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While it might be something of a cliché, this season does feel like it’s going to be Nottingham Forest’s most important in a very long time.

Nuno Espírito Santo’s side will need to prove that their form in the Premier League last year was no fluke, and on top of that, they’ll want to go as far as they possibly can in the Europa League.

Fortunately, there’s no reason to suspect that the Tricky Trees won’t be as good as they were last season, especially since the talismanic Morgan Gibbs-White is set to remain at the City Ground for the foreseeable future.

Moreover, while losing Anthony Elanga isn’t ideal, the club now look set to land someone who could be the perfect replacement.

Forest target perfect Elanga replacement

While the Gibbs-White saga has understandably dominated the headlines when it comes to Forest this summer, the club have made several smart additions to Nuno’s team so far.

Transfer Focus

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Jair Cunha, for example, looks like he could develop into a useful defender for the side, while Dan Ndoye and Igor Jesus produced a combined tally of 25 goal involvements last season, which could make all the difference this year.

However, there are still just over two weeks until the window slams shut, and the Tricky Trees seem intent on making the most of that time, reportedly set to welcome Ipswich Town’s Omari Hutchinson to the club, alongside Arnaud Kalimuendo.

Yet, according to a recent report from mainland Europe, Forest are also closing in on signing Dilane Bakwa.

The Belgian journalist has revealed that, while the club have seen their €26m + €5m (£22m + £4m) rejected by Strasbourg, the two clubs are now much “closer to an agreement” than before, and the transfer is now “almost there.”

While Tavolieri does not mention what the final fee for the French winger is likely to be, a story from L’Équipe from earlier this month claimed that the French side value him at up to €35m, which is about £35m, and while that is a lot of money, Bakwa would be worth it.

Why Bakwa would be a perfect Elanga replacement

So, while there is no debating that Elanga was brilliant for Forest last season and one of their most important attackers, it certainly appears that not only would Bakwa be a great replacement, but potentially even an upgrade.

For example, when it comes to their pure output last season, which is fundamentally what matters most for any attacker, it’s the Frenchman who comes out on top.

In his 31 appearances for Strasbourg, the dangerous “diamond,” as dubbed by journalist Zach Lowy, scored six goals and provided nine assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.06 games.

In contrast, the Swedish international scored six goals and provided 12 assists, but did so in 43 appearances, which comes out to a far less impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.38 games.

However, it’s not just their output that paints the 22-year-old in a better light, as he comes out comfortably on top when we take a look under the hood at their underlying numbers.

Bakwa vs Elanga

Statistics per 90

Bakwa

Elanga

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.41

0.36

Progressive Passes

4.66

2.27

Progressive Passes Received

8.99

8.24

Progressive Carries

3.86

3.67

Shots

1.87

1.58

Shots on Target

0.79

0.86

Passing Accuracy

72.9%

65.3%

Key Passes

1.70

1.80

Passes into the Final Third

2.42

1.15

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.44

0.94

Crosses into the Penalty Area

0.36

0.29

Live Passes

34.7

25.1

Shot-Creating Actions

3.97

3.67

Goal-Creating Actions

0.58

0.65

Tackles

0.94

0.68

Blocks

0.76

0.40

Interceptions

0.54

0.22

Clearances

0.97

0.90

Successful Take-Ons

1.81

0.90

All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Season

In fact, it’s not even close, as the Créteil-born gem comes out ahead in almost every single relevant metric, including but not limited to non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive passes and carries, shot-creating actions, tackles, interceptions and more, all per 90.

In other words, the Ligue 1 ace looks to already be a relatively complete winger, who is as capable of creating chances as he is scoring them, and has no problem tracking back to do his defensive work either.

Ultimately, while he might cost them a little more than they were planning, Forest should be doing all they can to sign Bakwa as soon as possible, as not only does he look like the perfect replacement for Elanga, but he is also a potential upgrade.

Related Their new Gibbs-White: Nottingham Forest in race to land £30m star on loan

The hugely exciting gem could be a game-changer for Forest this season.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 14, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

Em meio à sequência de lesões do elenco, um jogador do Flamengo tem aproveitado as chances dadas por Sampaoli e emplacado jogos como titular. Trata-se de Everton Cebolinha, que reencontrou o bom futebol e tem sido essencial nos duelos individuais e nas jogadas em profundidade.

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+ Confira a tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro

Mesmo ao promover algumas alterações contra o Goiás, o argentino optou pela manutenção do atacante. Pelo lado esquerdo, o camisa 11 incomodou a defesa esmeraldina com velocidade ao explorar os espaços e atrair a marcação.Com boa movimentação,conseguiu construir ora em profundidade, ora pelo meio com tabelas e triangulações.

Enquanto esteve em campo, durante 68 minutos, o atleta participou ativamente das jogadas ofensivas. Tanto que esteve presente nos lances dos dois gols do triunfo rubro-negro. No primeiro, deu o passe para AyrtonLucas, que foi derrubado na área. Na cobrança, Pedro foi certeiro e colocou o Flamengo na frente, mas sentiu a coxa direita e teve que ser substituído.

+ Joias da base e novas opções acirram disputa no meio-campo do Flamengo para sequência do ano

Na etapa final, Cebolinha voltou a decidir ao dar um ‘passe açucarado’ para Everton Ribeiro, de letra, marcar um golaço no Maracanã. O atacante já havia tido uma grande atuação contra o Athletico-PR, quando carregou por dentro e sofreu pênalti de Fernandinho. Diante do Maringá, construiu a jogada em velocidade e recebeu na frente para driblar o goleiro e estufar a rede.

+ Victor Hugo agrada Sampaoli e fala sobre adaptação em mudança de função no Flamengo: ‘Consigo fazer bem

Desde que chegou ao Flamengo, o atleta buscava seu espaço e tentava ser aquele jogador da época de Grêmio. Por lá, conquistou a Libertadores, Copa do Brasil e Recopa. No Benfica, foi comandado por Jorge Jesus, mas apesar de evoluir e adquirir maturidade, não se firmou no Velho Continente.

Everton também foi destaque na campanha do título da Copa América 2019, com a Seleção Brasileira. Além de erguer o troféu, foi artilheiro do torneio, ao lado de Paolo Guerrero, e eleito o melhor jogador da decisão contra o Peru. Apesar de deixar sua marca no início do processo que antecedeu a Copa de 2022, perdeu espaço com Tite e ficou de fora do Mundial do Qatar.

+ Filipe Luís, do Flamengo, se forma na licença B e já pode ser técnico de times das categorias de base

O Flamengo volta a campo neste sábado, às 16h, para medir forças com o Bahia, na Arena Fonte Nova. Cebolinha estará à disposição para dar sequência à boa fase. Além de mostrar, mais uma vez, para Sampaoli que pode lutar por uma vaga no ataque rubro-negro.

أعلن تشابي ألونسو مدرب ريال مدريد، تشكيل الفريق لمباراته أمام فياريال، ببطولة الدوري الإسباني لموسم 2025-2026.

ويستقبل ريال مدريد خصمه فياريال على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” ضمن منافسات الجولة الثامنة من الدوري الإسباني للموسم الجاري.

ريال مدريد يتواجد حاليًا في المركز الثاني برصيد 18 نقطة، حيث فقد الصدارة عقب خسارته في الديربي ضد أتلتيكو مدريد، بنتيجة 5/2 في الجولة الماضية، في الوقت الذي فاز فيه برشلونة على ريال سوسيداد، بهدفين لهدف.

والضيف فياريال يتواجد في المركز الثالث بجدول ترتيب الدوري الإسباني، ويملك في رصيده 16 نقطة. تشكيل ريال مدريد أمام فياريال في الدوري الإسباني

حراسة المرمى: تيبو كورتوا.

خط الدفاع: إيدير ميليتاو، دين هويسن، ألفارو كاريراس.

خط الوسط: أردا جولر، داني سيبايوس، تشواميني، فالفيردي.

خط الهجوم: فينيسيوس جونيور، كيليان مبابي، ماستانتونو.

البدلاء: لونين، سيرجيو ميستري، ديفيد ألابا، كامافينجا، بيلينجهام، إندريك، رودريجو، جونزالو، أسينسيو، فران جارسيا، إبراهيم دياز.

Nuno Espírito Santo publicly expressed his disappointment about the lack of new signings Nottingham Forest had made and, well, this appears to have had the desired effect.

In the last week, they have signed Omari Hutchinson and James McAtee, both presented to the City Ground crowd before Sunday’s demolition of Brentford, before Arnaud Kalimuendo then also joined on Monday.

Nevertheless, as the Garibaldi Reds prepare for a first European campaign in 30 years, eagerly awaiting next Friday’s Europa League draw, they are far from finished in the transfer market yet, so will two familiar faces soon arrive at the City Ground?

Nottingham Forest's busy transfer activity

Confirmed by the club on Thursday evening, Nottingham Forest have now signed Douglas Luiz from Juventus.

The deal is a season-long loan containing a €30m (around £26m) option to buy, which becomes an obligation should he feature in a certain number of Premier League fixtures.

During his time at Aston Villa, the Brazilian international became one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, but endured a nightmare year at Juventus, accumulating a miserly 877 minutes in a Bianconeri shirt; that’s only 17.6% of their total minutes!

Transfer Focus

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

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However, he is not the only player on his way to Nottingham because, according to a report by the Guardian, Forest are ‘working on a deal’ to re-sign Matty Cash from Aston Villa.

The right-back joined the Tricky Trees’ academy as a 17-year-old, making 141 first-team appearances, before being sold to Aston Villa for £14m in 2020, the Villans’ first-choice in that position from the day he arrived until now.

The aforementioned Guardian report notes that, due to PSR concerns, Villa will sell ‘if his valuation is met’, while The Athletic add that the Poland international is now Forest’s primary target, having failed in the pursuit of Rico Lewis from Manchester City.

Thus, could Aston Villa cash in, so to speak, with Matty, potentially, nearing a return to the River Trent?

What Matty Cash would bring to Nottingham Forest

Cash has been a key figure during Aston Villa’s rise in recent seasons, making 181 appearances for the Claret and Blue Army to date, including starting their Premier League opener against Newcastle last weekend.

Manager Unai Emery labelled him “versatile”, adding that he is continuing to improve both going forward and defensively, while Gregg Evans of the Athletic claims that he is ‘one of the Premier League’s best right-backs’, so let’s test that assertion.

Cash PL statistics 2024/25

Statistics

Cash

PL rank

Tackles

56

25th

% of dribblers tackled

72.1%

8th

Interceptions

79

50th

Ground duels won

95

26th

Successful dribbles

19

15th

Big chances created

3

31st

Note: all rankings are among defenders only.

Stats via FBref & SofaScore

As the table outlines, Cash ranked highly for a wide variety of metrics in the Premier League last season, despite seeing only a little over 2,000 minutes, out of a possible 3,420.

The most eye-catching statistic is his percentage of dribblers tackled, with Toti of Wolverhampton Wanderers the only player to attempt 30 or more tackles who boasted a better figure.

So, why would he be such a shrewd addition for Forest?

Well, simply, they need full-back depth. Ola Aina and Neco Williams are the first-choice duo but beyond them, there isn’t much else.

Àlex Moreno provided left-back cover last season, but his loan from, coincidentally, Aston Villa is now over, while Nuno had such a scarcity of options that teenager Zach Abbott, a centre-back by trade, started the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City at Wembley in April, just his second-ever senior start.

Going forward, as the Tricky Trees attempt to balance both domestic and Europa League commitments, Cash would get plenty of minutes, even if full-back is not an obvious position of weakness.

In midfield meanwhile, Luiz is going to have to work hard to earn his place.

The always impressive Elliot Anderson partnered Ibrahim Sangaré at the weekend, while Forest also have club captain Ryan Yates and Nicolás Domínguez in their squad.

During his final season at Villa, Luiz really flourished when deployed further forward, but that surely isn’t going to happen at the City Ground, considering they kept hold of talisman Morgan Gibbs-White, despite Tottenham triggering his £60m release clause, and have just signed Hutchinson and McAtee for a combined £67.5m.

So, while Luiz is an excellent player, he faces plenty of competition for minutes, while Cash fills a need for greater full-back depth.

Related More prolific than Wood: Nottingham Forest chasing £25m "physical beast"

As Nottingham Forest seek to add even more attacking firepower, could they sign a “physical beast” worth £25m who outscored Chris Wood last season?

Posts ByBen Gray Aug 19, 2025

Pakistan were reduced to 46 for 4 before a gritty rearguard from Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel

Danyal Rasool17-Jan-2025

Mohammad Rizwan played a key part in rescuing Pakistan after a shaky start•PCB

Half-centuries from Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan wrestled momentum back for Pakistan after Jayden Seales’ triple-strike had put West Indies in the box seat in Multan. On a surface tailor-made for spin, it was the fast bowler who proved the pick of the bunch, exploiting pace and slight seam movement to send debutant Mohammad Hurraira, Kamran Ghulam and Babar Azam back for single figures. Pakistan had, at that point, been reduced to 46 for 4, with West Indies looming ominously over the tail. But a gritty unbeaten 97-run rearguard for the fifth wicket, from Rizwan and Shakeel, thwarted the visitors for the rest of the day, to ensure Pakistan would end the day with a semblance of control.After the start was delayed by four hours owing to heavy fog that enveloped the ground, Pakistan won the toss and batted first in hazy conditions with the floodlights on throughout the course of the day. Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie bowled the first ball, an indication of how both sides perceived the pitch upon which each played three specialist spinners. Motie got rid of Pakistan captain Shan Masood early on, squeezing him down to the debutant wicketkeeper Tevin Imlach on the on side, but for the rest of the hour, it was Seales’ show.He had been sniffing right from the outset, and got his reward when Hurraira hung his bat out and edged to the keeper. It was followed up by a beauty to remove Kamran Ghulam, who had just dispatched an outswinger to the boundary. The next ball, he attempted to shoulder arms but it seamed back into him wickedly, rapping the thigh, with Hawk-Eye showing it would have clipped the top of off.Kamran Ghulam was lbw shouldering arms to Jayden Seales•PCB

The big fish came soon after, another glorious use of the seam. Seales hit a hard length which Babar looked to parry into the off side, but it shaped away just enough to kiss the outside edge through to Imlach. Babar would review, but, like Ghulam, he would not be reprieved.The innings threatened to fall apart at that point, but Saud Shakeel, seasoned on surfaces like these, restored some order to proceedings for Pakistan. The sting was taken out of the quicks and the spinners negotiated deftly, while Mohammad Rizwan at the other end kept his concentration levels up as West Indies continued to prowl.There was a notable acceleration from the pair after tea, right from when Shakeel got to his knees and swept Kevin Sinclair for four. It was a shot that brought the pair bounty through the session, giving them a release shot as the ball began to rip. The next six overs produced seven boundaries with Rizwan the chief aggressor, brave enough to use his feet to spin and ensuring the strike kept ticking over.There remained plenty for the visitors to get excited about. A number of balls beat the outside edge by a whisker, and Shakeel popped one up dangerously close to short midwicket just shy of a half-century. But when he got there, and Rizwan followed up soon after, the milestones were both well-deserved. By now, the light had been deteriorating consistently, and midway through Kraigg Brathwaite’s first over, the light-metre came out, and the players went off. By then, Pakistan were arguably the happier side, having been dragged by Rizwan and Shakeel towards a rather less perilous position than they found themselves in after the first hour.

MatériaMais Notícias

O meia Lucas Fernandes e o atacante Matías Segóvia sofreram uma lesão durante uma atividade realizada no Espaço Lonier no último domingo (18). A dupla está fora da partida do Botafogo diante do Cuiabá e será dúvida nos próximos compromissos da temporada.

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Lucas Fernandes chegou ao clube no início do ano passado e vem sendo muito utilizado nesta temporada. O meia era um dos cotados para a assumir a vaga de Eduardo, que está suspenso e será desfalque no próximo jogo do Glorioso.

+ Veja 30 jogadores que ainda não completaram sete jogos no Brasileirão e podem trocar de clube

+ Luis Henrique celebra momento no Botafogo e comenta sobre possível saída de Luís Castro

Matías Segovia chegou recentemente ao clube e rapidamente caiu nas graças da torcida, mas vem tendo dificuldades em adquirir sequência. O atacante vinha se recuperando de uma fratura na mão e, por conta desta nova contusão, terá que prolongar seu retorno aos gramados.

Apesar dos desfalques, Luís Castro deve contar também com os retornos de Gabriel Pires e Danilo Barbosa. Cuiabá e Botafogo se enfrentam na quinta-feira (22), às 20h, na Arena Pantanal, pelo Brasileirão.

Burnley are currently preparing for their final Premier League game before the international break against Manchester United. In his pre-match press conference, Scott Parker was questioned about whether or not his team was going to try and conduct any more business before the transfer window closes.

Parker also refused to rule out any more exits, saying, “I think it’s fair to say that maybe some will leave in terms of just getting some game time. The squad at this present moment in time is quite loaded, and you can see that. Ideally, we’ll try and trim that squad down a little bit. There’s only a certain amount of numbers you can physically name in a squad as well, so we’ll see what happens over the coming days.”

If Burnley’s exits are based on making space for new arrivals, then one area where fans may see departures is in the centre of the pitch, as Parker is currently looking at signing a new defensive midfielder.

Burnley look to sign Luis and three others

Burnley are interested in signing Benfica’s Florentino Luis. The 26-year-old has made 150 senior appearances for Benfica and has been at the club since 2010. Sky Sports journalists Luca Bendoni and Dhamesh Sheth have reported that a midfielder is one of four positions Burnley are looking to recruit before the transfer window ends. The other three positions are a centre back, a right back and a striker.

The midfielder has a release clause of £105 million, but with Benfica looking to offload him, they would accept a figure within the region of £17.2 million to £25.8 million.

Other clubs have been interested in signing Luis this transfer window, with Everton and Al-Hilal exploring the deal earlier in the summer, and Marseille and Roma being more recent suitors that Burnley may still have to compete with.

Luis "similar profile to Casemiro"

While growing up in the Benfica youth system, Luis was a highly rated prospect. Joao Tralhao was an important figure in Benfica’s academy from 2002 and 2018, and this summer was appointed assistant manager to Jose Mourinho at Fenerbahce.

In 2020, when he was assistant coach to Thierry Henry, Tralhao was asked about Luis’s ability and had this to say in response: “[He has] an exceptional talent and physical qualities totally in line with his footballing qualities. [He] has a very similar profile to Casemiro. From very early on, we realised that Florentino was on his way to becoming an elite player.”

Last season in the Portuguese league, Luis stood out not only for his defensive ability but his ball-playing skills. Defensively, Luis was in the top 11% of players for tackles won per 90 and the top 4% of players for interceptions per 90. Passing-wise wise he was in the top 20% of players for passes completed per 90 and top 15% of players for long balls completed per 90.

Having such a versatile midfielder in their roster will allow Burnley to adapt to the different situations and styles of play that they’ll face this season in their fight for Premier League survival.

Promotion at the Kia Oval comes after cutting captaincy teeth in IPL and ILT20

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Mar-2025

Sam Curran will lead Surrey in this year’s Vitality Blast•Getty Images

Sam Curran’s credentials as a potential England white-ball captain have received a boost with his promotion to lead Surrey’s men in this year’s Vitality Blast.Curran, who has represented Surrey since U15s and first captained a Surrey side at U17s, was England’s player of the match and tournament when they won the T20 World Cup in 2022, but has been out of favour since the 2023 World Cup. He was not selected for Brendon McCullum’s initial white-ball squads this year, including the recent Champions Trophy in which Jos Buttler’s tenure as England captain ended.He captained Surrey for three Blast fixtures in 2023, standing in for Chris Jordan, whom he is now succeeding full-time. He has led Punjab Kings on a total of 11 occasions in the Indian Premier League in 2023 and 2024. This year he also captained Desert Vipers to the final of the recent ILT20.Curran has scored over 4,000 T20 runs and made his first T20 century in last year’s Vitality Blast against Hampshire at the Kia Oval. With the ball, he has over 250 T20 wickets with his left-arm seam and swing.He was named as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 2019, and has represented England more than 120 times across all formats since making his debut in 2018.”I am deeply honoured and proud to have been appointed Surrey’s T20 captain,” Curran said. “It is a privilege to lead such a great group of players and to continue representing this iconic club.”I look forward to leading our team and will do everything I can to live up to the standards and expectations that Surrey prides itself on.”I am very determined to deliver trophies and try to replicate what has been achieved in the County Championship the last few years to make the Members and fans proud.”Surrey’s High Performance Cricket Advisor, Alec Stewart said: “I’d like to thank Chris Jordan for his three years as captain of the T20 side. He led the team to consecutive appearances at Finals Day and will remain a key part of the side on and off the field. CJ is one of the most senior players in the team and is greatly respected by everyone at the Club.”This is the right time for Sam to take over as the captain with where he’s at in his career. It’s a great opportunity for him to put his mark on the team and help to take us that one step further to deliver silverware. Sam has shown his leadership qualities already both at Surrey and in the IPL and he will bring a huge amount to the role.”Surrey’s first Vitality Blast fixture at the Kia Oval this year is on Thursday, June 5 when they take on Hampshire in a double-header matchday.

أصدرت فوربس قائمتها لأعلى 10 لاعبين كرة قدم أجراً في العالم بحلول عام 2025، ويتقاضى اللاعبون مجتمعون 945 مليون دولار هذا الموسم.

وتأتي أرباح اللاعبين من الملعب ومن خلال عقودهم مع فرقهم ومن خلال الإعلانات أيضاً، ويدخل النجم المصري محمد صلاح لاعب ليفربول الإنجليزي في هذه القائمة.

ويتصدر كريستيانو رونالدو مهاجم النصر السعودي والأسطورة البرتغالية هذه القائمة حيث يتقاضى 280 مليون دولار أي ما يعادل 240 مليون يورو، كذلك يتقاضى ليونيل ميسي الأسطورة الأرجنتينية ونجم انتر ميامي 130 مليون دولار أي ما يعادل 111 مليون يورو.

اقرأ أيضاً.. لاعب ليفربول: محمد صلاح أفضل من كريستيانو رونالدو

ويأتي كريم بنزيما مهاجم اتحاد جدة السعودي في المركز الثالث حيث يتقاضى 104 ملايين دولار أي ما يعادل 90 مليون يورو. قائمة أعلى 10 لاعبين أجراً في العالم لعام 2025

1- كريستيانو رونالدو 280 مليون دولار

2- ليونيل ميسي 130 مليون دولار

3- كريم بنزيما 104 مليون دولار

4- كيليان مبابي 95 مليون دولار

5- إيرلينج هالاند 80 مليون دولار

6- فينيسيوس جونيور 60 مليون دولار

7- محمد صلاح 55 مليون دولار

8- ساديو ماني 54 مليون دولار

9- جود بيلينجهام 44 مليون دولار

10- لامين يامال 43 مليون دولار

ويعد ريال مدريد صاحب النصيب الأكبر في هذه القائمة بثلاثة لاعبين وهم كيليان مبابي وفينيسيوس جونيور وجود بيلينجهام.

“The margins are small in this competition and we’re not hitting our strides and that is a concern,” says MI head coach

S Sudarshanan08-Apr-20254:26

Bangar: MI’s top four didn’t really turn up

Mumbai Indians (MI) head coach Mahela Jayawardene acknowledges that the powerplay – both with bat and ball – is a concern for the team. MI went down by 12 runs to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Monday, their fourth defeat in five outings in IPL 2025, and Jayawardene wants the five-time champions to be “ruthless” and not “lose discipline” before it’s too late.”The powerplay is a concern for us with the ball and the bat. In the last few games as well, we were leaking too many runs with the ball in the powerplay as well,” Jayawardene said after the match. “We got an early wicket today as well – first over – but then they counter-punched, played some good shots, and we just did not react well to that. These are the margins and then they had a big sixth over, which really hurt us in that powerplay.”With an economy of 10.36, MI have been the most expensive bowling unit in the first six overs this season. They have only managed to pick up six wickets in the phase. On Monday, Trent Boult struck in the first over for the 31st time in the IPL. But Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal took RCB to 73 for 1 in the powerplay, thanks mainly to a 20-run over from Deepak Chahar to end the phase. It was the second-highest powerplay score against MI at the Wankhede and the fourth-highest overall against them in the IPL.Related

Jayawardene says Bumrah is in 'good nick' after IPL comeback

Patidar lauds Krunal's 'courage' after triple-wicket final over

Stats – Kohli becomes first Indian to 13,000 T20 runs; Bhuvneshwar overtakes Bravo

Hardik says MI bowlers 'didn't have anywhere to hide' on a 'tough track'

Kohli, Patidar and Krunal star as RCB end ten-year Wankhede jinx

Then, in their chase of 222, MI lost two wickets in four overs and ended the powerplay on 54 for 2. In this IPL, they have lost ten wickets in the first six overs, second only to the 12 for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).”With the bat as well, I thought we had a good start but just couldn’t continue,” Jayawardene said. “We lost those two wickets and then we had to consolidate a little bit and lost a bit of momentum there. We had a few big overs in between but we just weren’t in the game in that first ten overs. The margins are small in this competition and we’re not hitting our strides and that is a concern.”MI are placed eighth on the ten-team points table with just a sole win – against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at home. Despite that, Jayawardene said they were “playing some good cricket” and ruled out the need to make changes in their personnel.”I still back the senior pros and all the guys I put out there. They have the skill. It’s just that we need to be a bit more ruthless,” he said. “At times, we’re missing out on those one or two overs where we lose our discipline. So that’s with the bat as well as with the ball. That’s something that we need to rectify.”Losing is not a great thing. You start doubting yourself. And sometimes a fresh face coming into this kind of situation… might be even tougher for that player as well without the experience. The guys who have the experience know to handle tough situations and be mentally stronger going forward. So that’s something that we will bank on and make sure that we really focus on getting the group together and be positive and play the next game.”MI found themselves 99 for 4 in 12 overs in their tall chase with ESPNcricinfo’s win predictor giving them only a 2.26% chance at that stage. But captain Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma added 89 in just 34 balls to give RCB an almighty scare. Hardik instilled momentum in the chase, hitting Josh Hazlewood for two sixes and two fours. He then struck Krunal Pandya for back-to-back sixes and raced to 32 off 7.”Most of the guys are match-winners. It’s just that we are not getting that tempo going consistently,” Jayawardene said. “Once you hit that 10th-12th over mark, we knew we could give ourselves a chance. When Hardik walked into bat, that was the conversation I had with him. I said, ‘try and see if you can get three big overs in’. That’s what he delivered. Then the momentum changed. Tilak started going as well.”We were close, but not good enough. Obviously, the emotions were great for a while. But we had to be realistic that we are not playing the best cricket that we could play.”Hardik Pandya’s men have been the most expensive bowling unit in the first six overs this season•Associated Press

Jayawardene ‘wouldn’t read too much’ into Rohit’s dismissalJayawardene dismissed concerns around former captain Rohit Sharma and backed him after yet another low score. Rohit scored a nine-ball 17 hitting two fours and a six before he was clean bowled by an inswinger from Yash Dayal.”For right-handed batsmen, left-armers [dismissal] is a natural thing,” Jayawardene said. “It’s been there for many years. I can remember Vaasy [Chaminda Vaas] doing the same thing for many teams, Wasim Akram doing the same thing, so it’s just a natural angle. I’m sure Rohit’s been working on it, he’s been practising hard and he’s a very experienced player.”Rohit has now been dismissed 22 times inside the powerplay since the start of IPL 2023, the most for any batter. Among those who have faced at least 180 deliveries in the first six overs since the start of last season, no one has a worse average than Rohit’s 27.90. While he struck at 130.72 in 2023, his strike rate shot up to 151.97 in the powerplay last season, indicating that he has tried to attack more, something Jayawardene acknowledged.”He was trying to give us a good start and he played some really good shots,” he said. “[Dayal] actually bowled a good ball. It was late-swing and fuller, got through Rohit’s defence. When you have played the game for that long, you need to sometimes give credit to the bowlers as well. I wouldn’t read into that too much, but yeah, it’s something that I’m sure Rohit will work hard on.”