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Most CSK squad members congregated in Chennai, but the highlight was just one man

Deivarayan Muthu in Chennai02-Mar-2020After being beaten by a rocket throw from Martin Guptill by inches on July 10 afternoon in Manchester last year in the World Cup semi-finals, MS Dhoni first took to the cricket field once again for proper training only on Monday, at his beloved Chepauk. It was the first training session of the 2019 IPL runners-up Chennai Super Kings, and Dhoni led a small group of players including Ambati Rayudu, M Vijay, Karn Sharma, and new recruit Piyush Chawla.And like with all “first day, first shows” in the movie-and-cricket crazy Chennai, a few thousand fans witnessed Dhoni and his team-mates sweating it out on a balmy Monday evening. Three stands were thrown open to spectators, and Chennai welcomed back its with rousing chants of “Dhoni !Dhoni! Dhoni!”The cheers swelled to a crescendo when Dhoni walked out to the middle of the practice pitch with a pair of bats and tapped the middle of the pitch with one. Dhoni tossed away the other bat, took a leg-stump guard and then faced up against the left-arm fingerspin of Super Kings’ new recruit R Sai Kishore. Dhoni and Rayudu took turns at the main net, feeling their way back after taking breaks from competitive cricket.

A grand waltz to take guard! #StartTheWhistles #SuperTraining pic.twitter.com/tQbDqqnmT2

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) March 2, 2020

It was a significant moment in Indian cricket, considering Dhoni and his future have been hotly debated since the World Cup semi-finals. After that tournament Dhoni took a voluntary break, spending a few weeks with the Indian Army. But since then his name has not featured in any of the limited-overs squads with MSK Prasad, the selection committee chairman, saying his panel had moved past Dhoni.However, India’s head coach Ravi Shastri reiterated that Dhoni was still a contender for spot in the squad for the T20 World Cup, scheduled for this October, if he had a good IPL.As far as Dhoni’s IPL future goes, there are barely any doubts, at least for Super Kings’ fans. Recently N Srinivasan, the former BCCI president and head of India Cements, which owns the Super Kings franchise had said that Dhoni would be retained for the 2021 season, ahead of the mega auction that will see all teams rebuild their squads from the scratch.The importance of the moment was not lost upon the leading sports broadcaster Star, which did not mind interrupting the post-match analysis of India’s 2-0 Test series defeat in New Zealand on Monday morning, to switch to footage of Dhoni making his way out of the Chennai airport.On the way to the ground the Super Kings’ bus was surrounded by honking motorists, scrambling for pictures of Dhoni. The man himself presented a blank, God-like stare.Unlike last year, though, when Chepauk was packed to the rafters to welcome Dhoni in the lead-up to IPL 2019, this time the fanfare was somewhat low-key to begin with. However, soon, a crowd of about 1000 turned up and Dhoni rewarded them when he dashed down the track and launched Kishore over his head.MS Dhoni stretches out on return to proper training•PTI Rayudu, too, took some trips down the pitch to deal with the new Super Kings spinners – Kishore and Chawla. Rayudu was in action in the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy and the 20-over Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, but had pulled out of the following four-day Ranji Trophy.
Both Rayudu and Suresh Raina, who is returning to action from knee injury, had also trained in Chennai in January under Super Kings trainer Greg King. Vijay, who had hurt his ankle earlier during the domestic season, had also been part of that January camp.The 35-year-old opener had an hour-long stint at the nets on Monday evening, tackling the spinners and KM Asif, the reserve quick in the squad. Raina and head coach Stephen Fleming, though, are yet to join the pre-season camp. It is understood that Raina will link up with the squad on Monday night, while Fleming will take charge of the side soon.King, Rajiv Kumar the fielding coach, Narasimhan V the throwdown specialist, and L Balaji the bowling coach, put the players through their paces during their three-hour training session.

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#thala #darshan.. On the way to the ground for the first practice session.. #csk2020 #cskfans #ipl #csk

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It is understood that the training camp will go on until March 19 with Dhoni and some of the other big names heading for a short break before reassembling for the tournament opener on March 29, when Super Kings will clash with defending champions Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium. It is also likely that the three closed stands – I, J and K – at Chepauk will be opened in time for Super Kings’ first home game against Rajasthan Royals on April 2.

Kumar Sangakkara will perform the dual role of head coach and director of cricket at Rajasthan Royals (RR) in IPL 2026, with Vikram Rathour, batting coach last season, elevated to assistant coach.As reported by ESPNcricinfo in September, in Sangakkara’s case, the change in designation is a formality, even as Rahul Dravid, who was head coach during IPL 2025, and the franchise, parted ways in August.Sangakkara had previously served as the team’s head coach from 2021 to 2024, “a period that marked a clear rise in the team’s performance and consistency,” an RR statement said. While Sangakkara was in charge, RR reached the IPL final in 2022 and made the playoffs in IPL 2024.Related

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• IPL 2026: How the squads stack up ahead of the auction

“We are delighted to have Kumar return as head coach,” Manoj Badale, the franchise’s lead owner, said. “As we looked at what the team needed at this stage, we felt that his familiarity within the squad, his leadership and his deep understanding of the Royals culture would bring the right balance of continuity and stability.”Kumar has always had our complete trust as a leader. His clarity, calmness and cricketing intelligence will play an important role in guiding the squad into this next phase.”Along with Rathour’s promotion, the franchise also announced that Shane Bond would continue as the bowling coach, while Trevor Penney and Sid Lahiri will remain assistant coach and performance coach respectively.

“I’m honoured to return as head coach and continue working with this talented group,” Sangakkara said. “I’m also pleased to have a strong coaching team alongside me. Vikram, Trevor, Shane and Sid each bring valuable experience in their areas, and together we are focused on preparing the players in the best possible way.”We have a clear understanding of where we want to go as a group, and our aim is to build a team that plays with clarity, resilience, and purpose.”The team management group will, however, have a new captain to work with after RR released Sanju Samson in a trade deal with Chennai Super Kings, where they acquired Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran, ahead of the next auction.They have also released or traded out Nitish Rana, Akash Madhwal, Ashok Sharma, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kumar Kartikeya, Kunal Singh Rathore, Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga. And, along with Jadeja and Curran, have also traded in Donovan Ferreira from Delhi Capitals.At the upcoming auction, they will have a purse of INR 16.05 crore and have nine slots, including one overseas, to fill.

Lizelle Lee kept Hobart Hurricanes rolling, and Brisbane Heat winless thanks to a power-packed knock in their rain-impacted 16-run WBBL win in Sydney on Saturday.Lee hit an unbeaten 59 off 45 balls, striking six fours and three sixes either side of a rain delay on Saturday. Hurricanes were flying before their innings was reduced to 12 overs and they purred to 114 for 1, with Heat’s target increased to 125 based on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern system.Jess Jonassen (1 for 12 from three overs) and Lucy Hamilton (0 for 26 off three) were the only Heat bowlers to escape punishment.Danni Wyatt-Hodge (44 in 26 balls) combined with Lee in a 106-run opening stand, which only ended in the final over.Grace Harris (28 in 21) hung in as Heat lost regular wickets attempting to maintain the scoring rate and finished at 108 for 9 thanks to a last-ball six from Sianna Ginger.Molly Strano (2 for 17), Heather Graham (2 for 25) and Nicola Carey (2 for 10) proved too clever for the Heat batters.The loss was Heat’s third straight to begin the season while Hurricanes sit on top of the table with three wins.

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank has just shared some ‘very positive’ team news from his press conference ahead of their mouth-watering North London derby clash with Arsenal this Sunday.

The Dane is gearing up for his first ever derby clash as Spurs boss, but the Dane has a mountainous task on his hands.

The numbers make for pretty grim reading, with Tottenham having lost seven of their last nine Premier League games against Arsenal, winning just once in their last 32 away league derbies at the Emirates (The Analyst).

That solitary victory a 3-2 comeback triumph in November 2010, and Arsenal have won five of their last six league meetings between the sides, including the last three consecutively, marking their longest winning streak against Spurs since the late 1980s (The Analyst).

Even more ominously, Arsenal have scored in each of their last 26 home league games against Tottenham, netting at least twice in the last eight encounters (The Analyst).

The Gunners’ dominance at home against their fierce rivals appears unshakable, with Opta’s supercomputer assigning Spurs just a 13.7 per cent chance of victory — their lowest win probability in any Premier League game this season.

The odds aren’t exactly in Spurs’ favour, and they’ve had a host of injury doubts to contend with in the build up to their trip across London.

Dejan Kulusevski

Knee

29/11/2025

James Maddison

ACL

01/06/2026

Radu Dragusin

Knee

22/11/2025

Ben Davies

Thigh

23/11/2025

Kota Takai

Ankle/Foot

23/11/2025

Mohammed Kudus

Knock

23/11/2025

Randal Kolo Muani

Jaw

23/11/2025

Yves Bissouma

Ankle/Foot

23/11/2025

Lucas Bergvall

Concussion

23/11/2025

Dominic Solanke

Ankle

23/11/2025

Archie Gray

Calf/Shin/Heel

23/11/2025

via Premier Injuries

However, according to Frank, there’s been some real encouragement on that front.

Thomas Frank shares 'very positive' Tottenham injury update ahead of Arsenal

Speaking to the media, via reliable journalist Alasdair Gold, Frank confirmed that Pape Sarr will be available to play Arsenal after his injury scare for Senegal on international duty, and the same can be said for midfielder Lucas Bergvall, who’s been out for the last two games serving concussion protocol.

Randal Kolo Muani can also play despite fracturing his jaw against Man United, with the Frenchman set to wear a protective mask.

As well as this, Frank states that Ben Davies, Kota Takai and Archie Gray all trained at Hotspur Way this morning, as did star winger Mohammed Kudus, with Frank potentially in line for a seven-player in-swing as they battle to be ready for one of Spurs’ biggest games of the season.

Kudus’ potential return would be a major boost for Frank especially.

The Ghanaian, who missed Spurs’ 4-0 rout of FC Copenhagen and 2-2 draw with Man United last time out, has been their most pivotal attacking player so far this season. Kudus declined international duty with Ghana to focus on his recovery, and that decision now appears to be paying dividends for the Lilywhites.

Tottenham hold preliminary talks to sign unsettled striker who Frank thinks is 'clinical'

Spurs are prioritising a number nine this January.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 20, 2025

Bergvall and Sarr’s returns will provide Frank with different midfield options, bar the one-dimensional defensive pivot of Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur, which comes as yet more good news.

Against an Arsenal side top of the pile and seemingly impenetrable 90 per cent of the time, Spurs need all the help they can get, so this update comes as a very positive one indeed.

Chelsea could now hijack some ‘very advanced’ talks for a Real Madrid sensation who’s destined to be on the move in January, according to a new report.

With persistent injury concerns in key positions this season, Enzo Maresca’s squad may require strategic reinforcement across three critical areas as the Blues navigate a challenging campaign.

Maresca has repeatedly found himself short, especially in defence, with Levi Colwill, Cole Palmer, Benoit Badiashile, Trevoh Chalobah, Malo Gusto, Enzo Fernández, Pedro Neto, Dario Essugo, Liam Delap, Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo, Andrey Santos and Josh Acheampong all missing at some point through injury or suspension.

Despite spending close to £300 million in the summer, it is also believed that Maresca still isn’t entirely happy with his Chelsea squad, coming after he publicly requested a centre-back in the summer.

Rank

Club

Gross Spend

Sales

Net Spend

20.

Bournemouth

£136.7m

£202.5m

+£65.8m

19.

Brighton

£67.7m

£127.5m

+£59.8m

18.

Brentford

£92.8m

£152m

+£59.2m

17.

Wolves

£105.6m

£126.5m

+£20.9m

16.

Chelsea

£296.5m

£314.4m

+£17.9m

Chelsea are reportedly exploring goalkeeping options, with uncertainty surrounding Robert Sanchez, whose inconsistent performances divided the fanbase last season.

The club are extremely keen on AC Milan’s Mike Maignan, whose contract expires in 2026, and could move to offer the France number one a pre-contract in January. Chelsea had passed up the opportunity to sign Maignan in the summer as they weren’t prepared to meet Milan’s asking price, as per multiple reports, but a move is now back on the cards.

Chelsea also want a new centre-back in January, following reports that the club view it as a priority position, and there are claims that the west Londoners could even bring in another number nine.

BlueCo have reportedly been offered Juventus striker Dušan Vlahović, whose contract is winding down, meaning they could sign the Serbian for a bargain fee this winter.

Liam Delap has returned from a hamstring injury which kept him out for the majority of Chelsea’s early-season, and Joao Pedro is currently in excellent form as well. However, as we’ve already seen this term, Maresca’s bad luck with injuries and suspensions could well push them back into the market.

Chelsea are reportedly planning to raid Real Madrid for talent as we approach January, with star winger Rodrygo available for a cut-price fee as Maresca’s side closely monitor the situation (TEAMtalk).

However, Rodrygo isn’t the only Real star on their radar, according to journalist Graeme Bailey.

Chelsea ready to hijack 'very advanced' Lyon talks for Endrick

Lyon are in ‘very advanced’ talks over a loan deal for Endrick and an agreement is believed to be imminent, but Bailey reports that Chelsea could still swoop for the Brazilian striker.

As per the reporter, Chelsea are ready to offer Endrick game time in England ahead of next year’s World Cup, and he could ‘very well arrive’ at Stamford Bridge.

The 19-year-old, who’s still considered one of Brazil’s brightest young talents, hasn’t found room to feature for Xabi Alonso – playing just 11 minutes all season.

Endrick did fire Real to a Copa del Rey final last term, scoring five goals in the competition before their loss to Barcelona, but minutes in La Liga and Europe were much harder to come by.

The South American is now vying for an exit as he aims to get more game time and work his way into Ancelotti’s Brazil squad, with the prospect of a Premier League move potentially enough to make him change his mind about joining Lyon.

Over the years, Tottenham Hotspur supporters have had numerous opportunities to witness numerous elite-level forwards in their first-team squad in North London.

Harry Kane will undoubtedly be the first that springs to mind, after the Englishman netted a total of 280 goals during his decade-long spell as a regular starter.

His tally is the highest in the Lilywhites’ history, but he will no doubt have to hand a huge amount of credit to the direction of former teammate Heung-min Son.

The South Korean often featured alongside Kane in the final third, which saw the duo register 47 goals in the Premier League for one another – a tally making them the best pair in the division’s history.

However, Thomas Frank has been unable to call upon either of the aforementioned talents, with the Dane currently facing a struggle with the options at the top end of the pitch.

Spurs number nine struggles under Thomas Frank

Before a single ball was kicked in 2025/26, many of the Spurs supporters would have anticipated Dominic Solanke to be the club’s starting centre-forward under Frank.

However, it’s been a season to forget for the Englishman to date, with the 28-year-old massively struggling with an ankle issue – even going under the knife to fix the issue.

As a result, he’s been restricted to a total of just 31 league minutes to date, with his last senior appearances for the Lilywhites coming back in August.

Due to the injury issues of Solanke, Richarlison has been handed the responsibility of leading the line in recent months, with the Brazilian making a phenomenal start to the season.

He netted a double in the opening day victory over Burnley in North London, but he’s since only found the net twice in the following ten outings in England’s top-flight.

Prior to netting against Manchester United, the 28-year-old was on a run of ten games without a goal in all competitions, with his previous effort coming way back in the 2-2 draw with Brighton and Hove Albion in September.

His lack of form has allowed Randal Kolo Muani to have the opportunity to stake his claim at the top end of the pitch, with the PSG loanee starting in all of the last three outings, including in the meeting with United.

However, he’s also struggled to make the desired impact, with the Frenchman yet to find the back of the net in any of the eight games he’s played in under Frank.

Frank clearly needs to address the issue in such an area of the pitch, but elite-level talismen certainly don’t come cheap in the current climate – with the boss potentially wishing he had his own version of one other Premier League forward.

The Spurs star who is becoming their very own Haaland

Erling Haaland is a player who has constantly tormented countless backlines in the Premier League, often leaving supporters wishing they had a player of his calibre in their side.

The Norwegian international has registered a staggering record of 142 goals in his 160 appearances for Pep Guardiola’s men – cementing himself as one of Europe’s deadliest talismen.

He’s scored four goals in his seven appearances against the Lilywhites, often coming up with the goods and getting one over Spurs since his move to England.

This season alone, the 25-year-old has taken his goalscoring prowess to the next level, already finding the net on 21 occasions in just 18 appearances for the Citizens.

Should Spurs want to land their own version of Haaland, it would cost a small fortune in today’s market, with very few players able to replicate such levels.

However, Frank may already have a similar player in his ranks in the form of centre-back Micky van de Ven – a claim that may come as a surprise given the difference in position.

The Dutch international has been a key member of the Dane’s squad in 2025/26, featuring in every single Premier League and Champions League outing to date.

However, despite his defensive role, he’s thrived in attacking areas, as seen by his tally of six goals in 15 appearances – a tally which has made him the club’s top-goalscorer.

His latest strike came against FC Copenhagen on Tuesday night, with the 24-year-old running the entire length of the pitch before firing home expertly – just as Haaland would do at the Etihad.

Van de Ven’s performance led to one analyst dubbing him the “Haaland of centre-backs”, something which is surprisingly accurate given the Dutchman’s freakish pace and power.

The defender, who’s been labelled “world-class” by another analyst, clocked the fastest speed of any player in the division – which is similar to the Norwegian, with the forward having bags of pace despite his huge frame.

Games played

16

Goals scored

6

Pass accuracy

92%

Chances created

0.6

Tackles won

1.1

Aerials won

1.3

Dribble success

50%

Recoveries made

3.6

His aerial ability has also made him a force to be reckoned with at both ends of the pitch, with his tally of 1.3 aerials won per 90 helping him score a double against Everton earlier this season.

Players like Van de Ven don’t come around very often, with the Lilywhites hierarchy conducting phenomenal business, landing the centre-back for just £40m.

His comparisons to Haaland in 2025/26 are there for all to see, with the Spurs star the closest thing Frank currently has to the Premier League’s leading goalscorer.

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Newcastle United can now boast three wins on the trot in all competitions at their beloved home patch of St James’ Park, having left it very late to secure a Premier League win yesterday against Marco Silva’s Fulham.

The Magpies brushed aside Jose Mourinho’s Benfica with ease 3-0 in the Champions League in mid-week, but on their return to the bread and butter of top-flight action, it would take a crucial strike by club captain Bruno Guimaraes right at the death to clinch a slim 2-1 win over the determined visitors from West London.

Having also been the hero who secured the Toon a 2-0 victory over Ange Postecoglou’s Nottingham Forest earlier in the month, it’s clear that the number 39 is now an undroppable part of Howe’s first-team set-up.

Why Bruno Guimaraes is undroppable

With Sandro Tonali sitting out another game, Howe would have known that he was relying on Guimaraes to be a bright spark from the centre of the park once more.

The energetic Brazilian was just that for the Tyneside giants, with his third Premier League goal of the season already seeing him pounce on a spill by Bernd Leno to send the majority of St James’ Park into raptures.

Away from the Brazilian coming up clutch again, the ever-reliable Toon captain also amassed four key passes as he attempted to get the teammates around him onto the scoresheet as well, with eight duels also won, showing off the 27-year-old’s tenacious approach in battling away for his side.

Having not missed a single Premier League game last season, and with this electric start to this campaign already under his belt, it’s surely obvious now that Guimaraes is a deserved staple of Howe’s lineups.

Guimaraes isn’t alone, arguably, in being an untouchable member of his manager’s XI, though, with this consistent top performer now making a compelling argument to be considered in the same conversations as the much-loved midfielder.

The Newcastle star who is as undroppable as Guimaraes

As was stated above, Newcastle didn’t have the smoothest ride out there against Silva’s away side.

Thankfully, Guimaraes bailed the Toon out with that vital 89th-minute effort, but if it wasn’t for Jacob Murphy’s sharp accuracy in front of goal after just 18 minutes, as well, a win could have easily slipped out of Howe and Co.’s grasp.

While Guimaraes would go on to steal all the plaudits in the second 45 minutes, his 30-year-old teammate also made sure Fulham knew he wasn’t messing about in the first half, with three shots on target in total, nearly seeing Murphy pick up more than one goal to put the contest beyond doubt.

The Toon veteran would be substituted off on the 61st minute mark as he visibly tired, but his electric first-half display alone surely means he’s a shoo-in for a start again when the Tyneside outfit travel to a troubled West Ham United side at the start of November in Premier League, having also been branded as a player that “every squad needs” by journalist Andy Sixsmith for his unwavering commitment to the club during the 2-1 win.

Murphy’s numbers vs Benfica & Fulham

Stat

Murphy (Benfica)

Murphy (Fulham)

Minutes played

63

61

Goals scored

0

1

Assists

1

0

Touches

31

37

Accurate passes

10/15 (67%)

14/18 (78%)

Key passes

1

0

Big chances created

1

0

Successful dribbles

0

1/2

Total duels won

0/1

3/5

Stats by Sofascore

The table above backs up Sixsmith’s glowing words, with Murphy content at being given limited minutes, knowing he can create an opening or thunder home a goal at a moment’s notice, with just 68 touches accumulated over Newcastle’s last two games, resulting in an assist and a goal falling into his lap.

Rivals for his spot in the team in the form of Anthony Elanga don’t have the same sort of blistering numbers to hand, with the out-of-sorts Swede still yet to get off the mark for his new side after a mammoth £55m summer move.

With the dependable winger noted as being deep in the “form of his life” at the final whistle by Newcastle-based blog Mouth of the Tyne, alongside the Athletic’s Chris Waugh stating that he keeps “producing big moments”, there looks to be little wriggle room in the main XI for the likes of Elanga and Harvey Barnes, as Murphy now appears to be one of Howe’s main men next to the assured South American.

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Australia’s captain will play through the home summer which features a multi-format series against India

AAP23-Jun-2025

Alyssa Healy has been hampered by injury in recent series•Getty Images

Alyssa Healy has ruled out making this year’s ODI World Cup a farewell party, revealing recent injuries could persuade her to push back any retirement plans she might have had.Healy’s path back to cricket will be confirmed on Tuesday, with the wicketkeeper to be named as part of an Australia A squad to face India A in Queensland in August. The matches will be the Australia captain’s first since the Ashes success at the start of the year, when she missed games with a stress fracture in her foot and did not keep wicket in others.She has endured a difficult year fitness-wise, also missing the finals of last year’s T20 World Cup with the foot injury and having a knee issue end her WBBL season early.Related

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The 35-year-old then sat out ODIs in New Zealand and the WPL in India as a result of her injuries, but said she has been fit and able to play since March.Healy has often joked she had decided to retire from cricket five or six times before opting against it, and revealed that earlier this year she had an ideal exit scenario. But that will not be after the October-November World Cup, with a hunger for cricket while injured meaning her yet-to-be-revealed plans could be pushed back.”It’s probably shifted a little bit,” Healy told AAP. “It’s made me realise that I still want to do a little bit more than maybe what I thought. At the same time, sometimes there’s stuff in life that are a little bit more important than pulling on the green and gold. So it’s just a constant reassess.”But at the moment I definitely want to play a home summer. I want to bring the World Cup home, but also to play against India [in February-March].”Tuesday marks 100 days until Australia’s opening World Cup game against New Zealand, with the India tournament presenting a real challenge for the defending champions.Australia are gunning to be the first side to win back-to-back in the tournament in almost 40 years, with the team having faced a large transition since 2022.Forming a pathway to the ODI World Cup was part of Healy’s pitch when she took over the captaincy when Meg Lanning retired in 2023.”That was one of my goals, putting a timeline on it and saying ‘this is where I could take this group’, even not knowing what I was going to do personally,” Healy said. “It definitely was a big focus of mine, to get the group to a place to compete at this World Cup, and win the trophy.”It’s not so much about the captaincy [driving me], or ticking one more box. It’s just that I want to win a World Cup for Australia, and no one has gone back-to-back, which is a real motivator.”Healy has not kept wicket in a match since January, but was confident the Australia A series and subsequent ODIs in India would have her fit for up to nine World Cup matches in 32 days.”According to science, the ODI World Cups is one of the heaviest loads that we go through as cricketers,” Healy said. “My aim is to play every game of that World Cup. So to make sure I can do that’s important.”

Tino Livramento’s injury in Newcastle United’s 2-1 defeat to Arsenal is a big concern as the Magpies were stung by another late winner at home to one of the ‘big six’ on Sunday.

Livramento injured in Newcastle defeat

Eddie Howe’s side suffered stoppage-time heartbreak at St James’ Park on Sunday, with Gabriel’s last-gasp header depriving the Magpies of a point in the Premier League.

While the result was hugely disappointing, the biggest negative on the day for Newcastle was arguably the serious-looking injury that saw Livramento stretchered off in the second half, following a coming together with William Saliba.

The Englishman was down hurt for a while before leaving the field and Howe himself didn’t sound too positive after the game, saying: “He’s such a big player for us in so many different ways – his versatility, his attitude, his quality. If we’re going to miss that for any length of time, it is going to be a huge blow.”

Newcastle fans are understandably sweating over Livramento’s injury, not wanting to lose a vital player so early in the season, and a now a new update has emerged regarding the severity of the setback.

Edwards shares Livramento injury update

Writing on X, reliable journalist Luke Edwards claims that Newcastle defender Livramento hasn’t suffered ACL damage, but he could still be out for an extended period.

This has to be considered a positive for both Livramento and Newcastle, with an ACL blow having the potential to end his season already, given how serious those injuries can be and the fact it would be his second of the kind.

The 22-year-old will also be dreaming of featuring for England at the 2026 World Cup next summer, and this update suggests that his absence isn’t likely to be as lengthy as first feared.

That said, it is still more than possible that Newcastle have to make do without Livramento for a sustained period of action, which would be such a blow, with Howe lauding one performance against Brentford last season.

“I think another big game for him today, because he’s playing against arguably their most dangerous player [Mbeumo]. I thought he defended very well. Athletically, Tino’s excellent, and we know that. We’ve seen that since he’s come to the football club. But to have the responsibility of playing left-back on the opposite side to his natural foot and play the way that he has.”

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Posts ByKelan Sarson Sep 28, 2025

More information is likely to become clear regarding Livramento once he gets a scan, but for the time being, Newcastle fans will be desperately hoping for some good news.

A 25-ball unbeaten 57 from Andre Russell from No. 5 helped Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) score 95 off their last seven overs and set Rajasthan Royals (RR) 207 to win at Eden Gardens.RR’s spinners were effective but could not contain the KKR batters. Akash Madhwal was taken down, and Russell denied Maheesh Theekshana a good finish.Russell was promoted with 7.2 overs to go and he started slow – 2 off nine balls – but he then went on a tear when the pace bowlers returned at the death. He hit two fours and two sixes off his next six balls.Theekshana’s spin returned in the 18th over with changing speeds and lengths, none of it made any difference as Russell smacked a hat-trick of sixes from cow corner to long-off.Jofra Archer was hit for boundaries off full and short balls. He created a chance but Riyan Parag put it down at long-off. Madhwal started the final over of the innings with three wides before Rinku Singh took over with a four and two sixes to finish on a high.The day started with Sunil Narine and Rahmanullah Gurbaz stepping leg side quite often. Narine got a full toss and picked up a six thanks to it but was then bowled as Yudhvir Singh hit good length and took pace off. Yudhvir was taken down for 15 in his next over despite finding a top edge off Gurbaz’s slog.Ajinkya Rahane played arguably the shot of the day when he drove Madhwal over his head for six, he then flicked behind square to pick up four more.Gurbaz went across the stumps too and tried to manufacture shots. It led to a couple of miscues but earned him two fours and a six in the 56-run powerplay.Theekshana dismissed Gurbaz slog sweeping in the eighth over. The spinners decided to take the pace off completely as KKR scored only 30 runs between overs six and ten.Raghuvanshi was getting a boundary an over but Rahane slowed down against spin. He made 11 off his last 14 balls after being on 19 off 10. Parag bowled three on the trot and dismissed his opposite number with a side-arm under-cutter at 76ks at which point Russell was promoted.