All posts by h716a5.icu

Kings XI Punjab began their season with a clinical win against Delhi Daredevils, but on the evidence of that game, they still have several holes to plug

The Preview by Nikhil Kalro12-Apr-20184:11

Dasgupta: Important to have at least six bowling options in T20s

Big PicturePrior to Royal Challengers Bangalore’s first game this season, captain Virat Kohli said this was ‘our most balanced side ever’. After the first round of games, it appeared Royal Challengers had the most unbalanced XI among all teams: a star-studded top four, followed by an untested middle order and a bowling attack lacking penetration. Kolkata Knight Riders chipped away at that top four and then romped to a four-wicket win on Sunday.Back home, Royal Challengers need to achieve two things with immediate urgency: find their best team balance and regain home-ground advantage. On a relaid pitch that favoured spinners, Royal Challengers won only one game at the Chinnaswamy Stadium last season.Kings XI Punjab, on the other hand, have laid out their template for this season: using spin at various points of an innings to stifle opponents and staying aggressive with the bat. It worked in their tournament opener, against Delhi Daredevils, but there are also holes to plug, such as Yuvraj Singh’s form: he laboured to a 22-ball 12.Also, considering the relative ease with which fingerspinners are handled in modern-day T20 cricket – Kings XI have two in R Ashwin and Axar Patel – and with death-overs specialist Andrew Tye being taken for 38 runs in four overs, there aren’t many fall-back options. Against one of the better batting teams in the IPL and with the small dimensions of the Chinnawamy Stadium, the margin of error for Kings XI is little.In the newsAaron Finch has joined the Kings XI squad after his wedding, and could slot in the opening position in place of Mayank Agarwal. Chris Gayle and KL Rahul also return to the home ground of their former franchise.The likely XIsRoyal Challengers Bangalore: 1 Brendon McCullum, 2 Parthiv Patel (wk), 3 Virat Kohli (capt.), 4 AB de Villiers, 5 Mandeep Singh, 6 Sarfraz Khan, 7 Washington Sundar, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Umesh Yadav, 11 Yuzvendra ChahalKings XI Punjab: 1 KL Rahul (wk), 2 Aaron Finch, 3 Karun Nair, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Manoj Tiwary, 6 Marcus Stoinis, 7 Axar Patel, 8 R Ashwin (capt.), 9 Andrew Tye, 10 Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 11 Mohit SharmaESPNcricinfo LtdStats that matter Compared to pace, Yuvraj Singh has struggled against spin in the IPL since 2015. He has scored 222 runs off 219 balls against the slow bowlers, at a strike rate of 101.4 and a dot-ball percentage of 50.2. Against pace, he has scored 526 runs off 369 balls, with a strike rate of 142.6. The average score batting first at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium last year (142) was 32 runs below the average overall score (174) in the IPL at this ground. AB de Villiers does not have a strike rate below 150 against any form of bowling. Virat Kohli has a strike rate under 125 against left-arm pace, right-arm offspin and left-arm orthdodox spin. Strategy puntWith five specialist bowlers in their team, Kings XI have plenty of depth in their attack. There is, perhaps, a case for Kings XI to go against the chasing trend – the team batting second has won all the matches so far this season. Also, in 25 IPL games at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium since the start of the 2015 season, only two teams have elected to bat after winning the toss.Kings XI could opt for a high-risk, high-reward choice of staying aggressive from the outset, like they successfully did last season at the chasing-friendly Wankhede Stadium, and bat Royal Challengers out of the game. If all they manage is a par score, they have the failsafe of their stronger suit in the clutch moments of the game.Fantasy picksKohli v de Villiers? Like in the real world, you’d want your best fantasy batsman to play as many balls as possible, allowing you to maximise on points. Kohli will bat higher than de Villiers, and could face considerably more deliveries. Even though de Villiers’ strike-rate is higher, Kohli could you earn more runs, and therefore more points.Quotes”From what I see, he’s very calculated. He thinks about the game well. Every decision he makes, there’s a reason behind why he does that. So far it’s been pretty relaxed, pretty low-key, letting the guys do what they need to do.”
“We probably won’t expect playing against Chris (Gayle) tomorrow with the way they set the team up in the first game and with Aaron Finch coming back to the side. But if he does, if any team knows how good he is, it’s RCB with what he’s done for the team for a number of years.”

Leeds United and the 49ers are looking to sign a “monster” new goalscorer in the summer transfer window, according to a recent report.

Leeds searching for new striker

The Whites look very much in control at the top of the Championship table and if it remains that way, then they will be back in the Premier League next season. That would see Leeds in the top flight for the first time since the 49ers took over, and it is expected that they would look to significantly invest in the squad as they try to stay in the Premier League for as long as possible.

Leeds now considering signing £5m Sunderland star and "interesting" striker

Leeds are beginning to put plans in place for next season and are keen on adding more firepower to their forward line.

ByBrett Worthington Feb 19, 2025

Daniel Farke will want to strengthen a few areas of his team, but probably none more so than the forward line, as they are currently low on options and are heavily reliant on Joel Piroe. Patrick Bamford could be coming to the end of his time at the club and, therefore, a new number nine is needed.

It was reported by TEAMtalk this week that Leeds are interested in signing Wilson Isidor from Sunderland, as he’s been added to their shortlist following an excellent Championship campaign with the Black Cats. As well as Isidor, Leeds are also interested in Evann Guessand from Nice, as he’s scored nine goals in Ligue 1 this season.

The Yorkshire side still have Southampton’s Cameron Archer as a top target for the summer, but even if he arrives, they could still look to add a more defined number nine, given Archer can play anywhere across the front line.

49ers looking to sign £90k-p/w “monster” for Leeds

So as well as looking at Isidor and Guessand, according to TBR Football, Leeds are interested in signing Tammy Abraham in the summer, but face strong competition.

Abraham is currently on loan at AC Milan from Roma, but the deal being made into a permanent switch looks unlikely, as the Italian giants have just signed Santiago Gimenez. Therefore, Abraham could be made available for a transfer this summer and has his eyes on a move back to the Premier League.

Newcastle, Nottingham Forest, Fulham, Everton, West Ham and Leeds are all keen on the forward, but obviously the Whites would need to make sure they secure promotion to have a chance of signing the striker. Roma paid Chelsea £34 million back in August 2021, but it is unclear how much they would want now, as he is under contract until 2027.

Apps

20

Starts

9

Minutes per game

44

Goals

2

Shots per game (On target)

1.1 (0.6)

Big chances missed

10

Chance conversion

10%

Assists

2

Big chances created

3

Key passes per game

0.4

The 27-year-old, who currently earns €110k a week (£90k), described himself as a “monster” back in 2021, as he believed José Mourinho had turned him into one. Abraham has struggled to be that monster in Milan this season, but given he has 26 goals in 89 games in the Premier League, Leeds would love to add that level of top flight quality to their squad in the summer.

Manchester United have been in disarray for some time now, struggling to find any consistency, suffering from poor recruitment strategy and leaving the fans with a sour taste in their mouths.

The Red Devils currently sit 15th in the Premier League after 25 games played, just 12 points off of 18th place Ipswich and 15 points off of fourth place Manchester City.

Ruben Amorim’s side are averaging 53.6% possession (sixth highest in the division), taking 13.4 shots per game (12th highest in the division) and are conceding 11.4 shots against them per game (seventh fewest in the division).

When things really aren’t going your way, you sometimes need the big characters in the dressing room to step up, lead the team, lead by example and get you out of a bad spot. The main issue with this, is Man Utd don’t seem to have many of these characters at the club anymore.

Roy Keane's record Manchester United

Roy Keane, perhaps one of the biggest types of this character, made 479 appearances for Manchester United, scoring 51 goals, providing 41 assists and totalling 40,275 minutes played.

First Impressions

In this time, Keane captained a historic United side to the famous treble, winning the Premier League, the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League in 1998/99.

Whilst the Irishman was hot-headed, his teammates clearly respected him, giving their all on the pitch, being led by Keane, with many regarding the United legend as the “best captain they have ever seen”.

Manchester United did sign a midfielder who was compared to Keane in the 2022/23 campaign, with Teddy Sheringham comparing the two players, but since having a brilliant first season at the club, his rapid demise has been clear for all to see.

Man Utd's new Roy Keane

Casemiro was signed for a fee of around £60m plus £10m in add-ons from Real Madrid in 2022 and has made 108 appearances for the Red Devils since joining the club, scoring 15 goals, providing nine assists and totalling 8,020 minutes played.

In his first campaign at Old Trafford, the experienced Brazilian was hugely influential – notably scoring in the club’s Carabao Cup triumph – with Sheringham highlighting the likeness between him and the talismanic Keane:

Stats (per 90 mins)

2022/23

2023/24

2024/25

Goals + Assists

0.32

0.28

0.18

Progressive Carries

0.78

0.54

0.28

Progressive Passes

6.69

5.15

4.82

Passes into Final Third

6.20

5.52

5.11

Tackles

3.46

3.72

3.97

Blocks

2.48

3.22

2.48

Interceptions

1.51

0.94

0.94

Ball Recoveries

8.82

6.32

6.17

Aerial Duels Won

2.59

1.76

1.42

You can see in Casemiro’s three years at the club, the gradual decline in all areas. The only metric Casemiro ranks higher in this season than either of his previous two seasons is tackles per 90, and that is with far fewer minutes played, slightly skewing the data.

It has gotten to the point where Casemiro’s legs are seemingly gone, the United system is becoming more and more reliant on ground covering and physical qualities, and content creator Mark Goldbridge has now labelled the Brazilian a “total waste of time”, following the defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.

Manchester United clearly need to get rid of players before they can buy, and not only getting the right profile but also the right mentality of players will be key if the Red Devils want to have any chance of returning to the top.

Casemiro may have indicated his desire to see out his contract – which runs out in 2026 – yet Sir Jim Ratcliffe and co need to do all they can to shift the £350k-per-week star from the wage bill.

Man Utd have unearthed their new Berbatov who "belongs to a different era"

The Man Utd star stood out against Spurs

ByJoe Nuttall Feb 17, 2025

The Islamabad United captain has suffered a hairline fracture in the side of his hand, near the wrist

Umar Farooq in Dubai18-Mar-2018A hand injury has left Misbah-ul-Haq a doubtful starter for the PSL Qualifier against Karachi Kings in Dubai on Sunday night. The Islamabad United captain has suffered a hairline fracture in the side of his hand, near the wrist. The 43-year-old also missed Islamabad’s first two games of the season with a hamstring injury.If he does not play, Islamabad will miss Misbah’s leadership even if his batting has been a peripheral force this season: he has only batted four times in eight matches, with a top score of 22.Misbah spent Saturday in hospital, getting his injury assessed, and insists that he can play the game with injections. In the worst-case scenario that he cannot play, the South African batsman JP Duminy is expected to lead the side. Rumman Raees, Islamabad’s vice-captain, led the side in Misbah’s absence in the first two games of the season, but was himself ruled out of the tournament with a knee injury, after playing only three games.Islamabad finished top of the PSL’s league table, with seven wins from their ten games. The winner of the Qualifier will directly enter the tournament final, which is scheduled for March 25 in Karachi. The loser will take a flight to Lahore to play an Eliminator on March 21 at the Gaddafi Stadium, against the winner of the other Eliminator between Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiator on March 20.The Pakistani players in the Peshawar and Zalmi squads have already landed in Lahore. The overseas players who have committed to travelling to Pakistan will fly out from Dubai on March 19.

While West Ham United's star man Declan Rice completed a £105m transfer to London rivals Arsenal this summer and David Moyes' outfit toiled to a 14th-placed Premier League finish last year, the London Stadium is awash with optimism at present.

Solely going by these facts, one would assume that West Ham have suffered a compounding blow in losing their centrepiece after failing to live up to the past heights under their Scottish manager's tutelage, having finished sixth and seventh in the English top-flight across the previous two campaigns, but that only tells a segment of the story.

Victory in the Europa Conference League final over Serie A side Fiorentina in June secured a first major honour since 1980 – when the Irons won the FA Cup – and clinched qualification to the Europa League once again, with the triumph followed by splendid work in the transfer market, distributing the money from Rice's sale across several exciting additions.

Mohammed Kudus

£38m

Edson Alvarez

£35m

James Ward-Prowse

£30m

Konstantinos Mavropanos

£17m

Sean Moore

N/A

Now that Rice has departed, West Ham have lost the tag that comes with such a highly-touted star in the mix, and the early results of the 2023/24 campaign hint at great seasonal success once again, having secured ten points from 12 in the Premier League so far.

Who is West Ham's best player?

The east London outfit boasts a squad steeped in shiny talent, with first-class aces across each department.

In the defence, Kurt Zouma has proved a brilliant signing since he joined from Chelsea for £30m in 2021, praised as an "absolute wrecking machine" by journalist Andrew Gaffney.

In midfield, Rice might have left the flock but summer signings James Ward-Prowse and Edson Alvarez have both taken to life under Moyes' stewardship with aplomb, crucial in the early-season success this year.

And of course, Jarrod Bowen has been the offensive lynchpin since joining from Hull City in a £20m plus deal in 2020, a consistent goal threat and the match-winner against La Viola in June, with his skills attracting the attention of Liverpool, who are ostensibly preparing for life without Mohamed Salah.

Perhaps, however, it is Rice's positional peer, Lucas Paqueta, who takes the crown as the most talented, influential and important member of the Irons team.

How much did West Ham sign Lucas Paqueta for?

Last summer, West Ham sealed a coup in welcoming Brazil star Paqueta to the fold, signing the player from French side Lyon in a club-record £51m transfer, with South American football expert Tim Vickery heralding him as a "classy" and "elegant" midfielder.

It was a move to add some flair and panache to the fold; West Ham were built upon an industrious foundation under Moyes but had not seen a player of such seamless technical quality since the days of Dimitri Payet, and Paqueta, by Moyes' own admission, was the heir.

The signs were certainly promising, with the 26-year-old plundering 11 goals and seven assists across 44 outings during his final term in France, described as "key in the Lyon system" by journalist Josh Bunting.

The £51m move might have appeared steep to some affiliated with West Ham, especially after the previous club-record purchase of Sebastien Haller for £45m fell flat – the Ivorian scored only 14 times from 53 displays – but it is now, undoubtedly, a success, especially considering his integral role in the resounding success in Europe.

How much is Lucas Paqueta worth now?

While Paqueta suffered a slow start to life in the Premier League, described as a "bit of an enigma" by journalist Paul Brown after not quite settling across the first half of the 2022/23 season, he started to shine as the term entered the later phase.

The £150k-per-week maestro posted five goals and seven assists across all competitions, but only four of those contributions came in the first half of the season, with it his sublime through ball that slid through the central channel to play Bowen through on goal to end an interminable wait for silverware.

A proficient creator, Paqueta also boasts an underrated array of defensive weaponry, ranking among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for tackles, the top 3% for clearances, the top 9% for blocks, the top 6% for aerial wins and the top 16% for interceptions per 90, as per FBref.

Described as "unreal" by an awestruck teammate in Vladimir Coufal, the 42-cap international – with nine goals – was on the cusp of a move to imperious Premier League champions and treble winners Manchester City this summer, with Pep Guardiola's outfit actively pursuing the dynamic gem and prepared to pay £80m for his services but for an FA betting investigation plugging the chances of a move.

A transfer that would have already proved a 57% rise on the fee paid to bring him to London, the fact that Paqueta has already seen a £29m increase on his name is a testament to the first-class, all-encompassing nature of his craft.

If the 5 foot 10 phenom was discontented with the collapse of a move to arguably the best team in the world, he has not shown much disgruntlement in the early stage of the campaign, bagging a goal and assist apiece from the opening four Premier League games of the term.

He has earned an impressive average Sofascore rating of 7.47, complementing his direct contributions with 1.8 shots and key passes per game, a 74% pass success rate – which is not impressive but an indication of his creativity in possession – and an incredible 4.5 tackles and 10.8 ball recoveries per match.

While West Ham missed out on a pretty penny by not selling the player this summer, he still holds four years on his current deal and will likely command a lucrative fee if and when he does depart, and Moyes and co will hardly be complaining that such a superlative force plies their trade at the heart of the Irons system.

Kusal Perera’s 27-run over off Shardul Thakur helped Sri Lanka set the early tempo in their chase

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Colombo06-Mar-2018How each team fared in the first six overs of their innings was instrumental to the eventual result in the Nidahas Trophy opener. That was the summation of Shikhar Dhawan and Kusal Perera, the two highest scorers, who hit 90 off 49 and 68 off 37 respectively. Where India were 40 for 2 at the end of the Powerplay, Sri Lanka powered ahead to 75 for 2. There lay Sri Lanka’s advantage, on what Dhawan believed was otherwise a slow-paced surface.”It was in the first six overs that they took the game away from us,” he said. “After the first six overs even they weren’t hitting the ball that frequently – it wasn’t like 10 an over against the spinners in the middle overs. That’s because the wicket was a little slow.”It was largely thanks to a Kusal explosion in the third over that Sri Lanka outdid India so prodigiously during this period. Hitting five fours and a six off Shardul Thakur, he plundered 26 off one over (a no-ball was delivered as well), and had struck 39 off 17 by the end of the Powerplay. With Danushka Gunathilaka also contributing two sixes and a four during this stretch, Sri Lanka had whittled down the asking rate to a little over seven by the time the field restrictions ended. Sri Lanka’s middle-order wobbled, but the top order had done enough.”We had to attack in the first six overs. As the target was 175, we needed some momentum,” Kusal said after the match. “When you get that kind of start, it is easier for the innings to progress smoothly, but you don’t get that kind of start every game. The first six overs had a great impact on the match.”India may have been more ambitious during their Powerplay, but had been prevented from attacking by Sri Lanka’s opening bowlers, who each took a wicket in their first over. Dushmantha Chameera had Rohit Sharma miscue a ball high into the air, to be caught brilliantly by Jeevan Mendis running back from mid-off. Suresh Raina, who was backing away, was bowled by Nuwan Pradeep soon after.India were 9 for 2 after two overs, and though their innings gained momentum in the middle overs, they never quite managed to put the game beyond the opposition – something they have often done against Sri Lanka over the past six months.”They took two wickets in the first two overs – that’s the damage they did to us,” Dhawan said. “Usually I’m the aggressor when the side aren’t scoring runs at a quick pace – generally my strike rate is very high. If we didn’t lose a wicket we would have been more aggressive. Today, we had to see that we wouldn’t lose any more wickets. At the end of six overs we were maybe 10 runs short of what we usually achieve.”

Everton forward Demarai Gray has been consistently linked with a big move to Saudi Arabia, and a reliable journalist has now delivered a major update on the figures around his immenent departure from the Premier League.

Is Demarai Gray leaving Everton?

With Gray’s contract set to expire in less than a year, Sean Dyche now has his final opportunity to cash in should he not want to risk losing an asset for free, though despite having previously been given the chance to offload him, chiefs made the decision not to.

According to Football Insider, the Toffees reportedly rejected a bid worth £7.5m from Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq on deadline day, and the player took to social media to vent his frustrations towards the manager by hinting that there was a lack of respect.

The Goodison Park boss soon after responded to the 27-year-old by revealing that he was refusing to participate in training and that he didn't want to associate himself with the club, hitting back and saying:

“It’s an unfortunate one because I try to keep our business in-house. I think on this occasion, it's right to reply. Demarai made it clear that he felt he was getting a move [away from Everton], and he told us a move was done, which was interesting to hear from a player. We reminded him of the truth of the fact that no moves are done without this club’s say so. That’s the truth of it.”

Are Al-Ettifaq signing Demarai Gray?

Taking to X, Fabrizio Romano revealed that Everton and Al-Ettifaq have now reached an agreement for the transfer of Gray, who has already finalised the necessary details of the switch, with the only thing left to do now is put pen to paper on the contract. He wrote:

"Demarai Gray to Al Ettifaq, here we go! Deal agreed for $10m (£8.5m) fee on permanent transfer — it will be signed today. Everton have approved the deal, Gray will sign four year contract until 2027 and he already completed medical tests. Done, sealed."

It marks a huge profit (roughly 400 percent) for Farhad Moshiri after paying just £1.7m for Gray two summers ago.

How many goals has Demarai Gray scored for Everton?

During his time at Everton, Gray has racked up 18 contributions (12 goals and six assists) in 75 appearances, so whilst his attitude recently hasn’t been acceptable, his individual talent and the quality that he brings to the pitch will most definitely be missed should he confirm his departure by the end of play today.

The Birmingham-born talent recorded a total of 57 shots over the course of the previous campaign which was higher than any of his fellow teammates, alongside whipping 173 crosses into the opposition’s box which was the second-most on Merseyside, via FBRef.

Sponsored by Adidas, Dyche’s “unbelievable” attacker, as dubbed by BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand, is also a versatile operator having been deployed in seven different positions over the pitch since the start of his career, inclding everywhere across the frontline and even three roles in the midfield, so this is another attribute that the boss will have to be without moving forward.

Liverpool are “really interested” in a move for Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips, but a reliable journalist has revealed that a deal taking place will likely depend on one condition.

How much is Kalvin Phillips likely to cost?

According to Transfermarkt, Phillips’ current market value is €32m (£27m), but that appears to be hugely unrealistic considering the little impact he’s made since putting pen to paper at the Etihad Stadium from Leeds last summer.

The Sky Blues’ defensive midfielder was handed just two starts during the previous Premier League campaign, highlighting exactly how out of favour he is, and there’s a chance that he could be about to fall even further down the pecking order with the arrival of Wolverhampton Wanderers star Matheus Nunes imminent.

TEAMtalk recently reported that the Reds have made enquiries for the 27-year-old, and it’s stated by the same outlet that Pep Guardiola’s side would be willing to sanction a loan move so that he can receive more regular game time moving forward rather than being on the fringe of the action.

FSG and Jurgen Klopp continue to be heavily linked with Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch and Crystal Palace’s Cheick Doucoure, but considering the situation he finds himself in, England’s international could turn out to be a much cheaper alternative.

Are Liverpool signing Kalvin Phillips?

Speaking to GiveMeSport, TalkSPORT reporter Alex Crook confirmed that Liverpool do indeed like Phillips, but admitted that he’ll only be allowed to leave if Man City definitely secure the signature of Nunes. He said:

“Yeah, Kalvin Phillips is a name that has been mentioned to me in the last couple of weeks as someone that Klopp is really interested in. It might be possible that Manchester City would let him go on loan. I guess that might depend on if City can get the Matheus Nunes deal over the line.

"Ryan Gravenberch as well, I think the interest is genuine. They probably are still one midfielder light. I think that's the priority."

What is Kalvin Phillips' potential?

Liverpool will know that whilst Phillips hasn’t been given a fair chance to show what he’s capable of since joining Man City, he’s still got bags of potential to offer having previously been dubbed a “Rolls-Royce” by journalist Josh Bunting, so he could be an underrated addition for Klopp.

Guardiola’s £150k-per-week earner is extremely calm and composed on the ball where he last season averaged a 92.6% pass success rate in the top-flight which is higher than any of the regular starters managed on Merseyside, via WhoScored, showing he’d be an upgrade on the boss’ current options.

Read The Latest Liverpool Transfer News HERE…

The Three Lions star also posted 27 senior contributions (14 goals and 13 assists) during his time at Leeds, with one of those assists coming when he visited Anfield, so if he can perform well when part of the away side, think of the impact he could have if he was wearing a home shirt.

Furthermore, Phillips shares the same agent, CAA Stellar, as Ibrahima Konate and Caoimhin Kelleher, so his representative will already have an existing connection to the club which could help them get a deal over the line should they try before tomorrow’s transfer deadline.

India’s captain mocked those asking for Rahane’s inclusion in the XI, claiming that “no one” had wanted him to play in the last Test

Sidharth Monga in Centurion12-Jan-20182:23

‘No one expected Rahane in the XI’ – Kohli

To some Ajinkya Rahane was a shock exclusion from the first Test – he has the best overseas record among the current India batsmen – but to Virat Kohli it was no surprise at all. On the eve of the second Test, Kohli actually mocked those asking for Rahane’s inclusion in the XI. Kohli felt “no one” wanted Rahane to play the last Test.”It’s funny how things change in a matter of weeks, or just about five days,” Kohli said on the eve of the second Test. “Before the first Test, no one thought that he should be in the XI, and now suddenly people are looking at the other option. For us as a team, it’s all about finding the right balance. If players fit in in the kind of balance we want to go with as a side, then they will fit in. We certainly don’t go on opinions that are created outside, and ‘talk of the town’, and all those sort of things.”Having said that, Kohli acknowledged Rahane’s importance as a batsman.”He’s a quality player, he’s done well in South Africa. [In] all conditions, actually, away from home,” Kohli said of Rahane. “He’s probably been our most consistent and solid player away from home. I explained the reasons why Rohit [Sharma] started ahead of him. I’m not saying that Ajinkya cannot or will not start in this game. Possibilities are all open at the moment and we shall decide after practice.”One of the left-field options is to make Parthiv Patel open the innings, thus freeing a middle-order slot for Rahane. As things stand, Hardik Pandya has made himself undroppable through his performance, and it will be unfair – now that he has been picked – to drop Rohit after one Test. If Rahane has to play, Parthiv has to be brought in. It is not a fanciful thought: in the lead-up to the Test, the support staff has been putting in a lot of work on Parthiv’s keeping and batting, and the same continued on the eve of the Test.Kohli continued to ask for improvement from his other batsmen as he felt the bowlers had done a decent job of bringing India back into the contest in Cape Town. “We are very happy with the way the bowlers went about the business,” Kohli said. “The batting didn’t come out well so I’m not worried on the bowling front at all. We have been in a very good space, and we believe we can get them out twice again in this game.”You definitely need that to win Test matches but you also need a solid batting performance. Especially when you are playing away from home, you need that 60-70-80 extra runs compared to back home because there your bowlers will be stronger. But the way they (bowlers) showed their skill sets and their character in the first game, it motivated us as a batting group also to support them and play together as a unit and get some good results out there.”One of the things Kohli asked of his batsmen was more intent. He was asked to elaborate what he meant by that.”Intent doesn’t really mean that you have to go out there and start playing shots from ball one,” Kohli said. “Intent is there in a leave. Intent is there in defending as well. Intent is about being vocal out there in calling. All those things count as intent. Just the way your body language, the way you are thinking about the game. It gets portrayed in your body language. People can tell if you are playing with intent or not.”There will be tough moments but I think even the tough moments one needs to overcome through intent. Defending or leaving the ball, you need precise footwork to do that. And that only comes with a clear head and a positive intent in your head. That’s how I look at things. Even if I’m going to leave the ball, I need to do it with intent. My stride should be big enough to leave the ball, or defend it. So in my head I’m feeling positive about those things. Being positive doesn’t mean you are scoring every ball. But it’s understanding that you are in control of what you want to do. That’s how I break down intent.”Kohli said there was no need for panic yet. “I don’t think we need to panic because of collapses,” he said. “People need to apply themselves much better. Whether we are playing five batsmen or six, you still need to apply yourself. It doesn’t mean that if you are playing six batters, you can afford to go out and play loose shots. You still need to have a solid technique and go out there and be ready to face bowling spells which are going to be difficult. We need to embrace that.”

Aston Villa have started their 2023/24 campaign off with a bang, with two high-scoring results coming as both a huge disappointment and a statement of intent.

In the opening game of the Premier League season, the Villans suffered a 5-1 defeat to Newcastle United at St James’ Park, however just a week later, they were 4-0 victors at home to Everton in what was a more familiar display under Unai Emery.

Now, for the first time since 2010, Villa will embark on their European quest in the UEFA Europa Conference league, with the first leg of their play-off against Hibernian coming this evening in an all-British tie.

Speaking on the club’s involvement in Europe, a sector of his managerial career that has been kind to him through his four Europa League titles, Emery echoed the thrill of playing outside of England, dubbing it “always a great moment”.

What is the latest Aston Villa team news against Hibernian?

Injury has struck Villa Park already this term, with Tyrone Mings and Emiliano Buendia being ruled out for the foreseeable future due to serious knee injuries.

The theme seemed to keep running against Everton, as Philippe Coutinho was forced to withdraw after being subbed on in the second half due to a knee injury that is expected to keep him out of action for three weeks.

On a more positive front, Jacob Ramsey is nearing a return after suffering a broken foot on international duty, with the hope that he’ll make a return as explosive as Jhon Duran.

The Colombian returned to training last week after suffering an injury setback and marked his return to the pitch with an instant goal after being introduced to the game against the Toffees, scoring after one minute of his arrival.

The 19-year-old could make an impact against Hibs tonight, with Youri Tielemans and new arrival Nicolo Zaniolo also hoping to get among the action.

Will Jhon Duran start against Hibernian?

Having been lauded as “brilliant” by his manager after scoring his first Villa and Premier League goal on Sunday, Emery must unleash Duran once again, this time against Hibs in what could prove to be a real threat in the final third.

The young striker made an instant impact on his return, showcasing his strengths in a 16-minute cameo in which he scored, won three out of three duels and completed one successful dribble, via Sofascore.

Considering Ollie Watkins’ crucial role in the squad, now could be the perfect time for the Spaniard to unleash Duran in rotation with the Englishman, in a move that could give the teenager more confidence and Watkins some rest.

The Colombian that’s been described as having ‘pace to burn’ by writer Ryan Tolmich and likened to Romelu Lukaku due to his power and stature, could be both a nightmare for the opposition and a tactical strength for Emery to utilise when reviewing Hibs’ questionable start to the campaign.

Lee Johnson’s side have lost their opening two Scottish Premiership fixtures, opening the calendar with a home loss to St Mirren, followed by an away defeat to Motherwell, in which they conceded five goals over the 180 minutes.

With it being a two-legged fixture, and one critical for both sides to win, Emery could cause Johnson nightmares by fielding Duran up top, who is young, hungry and returning to action.

There is a chance that the former Arsenal boss will be more reluctant to hand the Colombian his first start in claret and blue on the European stage, with him adding that the club “have to protect” the youngster on his return from injury, via Birmingham Live.

With other talents lined up to take to the field for Villa, it could be a torturous night for Hibs if the Spaniard decides to unleash some of the club’s top-tier talent this evening.