Jadeja in no-man's land as CSK's plans just won't work

He’s scored only 51 runs off 58 balls of spin this season, allowing opposition teams to effectively shut him and CSK out

Alagappan Muthu24-Apr-20254:52

Ravindra Jadeja looks ‘confused’ up the order

Ravindra Jadeja was following the plan. He was 31 off 23 at the start of the 18th over. Now was the time to go.Chennai Super Kings (CSK) do not have the confidence in their batting line-up to hit hard from the first ball. They fear that will lead them to below-par totals and kick them out of the match before their bowlers can get a say. So many of the statistics that have them at the bottom – run-rate in the powerplay, or even overall, for that matter – is by design. It isn’t a good design, but it is what the players they have and the form they are in has left them with.CSK were 145 for 4. Jadeja was set. And Mumbai Indians (MI) gave him a left-arm spinner to target. The over went for a-run-a-ball and that was only because it had wides. Mitchell Santner doesn’t normally bowl in the death. Prior to this game, he had bowled only one full over in the block between 17 and 20 in IPL 2025. But MI saved him for exactly this match-up; a match-up where the stock ball spins into the batter’s hitting arc.Related

  • Harshal, Cummins capitalise on dry pitch to keep CSK down

  • SRH bowl, Brevis debuts for CSK

  • Dhoni's 400th T20 sees CSK and SRH in now-or-never territory

  • 'There are times when you have to rejig your attitude' but SRH haven't done that

  • The IPL was supposed to have been much longer by now. Why isn't it?

Several teams have gone to spin with Jadeja at the crease to shut him down. He’s faced 58 balls of it and scored only 51 runs. This is in keeping with his returns over the last few years. He has turned himself into a pace hitter, but he’s always struggled when it’s taken off.CSK head coach Stephen Fleming would like to see Jadeja do better. “There’s a lot of room for improvement in our view and it’s a little bit of opportunity,” he said. “I know in the past that he’s done it for a couple of games but he hasn’t had a big run at it and it’s more the attitude towards it.”In other words, a willingness to hit the ball hard. Jadeja, in this season, has only hit two boundaries against spin. Sometimes it doesn’t even look like he’s trying. That’s why he’s had to face a lot of it, even in the death. Fleming is trying to fix this.”So we’re exploring a lot of things at the moment to see whether there are gains within the side with one view on trying to win every game remaining in the IPL but also in the future,” he said. “So we think there are areas that we can explore with our players where they haven’t perhaps conquered it in the past and just trying to change some attitudes around it.”

Jadeja’s training session ahead of the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) game lasted about a half hour where he faced two legspinners and a throwdown specialist. His focus was on being able to step out of his crease and nailing the slog sweep. He had mixed results. He’s not the only one.Over the last ten years of IPL cricket, and looking at performances in the first eight matches of the season, CSK’s average (18.84) and strike rate (110) against spin puts them in the bottom five on both counts. The one player that they actually have who is good at hitting boundaries when pace is taken off the ball, is unable to play that role because he’s having to cover for other frailties.”We need the run production from the top to go well,” Fleming said. “And that will then put players in the right position to be able to perform their role that they’ve been designed for and enable us to then capitalise on the strengths that some of our players have. [Shivam] Dube is playing a number of roles. He’s holding the innings together and finishing games. In the past he’s been an impactful player that’s come out and changed the game by his dominance in the middle [overs]. So there’s been a bit of a shift somewhere through the necessity to stay in the game.”The good CSK teams of the past were able to mask their players’ weaknesses. That’s why they had Jadeja down the order – not because he was a finisher but because if he batted at No. 7 or 8 he’d get to face fast bowling and he’s good at smashing that. Now though, when there is weakness everywhere – their top-order is not scoring runs, their middle order hasn’t been able to pick up the slack – it’s left the team incredibly vulnerable. This CSK has spent the season breaking things that were working well to fix things that keep going wrong.

Hartley six-for puts Lancashire in control despite Charlesworth 160

Gloucestershire opener adds unbeaten fifty second time around as hosts follow on

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Tom Hartley claimed a six-for as Lancashire enforced the follow-on•Getty Images

Gloucestershire 381 (Charlesworth 160, Phillips 64, Hartley 6-116) and 98 for 0 (Charlesworth 61*) trail Lancashire 557 by 78 runsTom Hartley produced another stellar performance to put the skids under Gloucestershire as Lancashire made the running on day three of the Rothesay County Championship match at the College Ground, Cheltenham.Having posted a career-best innings of 130 with the bat on day two, the England slow left-armer returned notable figures of 6 for 116 – his best for Lancashire – to again steal the Festival show. Replying to Lancashire’s mammoth 557, the home side were dismissed for 381, conceding a first-innings deficit of 176.Ben Charlesworth staged an outstanding season’s-best knock of 160 and Joe Phillips weighed in with 64 as Gloucestershire advanced confidently to 296 for 3. But Hartley then induced a collapse which saw the hosts lose their last seven wickets for 85 runs in 26 overs.Lancashire captain James Anderson enforced the follow-on and Gloucestershire made a better fist of things second time around, Cameron Bancroft and Charlesworth safely negotiating 30 overs to stage an unbroken opening stand of 98. Gloucestershire still trail by 78 runs and Bancroft (35 not out) and Charlesworth (61 not out) will be called upon to muster further resistance on a pitch offering some assistance to spin when they return in the morning.The day had begun full of hope for Gloucestershire. Resuming on 179 for 1, Charlesworth and Phillips set a new county record partnership for the second wicket in matches against Lancashire, eclipsing the 160 registered by Bill Athey and Paul Romaines at Bristol in 1984. Phillips perished soon afterwards, superbly held at short square leg by Keaton Jennings off the bowling of Chris Green as Lancashire effected an early breakthrough and terminated a profitable alliance of 171 in 47.3 overs.Charlesworth and Ollie Price applied themselves diligently to the task of cussed defiance and, in between performing the hard yards, these two took advantage of sufficient poor balls to post a half-century stand from 104 balls. Desperate to make something happen, Lancashire were indebted to Hartley, who persuaded Price to slice a cut shot to Luke Wells at backward point in the 72nd over. Price had contributed 31 to a stand of 58 for the third wicket, and Gloucestershire were 249 for 3, still 308 runs behind and with further graft required. Charlesworth was joined by Cheltenham-born Miles Hammond and these two advanced the score to 259 for 3 by lunch.With the new ball available upon the resumption, Anderson returned at the Chapel End, only for Hammond to greet him with an off-driven four and another boundary behind square. Charlesworth then crunched the former England man through the covers off the back foot to bring up his 150 from 233 balls with his 20th four.But Charlesworth’s resistance ended soon afterwards, the 24-year-old left hander inexplicably advancing down the pitch to Hartley and being stumped by Phil Salt with the score 296 for 4. His dismissal sparked an alarming collapse in which the home side lost six wickets for the addition of 62 runs in 21.1 overs.Hammond had traded almost exclusively in boundaries, his brisk 36 including six fours and a six, when he miscued an attempted drive and offered a return catch to Hartley. On a roll by now, Hartley struck again in his next over, dismissing Graeme van Buuren lbw without scoring, before persuading James Bracey to pop a catch up to short square leg to complete a remarkable five-wicket haul.Having seen their middle order blown away by Hartley, Gloucestershire’s tailend fared no better against Lancashire’s back-up spinners. Zaman Akhter fell lbw to Green and Ajeet Singh Dale succumbed in near-identical fashion to Wells’ legbreaks. Hindered by a hamstring strain, Marchant de Lange emerged with Phillips as a runner and the big man suggested a possible escape route for Gloucestershire by smiting two huge sixes. But Hartley returned to have the South African held in the deep, leaving Todd Murphy high and dry on 22 not out, as the hosts fell 27 short of saving the follow on.Bancroft and Charlesworth restored calm during a final session that, in stark contrast to what had gone before, failed to yield a single dismissal. Watchful in the face of a new-ball examination at the hands of Anderson, Gloucestershire’s openers initially focused their efforts on occupying the crease and taking up time. But as Lancashire’s bowlers began to tire, so the opening partnership flourished.Picking up where he left off in the first innings, Charlesworth went to 50 from 64 balls with seven fours and a six, his antics causing the threat of further collapse to recede into the distance. His captain proved rock-solid, Bancroft chiseling an unbeaten 35 from 86 balls to serve notice that Gloucestershire remain in the fight.

Bangladesh seek first ODI win against SL as semi-final race heats up

Big picture: SL move from wet Colombo to dry Navi Mumbai

Bangladesh and Sri Lanka head into their clash with two points each, yet their campaigns couldn’t have been more different. For Sri Lanka, those two points came courtesy washed-out games in Colombo. They have now moved to hot and humid Navi Mumbai, where they will begin their final leg with an outside chance to make the top four.Bangladesh had started brightly with a win over Pakistan, but have struggled since. They have run top sides close, but have fallen short at crucial junctures. Though Bangladesh are yet to beat Sri Lanka in ODIs, they will fancy their chances, given their spin attack has troubled established batting line-ups. The loser of Monday’s fixture will be knocked out of contention for the semi-finals.The two sides have met each other four times in ODIs, with Sri Lanka winning two and the other two being washed out. It will be a long shot for Bangladesh to make the semi-finals, but they can get there if they win their next two games and hope other results go their way. Even a top-five finish will be significant for Bangladesh, their senior spinner Fahima Khatun said on the eve of the match, in what is only their second appearance at an ODI World Cup.While Bangladesh’s batting remains a concern, their bowling, led by spinners, has been their strength. But it was a different story against Australia, who razed down their target of 199 with ten wickets to spare.Sri Lanka have had similar issues. While their batters have often made promising starts, they’ve lost wickets in clusters. But the washed-out match against New Zealand, where they posted 258 before rain had the final say, showed a glimpse of what they can do. In this match, it will come down to how well they operate against Bangladesh’s spinners, while Bangladesh will want to show some of their batting capabilities in their quest for a first win against Sri Lanka in ODIs.

Form guide

Bangladesh LLLLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka LLLLL

In the spotlight: Harshitha Samarawickrama and Sobhana Mostary

Harshitha Samarawickrama has quickly risen through the ranks for Sri Lanka to become one of their batting mainstays. Since her 53 against India in the tri-series earlier this year, she has not scored a half-century in six innings though she’s got starts. Against England, she looked well set in the chase of 254 with a 58-run stand with Hasini Perera but lost her wicket to Sophie Ecclestone, which triggered a Sri Lanka collapse. Sri Lanka will be expecting more runs from their No. 4 as they look to finish their campaign on a high.Sobhana Mostary has been the most impressive Bangladesh batter in the tournament so far. She has two fifties, both coming against top oppositions in Australia and England. In a tournament where most other Bangladesh batters have struggled, the 23-year-old has stood out at No.5. She is adept at rotating the strike and finding the gaps. Against Australia, she was circumspect against Alana King but took on Annabel Sutherland and Darcie Brown, her 66 not out taking Bangladesh to a respectable 198.1:24

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

Team news: Marufa Akter set to return

Fast bowler Marufa Akter, who was rested for Bangladesh’s previous match against Australia, is expected to return to the side. “Marufa is better now, she has been training hard the last couple of days and I think we will have her fully fit for the next match,” Khatun said at her press conference.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Rubya Haider, 2 Fargana Hoque, 3 Sharmin Akhter, 4 Nigar Sultana (capt & wk), 5 Sobhana Mostary, 6 Shorna Akter, 7 Fahima Khatun, 8 Rabeya Khan, 9 Ritu Moni, 10 Nishita Akter Nishi, 11 Marufa AkterVishmi Gunaratne was on 12 when she was stretchered off the field against South Africa, after being struck by the ball on her left knee while completing a run. She, however, returned to bat and finished with 34 off 33 balls. Sri Lanka head coach Rumesh Ratnayake said she was “okay for selection” against Bangladesh.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Chamari Athapaththu (capt), 2 Hasini Perera, 3 Vishmi Gunaratne, 4 Harshita Samarawickrama, 5 Kavisha Dilhari, 6 Nilakshika Silva, 7 Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), 8 Piumi Wathsala, 9 Sugandika Kumari, 10 Malki Madara, 11 Inoka RanaweeraChamari Athapaththu is one away from 4000 ODI runs•Getty Images

Pitch and conditions: DY Patil Stadium gears up to host its first ODI

This will be the first-ever ODI at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. The stadium has hosted 14 Vijay Hazare (List A) games in the last three years. The average first-innings score has been 252 with teams chasing winning nine games. Dew is expected to play a role at the ground.The forecast is clear for the entire day, with temperatures set to hit a high of 36 degrees. On the eve of the match, Bangladesh’s Khatun said she expects it to be a “sporting wicket with batters and bowlers expected to benefit from it”. Sri Lanka coach Ratnayake echoed her views.

Stats and trivia

  • Chamari Athapaththu is one run away from 4000 ODI runs and four wickets away from 50 ODI wickets
  • Fargana Hoque is 79 runs away from 2000 ODI runs
  • Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Anushka Sanjeewani will play her 50th ODI match on Monday.

Abel Ferreira tem nove jogos para realizar sonho da torcida do Palmeiras

MatériaMais Notícias


O Palmeiras vive certamente a fase mais vitoriosa de sua história e junto com ela, o clube consegue consolidar um trabalho de base que nasceu lá em 2013 e hoje, 10 anos depois, rende frutos mais do que mágicos e milionários ao Verdão.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Verdão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Palmeiras

Luís Guilherme, Endrick e Estevão brigam por titularidade no atual bicampeão brasileiro, mas o prazo para a torcida ver os três atuando juntos já está se esgotando.

Abel Ferreira jamais escalou os três como titulares para jogarem juntos, e só tem mais nove jogos para fazer isso, uma vez que Endrick está de malas prontas para o Real Madrid.

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Endrick e Estevão já se tornaram titulares do time e Luís Guilherme vai pedindo passagem por uma vaga entre os 11 do Verdão, seja no Brasileiro, Libertadores ou Copa do Brasil.

O trio de meninos canhotos que encantou a torcida alviverde nos últimos jogos é prova viva da mudança dos olhares do clube pra sua categoria de base, que pode render 1 bilhão de reais aos cofres do clube com somente com essas três vendas.

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O Palmeiras hoje é um clube que vence, mas que também forma, e ver esses três juntos em campo seria como um sonho pra quem jamais imaginava ver a categoria de base do clube com o protagonismo que ela tem hoje.

➡️ A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta!

Faz essa por nós e por eles, Abel.

'We're two points behind!' – Robert Lewandowski not losing sight of Real Madrid as Barcelona capitalise on slip up from La Liga leaders

Barcelona forward Robert Lewandowski was delighted to see his team reduce the deficit with table toppers Real Madrid after powering the Catalans to an emphatic 4-2 victory against Celta Vigo, while their rivals dropped points against Rayo Vallecano. The Poland international believes the international break will help Barca regain their lost form as they look to regain control of the league title race.

  • Barca back on track!

    After sharing the spoils with Club Brugge in the Champions League mid-week, Barcelona are back on track with a sensational win over Celta Vigo. Lewandowski, who warmed the bench in the last two games after his recovery, got a place in the starting lineup against Celta and helped the Catalans thwart the home team with a brilliant hat-trick. In the 10th minute, he netted his first goal from the spot, though it was cancelled out a minute later by Sergio Carreira's equaliser for Celta. In the 37th minute, Barca earned their second of the evening through the Polish ace's prowess, only to concede an equaliser six minutes later. The first half ended 3-2 with Lamine Yamal's late goal and Barca went on to limit Celta's attacking force before the 37-year-old netted his third of the game in the 73rd minute. 

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    Lewandowski happy with reducing deficit

    Courtesy of the win, and Madrid's 0-0 draw with Rayo Vallecano at the Bernabeu, Barca are now just three points behind their Clasico rivals. Winner of the matchball in the Celta game, Lewandowski cited the same to the media. He said: "Yes, we're very happy to win a game here 2-4. It's always difficult for us to play in Vigo, but the most important thing is that we won and we're now two points [sic] behind Real Madrid. In the second half we had the game more under control. In the first half I think Celta scored some very easy goals. At half-time, we talked about what we can improve, how we could play better. The fourth goal was very important in allowing us to play with more patience and composure.

    Barca will now have 12 days to prepare for their next game, as the international break brings a cooling period for Flick's squad. The Polish lynchpin believes this break will allow the team to resume action with renewed energy. He claimed: "After this game we can analyse what we can improve, both defensively and offensively. Now we have two weeks to disconnect from the team, but I hope that when we return we can play much better."

  • Flick happy to have Lewandowski back

    The former Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund star's treble takes him to seven goals from just nine La Liga games so far this season. It was the veteran's fourth start of the campaign, having been seen his role under coach Hansi Flick reduced. Lewandowski's contract at the Catalan club will expire at the end of the season and it is not clear if he will be offered a contract extension. Recent reports stated that his agent has held talks with AC Milan over a possible free transfer, with the Rossoneri interested in uniting him with former Clasico rival Luka Modric.

    Flick recently heaped praise on him following his return from injury, telling reporters: "I don't know what's in his DNA, but he recovers in three weeks from injuries that should last five…  When Lewandowski and [Dani] Olmo returned, training was different. The level rose considerably, as did that of the younger players. We need these players to reach our full potential. And that takes time. It's not just about winning, but about understanding the situation and managing it."

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    Tough challenges for Barca after international break

    After the international break, Barca will take on Athletic Club in La Liga, followed by a visit to London to face Enzo Maresca's Chelsea in the Champions League. It is going to be a vital continental clash with the teams level on seven points after four games. They will round off the month with a La Liga clash against Alaves before kicking off December with a home game against Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid.

Juan Soto, Kyle Tucker and More: Grading Biggest Moves of MLB Offseason at All-Star Break

The 2025 MLB season is set for the second half after the All-Star break, which makes it the perfect time to look back at the biggest stories of the offseason.

This past winter saw a number of massive signings and trades that reshaped the league. Since we have a pretty good idea how a lot of those deals have turned out already, here are our grades for the biggest moves of the offseason:

Mets sign Juan Soto

Juan Soto is batting .262/.396/.509 with 23 homers in 96 games. / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The biggest story of the offseason was Soto’s decision to sign the largest contract in professional sports history with the Mets. The four-time All-Star landed a 15-year, $765 million deal but opened the season slowly. After that uncharacteristic start, he began to come on in June and now looks like himself. Since May 31, Soto is slashing .311/.456/.674 with 15 home runs, 30 RBIs and a 1.130 OPS. That explosion helped him become the National League Player of the Month in June.

While Soto has rounded into form, his fWAR (2.9) ranks 28th among MLB hitters, which holds this grade down. He’s 11th among hitters in WAR (3.9), so that metric seems to like him more, and his 155 wRC+ ranks seventh.

Check back at the end of the season; it’s highly likely this grade will be higher.

Grade: B

Cubs trade for Kyle Tucker

Kyle Tucker was named to the All-Star Game for the fourth straight season in 2025. / Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The Cubs made the biggest trade of the offseason, landing Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros. The 28-year-old outfielder has been excellent for his new team, slashing .280/.384/.499 with 17 home runs, 56 RBIs and an OPS of .882. His 4.0 WAR ranks fourth in the NL, and he’s helped lead Chicago to the top of the National League. Sounds like a huge win, right? Well, not completely.

To land Tucker, the Cubs had to surrender a lot of talent and it’s looking like this could be a deal that helps both franchises. The Astros received Isaac Paredes, 2024 first-round pick Cam Smith and righty Hayden Wesneski. While Wesneski underwent Tommy John surgery in May, Paredes made the All-Star team and Smith debuted and has surprised as a rookie. Paredes has produced 2.6 WAR and Smith is up to 2.2.

While Tucker is set to hit free agency this winter and is looking at a massive payday, Houston will have Paredes for two more years and Smith is under team control through 2030. The Cubs did well to get Tucker, but the Astros did better as of now.

Cubs grade: B+
Astros grade: A

Yankees sign Max Fried

Through 20 starts this season, Max Fried has tallied an 11-3 record, 2.43 ERA and 113 strikeouts. / Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

The Yankees made a splash after losing Soto by inking Fried to the biggest contract ever for a lefthanded pitcher. His eight-year, $218 million deal sent the message that New York was still open for business. The 31-year-old has been worth it so far.

Fried finished the first half at 11-3 with a 2.43 ERA, a 1.01 WHIP, and 113 strikeouts against 27 walks in 122 innings. He’s tied for the MLB lead in wins, his 2.9 fWAR ranks sixth in the American League and his FIP (3.02) is tied for fourth in the AL. Most importantly, Fried stepped in as the Yankees’ ace with Gerrit Cole out for the season following Tommy John surgery. He has taken on that mantle and run with it.

Fried made his third All-Star team and has cemented himself as New York’s ace entering the second half.

Grade: A-

Diamondbacks sign Corbin Burnes

Corbin Burnes talks to catcher Jose Herrera before being taken out of the game in the fifth inning against the Nationals at Chase Field on June 1. / Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Diamondbacks went big when they signed Burnes to a six-year, $210 million contract. By landing the former NL Cy Young Award winner, Arizona signaled its intention to compete in the NL West after a disappointing 2024 campaign. It didn’t take long for disaster to strike. 

Burnes pitched 11 games, going 3-2 with a 2.66 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP and 63 strikeouts in 64 ⅓ innings. Unfortunately, he left his June 1 start with elbow discomfort. A few days later the Diamondbacks announced Burnes would undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the rest of the season.

Since Burnes will miss the bulk of the 2025 campaign, this move gets an incomplete grade.

Grade: Incomplete

Red Sox trade for Garrett Crochet

Garrett Crochet helped the Red Sox enter the All-Star break on a 10-game winning streak. / David Butler II-Imagn Images

In need of a true ace for the top of their rotation, the Red Sox swung big and landed Garrett Crochet from the Chicago White Sox on Dec. 11. They gave up prospects Kyle Teel, Braden Montgomery, Chase Meidroth and Wikelman Gonzalez to get the All-Star lefty, then turned around and handed him a six-year, $170 million extension. It was a huge risk for a pitcher with massive upside who had struggled with injuries and had yet to top 146 innings in a season.

So far, the deal has been a great one for Boston. Crochet was named to his second consecutive All-Star team after finishing the first half 10-4, with a 2.23 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and an MLB-leading 160 strikeouts in 129 ⅓ innings. He is building off of his breakout 2024 campaign. He’s currently second in MLB in fWAR among pitchers (4.3) and the 26-year-old is Tarik Skubal’s only real competition for the AL Cy Young award. Only Crochet’s well-documented injury history keeps me from going higher.

Grade: B+

Giants sign Willy Adames

Willy Adames has registered a 97 OPS+ in his first 96 games in a Giants uniform. / Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

In a move that felt like a franchise reaching, desperate to land any kind of free agent hitter, the Giants threw $182 million over seven years at Adames this offseason. The 29-year-old had been good with the Milwaukee Brewers over the past few years but his 32-home run 2024 campaign felt like a classic contract year performance.

Adames’s overall numbers look pretty grim through 96 games he’s slashing .220/.307/.373 with 12 home runs and 48 RBIs. His WAR (0.9) and fWAR (1.5) don’t look good, nor does his wRC+ of 94. But there may be hope on the horizon. Since June 22, Adames has ticked up a bit. In that time he’s slashing .286/.370/.529, with four home runs and 16 RBIs. It’s a small sample size that includes a BABIP of .356, so it may not actually be much of a turnaround, but it’s something. Giants fans can dream on the .899 OPS in that stretch as they prepare for the second half.

It’s possible with Rafael Devers now in the lineup the pressure will come off Adames and he’ll flourish, but as of now his contract looks rough.

Grade: D

Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki sign with Dodgers

Blake Snell has made just two starts since signing with the Dodgers in the offseason. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

We’re lumping these together because of the results. Sasaki was one of the most coveted free agents of the offseason due to his stuff and potential at 23 years old. There were warning signs during his last season in Japan that he might be injured as his velocity ticked down. There may have been something to that.

After eight starts, in which he went 1-1 with a 4.72 ERA, a 1.49 WHIP and 24 strikeouts against 22 walks in 34 ⅓ innings, Sasaki was shut down with a shoulder injury. He began throwing again before being shut down once more, and there is no timetable for him to pick up a baseball again.

Snell was a massive offseason signing. The Dodgers made the former NL Cy Young Award winner a priority and inked him to a five-year, $182 million deal in November. Unfortunately, they have gotten a total of nine innings out of him due to a shoulder injury. Snell has made two starts this season, and is 1-0 with a 2.00 ERA but, again, has only thrown nine innings so the stats are meaningless. The 32-year-old has been back throwing and could head out on a rehab assignment soon. 

Given how high-profile the Snell and Sasaki signings have been, it’s remarkable the Dodgers have only gotten 43 ⅓ innings out of the two high-end hurlers. We don’t know what to make of either deal yet.

Grade: Incomplete

Red Sox sign Alex Bregman

Alex Bregman is batting .298/.380/.546 with 11 homers in 53 games this season in Boston. / Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The Red Sox waited out the market and signed Alex Bregman to a three-year, $120 million deal in February. It’s been a solid addition, despite some drama. Bregman missed the end of May and all of June due to a quad injury, but when he’s been active he’s been excellent.

In 53 games this season, Bregman is slashing .298/.380/.546, with 11 home runs and 35 RBIs. His .927 OPS and wRC+ of 153 would both be his best since 2019. The downside of Bregman’s signing was the fact that it started the sequence of events that led to Rafael Devers being traded to the Giants. Oh, and Bregman can opt-out after this season, and he may do it if he continues to put up great numbers.

In a vacuum, the signing was a good one, though Bregman missing 45 games dulls its shine a bit.

Grade: B

R Ashwin – India's biggest match-winner in Test cricket

His numbers with the ball are the stuff of legend, but Ashwin was more than handy with the bat too

Sampath Bandarupalli18-Dec-2024Ashwin finishes his career with 537 wickets in 106 Test matches, placing him seventh on the all-time wicket-takers list, behind Anil Kumble’s tally of 619 for India. His strike rate of 50.73 is the highest among the nine bowlers with over 500 wickets, while his bowling average of 24 ranks third.He achieved five or more wickets in a Test innings on 37 occasions, a number bettered only by Muthiah Muralidaran, who did it 67 times, while Shane Warne also managed it on 37 ocassions. He has also claimed ten or more wickets in a Test match eight times, the highest among Indian bowlers, alongside Kumble.ESPNcricinfo LtdDominance at Home
Ashwin’s remarkable success at home has contributed significantly to India’s impressive record in home Tests over the past decade. He has played every home Test since his debut in 2011, spanning 65 matches.Of those 65 home Tests, India won 47; only Sachin Tendulkar has featured in more Test wins – 52. Only Alastair Cook (89) played more home Tests than Ashwin without missing any, while the previous highest among allrounders was Tony Greig (31) and among bowlers was Dilip Doshi (21).ESPNcricinfo LtdAshwin took 383 wickets in those 65 home Tests, the most by any Indian bowler and the fourth-highest overall. His 29 five-wicket hauls at home are second only to Muralidaran’s 45. Ashwin’s tally of 303 wickets in Test victories at home is just two shy of Muralidaran’s 305.Among the 23 bowlers with 200-plus Test wickets at home, Ashwin’s average of 21.57 is the sixth-highest, while his strike rate of 46 is the fourth-best. It is also the best strike rate among the eight spin bowlers with 200-plus wickets at home.The ratio between Ashwin’s home average and that of other bowlers (32.47) in those matches is 1.51, the fifth highest among the bowlers with 200-plus wickets at home.ESPNcricinfo LtdContributions with the Bat
Ashwin’s success in Tests wasn’t limited to his bowling; he also made valuable contributions with the bat. He scored six centuries, four of which came while batting at No. 8 or lower, ranking just behind Daniel Vettori’s five.In four of the six matches where he scored a century, he also took a five-wicket haul – only Ian Botham (5) has achieved this double more frequently than Ashwin.Among the eight players with 500-plus wickets before Ashwin, only Stuart Broad and Kumble scored a hundred in Tests. Ashwin’s total of 3503 runs is second only to Broad’s 3662 runs among bowlers with 500-plus wickets.ESPNcricinfo LtdIndia’s very own match-winner
India won 61 of the 106 Test matches in which Ashwin played, with only Tendulkar (72) and Virat Kohli (62) featuring in more Test victories for India. Ashwin’s presence in the playing XI contributed to a win percentage of 57.55%, which is the sixth-highest among players who have played over 100 Tests.The only players with better win percentages are Australians: Matthew Hayden (68.93), Glenn McGrath (67.74), Justin Langer (66.67), Ricky Ponting (64.29), and Shane Warne (63.45), who all played during a dominant period for Australian cricket from 1993 to 2008.

Of Ashwin’s 537 Test wickets, 374 came in victories, which is the fifth-highest for any player. He is the only Indian bowler to claim over 300 wickets in wins. His 31 five-wicket hauls in wins are second only to Muralidaran’s 41.A remarkable 69.65% of Ashwin’s career wickets came in victories, ranking fourth among players with over 300 career wickets. Only Glenn McGrath (73.53), Brett Lee (72.58), and Shane Warne (72.03) have higher percentages.His significant batting contributions also helped secure victories, with five out of his six Test centuries leading to wins, while the other resulted in a draw. While 134 players have achieved five or more centuries in Test wins, Ashwin’s tally of 374 wickets is more than double the next best, Jacques Kallis (182).ESPNcricinfo LtdOther than Ashwin, only Botham (8 100s and 15 five-fors) has recorded five or more centuries and five or more five-wicket hauls in Test wins. These impressive statistics contributed to Ashwin winning the player-of-the-series award on 11 occasions, a record shared with Muralidaran.Ashwin took 25-plus wickets in six of the 11 series where he was named Player of the Series. He had 25 or more wickets in seven different Test series in total, which is a record.New-ball master and nightmare for lefties
Ashwin excelled at bowling with the new ball, often producing better results than some leading pace bowlers. He opened the bowling for India on 54 occasions, taking 180 wickets. Only Rangana Herath (104) has also taken over 100 wickets as a spinner when opening the bowling in Tests.

Ashwin’s average of 19.27 as an opening bowler ranks fifth among the 89 bowlers with 100-plus wickets, while his strike rate of 39.9 is only behind Herath’s 39.4. Ashwin succeeded with a relatively newer ball even when not opening the bowling. He has taken 133 wickets during the first 20 overs of an innings, trailing only James Anderson (213) and Broad (176) since the start of 2002.The batting average against Ashwin in that phase is 21.49, the third-best among the 42 players who have bowled over 400 overs, behind Glenn McGrath (20.52) and Vernon Philander (21.05).Ashwin’s performance against left-handed batters is well-documented; he has claimed 268 wickets against them, just one less than the 269 wickets taken from right-handed batters. Anderson is the only other bowler with over 200 left-handed batter wickets, having achieved 221.The batting average against Ashwin for left-handers is 19.85, the lowest among the 54 bowlers with over 50 left-handed batter wickets since the beginning of 2002.

Only behind Kumble
Ashwin has accumulated 765 wickets across all three formats for India, placing him second only to Kumble’s 953. His wicket tally is also the eleventh-highest by any bowler in international cricket. He is one of six players who scored over 4000 runs and got over 750 wickets in international matches.Ashwin is among 15 players with over 150 wickets for India in men’s ODIs. Additionally, he has 74 T20I wickets, making him the sixth-highest wicket-taker for India in men’s T20Is, where he ranks second among spinners, behind Yuzvendra Chahal’s 98 wickets.

Report: Diamondbacks Unsure Whether to Sell at Deadline Amid Eugenio Suárez Interest

Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suárez is one of the hottest names as Major League Baseball's July 31 trade deadline approaches.

The question remains whether the Diamondbacks will decide to part with him or keep the slugger in hopes of competing for a National League wild card spot, as they currently sit 5.5 games out of the final slot. According to a new report from the 's Jon Heyman, that question remains unanswered, but Arizona is unsurprisingly receiving calls on Suárez.

Heyman named the New York Yankees as a team that has checked in with the Diamondbacks on the 34-year-old slugger. He also named the Chicago Cubs and Seattle Mariners among many other teams that would make sense as a landing spot should the Diamondbacks decide to sell.

Although Heyman didn't explicitly name them in the recent report, another team who may be interested in Suárez's services is the team with the best record in baseball—the Detroit Tigers. Suárez began his career in Detroit and recently said it would mean a lot to him to finish where he started via Evan Petzold of the .

If the Diamondbacks do decide to become sellers, it's clear they won't have an issue moving Suárez, who's slated to become an unrestricted free agent after this season. They have just under two weeks to figure it out.

Through 96 games this year, he's slashing .251/.322/.567 with 31 home runs and 78 RBIs. He's currently tied with Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber for the fourth-most homers across the MLB this season and he's also tied for fourth in RBIs, but with Tigers star Riley Greene.

Wolves decide on interim manager for Chelsea trip as three names crossed off shortlist

Wolverhampton Wanderers have decided who will take charge of their next Premier League match as they continue searching for a new manager.

Across the second half of last season, following his appointment in December, Vitor Pereira guided Wolves well away from any danger of relegation through a strong run of form. Across the summer, though, the club lost a number of key players, such as Matheus Cunha, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Nelson Semedo.

Having not replaced them with players of a similar quality, Wolves have endured a poor start to the 2025/26 campaign. They are without a win after 10 matches in the Premier League, a run that has seen Pereira be sacked from his post, despite signing a new contract just weeks ago.

Wolves are continuing their search for a new manager. Gary O’Neil, who Pereira replaced at Molineux, was linked with what would have been a stunning return to the club. Ultimately, the 42-year-old withdrew from the running. It would appear that, as per recent reports, the appointment will come after their game against Chelsea.

Interim bosses announced as three managers deemed 'unlikely'

As per Lyall Thomas of Sky Sports, James Collins and Richard Walker, bosses within the club’s youth set-up, will take charge of Wolves when they face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. The club are, reportedly, “short of a clear first-choice candidate”.

Wolves have been linked with Middlesbrough manager Rob Edwards, who spent time at the club during his playing career. There too have been suggestions that Wolves were interested in Erik ten Hag. No stranger to the Premier League following his time at Manchester United, the Dutchman was sacked after just three games in charge of Bayer Leverkusen earlier this season.

Another manager that has been linked with the Wolves job is Rui Vitoria, formerly of Benfica, who last worked with Panathinaikos. As per Thomas, however, all of these options are considered “unlikely” options for Wolves.

Though it has been a turgid start for the Midlands side, there is still enough time in the season for them to salvage their position. It remains to be seen, however, which manager they choose to try and lift them out of the bottom three.

Wolves chairman receives reply from manager candidate

IPL retention: How many players can a team keep? And at what cost?

All you need to know ahead of the IPL player retention deadline of October 31

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Oct-20243:53

IPL 2025 player retention rules: All the big questions answered

First up, how many players can an IPL franchise retain?
Six players from their 2024 squad, of which a maximum of five can be capped internationals – Indian or overseas – and two can be uncapped Indian players. Six players is the highest number of retentions permitted by the IPL ahead of a mega auction, to allow franchises to keep their core intact ahead.What does it cost a team to retain players?
Each team has a purse of INR 120 crore – a 20% increase from last year – with which to build their squad for IPL 2025. For the first player retained, a team will lose INR 18 crore from their purse, INR 14 crore for the second player, INR 11 crore for the third, INR 18 crore again for the fourth, and INR 14 crore again for the fifth player retained. For every uncapped Indian player retained, a team will lose INR 4 crore from the purse.So if a team retains five capped internationals, they will lose at least INR 75 crore from their purse of INR 120 crore.Related

Kohli, Patidar and Dayal to be retained by RCB

Punjab Kings to retain only two uncapped players

MI to retain their big four: Rohit, Hardik, Bumrah, Suryakumar

Samson, Jaiswal, Parag and Sandeep set to be retained by Rajasthan Royals

Dhoni set to be among CSK's five retained players ahead of IPL 2025 mega auction

Can the INR 75 crore be split among the five retained players as the franchise wishes?
Yes, the IPL has told franchises they can slice the INR 75-crore retention pot as they want if they are retaining five capped players. If the franchise spends more than INR 75 crore to keep five capped players then the higher amount will be deducted from the purse.If a team retains only one capped player, they will lose a minimum of INR 18 crore from their purse. For two capped players they will lose at least INR 32 crore (18+14) or the higher amount actually paid; for three capped players it is at least INR 43 crore (18+14+11); and for four capped players it is at least INR 61 crore (18+14+11+18).However, if a team retains five capped players, the INR 75 crore (18+14+11+18+14) that will be deducted from their purse can be divided among the players in any proportion. So while their first player may be retained at INR 23 crore, they could keep their fifth player at an amount lower than the stipulated deduction of INR 14 crore to stay within the INR 75 crore deduction, as long as the franchise can reach an agreement with the player.So what’s the buzz ahead of the IPL retention deadline?
Well, Sunrisers Hyderabad seem to have stirred the pot with their intention of retaining Heinrich Klaasen for a whopping INR 23 crore. That raises the issue of how a team like Mumbai Indians will slice the pie of INR 75 crore if they want to retain players like Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Suryakumar Yadav. There are questions over whether captains like Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer will be retained by their teams or want to enter the auction themselves. And whether some teams would prefer to retain just two or three players and use the right-to-match (RTM) option to buy back others at the mega auction.Right-to-match (RTM) … what’s that?
It’s another way for a team to get back their players during the mega auction, instead of retaining them beforehand. A team that retains fewer than six players on October 31 will have some RTM options available to them to buy back players at the mega auction. So if a team retains only three players on Thursday, they will have three RTM options to use at the mega auction. A franchise that retains no players will enter the mega auction with six RTM options. A team that retains six players will have no RTM options at the auction.Also, if a team has retained five capped players, they can use their remaining RTM option to buy back only an uncapped player. And if a team has already retained two uncapped players, they can’t use RTM options on another of their uncapped players at the auction.How does the RTM option work at the auction?
If a player has been bought by another franchise at the mega auction, the franchise that he was part of in IPL 2024 can step in at the end of the bidding process and buy back their player by matching the highest bid.But there’s a twist this time compared to when the RTM rule was last used at a mega auction in 2018. At the 2025 mega auction, if a team wants to buy back a player using the RTM option, the franchise that made the winning bid will be given another opportunity to raise their bid to whatever amount they wish. In that case, the player’s previous team will have to match the increased bid to buy back their player.Let’s take KKR captain Shreyas as a hypothetical example should he enter the auction. If two other teams bid for Shreyas and one of them wins the bid, then KKR can step in and use their RTM option to match the highest bid. But as per the modified RTM rule, franchise that placed the highest bid has the opportunity to raise their bid to any amount, which KKR will then have to match again if they want to buy back Shreyas using the RTM option.What’s this about MS Dhoni being in the uncapped player category this year?
Yes, the IPL has revived a rule it had scrapped in 2021, which allowed capped Indian players who retired or have not played international cricket in the last five years to be categorised as uncapped players. This means Chennai Super Kings can retain Dhoni as an uncapped player at a deduction of INR 4 crore from their purse, unless they pay him more of course.This rule also applies to players like Sandeep Sharma, Mohit Sharma, Piyush Chawla, Amit Mishra, Vijay Shankar, Mayank Markande, Karn Sharma and Rishi Dhawan among others, should their franchises wish to retain them as uncapped players.Can players refuse to be retained by their IPL team?
Yes, if a player doesn’t want to remain with a franchise, they can refuse a retention offer and enter the mega auction. Also, there are no player trades allowed between the retention deadline of October 31 and the start of 2025 season.When is the IPL 2025 mega auction?<br?There is no confirmed date yet but it likely to be in last week of November. Mega auctions usually take place over two days.

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