Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya “are looking healthy and fit” ahead of the first T20I against South Africa, India captain Suryakumar Yadav said ahead of the series opener in Cuttack on Tuesday.”Both [Gill and Pandya] are looking healthy and fit,” Suryakumar said. Gill had suffered neck spasms during the first Test against South Africa in Kolkata, while Hardik was out with a quadriceps injury he suffered during the Asia Cup in September.Gill is yet to play since his injury, but Hardik made a comeback in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Playing for Baroda, he picked up a wicket in each game, but more importantly, bowled four overs both times. With the bat, his 77 not out off 42 against Punjab helped his team chase down 223.”What you saw in the Asia Cup also, when he [Hardik] was bowling with the new ball, he opened up a lot of options, combinations for us with respect to the playing XI,” Suryakumar said. “That’s what he brings to the table. His experience, the way he has done well in all big games, all ICC events, ACC events. I think that experience will count a lot and his presence will definitely give a good balance to the side.”With Gill back in the side, Suryaumar made it clear that Sanju Samson would have to compete with Jitesh Sharma for a spot in the middle order. He also emphasised that all batters apart from the openers need to be flexible with respect to their position in the order.”Sanju, when he came into the circuit, he batted higher up the order,” he said. “Now the thing is, other than the openers, everyone has to be flexible. He did really well when he opened the innings but Shubman had played before him in the Sri Lanka series, so he deserves to take that spot.”But we gave Sanju opportunities. He was ready to bat at any number, which is actually good to see a player being flexible to bat anywhere from No. 3 to 6. That’s one thing I have told all the batters that other than openers, everyone has to be very flexible. Both [Samson and Jitesh] are in the scheme of things. It’s always good to have lovely players like both of them. One can open, one can bat lower down the order. In fact, both can do all the roles. It’s an asset to the team and a good headache to have.”
Pakistan’s captain Fatima Sana and India’s bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi did not dwell on the tensions between the countries ahead of Sunday’s fixture
Andrew Fidel Fernando04-Oct-2025A day out from what will likely be one of the most-followed matches of this Women’s World Cup, both teams are insisting they are focused on the cricket. Pakistan captain Fatima Sana appeared to suggest that as far as Pakistan are concerned, India are a team like any other. She also spoke briefly about the good relations these teams have enjoyed in the past.India bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi said, meanwhile, that in a big tournament “the area of focus is only cricket”. There have been no indications on whether the India players would decline to shake the hands of the Pakistan players on Sunday, as the men’s team had done during the recent Asia Cup, although BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia did not rule out the possibility in an interview this week. Both teams also requested that questions at the pre-match press conference be constrained to the cricket.Sana did, however, speak briefly on the camaraderie between the players in past tournaments. At the 2022 World Cup in New Zealand, for instance, several India players were seen interacting with then-Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof’s six-month old daughter, as players comforted the toddler on their shoulder, in what was one of the most heartwarming moments of that tournament.Related
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Political tensions between the nations have worsened substantially since then. India’s male players were previously seen interacting with Pakistan players at earlier Asia Cups but refrained from doing so during the most recent edition, which ended last week.”We have great relationships with all other teams, and we try and keep good relations with everyone,” Sana said a day ahead of the match against India. “We’ll try to do everything within the spirit of the game.”Those pictures in the past with everyone mingling with each other around Bismah’s daughter – those scenes look good and everyone enjoys seeing that. But, of course, our focus has to be on what we’re here for – to play.”Both teams were keen to stress that they were doing their best to ignore the politics of this moment. “We’re like a family of 20-22 people here,” Sana said of the Pakistan team environment. “We don’t really worry about what’s going on outside our bubble. We get to hear about things happening external to cricket, but we focus on our game. The World Cup is something every player waits for, so we just want to focus on the thing we’ve come here for.”Salvi’s comments on the eve of the match echoed that sentiment. “The area of focus is cricket,” he said. “We want our girls to bring that ‘A’ game to the day. We want them to take it just as a game, because the World Cup is a long campaign. It’s a long campaign – there will be a lot of games coming up.”
Italy national team coach Gennaro Gattuso has refused to accept criticism after his team left it late to win their World Cup qualifying match against Moldova. The World Cup winning former midfielder insists his side dominated the game despite what the scoreline suggested as he hit out at the fans for the reaction at the full-time whistle.
Italy's hard fought victory over Moldova
Italy controlled the first half of the World Cup qualifying game with an impressive 82 percent possession and created multiple chances, but poor finishing kept the scoreline unchanged. The second half followed a similar pattern, with Moldova frustrating Italy’s attempts to break the deadlock. This led to the introduction of Mateo Retegui and young striker Pio Esposito to inject energy into the attack. The changes paid off, as goals from Gianluca Mancini and Esposito late in the game finally secured a hard-earned victory for Italy.
Gattuso commented on the rotation, acknowledging that putting 11 new players on the pitch is always a challenge when he said: “It’s fine, putting 11 new players out from the start is difficult.”
He admitted he was concerned that so many changes could disrupt the balance of the squad and that Italy could even lose, but he praised his players for their performance, saying: “I felt within myself we could even lose today with so many changes, but I tip my hat to them, they did better than I expected.”
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Gattuso's staunch defense of his side
However, with the match still at 0-0 late on, Italy’s small group of travelling fans protested, chanting that the players should 'go to work'. Gattuso disagreed with their criticism, insisting that the team had performed well.
"The protests from the fans are a disgrace, I'm sorry for what I heard today," he said. "This isn't the time to tell the players to go to work: we need to stay united, because the team is struggling on the pitch, and hearing 500 fans protesting away from home is something I don't accept.
"I'm very happy with the lads. We've brought in a whole new team, and we knew we'd struggle. I'm satisfied, but I'm angry about what I've heard in the last 30 minutes. Having 500 fans telling you to go work makes me feel bad. I'm disappointed about this. I don't know where it comes from, but in Italy's history it's the first time we've won six games. I'm convinced we'll get what we need to get because these lads are strong. Winning seven games boosts self-esteem."
Norway, Italy's rivals for the top spot in the group, beat Moldova 11-1 in September, but Gattuso discouraged any comparisons with Italy’s result, saying: “If you were expecting an 11-1like Moldova had against Norway, then that is not my problem. There are no easy matches."
Italy's chances of qualifying for the World Cup
Italy can still technically qualify for the World Cup as Group I winners. They are three points behind Norway – their opponents in the next and final match of the round – but it would take a massive win to overcome the deficit in goal difference. Instead, a place in the play-offs appears certain for the Azzurri, which will ramp up the pressure on the recently-appointed Gattuso.
The national team have not appeared in a World Cup since 2014, having failed to qualify in both 2018 and 2022 after painful play off defeats to Sweden and North Macedonia. The upcoming play offs now represent another high stakes hurdle in their bid to return to football’s biggest stage.
Gattuso was critical of the qualification rules, arguing that despite being the second-best team in the table with a plus twelve goal difference, Italy should not have to go through another round to qualify. “In my day, the top team in each group would go through, plus the best runners up,” He said. “We have 18 points, we have won six games, and still we have to go into another two matches to qualify. It does not seem right.”
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Italy on a World Cup mission
Italy will host Norway on Sunday at the San Siro while also keeping an eye on the teams they could face in the play offs next March, which will decide their qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
This time last week, Chelsea looked like they would be the ones to rival Arsenal for the Premier League title.
Unfortunately, a humbling loss away to Leeds United, quickly followed by a drab one-all draw away to Bournemouth, has put such ideas to bed, for now anyway.
While Enzo Maresca’s squad is undeniably talented, some areas could be improved upon, such as the number nine position.
Fortunately, Chelsea are now being linked with someone who could do just that, someone who could be an upgrade on Liam Delap.
Chelsea target Delap upgrade
The transfer window is now less than a month away from reopening, and in a surprise to absolutely nobody, Chelsea are already being linked with a host of players.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
For example, the Blues have been one of a number of sides linked with Nottingham Forest’s Murillo.
Likewise, RB Leipzig’s incredibly exciting Castello Lukeba has been touted for a £53m move to Stamford Bridge.
However, while the two defenders would certainly bolster Maresca’s squad, neither one could or would displace Delap or Joao Pedro up top, unlike Joaquín Panichelli.
Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Chelsea are one of a few Premier League clubs interested in the RC Strasbourg striker.
Alongside the West Londoners, the report has revealed that West Ham United and Aston Villa have set their sights on the Argentine striker.
The report does not reveal how much the £28k-per-week star might cost, but considering his contract runs until the summer of 2030, he’s unlikely to be cheap.
Even so, Chelsea should do what they can to sign Panichelli, as he could be the striker to really take them forward, even if that’s bad news for Delap.
How Panichelli compares to Delap
Now it might sound simplistic, and that’s because it is, but the first and most important metric to compare when looking at two strikers is output.
Unfortunately for Delap, this is an area that Panichelli has him beat, and comfortably at that.
For example, so far this season, the Argentine, whom U23 scout Antonio Mango has dubbed “one of the most in-form Strikers in Europe,” has scored ten goals in 19 appearances, totalling 1367 minutes.
In other words, the Córdoba-born gem is averaging a goal involvement every 1.9 games, or every 136.7 minutes.
In stark contrast, the Blues’ summer signing has scored just a single goal in 11 appearances, totalling 453 minutes.
Appearances
19
11
Minutes
1367′
453′
Goals
10
1
Assists
0
0
Goal Involvements per Match
0.52
0.09
Minutes per Goal Involvement
136.7′
453
The next advantage that the former Deportivo Alavés star has over the Englishman is the fact that he seems to be less injury-prone.
For example, while he did suffer a significant ACL injury in the 23/24 season, which kept him out for 24 games, he only missed one game in the entirety of last season, and so far this year, he’s missed just one.
On the other hand, the former Ipswich Town star suffered a knee injury that kept him out for 18 games in 23/24
Furthermore, so far this year, he has already missed 12 matches due to a hamstring problem, and now his current shoulder injury.
Finally, the Winchester-born ace doesn’t even have the advantage of being significantly younger and therefore possessing a higher ceiling, as he’s currently 22 years old and the Strasbourg star only turned 23 two months ago.
Ultimately, Panichelli is clearly a more dangerous forward and, on top of that, seems to be injured less often. Therefore, Chelsea should do what they can to sign him in 2026, even if that spells the end of Delap’s time at Stamford Bridge.
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Chelsea and Maresca need to move on from the walking disaster as soon as possible.
This season is shaping up very nicely for Chelsea indeed.
On the domestic front, Enzo Maresca’s side managed to keep Arsenal within touching distance by holding them to a 1-1 draw on Sunday despite Moises Caicedo being sent off in the first half.
Then, in the Champions League, their thumping 3-0 win against Barcelona last week has stood them in good stead to qualify for the next round.
Moreover, and especially in that game, Estevao has started to really show what he is capable of, so fans should be excited about reports linking Chelsea to another star winger who has been compared to the Brazilian.
Chelsea target an Estevao-type winger
Even though there were pretty high expectations for Estevao coming into this season, few would have predicted him to have started as well as he has.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
For example, in the Premier League, he provided an assist on his first start against West Ham United and then scored the winner against Liverpool.
In the Champions League, he has been even better, racking up three goals in five appearances, of which only three have been starts.
So, with how well he has been performing, it’s less surprising to hear that the club are now interested in a player who has been compared to him: Harvey Barnes.
Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Chelsea are said to be incredibly keen on the Englishman.
In fact, the report goes further, revealing that the Blues have already submitted an offer of around €60m for the player, which is about £53m.
However, there are two problems: Manchester United have made the same offer, and the Toon do not want to sell.
It could therefore be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Barnes’ ability and output, one Chelsea should fight for, especially as he has been compared to Estevao.
How Barnes compares to Estevao
Now, while they are both wingers plying their trade for huge clubs in the toughest league in the world, fans might find it hard to see why Barnes would be comparable to Estevao.
After all, last season he didn’t do all that much for Newcastle, and so far this season the Brazilian has been a breath of fresh air for the Blues.
However, while he is not getting as much attention as he perhaps should, the English “menace,” as dubbed by journalist Mikey Stafford, has been on fire for the Toon this year.
For example, in 20 appearances across all competitions, totalling 996 minutes, he has scored seven goals and provided two assists, which comes out to a brilliant average of a goal involvement every 2.22 games, or every 110.66 minutes.
Moreover, his close control and technical ability are far better than most think, as his sensational goal against Brentford demonstrates.
Finally, FBref also lists the Blues’ Brazilian gem as the eighth-most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the former Leicester City star in the Champions League this season.
The best way to understand how that conclusion was reached is to look at some of the underlying metrics where the pair ranks closely.
Non-Penalty Expected G+As
0.73
0.70
Progressive Carries
5.17
5.59
Crosses into the Penalty Area
0.34
0.29
Shot-Creating Actions
3.44
3.79
Goals per Shot on Target
These include things like non-penalty expected goals plus assists, shot-creating actions, crosses into the penalty area, progressive carries and more, all per 90.
Ultimately, while they certainly have their differences, Barnes is showing shades of Estevao in his game this season and on top of that, has rediscovered his goalscoring ability.
Therefore, so long as the price does not get ridiculous, Chelsea should do what they can to sign him once the window opens.
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Third base umpire Clint Vondrak couldn't get out of the way of a fair ball during Friday afternoon's game between the Cubs and Pirates at Wrigley Field, leading to a very unfortunate out for Pittsburgh.
Sitting on a 2-2 count in the top of the fifth inning, Pirates catcher Henry Davis ripped one down the third base line off pitcher Colin Rea. The ball proceeded to bounce over the bag and under third baseman Matt Shaw's glove before hitting off of Vondrak's lower leg.
Shaw smartly stayed with the play and was able to throw Davis out at second as he tried to stretch a single into a double.
Here's a look at the play:
An unfortunate turn of events for the Pirates, who entered Friday's contest on a five-game losing streak and sit at just 51-71 on the season.
The good news? Pittsburgh was able to bounce back and take a 2-1 lead in the seventh thanks to an RBI double from Isiah Kiner-Falefa.
Any doubts about Newcastle United’s quality have been extinguished by a run of October form that has led to six wins from seven matches in all competitions.
Newcastle are making headway in the Champions League and have set themselves back on track in the Premier League with a last-minute winner against Fulham at the weekend. St. James’ Park roared, and then cheers in concert once again when Tottenham Hotspur were dumped from the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening.
Still, Eddie Howe’s side are hardly firing on all cylinders, and that especially applies to the final third. However, Nick Woltemade has been nothing but brilliant since completing his club-record £69m transfer over from Stuttgart in August, and the German striker is spearheading the fight for silverware and retention of this seat at the top European table.
Woltemade's prolific start at Newcastle
Woltemade’s crisp header to seal the victory over Tottenham marked his sixth of the campaign, just 11 matches into his Newcastle career.
Alexander Isak’s record-breaking transfer to Liverpool felt like it could have a detrimental effect on the Toon project, but Newcastle have kept on moving forward, with the rangy centre-forward dovetailing into the system.
He loves a header, the German does, but that’s hardly the full scope of his game. Lanky at 6 foot 6, Woltemade has no right to be as technically graceful and intuitive in the tight spaces as he is, ranking among the top 9% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for successful take-ons and the top 5% for shot-creating actions per 90.
And yet he is mesmerising when on the ball. BBC Sport analyst Raj Chohan has even said that “there’s no striker on the planet who moves the ball like Woltemade.”
With this in mind, the Tyneside frontline should be firing on all cylinders, but this isn’t the case. Anthony Gordon is seemingly saving his best displays for the continental front at the moment, while Harvey Barnes and Jacob Murphy make up solid, if unspectacular, parts of the unit.
But there’s another man who has left much to be desired, and must be frustrated with his tough start to life in black and white as Woltemade thrives beside him.
The Newcastle star being saved by Woltemade
How often have we seen a player struggle to impress after switching clubs in the Premier League? It’s not an uncommon experience, to be sure.
And for Anthony Elanga, this is the reality as he still searches for his first direct goal involvement as a Magpie, having joined Newcastle from Nottingham Forest for £55m in August, one year after Howe’s first bid to snatch him from Evangelos Marinakis.
It’s been an inauspicious start to life in Howe’s squad, it must be said. Elanga has played 14 times in all competitions and has yet to register a goal or an assist.
Still, the Sweden international is one of the fastest players in the Premier League, and while his playmaking success has dried up of late, he ranks among the top 8% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists per 90.
And there’s a good reason that the big bucks were spent on his signature. For Nottingham Forest, the 23-year-old was a menace, with his fleet-footedness and tendency to directly take on his man playing to the strengths of Howe’s counter-attacking system.
However, deeper statistical analysis would suggest that even across his two terms with the Tricky Trees, Elanga left something to be desired. He is not the most active in taking on his opponent, despite his pace, and does not dribble with the intensity of frequency that perhaps his physique suggests is within his capacity.
Elanga in the Premier League for Forest
Stats (* per game)
23/24
24/25
Matches (starts)
36 (25)
38 (31)
Goals
5
6
Assists
9
11
Shots (on target)*
1.5 (0.6)
1.1 (0.6)
Pass completion
75%
78%
Key passes*
0.9
1.3
Big chances created
14
9
Dribbles*
0.8
0.7
Tackles + interceptions*
1.1
0.7
Duels (won)*
2.9 (44%)
3.0 (45%)
Data via Sofascore
With just four Premier League starts in a Newcastle shirt this season, it’s perhaps premature to analyse the data on a wider scale, but we can observe that Elanga is currently averaging only 1.8 successful duels per game, completing just 18% of his dribbles besides.
With a nominal amount of shots unleashed each game and not a big chance yet created, it’s not difficult to see why he’s struggling.
But Elanga needs only take a leaf from Anthony Gordon’s book. After all, the Three Lions star flattered to deceive after completing a £45m transfer from Everton in January 2023, then clicking into gear in 2023/24, winning the Newcastle Player of the Year award after posting 11 goals and ten assists in the top flight.
Gordon has yet to fully spread his wings this season, but he’s tenacious and talented and undoubtedly the focal point out wide for Newcastle. Elanga will use him as inspiration.
Now, Gordon is one of the most prominent wingers in the Premier League, seemingly Thomas Tuchel’s preferred pick on the Three Lions’ left flank as the 2026 World Cup looms ever closer.
While Elanga’s sticky form continued with a 6/10 display against Tottenham, as noted by the Shields Gazette, there is a wide recognition of the winger’s talent, and he will improve as he continues to develop under Howe’s wing.
This is all to say that fans would be silly to give up on Elanga after only a few months at St. James’ Park. There’s a real player in there, a star who the club scouted extensively.
Perhaps he’s mimicking a former version of Gordon, but if that is the case, then the best is yet to come.
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Wissa: Newcastle debut a "long time" coming
At long last, Yoane Wissa made his Newcastle debut against Burnley. The former Brentford star arrived in the summer for as much as £55m – becoming one of the club’s most expensive ever signings – only to suffer an instant injury on international duty. Now, his wait is over and he’s finally stepped out at St James’ Park.
Speaking to reporters at full-time, Wissa admitted that his debut as been a “long time” coming – telling reporters: “It’s been a long time. The last 11 weeks, I’ve learned about the team and the players.
“It’s been a long road but I’m happy in the end. It gave my goosebumps [for his name to be read out when he came on]. I’m buzzing now. It can be an excellent season because we have so many quality players.”
Eddie Howe was also pleased to see the forward, although claimed that Wissa’s still got “a lot more work to do”.
The Newcastle boss said: “He’s got a lot more work to do to get to the very best level that he can. We hope to keep him available by managing correctly.
Fewer touches than Ramsdale & 1 duel won: Newcastle star could be dropped
This Newcastle star struggled in the 2-1 win vs. Burnley
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Joe Nuttall
5 days ago
“It’s difficult with the spell of games that we have to sort of train him and build his fitness with all the game schedule. So it’s going to be a really delicate balance for us, but hopefully we can find a solution to it.”
Meanwhile, as one arrival gets on the pitch for the first time, another could be on the way with reports now claiming that Newcastle are plotting a move to sign Chelsea’s Axel Disasi.
Newcastle plotting Axel Disasi move
As reported by Caught Offside, Newcastle are now plotting a concrete move to sign Disasi from Chelsea in the January transfer window. The defender has been thrown aside by Enzo Maresca and forced to join the likes of Raheem Sterling in the club’s so-called bomb squad. Now, however, he could get the move he so desperately needs in January.
For Newcastle, a move for the out-of-favour Chelsea man would provide Howe with some vital depth as Sven Botman continues to struggle on the injury front.
The Dutchman, as talented as he is, has become somewhat of a liability in recent times thanks to his injury history. And as Malick Thiaw continues to nail down his starting place, the Magpies could do with handing him a consistent partner. That is where Disasi could come in.
Dubbed “brilliant” by Sky Sports pundit and Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher in 2024, Disasi will be chomping at the bit to make his mark, having not played all season at Chelsea, and Newcastle should take full advantage.
Bad news for Woltemade: Newcastle considering move for "phenomenal" PL star
These three bilateral matches take place just days before the T20 World Cup in February
ESPNcricinfo staff11-Nov-2025
West Indies and Afghanistan have played eight T20Is against each other•Getty Images
West Indies and Afghanistan will face each other over three T20Is in Sharjah next year as both teams build up towards the World Cup. The bilateral series is scheduled to begin on January 19 just days before the ICC event kicks off in India and Sri Lanka in February.CWI’s Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe, said: “This series provides an ideal platform for our preparation. Facing strong opposition in subcontinental conditions will help us sharpen our combinations and approach, and it also gives our players a chance to build confidence on surfaces similar to those we’ll encounter in India and Sri Lanka.”West Indies co-hosted the last T20 World Cup, where they went through to the Super Eight stage but couldn’t make the knockouts. Afghanistan did make it to the semi-finals of that event, which was a first for them. The two teams have played eight T20Is against each other with West Indies leading the head-to-head 5-3.All three T20Is of this bilateral series will take place in Sharjah on January 19, 21 and 22.Naseeb Khan, CEO of the Afghanistan Cricket Board, said: “Competing against the West Indies on the brink of a global event presents an excellent opportunity for our team to finalize their lineup and enhance their preparations for the upcoming mega event in India and Sri Lanka.”West Indies are currently playing a five-match T20I series in New Zealand, which they trail 2-1. Afghanistan’s last T20I assignment was against Zimbabwe in October, which they won 3-0.
The Colorado Rockies have found wins hard to come by during the 2025 MLB season. A lot of the time, it's due to their own shortcomings or lapses in judgement.
They managed to escape with a win on Sunday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, 6–5, but they came dangerously close to throwing the game away. Juan Mejia was on the mound looking to secure the first save of his career, and he managed to do so, though in no ordinary fashion.
With two men out and runners on second and third, Mejia got Ketel Marte to hit a pop up in the infield. Rather than let his teammates make a play on the ball, Mejia took off from the mound and bolted towards first base to attempt to field the fly ball. Not expecting his pitcher to be in the area, Rockies first baseman Warming Bernabel also chased down the ball and ended up running straight through Mejia like a safety flattening an unsuspecting wide receiver.
Fortunately, Mejia was able to hold onto the ball despite taking the full brunt of a hit from his teammate. He remained on the ground for a few seconds before getting to his feet with a grin on his face and celebrating with his teammates.
His teammates shared a good laugh over the play in the aftermath, though they may have been wearing plenty different expressions on their faces had the game-winning run crossed the plate as a result of Mejia's unnecessary defensive efforts.