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After being restricted to 163 for 7, RCB’s bowlers brought them back in the game, only to be denied by the local lad

Ashish Pant10-Apr-20253:17

Bangar: Rahul’s assault on Hazlewood was ‘terrific batsmanship’

It started so well for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Then, for 15-odd overs, it didn’t. Then it suddenly started going to plan again. The RCB loyalists, who had packed the M Chinnaswamy Stadium to the rafters, found their voice. Only to have local lad KL Rahul silence them.In a game with a fair share of twists and turns, Delhi Capitals (DC) continued their unbeaten run, notching up a fourth straight win of the season, handing RCB a second home defeat, this one by six wickets.Related

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Sent into bat, it was a strange RCB innings. They scored 53 runs in the first three overs for zero wickets and 36 in the last two for zero wickets. In the 15 overs in between, they could only score 74 runs while losing seven wickets.Having restricted RCB to 163 for 7, DC would have been the happier side going into the break. But their joy was short-lived as RCB picked up three wickets inside the powerplay and had DC struggling at 67 for 4 after 11 overs.The required rate, which began at a shade over eight was almost touching 11 at this stage. But Rahul flicked a switch and alongside Tristan Stubbs began DC’s victory march. The two scorched 102 runs in the next 6.5 overs, adding 111 for the fifth wicket, as DC romped home with 13 balls to spare. Rahul finished with an unbeaten 93 off just 53 balls and celebrated in fitting fashion in front of his home crowd.Rahul’s happy homecomingHe was on 29 off 29 balls after 11 overs, struggling with his timing, looking sluggish on a sticky Chinnaswamy surface. He even had a life on 7 when Rajat Patidar dropped a tough catch running back from mid-off. Rahul made sure to cash in. After 11 overs, ESPNcricinfo’s win probability for DC had dipped to 14.31% from 67.45% at the start of their innings.Then, Rahul gave the RCB bowlers a hiding.It started with Stubbs, who played a cheeky reverse-sweep off Krunal Pandya, which beat short third. Rahul then dumped Krunal over deep backward square-leg and that was the beginning of the end for RCB. He went 4 and 6 against Liam Livingstone before taking down Josh Hazlewood in a fierce display of ball-striking.3:02

Are Delhi Capitals the most balanced side this IPL?

With DC requiring 65 off 36, Rahul first smashed Hazlewood for back-to-back fours before thumping him for a 4 and 6 to end the over, which went for 22. That brought down the equation to 43 off 30. Stubbs deposited Suyash Sharma for a four and six and before Rahul finished off the game smashing Yash Dayal for two sixes and a four in the 18th over. He smashed a six over the fine-leg boundary to seal the win and then slammed his bat on to the turf, almost marking his territory. Striking at 100 in his first 29 balls, he thrashed 64 off his next 24, at a strike rate of 266.67. This truly is Rahul’s ground, isn’t it?DC’s horror startBefore Rahul’s onslaught, DC’s chase was going nowhere. They lost Faf du Plessis and Jake Fraser-McGurk at the start of the third over. Du Plessis first miscued Dayal to Patidar at mid-off before Fraser-McGurk’s lukewarm season continued as he top-edged Bhuvneshwar Kumar straight up with Jitesh Sharma taking a catch after a bobble. Abishek Porel became Bhuvneshwar’s second victim as DC slipped to 39 for 3 inside the powerplay, which soon became 58 for 4 in the ninth over. As it turned out, that was the last speck of joy for RCB.RCB’s powerplay of two halvesFirst three overs: 53 for 0; five fours, three sixes, zero wickets
Next three overs: 11 for 2; zero fours, one six, two wicketsWhen RCB were sent into bat, it seemed like Phil Salt had just one agenda on his mind: to tonk every ball out of the park. And he succeeded for a while as the Chinnaswamy crowd went berserk. He wreaked havoc in the first three overs, with his takedown of Mitchell Starc being one of the highlights of the evening. Salt smashed him for three fours and two sixes in the third over of the innings, which went for 30. The ball flew everywhere – over point, over mid-on, over the wicketkeeper’s head, and RCB crossed the 50-run mark quickly. This was RCB’s second-quickest team fifty of all time in the IPL.Then it went downhill for a while.Salt smashed an Axar Patel length ball to extra cover and charged off. Virat Kohli responded initially, only to backtrack, and Salt was run out by a distance.Vipraj Nigam then conceded just two runs in his first over with Devdutt Padikkal clearly struggling. He was put out of his misery by Mukesh Kumar, whose slower offcutter did the trick as Padikkal fell for 1 off 8. Mukesh’s first over, the sixth of the innings turned out to be a maiden wicket with RCB getting to 64 in the powerplay.2:13

Why was Kuldeep difficult to attack at Chinnaswamy?

Wristspinners’ day outThe surface is known as a spinners’ graveyard. Only Kuldeep Yadav and Nigam had not received the memo. The spin twins put on a strangle and the RCB batters had no answers. After Nigam’s two-run over in the powerplay, Kohli broke the shackles and went for six over long-on but Nigam kept his composure. He gave the ball enough air and Kohli, looking to go inside-out, only managed to slice it as far as Starc, who took a good catch running from long-off.Mohit Sharma then got rid of Livingstone before Kuldeep sent back Jitesh, who was done in by a wrong’un. He then sent Patidar packing too while Nigam had Krunal as RCB lost the plot completely to slip to 125 for 7 in 17.1 overs. The two finished with combined figures of 8-0-35-4, bowling a total of 23 dot balls in their spell.That RCB reached 163 was down to Tim David’s late bash where he hit four sixes and two fours in the last two overs to finish unbeaten on 37 of 20 balls. It seemed they were a touch short, and Rahul made sure RCB were kept winless at home in IPL 2025.

Despite rejecting a deadline-day move, one Glasgow Rangers player who is not in the plans of manager Russell Martin could still complete a departure away from Ibrox.

Youssef Chermiti "only wanted" Rangers

A busy summer ended with a hectic deadline day for all involved at the Gers, who welcomed both Youssef Chermiti and Derek Cornelius. The former arrives with the task of helping to replace the goals of Hamza Igamane following the forward’s move to LOSC Lille, whilst Cornelius must somehow fix the leak within Martin’s backline.

Speaking for the first time since arriving from Everton, Chermiti told Rangers’ official website: “I am really happy to be here. As soon as Kevin [Thelwell] and the manager spoke with me, I did have other choices but I just wanted to join Rangers and I am here now.

“Kevin and I have had a good relationship since Everton and he text me during pre-season and I spoke with my agents and my family and we got this done. For me the most important thing is the interest from the club and the interest of the manager to be on the team. Of course I want to play so for me the most important thing was coming here to play.”

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There’s certainly room for the 21-year-old to hit the ground running too. Cyriel Dessers’ late departure should see Chermiti enter Martin’s squad as soon as possible in the hope of making an instant impact.

A similar departure also very nearly took place within Martin’s backline, only for one defender to reject an exit even though he’s not in the manager’s plans. The task that the Gers now have on their hands is showing him the exit door one way or another.

Nsiala could still leave Rangers

According to The Glasgow Times, Clinton Nsiala could still leave Rangers after rejecting a deadline-day loan move to Dynamo Kyiv. The defender is not in Martin’s plans and those at Ibrox are still trying to find the right move for him amid further loan interest from Anderlecht, KV Mechelen and Zulte Waregem.

The transfer window in Belgium doesn’t close until Monday, 8 September, which hands Nsiala just four days to seal a much-needed move away from the Scottish Premiership.

After just one year at the club and just 17 games, the 21-year-old would be wise to complete a move away to get his career back on track. The last thing that he needs is to stay put and remain outside of Martin’s squad entirely, having so far failed to make a single appearance this season.

Ultimately, Nsiala looks destined to go down as another transfer that failed to work out from the Philippe Clement era. What was a defender full of promise is now one that Rangers must move on before the end of the window elsewhere.

Liverpool are set to have an intense end to the 2025 summer transfer window. The Reds have already had a busy few months, signing the likes of Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and Jeremie Frimpong to strengthen Arne Slot’s title-winning side. Yet, there may still be incomings.

Alexander Isak remains the top target, of course, although long-standing interest remains in Marc Guehi. The Crystal Palace captain continues to be linked with the Merseysiders, with a £35m deal reportedly what it would take to prise him away from Selhurst Park. The England international is out of contract at the end of the season.

If a deal for Guehi does not materialise for the Reds, they could pursue an alternative target at centre-back.

Liverpool considering Guehi alternative

It seems clear with ten days or so left in the transfer window that Liverpool are ready to spend again. If they do indeed sign a new centre-back, then Guehi seems to be the ideal choice for Slot. However, it is not a guarantee at this stage.

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If a deal for the Palace star does not come off, then the Reds could turn their attention to Brentford and Ireland international Nathan Collins. Caught Offside report that he is ‘one of the names’ on the list at Anfield this summer if they fail to land Guehi.

This will not be an easy deal to do. Firstly, having already lost Bryan Mbeumo, Christian Norgaard and potentially Yoane Wissa, Brentford are ‘eager not to lose more key players’ before the window slams shut.

On top of that, Liverpool will face competition from Manchester United, although Slot’s side are said to be in a ‘stronger position financially’, while Tottenham Hotspur are the frontrunners. A fee is not yet clear, but surely the Bees would want to make a profit on the £23m they spent on Collins in 2023.

Why Collins would be a good signing

There is no doubt that signing Collins would be a smart move for the Reds. He is a Premier League-proven defender who comes with a great reputation and is already up to speed with the pace of the English top flight.

The 24-year-old, who was named Brentford captain at the start of the season, has played 78 times for the Londoners so far. In that time, he’s played 90 minutes in all but six of those appearances.

The former Wolves star, who has also played for Burnley, is a goal threat in the penalty box, too. He’s bagged four goals for the club and assisted six, which included an impressive five assists last term in the Premier League.

This is certainly a deal that could see Liverpool sign their second coming of Virgil van Dijk. The legendary Dutchman also joined from a Premier League side, signing from Southampton back in 2017 for £75m.

The rest, as they say, is history. Now Liverpool skipper, Van Dijk has featured 321 times for the Reds, helping his side to lift two Premier League titles and the Champions League.

Back in 2023, former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp called him “the best defender in the world”.

There are certainly similarities between Van Dijk and Collins. Not only would they have both come from fellow Premier League clubs, but the Ireland star could be described as “dominant”, just as football talent scout Jacek Kulig did. You could certainly use the same word to describe Van Dijk after the years of success he’s enjoyed at the top.

Statistically, the pair are similar, too. For example, Collins averaged 3.34 progressive passes and 4.26 ball recoveries per 90 minutes last season. In comparison, Van Dijk chalked up 5.35 progressive passes and 3.11 ball recoveries each game.

Collins and Van Dijk key stats 2024/25 PL season

Stat (per 90)

Collins

Van Dijk

Progressive passes

3.34

5.35

Clearances

5.95

5.14

Tackles and interceptions

1.95

2.54

Ball recoveries

4.26

3.11

Aerial duels won

3.08

3.22

Progressive carries

0.84

0.59

Stats from FBref

Although there is no definitive fee, a move for Collins could be extremely smart for the Reds. There are certainly shades of Van Dijk in the deal and in his game, with the dominance shown off the ball and the quality they have in possession. The pair are also towering figures at 6 foot 4 and 6 foot 5, respectively, while also captaining their current sides.

Liverpool fans would love for him to become the second coming of their club legend.

If they miss out on Guehi, signing Collins instead this summer might be the perfect move to help Slot’s Liverpool side continue their dominance.

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Posts ByAngus Sinclair Aug 19, 2025

Liverpool won the Premier League last season, but this year, the Reds have a very different feel about them, and Arne Slot has certainly got his work cut out.

While defeat in the Community Shield against Crystal Palace doesn’t mean all that much, there’s no disguising the lack of defensive solidity on display from Liverpool, who, despite their summer spending, need to make signings in defence and attack before the end of the transfer window.

Having sold Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez to Bayern Munich and Al Hilal respectively, Liverpool are somewhat light up front. The tragic passing of Diogo Jota has also meant that Hugo Ekitike, who joined the club from Eintracht Frankfurt for £79m last month, does not have an alternative option at centre-forward beyond Jayden Danns.

Liverpool’s bid for Alexander Isak has been one of the most prominent themes in the transfer market this summer, and though the pursuit has been protracted, the outcome uncertain, FSG remain hopeful that they can get the deal done before the end of the month.

Why Liverpool want Alexander Isak

Newcastle United’s star striker is desperate to join Liverpool this summer, currently ostracised from Eddie Howe’s first-team plans as a resolution is targeted for all parties.

Liverpool have already lodged a formal £110m offer this month, which was rejected, and have since waited for encouragement from the Magpies that a second bid would not be futile.

That’s according to transfer insider Ben Jacobs, who detailed to GIVEMESPORT that the Sweden international, 25, would only reintegrate into the Newcastle fold if Liverpool formally dropped their interest.

The whole situation is rather convoluted. Isak wants to go. Newcastle don’t want him to go. Liverpool want him. Liverpool have already bid, and won’t follow that up unless green-lit.

Should Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes be forced to pull the plug, it’s crucial that another elite-level forward is signed this summer. Luckily, Hughes has one in mind.

Liverpool lining up Isak alternative

As per Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool will place their focus on signing Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain this summer if Newcastle’s stance on Isak staying put is final.

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

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PSG hardly want to part with their coveted left winger, who played a crucial role in winning the quadruple with manager Luis Enrique last year, and are expected to offer the 22-year-old a fresh contract to ward away suitors like Liverpool.

Romano stated: “In case this story [Isak] doesn’t work for any reason. In case Newcastle don’t open the door and Newcastle decide to close off any other option, Liverpool could bring in a different type of player and it could be a winger.

“A player they like for sure is Bradley Barcola at PSG. He’s one of the best players in the world. He’s one of the top five in his position. But don’t forget PSG in this one. PSG are prepared to offer him a really important contract extension to stay. This won’t be an easy one. Liverpool really like him but for now the focus is Isak.”

Though Barcola is valued at around £87m, the Premier League champions have demonstrated through their pursuit of Isak that they have money left to spend this month, and Romano has previously already confirmed that Barcola is viewed as a “world-class player” by those in the FSG offices.

What Bradley Barcola would bring to Liverpool

Two years ago, PSG signed Barcola from French rivals Lyon for a €45m (£38m) fee, and after an up-and-down maiden campaign in the capital, he has stepped up to elite status over the past year.

Indeed, across 64 matches in all competitions, the Les Bleus star scored 21 goals and supplied 21 assists, with talent scout hailing him as “one of PSG’s absolute heroes” of the 2024/25 season.

With Cody Gakpo Liverpool’s senior starter at left wing currently, Barcola could be the perfect upgrade, and his talismanic potential suggests he might even be more talented than his compatriot Ekitike, who scored on his Liverpool debut on Sunday.

Barcola is more of a wide player than Ekitike, but both boast multi-faceted physical profiles with bucketloads of technical quality besides.

In Ligue 1 alone, his playmaking skills shone glaringly, having created 18 big chances across 34 matches, only 27 of which were starts, via Sofascore.

Barcola is, in effect, a more dynamic version of Diaz, skilled across all three attacking thirds, albeit at his best when zipping up and down the left flank, having posted 24 goals and 27 assists across 81 career outings as a left-sided forward.

Bradley Barcola – Match Stats (past 365 days)

Statistic

Per 90

Percentile (vs wingers)

Goals scored

0.47

Top 14%

Assists

0.39

Top 8%

Shots taken

2.89

Top 20%

Touches (att pen)

8.95

Top 1%

Shot-creating actions

4.24

Top 29%

Progressive passes

3.33

Top 60%

Progressive carries

5.45

Top 9%

Successful take-ons

1.74

Top 37%

Tackles + interceptions

1.93

Top 36%

Data via FBref

Able to dish out his attacking output across multiple means, Barcola is the real deal, with his sharpness in the final third suggesting that he is already a level above Ekitike, whose performances for Frankfurt last year underscored his world-class potential, but lagged behind those of Isak in the Premier League.

Does the centre-forward have what it takes to lead the line for Liverpool across the span of the season? Barcola, surely, would dovetail right in. The PSG sensation started 46 matches last term, highlighting his importance to Enrique even after Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was welcomed from Napoli at the year’s midpoint.

His capacity to play in a central striking berth, too, even suggests that Barcola could operate in Ekitike’s stead at times next season, thus providing Slot with the dream Isak alternative, one who plays off the wing and yet still has the potential to rival and even surpass Ekitike.

It’s hardly surprising that Liverpool are interested in getting this deal done. After all, Romano declared when discussing the Reds’ interest that Barcola is “one of the best players in the world”.

In fact, Barcola might have enough talent in the bank to establish himself as Slot’s new attacking superstar, with Salah heading entering the twilight of his illustrious career in English football.

With Liverpool having undergone a whole catalogue of change this summer, adding another forward to the ranks is a must. And truly, in Barcola, the Reds could hit the jackpot and sign the cream of the crop.

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Manchester United need a huge transfer window if they are to be a success in the Premier League once again in the near future, with the responsibility falling into the hands of Ruben Amorim.

The 40-year-old took the reins back in November last year, but has so far struggled to transform the side as he would’ve wished, only achieving a win percentage of 40%.

However, he is yet to have a full pre-season with the first team squad, with the current period pivotal in his stint as manager, needing to try and get his ideas across to the squad.

He also has the opportunity to add to his squad this window, with the hierarchy set to hand him the funds he requires to allow him to be a success during his tenure at Old Trafford.

Numerous players remain on their shortlist during the current window, potentially helping the manager in his quest to rise up the Premier League in 2025/26.

The latest on United’s hunt for new additions this summer

A new striker has been the priority for United over the last couple of days, especially after it was reported that Rasmus Hojlund had agreed personal terms with Inter Milan over a move to the San Siro.

The likes of Ollie Watkins, Victor Osimhen and Dušan Vlahović have all been touted with moves to join the Red Devils, but no deals have yet been completed for any of the trio.

However, the same can’t be said about Bryan Mbeumo, with the latest update around his future from journalist Graeme Bailey providing a positive outlook on the move.

He confirmed that talks are ongoing between the two clubs and, despite a fee not yet being agreed, a move could be finalised for his signature by the end of Monday.

Bailey also states that the 25-year-old has made it clear that he wants to depart Brentford this window, wanting to make the next step in his career after scoring 20 league goals in 2024/25.

Why United’s latest move would be bad news for Amad & Bruno

Amad Diallo has been a player who has enjoyed a huge rise under Amorim since his appointment, cementing his place as a regular starter before his ankle injury that ruled him out for three months.

The Ivorian managed to register 11 goals and eight assists across all competitions this campaign, most notably with his last-minute winner against Manchester City at the Etihad.

He’s mainly operated in a number ten role for the Red Devils, with captain Bruno Fernandes the player usually featuring next to him in the position behind the striker.

As for the Portuguese international, he enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career, notching 37 combined goals and assists across all competitions – the highest of any player in the squad.

He single-handedly helped the club get to the Europa League final, with it unthinkable to imagine where the side would’ve been had he not been as impressive throughout 2024/25.

The 30-year-old and Amad may be about to take a hit, though, despite their impressive numbers under Amorim, subsequently having to drop into deeper roles after the arrival of Matheus Cunha and pending deal for Mbeumo.

Bailey’s latest report claims that the Brentford star would likely play in a number ten role should he complete his deal, alongside Cunha, which would lock those positions out for the current Red Devil stars.

Bruno Fernandes’s stats in the PL (2024/25)
Statistics (per 90)	Tally
Games played	36
Goals & assists	18
Shots on target per 90	0.7
Progressive carries	2.3
Pass accuracy	76%
% of tackles won	40%
Take-on success	41%
Fouls won	1.1
Stats via FBref

As a result, Bruno would likely operate in a central midfield position, with Amad having to revert to a wing-back role – undoubtedly restricting the pair as a result, given they aren’t operating in their natural roles.

The additions will certainly bolster Amorim’s side at Old Trafford, but it may have a knock-on effect for the aforementioned talents, subsequently having to change their game to accommodate their arrivals.

Both players certainly still have the talent to thrive out of position, as seen by their respective outputs in the final third, potentially able to star in such positions by aiding the players ahead of them.

However, if the new additions can hit the ground running and point the club in the right direction, the supporters and manager wouldn’t have any complaints, with fresh blood and new ideas needed if the side are to be a force in the Premier League during 2025/26.

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Ethan Lamb

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Celtic played their final away game of the Scottish Premiership season on Wednesday night and secured an emphatic 5-1 victory over Aberdeen.

Brendan Rodgers named a much-changed side and got the win thanks to goals from Maik Nawrocki, Hyun-jun Yang, Luke McCowan, Johnny Kenny, and Adam Idah.

It was a night for the rarely-seen Celtic players, including the likes of Viljami Sinisalo and Paulo Bernardo, and Nawrocki is certainly one of those who grasped his chance.

Why Rodgers should be impressed by Nawrocki

The Polish defender made just his third start of the Premiership campaign and caught the eye with an impressive display at the heart of the defence.

Playing on his favoured right side for the first time this term, Nawrocki completed an eye-catching 130 of his 136 attempted passes on the night and only lost possession nine times in total, as well as scoring the opener from a corner.

Defensively, the former Legia Warsaw star made five clearances, two blocks, and two interceptions to keep Aberdeen at bay, including one huge sliding block when facing a one-on-one in the box in the second half.

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Rodgers should, therefore, have been impressed by his combination of composed play in possession and stoic defensive work, but the manager should have been encouraged by Johnny Kenny’s display in the centre-forward position.

Why Johnny Kenny is now unsellable

The young marksman had not had many opportunities to impress in the second half of the season, with just six substitute appearances in the league, and his lack of game time may have led to question marks over his future heading into the summer transfer window.

However, the 21-year-old striker was finally given a chance to show his quality from the start and showed why he should be unsellable this summer for the Hoops, with a performance that shows that he can be part of the first-team squad next season.

Celtic need another number nine option to compete with Idah and Daizen Maeda, and Kenny’s showing against Aberdeen suggests that he can be that man.

Minutes

70

Shots on target

2

Goals

1

Passes completed

8/11

Duels won

3/4

Aerial duels won

3/3

As you can see in the table above, the Ireland U21 international scored with one of his two shots on target, with a well-placed header from McCowan’s cross, and showcased his physicality by winning all of his aerial duels.

Kenny scored 13 goals in 19 starts in the Irish Premier Division in 2024 on loan at Shamrock Rovers, and has now shown a glimpse of the kind of goalscoring quality he can bring to Celtic.

He is an exciting young striker with the physical qualities, as shown by his statistics against Aberdeen, and the goalscoring record to develop into a fine option for Rodgers, as proven by his performance on Wednesday.

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Therefore, the club should not look to move him on this summer, despite his general lack of game time in the last few months, and the manager should, instead, make him a regular player off the bench and occasionally from the start.

Rangers and new prospective owners the 49ers Enterprises have their eyes on a versatile young target from Germany, according to a new report.

Rangers and 49ers planning for summer incomings

The Gers have been impressing since the departure of Philippe Clement and the arrival of interim boss Barry Ferguson.

The lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership may well be too big of a gap to close down, but Rangers are still in the Europa League and recently got the better of Celtic at Parkhead for the first time in five years while also producing a come from behind win at Dundee last time out.

As a result, Ferguson is being linked with keeping the Rangers job on a permanent basis, and according to older brother Derek, is keen on remaining at Ibrox.

“This is a different kettle of fish now. I took him to Rangers as a boy. The club is ingrained in him. There’s only one conclusion: He wants the job but will need to win games”, said Ferguson on his younger brother.

Prospective new owners the 49ers are likely to have a big say in who gets the role, and they also have exciting plans in the transfer market.

The 49ers may back Rangers with a £20-25million budget this summer, once a takeover is completed, and some of that cash could be used on making Vaclav Cerny’s loan a permanent transfer.

Rangers have the option to buy Cerny for just £5.5m until the end of May, and the 49ers are aware of the conditions of a full-time deal.

Elsewhere, there have been plenty of Ibrox exit rumours doing the rounds, including Nicolas Raskin attracting the interest of Aston Villa and Leeds United, whereas Everton are still keen on landing forward and Glasgow derby hero Hamza Igamane.

It promises to be a busy few months off the pitch at Rangers, and now, a new target has come onto the radar.

Rangers eye move for new versatile German player Niehoff

According to reports in Italy, relayed by Sport Witness, Rangers are eyeing up Holstein Kiel’s Niklas Niehoff. It is claimed that the Gers have been monitoring Niehoff during his loan spell at Osnabruck alongside interest from Serie A side Udinese and Bundesliga outfit Union Berlin.

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Holstein Kiel could end up selling Niehoff amid interest all across Europe, with offers potentially arriving in the coming weeks. The 20-year-old, should he move to Scotland with Rangers, would provide an extremely versatile option to whoever is in charge at Ibrox.

Right-winger

55

Centre-forward

17

Right midfield

12

Left-winger

11

Right-back

4

Left midfield

3

Attacking midfield

2

As can be seen, Niehoff, a Germany youth international, has already played in a variety of positions ranging from right-back to centre-forward.

Transfermarkt state that his main position is a right midfielder, and with his market value increasing to a career-high €400,000 last month, Rangers could be on to a future star with a move for Niehoff.

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Mohammad Isam06-Nov-20223:07

Moody: Shakib was clearly not out

Even before they had a direct shot at making the semi-finals, Bangladesh were pleased with their 2022 T20 World Cup campaign. They were happy beating the dangerous Netherlands and Zimbabwe, their first-ever wins in the main round of the tournament. They nearly beat India, which they also counted as progress.Forty minutes before the start of their match against Pakistan, Bangladesh’s time in Australia got even better. Netherlands’ unbelievable win against South Africa at the Adelaide Oval opened up an unlikely opportunity for them to reach the semi-final of a major tournament for the first time. They bossed Pakistan for the first ten overs of this virtual quarter-final, but that’s when their little mistakes, those that have been bothering them for the last two years, crept in, and effectively took them out of the tournament. Still, all of this put together is a better showing than the 2021 T20 World Cup.Related

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But just like the last campaign, where they lost all five games in the main round, Bangladesh once again made the same old mistakes. Dropping catches and losing wickets in a bunch were the major ones, but also missing direct hits, and reacting poorly after a bad decision to give away the momentum. Many say it is an emotional team. But it is also a team prone to too many small errors.Against Pakistan too, a couple of dicey moments took out the sting from Bangladesh. Shakib Al Hasan’s lbw decision, contentious as it may be, ended up derailing the innings altogether. Shakib threw his arms up in frustration, and spoke to the umpires about the decision. It was controversial but elite athletes are expected to move past the moments that can break their concentration. Bangladesh instead slipped from 73 for 2 to 109 for 7 in the space of seven overs. They made only 57 runs in the second half of their innings after an impressive first ten overs.Najmul Hossain Shanto, who was batting at the other end when Shakib was dismissed, agreed that Bangladesh didn’t think it was the correct decision by the umpire but he felt it did not break their concentration, seeing Shakib all worked up.”There was confusion for everyone,” Shanto said. “Don’t think that happens normally. But we were not focusing on that wicket… I was in the middle when it happened. We were quite sure that it wasn’t out. But we can’t really say anything about the umpire’s decision.”I don’t think our concentration wavered [after that], but we didn’t play well in the middle overs.”Shakib is a top player who plays impactful knocks. It helps our team. But the other batsmen were quite capable, and have done well in the past. We were not focused on the dismissal. He could have got out in another way. We believed that all our batsmen are capable to bat in any situation.”Either way, the incident led to a batting collapse, and the loss of momentum seeped into their fielding. Wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan dropped a straightforward chance in the first over of the chase, giving Mohammad Rizwan a life. The dropped catch, Bangladesh’s sixth in the tournament, set off a string of misfields in the field. Shortly after Rizwan got out, Shanto missed a direct hit from short third with Mohammad Nawaz halfway down the pitch.There was a more pronounced string of mistakes against India too. And there were emotions at play then too. Bangladesh accused the umpires of not penalising India for Virat Kohli’s fake-fielding attempt, and Shakib did seem very animated when the umpires went to inform him about the resumption of play after the rain. Litton Das, playing the innings of his life, hurt his wrist when he slipped trying to take a single. Having found out how wet the grass was next to the pitch, he was perhaps a bit circumspect next ball. Going for the second run, he took a circular turn but stumbled and was short of his ground by a metre as KL Rahul nailed a direct hit from the deep.When the play had resumed after the rain break, Bangladesh needed another 85 runs from nine overs with all ten wickets in hand. Most teams would have fancied their chances, especially against a potentially wet ball, but Bangladesh’s batting collapse was baffling.Shakib Al Hasan was not impressed with the lbw decision against him and had to be forced off•Getty ImagesWhile many believe Bangladesh did not properly prepare for the last year’s World Cup, even then they had moments when avoiding small mistakes could have given them important wins. They reduced Scotland to 53 for 6 in their opening match but allowed them to reach 140 for 9, and ended up losing by six runs. Dropped catches and wrong match-ups cost them against Sri Lanka. A similar story unfolded against West Indies too.While they have notched up some landmark wins this time around, their T20 form overall has been quite ordinary: before the World Cup, they won four out of 16 matches in 2022.So, when these small mistakes aggregated to make a big difference in almost every game in this World Cup, it posed the question as to whether Bangladesh have indeed “progressed” in this World Cup.Netherlands’ win over South Africa gave Bangladesh one last chance, but another middle-order collapse crushed it.”We stuck to the same style of planning like in every game,” Shanto said. “We knew about the opportunity when we went to play the game. We wanted to win this game. We gave our 100%, but it didn’t happen.”We don’t even have to mention about the lower middle order. We didn’t play well as a team. The matches we won, we won as a team. It was everyone’s responsibility to do well, regardless of the middle order or openers. We didn’t do well as a team today.”All these mistakes should rankle as Bangladesh head back home. Captain Shakib and technical consultant S Sriram have tried to downplay the expectations from their first press conference of the tournament, right up to Sriram saying that the team should be happy with just beating Zimbabwe and Netherlands.Glass half full it is then, but will anyone with some authority in the BCB find out why the glass has so many tiny leaks?

The Black Lives Matter movement has set a fire raging in the game in the country

Firdose Moonda20-Aug-2020The centre has not held. South African cricket now operates only in black and white.On the one side is a privileged minority, built on colonial and then apartheid, rule, with access to the best facilities and most of the financial resources in the country. On the other is the historically oppressed majority, legally squeezed into the margins of society until 26 years ago, and still suffering the legacy of that centuries-old oppression.These two groups cross paths in places like the classroom, the boardroom or on the sports field, where they are expected to meet as equals. But the past means their playing field is anything but level and the perpetuation of their differences continues. Now we are confronting the depths of that division.In the last two months, the Black Lives Matter movement has collided with South African cricket and torn it apart. What started as a confident but hardly controversial answer at a press event from Lungi Ngidi has snowballed into a saga onto which complicated layers of the past are being compacted. Our airwaves have heard stories of discontent from Omar Henry, when he wanted to return home from the 1992 World Cup, from Makhaya Ntini, from Ashwell Prince, and from Thami Tsolekile, who was due to succeed Mark Boucher in 2012 but finished his career in 2016 with a 12-year ban for his role in contriving to fix matches.ALSO READ: Graeme Smith ‘shocked’ after threats on supporting Black Lives Matter movementThese are stories that have made people squirm and told them of the experience of being othered – the experience of the majority of South Africans in spaces previously reserved for a mostly white elite. And it is reflected in the numbers.Despite South Africa having a majority black population, of the 335 caps South Africa have handed out across all formats since 1991, more than two-thirds (225) have been to white players and just over 10% (38) to black African players. Coloured players make 16% (54) of the total and Indian-heritage players a little over 5% (18).These percentages ask questions about the speed at which South Africa returned to international cricket – before the country had even had its first democratic elections – and the lack of progress since. The former administrators of colour who once asked that South Africa only field a national team once some of the resources had been redistributed now appear to have had a point, but it’s too late for that. Those percentages also speak to the simple structural inequalities, such as that of apartheid geography, which placed the best schools and the best sporting facilities in white areas, leaving aspiring cricketers of colour with the challenge and the cost of transporting themselves to be educated and to train.ALSO READ: Cricket South Africa unveils plans to tackle racism in the sportSome of them, such as Kagiso Rabada, whose parents quickly became part of the middle class, had the means to go toe-to-toe with the haves. Others, like Ntini and Andile Phehlukwayo, were given scholarships to a top school, removing them from their immediate surroundings and setting them on a path to success. For most others – too many to name – the cycle of poverty continues and they remain have-nots.Graeme Smith says he was unaware of the isolation felt by former team-mate Makhaya Ntini in their playing days, but wants to be part of the solution now as CSA’s director of cricket•AFP via Getty ImagesWe have had several attempts to advance transformation with mixed results. At grassroots, Cricket South Africa (along with biscuit company Bakers and now KFC) have poured millions into mini-cricket projects. JP Duminy is listed among their success stories. At school level there are sporting bursaries aimed at providing young people of colour with as much opportunity to access quality coaching and facilities as possible. Ngidi is one such recipient. In the professional set-up, there are targets for franchise teams and the national side to strive for, in terms of playing players of colour and black Africans, which has benefited players like Hashim Amla and Rabada. Those four names alone speak to the importance of advancing the cause of the previously marginalised, but they are four who made it to the highest level. What about the others?Some like Monde Zondeki and Garnett Kruger have revealed what they believe are historical systemic issues, and others like Aaron Phangiso and Eddie Leie have discussed more recent events that they claim show that very little has changed.ALSO READ: Graeme Smith “aware and willing” to bring about change in wake of BLMZondeki told the radio station SAFM that he once interpreted a conversation with a coach to mean that there was only space for one of him or Ntini in the team, and that he would only be able to hold down a permanent place once Ntini had retired. As it turned out, Ntini played in five of the six Tests Zondeki played before injury ended his career. Kruger spoke on SABC news about not playing in Australia in 2008-09 where he said he “did not feel like it was a welcoming environment within the team”, and blamed Graeme Smith and Boucher for sidelining him. Tsolekile made a similar accusation about Smith and Boucher, who he said along with AB de Villiers, prevented him from playing in 2012. Herschelle Gibbs, in his 2010 autobiography, , was the first to call out a Smith-Boucher-Jacques Kallis-de Villiers clique that he claimed controlled South African cricket. Prince has tweeted several threads about the issue, most recently saying he perceived a “resentment” from Smith towards him.All that is important because of the positions Smith and Boucher hold today. Smith, as CSA’s director of cricket, is essentially the country’s most important cricket man and he has been in the thick of it. He has faced questions over his commitment to transformation from his first few weeks in the job. But he has spoken in support of the BLM movement and said he wants to “ensure that young black African players are given the opportunity that they deserve to reach the highest levels in all areas of the game”. He has defended himself against the allegations from Tsolekile and reiterated his desire to be part of the solution. He’s also said he was “unaware of” and “surprised” by the stories Ntini had told, even if might be difficult to believe any white South African can claim to be unaware of what was going on. Smith speaks as someone who is privileged; privileged enough not to have had to think about being the other in a professional team. More recently he said he understood those who felt frustrated by lack of opportunity, and argued the instances could be broken into two categories: “racial discrimination and the nature of competitive sport”.Mark Boucher was appointed head coach of the men’s team in December 2019, and Enoch Nkwe, who was team director, and had a stellar coaching record, was moved to the position of assistant coach•AFPBoucher has not made any public comments on the issue yet, which is strange, because he is in charge of the men’s national team with its varying backgrounds and lived experiences. He has come under fire from former players and administrators, including Prince and former national selector Hussein Manack, for getting a four-year contract in the top coaching job in the country, despite not having a Level 4 qualification. The implication is that it is his friendship with Smith that has got him the job. Boucher’s five trophies in three seasons with the Titans is compared with the three trophies in one season Enoch Nkwe swept in his maiden summer as a franchise coach, even though Boucher has been a franchise coach for longer. Still, the likes of Manack and Prince – himself a franchise coach – have asked why Nkwe is Boucher’s deputy?ALSO READ: Black Lives Matter – South Africa’s cricket elite shows united face in moving Centurion tributeNeither Smith nor Boucher can be held responsible for the issue raised by Phangiso, who was the only black African player in the 2015 World Cup squad and the only one who did not play a game. Or Leie, who played two T20s in 2015 and hasn’t been considered since. Both said they felt as though they were making up numbers without ever being given a proper run. Phangiso was part of a group of black players who wrote a letter to CSA in late 2015, after Khaya Zondo, a black batsman, was taken on a tour of India and did not play a game. That incident has come to light again, this time with the allegation that de Villiers blocked Zondo’s selection. de Villiers denied that he did but admitted he wanted David Miller in the team instead because the series was on the line and experience was needed. de Villiers called it a “cricketing” decision. The trouble is in the wording.When selection decisions are made about players of colour, it’s about transformation. When selection decision are made about white players, it’s about cricket. The insinuation that players of colour cannot be the subject of strategic selections is the same as the one that asks if transformation has to come at the expense of winning. It assumes that excellence and representation are mutually exclusive, which the national rugby team, the Springboks, as one example, have proved is not the case.It is the Springboks who so contributed to the image of South Africa as a rainbow nation bonded by sport when they won the World Cup in 1995. They gave South Africa relevance again when they won the trophy again in 2007, and then reignited national pride with a record-equalling third World Cup win in 2019. Their victory last year was their most unifying, because it came under a black African captain and a white Afrikaans coach, who transformed a group of individuals into a team. Cricket must have looked at rugby, long considered the more racially divided of the two sports, and wondered how to emulate it.The actions of the Sale Sharks players, poster boys for diversity in the Springboks’ World Cup win, brought up questions about the depth of the stand against racism in sport•Getty ImagesStill, post-BLM, even the Springboks’ glory has been tarnished. Last weekend a picture emerged of the South African contingent of the Manchester pro rugby union club Sale Sharks (and Samoan-born English player Manu Tuilagi, who cited religious reasons) standing while their team-mates took a knee ahead of a fixture. Among those who stood were World Cup winners Faf de Klerk and Lood de Jager, who lifted the trophy under the leadership of Siya Kolisi in Japan last year. Their (non) actions have underlined another aspect of the debate: do sportspeople have to take a knee to be antiracist, or is wearing a T-shirt enough? Can you be antiracist without joining the BLM movement? And if you are not actively antiracist, are you then the opposite?ALSO READ: Faf du Plessis on racism in South African cricket: ‘All lives don’t matter until black lives matter’These are questions that cricket and society are answering in binary terms. Every time a player of colour is quoted in the media talking about their experience of discrimination, the response is outrage and an attack on the establishment. The popular narrative is that Smith and Boucher must go, and even if there may be valid reasons for that, no alternatives are being offered. For now, there is only anger, as Prince referred to in a recent Twitter thread, even if it is not always being directed at the right people for the right reasons. Yet the hurt is understandable. Such deep wounds cannot be overhauled in a generation. But then, what can be done?CSA’s newly formed social justice and nation-building committee, which met with 40 former players in July, is an attempt to begin a process of consultation that starts with listening to grievances and may include financial reparations in the future. Even so, it has been criticised because its first meeting excluded Smith, who was initially invited but then asked to sit out by the CSA board, and who has since said he would like to take part. The current crop of players, from whom we have heard little about this issue, are headed to a culture camp this week to discuss team identity. Although not all of them are of the “born free” generation, who were born post-1994, they are, in theory, the most representative group of South African cricketers to date. And so they should be laying the foundations on which South African cricket will operate in future; foundations that should include a middle ground.What that may look like needs to be determined. There is talk of a sporting Truth and Reconciliation Commission, in which stories are told and grievances thrashed out, guilt and forgiveness offered and received. That may work, if it also allows nuances to come through in which white players acknowledge their privilege and players of colour are willing to interrogate reasons, such as circumstance, beyond merely blatant discrimination for their experiences, and everyone reaches a place where they can talk to each other, instead of shout.