Andre Russell was kept quiet by Kings XI but when he came on to bowl, he was taken apart by fellow Jamaican Chris Gayle

Sidharth Monga21-Apr-2018Doesn’t Lynn struggle against spin, and don’t Kings XI Punjab have two of the best?Valid questions those, and yet Chris Lynn scored 74 off 41 against a side that has mystery spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman and a rejuvenated R Ashwin. Lynn came into this match with his strike rate against pace exactly double that against spin, which was worse than a run a ball at 77.5. In his past contests with Ashwin, Lynn had scored just 11 off 14 balls, getting out once. And there were nine overs of spin bowled when he was at the wicket.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe great thing about T20s nowadays is watching people find a way. Lynn took a leaf out of the book of the other Chris – Gayle – and just avoided fighting his weakness. And when he targeted his strengths, he targeted them ruthlessly. Lynn scored 45 runs off the 21 balls of pace he faced, hitting four sixes off them. Against spin, Lynn was happy with just 29 off 20 balls. The smarter thing was his manipulation of strike: he faced just 20 out of the possible 54 spin deliveries when at the wicket, and 21 of the 38 bowled by the quicks. The biggest favour Lynn did himself and Kolkata Knight Riders was take those singles and get away from the strike when spin was on.What was happening at the other end then?Lynn is lucky to be a part of a team where the rest of the top order’s strength is contrasting to his strength. Kings XI under Ashwin love their match-ups, but it gets a little difficult for fielding sides to execute matches if Lynn bats deep into an innings. Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa and Dinesh Karthik all are good players of spin. So as a captain, you are not sure which bowler to bowl at such partnerships. Ashwin went half and half. When pace was on, Lynn went after it; when spin was on, he watched Karthik do his thing from the other end. There was a time when Kings XI employed spin at both ends, but during a three-over spell, Lynn faced only four balls from them.Russell’s strengths against Sran’s comfort level – what does captain choose?The stage was set for Andre Russell. He came in to bat in the 16th over, Knight Riders had a decent score on the board, and the spinners had been bowled out. Russell came into the match with a strike rate of 274 against pace, with a six hit every three balls. Only one of his 19 sixes so far had been hit behind square. Now Ashwin has already shown he is a captain who looks at these things. He set the field accordingly for Barinder Sran. Mid-off was up to get cover square of the wicket. The plan seemed to be to force him to hit off the back foot.And then Sran served a full toss. This is when your captaincy is tested, when you have to weigh batsmen’s strengths and weaknesses against your bowler’s comfort level. It just seemed that Sran was not comfortable bowling short. Ashwin listened to his bowler, the mid-off went back and pretty straight. Sran seemed comfortable with the plan of bowling full and straight, and try to not give Russell freedom to swing his arms. On another day, the shot drilled straight to long-off might have sailed over, but Sran delivered what he promised. The wicket was the difference between a chase of 220 and 192.Did Karthik’s instincts fail him?ESPNcricinfo LtdKnight Riders have made good use of spin in the Powerplay this season. The match-up was set: in all T20 cricket, Narine had bowled 45 balls to Gayle for just 40 runs, getting him out twice. Narine is no stranger to opening the bowling either. In Shivam Mavi, Knight Riders had a swing bowler, a breed that can trouble Gayle. Narine had conceded 26 runs at a strike rate of 200 to Gayle’s partner KL Rahul, but that is a small sample and in the form that Rahul is, every bowler is going to have to bowl out of his skin to contain him.Surely Karthik knew these numbers but his instinct must have told him to test Gayle’s ego against fellow Jamaican Russell. Two of the best practitioners of T20s against each other: the Bradman of the format against Kallis if not Sobers. That match-up hasn’t worked for Russell, though. Russell came into the match having conceded 50 off 30 balls bowled to Gayle without any wicket. Gayle got stuck into Russell, taking 21 off seven Russell deliveries, and by the time Narine came on to draw some respect from Gayle he was bedded in and unlikely to make any desperate mistake.

Former India batter Robin Uthappa, who retired from international and Indian cricket in September, will turn up for Dubai Capitals in the inaugural season of the International League T20 (ILT20) starting in the UAE in January. He will be joined by Yusuf Pathan, another former India player who made his name in T20 cricket.Uthappa is a direct signing by Capitals, who are one of the six franchises in ILT20, which is sanctioned by the Emirates Cricket Board. The 37-year old is one of the first high-profile India players to retire from Indian cricket to take up the opportunity to play in in overseas T20 leagues. Uthappa said he had wanted to play in overseas T20 leagues even as an active player in Indian domestic cricket and the IPL, but BCCI rules hadn’t allowed him to do so. The retirement from international and Indian cricket will allow Uthappa to fulfil that desire now and he is keen to feature in other tournaments like The Hundred, the Caribbean Premier League and the Big Bash League in the future.Related

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• Zaheer and Shastri not in favour of India players playing overseas leagues

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“It is something I wanted to do [play in overseas T20 leagues]. Now that I have retired it gives me the opportunity,” Uthappa told ESPNcricinfo. “I consider myself a student of the game. So I will only be enriching my own knowledge and experience and information about the game when I go and play in different conditions in the world. Tomorrow if I want to be a coach, I should have some kind of stand when I am having a conversation with the lads. I believe all these experiences will add value to that.”Basically, it has got to do with growing a lot more as a cricketer. Since I haven’t had the opportunities in the last few years to go outside of India and play in different conditions. I am hoping I will [now] to be able to go to different parts of the world and play the leagues, not just Dubai, even outside the subcontinent – hopefully South Africa next year, England (The Hundred), Australia (BBL) and the Caribbean (CPL). It gives me the access to improve myself, even try to grow my horizons as a human being as well, experience different cultures, places and people. All that will only add to my values as far as cricket is concerned irrespective of what I decide to do later on.”Uthappa, who played 46 ODIs and 13 T20Is in an international career that stretched from 2006 to 2015, also played 205 IPL games, turning out for six different franchises over 15 seasons. He enjoyed a late-career flourish with Chennai Super Kings, playing a key role in their march to the 2021 title with a 44-ball 63 in the first qualifier and a 15-ball 31 in the final. He began the 2022 season with two fifties in his first five innings, but his form tailed away thereafter, as he got into double figures just once in what were to be his last six IPL innings.Yusuf, 40, played 57 ODIs and 22 T20Is for India between 2007 and 2012. He was a big part of the Rajasthan Royals team that became the first ever IPL champions, excelling in the role of finisher. He was Man of the Match in the final in 2008 and still retains the record for the fastest IPL century by an Indian, getting there in only 37 balls. Yusuf won the IPL twice more, with Kolkata Knight Riders in 2012 and 2014, and retired in 2021 with 4852 T20 runs and 99 T20 wickets.The BCCI has not permitted active Indian players to take part in franchise leagues other than the IPL. The handful that have done so – Virender Sehwag in the T10 League, Yuvraj Singh in the Global T20 in Canada – have only been able to do so after announcing their retirements. Players have spoken about their desire to take part in overseas leagues; Suresh Raina, for instance, had suggested in 2020 that the BCCI allow players without central contracts to be able to explore overseas options, but the board has made no such move.The topic became hotly debated recently after India’s semi-final loss at the T20 World Cup in Australia, with ESPNcricinfo experts Anil Kumble and Tom Moody suggesting that overseas exposure would help India’s players improve their skills in the format, but other noted names have disagreed. Current India head coach Rahul Dravid said allowing Indian players to play in overseas leagues would hurt India’s domestic cricket, since a number of tournaments including the BBL, the SA20 and the ILT20 clash with India’s home season. Former India coach Ravi Shastri and former India left-arm quick Zaheer Khan echoed Dravid’s views, with Shastri suggesting that young Indian players already get plenty of overseas exposure via India A tours.

Axar avoided it while making 74 crucial runs for India; Jadeja benefited from Australia’s overuse of it to finish with a match haul of ten wickets

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Feb-20233:43

Chappell on the sweep shots: Australia panicked and did something not natural

Australia’s collapse – precipitated by an overuse of the sweep shot – and India’s subsequent romp to victory in the Delhi Test has raised a lot of questions about shot selection on spin-friendly pitches.Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel, India’s two left-arm spin-bowling allrounders, said the sweep was the wrong option on pitches with low bounce and that the better strategy was to play with a straight bat in front of the pad as often as possible.Both men used that philosophy to help India get to within one run of Australia’s first-innings of 263 on the second day’s play. Jadeja scored 26, Axar top-scored with 74, and then when it looked like India were on the back foot at the start of the third day, Jadeja ran through the Australian batting order to finish with career-best bowling figures of 7 for 42.”Sweep and reverse sweep are difficult here, so I didn’t try them (laughs),” Axar – who hit nine fours and three sixes in his innings – told Jadeja in a chat for the BCCI website. “Instead I bring the bat in front of the pad and play the ball on its merit.””The last time I batted with you [Jadeja], you had told me that they were trying to aim at my pads, so I was protecting it. My thought was to hit what’s in the slot and respect the good deliveries. That is what I do. This time there was a left-arm spinner [Matthew Kuhnemann] too. ” Jadeja interjected at that point with a good-natured, “and you robbed him for runs.” Axar just laughed and continued. “No I didn’t rob him, but with a left-arm spinner operating instead of an offspinner, you get to play at a delivery turning into you.”Jadeja’s innings of 26 might not look like much but in partnership with Virat Kohli, who scored 44, they produced some of the best batting of the Test match and it was all based on being prepared for the grubber.Only Anil Kumble is in front of Ravindra Jadeja for most POTM awards in India•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“On this pitch, the mindset [with the bat] was that a good ball can come anytime,” Jadeja said. “However the idea was to believe in the defense and play with the bat in front of the pad. Me and Virat were talking about playing straight as much as possible with less bounce on offer.”Then when he had the ball in hand, and saw Australia trying to sweep everything away, he knew all he had to do was bowl straight at the stumps.”In India, if the wickets are like this, then it feels good that a spinner’s role and responsibility increases. The way they were batting, they preferred the sweep and reverse sweep, so I wanted to bowl stump to stump. That would mean if they missed and the ball stayed low then it would hit the stumps.”Related

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Jadeja’s seven wickets included five bowleds. Australia collapsed from 65 for 1 to 113 all out. And India cruised to a six-wicket victory before tea on day three.Jadeja, who has returned to the international fold for the first series since his knee injury last August that had needed surgical intervention, said that all three spinners in the XI have been contributing, be it big or small.”I missed a lot of cricket…the World Cup, and many other series, but once I’m back, I want to continue this way in the future, and make team India win with you [Axar] and Ashwin. This is a team game and everyone has contributed in different ways. If this happens, India’s victory march will only continue.”India play the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which they have now retained having gone 2-0 ahead, on March 1. They are also in pole position for a spot in the World Test Championship final later in June.

Manchester United have reportedly come up with a “Plan B” for Real Betis loanee Antony heading towards the summer transfer window.

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• Brazilian loaned out in January window
• Performances in Spain have attracted attention
• Various options now being considered

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Brazil international was deemed surplus to requirements at Old Trafford in January. Having struggled for a spark in English football, the South American winger was allowed to take on a new challenge in Spain.

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  A change of scenery has served Antony well, with seven goals being recorded for Betis – including a couple of stunning efforts. Speculation is now raging when it comes to his future, with various options being discussed.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  United are said to be looking for around €40 million (£34m/$45m) from any permanent deal for Antony. Atletico Madrid have joined the hunt there. The Red Devils are, however, aware that their asking price may not be met.

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  In that case, reports that another loan switch will be sanctioned. That could play into Betis’ hands, as they cannot afford to buy Antony outright. They remain in constant contact with officials in Manchester, with United eager to avoid letting Antony go to another Premier League club.

Dewald Brevis was not part of the 16-man group, with the selectors saying they would look to introduce him via T20 cricket

Firdose Moonda18-Jan-2023Fast bowler Sisanda Magala has made a comeback to South Africa’s ODI team after a year when he was named in the 16-man squad for the upcoming three-match series against England at home in January.There was no room in the squad for the hard-hitting 19-year old Dewald Brevis, who is currently third on the SA20 run-scorers’ list. Earlier in the week, Enoch Nkwe, South Africa’s director of cricket, said Brevis would likely enjoy a David-Warner-like introduction to international cricket by moving from the T20I squad upwards and selection convenor Victor Mpitsang confirmed he would be considered for the series against West Indies in March.At the time of the squad announcement, Brevis and Magala were in action in the SA20 game with the latter accounting for the former’s wicket for six. Magala is the joint third-highest wicket-taker at the SA20 and was the leading wicket-taker in this season’s domestic one-day cup. Despite his form, Magala was left out most of last year, because he struggled to pass CSA’s two-kilometre time trial in the fitness test. He has now made the 8:30 mark and is therefore eligible for selection.ESPNcricinfo Ltd”Sisanda has been a good performer in the last few years. We have had some fitness issues with him in the past and that’s the only reason he was left out,” Mpitsang said. “His consistency has been the reason why he has been selected.”The squad will be coached by Shukri Conrad, who was named as South Africa’s Test coach on Monday, will take charge of the ODI squad in this series while new white-ball coach, Rob Walter, finishes his commitments with the Central Stags in New Zealand. Walter will be in consultation with Conrad throughout. Malibongwe Maketa, the interim coach who took South Africa’s Test squad to Australia, has not been retained.Temba Bavuma keeps his place as captain, although it is understood that the leadership in red and white-ball cricket will be up for discussion under the new coaching set-up. Bavuma is not part of the SA20 and had a disastrous run as T20I captain at the World Cup in Australia but is understood to have enjoyed a break and is ready for action. “He is in a good space. In the one-day format, he has a good record. We are quite happy with where he is at the moment,” Mpitsang said.The rest of the squad includes familiar names such as Quinton de Kock, Rassie van der Dussen, SA20 leading run-scorer Heinrich Klaaasen and David Miller, as well as the first-choice bowling attack of Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi and allrounders Marco Jansen and Wayne Parnell. But a notable absentee is domestic one-day cup leading-run-scorer Ryan Rickelton.Rickelton missed the Test tour to Australia because he requires ankle surgery. Rickelton has opted to delay going under the knife in order to play this summer but could not travel for the Australia series because of the risk of worsening the injury and the travel time required to secure a replacement. Mpitsang confirmed he is available for selection in home internationals and could come into contention when South Africa play West Indies in February-March.”Ryan has performed really well in the last summer,” Mpitsang said. “It’s about where does he fit in at the moment. He is an opening batter. He has got good numbers. In a squad of 16, we just couldn’t get him in. We have had a conversation before we pick the squad and the medical team made it clear that the risk is not as high as when we travel abroad.”The series is the penultimate World Cup Super League encounter for South Africa and is crucial to their chances of qualifying for the 2023 World Cup. South Africa are out of the automatic qualification zone and lie 11th on the points table. They must win at least three of their remaining five matches (three vs England, two vs Netherlands) if they are to leapfrog Sri Lanka and West Indies and avoid the qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe in June.The three-match series will be played over six days, with the first match in Bloemfontein starting on January 27.All of the squad, except Bavuma, are involved in the SA20, which takes a break from January 25 to February 2 to accommodate for the white-ball series. South Africa squad: Temba Bavuma (capt), Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Sisanda Magala, Keshav Maharaj, Janneman Malan, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen.

Nicolás Ibáñez scored for the hosts, while Paulinho netted the goal for the visitors in Monterrey.

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The return leg will be played Saturday at Estadio Nemesio DiezToluca will advance with a draw or a winTigres are forced to winFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

Tigres UANL were unable to capitalize on home advantage on Wednesday night, settling for a 1–1 draw against Antonio Mohamed’s Toluca in the first leg of the Clausura 2025 Liga MX semifinals. The result leaveswith a slight edge heading into the return leg at home.

Following the match, Tigres head coach Guido Pizarro shared his thoughts in a press conference, expressing disappointment with the performance – particularly the fact that goalkeeper Nahuel Guzmán was the standout player for his side.

"We started well and took the lead, but then the opponent caught up, and at times played better than us," Pizarro said. "There are definitely things we need to change before the second leg. Having our goalkeeper be the standout figure is never a good sign. It wasn’t the result we wanted. We’ll have to make corrections and prepare for what will be a tough match."

Despite the challenges, Pizarro emphasized that Tigres will head to Toluca with the intention of securing a spot in the final. He acknowledged the difficulty of the task but expressed confidence that opportunities will arise.

"Regardless of the stats, we’re obligated to improve. It’s going to be a tight match in Toluca. There will be chances, the game will open up, and hopefully, we can take it. We need to plan well and see how to approach it," he explained.

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Tigres started strong with a goal from Nicolás Ibáñez in the 19th minute, but Toluca responded just before halftime with an equalizer from Paulinho. The 1–1 result clearly benefits , who now look to close out the series at home in front of their fans on Saturday.

Tigres, meanwhile, are in a must-win situation—and the numbers aren’t in their favor. They head into the second leg with a 614-minute goal drought as visitors and, following Wednesday’s result, have now gone 10 consecutive Liguilla matches without a win, recording seven draws and three losses. It's a streak they’ll need to break if they hope to reach the final.

Getty Images SportWHAT ANTONIO MOHAMED SAID

On the other side, Toluca head coach Antonio Mohamed expressed satisfaction with his team's performance, believing they deserved more than just a draw.

"We played a great match. We were better than the opponent and deserved to win, but it didn’t happen. We now have the advantage of playing at home, but there are still 90 minutes left. We have to remain humble and continue to respect such a historic and experienced rival. Now we rest and prepare to face them at home, where we’ll go for the win—because that’s our essence," said Mohamed.

The Argentine manager also praised Alexis Vega’s current form and voiced his frustration with Liga MX's playoff format, criticizing the long break teams endure after finishing top of the table.

"Alexis is in great form, and we hope he continues like this through the Liguilla. As I said before, it doesn’t make sense that the team finishing first has to wait 20 days and only finds out their opponent 48 hours before the match. Cruz Azul suffered the same fate last season after losing 3–0 in Tijuana. It’s something that needs to be reviewed so it doesn’t happen again," he stated.

Mohamed concluded by highlighting his team’s resilience: "We handled the early goal well and showed personality. There are still 90 minutes left to prove we deserve to be in the final."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR TIGRES AND TOLUCA?

The 1–1 draw favors Toluca, who will advance to the final with either a win or a draw in the second leg, thanks to their higher position in the standings after finishing as Clausura 2025 leaders. The return leg will be played Saturday at Estadio Nemesio Diez.

Sunil Joshi has returned to Punjab Kings, this time as spin-bowling coach, ahead of the 2023 edition of the IPL.Joshi, who was till recently a senior national men’s selector, was a part of Kings in the past too – as head coach Anil Kumble’s assistant – but after being appointed to the position in late 2019, he left to take up the job in the selection panel in early 2020. He had earlier been a part of Royal Challengers Bangalore as a player in 2008 and 2009, the first two seasons of the tournament.Related

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He will join Kings’ support staff that is now headed by Trevor Bayliss, who replaced Kumble at the helm after the 2022 season, where Kings finished sixth on the ten-team table. Wasim Jaffer has been brought back as batting coach too, and Charl Langeveldt as the bowling coach of the team in a complete overhaul of the backroom staff.