Fifties from du Plessis, Patidar and Karthik took RCB to 196, but MI topped that in just 15.3 overs

Deivarayan Muthu11-Apr-20242:01

Rapid Fire Review: What makes Bumrah so good?

The bash-through-the-line Wankhede pitch and dewy conditions contributed to five 50-plus scores, including a 17-ball half-century from Suryakumar Yadav, but it was Jasprit Bumrah who produced the most decisive performance on the night to set up Mumbai Indians’ second successive victory at home.Bumrah’s 5 for 21 – he was on a hat-trick twice – kept Royal Challengers Bengaluru to 196 for 8, despite Dinesh Karthik’s inventive 53 not out off 23 balls. Karthik hit four sixes and a four off the last seven legal balls he faced to give RCB a biggish total.But it looked smaller than it was when Ishan Kishan cracked a 23-ball half-century inside the powerplay in the chase. It looked a whole lot smaller when Suryakumar, playing only his second game back from injury, reminded the world of his power and range. MI eventually mowed down the target with seven wickets and nearly five overs to spare.Captain Hardik Pandya was booed when he bowled a solitary over earlier in the night, but a packed crowd celebrated with him when he finished the chase with a six.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Patidar, du Plessis prop up RCBRCB were 23 for 2 in the fourth over when Faf du Plessis and Rajat Patidar came together.Before that, Bumrah had Virat Kohli swiping and edging behind for three off nine balls in his first over, the third of the innings. In the next over, Akash Madhwal generated his signature skid to have Will Jacks, who made his IPL debut in place of Cameron Green, flapping a catch to mid-on for eight.Du Plessis tried to salvage the powerplay by staying leg side of the ball and using his hands to pump the ball over the top. Patidar, too, started quickly and later overtook du Plessis to become the first of many half-centurions in the game.Patidar reached the landmark with back-to-back sixes off Gerald Coetzee, but the South Africa quick hit back the next ball to bounce Patidar out for 50 off 26 balls.2:03

‘Bumrah does his research, he doesn’t leave a stone unturned’

Bumrah’s masterclassAfter removing Kohli with the new ball, Bumrah returned with the old one to almost shut down RCB’s innings.In a 17th over, which was full of yorkers or low full-tosses, he dismissed du Plessis (61) and Mahipal Lomror (0). Du Plessis failed to get under a hard-to-hit low full-toss and holed out to long-on while Lomror was pinned lbw by a yorker off the next ball.In his next over, Bumrah found himself on a hat-trick again but didn’t get to it this time either. He bounced out Saurav Chauhan, RCB’s impact player, and Vyshak Vijaykumar off successive balls, but Akash Deep somehow kept out the hat-trick ball, which was a yorker.Bumrah’s five-wicket haul, though, had his former captain Rohit Sharma lifting him off the ground, and his former bowling partner and current bowling coach, Lasith Malinga, on his feet, applauding him from the dugout.On Sunday, against Delhi Capitals, Bumrah came away with 4-0-22-2 on a day when 439 runs were scored. Thursday’s performance was even more special on a dewy night.Karthik finishes with a flourishKarthik, who has represented MI in the past, had the Wankhede crowd chanting his name when he picked a slower ball from Bumrah and launched it over extra-cover, providing a throwback to his six that won India the Nidahas Trophy in 2018.He played a number of other sensational shots as well. When Madhwal denied him easy access to the shorter square boundary on the leg side, Karthik scooped him for a pair of fours over short third in the 16th over that cost MI 19 runs. Karthik also helped take 19 off Madhwal’s final over, also the final over of the innings, but it would not be enough for RCB.Ishan Kishan was unstoppable at the top•Associated Press

Kishan blasts offMohammed Siraj and Reece Topley swung the new ball in the early exchanges, but that didn’t stop Kishan from maximising the powerplay.When Siraj swung one into his pads, he picked it up over square leg for six. Then, when Topley moved one away from him, Kishan crunched him over point. Kishan had a nervy moment on 12, when Topley found his edge, but it flew between keeper and first slip for four more.Kishan continued to deal in boundaries and repeated his feat of smashing a fifty in the powerplay for MI.Suryakumar Yadav, playing his second game of the season, got a 17-ball fifty•Associated Press

A new high for SKYAkash Deep stopped Kishan on 69 and Jacks removed Rohit for 38, but there would be no respite for RCB.Their bowlers kept missing their lengths as the dew set in and Suryakumar went about making life even more difficult for them.Suryakumar could have been dismissed on 15 but Maxwell dropped him at backward point and then left the field, writhing in pain. Suryakumar then unfurled his shot and used his wrists and fast hands to scythe wide balls over point. He charged to his fastest T20 fifty with a sequence of 4, 6, 4, 4 off Topley in the 13th over. He holed out in the next over, but Hardik and Tilak Varma sealed a NRR-boosting win for MI with 27 balls in hand.

Chelsea are now eager to sign a £40k-a-week full-back who’s “one of the best” in Europe, but there is set to be fierce competition from their Premier League rivals, according to a report.

Pressure building on Maresca

Fans are starting to lose patience with Enzo Maresca, given that performances have fallen way short of expectations in recent weeks, drawing 2-2 at home to Ipswich Town before suffering a 2-1 defeat against Legia Warsaw at Stamford Bridge.

However, the manager is likely to have bought himself some more time with the 2-1 victory at Fulham on Sunday afternoon, with Tyrique George and Pedro Neto striking late to secure a comeback victory at Craven Cottage.

By and large, the Blues’ backline has not been the issue this season, retaining the joint-fourth best defensive record in the league, and Maresca is likely to be far more concerned by the performances of his strikers.

Fabregas a fan: Chelsea want to sign £8m gem with "left foot made of gold"

The Blues are closely monitoring a “wonderful” midfielder ahead of a potential summer transfer swoop.

ByDominic Lund Apr 20, 2025

After once again drawing a blank on Sunday afternoon, Nicolas Jackson is without a goal in his last 12 Premier League games, while Christopher Nkunku has just three league goals to his name all season.

As such, bringing in a new striker may be a priority for Chelsea this summer, but they are also keen to strengthen in defence, according to a report from Caught Offside, which has revealed they are now eager to sign Nottingham Forest right-back Ola Aina.

Aina’s performances this season have attracted serious interest from a whole host of Premier League clubs, with Liverpool, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur also keen, and the latter two clubs are set to open agent talks soon.

Forest are eager to tie the full-back down to a new contract, which could see his £40k-a-week wages increased, but a free transfer is possible, should an agreement not be reached, with the 28-year-old’s contract set to expire this summer.

Aina enjoying impressive campaign at Forest

The Nigerian has been an indispensable member of the starting XI for Forest this season, making 30 Premier League appearances prior to recently sustaining a calf injury, and his side have gone on to lose both of the games he’s missed.

Having performed very well for the Tricky Trees, the London-born defender received high praise from Zach Lowy last month, with the journalist saying: “Ola Aina has genuinely been one of the best fullbacks in Europe this season. So effective going forward but above all, rarely drops anything less than a 7/10. Forest are lucky to have him.”

Not only has the former Chelsea man impressed on the front foot, but his ability to win back possession has also been on display regularly throughout the campaign.

That said, Chelsea are already well-stocked at right-back, with Reece James and Malo Gusto on the books, so Aina may not be a necessary signing unless one of Maresca’s current options moves on this summer.

Champions require just 39 minutes on the fourth morning to see off Warwickshire

Matt Roller13-May-2024Jamie Smith has the necessary “grounding” to become a “high-quality international” according to his Surrey coach Gareth Batty, who encouraged Smith to be “a dreamer” as he enters the conversation to become England’s Test wicketkeeper this summer.Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes struggled with the bat during England’s 4-1 loss in India earlier this year – neither scored a half-century in the series, both averaged in the low-20s – with Rob Key and Brendon McCullum making clear since that the position is up for grabs ahead of July’s Test series against West Indies.Smith, 23, has been involved in England’s pathway since Under-19 level and made his international debut in last September’s ODI series against Ireland. He started the County Championship season with half-centuries against Somerset and Kent but was Surrey’s match-winner against Warwickshire, hitting 155 off 179 balls to set the game up for their bowlers.”He’s coming on very nicely,” Batty said. “I thought last year was his big coming-of-age season, turning potential into output. There were some wonderful knocks for us, and I suppose now with international stuff coming along soon, how well he’s played in this game will be on everybody’s lips. The good thing with Jamie is that it’s not just this innings, it’s been over a period of time now. He has that foundation or platform behind him.”He’s the modern-day player. To be a high-quality international, you have to have the old-school grounding. He has that, and he’s prepared to do the hard work. He has a solid defence but we also see his expansive nature. We also see what he can do in white-ball cricket, and what he did here against a tiring attack. It’s all down to the individual now.”Surrey have backed Smith to bat at No. 4 this season, despite the arrival of Dan Lawrence – England’s spare batter on their India tour – from Essex, who has found himself down at No. 6. Foakes has been their first-choice wicketkeeper, but Smith deputised in last week’s victory over Hampshire and kept tidily, despite only being involved in one dismissal.Batty declined to comment on Smith’s Test aspirations, unsurprisingly given Foakes’ own hopes to remain involved in the England set-up. But he encouraged him to be ambitious, saying: “Everybody’s a bit of a dreamer, aren’t they? I don’t think you should play sport if you’re not going to dream.”There’s a stable base behind the wonderful stuff that we see out there, which hopefully prepares you for the unexpected. People are saying very nice things… we’re trying to produce a level group, and Jamie is just one of that group. It’s nice that people are saying nice things – we want that, of course – but he has earned the right.”Surrey took 39 minutes to wrap up their nine-wicket win on the final day, chasing down their target of 89 without breaking sweat. Rory Burns fell chipping Jacob Bethell to mid-on, but Dom Sibley guided them home with a calm, unbeaten 46. Ollie Pope struck the winning runs, working Rob Yates’ offspin into the leg side and coming back for three.”We fought hard throughout the game to get the win and it was a very good team performance,” Batty said. “Our bowling was actually a bit clunky at the start of the match, after a bye week last week, but we got better and better and really turned the screw later in the game and showed just what a wonderful bowling unit we have.”Warwickshire were without several first-choice bowlers in this match – Chris Rushworth (calf) and Liam Norwell (back) are injured, Hasan Ali was unexpectedly called up to Pakistan’s T20I squad and Chris Woakes has been at the IPL – and lost Craig Miles to an ankle injury while he was celebrating his fifth wicket on the second day.”We’ve done a lot right, but we haven’t been good enough,” their coach Mark Robinson said. “It’s aspirational for us as a big club like Warwickshire to get up level with them [Surrey] – at the moment, they’re Man City and we’re not. You need a few things to go your way to give yourselves the best chance… we’ve got four frontline bowlers who are unavailable, so that doesn’t help.”

أشاد عمرو مصيلحي رئيس الاتحاد المصري لكرة السلة، بالجيل الحالي من اللاعبات تحت 16 سنة والمشارك حاليًا في بطولة الأفروباسكت في رواندا، كما أعرب عن سعادته بالمستوى المميز، متمنياً لهن التوفيق وتحقيق اللقب.

وكان منتخب مصر لكرة السلة تحت 16 عاماً، قد تأهل اليوم إلى الدور نصف النهائي ببطولة الأفروباسكت المقامة في العاصمة الرواندية “كيجالي”، وذلك بعد الفوز على أنجولا.

وقال عمرو مصيلحي في تصريحات عبر برنامج “7*1” على إذاعة “أون سبورت إف إم”: “الهدف الرئيسي في الفترة المقبلة يتمثل في زيادة الموارد المالية للاتحاد، بما يتيح تنفيذ البرامج المخططة والصرف بشكل جيد على المنتخبات الوطنية، إضافة إلى تنظيم دورات دولية تحتاج إلى مصروفات كبيرة”.

طالع أيضاً.. مجلس إدارة الأهلي يُصدر بيانًا عاجلًا بعد قرار الخطيب عدم الاستمرار في منصبه

وأشار: “الدكتور مصطفى فوزي، رئيس لجنة الموارد، له دور كبير في ذلك، كما أن الاتحاد حقق إنجازات في هذا الملف ويتطلع لمزيد من النجاحات الأخرى في المستقبل القريب”.

وأكد عمرو مصيلحي على دعم اتحاد السلة لمنتخب 3×3 قبل مشاركته في بطولة العالم تحت 23 عاماً، مشدداً على أن الاتحاد يساند الفريق بشكل قوي لضمان ظهوره في الأولمبياد مستقبلاً.

وعن السوبر المصري قال: “الاتحاد يسعى لإقامة المباراة خارج مصر بالتنسيق مع دولتين عربيتين، على أن يتم تحديد المكان رسمياً في وقت لاحق”.

وأتم: “تحدثت مع الدكتور أشرف صبحي، وزير الشباب والرياضة، عن ملف التجنيس ووعدني بالاهتمام بالأمر خلال الفترة المقبلة، هناك محاولات سابقة لم تكلل بالنجاح لكن الاتحاد سيواصل العمل على هذا الملف في المرحلة القادمة”.

Chelsea have seen a huge improvement defensively in recent weeks, keeping five clean sheets in their last seven games, only conceding two goals and 16 shots on target across those seven games.

However, the attacking prowess does seem to have tailed off, with the Blues only scoring nine in their last seven games, with four of those goals coming against bottom of the Premier League, Southampton.

Enzo Maresca will be keen to add some extra firepower to his forward line this summer, with a new striker high on the wish list, alongside a new winger who suits the Italian’s system.

Chelsea battling for £64m "cheat code"

The Blues have been linked with a number of forwards over recent months, from Newcastle superstar Alexander Isak to Ipswich forward Liam Delap.

However, they’re not just casting their net across the Premier League but across European football, too.

Indeed, according to reports from TBR Football, Chelsea are interested in signing AC Milan’s £150m-rated winger, Rafael Leao. The player’s camp are currently assessing the player’s options ahead of the summer.

Transfer Focus

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

That being said, the Blues could face competition from London rivals Arsenal, who are also now emerging as an option for the Portuguese winger.

Both Chelsea and Arsenal are keen to add a right-footed left-winger who offers a direct goal threat, speed in transition and creative qualities to unlock a game through their individual brilliance.

Leao has made 43 appearances for the Italian outfit this season, scoring ten goals, providing nine assists and totaling 2,997 minutes.

Chelsea are also reportedly in the race to sign Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens, so just how do the pair compare?

How Leao compares to Gittens this season

Dortmund’s Gittens is another target emerging for Maresca’s side and it’s easy to see why.

The 20-year-old sensation – who is seen as the future of English football – has made 42 appearances for the German outfit this season, netting 12 goals and providing four assists.

He notably shone in the Champions League, scoring against Real Madrid, and would be a superb signing. Still, he’s not quite as good as Leao.

Both players fit the bill of a Maresca winger, looking to get into plenty of 1v1 isolations with the opposition fullback, capable of going both inside and outside and having the directness to drive towards the box themselves.

One factor that could be slightly more worrying surrounding Leao compared to Gittens is work rate, with Maresca often asking his wide players to work hard defensively.

Goals

0.28

0.43

Assists

0.26

0.11

xG

0.28

0.20

xAG

0.27

0.13

Progressive Carries

4.86

5.74

Progressive Passes

3.67

2.08

Shots Total

2.30

2.59

Key Passes

2.09

1.09

Shot-Creating Actions

4.37

3.77

Successful Take-Ons

2.99

3.81

Whilst Gittens has a slightly higher shot volume, manages more progressive carries and successful take-ons, Leao offers more through creative passing, with more key passes, more shot-creating actions and higher assist numbers.

Described as one of football’s “cheat codes” by analyst Raj Chohan, Milan’s Portuguese star has blistering pace, the persistence to be direct and attack the opposition full-backs. He always forces them into uncomfortable scenarios and has the ability to create something out of nothing in a split second.

Both players would be excellent signings for Chelsea, but with the Blues already having such a young and inexperienced side, an addition like Leao could provide more of an instant boost, with a big-name signing to raise morale and ready to play a significant part in a title challenge.

Fulham have now made their first move to sign a “special” player on a free transfer for manager Marco Silva, according to a new report.

Fulham’s summer transfer plans

It has been another impressive campaign for the Cottagers, as they remain firmly in the race to finish in a European spot. The Premier League side have nine games remaining in the top flight to secure European football for next season, but they also have the FA Cup, where success could see them into the Europa League.

Fulham considering move to sign £6m+ a year Premier League player for free

Fulham are among the Premier League teams chasing a soon to be free agent.

By
Brett Worthington

Mar 6, 2025

Securing European football for next season would be a huge boost to Fulham, as not only will it increase their transfer budget for the summer, but it could also mean they have a better chance of retaining Silva, who has emerged as a top target for the Tottenham job should Ange Postecoglou be sacked.

In terms of transfers, it’s already been reported that Fulham are keeping a close eye on Tammy Abraham’s situation ahead of the summer, as he looks set to leave AS Roma, following a disappointing loan spell at AC Milan. However, they are not the only team from the Premier League interested in signing the former Chelsea striker.

As well as looking at adding to their attacking options, the Cottagers are also looking at improving their defence and are considering making an offer to Victor Lindelof, who looks set to become a free agent at the end of the campaign.

Fulham make move to sign "special" ace on free transfer

Lindelof is not the only player set to become a free agent who is on the club’s radar, as TBR Football report that Fulham have held talks over the signing of Angel Gomes, who is set to leave Lille at the end of the season.

The report states that the Cottagers have made Gomes a target for the summer, as they believe he would be the perfect fit for Silva and his system at Craven Cottage. However, Fulham are not the only team interested in signing the Englishman, as more than 10 clubs have held discussions about a move.

But Fulham are firmly in the mix to sign Gomes and have held talks of their own over a potential deal to London. The Cottagers also hope the potential arrival of the England international could help convince Silva to reject any approach that may come from Tottenham.

Angel Gomes’ 24/25 Ligue 1 stats
Apps	14
Starts	10
Minutes per game	53
Goals	1
Shots per game	0.6
Assists	1
Touches per game	30.7
Big chances created	4
Key passes per game	1.0
Passing accuracy per 90	20.6 (82%)
Balls recovered per 90	1.4

The 24-year-old, who has been dubbed “special” by French manager Jocelyn Gourvennec, struggled to make an impact at Manchester United, but his move to Lille has really helped his career.

The midfielder, who can also operate as a more advanced player, has scored 10 goals and recorded 19 assists in 134 games for the French side. This season, Gomes has found himself in and out of the team, so his impact in front of goal has been rather minimal, but this hasn’t put Fulham off, as they see him as someone who could be a real difference maker for Silva.

MatériaMais Notícias

da imperador bet： Os bastidores da vitória do Fluminense por 3 a 1 sobre o Sporting Cristal, pela Copa Libertadores, no Estádio Nacional de Lima, mostraram a busca por atenção redobrada entre os tricolores. Divulgada pela FluTV na madrugada de sábado, a rotina da equipe traz detalhes da reestreia de Marcelo e sinais de alerta exigidos pelo técnico Fernando Diniz.

Durante o intervalo do confronto, o comandante fez cobranças diante das chances desperdiçadas na etapa inicial.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFluminenseÀs vésperas da final do Carioca, Diniz tem desafios para ajeitar a defesa do FluminenseFluminense07/04/2023Futebol LatinoImprensa argentina repercute paixão de Felipe Melo pelo Boca JrsFutebol Latino07/04/2023Fora de CampoEx-jogador condena atitudes recentes de Marcelo com torcedores: ‘Mascarado’Fora de Campo07/04/2023

da bet7： -Lá na frente a gente não pode perder tanto gol. Nós perdemos seis gols para fazer um. Então vamos fazer a p… do gol para definir o jogo! – contestou o treinador, quando a partida estava empatada no Estádio Nacional, em Lima.

Após a confirmação da vitória por 3 a 1, o treinador mirou suas atenções na final do Campeonato Carioca, que acontecerá no domingo (9), às 18h. Diniz passou entusiasmo para o elenco.

-Rapaziada, parabéns aí pela vitória. A partir de agora, desse momento, a gente pensa no nosso título. Todo mundo que acredita! Nós já estamos trabalhando para c… nesse jogo. Preparar o melhor Fluminense para jogar domingo, que é o da Páscoa. Agora, só Flamengo e só título (apontando para a cabeça) – garantiu.

A delegação tricolor voltou ao Rio de Janeiro em voo fretado na noite de quinta-feira. Após as atividades na manhã de sexta-feira, o técnico Fernando Diniz fará os últimos ajustes na equipe em treino neste sábado (8).

O Fluminense perdeu por 2 a 0 para o Flamengo no jogo de ida. Com isso, precisa vencer por três ou mais gols a partida deste domingo para se classificar diretamente. Vitória por dois gols leva a decisão para os pênaltis. O Tricolor das Laranjeiras terá de repetir um feito incomum em suas disputas nos mata-matas.

Otago Cricket will honour Rutherford on January 23 in his last game

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jan-2024New Zealand and Otago opening batter Hamish Rutherford will play the last match of his professional career next week, in the Super Smash clash against Northern Districts in Dunedin. Rutherford will end a career that started in 2008 and in which he has scored 16,468 so far across formats.Rutherford played 16 Tests as part of his 130 first-class games and scored a 171 on debut against England in 2013. He made 7863 first-class runs along with 17 centuries while averaging 35.26. He played only four ODIs but 127 List A games, scoring 4326 runs with 13 centuries in the format, and 192 T20s – including eight T20Is – for 4279 runs at a strike rate of 141.50.”It has been a privilege to play for Otago and be part of this iconic province,” he said in a statement. “While playing for New Zealand was always the dream, I’m grateful for the opportunities cricket has given me and my family. I’ve loved every minute of it. I appreciate all the support I have had from family and friends, fellow players, coaches and supporters of the province.”Rutherford will retire having played the most T20s for Otago; he broke Neil Broom’s record earlier this month. Overall, he will retire having played the third most matches for Otago across formats, behind Broom (348) and Derek de Boorder (292).”Hamish will undoubtedly be considered one of Otago’s greats,” Otago Cricket chief executive Mike Coggan said. “I have seen him play innings that very few other cricketers are capable of. He has been an entertainer at the top of the innings, and he has my utmost respect as a player and person. His contribution to Otago Cricket has been immense.”I have not seen another opener who has combined patience and aggression as Hamish has. His big century on debut at home was astonishing against a quality England side and the 155 (off 100 balls) he scored in a Ford Trophy match in Dunedin against CD back in 2020 was something to behold. Hamish has always been a student of the game and one of domestic cricket’s finest thinkers. He has been a pleasure to watch and know and I wish him well in retirement.”Otago Cricket will honour Rutherford on January 23 in his last game.

India-Pakistan clashes have never been short of passion and excitement at the Under-19 World Cup. We look at five memorable clashes from previous editions

Shashank Kishore in Christchurch29-Jan-2018India and Pakistan will meet in the second semi-final for the right to face three-time champions Australia in the 2018 Under-19 World Cup final in Mount Maunganui on February 3. The rivalry is fierce, but unlike in the men’s World Cup, where India have a 6-0 advantage, Pakistan hold the slight edge here. Contests between the two have been engrossing, and only occasionally one-sided. Here is a look back at five of them from previous editions:Group-stage fixture in Dubai, 2014India brushed aside questions over their preparedness after they had lost both warm-ups, and turned up on the big day. Sanju Samson, who had already played top-flight cricket with Rajasthan Royals at the Champions League T20 just a few months earlier, consolidated with a half-century. But it was Sarfaraz Khan, the 16-year old, billed as a special talent in Mumbai’s cricketing circles, who set the stage with a combative half-century that propelled India to 262 on a sluggish Dubai surface. It proved to be 40 too many for Pakistan, after Deepak Hooda returned five wickets with his flat offbreaks.Quarter-final in Townsville, 2012Returning from illness, left-arm spinner Harmeet Singh was prolific with the ball, and bailed India out with the bat. While Sandeep did the bulk of the damage with three wickets, Harmeet’s 1 for 20 in 10 overs played a part in Pakistan tumbling for 136. That ought to have sufficed for a relaxing second half, but it was anything but.ICC/GettyStill 17 away, India had stumbled to 120 for 6. When 10 were needed, they were 127 for 9, fast bowlers Azizullah and Ehsan Adil triggering the meltdown. Harmeet was left with No. 11 Sandeep Sharma to salvage a win. The pair batted for seven overs with admirable composure to drag India over.Quarter-final in Lincoln, 2010In cold and grey Lincoln, Pakistan seamer Fayyad Butt made use of helpful conditions to snare 4 for 27 and limit India to 114 for 9 in a match reduced to 23 overs a side. Pakistan, though, came out playing shots, and at 16 for 3, it was game on.It was then down to middle-order batsman Hammad Azam, whose brisk cameo knocked out the defending champions.Jaydev Unadkat, an IPL millionaire on Sunday, ended a brief recovery as Pakistan were five down needing another 37. With 24 needed off 16, Mohammad Waqas smashed Ashok Menaria over midwicket for six, but fell next ball. With 16 needed off 12, a timely four from Usman Qadir brought the equation down to a run a ball, but he too fell next ball.Amid the swinging fortunes, Hammad brought out his adventurous streak, biffing Sandeep across the line for six over midwicket, and then scooping Unadkat for four over short fine leg. Now, Pakistan needed just four off the final over, but lost Sarmad Bhatti off the second ball. Hammad, however, crossed over, and took control of the situation by slapping Sandeep through point to seal a thrilling two-wicket win.Final in Colombo, 2006A decade before they would become Test cricketers, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja were starry-eyed teenagers eyeing a World Cup prize when they ran into familiar opponents Pakistan in the final. The trophy must have seemed a formality when Pakistan were bundled out for 109. Not in the face of Anwar Ali’s swing, as he demolished Piyush Chawla’s record for best figures in a final with a five-for that floored India.AFPGaurav Dhiman, who had earned a reputation of being a hard-hitter upfront, was out first ball. Pujara was dismissed off Anwar’s first ball, to a potentially harsh lbw call. Rohit was bowled by an inswinger from the same bowler, and India were in tatters at 23 for 7. Chawla and Pinal Shah resisted to bring the target under 50. As the two looked increasingly comfortable, Pakistan’s fielders began to stutter. But when Shah got one that reared up from nowhere to kiss the edge, the end was near. Amid the carnage, Chawla stood inconsolable, after a performance that could’ve earned him a Player of the Final on most days. Pakistan had done the unthinkable.Semifinal in Dhaka, 2004With 497 runs in the competition, Shikhar Dhawan was in the form of his life. But when he fell for 8, India crumbled under pressure to fold for 169. It left the bowlers with a too tall a task in superb batting conditions in Dhaka. Despite that, Dhiman and RP Singh broke open the game, swinging the ball under lights, as Pakistan lost half their side with 83 on the board. But Fawad Alam stood tall, and with Tariq Mahmood, put on an unbroken 88-run stand to snuff out India’s fight. This match was a lesson for Pakistan in how to ease pressure in a stiff. They would go on to beat West Indies and win the tournament.

With Manchester City continuing to chase Morgan Gibbs-White’s signature, Nottingham Forest have reportedly joined the battle to sign a La Liga midfielder who once played for the Blues.

Nottingham Forest's worrying form continues

Forest had been flying towards the Champions League places and even found themselves as high as third throughout the current campaign. As things stand, however, they now sit sixth and are on course to miss out on a place among Europe’s elite with three games to play. In a season full of shock form, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have seemingly run out of steam at the worst possible time.

With one win in their last five Premier League games, Forest must rediscover their form as soon as their next attempt which will see them play host to a relegated Leicester City side. They then visit a struggling West Ham United side with the same aim before they square off against Chelsea on the final day in a game likely to decide their Champions League fate.

Nuno spoke to reporters after his side were held to a 1-1 draw by Crystal Palace on Monday, saying: “I think we improved in many aspects of the game, first half we were in control, we were dominant and had good possession and we didn’t allow Palace to counterattack against us.

“We didn’t create too many, but we had a clear chance. The second half was different, it was important that we reacted from the goal and the reaction we had showed character and belief.

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“We were fighting until the end, always with the belief that we could achieve more. The boys did well, Palace have a difficult shape to break down and they always have the threat of the counterattack when they recover.”

Meanwhile, away from the pitch, those in the Midlands have also been busy setting their sights on potential summer arrivals to replace Gibbs-White amid rumours that Manchester City are pushing to sign their star midfielder.

Nottingham Forest battling to sign Yangel Herrera

According to reports in Spain, Nottingham Forest are now battling to sign Yangel Herrera from Girona this summer and face competition from the likes of Atletico Madrid for his signature. Having spent time at Manchester City in the early stages of his career, the South American has finally found his feet at Girona and could now be on his way back to the Premier League as a result.

Starts

24

31

Goals

4

5

Assists

3

7

Ball Recoveries

95

118

When compared, Herrera’s numbers show that he could be an option to replace Gibbs-White. In six fewer starts, the Girona man has managed just one less goal than the Forest man, albeit whilst struggling to create at the same level.

Potentially coming back to haunt Manchester City, Herrera could find himself on his way back to English football courtesy of Nottingham Forest this summer.