exits against League Two opposition, his tenure at Old Trafford has been far from what many supporters expected.

However, over the last couple of weeks, the 40-year-old has finally started to show glimpses of being a success in the role in the immediate and long-term future.

His men have now won three league games in a row, with Saturday’s match against Nottingham Forest presenting the manager with the chance to extend such a run.

Some of the recent success has been down to the impact of the new summer additions, but also the transformation of numerous players already on the books prior to his appointment.

Man Utd players who have had a resurgence under Amorim

Amad Diallo was a player with a huge future at United after they forked out a reported £36m for his signature back in January 2021, but the early days of his stint in England were limited to say the least.

He was often utilised as a bench player under the guidance of former manager Erik ten Hag, but Amorim’s arrival sparked a newfound sense of belief in the Ivorian.

Since the manager’s arrival, the 23-year-old has operated in an unnatural wing-back role, but it’s allowed for consistent first-team minutes and a total of 20 combined goals and assists in his last 52 outings.

He’s not alone in turning his career at Old Trafford around, with centre-back Matthijs de Ligt often struggling to make the immediate impact many hoped for after his switch from Bayern Munich last summer.

The Dutch international was often called into question for his lack of defensive dominance, but he’s been a key component of Amorim’s side this campaign – subsequently playing every minute in the Premier League to date.

He’s made 1.7 tackles per 90 so far this campaign, along with 3.1 aerial duels won, tallies which have provided the side with the steel they were missing at the back last campaign.

Other players such as Luke Shaw and Mason Mount have also been regular starters throughout the early days of the season – potentially a surprise after being hounded by fans in 2024/25.

Such situations highlight the manager’s individual management with the players at his disposal, which has allowed for the Red Devils to endure a somewhat unfamiliar winning feeling as of late.

The United player who’s becoming one of their best in 2025/26

When you think of some of United’s best players in the current campaign, the imagination no doubt goes directly towards the £200m attacking trio who arrived this summer.

Bryan Mbeumo is just one of the attacking stars who has made an immediate impact at Old Trafford, as seen by his tally of five goals in his first ten outings for the club.

Bruno Fernandes is no doubt another that springs to mind, and understandably so, especially after the club captain registered 37 combined goals and assists last season.

However, the Portuguese international has since dropped into a deeper role, subsequently allowing the likes of Mbeumo to operate in the number ten role in the 3-4-2-1 system.

As a result, Amorim has had to find a dominant ball-winner to operate alongside Bruno, with the 40-year-old decided to utilise the experienced Casemiro in such a role.

The 33-year-old joined in a £60m deal from Real Madrid back in the summer of 2022, with real hope of handing the Red Devils the top-level star they craved in the middle of the park.

However, his stint in England has been largely topsy-turvy, with his disciplinary record of four red cards often holding him back from being a reliable option.

Former Liverpool star Jamie Carragher even called the Brazilian “terrible” back in September 2023 – before his infamous ‘leave the football’ quotes in May 2024 – with many expecting the player to depart the Theatre of Dreams during the recent window.

Despite such criticism, Casemiro has managed to transform his career in the Premier League, now appearing in all but one league outing of the 2025/26 campaign.

Games played

8

Goals & assists

3

Pass accuracy

83%

Tackles made

3.1

Ball recoveries

5.3

Duels won

60%

Aerials won

1.6

Fouls won

1.2

Whilst working out of possession is largely his responsibility, he’s managed to star with the ball at his feet – scoring twice and notching one assist in his eight appearances.

He’s also managed to make 3.1 tackles and 5.3 ball recoveries per 90 – highlighting his defensive talent, which has so often been called into question in recent years.

Other tallies, such as 60% duels won and 1.6 aerials won per 9,0 further showcase his dominant ability – making him the perfect partner alongside Bruno at present.

Casemiro deserves huge credit for his recent revival under Amorim, subsequently going from a certain exit to now being one of the club’s most important players.

The duo’s partnership at the heart of the side could allow for a successful 2025/26 campaign and kickstart the manager’s tenure at Old Trafford.

Not Cunha or Mbeumo: Man Utd gem is becoming one of the "best in the world"

Manchester United have yet another world-class star on their hands under Ruben Amorim.

2 ByEthan Lamb Oct 30, 2025

ANÁLISE: Sem alarde, São Paulo segue nova filosofia no mercado e constrói elenco cascudo

MatériaMais Notícias

Luiz Gustavo, Bobadilla, Erick, Ferreirinha e André Silva. Todos os reforços contratados pelo São Paulo no mercado tem em comum algo que a diretoria vem pregando na contratação de novos jogadores: a vontade de vestir o manto tricolor.

continua após a publicidade

➡️ Tudo sobre o Tricolor agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! São Paulo

Desde a temporada passada o recado é claro. Para jogar no São Paulo, precisa querer estar no Tricolor. É necessário dar tudo de si dentro de campo e se mostrar incomodado com a reserva.

O elenco criou um espírito de luta e identificação muito forte, e a diretoria foi atrás de jogadores com os mesmos valores. Além disso, reforçou setores carentes no elenco, como volantes, pontas e um reserva para Calleri.

continua após a publicidade

A lateral-esquerda foi a única lacuna não preenchida, já que Wellington está com a renovação travada e o reserva, Patrick Lanza, é jovem e oscilou no profissional.

Mesmo assim, a diretoria do São Paulo qualificou o elenco de Carpini, e o Tricolor possui armas para bater de frente com Atlético-MG, Flamengo e Palmeiras, brigando em todas as frentes do futebol brasileiro.

continua após a publicidade

Tudo sobre

Futebol NacionalMercadoSão Paulo

Bigger talent than Isidor: Sunderland plot move for £50k-p/w “nightmare”

Sunderland fans need to soak up their side’s unbelievable story in the Premier League while they still can.

Of course, it would be monumental for the Black Cats to pull off an unexpected top-four finish on their return to the top-flight, but also, it’s potentially a tad unrealistic to expect them to be competing for a spot around the Champions League table all season long.

Fans of the Wearside giants wouldn’t be turning their noses up at safety, after all, having seen their beloved team be in the doldrums all the way down in League One, once upon a time.

But, after a mightily impressive five wins have now been collected from their opening nine league games, expectations have arguably shifted, with a comfortable mid-table finish – come the end of the gruelling 38-game marathon – not the craziest shout.

Regis Le Bris will just have to hope the bubble doesn’t burst anytime soon, as a possibly challenging January transfer window now comes into view.

Latest on Wilson Isidor's future

This is one major drawback to your success story being constantly in the limelight, as other suitors now attempt to poach your best talents from you.

Sunderland will have to stay strong, therefore, during what will be a likely hectic January window, with Football Insider recently revealing that scouts from several top clubs are tracking Le Bris’ main marksman in Wilson Isidor.

This comes after the composed Frenchman fired home his fourth Premier League strike of the season already, away at Chelsea last time out.

All this speculation surrounding Isidor’s future isn’t completely new, though, with reports back in September stating that Aston Villa were looking at the ex-Zenit St Petersburg attacker as another option up top, with a £35m price tag also rumoured.

With Villa struggling at the moment to get a tune out of Ollie Watkins, it isn’t the wildest suggestion to say that they could put their money where their mouth is and go after the Black Cats’ four-goal hero shortly, with Isidor being noted as looking “very comfortable” in the Premier League by Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley directly after his side’s fantastic Stamford Bridge away day.

Brian Brobbey

4

0 + 1

Eliezer Mayenda

6

1 + 0

Sunderland aren’t overflowing with striker options if Isidor does depart, with Brian Brobbey – who cost a hefty £17.3m from Ajax this summer – yet to get off the mark for his new employers, away from putting his brute strength to good use against Chelsea to assist Chemsdine Talbi’s late winner.

Moreover, Eliezer Mayenda has somewhat faded into the background after a promising Championship campaign, as Sunderland now potentially prepares to go after this new striker, in a sensational January switch, to ease any Isidor-based worries.

Sunderland plot move for new striker

Even if the 6-foot-1 focal point were to remain put, Sunderland might be looking at adding depth to their centre-forward department, anyway.

Based on reports from Football Insider, the Black Cats could soon be welcoming back a familiar face to the Stadium of Light in the form of Chelsea hotshot Marc Guiu, who experienced an extremely short-lived three-game loan stint on Wearside earlier this campaign.

The £50k-per-week attacker would, unfortunately, be recalled, owing to injury issues depleting Enzo Maresca’s options in the striker spot.

Now, however, new reports suggest that a loan move for the Spaniard to return to Le Bris’ ranks might well be on the cards, as a spectacular return is plotted.

It will be interesting to see if the Blues do allow for Guiu to return to the North, considering the former Barcelona youngster has come back to Stamford Bridge and made quite the impression, with Maresca stating that the much-talked-about 19-year-old is “absolutely” in his first team plans, after bagging a Chelsea goal in the Champions League versus Ajax.

It could even be boldly argued that Guiu is a bigger talent than his Villa-linked counterpart, as the Spain U21 international now attempts to potentially set the Premier League alight, if a return to the Black Cats is signed off on.

How Guiu compares to Isidor

Initially, this might seem like a slightly naive take, considering Isidor is being tipped to move away from the Stadium of Light for £35m, after collecting four Premier League goals.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

In stark contrast, Guiu is yet to fire home a single Premier League strike situated in West London.

But, Isidor is very much prone to a no-show here and there in attack, too, with a mammoth 20 big chances missed last season in the Championship.

Consequently, his insane tally of four strikes, despite averaging just 12.8 touches of the ball per Premier League clash, is very unlikely to be sustainable in the long run.

Whereas, all of Guiu’s numbers to date in the senior game point in the direction that he could become even more lethal if given extended runs in a first-team setting, with the 19-year-old already being branded a “nightmare” for defenders to deal with by talent scout Jacek Kulig, irrespective of him only lining up for 30 senior games across his fledgling career.

The Granollers-born starlet has also been able to find the back of the net in some very intimidating environments, with the Blues’ number 38 already managing to score in the Champions League for both Barca and Chelsea, even if he still cuts a wide-eyed presence.

Chelsea

20

7 + 0

Barca Atletic

17

6 + 4

Barca Youth League

8

2 + 0

Barcelona

7

2 + 0

Sunderland

3

1 + 0

The table above only reinforces Guiu’s “exceptional” goalscoring ability – as he was once also lauded by former youth coach Albert Capellas – with Guiu even managing to fire home one solitary effort for Sunderland earlier in the season, before he saw his spell come to a sharp close.

Nine goals on the books of both Chelsea and Barca at a senior level will also encourage the Black Cats even more as they prepare to go back in for their ex-loanee, with a confidence that he could step up and be Sunderland’s main man if needed, having never looked fazed by any of the hurdles that have disrupted his journey so far.

There is also so much room for Guiu to grow and learn, with Le Bris perhaps the perfect manager to get more out of the exciting Spaniard in the short term, having garnered a “meticulous” reputation as a head coach, as noted by one of his ex-players in Matteo Guendouzi.

Moreover, the former Lorient boss also played a pivotal role in Jobe Bellingham exploding into life more on Wearside and eventually joining Borussia Dortmund, with Guiu perhaps dreaming of a similar rise, which is kick-started by working under Le Bris again.

On the contrary, Isidor could well have peaked already as an effective poacher in the Premier League, as Sunderland now works out the best possible contingency plan if their much-loved number 18 does leave imminently, with everything pointing to Guiu rejoining the ranks being a smart next move.

Forget Xhaka: £9.5m “colossus” is Sunderland’s best signing under Le Bris

Sunderland could now have found their best signing since Regis Le Bris joined the building in this £9.5m warrior.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 28, 2025

Litchfield seals Superchargers' win

Superchargers’ prospects of qualifying increase substantially after inflicting Spirit’s second defeat of the season

ECB Media20-Aug-2025

Phoebe Litchfield’s half-century led the Superchargers charge•ECB via Getty Images

Northern Superchargers 93 for 2 (Litchfield 55*, Sutherland 29*) beat London Spirit 90 for 8 (Redmayne 29, Sutherland 3-20) by eight wicketsNorthern Superchargers earned a crucial win at Lord’s to leapfrog hosts London Spirit and take themselves to second in the table in the Hundred women’s competition.It wasn’t quite a must-win game for Hollie Armitage’s side but, having lost to Manchester Originals last time out, their prospects of qualifying have increased substantially after inflicting upon Spirit their second defeat of the season.Superchargers started well with the ball, with both Grace Ballinger and Kate Cross bowling their first 10 deliveries through to take a wicket apiece. When Nicola Carey dismissed Grace Harris and Dani Gibson in consecutive balls, all the wind was taken out of Spirit’s sails and they never threatened to post an overly imposing total.As it was the team in purple made light work of the chase, knocking it off two wickets down with 34 balls to spare.Spirit will want to prove that they’re not reliant on Grace Harris’s runs for success, while for Superchargers they’ll be heartened by the up-turn in form of Phoebe Litchfield – awarded Meerkat Match Hero here for her 38-ball 55 with her customary array of switch-hits dotted throughout.On a day that Southern Brave secured their qualification with their sixth successive win, the fight for the next two qualification spots – and a place in at least the Eliminator – looks set to go down to the wire between today’s two combatants and Manchester Originals (all tied on 16 points), who take on Trent Rockets tomorrow.Litchfield said: “I think losing to Manchester Originals stung for our group. I think we got ourselves in a winning position and it was heartbreaking to not come over the other side. We made a conscious effort to rectify that situation and come out here and win.”We weren’t far off in that last game. We were in a winning position. We’ve just got be ruthless in that moment, and I think we did that today with the ball. The way the girls set it up with the ball, pretty much won us the game in that first innings and then made it really easy for us batters to go out and play with freedom.”The switch hits are fully premeditated, and then I just have to adjust on the length and the line when I switch, but also I have to know how to bail out. So that’s probably the most important thing that I learnt is to bail out, but then if it’s in the area, swing.”

Kate Abdo and Co. in the UK?! Paramount Plus wins rights to Champions League from 2027 to 2031 and opens door to Micah Richards, Thierry Henry, and Gareth Bale presenting games

Kate Abdo and Co. can fly into the UK as Paramount Plus has reportedly won the rights to the Champions League from 2027 to 2031. The move signals the end of TNT Sports’ decade-long grip on Europe’s most prestigious club competition and marks a major expansion of the American-owned streaming giant into the UK market.

Paramount+ set to takeover UK

According to Paramount+ has committed a substantial financial package to secure the rights, outbidding powerful rivals and positioning itself as the next major player in European football coverage. The company delivered a “knockout” offer, believed to be significantly higher than the competition. The decision, which spans six seasons, aligns the UK broadcast strategy with Paramount’s operations in the United States, where its affiliate CBS Sports already hosts the Champions League with presenters like Abdo, Micah Richards, Thierry Henry, and Jamie Carragher. That star-studded team may now extend their presence to British screens as part of a seamless international expansion.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTNT Sports’ decade of Champions League coverage draws to a close

It is a major turning point for TNT Sports, formerly BT Sport, which first acquired the rights in 2013 through an enormous £897 million deal that prised them away from Sky Sports. The partnership began with the 2015–16 season and grew to include coverage of the Europa League and the UEFA Conference League. However, TNT saw its exclusivity diminish in 2022 when Amazon Prime entered the fray, picking up one game per week. Now, in just two years’ time, TNT’s association with UEFA club competitions will end completely. Despite this setback, the broadcaster still holds the rights to several domestic properties, including the Premier League until 2029 and a four-year FA Cup contract secured last year that guarantees extensive third-round coverage.

Although Paramount+ has emerged victorious in this bidding war, the development places yet another financial burden on viewers already juggling subscriptions to Sky Sports, TNT, Amazon, and DAZN. With the fragmentation of sports rights accelerating, British fans may soon find themselves paying more than ever to follow Europe’s top clubs. However, there is a silver lining as reports that Paramount intends to air a selection of matches for free through Channel 5, its UK terrestrial network. This strategy mirrors its approach in other territories and could soften the blow for supporters reluctant to pay for yet another streaming platform.

Streaming giants Netflix and Disney+ also tested the waters

Although Paramount came out on top, the race was far from one-sided. Both Netflix and Disney+ reportedly explored bids, especially after Netflix’s breakout success with the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing spectacle last year. That event drew an extraordinary audience of more than 100 million viewers, convincing the streaming pioneer to continue experimenting with live sports. Its latest splash, broadcasting Paul vs. Anthony Joshua this week, suggests Netflix’s ambition in the sports market remains strong, even if it fell short here. The scale of Paramount’s investment reflects the soaring value of Europe’s top football competitions. The current set of Champions League rights is estimated at close to £3 billion per season, highlighting just how fiercely broadcasters compete for a slice of the action. UEFA’s revamped tournament format, which launched in 2024, might be a factor in driving the value even higher.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

AFPWhat happens to the Super League?

While the broadcast landscape transforms, UEFA is simultaneously working through another massive development, which is a renewed proposal for a European Super League. According to a confidential eight-month negotiation process has been underway involving UEFA, A22 Sports Management (the Super League’s backers), and powerhouse clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid. The discussions aim to bring an end to years of conflict by reshaping the structure of elite European competitions in a way that satisfies all parties. The most groundbreaking element of the proposal may be its broadcasting model. The Super League concept introduces UNIFY, a global streaming service offering both free, ad-supported broadcasts and premium paid options. Designed to give worldwide supporters unrestricted access to every match, UNIFY marks a radical departure from the existing broadcasting service. 

With Paramount+ preparing its UK takeover and UEFA weighing fundamental structural changes to European football, the mid-2020s are shaping up to be an era of profound change. How these developments intersect, and whether the new Super League format might redefine the broadcasting landscape once again, remains an open question.

Stats – India second-best in ODI finals, Mandhana's first hundred in Sri Lanka

All the statistical highlights from India’s win in the tri-series final against Sri Lanka in Colombo

Namooh Shah11-May-20257-2 – India’s record in the finals in women’s ODIs. Only Australia have more wins in ODI finals than India, having won eight out of the 11 they have played.342 for 7 – India’s total in the ODI tri-series final is the highest ever in women’s ODIs in Sri Lanka, going past their 337 for 9 against South Africa last week. Four of the six 300-plus totals in Sri Lanka in the format came in this ODI tri-series.2 – India’s total is also the second-highest in a knockout game in women’s ODIs. Australia’s 356 for 5 against England in the World Cup final in 2022 is at the top. It is also the second-highest total conceded by Sri Lanka in ODIs.11 – Hundreds for Smriti Mandhana in ODIs are the third-most by a woman, with Meg Lanning (15) and Suzie Bates (13) ahead of her.ESPNcricinfo Ltd4 – Number of 300-plus totals for India in 2025, the joint-most by a team in a calendar year in women’s ODIs, alongside New Zealand, who also had four such scores in consecutive matches in 2018.7 – Fifty-plus partnerships between Mandhana and Pratika Rawal in eight matches in 2025, the joint-most by an opening pair in women’s ODIs in a calendar year, equaling the record of Belinda Clark and Lisa Keightley who also had seven in 2000.1 – Mandhana’s 11th ODI hundred was her first in Sri Lanka, the sixth country where she has a hundred in the format. Lanning, Sophie Devine and Bates also have scored ODI hundreds in six countries.116 – Mandhana’s score on Sunday is the third-highest in a women’s ODI tournament final.

0 key passes, 0 dribbles: Frank must finally ditch 5/10 Spurs "disaster"

Tottenham Hotspur were held by Manchester United in the Premier League after Matthijs de Ligt beat Guglielmo Vicario deep into stoppage time to cancel out Richarlison’s deft flick moments earlier.

A real spectacle of a match. But this is more of the same for a Spurs side struggling for form at home and unable to produce the kind of creative performances to sustain a spot at the top of the league ladder.

Crystal Palace

9th

18.2

Man City

2nd

17.8

Man United

8th

17.5

Chelsea

7th

17.1

Arsenal

1st

16.9

Tottenham

3rd

10.1

The season, of course, is still young, but Thomas Frank has much to chew on, having watched his side toil for much of their clash against

the resurgent Red Devils.

Spurs' performance vs Man Utd

Tottenham’s creative issues were on display once again as Man United took control in the opening half. Things improved as Frank made tweaks at the interval, and the late flurry to turn the clash on its head nearly sealed a springboard of a win for the hosts, but a defensive lapse left the club with just one home win from five in the Premier League.

Without the injured Mohammed Kudus, Tottenham were always going to be up against it, and Richarlison and Brennan Johnson largely flattered to deceive down the wings.

Frank’s attacking experiment didn’t pay off, with Richarlison pushed out wide to accommodate Randal Kolo Muani as the central striker. The French loanee was hooked at half-time, and while Richarlison scored late on, it was not his finest overall performance.

Post-match, the Danish coach opted to draw the positives from the performances, but when he sits down in the tactical room and assesses Tottenham’s performance over the international break, he will be sure to settle on some changes.

One of which could be the tough call to drop one of the side’s mainstays. This is a player who is among the most talented down N17, and one whose fragilities were exposed against the Red Devils.

Frank must finally drop Spurs "disaster"

Few would argue against Pedro Porro being one of the most talented and creative full-backs in Europe, but his defending is questionable at times, and when he struggles to make things work on the ball, this is accentuated.

And this was the case against Manchester United.

Bryan Mbeumo scored his customary goal against the Lilywhites, heading home inside the area following Amad Diallo’s whipped cross. The Cameroonian swerved in behind Porro to score the goal.

Moreover, the 26-year-old was culpable of some questionable decision-making and positioning throughout the contest, altogether isolated from the role Frank had hoped he would perform against a team desperate for success and finding their feet.

Hooked after 67 minutes, Porro had struggled to impose himself against the United forwards and lacked his trademark playmaking quality, having lost the ball a shocking 29 times despite not creating a single chance. He attempted 12 crosses and found the mark with only one (data courtesy of Sofascore).

Polish journalist Michael Okonski even called the accuracy of his deliveries a “disaster”.

Football.london handed him a 5/10 match rating and brought to attention these issues, and now Frank must seriously consider making a tactical tweak.

Spence struggled to support the forwards from his unnatural berth on the left, and given his growth both in maturity and confidence in the Premier League over the past year or so, it might be worth moving him into Porro’s space and relegating the Spaniard to the bench.

Forget Palhinha: Spurs star is fast becoming their best player since Kane

Tottenham Hotspur have hit the jackpot on one player who is becoming as crucial as Harry Kane.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 7, 2025

India kept to 168 despite Abhishek's 75

Abhishek Sharma continued his magnificent tournament, following up his 39-ball 74 against Pakistan with a 37-ball 75, but Bangladesh still held India to a total of 168 for 6 after sending them in.India’s innings followed a pattern not unlike Pakistan’s against their bowlers on Sunday: a strong start followed by a dramatic slowdown when the ball became older and harder to time. India scored 95 runs in overs 4-11, when Abhishek ran rampant, and just 73 runs in the 12 overs either side of that stretch.Bangladesh made things difficult for Abhishek and Shubman Gill with new-ball swing in the first three overs, and then by varying their pace and using the grip on offer when the ball got old. In between, Abhishek played an incandescent innings, hitting five sixes to jump up to joint No. 7 on India’s all-time T20I six-hitting charts. He has now hit 58 sixes in just 21 innings; Suresh Raina, with whom he drew level, hit 58 in 66 innings.It’s a different sport now, and Abhishek lives on its cutting edge, and Bangladesh seemed to have no answers when he was cutting their bowling to ribbons. They could, however, have dismissed him for 7 off 8 in the third over, had the wicketkeeper held on to an edge off Tanzim Hasan Sakib, who came into an XI with as many as four changes and bowled brilliantly with the new ball, swinging it prodigiously while also hitting the deck hard.The wicketkeeper who shelled that chance – and Bangladesh’s captain on the night – was Jaker Ali, standing in for Litton Das who was ruled out with a side strain.That miss seemed to be costing Bangladesh dearly when India were 112 for 2 at the start of the 12th over. But a brilliant bit of fielding from Rishad Hossain – diving to his left to stop a dab from Suryakumar Yadav and springing up, ready to throw, in one motion – sent Abhishek back, run out, and changed the complexion of the game. India only scored 56 runs across their last nine overs. Hardik Pandya – who was out off the last ball of the innings for 38 off 29, did the bulk of the scoring.Their slide looked worse for coming against the backdrop of batting-order changes that didn’t come off on the day. India promoted Shivam Dube to No. 3, and sent in Hardik, Tilak Varma and Axar Patel above Sanju Samson, who did not get to bat at all.With batting usually a little easier in the second innings in Dubai, Bangladesh have a genuine chance of tripping India up and firming up their hopes of getting into Sunday’s final.

Lisa Keightley named Mumbai Indians head coach for WPL

Keightley, a two-time ODI World Cup winner with Australia, replaces Charlotte Edwards in the role

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Sep-2025

Lisa Keightley has had a busy coaching career in recent years•ICC/Getty Images

Former Australia batter Lisa Keightley has replaced Charlotte Edwards as the head coach of Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Women’s Premier League (WPL). MI were without a head coach after Edwards left the role to take over as the England Women’s head coach earlier this year, after coaching MI for the first three years of the WPL.”It’s an honour to join the Mumbai Indians, a team that has set the benchmark in the WPL,” Keightley said in a release. “The culture of excellence and care is something I deeply admire. I look forward to working with this talented group to build on our success and continue inspiring on and off the field.”Keightley, a two-time ODI World Cup winner with Australia in 1997 and 2005, has had several coaching roles in recent years, with England Women, Australia Women, Delhi Capitals (WPL), Sydney Thunder (WBBL) and most recently guiding Northern Superchargers to the Women’s Hundred title less than a month ago.

She will now helm the most successful WPL franchise, MI who have won two titles in three years. They won the inaugural season in 2023, defeating DC in the final. In 2024, MI lost to eventual champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the eliminator but won in 2025 again, getting the better of DC in the final.Keightley represented Australia in nine Tests, 82 ODIs, and one T20I in an international career that spanned from 1995 to 2005. She also served as the coach of her home state, New South Wales (NSW) and in 2007, she became the first woman to be appointed as coach of Australia women’s team.

Rishabh Pant to miss home Tests against West Indies

Pant had suffered a fractured left foot during the England tour in July and is currently in rehab at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru

Nagraj Gollapudi22-Sep-20252:05

Is there a role for Nitish Kumar Reddy in home Tests?

India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is set to miss the two-match home Test series against West Indies, starting in Ahmedabad from October 2.India’s selection meeting for the series is scheduled for September 24. ESPNcricinfo has learned the Ajit Agarkar-led panel will pick 15 players, which is two fewer than the squad for the New Zealand Tests last October, the last home series India played.Pant, who was India’s vice-captain in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England this year, suffered a fractured left foot during the fourth Test in Manchester. While he limped out to bat in the first innings, he was replaced by N Jagadeesan in the squad for the final Test at the Oval. Pant is currently at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.It is learned that Pant has been undergoing strength and conditioning and is awaiting further updates from the BCCI medical team before he can resume batting and keeping. There is no firm timeline drawn for his return. India are scheduled to play a white-ball series in Australia from October 19, after the West Indies series.In Pant’s absence, Dhruv Jurel is expected to be India’s wicketkeeper during the West Indies series. Jurel, who is currently in Lucknow playing against Australia A, kept wicket in the final two Tests of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Jagadeesan, who opened in the first match against Australia A as well as swapped keeping duties with Jurel, could be the back-up in case the selectors opt for a second specialist wicketkeeper for the West Indies series.It is also understood that the selectors are likely to consider Nitish Kumar Reddy and Devdutt Padikkal for the Test series. Padikkal, who made 150 for India A against Australia A in the first four-day game in Lucknow, has played two Tests so far. He was part of the Perth Test against Australia last year, when he made scores of 0 and 25 from No. 3.Reddy was also part of that series, as well as the England Tests that followed, and has played a total of seven Tests so far. Reddy, who was supposed to make a comeback from the knee injury he suffered in England in the first four-day game against Australia A, did not make the XI. Both players are in the squad for the second four-day game which begins on Tuesday.The India-West Indies Tests are part of the World Test Championship (WTC). India are currently third on the WTC table, after drawing the five-match England series 2-2. West Indies are sixth after three losses in three games.

Game
Register
Service
Bonus