Liverpool are “in the race” to sign an “unbelievable” defender, and talks could be held in the January transfer window, according to journalist Christian Falk.

Liverpool keen on a left-back

Having failed to reach his usual heights so far this season, the Reds are looking at finding a replacement for long-serving left-back Andy Robertson, and they have identified a number of targets. Antonee Robinson and Milos Kerkez are two of the Premier League stars being considered by Arne Slot, in light of their impressive performances in the first half of the season.

Although Robertson is deemed to be an important player, there is a belief that a younger option is required for the future, and Kerkez particularly fits the bill, given that he is just 21 years old.

Two of Slot’s main targets are currently plying their trade in the Premier League, but the manager is also looking at options from further afield, with Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies, who will be a free agent in the summer, under consideration.

BILD reporter Falk has now provided an update on Liverpool’s pursuit of Davies, and he has indicated that a move to Anfield is still a real possibility, despite widespread interest from other clubs.

Falk said: “True: Alphonso Davies is open to a potential transfer away from Bayern Munich. He’s not 100% fixed on Manchester United or Real Madrid. I heard that talks with Bayern, at the moment, are on ice until January.

“His agent, Nick Huoseh, will talk with any interested top club in the new year. When Huoseh is on his tour of England, Liverpool could get a meeting with him. It would be a good club for Davies, of course, given they play a style of football that would suit him. Liverpool, naturally, have a chance.

“I think Manchester United and Real Madrid are more concrete by comparison at this point in time. Bayern are also applying pressure to sign him up to a new contract. They’re still hopeful about making this work. So, Liverpool are still in the race, if they want him.”

Liverpool pushing to sign new £25m star and could have advantage over PSG

The Reds could have advantage over PSG.

By
Henry Jackson

Dec 20, 2024

Davies impressing for Bayern

The 24-year-old’s attacking talents were on display for all to see at the weekend, chipping in with a goal and an assist in Bayern’s emphatic 5-1 victory over RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga.

The “unbelievable” left-back is well-known for his talent going forward, but he has also proven his defensive aptitude at times this season, perhaps making him the perfect long-term replacement for Robertson.

It will seemingly be difficult to win the race for Davies’ signature, given that a number of top clubs are keen, but his availability on a free transfer at the end of the campaign makes him a very attractive proposition.

Ipswich Town have reportedly held talks over a move to sign a new versatile attacker for Kieran McKenna.

Ipswich Town land Godfrey and want more signings

On the pitch, the Tractor Boys are putting up a real fight in their bid to avoid the drop from the Premier League, sitting 18th in the table currently. Away from the action, though, Portman Road chiefs have already been making moves in the January transfer window.

Centre-back Ben Godfrey, formerly of rivals Norwich City, signed on loan from Serie A side Atalanta, becoming the first addition of 2025 in the process.

Talking after putting pen to paper for the remainder of the campaign, Godfrey said: “I’ve played against Ipswich over the years, so I obviously know about the size of the club and when I spoke to the manager, he really sold it to me and I’m looking forward to being part of this project.

“Before I spoke to him, I’d heard through football people that he was a great coach, a great manager. He’s got a great history in the game with coaching, coaching some great players and I think to have the opportunity to work under him is massive. I’m really looking forward to that.

“I think you can tell from watching the games that it’s a tight bunch, a bunch that is giving everything to try and stay in this league and for me to be a part of that, that’s great. We’ll do all we can to achieve that. I’ve been quite fortunate over my career so far to be a part of some good dressing rooms and I’m sure Ipswich will be exactly the same.”

It may not be just Godfrey who arrives at Portman Road, though, with reports claiming McKenna wants up to five new players at Ipswich in January.

An addition in the final third is seemingly on the club’s radar, with a £16m bid rejected for Liverpool’s Ben Doak and a £30m move mooted for Botafogo striker Igor Jesus. Now, a new name has emerged.

Ipswich Town in talks for Patrick Wimmer

According to reports from Italy, relayed by Sport Witness, Ipswich Town have opened talks with the entourage of VfL Wolfsburg forward Patrick Wimmer over a potential transfer.

The Tractor Boys aren’t alone in their interest, though, with Italian sides Como and AS Roma also keen on the 23-year-old.

Wimmer, an Austria international, can play as a right-winger, left-winger or as an attacking midfielder, so would offer McKenna a versatile option in attack, should Ipswich secure his services.

After Godfrey: Ipswich target £16m monster who outperformed Delap last year

The experienced forward would add more goals to Ipswich’s attack.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jan 6, 2025

This season, the Wolfsburg attacker has been limited to just 12 Bundesliga appearances, registering two assists in 640 minutes of football.

He has been with his current employers since 2022 and has a total of 17 goal contributions in 59 games, but by the looks of things, a move to England and Ipswich could be one to watch over the coming weeks.

The last month or so has been far from ideal for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side have dropped points in the Premier League and are now set to be without the talismanic Bukayo Saka for at least a couple of months.

However, the one positive development has been the return to form of Gabriel Jesus, who’s bagged five goals in his last three games and looks far more dangerous than he did just a month ago.

Unfortunately for the Brazilian, though, it might be too little too late, as recent reports have once again linked the club to one of Europe’s most exciting up-and-coming strikers, who could be his long-term replacement.

Arsenal transfer news

According to reports from Spain, Arsenal have maintained their interest in RB Leipzig forward Benjamin Šeško and he now wants to seal a move to England in 2025.

The report claims that following his impressive form for the German side this season, the Slovenian international has caught the eye of several potential suitors heading into next year.

While this competition is far from ideal for the Gunners, the good thing is that they now know how much they’ll need to offer to secure the 21-year-old’s services, as the report claims Leipzig will only listen to offers in excess of €70m, which is about £58m.

It would still require a significant investment from Arsenal to get this transfer over the line, but given Šeško’s ability and potential, it is worth pursuing, even if it could be bad news for Jesus.

How Šeško compares to Jesus

So, as things stand, it would appear that Jesus has reclaimed the starting number nine role at Arsenal, and given his five goals in the last three games, it’s a role he could be set to keep for a little while longer.

However, if the club were to go out and spend shy of £60m on Šeško either next month or in the summer, they’d surely only do so with the intention of giving him as many minutes as possible, putting him in direct competition with the Brazilian.

With that said, which one of them comes out on top in a direct comparison?

Well, when it comes to their pure output since the start of last season, it’s quite a comfortable victory for the Radeče-born “monster”, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson.

For example, he has found the back of the net 29 times and provided five assists in 65 appearances, which equates to a goal involvement every 1.91 games.

In contrast, the former Manchester City star has scored 14 goals and provided ten assists in 59 games across the same period, equating to a rather disappointing average of a goal involvement every 2.45 games.

Interestingly, things are a little closer when we take a look under the hood at their underlying numbers since the start of last season, although the Leipzig gem still comes out just ahead in the most relevant metrics.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.45

0.59

Actual Non-Penalty G+As

0.85

0.52

Shots

2.58

3.30

Shots on Target

1.38

1.13

Goals per Shot

0.27

0.09

Goals per Shot on Target

0.51

0.25

Goal-Creating Actions

0.42

0.52

Aerial Duels Won

2.47

0.94

For example, while he’s second best for non-penalty expected goals plus assists, shots and goal-creating actions, he is comfortably ahead in metrics like actual non-penalty goals plus assists, shots on target, goals per shot and shot on target and aerial duels won, all per 90.

Moreover, the fact that the Sao Paulo-born ace scored a flurry of goals in the last month has improved his overall per 90 numbers, which could be misleading without that added context.

Ultimately, while Jesus is still a brilliant footballer and a player who could be a valuable asset for Arsenal, it seems unlikely that he’s going to develop into a goalscoring phenomenon in the coming years, which could be the case for Šeško.

Therefore, while it will cost the club a significant amount of money, the Gunners should do what they can to sign the Slovenian goal machine as soon as possible.

Havertz upgrade: Arsenal target prolific £352k-p/w "goal-machine"

The sensational striker could fire Arsenal to glory.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 30, 2024

Aaron Ramsdale has reportedly kept the door open to staying with Southampton despite the Saints' imminent relegation from the Premier League.

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Southampton set to be relegated from Premier LeagueRamsdale expected to leave the club in the summerRamsdale says he could end up staying with the clubFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Ramsdale joined Southampton last summer as they looked to stay in the Premier League for more than just one season after being promoted to the English top tier. The England international has helped the Saints out this season, however, Southampton are on course to become the first team to be relegated to the Championship.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Due to Southampton's imminent relegation back to the Championship, Ramsdale has been expected to leave the Saints in the summer. However, the former Arsenal goalkeeper has now kept the door open to staying with Southampton, but could still leave the club.

Getty Images SportWHAT RAMSDALE SAID

Speaking to the media, Ramsdale said: "I've had my name mentioned many times over my career, and it's quite easy to forget about it. I don't have my comments or my name on social media, so if anyone puts anything on there, I'll never see it. It's quite easy because I don't go searching for myself.

"I don't really know who I'm getting tied to or what people are saying about me. I don't really care. For me, it was about coming here to play. I knew it was going to be tough. I didn't manage to play as many games because of injuries, which is unfortunate, but I've loved my time so far.

"We've still got eight games left, and as I said, it's about finishing the season respectfully. Whatever will be, will be. I could be here, I could be abroad, I could be on a different team. I'm 26, I want to play football, and if that means moving or staying to fulfil my dreams, then that would be it."

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WHAT NEXT FOR RAMSDALE?

Southampton are up against Tottenham on Sunday evening in gameweek 31, and a loss for Ramsdale's side could officially make this the earliest a Premier League side has been relegated, beating the record set by Derby County (2007-08) and Huddersfield( 2018-19) , who gained relegation in round 32.

Police have launched a criminal investigation into claims of racist abuse among the crowd on the fourth day of the rescheduled fifth Test between England and India at Edgbaston.Warwickshire and the ECB began their own investigations into the claims, which emerged publicly on Monday night when several supporters said on Twitter that they had suffered racist abuse from other fans. Their complaints were highlighted by Azeem Rafiq, the whistleblower whose allegations of a culture of institutional racism have seen Yorkshire charged with bringing the game into disrepute.In a statement released immediately after England completed a seven-wicket victory before lunch on Tuesday’s fifth day, Stuart Cain, Warwickshire’s chief executive, said the club had provided police with CCTV images and information, adding that anyone prosecuted faced being banned from Edgbaston and other venues around the country.”Any form of abuse isn’t acceptable in life or sport,” Cain said. “So, I’m angry about the fact that people think it’s acceptable at an international cricket event and apologise for the distress it’s caused.”I have spoken to those who raised the issue on social media, the stewards managing the Eric Hollies Stand and the police. There has been a great atmosphere over five days involving more than 100,000 England and India fans but when this issue was reported to the stewards, they couldn’t pinpoint where the alleged abuse was coming from so stewards and the police monitored the area until close of play.”However, we actively support police action in alleged cases of abuse and have provided them with CCTV imagery and further information which has led to them launching a criminal investigation.”Anyone with information was asked to contact police on their national crime-reporting number, 101, and Cain urged fans to download the Edgbaston app allowing people to anonymously report abuse directly to the ground’s control room which can then alert stewards and police.”There was a separate incident reported via the app yesterday, which was dealt with in less than ten minutes and led to the ejection of three fans,” he said. “For Saturday’s Vitality IT20 versus India we will be writing to all fans to remind them of our zero tolerance approach to abuse… everybody should feel safe and welcome at Edgbaston, and we will continue to work hard to deliver this expectation.”The Bharat Army, the official team India supporters group, said on Twitter that they would work with Edgbaston officials to share fan feedback on their experiences, adding: “Sad to say many of our members experienced racist abuse from a very small minority of individuals… Thank you to those England fans who stood by us.”On Monday night, the official Edgbaston Twitter account said in a response to one of Rafiq’s tweets: “We’re incredible sorry to read this and do not condone this behaviour in anyway [sic]. We’ll be investigating this ASAP.”The ECB also said in a statement: “We are very concerned to hear reports of racist abuse at today’s Test match. We are in contact with colleagues at Edgbaston who will investigate. There is no place for racism in cricket. Edgbaston has been working hard to create a safe and inclusive working environment.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O torcedor brasileiro costuma dizer que as noites de Libertadores são diferentes. Para ganhar a partida, é preciso dar 101% dentro de campo, e o Corinthians, com o apoio de quase 42 mil torcedores em sua Arena, fez um jogo digno desse espírito na competição ao vencer merecidamente o Boca Juniors por 2 a 0.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansCorinthians emite nota de repúdio após ato racista de torcedor do Boca e agradece à Polícia MilitarCorinthians27/04/2022CorinthiansApós vencer o Boca, ‘técnico provisório’ do Corinthians diz que objetivo é aumentar a intensidadeCorinthians27/04/2022CorinthiansMaycon diz que vitória contra o Boca foi para ‘lavar a alma’ após derrota no DérbiCorinthians27/04/2022

> GALERIA – Maycon brilha em vitória do Timão contra o Boca; veja notas

O Timão não foi desleal, muito menos violento, como muitos acham que o seu time deve se portar em um jogo contra um dos gigantes do continente. Não, apesar dos cinco cartões amarelos, o Alvinegro entrou ligado e firme, mas sem deixar a catimba subir à cabeça.

A começar por Du Queiroz e Maycon, que formaram a dupla de volantes da equipe, proporcionando muita energia e intensidade no meio-campo. Du, em uma função mais recuada, não deixava nada passar, somando cinco dos 16 desarmes da equipe, segundo o Footstats,

Maycon teve liberdade para se movimentar pelo campo efoi essa facilidade para cobrir e atacar todas as áreas do gramado que mudaram a história do jogo. O camisa 5, incorporando a melhor fase de Paulinho pelo Corinthians em 2012, apareceu duas vezes na área do Boca como elemento surpresa e decidiu o jogo com seus dois gols.

> TABELA – Confira e simule os jogos do Corinthians na Libertadores

Mas para que o sistema funcionasse à perfeição, um dos meias teve que fazer mais de uma função. Foi difícil afirmar qual a posição de Renato Augusto. Ora ajudava nasaída de bola como volante, às vezes até ao lado dos zagueiros. Em outros momentos, aparecia no meio como opção, e era possível vê-lo também como um ponta.

Na entrevista coletiva, Maycon falou sobre a importânciade todos os jogadores estarem à disposição para ajudar a equipe, mesmo que isso não os beneficie individualmente. Fábio Santos, Fagner, Adson, Willian, Jô, e posteriormente no segundo tempo Mantuan e Róger Guedes, incorporaram esse mantra.

> GUIA – Tudo sobre o Corinthians na Libertadores

No Dérbi de sábado passado – derrota por 3 a 0, pelo Brasileirão – tinha-se a impressão de que os atletas corintianos pareciam cansados e superados fisicamente. Ela ficou para trás. Jô, mesmo sem nenhuma finalização, foi muito importante para iniciar a pressão no campo de ataque, dando carrinho e não desistindo das jogadas.

Na etapa final, Róger Guedes ficou preso na zaga argentina a maior parte do tempo, mas mostrou resiliência e, no momento certo, esteve concentrado para fazer a jogada do segundo gol.

João Victor e Raul Gustavo, embora amarelados, foram perfeitos, anulando qualquer ameaça da equipe adversária. Juntos, eles cometeram apenas uma falta e mostraram um elevado nível de foco e comprometimento durante os 90 minutos. A atuação de todo o time fez Cássio ser um mero espectador do show dado pela torcida nas arquibancadas.

Toda a energia e garra vista em campo se deu pelo apoio incondicional dos 42 mil torcedores na Neo Química Arena, que cantaram juntos e mostraram a razão por trás do apelido “Bando de Loucos”.

Everton have now been offered the chance to bolster their ranks on the cheap as they look to survive in the Premier League this season, with the Toffees sinking ever closer to the relegation zone.

Everton lose again

David Moyes’ return got off to a poor start as his side were beaten 1-0 by Aston Villa in his first outing, but there will be plenty of positives to take from the game for Toffees fans.

Against a potential challenger for the Champions League spots, they held their own and created more than enough opportunities to snatch a point, only for their familiar failings to strike again.

Everton

Aston Villa

Possession

50%

50%

Shots

10

11

Shots on Target

3

3

Big Chances Created

3

4

Big Chances Missed

3

3

Expected goals

1.14

1.21

They generated largely the same number of chances as their opponents, but could not find the back of the net, a reoccurring theme this season. In fact, only Southampton (12) have scored fewer goals than Everton’s 15, and Moyes admitted after the game that he was “definitely” planning on using the transfer window to try and address their goalscoring woes.

“I can definitely see we are lacking a level of quality that will give us opportunities or make us more goals or score more goals which we’d like to address if we can do that,” he told the media.

They have been linked with a move for Leicester City forward Tom Cannon, and now they have been offered the chance to potentially bolster their ranks on the cheap with some Premier League experience.

Everton offered chance to sign Willian

That comes as the Telegraph report that Everton are one of several Premier League sides who have been offered the chance to sign Willian on a free transfer this winter after he agreed a mutual termination of his deal at Olympiacos.

Now 36-years-old, the Brazilian forward left the Premier League over the summer after a two-year stint at Fulham, but struggled in Greece and is keen on a return to the English top flight.

Dubbed a “top class” player during his last spell with the Cottagers by manager Marco Silva, the veteran would certainly bring Premier League experience, having amassed over 300 appearances in the top flight and lifting the Premier League title on two occasions, and Everton are “understood to have shown an interest” in bringing him to Goodison Park.

Everton make contact with chairman to sign "ferocious" £30,000-p/w striker

He could be the man to solve their goalscoring issues in the Premier League.

ByBen Browning Jan 16, 2025

Though his best days may now be behind him, Willian still proved his value to Fulham last season, scoring four times and grabbing two assists in 31 appearances and being a regular starter for Silva’s side, who finished comfortably midtable.

That return would have put him fourth on Everton’s goalscoring charts last season, and would see him at the top of them so far this campaign. With the club keen to add more options to their attack, he could be a low cost solution that may provide massive potential return on investment, especially if he can help propel the Toffees up the Premier League and away from the drop zone.

Man Utd have reportedly rejected Real Betis' offer to extend Antony's loan deal, with a permanent transfer hinging on their European aspirations.

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• United want £30m for Brazilian winger
• Betis three points adrift of Champions League spots
• Antony has rediscovered form in Spain

• (C)Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to a report by The Mirror, Antony has been earmarked for a summer move away by United's top brass. The club wants to recoup £30 million ($40m) for the Brazilian winger, who initially joined the Red Devils from Ajax for £85m ($113m) in 2022, to help build a £200m ($265m) transfer war chest for head coach Ruben Amorim, hence the decision to turn down Betis' new offer of a loan extension.

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• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  For Betis to meet that valuation, they will likely need to qualify for next season's Champions League. Manuel Pellegrini's men currently sit in sixth place in La Liga, three points adrift of fifth place Villarreal, who occupy what could be an extra qualifying spot for Spain based on the UEFA coefficient table and also have a game in hand over Los Verdiblancos.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Antony has rediscovered his best form under Pellegrini, after a disappointing two-and-half years in Manchester. The 25-year-old has racked up eight goal involvements in 15 appearances for Betis across all competitions since moving to the club on loan in January.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ANTONY?

  The incentive for the Brazilian is pretty clear. If he can spur Betis on to Champions League qualification, he can secure a permanent move to the club which has reenergised him. Even if Betis fall short in their goal, though, consistent performances will make Antony a hot property for other clubs in need of some flair and creativity. Regardless of Betis' destiny, it seems Antony's future does not include a return to Old Trafford.

England has provided by far the biggest group with Afghanistan, Pakistan and West Indies also well represented

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Aug-2022The final list of players for the BBL draft on August 28 has been confirmed with 332 names in total. The 12 platinum names were announced on Monday and, overall, there are 28 players eligible for retention by their team of last year.Adelaide Strikers Rashid Khan, Ian Cockbain, George Garton, Daniel Worrall
Brisbane Heat Tom Abell, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Fakhar Zaman
Hobart Hurricanes Jordan Cox, Sandeep Lamichhane, Tom Lammonby
Melbourne Renegades Unmukt Chand, Zahir Khan, Reece Topley
Melbourne Stars Andre Russell, Qais Ahmed, Joe Clarke, Ahmad Daniyal, Syed Faridoun
Perth Scorchers Lauire Evans, Tymal Mills, Colin Munro
Sydney Sixers Chris Jordan, Shadab Khan, Tom Curran, James Vince
Sydney Thunder Sam Billings, Alex Hales, Mohammad HasnainAnd here is the full list: (bold = Platinum)Afghanistan
Noor Ahmad, Qais Ahmad, Ijaz Ahmadzai, Zia ur Rehman Akbar, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Shafiqullah Ghafari, Usman Ghani, Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Hamid Hassan, Hamza Hotak, Waqarullah Ishaq, Rashid Khan, Zahir Khan, Nangeyalia Kharote, Gulbadin Naib, Izharulhaq Naveed, Azmatullah Omarzai, Abdul Rahman Rahmani, Waqar Salamkheil, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Mohammad Shahzad, Naveen Ul Haq Murid, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Ghamai Zadra, Hazratullah ZazaiBangladesh
Al-amin Hossain, Shafiul Islam, Ripon MondolBermuda
Kamau LeverockCanada
Kairav SharmaEngland
Colin Ackermann, Rehan Ahmed, Toby Albert, Kashif Ali, Tom Alsop, Martin Andersson, Gus Atkinson, Josh Baker, Sonny Baker, Jake Ball, Chris Benjamin, Jacob Bethell, Sam Billings, James Bracey, Henry Brookes, Pat Brown, Brydon Carse, Matthew Carter, Jordan Clark, Joe Clarke, Josh Cobb, Ian Cockbain, Jordan Cox, Mason Crane, Zak Crawley, Matt Critchley, Steven Croft, Alex Davies, Liam Dawson, Joe Denly, Brett D’Oliveira, Leus du Plooy, Stephen Eskinazi, Laurie Evans, Matt Fisher, James Fuller, George Garton, Ben Gibbon, Richard Gleeson, Lewis Gregory, Sam Hain, Alex Hales, Miles Hammond, Tom Hartley, Jack Haynes, Freddie Heldreich, Tom Helm, Ryan Higgins, Max Holden, Adam Hose, Benny Howell, Louis Kimber, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Chris Jordan, Danny Lamb, Tom Lammonby, Jack Leaning, Jake Lintott, Liam Livingstone, Conor McKerr, Lewis McManus, Ben Mike, Tymal Mills, Daniel Mousley, Steven Mullaney, Matthew Quinn, Craig Overton, Jamie Overton, Callum Parkinson, Matt Parkinson, David Payne, Michael Pepper, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Ben Raine, Adam Rossington, George Scrimshaw, John Simpson, Prem Sisodiya, Will Smeed, Nathan Sowter, Mitchell Stanley, Cameron Steel, Olly Stone, Callum Taylor, Jack Taylor, Tommy Taylor, Reece Topley, Liam Trevaskis, James Vince, Paul Walter, Joe Weatherley, Ross Whiteley, Chris Wood, Luke Wood, Saif Zaib, Tom Abell, Tom Banton, Daniel Bell-Drummond, Luc Benkenstein, Alex Blake, Sol Budinger, Tom Curran, Joey Evison, Luke Fletcher, Ben Geddes, Nick Gubbins, Haseeb Hameed, Tom Lawes, David Lloyd, Adam Lyth, Wayne Madsen, Tom Moores, Daniel Moriarty, Samit Patel, Jason Roy, Phil Salt, Darren Stevens, David Willey, Daniel Worrall, Rob YatesIreland
Mark Adair, Andy Balbirnie, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Josh Little, Paul Stirling, Harry TectorNamibia
David WieseNepal
Subash Khakurel, Sandeep LamichhaneNetherlands
Shariz Ahmad, Bas de Leede, Brandon Glover, Fred Klaassen, Maxwell O’Dowd, Vikramajit Singh, Timm van der Gugten, Roelof van der Merwe, Paul van Meekeren, Tobias VisseNew Zealand
Todd Astle, Trent Boult, Mitch McClenaghan, Colin Munro, Ross Taylor, James NeeshamOman
Bilal KhanPakistan
Tayyab Abbas, Abbas Afrifi, Asif Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Iftikhar Ahmed, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Sohail Akhtar, Kamran Akmal, Umar Akmal, Faisal Akram, Qasim Akram, Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Adil Amin, Mohammad Amir, Faheem Ashraf, Umaid Asif, Amad Butt, Shahnawaz Dahani, Salman Fayyaz, Zafar Gohar, Kamran Ghulam, Sameen Gul, Mohammad Hafeez, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Haris, Dilbar Hussain, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Ilyas, Ali Imran, Arshad Iqbal, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Irfan Jr, Salman Irshad, Akif Javed, Usman Khalid, Azam Khan, Imran Khan, Junaid Khan, Maaz Khan, Musa Khan, Shadab Khan, Sharjeel Khan, Sohail Khan, Zaman Khan, Ahmad Daniyal Latif, Syed Faridoun Mahmood, Sohaib Maqsood, Shan Masood, Usama Mir, Salman Mirza, Mehran Mumtaz, Saad Naseem, Usman Qadir, Momin Qamar, Rumman Raees, Mamoon Ur Riaz, Wahab Riaz, Abdullah Shafique, Ali Majid Shah, Khushdil Shah, Yasir Shah, Saud Shakeel, Usman Shinwari, Haris Sohail, Hussain Talat, Imam-ul-Haq, Khalid Usman, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Yamin, Amir, Mohammad Zahid, Fakhar Zaman, Zeeshan Zameer, Mohammad ZeeshanPNG
Norman VanuaScotland
Michael Jones, Michael Leask, George Munsey, Safyaan Sharif, Hamza Tahir, Craig Wallace, Mark WattSouth Africa
Shane Dadswell, Marchant de Lange, Faf du Plessis, Pieter Malan, Migael Pretorius, Rilee Rossouw, Imran TahirSri Lanka
Dinesh Chandimal, Dushan Hemantha, Nisala Gamage, Prabath Jayasuriya, Ruwantha Kellapotha, Ramesh Mendis, Lakshan SandakanUAE
Vriitya Aravind, Rahul Bhatia, Aryan Lakra, Alishan SharafuUSA
Harmeet Singh Baddhan, Unmukt Chand, Karima Gore, Andries Gous, Nosthush Kenjige, Ali Khan, Jaskaran Malhotra, Saurabh Netravalkar, Monank Patel, Smit PatelWest Indies
Joshua Bishop, Carlos Brathwaite, Dwayne Bravo, Johnson Charles, Rivaldo Clarke, Sheldon Cottrell, Amrit Dass, Mark Deyal, Dominic Drakes, Fidel Edwards, Matthew Forde, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Chemar Holder, Akeal Hosein, Joshua James, Evin Lewis, Obed McCoy, Keemo Paul, Anderson Phillip, Khary Pierre, Kieron Pollard, Ravi Rampaul, Jeavor Royal, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Jayden Seales, Kevin Sinclair, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh, Tion Webster, Kesrick Williams, Nyeem YoungZimbabwe
Ryan Burl, Eddie Byrom, Elton Chigumbura, Christopher Mpofu, Tawanda Muyeye, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava

West Indies fell apart after Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant led a team batting effort to set a target of 192

Sidharth Monga06-Aug-2022

India maintained their unbeaten series record against West Indies since 2016 by taking an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-T20I series. Their attacking style of batting helped them post 191 even though they tapered off in the second half of their innings, and their bowlers used cutters well to stifle West Indies’ batting.This was India’s highest T20I total when none of their batters have scored a fifty. Only one of their seven batters failed to get to double figures, which was just as well because they had Axar Patel batting at No. 7, and he gave India the finishing kick with an unbeaten 20 off eight balls after a middle-overs slowdown.India’s over-stated problems against left-arm seam took a back seat as Obed McCoy returned the most expensive analysis – 2 for 66, including six sixes off his bowling – for a West Indies bowler two matches after he returned the best figures by a West Indies bowler. Avesh Khan experienced a turnaround in the opposite direction with two wickets in the powerplay for just nine runs in two overs, following which West Indies never really recovered even though Nicholas Pooran and Rovman Powell threatened briefly.Rohit, Suryakumar hit the ground running
Either the India openers quickly surmised that they needed to score their runs while the ball was new or they felt this pitch needed a huge score, because they didn’t hold back at all. Rohit Sharma was the first aggressor, hitting a couple of boundaries in the first two overs, before he and Suryakumar Yadav welcomed McCoy mercilessly. Rohit eased him for sixes over long-on and long-off, and Suryakumar displayed great flair, whipping and uppercutting him for a six and a four. India’s fifty came up in the fifth over.Suryakumar Yadav played a number of innovative shots as always•AFP/Getty Images

Hosein, Joseph pull things back
Akeal Hosein and Alzarri Joseph bowled the two tough final overs of the powerplay, bringing West Indies back into the contest. Hosein pulled back his length after being slogged for a six to bowl Rohit, and Joseph trapped Suryakumar lbw as he tried to open up the leg side once too often.Once the field spread, West Indies began to bowl cutters into the pitch and the boundaries dried up. Given the conditions, Rishabh Pant, batting at No. 4, played a superb hand of 44 off 31 in the most difficult phase of the innings. At the other end, Deepak Hooda managed 21 off 19 balls, while Sanju Samson scored 30 off 23. And once West Indies got Dinesh Karthik for just 6, they would have hoped to restrict India considerably.Axar gives India the big finish
A six over long-off, another over long-on – both off McCoy in the 19th over – and then a four off the last ball of the innings, and Axar, playing his first match of the series, brought India 27 runs in the final two overs after the previous three had produced just 18.Avesh owns the powerplay
Going for over 14 an over in the series, and playing possibly only because Harshal Patel is injured, it is fair to assume Avesh was under the scanner in this match. He started after Bhuvneshwar Kumar had been taken for 14 in the first over, and used the legcutter well to get rid of Brandon King with a return catch, and the promoted Devon Thomas off a skier to mid-off. West Indies now needed a special innings from someone in the middle order.The Pooran and Powell threat
Rohit made the surprising call of calling the left-arm spinner Axar on to bowl the fifth over, a difficult over to bowl, with two left-hand batters in the middle. Pooran was ruthless, hitting three sixes and a four, but the over ended in anti-climax with a run-out as Kyle Mayers sent him back after setting off for a quick single.This was not the end of Axar’s luck for the day. In his third over – the ninth of the innings – Powell took a shine to him, hitting him for two sixes down the ground, but he chipped the easiest of the deliveries, a full-toss, straight down the throat of long-on. West Indies were now 82 for 5 in nine overs.India closed out the game efficiently, the highlight being Arshdeep Singh bowling in the middle overs for the first time in T20Is and taking out the threatening Jason Holder to make sure there was no way back for West Indies.