SRH are likely to be without Hasaranga in what is expected to be spin-friendly conditions at Eden Gardens

Hemant Brar22-Mar-20242:10

Steven Smith predicts Starc’s wicket tally, IPL 2024’s MVP, and much more

Match detailsKolkata Knight Riders (KKR) vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
Kolkata, 1930 IST (1400 GMT)Big picture – Cummins vs StarcIn December, Pat Cummins became the most expensive player at an IPL auction when SRH bought him for INR 20.5 crore (US$2.47 million approx.). But the record did not survive for even two hours as KKR broke the bank for Mitchell Starc, signing him for INR 24.75 crore (US$2.98 million approx.).On the first weekend of IPL 2024, those two will come face-to-face in Kolkata.Related

Do new-look SRH have the personnel to turn fortunes around?

Shreyas Iyer's fitness a concern for spin-heavy KKR

The constant and universal appeal of Mitchell Starc

Cummins had a dream 2023, where he led Australia to the World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup titles. But this is his first captaincy stint in T20 cricket, and leading an IPL team is vastly different from leading a national side. And while Cummins the bowler is already on the path to greatness in Test cricket, the same cannot be said about him in T20s.SRH have got a new coach as well: Daniel Vettori. That makes it the fourth consecutive season where they have a new captain and a new coach. Once among the most consistent IPL teams, SRH finished twice at the bottom and once at No. 8 – among ten teams – in the last three seasons. Can Cummins and Vettori revive their fortunes?One man who played a key role in Cummins’ success as Australia captain last year was Starc. For KKR, he will have to play an even bigger role as there is no other world-class seamer in the squad.The last time Starc featured in the IPL was in 2015. Playing for RCB, he had picked up 20 wickets in 13 games at an economy of 6.76. Since then, he has gone for 8.14 an over in 41 T20Is. During the 2022 T20 World Cup, Australia even left him out for a match. With the next T20 World Cup in June, he, too, has a point to prove.Shreyas Iyer is back for KKR•BCCI

Team news – Shreyas Iyer back for KKRShreyas Iyer is back as KKR captain after missing the 2023 season. There were some concerns over his fitness recently as he did not field on the last two days of the Ranji Trophy final because of back spasms. But earlier this week, he featured in KKR’s intra-squad practice match and is fit to play on Saturday. Dushmantha Chameera, though, is likely to be unavailable for the first few games after suffering a quadriceps injury during the first ODI against Afghanistan.Wanindu Hasaranga is unavailable at least for the first game. His status is a little unclear, since he is in Sri Lanka’s Test squad in Bangladesh but can’t really play those games as he is serving an ICC suspension. In a way, his absence makes Cummins’ task of picking four overseas players easier.Impact Player strategyKolkata Knight Riders
If KKR bat first, they can start with Nitish Rana. In the second innings, Suyash Sharma can replace him as Impact Player. The opposite can be done if they bowl first.Probable XII: 1 Venkatesh Iyer, 2 Phil Salt (wk), 3 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 4 , 5 Rinku Singh, 6 Andre Russell, 7 Ramandeep Singh, 8 Sunil Narine, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Harshit Rana, 11 Varun Chakravarthy, 12 There is arguably a better strategy if a team bats first. For example, if KKR are batting first, Ramandeep Singh can come in as Impact Player for a dismissed Nitish, if required. If there is no such need, Vaibhav Arora can replace Nitish at the start of the second innings to further bolster the bowling.Sunrisers Hyderabad
If SRH are batting first, they can start with Abdul Samad and replace him with T Natarajan in the second half. Vice versa if they bowl first.Probable XII: 1 Abhishek Sharma/Mayank Agarwal, 2 Travis Head, 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 6 , 7 Washington Sundar, 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Mayank Markande, 11 Umran Malik, 12 Or, if they are batting first, they can bring in Abdul Samad for a dismissed Rahul Tripathi, if required. Else, Jaydev Unadkat can replace Tripathi in the second innings.There’s a lot of dollars that Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins have to do justice to•Getty Images

Stats that matter – Russell vs Klaasen Among those who have hit at least 50 sixes in the last 12 months, Andre Russell has done it most frequently, clearing the boundary once every 6.1 balls. Heinrich Klaasen is second on the list, with 7.3 balls per six Russell and Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be up against each other at the death – a match-up Russell enjoys. He has smashed Bhuvneshwar for 72 runs off 34 balls (strike rate 211.76) while getting out twice Shreyas Iyer has struggled against Bhuvneshwar and Umran Malik. Against Bhuvneshwar, he has scored only 44 runs in 49 balls in T20s while getting out three times. Against Malik, it’s two dismissals in 15 balls for 16 runs Since the start of 2020, Iyer has had a strike of 119.34 against legspin. SRH have Mayank Markande to exploit that weakness Mayank Agarwal has a sub-par record against most of the KKR bowlers: 12 runs in 17 balls (1 dismissal) against Mitchell Starc, 15 runs in 19 balls (1 dismissal) against Varun Chakravarthy, 22 runs in 24 balls (three dismissals) against Russell and 40 runs in 32 balls (two dismissals) against Sunil Narine KKR were the most expensive side in the powerplay last season, with an economy of 9.78. SRH were just below them, with 9.29. Both teams will be keen to correct thatPitch and conditionsKKR won only two out of seven home games last season. Their bowling attack revolved around their spinners but the pitches were not helpful. However, during the 2023 ODI World Cup, Kolkata turned out to be the most spin-friendly venue. Given spin is once again KKR’s stronger suit, expect the pitch for Saturday’s match to be on the slower side. The temperature will hover around 25°C, with little chance of dew.Quotes”Right now, I feel I am in the best shape possible. I have been doing my training regularly, I have been hitting the balls, and I have been batting for longer periods of time. That’s something I am thriving on. I don’t want to think about what the doctor has said, what the injury was, because when you put your focus on the injury, you forget what you are doing the best. I want to put all these things aside and focus on what’s there on the plate.”
“It’s one of the beauties of the IPL – I have been playing with Starcy for 15 years, [and] I can’t remember another game where I have played against him. Also, it’s going to be weird looking across and seeing him in the other dugout. And yeah, being an opposition captain, seeing how we go about playing him will be an interesting part of tomorrow.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras ainda não está ativo no mercado de transferências em busca de reforços. A única confirmação por parte do clube é a saída de Gustavo Scarpa para o Nottingham Forest, da Inglaterra, mas isso já tinha sido anunciado antes. Há razões, porém, para esse comportamento de “inércia” no Verdão.

> As transferências mais polêmicas do futebol brasileiro

A cautela nas contratações, por exemplo, vai ao encontro das vontades do técnico Abel Ferreira. O português deu declarações na reta final desta temporada explicando que o clube deve ir atrás de reforços pontuais, além de valorizar a categoria de base multicampeã em 2022.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasEm negociação de renovação com o Palmeiras, Dudu curte ‘volta ao mundo’ nas fériasPalmeiras13/12/2022PalmeirasAgente de Gustavo Gómez garante permanência do zagueiro no Palmeiras: ‘É seu lugar no mundo’Palmeiras13/12/2022PalmeirasCom a saída de Gustavo Scarpa do Palmeiras, Raphael Veiga deve assumir vaga de ‘camisa 10’Palmeiras03/12/2022

Cada vez mais difícil de escolher um só, eu sei, mas bora pras semis da Copa de Gols do #MaiorCampeãoDoBrasil! ⚽️✅#AvantiPalestra pic.twitter.com/vLNIzuvHa0

— SE Palmeiras (@Palmeiras) December 13, 2022

– Se contratarmos, serão dois ou três jogadores, não mais, somente e se contratarmos. Vamos valorizar a base. Criticam a gente por não apostar na base, o que é mentira – disse o treinador, em outubro.

Seguindo essa linha, o Palmeiras deve começar o ano de 2023 com ‘reforços caseiros’, e quatro Crias da Academia serão integradas ao elenco profissional: o zagueiro Naves, o lateral Garcia, o volante Fabinho e o meia Jhon Jhon.

Além deles, o Alviverde encaminhou a volta de um jogador: Lucas Esteves, lateral-esquerdo que estava emprestado ao Colorado Rapids, da MLS, e retorna ao clube. Sem ofertas para ser negociado até o momento, ele deve ser testado pela comissão técnica, de acordo com apuração do LANCE!.

Uma das carências do plantel era no ataque. No entanto, a diretoria supriu a necessidade com as chegadas dos centroavantes Miguel Merentiel e Flaco López. A posição ainda conta com Rony, que pode fazer a função de camisa 9, e a promoção de vez do jovem Endrick para o time principal.

A promessa de 16 anos, inclusive, é um dos fatores que influencia o mercado ‘frio’ do Verdão. Ele está em negociações com o Real Madrid, da Espanha, e os valores especulados na transferência giram em torno de 72 milhões de euros (quase R$ 400 milhões). Se o Palmeiras oficializar a venda de Endrick por essas cifras, qualquer tratativa de reforços terá o preço inflacionado.

Outro fator é que o elenco palmeirense será um dos últimos a voltar aos trabalhos. A equipe se reapresenta, oficialmente, em 2 de janeiro do ano que vem, enquanto rivais já retomam os treinos neste mês. Isso rende à diretoria uma margem de tempo para planejar o plantel de 2023 com mais calma.

+ Palmeiras agenda cinco jogos-treino para a pré-temporada de 2023

A prova que a reapresentação influencia no planejamento é que o São Paulo, por exemplo, já anunciou duas contratações e ainda tem outra encaminhada. O outro rival do Palmeiras, o Corinthians, tem duas negociações avançadas para se reforçar. Ambas as equipes voltam aos trabalhos já nesta quarta-feira (14).

Além disso tudo, a diretoria alviverde focou os esforços nas renovações. Luan, Marcelo Lomba, Mayke e Raphael Veiga já extenderam seus vínculos, enquanto o clube ainda negocia um novo contrato com o atacante Dudu, ídolo do Verdão.

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West Ham United may have to vacate the London Stadium temporarily if the 2029 World Athletics Championships are awarded to the city. Last week, the UK government officially committed to supporting the bid financially, pledging £35 million ($47m) from the Treasury. An additional £10m ($13.5m) was also secured from the Mayor of London’s office, taking the total public funding support to £45m ($61m).

2029 World Athletics Championships might be held in UKLondon Stadium may be taken up as potential venueWest Ham face moving outFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The global track and field event, now planned as the closing act of the international athletics season under a new initiative by World Athletics, is likely to take place in September 2029. This timing presents a scheduling headache, as it would overlap with the start of the 2029-30 Premier League campaign. Although the official bid will include alternate dates in July and August, it is understood that September remains the priority month for World Athletics if London is selected, as revealed by However, the proposed event would return world-class athletics to the capital for the first time since 2017, when London hosted a memorable edition of the Championships that drew capacity crowds and generated over £100m ($135m) in economic benefits for the city.

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The London Stadium, which was originally built as the centrepiece of the 2012 Olympic Games, still features the infrastructure to accommodate athletics. To host a track event, however, the venue requires a reconfiguration of seating, which, while significantly faster than in previous years, still demands several days to complete. Previously, transforming the stadium for athletics took up to 15 days. Recent innovations have reduced this process to approximately four days, but organisers would still need the venue for a two- to three-week stretch to accommodate setup, the event itself, and post-event arrangements.

DID YOU KNOW?

This timeframe would prevent West Ham from playing any home games during the early weeks of the football season, forcing the Premier League and UEFA (if the club qualifies for European competitions that year) to schedule only away fixtures during that period. While it is common to request away games during stadium renovations or other interruptions, a three-week absence would be more complex to manage. Even planning the games around the international break, which typically includes a midweek and weekend slot, wouldn’t fully resolve the problem, especially if UEFA or Carabao Cup matches fall in that window.

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WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

It is believed that existing contractual agreements governing the use of the London Stadium grant precedence to a limited number of global sporting events. This clause would allow the World Athletics Championships to take priority over football matches during the designated period.

A spokesperson for the London Stadium acknowledged the potential of the bid and said: "We are delighted that London Stadium is seen as a potential venue for the World Athletics Championships in 2029, one of the biggest events on the world sporting calendar. The 2017 Championships we hosted to sold-out crowds were a huge success, bringing investment and more than £100million in economic benefits to London.

"It is early days in the process for 2029 and full details of any bid are to be developed, including potential dates for the event. During this process we will work closely with all our stakeholders, including West Ham, to make sure any benefits to the venue, city and country are considered fully alongside all other requirements."

Marc Guiu is expected to choose between Sunderland and RB Leipzig as he looks for regular first-team minutes away from Stamford Bridge.

• Guiu weighing up a move to Sunderland or RB Leipzig
• Chelsea only open to loan spell
• Striker scored six goals in six UECL games last season

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 19-year-old joined Chelsea from Barcelona last July for €6 million, but struggled for consistent game time in the Premier League, playing just 71 minutes. However, the Spaniard did enjoy a strong run in the Conference League, netting six goals in six appearances before a hamstring injury cut his campaign short.

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  With Chelsea signing Joao Pedro and Liam Delap this summer, Guiu is way down in the pecking order. The Blues, therefore, are open to a temporary move away from Stamford Bridge for the Spanish striker. The club will reportedly only sanction a straight loan with full salary coverage as they still see Guiu as a potential star.

  According to , Leipzig are keen to bring in a young striker as they prepare for the likely departure of Benjamin Sesko, who is being linked with Manchester United and Newcastle. Meanwhile, newly-promoted Sunderland have made Guiu one of their top targets and are one of three clubs to have made formal enquiries.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Chelsea's biggest signings in what has been a busy summer have been Brighton forward Joao Pedro, left-winger Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund and Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap. However, they have already recovered almost half of that amount by winning the Club World Cup, where they are estimated to have pocketed £96m in prize money.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

  The Blues continue to be active in the transfer window, with their next big target set to be Leipzig's midfielder Xavi Simons. They are scheduled to face Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan in friendly matches before they kick off their 2025-26 Premier League campaign against Crystal Palace on August 17.

Rodrygo wants to continue at Real Madrid and win head coach Xabi Alonso's trust to be a part of the first team amid interest from Premier League.

• Rodrygo wants to prove his worth to coach Alonso
• Brazilian to face intense competition at Madrid
• Tottenham and Arsenal have shown interest

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Rodrygo's situation at Madrid has been a complex mix of undeniable talent, moments of brilliance, fluctuating form, and an uncertain position in a star-studded Madrid squad. However, Rodrygo wishes to be a regular starter at the club and, for that, he is willing to fight for his place and work hard on himself, confirms . The Brazilian has received a lot of interest from the Premier League, but Madrid's high asking price is keeping the clubs at bay.

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  Rodrygo played 54 games in the 2024-25 campaign, in which he scored 14 goals and registered 10 assists. However, his minutes in the league dropped, and he went through a goal drought, scoring just once in 25 games. The winger was part of the Club World Cup squad but didn't impress much. However, the winger has now committed to regaining his form under Alonso. Los Blancos are open to parting ways with the winger but reportedly want around €90m (£78m/$104m) for the two-time Champions League winner. Tottenham have shown interest recently after the departure of Son Heung-min, but Madrid's asking price for the Brazilian is too high to match. 

• TELL ME MORE

  Arda Guler, Brahim Diaz and new signing Franco Mastantuono will further intensify the competition within the squad. The 24-year-old previously claimed that he doesn't wish to play in the right-wing position, a preference that Alonso may not be willing to accommodate. The ex-Santos player will have to be clinical and make the most of his chances if he wishes to get a starting spot in the team.

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• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR RODRYGO?

  Madrid are in no rush to sell Rodrygo, as the player is tied to the Spanish side until 2028. The team will return to training on August 4, prior to which medical checks will be conducted. The Brazilian has two weeks to improve and show his qualities to Alonso if he wishes to start Madrid's opening league fixture against Osasuna on August 19.

يري سيد معوض، لاعب النادي الأهلي السابق، أن مباراة بيراميدز القادمة، التي ستقام بين الفريقن، في الدوري، ستكون عادية وليست صعبة، والمارد الأحمر قادر على الفوز بها.

ويلتقي الأهلي مع بيراميدز، مساء غد السبت، في إطار الجولة الخامسة من عمر منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري، ذلك على ملعب استاد السلام.

وقال معوض خلال تصريحات عبر برنامج “اللعيب” المذاع على قناة “إم بي سي مصر”: “أري أن مباراة بيراميدز فرصة كبيرة لـ المدرب خوسيه رييبرو لانه يعرف يلعب مباريات أمام الفرق كبيرة، خصوصًا التي تلعب على مساحات”.

وأضاف: “مباراة بيراميدز عادية جدا للأهلي وليست صعبة وخصوصا بعد الحالة التي شاهدناها لـ بيراميدز خلال المباريات التي خاضها حتي الآن”.

طالع | محمد عمارة: لاعب الأهلي يسبب لي حيرة.. وريبيرو لا يعرف اختيار التشكيل

وأكمل: “أتوقع الأهلي يفوز، ولن أكون متفاجئًا إذا حقق الأهلي مكسبا كبيرا جدًا، الفريق يعرف يتعامل مع الفرق التي لديها مساحات”.

وتابع: “على ريبيرو أن يثبت التشكيل فقط، هو وضع تشكيل مباراة فاركو بشكل جيد وفي لقاء المحلة قام بتغيير لاعبين كثيرين، أرى أنه مدرب جيد ولكنه مطالب بإيجاد حلول”.

وأتم: “الأهلي سيكون بطل الدوري المصري هذا الموسم، إذا خسر سيكون مفاجأة بسبب قائمة اللاعبين المتواجدة، الزمالك صعب أن يحقق لقب الدوري هذا الموسم”.

Ellyse Perry will captain Birmingham Phoenix in the Women’s Hundred this season, taking up the role she was set to fulfil last summer before being ruled out through injury.The allrounder has played just one season of the Hundred, in 2022, scoring 134 runs in six matches. Phoenix’s plans to build a team around her in 2023 were scuppered when Cricket Australia ruled Perry out after she damaged her left knee in a preceding ODI series against Ireland.Eve Jones deputised as captain, but Phoenix failed to win a match, losing seven out of eight to finish bottom of the table. Perry and fellow overseas star Sophie Devine were among seven players retained by Phoenix in March’s draft.Related

• Jason Roy goes unselected as West Indian power-hitters dominate Men's Hundred draft

• ECB secures counties agreement on Hundred 'direction of travel'

• Mark Nicholas steps down from Southern Brave board ahead of MCC executive role

Perry’s return to Edgbaston is as much a boost for the Hundred as for her team. The 33-year-old is one of the most high-profile players in the sport with 314 caps for her country across an international career in its 18th year.She was the leading run-scorer in this season’s WPL, scoring 347 runs at 69.40 while also taking seven wickets for eventual winners Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Perry also has a wealth of leadership experience with Sydney Sixers in the Women’s Big Bash League, where she became the first player to captain 100 WBBL matches.”I’m incredibly honoured to be named Birmingham Phoenix captain,” Perry said. “It is a wonderful club which means a lot to me. It was really disappointing to miss out on joining the group last season so I’m really excited to be back this year.”I’m looking forward to joining the whole playing squad, both our existing and new players to work towards a really successful season for the Phoenix.”Elsewhere, defending women’s champions Southern Brave have announced Georgia Adams as their new captain following Anya Shrubsole’s retirement. Shrubsole signed off by helping Brave break their duck as losing finalists in the first two editions, thanks in part to Adams, who led the competition with 16 wickets.Adams is captain of Southern Vipers, the domestic women’s side who are also based at the Utilita Bowl. Last year, she achieved the double of winning the 50-over Rachel Heyhoe Flint Trophy and Twenty20 Charlotte Edwards Cup.”It’s a privilege to be taking over from Anya who was an amazing captain and someone the whole team looked up to,” Adams said. “I’m super excited to get going and really looking forward to leading a fantastic group of players and trying to defend the trophy.”Brave also confirmed James Vince will continue to lead their side in the Men’s Hundred, having guided the team to success in the inaugural 2021 season.

MatériaMais Notícias

Após perder espaço com Mano Menezes e um 2022 de altos e baixos, o goleiro Daniel está de malas prontas para deixar do Internacional.Nos últimos dias, o arqueiro recebeu uma proposta do San Jose Earthquakes, da Major League Soccer, e aceitou o desafio de atuar nos Estados Unidos.

+ MERCADO DA BOLA: fique por dentro das negociações entre clubes e jogadores

Com a saída encaminhada, o arqueiro já se desligou do grupo e aguarda a liberação para viajar, realizar exames médicos e assinar contrato.Pela contratação de Daniel, o time norte-americano vai despejar nos cofres do Internacional US$ 600 mil (R$ 3 milhões).

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CONTESTAÇÃO

Titular ao longo do último ano, Daniel não rendeu como o esperado e sofreu inúmeros questionamentos. Após lesão, ele viu Keiller ganhar espaço e ficar com o posto de titular.

+Valores aumentados: saiba as premiações da Libertadores e Sul-Americana 2023 fase a fase

Ao todo, o goleiro disputou 89 jogos pelo clube colorado. No Brasileirão 2022, Daniel disputou 23 jogos e sofreu 21 gols.

The pair made a mockery of the 195 chase with a 131-run partnership at a run rate of 14.29

Deivarayan Muthu02-Jun-20241:49

Where did the game turn against Canada?

USA announced their arrival in the T20 World Cup with a demolition of their rivals Canada in Dallas.Aaron Jones, the vice-captain, and Andries Gous, the former South African player and current Texas resident, made a mockery of their chase of 195 with a 131-run third-wicket partnership at a whirlwind run rate of 14.29. USA got the job done with seven wickets and 14 balls to spare.Jones went on a six-hitting spree – he cleared the boundary ten times – and celebrated most of those with animated fist pumps, which had the crowd chanting: “USA! USA! USA!”Though Gous holed out for 65 off 46, Jones fittingly finished the chase with a pair of sixes, off offspinner Nikhil Dutta, and handed USA their fifth successive win over Canada, having beaten them 4-0 in the lead-up to their first-ever World Cup appearance.The Jones-Gous showOn the eve of the T20 World Cup opener, Jones was asked to describe USA’s style of cricket. Here’s what he had to say: “To be honest I’ll say fearless cricket, positive cricket, smart cricket. I think that’s what we’re really and truly trying to do. We don’t want to regret anything. We want to leave everything out there on the park.”Jones embodied that style by clattering an unbeaten 94 off 40 balls with ten sixes. Only Chris Gayle has hit more sixes in an innings in the men’s T20 World Cup.Aaron Jones and Andries Gous blunted Canada with a 131-run stand•AFP/Getty Images

When Jones came into bat, USA were 42 for 2 in the seventh over, having lost openers Steven Taylor (0) and Monank Patel (16 off 16). Canada’s seamers got the ball to swing and seam under lights, but Jones got stuck into the spinners, smashing Saad Bin Zafar and Dutta for 61 off a mere 22 balls. He slog-swept, reverse swept, and even advanced down the pitch to dominate the spinners.Jones showed he could cut it against pace too when he launched Dilon Heyliger for a 103-metre six. Gous, becalmed in the early exchanges, caught fire too when he lined up Jeremy Gordon for 6, 4, 6, 4 in the 14th over, which cost Canada 33 runs.Gous’ experience complemented Jones’ big-hitting. Gous was Washington Freedom’s No.1 pick in the inaugural MLC draft and even trained in New South Wales under Burt Cockley, the former NSW seamer and Freedom’s current strength and conditioning Coach. He has also had some T20 exposure in the UAE, having had stints in the T10 and ILT20 leagues. He put all of that to good use in the opening match of the T20 World Cup.Canada throw the first punchAfter having been asked to bat first, Canada threw the first punch. Aaron Johnson set the tone for the innings with a first-ball four off Ali Khan and though the fast bowler pinged him on his helmet in his next over, he continued to attack.Harmeet Singh, who had played two Under-19 World Cups for India and represented Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, however, slowed Canada down when he had Johnson toe-ending a catch to mid-off for 23 off 16 balls. Johnson’s opening partner, Navneet Dhaliwal, though pushed on to score a half-century, the first for Canada in a T20 World Cup. He added a 62-run stand for the third wicket with Nicholas Kirton, who slammed a fifty of his own.Nicholas Kirton confidently dealt with Corey Anderson•AFP/Getty Images

There’s a bit of Nicholas Pooran about Kirton, especially when he lofts the ball over extra-cover with a bent knee. Kirton got into his groove with sixes off full-tosses from Taylor and Shadley van Schalkwyk. He was also the only Canada batter to have confidently dealt with Corey Anderson. Though Dhaliwal and Kirton fell in a space of three overs, wicketkeeper-batter Shreyas Movva gave the innings the finishing kick with an unbeaten 32 off 16 balls.Anderson takes pace offAnderson, the former New Zealand allrounder, became the fifth player to represent two different teams at the T20 World Cup after Roelof van der Merwe (South Africa and Netherlands), Dirk Nannes (Netherlands and Australia), David Wiese (South Africa and Namibia) and Mark Chapman (Hong Kong and New Zealand). He marked the occasion with a clever spell full of cutters into the Dallas pitch.He was introduced into the attack in the 15th over and struck with his very first ball to dismiss Dhaliwal. He went onto bowl the 17th and 19th overs to come away with 3-0-29-1. Fourteen of his 18 balls were slower, according to ESPNcricinfo’s logs, and those variations helped USA restrict Canada to a sub-200 total.Anderson later shared the winning moment with Jones and the Dallas crowd.

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand is backing Mason Mount to come good for the Red Devils and feel like a new signing for Ruben Amorim.

Mount has struggled to make impact at Man UtdInjuries have been a problemFully fit ahead of new seasonFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Mount has endured a tough time at United since moving from Chelsea in July 2023 in a deal worth £60 million ($76m). The 26-year-old has been plagued by injury problems and managed only 11 starts in all competitions last season. 

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Mount is now back to full fitness and has been in the goals during the club's pre-season tour of the United States. Ferdinand is backing the former Chelsea star to be like a new signing for Amorim's team in 2025-26 as the Red Devils aim to improve after finishing down in 15th place in the top flight last season.

WHAT FERDINAND SAID

Ferdinand told talkSPORT: "I saw him out in Chicago and one of the things I said to him was, ‘How are you feeling?' Because he’s been robbed of any minutes really for injury. It’s been really really disappointing to see. Being injured and in the shadows, I never had that at a new club. That is so depressing. It can take your soul away at times. I’m sure he’s been in some dark moments. He will be like a new signing. I think this is no surprise. Whenever he’s been fit in his career he’s played, at Chelsea especially. Managers have played him when they won the Champions League. He was one of the most important players. He has the quality. He has the work ethic. He has the legs. He has the ability to be a really really good top player. I just hope he gets the time to play minutes to show himself."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MOUNT?

Mount will be hoping he can enjoy an injury-free run and finally make an impact at Manchester United during the 2025-26 season. The Red Devils kick off their campaign on August 17 against Arsenal at Old Trafford.