Leeds United return to action with a pre-season friendly encounter with rivals Manchester United in Oslo later today, with new boss Daniel Farke likely hoping to make a positive start to his preparations for the upcoming Championship campaign.

One potential concern that the German tactician will have going into that meeting with Erik ten Hag's side is the club's lack of transfer business so far, with no new faces having arrived at Elland Road following their drop into the second tier.

While that fact was likely impacted by the uncertainty over the managerial role prior to Farke's appointment – as well as the change of ownership – the hope will be that the Whites can now truly kickstart the window by making some much-needed additions in the near future.

According to The Athletic's Phil Hay, one man who has been a "long-standing" target for the Yorkshire giants is Coventry City sensation, Gustavo Hamer, with the former Netherlands youth international having been part of the side that reached the play-off final last season.

While Leeds are likely to face competition from Premier League side, Burnley for the 26-year-old, the hope will be that Farke and co can persuade the 5 foot 7 ace to aid in their push for promotion in 2023/24..

If a deal for the Brazil-born dynamo could be secured, it could well represent an upgrade on the club's midfield options of last season…

How many goals has Gustavo Hamer scored for Coventry?

The diminutive gem enjoyed a sparkling 2022/23 campaign after contributing nine goals and registering ten assists in 41 Championship games for Mark Robins' side, taking his total tally to 41 goal involvements in 130 games for his current club.

Previously lauded as "unbelievable" by Robins following his arrival in England from PEC Zwolle back in 2020, Hamer has no doubt warranted the admiring glances from those at Elland Road, with a high profile switch seemingly richly deserved.

With the likes of Marc Roca and Tyler Adams potentially set to be on their way this summer – according to Hay – and with Adam Forshaw having seen his contract expire last month, there is evidently a need to bolster the midfield ranks prior to the start of next term.

The Whites will also be looking to replace January loan arrival, Weston McKennie following the American's return to his parent club, Juventus, with that short-term move having failed to prove fruitful for either the player or the club.

The one-time Schalke ace was seemingly "out of his depth" in English football – according to pundit Jon Newsome – while journalist Dean Jones also suggested that the 24-year-old looked "slow" and "lazy" at times, such were his midfield woes.

Bringing Hamer into the fold could then represent a much-needed upgrade on the 6 ft dud, with McKennie's attacking shortcomings seeing him register to just one goal involvement in 20 outings in the second half of last season – a huge contrast to the Coventry's man displays in the Championship.

Equally, the Juve asset also failed to create a single big chance and averaged just 0.7 key passes per game after failing to offer much in the way of a creative spark, while Hamer was far more impressive after creating 16 big chances and averaging 1.8 key passes per game from his 41 league appearances.

In a defensive sense, the latter man also appears to offer more to the side having averaged 3.6 tackles and interceptions per game, with McKennie averaging just 2.7 tackles and interceptions per game, from far fewer appearances.

Those contrasting fortunes would suggest that Hamer would be a real improvement as far as Leeds are concerned next season, with the aim now to try and see off the Clarets in the battle for the £5.2k-per-week man's signature.

It was just after tea when the question arose in the Edgbaston press box: ‘Has any side ever lost their first three Championship games in a season by an innings?’

George Dobell at Edgbaston22-Apr-2017
ScorecardIt was just after tea when the question arose in the Edgbaston press box: ‘Has any side ever lost their first three Championship games in a season by an innings?’Whether they have or not*, the fact that the question came up provides a fair reflection of the mood around Warwickshire at present. Kumar Sangakkara had just reached his 50 with a pull so dismissive you half expected him to ruffle the bowler’s hair and ask him what he wanted to be when he grew-up and Mark Stoneman had just reached his second Championship century against Warwickshire this season. Warwickshire still had a first innings lead of almost 100 but the sense persisted that, if Surrey decided to make pelts from the Warwickshire players before the end of this match, there wasn’t much to stop them.In the grand scheme of things, the Warwickshire performances this season don’t even register in a ‘top 10’ of their shockers of the last 20 years or so. And, in a way, that is more of a worry. Because it’s not that they’re playing that badly. They’re just up against sides that are substantially better than them.The second day here exemplified it. Presented with a flat pitch and a strong batting line-up, Warwickshire’s bowlers might have been a fraction tighter. But, basically, they put the ball in pretty good areas, they showed their variations and they demonstrated their heart. But they lacked the pace, the skill or the assistance to break through against a strong side and might reflect that, playing against Sangakkara with one boundary as short as this is like covering yourself in bacon and going to pet a tiger.The truth is, Warwickshire failed to make use of a good batting surface in their first innings. While they undoubtedly had the more testing conditions on the first day, it is worth remembering that they were 126 without loss at one stage. And it’s worth remembering, too, that they were 290 for 4 when Surrey took the second new ball. The final six wickets added only 42 and that included a tenth-wicket stand of 28.Why? Because Surrey’s bowlers – younger, hungrier and yes, a bit quicker – gained a little bit more from the surface and in the air. And Warwickshire’s batsmen, all too often crease-bound and flirty, were not equal to it. Surrey will bowl much better than this in much more helpful conditions.Perhaps Warwickshire were a bit unfortunate. The weather was substantially brighter on the second day and there was no need for floodlights. But by losing their final seven wickets for 69, they pretty much forfeited the opportunity to bat in such conditions. Besides, they still had four wickets in hand when they resumed on Saturday.Most of all, they were unfortunate to come up against two fine batsmen. Stoneman, who has now scored three centuries in his last five Championship innings (he finished his Durham career with one against Hampshire), looked terrific. Having made 165 against Warwickshire on his Championship debut for the club a couple of weeks ago, he dealt with Keith Barker’s swing expertly and looks hungry to ensure this move to Surrey brings the rewards he wants. That career average – in the low 30s – is no reflection of his class.Maybe, on another day, he might have been dismissed without scoring. Certainly his first scoring stroke was his least convincing with Ateeq Javid, at point, flinging himself to his right but finding the sliced drive just out of reach, while later, on 83, William Porterfield at gully should have held on to a sharp chance offered off the admirably persistent Chris Wright.Those moments apart, he looked wonderfully solid and unhurried. He played within himself and, when the bowlers strayed, either picked them off with deflections – he took 18 off one Barker over without needing to play a shot in anger – or cut or drove without fuss or trouble. He added 116 with Scott Borthwick, the pair of them running so fast that it proved impossible for Warwickshire to stem the flow, and then 140 with Sangakkara. It was some surprise when he was adjudged to be leg before and not just because it seemed a little high.As for Sangakkara… to see him skip down the pitch and thread his drive off Jeetan Patel between the fielders in the covers; to see him pull and upper cut sixes when the seamers dropped short; to see him somehow cut Patel behind square so that the ball gained speed as it split the field… however many times you’ve seen him bat, however many centuries you’ve seen and whatever you think of the standard of county cricket, it was refreshing, it was classy, it was beautiful. If you’re in the Edgbaston area on Sunday – hell, if you’re anywhere near the Midlands – it may be worth coming to witness him reaching the 58th first-class century of his career. There won’t be too many opportunities and they really don’t come along like this very often.Not that Warwickshire will be thinking in those terms. They have to believe they can turn around this match – they do still lead by 33, after all – and this season. We’re not even in the last week of April. The sense from those watching, though, is that while they may not have sunk yet, they have struck the iceberg.*Admit it, you were wondering about sides which had started the season with a hat-trick of innings losses, weren’t you? Well, thanks to statistician Andrew Samson we know that Somerset (in 1899) and Glamorgan (in 1922) both lost their first four Championship matches in a season by an innings. But no team has ever lost three by an innings before the end of April. Warwickshire supporters will be hoping they are not on the cusp of history.

أكد جناح الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي باريس سان جيرمان، كيليان مبابي، على أهمية مباراة برشلونة في دور الثمانية من بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويلتقي برشلونة وباريس سان جيرمان في الذهاب يوم، الأربعاء، في تمام الساعة التاسعة مساءً بتوقيت “القاهرة” على ملعب “حديقة الأمراء”.

على أن تكون مباراة الإياب في ملعب “منتجويك” يوم، الثلاثاء 16 أبريل في تمام التاسعة مساءً أيضًا.

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وتحدث مبابي عن المباراة في تصريحات لشبكة “Telefoot” الفرنسية، وقال: “في كل موسم، هذه الفترة تكون نقطة تحول في الموسم”.

وتابع: “في نهاية شهر أبريل، سيكون لدينا معرفة أي موسم سنشهده، لكنني متأكد من اننا سنبذل كل ما في وسعنا لتحقيق أفضل نتيجة، الأمر بيد الله”.

وأتم: “أنا مستعد لتلك المباراة، لن أختبئ كالعادة، فهذا هو وقت اللاعبين العظماء”.

الجدير بالذكر أن باريس سان جيرمان لا يزال ينافس على جميع البطولات هذا الموسم فهو متصدر في الدوري الفرنسي، وصل إلى نهائي كأس فرنسا وأمامه فرصة للوصول إلى نصف نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا.

أجرى لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة، لامين يامال، مقابلة صحفية مع موندو ديبورتيفو الإسبانية، تحدث خلالها عن موقفه من المشاركة في أولمبياد باريس القادمة، بالإضافة إلى الرقم الذي يحلم بارتدائه مع برشلونة.

وكشف الإسباني الشاب أيضاً عن آخر استعددات الفريق الكتالوني لمواجهة باريس سان جيرمان بدوري أبطال أوروبا، وطموحه للتتويج بالألقاب، بالإضافة إلى آخر التطورات حول مستقبله مع برشلونة.

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وقال لامين يامال في تصريحات صحفية حول إمكانية المشاركة في أولمبياد باريس: “منذ أن بدأت، حاولت عدم تحميل نفسي أكثر من اللازم واللعب أكثر من اللازم، ولن يكون من المنطقي الذهاب إلى كليهما”.

وأضاف يامال: “يعتمد الأمر أيضًا على كيفية سير كأس أمم أوروبا، لكنني أعتقد أن الشيء الأكثر أهمية هو التواجد في كأس أوروبا، ما فعله بيدري هو مثال لما يمكن أن يحدث لأنه الوحيد الذي أتذكره والذي فعل ذلك”.

وأوضح يامال قائلاً: “أنا هادئ جداً بشأن مستقبلي مع برشلونة، لا يزال هناك عامان متبقيان حتى العقد التالي والأهم هو الاستمتاع قبل كل شيء”.

وأكد يامال: “نريد الوصول إلى نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا، علينا أن تهزم باريس سان جيرمان ثم في نصف النهائي يمكن أن يحدث أي شيء”.

عن مواجهة باريس سان جيرمان في دوري الأبطال: “إنها أول مواجهة لي في ربع النهائي، وأحلم أن أتمكن من اللعب فيها، ستكون واحدة من أهم مباريات الموسم”.

عن حلم التتويج بدوري أبطال أوروبا أفاد لاعب برشلونة: “أحياناً عندما أكون في السرير ليلاً أفكر في الأمر وأقول إنه جنون، لكن هذا لا يمنحك الكثير من الوقت للتفكير لأنك تفكر بالفعل في المباراة التالية، وبالجلسات التدريبية الآخرى والحياة اليومية”. وأكد الإسباني الشاب حول مواجهة باريس: “نريد اللعب بالطريقة التي نلعب بها، نهدف إلى فرض أسلوبنا والسيطرة على المباراة، يتم تحديد هذه المباريات بالتفاصيل، إذا فشل فريق واحد، فإن الفريق الآخر سيستفيد من ذلك، وفي دوري أبطال أوروبا عليك أن تلعب بكثافة كبيرة”.

واختتم يامال: “أتمنى أن أكون أسطورة في برشلونة، إذا لم يستمر أنسو فاتي وقدموا لي الرقم 10 سيكون فخراً وحلماً، أي طفل يتمنى أن يكون الرقم 10 في برشلونة”.

Manchester United have already made their first midfield signing of the summer with Mason Mount confirmed, and now a new update has emerged on the club's pursuit of another target who could join him in the centre of the pitch next season.

What's the latest on Man United's interest in Romeo Lavia?

According to the Daily Mail, Manchester United remain interested in signing Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia this summer.

As per the report, the Red Devils are just waiting to confirm outgoings before they make a move but are still willing to compete for the players signature in a battle with Premier League rivals Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea.

How much will Romeo Lavia cost?

Whilst Manchester City have a reported £40m buy-back clause on Lavia, Southampton are confident that they can command a £50m transfer fee from other parties interested in snapping up the young player's services ahead of next season – a fee that could present a stumbling block for Erik ten Hag.

Despite frivolous spending in the past, Man United are taking a much more cautious approach to their summer transfer window and are keen to offload a number of players who aren't up to scratch in order to bolster transfer funds and reduce the wage bill.

Donny van de Beek, Fred, Hannibal Mejbri and Scott McTominay are just some of the players reported to be up for sale this summer and should the club be successful in making some profit on the midfielders, it would surely pave the way for Ten Hag to secure the signing of Lavia this summer.

Despite being relegated from the top flight with the Saints, the Man City graduate has attracted attention for his standout performances in the heart of the team and alongside Casemiro in a deeper role he could be the key to making Mount thrive at Old Trafford.

The Belgian rising star boasts many ball-winning strengths; ranking in the top 30% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for interceptions, tackles, blocks, successful take-ons and pass completion over the last 12 months, as per FBref.

Lavia's efficiency in winning the ball from his opponents whilst also offering great accuracy in his passing range make him the perfect player to build attacking opportunities, play killer passes or feed shot-creating opportunities to Mount, which would be an incredibly valuable asset to Man United and to their new signing, who will be keen to impress next season.

The teenage sensation has captured attention from more than just the club's interested in signing him this summer, with high praise from football talent scout Jacek Kulig who tweeted:

"Roméo Lavia is a very underrated passer. Born in 2004. Maturity and quality. 10/10 talent."The future midfield leader of Belgium NT and a top Premier League club."

With that being said, Lavia is definitely one to watch for the Red Devils in their pursuit to rebuild their squad for the future, as he could become part of the next generation of talent that leads the club to dominance and multiple trophies once again.

The hope would be that the 5 foot 11 ace – and Mount – could lead United's title charge next season from the centre of the park.

Manchester United boss Erik Ten Hag is keen to sanction deals for Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana, Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic and Atalanta's Rasmus Hojlund, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving Onana, Vlahovic and Hojlund?

As per La Gazzetta Dello Sport via Sport Witness, Manchester United remain keen on signing Inter Milan goalkeeper Onana this summer as Ten Hag looks to draft in a new man between the sticks, though he is valued at £51 million.

The report states that no official bid has been made to try and acquire the £63k-a-week ace; however, ‘contacts are constant’ between the Red Devils and the Cameroon international.

Atalanta forward Rasmus Hojlund has also emerged as a target for Manchester United, with talks continuing over a potential transfer, which could reach a fee of £86 million, as per The Daily Mail.

Manchester United were previously keen on both Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane and Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, though they were priced out of a move for the pair, leaving £10.5k-a-week earner Hojlund in their sights.

Calciomercato claim that Juventus striker Vlahovic, who is valued at £70m, may be on the move this summer and his agent has held talks with Manchester United over a move to Old Trafford. Capology report that the Serbia international earns €249,231 (£214,242) per week on a contract that runs until June 2026.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jones has stated that all three players are potential targets for Manchester United this summer.

Jones said: "There is a Serie A exodus on the cards this summer and Man United are well-placed to take advantage of it. Onana is the prime target in this moment, but Vlahovic and Hojlund are in their sights too and this is a market whereby Italian clubs are finding it extremely hard to fend off bids for their top talent.

"We have seen [Sandro] Tonali nabbed by Newcastle and Kim [Min-jae] being picked up by Bayern Munich — the feeling is that much more is to come and United are looking at that situation right now to see how it can force further deals."

Who else has been linked with a move to Manchester United this window?

As per The Daily Mail, Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount is undergoing his medical at Manchester United before being officially unveiled as their first summer signing.

The report states that Mount could make his debut as soon as next week, with Manchester United pencilled in to take on rivals Leeds United in a friendly at the Ullevaal Stadium in Oslo.

Mundo Deportivo via 90min claim that the Red Devils have made a late offer to try and sign Athletico Paranaense striker Vitor Roque, who is being heavily courted by Barcelona.

According to The Mirror, Eintracht Frankfurt stopper Kevin Trapp has also been linked with a move to Old Trafford, signifying that a busy transfer window may be on the way for Manchester United.

Chelsea have already waved goodbye to a number of first-team regulars this summer, with more set to follow in the coming days as part of a mass squad overhaul.

While the likes of Kai Havertz, Mateo Kovacic and Manchester United-bound Mason Mount will be missed, others have either had less of an impact at Stamford Bridge (Kalidou Koulibaly) or simply have not played as much of late (N'Golo Kante).

One player who very much will be missed should he move on this window is long-serving captain Cesar Azpilicueta, who has once again been linked with the exit after an 11-year stay at the club, during which time he has won every trophy on offer.

Amid claims personal terms have already been agreed between Azpilicueta and Inter on a two-year deal, The Sun reports new Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino is willing to let the defender leave for a nominal fee – or indeed, for free.

That is because Pochettino is already happy with the options he has available at right-back, with Reece James hopeful his injury issues are behind him, while Malo Gusto is now part of the squad after signing from Lyon in a £26m deal in January.

James will start the new Premier League season as Pochettino's first choice down the right, but Gusto showed last season at Lyon – whom he re-joined in January on loan for the remainder of the 2022/23 season – that he may well have a big part to play this season for the Blues.

Who is Chelsea full-back Malo Gusto?

Gusto spent two seasons as a first-team regular for Lyon, racking up 51 Ligue 1 appearances since the start of 2021/22 and catching the eye with his attacking play down the flank.

As pointed out by Football.london writer Bobby Vincent, the 20-year-old "is very dangerous going forward" and also "has an eye for a cross". That is very much reflected in the stats, with his 6.55 crosses per 90 minutes last season very similar to the number recorded by James at Chelsea (6.59), as per FBref.

There are other similarities between the pair, too, as they also completed a similar number of passes per 90 minutes last season (64.6 for James, 66.2 for Gusto) and also won a near-identical number of tackles (1.45 v 1.47), suggesting the France U21 international will be a good fit for Chelsea.

Using FBref's player comparison tool, there is a full-back even more alike Gusto in terms of their statistical profiles: Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies.

The pair won a similar number of tackles per 90 last season (48.8% for Gusto, compared to 46.2% for Davies), hit the target from a similar number of shots (42.9% v 42.1%) and registered blocks at a similar rate (1.24 v 1.23).

They also had the majority of their touches in the middle third of the field (43.6 v 40.2) – highlighting where they spend most of their time – and played 4.80 and 4.85 passes into the final third per 90 respectively.

Whether it is the next Davies that Chelsea have signed or a younger version of James, it is clear that Gusto is a talented player who is capable of challenging for a first-team place once Azpilicueta's exit is finally sanctioned.

Leeds United have seemingly identified the man who could be their first big acquisition under Daniel Farke's new leadership…

Is Glen Kamara leaving Rangers?

Despite reportedly closing in on a swoop for Scottish youngster Lewis Pirie, it is unlikely that the promising 16-year-old will have an immediate impact on the Whites' goal to earn an instant Championship promotion.

However, someone who certainly could is Glen Kamara, who has starred in recent years for Rangers, but could now be set for pastures new.

Transfer insider Dean Jones is the latest to tout his potential exit, as he told GIVEMESPORT:

"Glen Kamara has been a topic of talk for some time, but it does look like he will finally leave. Leeds and Southampton are looking at him, and for clubs like that, in the Championship, he would probably be a great signing. He has offers from abroad too though, so it’ll be interesting to see what he decides to do."

The Scottish outfit are thought to be demanding around £5m for his signature this summer, according to The Herald.

How many goals has Glen Kamara scored?

Having bounced around numerous clubs, his 193 appearances for the Gers suggest the Finland international has at last found some stability in a career that once promised much.

His former boss Steven Gerrard had still outlined a bright future for the 27-year-old during his stint at Ibrox, detailing:

“He’s a terrific footballer in possession, always playing with his head up and looking to connect defence and attack. But what pleased me most is what I spoke about when we signed him in terms of how he’ll be out of possession. Will he hunt the ball back, be aggressive, work hard for the team and be a monster in the middle of the park.

"He showed signs of that against Kilmarnock and potentially he can become a top midfielder."

With an all-action play style that blends a touch of quality with defensive steel, all the attributes are in place for this experienced stalwart to emulate the success Kalvin Phillips enjoyed during his time in Yorkshire.

Although his exit was somewhat unceremonious, fans still remember the powerful performances in the engine room under Marcelo Bielsa that finally propelled them back into the Premier League.

Averaging a 7.28 rating across that 2019/20 league campaign, he would maintain an 82% pass accuracy with 1.4 interceptions, 2.6 tackles and 1.8 key passes per game, via Sofascore.

Whilst it would be near-impossible to replicate these stellar numbers, Kamara did showcase signs during the 2021/22 Scottish Premiership season that suggests he could emulate the 27-year-old treble-winner.

After all, his 7.01 average rating gave way to six goal contributions, a 91% pass accuracy, 1.3 key passes and one tackle per game, via Sofascore.

He could prove to be a dictating presence in a key area for the Whites, seeking that metronome to conduct their return to the top flight.

Even lacking a goalscoring touch, with just nine goals and 11 assists during those games for Rangers, is not enough to downplay his influence.

Although Tyler Adams seemed set to replace that energy in midfield, having maintained 3.7 tackles per game last term in the Premier League, recent links touting his exit suggest they might need someone new to finally fulfil such a role.

In Kamara, who clearly has all the attributes necessary to thrive in the Championship and be a creative threat from deep, Farke could find just that as he looks to find someone to emulate the success of Phillips in the Elland Road engine room next season.

England have suffered a blow ahead of the Women’s World Cup with the news that their captain, Heather Knight, has suffered a stress fracture in her left foot and is expected to be out for five-to-six weeks.Knight should be fit to return for the tournament, which starts in seven weeks’ time on June 24 with England playing India, but the injury could hamper her preparations. She will wear a protective boot for the first stage of her recovery, before returning to light training, with a goal of being ready for England’s World Cup warm-up match against Sri Lanka on June 19.England have been focused on this tournament since Knight was appointed as Charlotte Edwards’ replacement at the start of last summer. Speaking at the unveiling of England’s new kit on Tuesday, she was excited about the challenge of trying to win a global trophy for the first time since the 2009 Women’s World T20.”It’s been a long time coming, but it’s going to come round pretty quick now, and what a summer it’s hopefully going to be,” Knight said. “There’s nothing better than a home World Cup and being able to captain in it, so as a team we are pretty excited.”Knight and the coach, Mark Robinson, have enjoyed a successful 12 months working together, with four limited-overs series wins from four, and England will go into the Women’s World Cup ranked as the No. 2 ODI side in the world, behind reigning champions, Australia.However, England’s recent record in global tournaments has not been impressive, despite the advent of professionalism in 2014, and Robinson has suggested they still have improvements to make. The injury to Knight – whose all-round importance is emphasised by her averaging 38.75 with the bat and 19.00 with the ball as captain – is particularly unwelcome ahead of a competition she believes will be the “most scrutinised ever” for the women’s game.Heather Knight has led England to four series wins from four since being appointed captain•Getty Images

“It’s a massive opportunity for women’s cricket to put the sport out there and show how far the game’s come, and I think it’s going to be the most publicised and scrutinised World Cup ever,” she said. “As a team we are in a good place for that. It’s going to be slightly alien I think, the things we’ll come across, but we’ve worked hard in the last year to be ready for that added pressure and expectation, [and] that’s a good thing for our sport.”A positive for England in recent days has been the return to action of wicketkeeper-batsman Sarah Taylor, after almost a year away from the game, and Knight was encouraged by her progress and potential World Cup availability.”She’s done massively well to make that trip to Abu Dhabi and was involved in a lot more than we thought she would be. Seeing her back on a cricket pitch was really brilliant. She would still walk into any team in the world and we’d love to have her. She’s taking it one step at a time. The signs are positive, and we’ll see how it goes leading up to the World Cup”It’s brilliant that it is becoming easier to talk about [mental health], it’s made it a lot easier for a number of people. To see Sarah addressing those issues is good to see, it puts cricket in perspective a little bit. Mental health, and health in general, is a lot more important.”

Shikhar Dhawan says the time he has spent away from the national team after being dropped has helped him play without pressure and rediscover his love for the game

Arun Venugopal31-Mar-2017

Shikhar Dhawan has admitted to playing with less pressure and enjoying his cricket in the last few months following his exclusion from the national side. The proof of the enjoyment came in his performances in the Deodhar Trophy, a 50-over competition, where he finished as the second-highest run-getter (223 runs in three matches at 74.33) behind Dinesh Karthik.However, Dhawan’s numbers in the lead up to the Deodhar Trophy hadn’t been nearly as spectacular. In his most recent international assignment, against England in January, he made 1 and 11 in the first two ODIs before being dropped for the final game in Kolkata. He returned to the domestic circuit to regain form, but runs remained elusive initially.In the Syed Mushtaq Ali inter-zonal T20 tournament, he scored 110 runs in four matches at an average of 27.50, while his aggregate stood at an even less-impressive 99 from five matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the national one-day competition.With few auditions remaining in the 50-over format ahead of India’s title defence of the Champions Trophy in June, Dhawan’s return to form couldn’t have been more opportune. He made a 122-ball 128 against an India A attack comprising Shardul Thakur. Siddarth Kaul and Harbhajan Singh and followed it up with a 50 off 48 balls against Tamil Nadu. He capped things off with a 34-ball 45 in the final, albeit in a losing cause against the TN.How does he explain the turnaround after five consecutive scores under 30? ” (Time has helped sort things out for me),” Dhawan, 31, told ESPNcricinfo ahead of the Deodhar Trophy final. “I didn’t really worry too much about what I needed to do. I just went in and enjoyed myself. I was more relaxed this time. Actually, I enjoyed my cricket more in these [last] few months because there was less pressure on me and I was free.”Of course, you want to put on partnerships, say a 50-run partnership that will stabilise the team. Once you spend time, the flow starts coming, and I am that kind of batsman who makes runs quickly once I am in the flow.”The importance of the timing of these knocks, though, weren’t lost on him. “In the tournaments before this, I hadn’t had a good run. I knew that I had to do well to find a place in the Indian team once again,” he said. “So, that was always in the back of my mind. Luckily, the right things happened at the right time, so I am very thankful to god that things have fallen in place.”Dhawan somewhat made up for his lack of runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy by hitting a century in the Deodhar Trophy•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Despite averaging 57.40 in ODIs in 2016, Dhawan’s twin-failures against England resulted in him dropped for the final game of the series. That he was given a short shrift was largely down to his poor form in Test matches, where he averaged just 26 last year. Dhawan felt the impact of his low scores in one format was felt in the others.”When you aren’t in good form, there is always pressure on you to make runs in international cricket regardless of the format,” he said. “If you look at ODIs, I had played only two matches after the Australia series, and then I was dropped from the playing XI. I feel that the flow that is there – like, when I was doing well, I was playing all the three formats. When I wasn’t scoring runs, the flow naturally got affected. It wasn’t as if my ODI record suffered because of those two matches – my records are still very strong. But, the flow that you are in will obviously be a factor.”Dhawan’s most recent Test came against New Zealand in Kolkata last September where he made 1 and 17. He was stuck on the thumb twice by Trent Boult, with scans subsequently revealing a fracture that ruled him out of the third and final Test in Indore. Despite scoring only one half-century in the 10 innings prior to the Test, Dhawan said there was no sense of relief at being put out of his misery by the injury.”In fact, I was putting all my efforts into getting back to form,” he said. “I felt very proud of myself for continuing to bat with a fractured hand against New Zealand. I stood there for my team. Playing with a broken hand when I was not among the runs was a very satisfying moment for me. So I cherish it.”Dhawan said he was happy to see a successful India dressing room, but sad to not be a part of it. “When you go through a rough patch, you will be out of the team, and those who do well will be picked. The selection committee and team management gave me a fair chance but I didn’t perform,” he said. “Whether it is Delhi team or India team, it really doesn’t matter to me – I just want to be in a happy space and make sure people around me are happy.For me to return to the team, I have to stay positive and happy. That’s the only way I can climb up the ladder again. Of course, I am happy for those who are doing well in India, but I want to return to the Indian team because I know I have got the ability to play international cricket for a long time. [Right now] I want to keep performing well in the IPL as well and try to win another IPL title for Sunrisers Hyderabad.”