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Will Rangers be busy in the January transfer window?

Well, new manager Danny Röhl will certainly demand that they are, having taken over a complete mess, following Russell Martin’s short but ill-fated tenure.

Well, after spending around £30m on 13 new recruits in the summer, Rangers reported annual losses of £14.8m in their latest accounts on Friday, despite seeing revenue increase to £94.1m, a club record.

Despite this, the club are still expected to be busy in the January transfer window, but sporting director Kevin Thelwell will be tasked with finding gems in the market, so has one already been identified?

Rangers' search for a new attacker

One of Rangers’ many issues this season so far has been a lack of attacking firepower.

Across all competitions, only captain James Tavernier and Djeidi Gassama have scored more than three goals, with youngster Findlay Curtis and Danilo the only players on three.

Thus, according to a report in Kazakhstan, Rangers are attempting to sign winger Galymzhan Kenzhebek.

They note that “negotiations began” between his representatives and the Glasgow-based giants, while Dundee United and Aberdeen as well as clubs in Slovakia, Russia, Greece are also in the race.

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So, could he soon become the first Kazakh player to represent Rangers, with Kazakhstan thereby becoming the 67th different nationality represented at Ibrox?

What Galymzhan Kenzhebek would bring to Rangers

Despite the fact he is only 22 years old, Galymzhan Kenzhebek has had something of a journeyman career to date.

After bouncing around various Kazakh clubs including Kairat Almaty, a name that’ll send a shudder down the spine of any Celtic fan, and then did something few of his compatriots do by venturing abroad, enjoying stints with Akritas Chlorakas​​​​​​​ in Cyprus and Košice in Slovakia.

He did return home in June, joining Yelimay Semey, for whom he was on fire, scoring six goals in his final nine Kazakh Premier League appearances before the season concluded on 26 October, firing his team up to fourth, thereby qualifying for a major UEFA competition for the first time ever.

However, by the time they play that historic Conference League qualifier in August, it seems unlikely that Kenzhebek will still call Semey home.

The Rangers Journal labels him a “very pacy and direct” winger, also praising his “goal-scoring instincts” and outlining that he is a high-volume winger who “loves to just get the ball and commit defenders”.

Meantime, Kai Watson was also impressed, noting that he is a “quality ball carrier” and could add quality to the Rangers squad at a pretty low price.

Well, as well as starring for his club, Kenzhebek has also made the breakthrough at international level this year too.

He scored his first-ever international goal at the Borisov Arena against Belarus in a friendly in June, before netting twice during a 4-0 demolition of Liechtenstein last month, thereby starting each of Kazakhstan’s last six World Cup qualifiers, including Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Belgium, a famous point, a match Nicolas Raskin also started.

So, could Kenzhebek replicate Daizen Maeda’s success from across the city?

Well, when the Japanese international arrived at Celtic from Yokohama F. Marinos on a bargain deal in January 2022, he was a complete unknown, but his skillset sounds very reminiscent​​​​​​​ to that of Kenzhebek, as a pacey forward who typically operates off the left flank.

While an “inconsistent finisher” right now in the view of Watson – much like the at-times erratic Maeda was when he arrived in Glasgow – Rangers will hope their potential new recruit can go on to eventually prove equally as clinical in Glasgow derbies.

So, while Kenzhebek is not proven at an elite level, he is seemingly worth the risk and, at a low fee, could prove to be a masterstroke in recruitment?

Thelwell can upgrade on Souttar by signing £8m defender for Rangers

With Danny Röhl in need of defensive reinforcements, could Rangers sign an “aggressive” £8m-valued star better than John Souttar and Nasser Djiga?

By
Ben Gray

Nov 20, 2025

Who has impressed and who has struggled during the first half of the tournament?

Andrew McGlashan20-Apr-20251:38

Bishop: We saw the best of Starc tonight

Mitchell Marsh (Lucknow Super Giants)

Matches: 7 | Runs: 299 | Average: 42.71 | S/R: 167.97It’s been a notable return to action for Marsh, who missed the latter part of the Australia season through injury following his Test omission. He hammered four half-centuries in his first six innings before missing a game due to an illness in the family. He has benefited from the Impact Sub rule and has rarely had to push his body through fielding. “I’ve never been more motivated to score runs,” he said wryly about the ability to put his feet up. Marsh remains Australia’s T20 captain and has a big year ahead of him with the World Cup in India and Sri Lanka next February.

Pat Cummins (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

Matches: 7 | Wickets: 7 | Average: 36.00 | Economy 10.21It hasn’t been a stellar IPL yet for Australia’s Test and ODI captain while his team languishes near the foot of the table. Cummins hadn’t played since the end of the India Test series in January, having missed the Champions Trophy. His most recent outing brought his best return of 3 for 26 against Mumbai Indians but, overall, wickets have come at a price. From Australia’s perspective, if SRH don’t make the playoffs, it would give Cummins some extra time to prepare for the WTC final.Related

• Kohli, Padikkal fifties fire RCB to fifth away win

• Zampa's IPL ends due to shoulder injury

• Reverse in fast forward – Starc's three overs of yorker mayhem

• How Mumbai Indians' quicks kept Travishek on a leash

Travis Head (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

Matches: 7 | Runs: 242 | Average: 34.57| S/R: 168.05There have been flashes of brilliance from Head, who started the tournament with 67 off 31 balls as SRH piled up a massive 286 for 6 against Rajasthan Royals. More recently, he flayed 66 off 37 deliveries in a rollicking stand of 171 with Abhishek Sharma, as the duo produced another iconic IPL moment with SRH chasing 247 with room to spare.

Josh Hazlewood (Royal Challengers Bengaluru)

Matches: 7 | Wickets: 12 | Average: 15.91 | Economy: 8.17Hazlewood is going along very nicely, which has been good news for both RCB, who are challenging towards the top of the table, and him personally, having not played since mid-December before the IPL started. His 3 for 21 against Chennai Super Kings was out of the top drawer and he bettered that return with 3 for 14 against Punjab Kings, although that came in defeat. It is looking increasingly like another Hazlewood vs Scott Boland debate for the WTC final.Josh Hazlewood has made an encouraging return from injury•Associated Press

Mitchell Starc (Delhi Capitals)

Matches: 7 | Wickets: 10 | Average: 26.70 | Economy: 10.68Starc began the season with a bang, taking eight wickets in his first two outings including a career-best T20 return of 5 for 35 against SRH, which included again removing Head. Since then, he has only taken two wickets in five matches, but played a starring role in DC’s Super Over victory against Royals when he nailed his reverse-swinging yorkers to secure the tie across 20 overs before keeping the Super Over to 11.

Tim David (Royal Challengers Bengaluru)

Matches: 7 | Runs: 142 | Average: 142.00 | S/R: 194.52David’s numbers neatly sum up the role he plays. Only dismissed once, facing 73 balls across five innings with an eye-watering strike rate of 194.52. Yet, two of his innings have come from No. 8 – where he has only batted five times in 249 T20 innings – to keep the talk going of when he comes in. Against PBKS, he single-handedly lifted RCB to a total that gave them half a chance with 50 off 26 balls.

Glenn Maxwell (Punjab Kings)

Matches: 6 | Runs: 41 | Average: 8.20| S/R: 100.00 | Wickets: 4 | Average: 27.50 | Economy: 8.46It is becoming another forgettable IPL with the bat for Maxwell, who was dropped for PBKS’ latest match against RCB after barely being able to make an impact in the first half of the tournament. That follows last season’s returns of 52 runs at 5.77. He has held his own with the ball, but that wasn’t enough to keep his place.Jake Fraser-McGurk is among those to have been dropped by his franchise•BCCI

Jake Fraser-McGurk (Delhi Capitals)

Matches: 6 | Runs: 55 | Average: 9.16 | S/R: 105.76It’s also been a tough tournament for Fraser-McGurk, who has not come close to replicating his success from last season. He made 38 of his runs in one innings against SRH but otherwise it has been five single-figure scores. He lost his place in the starting XI for DC’s latest match. The IPL struggles follow a BBL where he only came good at the end with 95 off 46 balls against Brisbane Heat.

Marcus Stoinis (Punjab Kings)

Matches: 6 | Runs: 66 | Average: 22.00 | S/R: 157.14 | Wickets: 0 | | Economy: 11.37There is not too much to show for Stoinis’ tournament to date. Curiously, he was left out after producing his best innings – 34 off 11 balls with four sixes in the high-scoring game against SRH – before being recalled in place of Maxwell one game later. Has been used sparingly with the ball and has been expensive.

Adam Zampa (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

Matches: 2 | Wickets: 2 | Average: 47.00 | Economy: 11.75Zampa’s tournament never really got going before being ended by injury, used twice as an Impact Sub and coming away with two wickets. One of his outings was the astonishing 528-run game against Royals.Xavier Bartlett had to wait his turn, but has played in back-to-back victories•BCCI

Josh Inglis (Punjab Kings)

Matches: 2 | Runs: 16 | Average: 8.00 | S/R: 69.56Having started on the bench, Inglis has been brought in for the last two matches which have seen PBKS register back-to-back victories to climb up the table. But he has yet to get going with the bat – the first game he played was very low-scoring, as PBKS somehow defended 111, and the second shorted by rain.

Xavier Bartlett (Punjab Kings)

Matches: 2 | Wickets: 2 | Average: 28.00 | Economy: 9.33Ricky Ponting has no shortage of Australians in his squad and Bartlett is another who has been called off the bench for the last two matches. He has been used extensively in the powerplay and his two wickets have been key ones, of Quinton de Kock and Liam Livingstone.

Nathan Ellis (Chennai Super Kings)

Matches: 1 | Wickets: 1 | Economy: 9.50Only a single outing so far for Ellis, who came into the tournament off the back of an impressive run as captain of BBL champions Hobart Hurricanes and then consistent performances for Australia in the Champions Trophy.

Spencer Johnson (Kolkata Knight Riders)

Matches: 4 | Wickets: 1 | Average: 133.00 | Economy: 11.73It’s been slim pickings for left-arm quick Johnson with one wicket in four outings, and he has been left out of KKR’s last two matches.*Aaron Hardie, who is in the Punjab Kings squad, has yet to play.

It’s reached a point of stagnation – there are no new ideas and they seem to be stuck in the mid-2010s in an ever-evolving format

Mohammad Isam07-Oct-2024George Costanza was a famously incompetent character from the 1990s TV sitcom . After several misadventures, including in his role as the assistant to the traveling secretary with the New York Yankees, Costanza gets a job in Kruger Industrial Smoothing. There, he meets the company president Mr Kruger, who matches Costanza in incompetence. After skipping office two days in a row, Costanza one day reveals the company’s motto to Jerry Seinfeld: “We don’t care and it shows”.It might sound harsh, but Bangladesh’s T20 cricket over the last several years, including in the first T20I against India in Gwalior on Sunday, is along the lines of “We don’t care and it shows” too.They looked out of depth against a relatively (internationally) inexperienced India side. The three changes to the playing XI since the T20 World Cup didn’t really make much of a difference as the majority of those who remained felt like liabilities. Worse, the team management also seems to be out of ideas.Related

• What will life after Big Five be like for Bangladesh in T20Is?

• Mahmudullah to retire from T20Is after series against India

• New-look India blow away Bangladesh to take 1-0 lead

.India mopped up the chase in 11.5 overs after bowling out Bangladesh for 127. India played like the world champions they are. They also played like owners of one of the best attitudes a T20 side can have. If there’s a higher gear available, they invariably opt for it.Bangladesh, meanwhile, are more or less the same unit that played at the T20 World Cup four months ago, where they only made a statistical improvement on the previous seven campaigns. They don’t appear to have planned something new or different for the format. They batted against India with the blueprint they employed at the T20 World Cup. After trying (and failing) to hit a few big ones in the powerplay, they struggled against the spinners before meandering to a low total.They brought in Parvez Hossain Emon, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Jaker Ali to replace Tanzid Hasan, Shakib Al Hasan and Soumya Sarkar from the last T20 World Cup game against Afghanistan.Parvez’s struggle was expected given his lack of international experience, and having played just four BPL matches this year. Mehidy top-scored with 35* but he batted at No. 7 – chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain had specified that he had been picked primarily as a batter. Jaker might be destined to remain a one-hit wonder.3:12

Takeaways: Mayank-Varun too hot to handle for Bangladesh

What about the regulars then? Litton Das timed a beautiful boundary before slashing across an Arshdeep Singh length ball. His shift in outlook in Test batting from Pakistan to India was a concern, and this needless – and careless – shot underlined the need for the team management to treat him differently when it comes to the different formats.Towhid Hridoy, Bangladesh’s most prolific T20I run-getter since the start of 2023, is showing definite signs of second-season blues. Not just that. He bats where the team management wants him to bat, but that can’t be good for someone who provides consistency.Mahmudullah’s second-ball dismissal in this game – at No. 5, where he hasn’t often batted – will raise questions about his place in the team, but the 139-game veteran showed the right attitude in trying to take on India’s fastest bowler, Mayank Yadav. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, who backed Mahmudullah vehemently in a recent press conference, is himself struggling to shift between formats. He scored 27 off 25 balls but the innings lacked punch and panache.Perhaps four wickets falling while he was at the crease forced Shanto to play a sedate game. Or, perhaps, the T20I captaincy is weighing heavier on him than in Tests and ODIs.Mehidy Hasan Miraz is frustrated – he wasn’t the only one•AFP/Getty ImagesWhich brings us to the team management. Bangladesh continue to play a dull form of T20 cricket. It is stuck in the mid-2010s when batting sides had anchors, and a middle-order batter with a strike rate of 120 or thereabouts mattered.Times have changed. The BPL isn’t providing the players with meaningful play time either, or the team management doesn’t really rate the BPL highly enough. The tournament’s top-scorer from the latest edition – Tamim Iqbal – was in the commentary box in Gwalior. Should someone not try to bring him back into the fold? Then there is the other experienced batter Mushfiqur Rahim. He was one of the top-five scorers in the BPL. Can’t he be brought out of T20I retirement?Bangladesh have shown in the last 12 months that they want to stick to a young-looking side even if results don’t come. It might be fair for the long term, but the long term that they talked about in September 2023 has moved to October 2024.Kruger had fired everyone in the company and given Costanza all the key files. What of the Bangladesh T20I team?

One Rangers player who Danny Rohl does not rate could be on his way out of Ibrox amid interest from the Championship, according to recent reports.

Rohl praises "fantastic" Rangers reaction

After back-to-back draw against Falkirk and Dundee United, Rangers couldn’t afford to drop points again in the Scottish Premiership. They’ve been much improved since Rohl’s arrival, but another day without victory would have sparked all too familiar concerns around Glasgow.

The German and his Rangers team bounced back from those draws in style against Kilmarnock, however. With a brace from Bojan Miovski to accompany Mikey Moore’s effort, the Gers sealed a comfortable 3-0 victory.

Rohl shared his delight at full-time, but also urged Rangers to “develop” their “game management” – telling reporters: “From the first minute tonight, I knew the fans were behind the team. We have to do this together.

“I think looking back through the whole week, It was a good performance on Wednesday from Bojan Miovski. I’m glad Mikey [Moore] is back but in general, it was a whole team performance.

“We have to develop our game management, but tonight it was a fantastic reaction and now we have five wins in seven so this is a good step forward. We have to continue, everyone wants to win against us or take something from us. This is a tough league so we have to put the work in.”

It would be a good time for those at Ibrox to hit top form, given how frantic the festive period is and with the January transfer window now less than a month away from swinging open.

The winter window represents the first chance for Rohl to stamp his mark on his side and rumours have already claimed that he’s after a clinical striker.

Arrivals are unlikely to come without departures, though, and Kieran Dowell is among those who could reportedly be heading for the Ibrox exit door.

Hull City keen to sign Kieran Dowell

According to Alan Nixon on his Patreon, Hull City are now keen to sign Dowell in the January transfer window. The midfielder is yet to feature under Rohl, who quite clearly doesn’t rate him, and now looks destined to leave on loan in just under a month.

It’s been the story of Dowell’s Rangers career, but he must get his move in the January window.

The 28-year-old was offered some hope when Russell Martin arrived instantly jumped to his defence by saying: “And by the way he tries really, really every day, trains like an absolute beast, which I don’t think some people have come to this club and been bought for a lot of money, and I don’t think they have done that.”

Not just Miovski: Rohl must drop Rangers flop who lost 86% duels

Danny Rohl should ruthlessly drop this Rangers flop as well as Bojan Miovski this evening.

ByDan Emery 6 days ago

Any hope of a Rangers revival has now evaporated, however, with Rohl seemingly ready to bid farewell to the midfield flop who has struggled since arriving in 2023.

Rangers prioritising move to sign "strong" 6ft 4 box-crasher after scouting mission

A super spell from South Australia quick Nathan McAndrew inspired the reigning one-day champions to a 79-run bonus-point win against Victoria.Set a target of 274 at Adelaide Oval on Thursday, Victoria were in trouble straight away as McAndrew dismissed openers Matt Short and Campbell Kellaway cheaply.After steering Victoria to victory in a dramatic Sheffield Shield finish two days earlier, teenage sensation Oliver Peake also fell to McAndrew When Peake departed, the visitors had crashed to 61 for 4.Wicketkeeper Sam Harper saved some face for Victoria, crafting a team-high 59 from 68 balls. Harper had more than solid support from Blake Macdonald.But SA did all the early work and Victoria couldn’t recover, with McAndrew taking the final scalp for a five-wicket haul as Victoria were out for 194 in the 45th over.SA defeated their state rivals again after claiming bragging rights in last season’s Dean Jones Trophy final. They endured a difficult start to their title defence, losing the first two one-day games to slump to 0-2.Victoria also entered the match winless from two starts, meaning they have dropped to 0-3 and requiring a power of work to be in contention for back-to-back finals.Earlier, Jake Lehmann’s superb run of form continued with an outstanding 85 to anchor SA’s 273 for 8.Fringe Australia white-ball batter Jake Fraser-McGurk showed some promising signs at the top of the order after a difficult 12 months. He smashed 34 from 29 balls, while Harry Manenti made 34 off 46 deliveries.Xavier Crone was the pick of the Victorian bowlers with 4 for 61 which included bowling Fraser-McGurk with a beauty and having Jason Sangha taken at second slip with consecutive deliveries.SA took a liking to the under-strength Victorian bowling line-up missing captain Will Sutherland and Fergus O’Neill. Opening bowler Cameron McClure went for 1 for 68 from his eight overs.Victoria are next in 50-over action on October 20 when they host New South Wales at the Junction Oval in Melbourne, while SA face Queensland on the same day at Karen Rolton Oval.

Tottenham’s first transfer window with their new-look, reshuffled boardroom will be a very intriguing one, and a striker is believed to be at the very top of their priority list.

Ever since replacing Ange Postecoglou in the summer, new manager Thomas Frank has been starved of a reliable focal point up front.

Dominic Solanke, who Spurs signed for a club-record £65 million fee last year, has struggled with injury problems that have limited his involvement to just 49 minutes so far this campaign. The Englishman suffered a ‘minor’ ankle problem at the beginning of 25/26, which eventually required surgery, and he’s still on the comeback trail.

Solanke is set to miss this weekend’s pivotal North London derby against Arsenal and won’t be available for their crunch Champions League tie against PSG either, with Frank forced to rely on the out-of-form Richarlison, who’s attracted criticism for his inconsistency.

The Brazilian is a shoo-in to start against PSG next week given Mathys Tel wasn’t named in Frank’s 22-man Champions League squad. Tel, according to some reports, is said to be ‘unhappy’ in London and keen to leave Spurs in January, with Roma taking a serious interest in the Frenchman (La Gazzetta dello Sport).

Solanke’s fitness woes, Tel’s dissatisfaction and Richarlison’s form have fueled speculation that a new striker could arrive at the turn of the year, and Spurs are being linked with a few interesting names.

Chief among them is Al-Ahli striker Ivan Toney, who scored 20 Premier League goals in his best campaign at Brentford whilst working under Frank.

The tactician has apparently held ‘direct’ talks with Toney about a January move to Spurs, according to some reports, while others believe that the Lilywhites are in pole position to sign him at the turn of the year after ‘preliminary’ negotiations (TEAMtalk).

While links to the 29-year-old are rife given his obvious connection to Tottenham’s manager, co-sporting directors Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange are considering other options.

Tottenham eye 'dream' move for FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa

As per TEAMtalk, FC Porto talisman Samu Aghehowa is a ‘dream’ target for the club.

Sources believe the 21-year-old, who’s bagged nine goals in 14 appearances already this season, fits perfectly into Frank’s long-term vision. Spurs’ boss is also said to have ‘repeatedly’ emphasised his desire for a physically imposing, mobile striker capable of pressing aggressively and connecting play.

Insiders within Tottenham’s recruitment structure apparently think of Aghehowa as the “younger, longer-term” striker successor they genuinely desire, despite ongoing interest in Toney as a potential 2026 alternative.

Standing at a lofty 6 foot 4 with surprising pace for his height, the Spaniard has even been compared to former Chelsea star Diego Costa during his prime years, thankfully not the version we saw at Wolves.

However, this all being said, a January move appears very unlikely.

Portuguese sources state that Porto are refusing to entertain winter offers, especially as they pursue a first Primeira Liga title in six years. President Andre Villas-Boas has reportedly informed intermediaries that Samu is not for sale “at any price in the winter”, casting major doubt on Spurs’ ability to prise him away mid-season.

Porto have also set an £71 million asking price for Aghehowa, meaning the north Londoners may have to fork out a new club-record fee. With that in mind, Frank and Lange will apparently continue to monitor Aghehowa’s development whilst maintaining Toney as a backup option.

According to journalist Pete O’Rourke, Chelsea once came ‘very close’ to signing the forward, and he’s a player with ‘huge potential’.

Everton are now preparing a club-record bid for Napoli star Scott McTominay, amid doubts over the future of a first-team star.

The Toffees’ interest in signing a new midfielder perhaps also stems from the fact Idrissa Gueye is now in the twilight years of his career at 36-years-old, with the 120-time Senegal international’s contract set to expire in the summer, although there is an option to extend it by an extra year.

Based on recent performances, it may be worth triggering the extension, with the central midfielder scoring the opening goal in the 2-0 victory against Fulham last time out, while also winning three duels and making three clearances.

Not only is Gueye’s future up in the air, but there is also doubt over whether James Garner will remain at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, with both Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest making contact over a deal for the 24-year-old, who has impressed at times this season.

Everton preparing club-record bid for Scott McTominay

According to a report from Spain, McTominay could be a game-changing signing for Everton in midfield, should Garner leave or lose his place in the starting XI, and the Merseyside club are now preparing a club-record bid in the region of €70m (£62m).

David Moyes is an admirer of the Napoli star, who could be the manager’s new Marouane Fellaini, given his physicality and ability to arrive into the opposition penalty box from deeper areas, and the former Manchester United man may be tempted by an enticing offer to return to the Premier League.

With the Toffees looking to bring in an experienced, versatile midfielder, the Scotland international fits the bill, and there are signs he could be a fantastic addition to Moyes’ squad, having been lauded as “sensational” by broadcaster David Tanner in the past.

Not only that, but the 28-year-old is also vastly experienced in the Premier League, having made 255 appearances for Man United, and he has since really kicked on since moving to the Serie A, chipping in with 12 goals and six assists during Napoli’s title-winning 2024-25 campaign.

Everton should look to secure the futures of Gueye and Garner regardless, but McTominay could be a real statement signing, as they look to start competing for the European places again, rather than looking over their shoulders at the wrong end of the Premier League table.

Everton now battling Newcastle for South American midfielder Everton enter race to sign £88m South American "machine" with Newcastle

The Toffees need a creative spark.

1 ByTom Cunningham Nov 16, 2025

Hosts pay price for underwhelming batting effort as Superchargers cruise home with 18 balls to spare

ECB Media20-Aug-2025
Northern Superchargers returned to winning ways under the lights at Lord’s to romp home past hosts London Spirit and climb to third in the table in The Hundred men’s competition.Zak Crawley took most of the plaudits for 38-ball 55, but it was a batting effort that owed a debt of gratitude to his colleagues with the ball – the Superchargers attack impressing as they limited Spirit to just 135 for 3 batting first.The win takes Superchargers to 16 points, level on points with defending champions Oval Invincibles and Trent Rockets, with a gap threatening to open up underneath fourth-placed Southern Brave on 12 as the race for qualification hots up.The Lord’s faithful might have hoped to see a performance from Aussie superstar David Warner but it wasn’t his night, departing for a four-ball duck. Jamie Smith and Ollie Pope scored 41 and 52 respectively but no Spirit batter was able to get away and really open their arms, and at the interval the visitors would have fancied their chances of chasing down the total.Crawley lay a marker down immediately, demonstrating his class against Dan Worrall’s opening salvo with a couple of stand-and-deliver boundaries through the off-side and that was much the story of the reply, with Spirit never able to build sufficient pressure with the ball.It was left to Crawley’s captain Harry Brook to slap the winning runs over mid-on, with 18 balls still remaining, to signal a comfortable win and keep Superchargers right in the hunt for qualification.Meerkat Match Hero Crawley said: “It was an important game for us to get a win tonight, so the boys are very pleased with that win and it was a good all-round performance.”I try and keep the fundamentals the same whether playing red-ball or white-ball cricket and then maybe premeditate a little bit more in white-ball cricket than I would in a red-ball game, but I try and play similar shots. I think that’s what I’ve done a bit better this year than I have done in previous years.”When you’ve got great players coming behind you, you can just be a bit free at the top and today it wasn’t as easy after the powerplay. It felt good in the powerplay – really good – and then definitely got harder. So it was nice to have that cushion behind with those boys coming in.”I’m surprised to be standing here, to be honest, I thought Rash [Adil Rashid] would be the Meerkat Match Hero. He bowled unbelievably tonight and so did all the other lads to keep them to 140. We felt like we could chase that and it definitely got easier under lights.”

Lack of fixtures against top opposition and almost no experience in T20 leagues has hindered the development of batters in these teams

Sruthi Ravindranath19-Oct-2025Bangladesh had England under pressure at 78 for 5.Pakistan had Australia struggling at 115 for 8, and had tied England down to 133 for 9.Sri Lanka had India six down for just 124.The three teams at the bottom of the women’s World Cup points table – Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka – have shown they can test stronger sides with the ball. They have also shown that their batting is not good enough to win them matches against the bigger teams.This tournament hasn’t been a run fest: there have been only two first-innings scores of 300-plus, both on flat pitches in Indore and Visakhapatnam. But even when conditions have favoured batting, those three South Asian teams haven’t been able to capitalise.Related

• Heartbreak and euphoria in Diwali night drama

• SL pull off a heist after Bangladesh collapse in magnificent fashion

• South Africa look to keep winning as Pakistan hope to make a late charge

• Top-order turbulences, left-arm spin traps and catching concerns

Against Australia in Visakhapatnam, Bangladesh stumbled to 198 for 9 before losing by ten wickets inside 25 overs. Against South Africa, Bangladesh were crawling until Shorna Akter fired them to 232, which ultimately proved inadequate.These three sides have the lowest batting averages at this World Cup. Pakistan are at the bottom with 13.55, followed by Bangladesh (19.92) and Sri Lanka (20.27). Between the previous World Cup in 2022 and this one, they had occupied the bottom three spots in batting averages among the eight teams in this tournament.

What’s holding them back?

Their limited exposure against high-quality opposition has often been highlighted as a reason their batting hasn’t developed. Bangladesh’s World Cup opener against England was only their second ODI against them. Sri Lanka hadn’t faced Australia in the format since 2019, and their fixture in this World Cup was washed out.Nilakshika Silva has been promising for Sri Lanka•Getty Images”This is a stage where we show our capabilities, so teams like England and Australia show interest in playing against us,” Nigar Sultana, Bangladesh captain, had said before the match against England.”Our girls are playing very few matches with those who are ranked top four in the world,” Bangladesh allrounder Rumana Ahmed told ESPNcricinfo. “So the fewer the number of matches they play against such teams, the less competitive matches they play, the lower their confidence will be.”Rumana isn’t at the World Cup squad this time, but she has been watching closely. She sees a team performing beyond expectations. “Yes, we lost by a very small margin [against England and South Africa] due to some inexperience. But they barely got to play enough international matches before the tournament. The way they are playing without that preparation is truly impressive. It is really good to see some batters who are batting very confidently, like Sobhana [Mostary], Supta [Sharmin Akhter], Shorna [Akter]. If the middle order had scored a few more runs, maybe our team could have put up a better fight against bigger teams.”The inexperience Rumana refers to is not just in terms of technique but also when it comes to handling pressure, with Bangladesh’s fielding costing them multiple times. There were several misfields and three dropped chances against South Africa. Sri Lanka, too, dropped Nat Sciver-Brunt on 3 before she scored a match-winning 117.0:58

Nawaz: ‘We are not being able to build momentum with the bat’

“Those subcontinent sides [Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka], I think their strengths have been with the ball,” Nasser Hussain, a commentator at the World Cup, said at a JioStar event. “Sometimes they’ve not been backed up in the field. But I do think the batting is where the improvement needs to come, if we’re going to get an upset in this World Cup. I think if there’s one area that could be improved on, it’s the power-hitting. You look at the stats of power-hitting sixes from Bangladesh and Pakistan, to a degree Sri Lanka, I think that is an area which could improve.”Sometimes it’s just a physical thing – like they have to use their wrists a bit more, they have to sweep, slog sweep, reverse sweep. With their bowling and their spinners, and Marufa [Akter] for Bangladesh, they will challenge any side, but not when you’re only getting [totals of] 150, 160, 170, because the other nations, as we saw with Bangladesh [against Australia] will stroll past that.”Power-hitting has emerged as a key skill with the rise of franchise leagues, most recently with three seasons of the WPL in India. Since 2023, India’s ODI run rate has climbed to 5.69 from the 4.47 they scored at between 2015 and 2020. Their boundary percentage has also gone up, from 41.15% in 2023 to over 52% in 2025. India also play top-tier sides regularly unlike the rest of the subcontinent teams.With this not being a high-scoring World Cup, the number of dot balls has also come in focus. Bangladesh (69.28%), Pakistan (68.85%) and Sri Lanka (60.58%) have the highest dot-ball percentages while batting. Unlike India, players from these teams barely have any presence in overseas leagues. Chamari Athapaththu remains the sole representative from Sri Lanka – and the only active player from these three nations – to have featured in the WBBL and the WPL (though players from Pakistan can’t play in the WPL). Sri Lanka have seen flashes of range-hitting from her and Nilakshika Silva but they remain the exceptions.

“With Pakistan, they had the likes of Bismah Maroof, Javeria Khan and Nida Dar until a while ago, who used to play key roles for them. The players they have now used to play supporting roles for them”Former India batter Thirush Kamini

Rumana believes power-hitting needs training beyond the nets, and the lack of it once again comes down to the exposure these teams (don’t) get.”It’s very difficult to develop it just by practising. You need to use such shots tactically too,” Rumana says. “This means that you have to be involved in T20 or T10 leagues across the globe. If I take good teams like India and Australia, their development has been from the WPL and Women’s Big Bash [League]. If something like Women’s BPL [Bangladesh premier League] had been there in Bangladesh, maybe the power-hitting of the women’s team would have improved.”While slow pitches for domestic cricket at home have helped develop spinners, it has hindered batting progress. The Bangladesh men’s white-ball game began to evolve after a shift away from spin-friendly pitches. The BPL played a role in improving range-hitting.Sri Lanka head coach Rumesh Ratnayake acknowledged the need to assess domestic pitches, while also expressing concern over his batters’ inability to convert starts. “I think that’s a long-term goal of looking into the domestic level,” he said. “But when you’re here, we were well prepared for this. It’s a bit disappointing as a coach when [starts] don’t go into the 50s and to the big hundreds. The girls are aware of it. It’s a matter of how we should be putting it to them and it’s very important that we are very sensitive in putting it across so that they’ll be encouraged and not discouraged.”1:24

Fahima Khatun: We’ve lost games, but gained a lot of positives

Still, there has been some progress. In this World Cup, Sri Lanka have crossed 200 twice, while Bangladesh have once. However, Pakistan’s highest total is 159, with Sidra Amin their only player to score a fifty.”Sri Lanka’s average score used to be less than 200 at one point but now it’s improved,” Thirush Kamini, former India batter, said. “That’s what we should be seeing here – though the improvement is taking time, it’s still there, and we need to give them a little bit more time and exposure to be on par with the other teams.”These three teams have experienced spin departments. They have not changed their bowling much but that can’t be said of the batting. Their spinners have been leading wicket-takers for several years now. With Pakistan, they had the likes of Bismah Maroof, Javeria Khan and Nida Dar until a while ago who used to play key roles for them. The players they have now used to play supporting roles for them. Suddenly when you have your main players retired and have come out of the system, the pressure is on those who played the supporting roles before.”Bangladesh are set to face India, Australia, England, South Africa and New Zealand across formats in the current FTP cycle, with Sri Lanka and Pakistan also scheduled to play several top sides. These series present crucial opportunities for growth, particularly with the bat, for these sides before the next World Cup.

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta has set his sights on a Real Madrid target who Mikel Arteta personally thinks is perfect for his system, according to a new report.

Arsenal prepare for Premier League blockbuster against Chelsea

The mood around N5 could hardly be more positive right now after a phenomenal week.

Arsenal dismantled North London rivals Tottenham 4-1 at the Emirates Stadium last weekend and immediately followed that up by inflicting Bayern Munich’s first defeat of the entire campaign on Wednesday.

It was the perfect few days to set up a tantalising encounter with London rivals Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, with Arsenal now having the chance to go nine points clear of Enzo Maresca’s side.

Chelsea pose yet another tough test for Arsenal, especially after the Blues thrashed Barcelona 3-0 in the Champions League, but Arteta’s side go into the contest on an all-time high.

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-1 Tottenham

Arsenal 3-1 Bayern Munich

Arsenal have also welcomed back Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard from injury, with the former two getting on the scoresheet against Bayern to round off a superb win.

Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus missed the victory over Bayern, alongside star defender Gabriel Magalhaes, but young defender Cristhian Mosquera did a ‘superb’ job filling in for the latter.

Arsenal’s strength in depth is testament to Berta’s excellent recruitment drive last summer, with their near-£270 million outlay on new signings paying dividends for Arteta.

The Gunners could hardly be any stronger right now, but Berta will be paying close attention to unmissable market opportunities.

Arsenal star makes transfer admission and says club "want" to sign him

He’s responded to the speculation around his future.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 14, 2025

One of them could be Elche sensation Rodrigo Mendoza, who is rumoured to have a tempting £17.5 million release clause in his contract amid comparisons to Pedri and Barça legend Sergio Busquets.

Arsenal hold 'initial talks' to sign Rodrigo Mendoza from Elche

That is according to TEAMtalk, who also report that Arsenal have positioned themselves as the frontrunners to sign Mendoza in January.

Arteta has apparently identified the 20-year-old as an ‘ideal’ addition to strengthen his title-chasing squad, with Arsenal already holding ‘initial talks’ to sign Mendoza after ‘exploratory’ contact.

TT sources indicate that Arsenal are prepared to test Elche’s resolve before Christmas as they look to bolster their midfield options for the second half of the campaign.

However, Arsenal face significant competition for his signature. Three other Premier League heavyweights have all made contact with the player’s representatives too, setting up a four-way English battle, and Real Madrid are believed to be targeting Mendoza too.

Sources close to Mendoza’s camp apparently state that, while multiple English clubs have registered interest, Arsenal’s early moves give them a distinct advantage.

The modest release clause represents exceptional value in today’s inflated market, particularly for a Spain Under-21 international who has progressed through every youth level.

Mendoza has nine La Liga appearances and one goal to his name so far this season, and helped Elche achieve promotion back to the Spanish top flight last season.

For just £17.5m, Arsenal could sign one of Spain’s newest rising stars, with Arteta’s apparent eagerness making this transfer one to watch.