حقق الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة، فوزًا مهمًا على حساب نظيره جيرونا، في المباراة التي جمعتهما ضمن منافسات الدوري الإسباني “لا ليجا”.

وفاز برشلونة بثنائية مقابل هدف، في المباراة التي جمعتهما ضمن منافسات الجولة التاسعة من بطولة الدوري الإسباني.

وفي الدقيقة 90 خطف رونالد أراوخو الهدف الثاني لبرشلونة، بعد تمريرة رائعة من فرينكي دي يونج.

بهذا الفوز، ارتفع رصيد برشلونة للنقطة 22 في صدارة ترتيب الليجا، وتجمد رصيد جيرونا عند النقطة السادسة في المركز التاسع عشر.

طالع.. موعد مباراة برشلونة القادمة بعد الفوز على جيرونا في الدوري الإسباني

وسجل بيدري الهدف الأول لصالح برشلونة في الدقيقة 12، بعدما استلم الكرة من جناح برشلونة لامين يامال، ليمر أمام مدافعي جيرونا ويحرز الهدف بطريقة رائعة. رجل مباراة برشلونة وجيرونا في الدوري الإسباني

وفاز بيدري بجائزة رجل المباراة بعد الأداء المميز الذي قدمه في اللقاء بإحرازه الهدف الأول لصالح فريق برشلونة وتقديمه أداءً مميزًا للغاية أمام جيرونا.

Bayern Munich sporting director Max Eberl has criticised Paris Saint-Germain star Gianluigi Donnarumma for his role in Jamal Musiala's injury.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Musiala suffers serious-looking injury
• Donnarumma collided with Bayern star
• Goalkeeper criticised for his actions

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The PSG stopper collided with Musiala in the first half of Bayern's 2-0 Club World Cup quarter-final loss on Saturday, with the 22-year-old having to be stretchered off for a serious-looking injury. Now, Eberl has laid into the Italian international for his "inconsiderate" actions.

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• WHAT EBERL SAID

  He told reporters: "When I jump onto his [Musiala's] lower leg while sprinting, weighing 100 kilograms, there's a high risk of something happening. I don't think he did it intentionally, but he also wasn't being considerate."

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While Bayern are out of the lucrative Club World Cup, they will be more concerned about Musiala's injury. The German international is a vital player in Vincent Kompany's side and their chances of success next season, re winning trophies, will likely take a huge hit without him.

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Bayern and the club's fans will now keep a close eye on the extent of Musiala's injury in the coming days. The attacking midfielder missed the tail end of last season with a torn muscle and now he could be out for much longer.

Relive one of the great comeback stories in cricket, lovely cricket, with ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball updates

Sidharth Monga27-Sep-2020A day in the life of TewatiaRahul Tewatia has been promoted to No. 4. He is the only left-hand batsman in this line-up. They want to line up the leggies now. And [KL] Rahul responds by giving the ball to the offie, Glenn Maxwell. Cat and mouse.Tewatia reminds me of the time when Jadeja was promoted by India in the 2009 T20 World Cup. He couldn’t hit, he couldn’t get out. Here is Bishnoi.I feel for Tewatia, I really do, because he will become the villain of the match, and he is an earnest cricketer who loves to do whatever he can for the team, but he has been put in an impossible position by the management who have over-estimated his batting drastically. He is watching the ball well, but he doesn’t seem to have the shots.13.3
Neesham to Tewatia, no run, oh the walls seem to be closing in. He tries the sweep off Neesham and is hit on the pad. Doesn’t get out, doesn’t get off strike. Tewatia 5 off 1413.4
Neesham to Tewatia, 1 run, slower ball, really full, drilled to long-on for one. Tewatia 6 off 15I know you are debating the retire-out. It is a compassionate move, yes, but not a new debate. Let’s focus on the struggle and see what he can do here13.6
Neesham to Tewatia, 1 run, the worst result. he has hit one in air, but there is no power behind it, and long-off is straight enough to keep them to one. Tewatia 7 off 16Oh Rahul, it is a cruel world14.1
Ravi Bishnoi to Tewatia, 1 run, and the poor guy is trying everything. Reverse hit goes to extra cover for one. Tewatia 8 off 17It [the required rate] is getting close to three a ball. Cameras panning to the dugout. Awful awful feeling if you are Tewatia14.5
Ravi Bishnoi to Tewatia, SIX, relief. Sweet relief. But he needs more to feel better. Jumps at him, goes down the ground, and gets a straight six14.6
Ravi Bishnoi to Tewatia, no run, oh why the reverse just after hitting one down the ground? Beaten again15.3
Maxwell to Samson, no run, and now Samson has refused the single. That will make it more awful for Tewatia, but I think he wants to take the toll on Maxwell15.4
Maxwell to Samson, 2 runs, Maxwell goes back of a length, worked behind square for a coupleImportant for Samson to communicate to Tewatia15.5
Maxwell to Samson, SIX runs, his batting is communicating to KXIP all right. Maxwell gets into the slot again, and he smashes it over midwicket for six more. That’s 20 for the over15.6
Maxwell to Samson, 1 run, drilled down the ground for a single to long-off. A good result if it is not a six. At least he has the strike”Hey stop blaming Tewatia! There are more Tewatias in real life than Samsons.”17 an over. You still won’t rule a side out in Sharjah with dew around. Rahul you still have a chance to turn this around. Come on, turn this into a fairytale of redemption17.1
Cottrell to Tewatia, SIX, it is a small six but it is a six nonetheless. Hang in there, Rahul. Keep swinging. Cottrell follows him with a bouncer, but he manages to get inside the line to pull him flat over long leg17.2
Cottrell to Tewatia, SIX, whoa whoa whoa cricket you beauty. You keep fighting, the tide can turn. He gets a short of a length ball, stands his ground and swings to leg. Not off the absolute middle of the bat but enough to clear the short square boundary and onto the road17.3
Cottrell to Tewatia, SIX, make it three times. Sing your redemption songs. Cottrell pitches up, and he goes over wide long-off. Strike rate of 135 now. Game is onAnd now KXIP are having conferences17.4
Cottrell to Tewatia, SIX, well, Rahul, what a player. You are a champion. You have fought through the worst of times. Give yourself something to celebrate. Gees across, shuffles early gets a wide low full toss, and sweeps it over midwicket for another flat sixOh the joy of struggle and redemption. How fortunate to be calling this17.5
Cottrell to Tewatia, no run, goes for the fifth. Slower length ball wide outside off, and he goes across the lines. Beaten17.6
Cottrell to Tewatia, SIX, wow Rahul bloody Tewatia. This is a story for the ages, son. What redemption. Now Uthappa has to give him strike. He has smacked a wide length ball over midwicket for another six. Now only 21 required in two oversCricket, lovely cricket. That is all I can say right nowCome on Rahul Tewatia. You have taken us on a roller-coaster. Now finish it off. Hang on, boys and girls and others. [And with Uthappa out] they have promoted Archer now. Uthappa didn’t even hand over the strike …18.2
Mohammed Shami to Archer, SIX, which is just as well because Archer has hit the first ball for six. Short ball, on pace, and Archer loves him some on-pace short bowling. Over wicket for six18.3
Mohammed Shami to Archer, SIX, golf swing. This is a great day at the cricket. Nine off nine now. Amid this euphoria, this is pretty abysmal death bowling, I am sorry. Length ball, in the slot, on pace, and Archer ain’t no Uthappa to be chipping it sweetly18.4
Mohammed Shami to Archer, 1 run, goes for the yorker, dug out for a single to deep pointCan do it in singles now. Last 10 balls: 43 runs, one wicket. Rahul Tewatia, you beautiful beautiful cricketer18.5
Mohammed Shami to Tewatia, SIX, oh he has reached fifty. Minutes ago, they were all asking for a compassion dismissal for him. This, right here, is the importance of keeping on fighting. Keep kicking. Short ball, outside off, and he has upper-cut it for a six. Well played, RT18.6
Mohammed Shami to Tewatia, OUT, oh man, the greatest 40 minutes of commentary have come to an end. Tewatia has found deep midwicket with the pull, but he has made sure they win the match. Fifty-three off 31 after everybody wanted him thrown into the Gulf. Take a bloody bow, sir. You are a beautiful beautiful player. Storytellers kill for guys like you.Now we can breathe. Tewatia is knocking fists with others here. Don’t tell to me not get carried away. This is among the greatest days of commentary I have been through. If you have ever backed an underdog, if you have ever felt awful for a guy giving it his best and not getting anywhere, if you have ever been in that situation yourself, this day is such sweet joy.Let me tell you a story from a Stephen Fleming interview. I told him you should look to pull guys back if they are unable to hit. He didn’t like the idea. He said the struggle is the beauty of the game. His exact words: “That’s the beauty of it, isn’t it? Not let someone get away with it just because they can tap out. ‘Not my day today, I am out.'” What words. You have to really love this sport to think like that when you are under so much pressure to win. Guess what, Rahul Tewatia didn’t tap out. For all the frustrations of watching Jadeja get stuck in quick sand, and Yuvraj and Vijay Shankar, perhaps it is true that you just don’t tap out.

كشف كريم نيدفيد لاعب فريق سيراميكا كليوباترا، حقيقة تلقيه عرضًا من نادي الزمالك للانتقال إلى صفوفه عقب رحيله عن النادي الأهلي. 

وكان كريم نيدفيد قد رحل عن صفوف الأهلي في فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الماضية، لينضم إلى صفوف فريق سيراميكا كليوباترا. 

طالع.. كريم نيدفيد: “مبلعتش” ما فعله رمضان صبحي مع الأهلي.. واللاعبون أرادوا رحيل كولر

وقال كريم نيدفيد في تصريحات على قناة “أون سبورت”: “لم أتلق أي عرض من الزمالك بشكل رسمي ولم يتحدث معي أحد، عقب رحيلي عن صفوف النادي الأهلي”.

وأضاف نيدفيد عن أسباب اختياره اللعب في صفوف سيراميكا كليوباترا: “علي ماهر له فضل عليا بشكل عام، وسيراميكا آخر موسمين له شكل ووضع في الدوري، نادي مستقر وإدارة محترمة ويوفرون للنادي كل شيء” 

وتابع: أي مدير فني ينضم لهم يستمر معهم لفترة، بجانب وجود علي ماهر معهم لأنه يعلم إمكانياتي بشكل جيد جدًا ويجعلني مرتاح في الملعب، ويحارب على لاعبيه وطالما هو متمسك بي فأنا أكون متمسك به أكثر”.

وأردف: “لم أهاجم رمضان صبحي ولكن قلت الذي شعرت به في لحظتها وكرد فعل على الذي حدث وقتها، أنا ورمضان صبحي أصدقاء طوال عمرنا ولكن علاقتنا كانت علاقة ملعب فقط، علاقة عمل أكثر ما كانت إنسانية”.

وأكمل: “موسيماني لم يُظلم في الأهلي وحصل على تقدير كبير، ولكن الكرة في جنوب إفريقيا لا تلعب تحت ضغوطات مثلما يحدث في الأهلي، ولكن موسيماني مدرب جيد هو يعمل في التمرين لمدة 20 دقيقة فني ويترك كل شيء للذي معه، وهو قادر على قراءة الفرق بشكل جيد جدًا”.

وواصل: “لا أعتقد انني لو تلقيت عرضا من الزمالك سأنضم له، هو نادي كبير ويمتلك جماهيرية كبيرة، وأي لاعب تربي في النادي الأهلي ويحب النادي بدون أي مقابل يكون الموضوع صعبًا اللعب في الفريق المنافس، نفس الكلام على لاعبي الزمالك سيكون لديهم نفس الشيء والأمر لن يكون بهذه البساطة”.

واستطرد: “إمام عاشور يمتلك إمكانيات كبيرة وصنع الفارق منذ انضمامه للأهلي وأضاف أشياء مختلفة بطريقة لعبه وأسلوبه لخط وسط ملعب الأهلي، ويحل مباريات كثيرة”.

وأختتم نيدفيد تصريحاته قائلا:”موسيماني في نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا أمام الزمالك أبلغلنا لو أردنا الفوز على الزمالك، يجب الضغط عليه بشكل قوي وسنسجل في مرماهم مبكرًا وهذا بالفعل حدث، وعودة اللاعبين للدفاع بعد الهدف كان قرار اللاعيبه للحفاظ على هدف وليس بقرار من موسيماني، وتعرضت للظلم في الأهلي بعدم المشاركة بشكل مستمر، ولم أتوقع انضمام أحمد سيد زيزو وإمام عاشور للأهلي”.

Arsenal transfer chief Andrea Berta is personally keen on a high-earning centre-forward, who’d now reportedly jump at the chance to join Mikel Arteta’s side.

Arsenal two-man striker target list with Andrea Berta holding talks

According to recent reports, two players currently stand out as Arsenal’s most desired striker targets – Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.

Arsenal seal first summer sale as "high level" player completes European move

A few more expected to follow this summer.

ByEmilio Galantini May 23, 2025

Going by the on-field and off-field numbers, it is clear to see why this is the case.

Gyokeres, who’s racked up a phenomenal 53 goals in all competitions for Sporting this season, could also depart the Primeira Liga side for a fee of up to £60 million, according to Fabrizio Romano, so he’d be an arguable bargain when factoring in the 26-year-old’s record.

Sporting CP

101

96

28

Coventry City

116

43

17

Brommapojkarna

67

25

9

FC St. Pauli

28

7

4

Swansea City

12

1

0

Brighton

8

1

1

Meanwhile, Sesko’s current release clause stands at £67 million, and the Slovenia international actually bettered his goalscoring tally from last season (18) with 21 goals across all competitions.

While some reports in Portugal earlier this week stated that Arsenal have agreed a £59m fee to sign Gyokeres from Sporting (O Jogo), this claim appears to have jumped the gun, as Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg stated on Friday that Berta is holding serious talks over a move for Sesko.

Arsenal’s pursuit of a top goalscorer remains very much open, as Berta identifies targets who he believes would be best-suited to Arteta.

Interestingly, as per journalist Simon Phillips last week, Arteta would personally prefer Sesko, while Berta is believed to be more of a fan of Gyokeres.

What’s clear, though, is Arsenal’s glaring need for another striker. Arteta has been forced to utilise midfielder Mikel Merino as an emergency striker for most of this calendar year, following injuries to Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz.

While the latter has since returned to action, it is imperative that Arsenal don’t wait any longer to sign a 25-plus-goals-per-season forward, as they look to mount a successful Premier League title challenge.

Dušan Vlahović would "immediately" join Arsenal this summer

According to some reports, there are other centre-forwards on Berta’s shopping list, albeit further down the pecking order when compared to Sesko and Gyokeres.

Journalist Daniele Longo, writing a piece for Calciomercato, shares that Juventus striker Dušan Vlahović is one of them.

The Serbia international is entering the final 12 months of his £359,000-per-week contract at Juve, and with no sign of a renewal, it would appear that the Old Lady must be more inclined to sell him this summer, rather than lose Vlahovic for nothing in 2026.

Longo states that Vlahovic “would immediately pack his bags” and join Arsenal if given the opportunity, and Berta personally wants the ex-Fiorentina star, even if he’s less of a transfer priority.

The “starting” price of any negotiations for Vlahovic comes at around £42 million, which could be seen by some as good value, considering the “machine” has scored at least 14 total goals per season since 2020/21.

If Berta were to seriously pursue him, Arsenal’s major obstacle would undoubtedly be Vlahovic’s extortionate wages.

da bet nacional： Oliver Glasner is now pushing Crystal Palace to sign a “warrior” centre-back as a possible replacement for Marc Guehi, according to a recent report.

Crystal Palace’s transfer plans beginning to take shape

da apostaganha： The Eagles still remain in the dark about whether or not they will be able to play in the Europa League next season. Due to issues around multi-club ownership, UEFA may make the decision to remove Palace from the Europa League, which would be a huge blow not only on the pitch but in the boardoom, limiting what business takes place this summer.

Related Crystal Palace now keen to hijack 21 y/o gem who's the 'next Upamecano'

The Eagles could get one over on their rivals.

Posts ByTom Cunningham Jun 7, 2025

But while Palace wait to find out the verdict, club chiefs are continuing to work hard behind the scenes to identify players who they think will help them compete both in the Premier League and Europe. Indeed, it came to light over the weekend that Palace have made an ambitious approach to sign Ousmane Diomande from Sporting CP.

The South Londoners have made an enquiry to get an understanding of a potential deal, with the Portuguese club said to be looking to get around £40 million.

As well as looking at Diomande, Palace are also lining up ways of strengthening their midfield, and it’s been claimed that Kalvin Phillips is now a genuine target for the Eagles. Phillips is looking to leave Manchester City this summer, but his wages may be a stumbling block.

Glasner wants Crystal Palace to sign Pavlovic

The Eagles are not keeping their defensive options just down to Diomande, as according to The Sun, Crystal Palace are also looking at signing Strahinja Pavlovic from AC Milan.

The report states that Glasner is a big fan of the defender, and the boss believes Pavlovic would be an ideal arrival for European football next season.

It is claimed that Milan value the centre-back around the £40 million mark, but were Palace to make a move this summer, they would look to start the bidding on the cheap, at around £25 million.

Not only could Pavlovic’s arrival at Selhurst Park be seen as adding more competition, but he could also be seen as a player who could replace Guehi. The England defender has been linked with a move away for the last 12 months, and commenting on Palace’s own links to Diomande, reports in Lisbon believe Newcastle are now close to signing Guehi.

Strahinja Pavlovic’s 24/25 Serie A stats

Apps

24

Starts

21

Goals

2

Assists

1

Touches

67.8

Passing accuracy per game

50.0 (89%)

Clean sheets

7

Interceptions per game

0.7

Tackles per game

2.2

Balls recovered per game

2.8

Dribbled past per game

0.9

Clearances per game

3.3

Palace value Guehi at least the £50 million mark, so his departure would likely pay for the arrival of Diomande or Pavlovic, who has been dubbed a “warrior” by scout Jacek Kulig, standing at 6 foot 4. The Serbia international has played 19 times in the Champions League and 10 times in the Europa League in his career, so he would be bringing European experience with him should he move to Selhurst Park.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis and his son have received death threats from Galatasaray fans instructing them to sanction Victor Osimhen's move to the Turkish club.

• De Laurentiis family pressured by fans
• Osimhen's move to Galatasaray on hold
• Super Lig club negotiating with Napoli

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  De Laurentiis and his son Edoardo were handed death threats by a Galatasaray fan who seemed angry at Osimhen's transfer saga. The Napoli chief's son was sent vulgar messages on WhatsApp, commanding him not to oppose Osimhen's permanent move to the Super Lig side, and a screenshot was shared on X by Turkish journalist Samet Cayir.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  After spending four seasons at Napoli since his move from Lille in 2020, Osimhen joined Galatasaray last summer on loan. He shone bright and recorded 45 goal contributions in 41 games, which was made up of 37 goals and eight assists. His impressive form led to the Turkish club urging a permanent transfer. However, his parent club Napoli have laid out certain terms which are deemed unacceptable by Galatasaray. Napoli had requested €40 million plus €35m to be paid by 2026 and a percentage from any future resale, while the Super Lig side wanted to delay the second instalment to 2027 and remove the resale clause. With such rigorous negotiations, Osimhen's future is yet to be sorted out.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Osimhen, who has 26 goals in 41 games for Nigeria, was the Super Lig's top scorer last season with 26 goals, five more than Basaksehir's Krzysztof Piatek.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR OSIMHEN?

  Talks are continuing between Galatasaray and Napoli, with the Italian champions certain that the striker does not have a future at the club.

Mikel Arteta has hailed 15-year-old Arsenal wonderkid Max Dowman after he made his senior debut against AC Milan on Wednesday.

Dowman played in winArsenal 1-0 victors in SingaporeArteta full of praise for teenager Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Arsenal beat Milan 1-0 in a pre-season friendly on Wednesday, with Bukayo Saka the goal-scorer. In the game, manager Arteta gave two 15-year-olds their first tastes of senior football, with Marli Salmon and Dowman both coming off the bench.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Arteta was full of praise for both of the "kids" who came onto the pitch, and reserved special praise for Dowman, although he stopped short of outlining the plan for him next season. Dowman has already won 14 caps for England's U17s, and he scored 15 goals in 15 league appearances for Arsenal's U18s last season.

WHAT ARTETA SAID

Arteta told reporters: "Yes, I'm very happy with all the kids, I think they are able to play at that level, with 15 years old, in my opinion, because of the environment, and the culture that is within the team, and when somebody makes you feel so comfortable, so confident, straight away you can go and do it. Obviously it gives you the best chance, you have to have the qualities that this kid has."

Asked about the plan for next season for Dowman, he added: "No, we don't know, with all the young kids at the end, they are in and around the team constantly, and they are really used to the dynamics, the demands, and especially raising the physical levels, because the demands, and actually to be able to perform and impact the game at that level, it demands really, really high physical standards, and they are getting that, and that gives them another platform, and then they will have to earn it." 

AFPWHAT NEXT?

Arsenal play Newcastle on July 27 in Singapore in their next pre-season friendly, before meeting Tottenham for the first north London derby on foreign shores.

India’s spinners finish the job, with miserly and incisive spells

Sidharth Monga09-Oct-20242:36

Takeaways: Reddy arrives on the scene, Rinku repeats heroics

India pounced on poor bowling from the Bangladesh spinners to get out of jail on a Delhi surface that started off as tacky but kept on improving for batting as the night progressed. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rinku Singh took India from 41 for 3 in the sixth over to 221, with a finishing kick provided by Hardik Pandya. In better batting conditions, the India bowling still proved too good for Bangladesh, sealing the series win.The Bangladesh spinners suffered on both comparisons. Their fast bowlers bowled 12 overs for 102 runs, but the spinners conceded 116 in their eight. And then the India spinners rubbed it in for them with nine overs for just 49 runs and five wickets.India struggle at the startAfter a toss that didn’t seem to matter – Bangladesh said they wanted to use the dew coming in later to their advantage and chase, India said they wanted to bat first to test their bowlers in dew – Bangladesh opened the bowling with Mehidy Hasan Miraz, whose arm balls were either too full or short and taken apart by Sanju Samson. On a tacky surface, the fast bowlers managed to draw misbehaviour though. Samson and Suryakumar Yadav fell to checked shots because of the slowness of the pitch, and Abhishek Sharma played on trying to slog Tanzim Hasan.Tanzim Hasan Sakib had Abhishek Sharma chopping on•BCCI

Reddy enjoys some luckRinku was the only one able to play smoothly from the start. Reddy got away twice in the early phase of his innings. When Litton Das dropped him down the leg side of Tanzim, Reddy moved to 6 off 4, and he was 19 off 14 when he survived an extremely close lbw – umpire’s call on impact on a reverse-sweep. That 19 included a six off a free-hit thanks to a no-ball by Mahmudullah.Flood gates openRishad Hossain is a legspinner full of promise, especially in T20 cricket. However, against a Rinku intent on all kinds of sweeps, he bowled his fifth ball too full and was slog-swept for six. And then Mahmudulllah offered the free-hit. In his second over, Rishad erred on length on both sides. Reddy took him for two sixes down the ground before Rinku pulled him for one. That 24-run over took India past 100 in 10 overs.After that, only Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman managed an over without a boundary. Mehidy suffered the worst punishment as he couldn’t get Reddy off strike and kept bowling in his wheelhouse for 26 runs in the 13th over. A hundred in just his second match looked on but a slower ball from Mustafizur got the better of him to dismiss him for 74 off 34.Rinku Singh celebrated his third T20I fifty•BCCI

This was the right time for Bangladesh to squeeze in an over of spin but Hardik Pandya offered no concessions to Rishad’s errors in length. Rinku might have looked like the silent partner in the carnage but he got to his fifty at almost two a ball.As India kept losing wickets looking for quick runs, Rishad managed some respite and got to bowl the last over for just eight runs. Bangladesh were still being asked to score their highest T20I total to stay alive in the series.A bridge too farThere’s a reason Bangladesh have never scored more than 215 in T20Is: their batters don’t seem to have the game for it. Looking for the unprecedented, the batters took too many risks and got off to a quick start but it was a matter of time before the risks caught up with them. Parvez Hossain played Arshdeep on, Washington Sundar got Najmul Hossain Shanto twice in two games, Litton Das was all at sea against Varun Chakravarthy, Towhid Hridoy was done in by an Abhishek Sharma arm ball, and the game was all but done at 46 for 4 in the seventh over.The rest was mere formalities, which involved a wicket for Riyan Parag, a stunning catch by Pandya, and a wicket at least for each of the seven bowlers India tried.

Afghanistan are one of the greatest things to happen to the game, yes, but they are also professional cricketers who want to win matches

Jarrod Kimber04-Jun-2019Hazratullah Zazai is on a constant audition to be your favourite cricketer. He plays cricket with garage punk rock hitting. When he faces his first ball from Suranga Lakmal, it’s full and swinging in at the base of off stump. Zazai tries to force to square leg; it’s the wrong length, wrong line, and his bat face is nearly the wrong way around. The ball whistles past off stump.The next ball is short outside off stump, Zazai gets quickly into position and pulls high over midwicket, where it just about carries for six.Sri Lanka have a series of discussions that end with the man placed at deep midwicket within inches of where the last ball flew. Some batsmen would look at that and decide that the next ball should go somewhere else. Zazai looks at that, and he plays the exact shot he wants to play, which is a lofted one to the newly moved fielder. It drops short because of a slight mis-hit.There is a madness in what he does, but also joy.WATCH – Nabi’s four-wicket haul on Hotstar (India only)There’s a feeling among some that this Afghanistan team is a magical mystery pink flying unicorn that spreads love throughout the universe. Of course fans feel this way. How is it even possible there is a team from Afghanistan in cricket, let alone one this full of wonders? They shouldn’t exist, and yet there they are, swinging to leg and bowling magic tricks right in front of our eyes. But they are also professional cricketers, some of whom have been playing internationals for more than a decade. In their ranks are some of the most exciting franchise cricketers in the world. They have been funded by the German, US and Indian governments, and have much support from the ICC.Hazratullah Zazai pulls one away•Getty ImagesIn the nets before this match, Hamid Hassan was bowling with a catapult vest on to track his workload. Unicorns don’t wear state-of-the-art sport science devices.It is a disservice to think of them only as this good-news story. Afghanistan playing cricket is one of the greatest things that has ever happened to this sport, but these players are not just something to make us feel better. They are cricketers who want to win matches, and they qualified for this tournament by winning games of cricket. On their journey they have beaten Test nations, they are a Test nation.They earned the right to be here, and on Tuesday they had their best chance of beating a Test nation at a World Cup.Last game, Afghanistan batted first and used their trusty opening bowler Mujeeb Ur Rahman. They could have batted first here and then had Mujeeb bowling to two left-handed opening batsmen in a good match-up. But they wanted to attack. They sent Sri Lanka in, unleashed their quicks on the helpful pitch, and all they had to do was put the ball in the right area.They did not. Dawlat Zadran’s first over was okay; it included a wide and one on the hip that tickled away to the rope. But returning warrior Hassan’s over was disastrous. It started with a warm-up ball boundary, and for the rest of the over he was everywhere – it was like he was not only searching for line and length, but had forgotten what the concept meant. Last game he started with two maidens to David Warner – delivered to a seven-two field. Today he would have needed 72 fielders to stem the flow.His next over started with five wides, there were two boundaries, and after two overs he had given up 31 runs. Dawlat had only let six from his first two overs, but he joined the Jackson Pollock-painted pitch map for the next over. One four, a five-wides bouncer, a standard leg-side wide, and then another wayward four leg-byes. When Zadran and Hassan came back, they bowled eight more overs, taking 3 for 40 combined. As if their previous spells never existed. As if there were different men on the field before.After five overs Sri Lanka were 52 for 0. Kusal Perera on 24 from 12, Dimuth Karunaratne 11 from 18 and extras had scored 17. Sri Lanka scored 25.8% of their runs in the first five overs. Extras would end up as second-top scorer with 35; Afghanistan have never allowed more.When people think of how Afghanistan play, it is this combination of mystery spin, slogging and fast bowlers – an unhinged energy orb buzzing around. But their most capped player is Mohammad Nabi. And he can slog, but his skill as a bowler is about as ordinary as you can get. Offspin, without an “other” one, which doesn’t rip, is cricket at its most basic.Not that Nabi is not a good bowler, it’s just that the skills he has are so subtle that you need a microscope to see them. He doesn’t spin the ball much and his action looks part-time. When he doesn’t turn it, he drifts it; he was once not that accurate, that’s no longer the case; he used to be an economy hawk, now he takes wickets too. Since the start of 2016, he’s averaging 26 with an economy of 4.17. In the years before 2016, he averaged 38.Mohammad Nabi celebrates a wicket•Getty ImagesHe may be cricket’s best winkler; his smart cricket brain winkles each batsman to his own demise. The ball to Lahiru Thirimanne was slow, drifted possibly in on the angle, spun little. Then Kusal Mendis edged two straight deliveries, neither drifted or spun much, but one took his wicket. The ball to Angelo Mathews was quicker, catching the batsman unaware.All of this looked so plain, but what Nabi does is change his arm angle, his pace, and all the things that make it look like he bowled three straight balls like a bloke in a club side who sells car parts for his day job. When in fact he’s pretty much an evil genius whose main power is subtlety.It was a completely crazy Afghanistan-style comeback with perhaps the most benign looking offspin you’d ever see. When Nabi was taking wickets, it felt like a universe made of rainbows. Afghanistan looked caught up in their own brilliance. There was almost a run-out every ball, such was Sri Lanka’s panic, and wickets fell at the other end too. It was a collapse so immense that 144 for 1 became 201 all out.They could not have started worse, or finished better. You cannot enjoy the magnificence without understanding their entire cricket is a balance between angels and demons. They can be brilliant, they can be terrible, and both at once.They were only chasing 201, and rain had shortened their innings.Before the game, captain Gulbadin Naib was asked if a rain-affected match would play into his hands, he said: “So if we can reduce the overs it will be much better for us. We have potential now so like limited overs, so like everyone knows about Afghanistan batting line-up, so it will be good.”They had made a comeback, they had the short game, this was their game.The first ball from Lasith Malinga swung in a boomerang arc. Mohammad Shahzad immediately took another guard; from the start it looked like a different Afghanistan. It looked like a statement of intent, this would be tough, the ball would move, but they would try bat it out, not blast it out.Hashmatullah Shahidi made 4 off 17, which even for him is slow. Najibullah Zadran was playing within himself and waiting for the bad ball. Gulbadin was playing a captain’s knock despite the question over his captaincy. Even Zazai dug in, after being 20 off 14 balls, played shots that resembled regular cricket. They were doing their best against a disciplined Sri Lankan bowling performance.From the five-over mark of Sri Lanka’s innings, it was perhaps Afghanistan’s most sensible cricket. They fought back, dug in and stretched the game as far as they could. It was a great effort, but not enough.Afghanistan need not audition to be your favourite team; they have won the cricket world’s hearts by merely existing, and been loved many times over by being so incredible to watch. But what they want to do is win games, that is why they are here. There is brilliance, angels, and demons in how they play. They had a chance to beat a Test nation at the World Cup; the madness beat the joy.