Not having Jasprit Bumrah for the initial few games of IPL 2025 “is a challenge” and “hopefully he can join the team soon”, Mahela Jayawardene, the Mumbai Indians (MI) head coach, said at a press interaction in Mumbai on Wednesday. Jayawardene further said that the fast bowler “is in good spirits” as he recovers at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (formerly the National Cricket Academy) in Bengaluru.”[Bumrah] has just started his progress. We have to wait and see what their [BCCI medical team] feedback is on him,” Jayawardene said. “At the moment, everything is going well. But, obviously, it is on a day-to-day basis. He is in good spirits. Not having him is a challenge. He is one of the best bowlers in the world and he has been a fantastic pro for us for many years.”We’ll have to wait or find an opportunity for someone else to step up. That’s how I see it. It gives us an element of trying a few things and see how things work. The early part of the season allows us to do that.”Related

• IPL 2025 FAQs: What's new this season? Any changes in format?

• Jayawardene banks on MI's core group and 'old faces' to 'paint our destiny' in IPL 2025

• Suryakumar to lead in Hardik's absence in Mumbai Indians' IPL 2025 season opener

• What can MI do to cope with Bumrah's absence at the start?

Bumrah has played all his IPL cricket for MI, starting in 2013 and picking up 165 wickets in 133 matches over the years. The only IPL season he missed since he started playing was in 2023, when he had a back injury.The MI squad has Trent Boult, Deepak Chahar, Reece Topley and Corbin Bosch (replacement for Lizaad Williams) as the other frontline quicks, along with captain Hardik Pandya, the allrounder, and the uncapped Ashwani Kumar, Satyanarayana Raju, Arjun Tendulkar and Raj Angad Bawa. Bumrah’s absence could force a rethink of MI’s bowling plans, since Boult and Chahar are predominantly powerplay bowlers, leaving them short of proven T20 experience in the death.As ESPNcricinfo reported last week, Bumrah hasn’t recovered from the stress-related back injury that has kept him out of action since January, and he could join the MI squad in early April.1:54

Bond: Transition from IPL to Tests a danger period for Bumrah

He suffered the injury on the second day of the final Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test in Sydney on January 4. Bumrah was subsequently ruled out of the Champions Trophy, which India won earlier this month. This is the first time Bumrah has gone down with a back injury since his surgery in March 2023.While announcing the Champions Trophy squad in January, Ajit Agarkar, India’s chief selector, had said that Bumrah had been asked by the BCCI medical team to offload for at least five weeks (from the SCG Test). Since the Champions Trophy only started on February 19, Bumrah had been included in India’s provisional squad. He travelled to Bengaluru for fresh scans in early February, but continued to feel discomfort and was not named in the final squad.MI’s first two IPL 2025 fixtures are away. They start their campaign in Chennai against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on March 23 and then play Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad on March 29. MI’s first home match is two days later, when they host Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on March 31. They then play two matches in first week of April: Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Lucknow on April 4 and at home against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on April 7.

Manchester United face off against their rivals Manchester City this weekend in the Premier League and could now miss the services of three important stars for the clash.

Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim clarifies goalkeeper situation

The Manchester Derby rightfully has a spot as one of the most anticipated local rivalries in world football and Ruben Amorim will be looking for a morale-boosting victory at the home of the Citizens to further their cause for Premier League improvement.

Last term, Amad Diallo’s late winner against Pep Guardiola’s men in a 2-1 victory during the early stages of Amorim’s tenure proved to be one of the highlights in a campaign full of lows for Manchester United. Other than that, supporters will be glad to view 2024/25 as a distant memory.

Nevertheless, this season hasn’t started without any hitches either, making Sunday’s clash between two eternal enemies one that could go on to shape the dynamic of their respective endeavours over the next few months.

Looking ahead to the clash, Amorim confirmed that £18.2 million Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens will have to wait for his competitive debut after joining from Royal Antwerp on Deadline Day.

“Yeah (Altay Bayindir will play). It is the same thing I do with different positions, It is a different league, different country, different training, different ball, so they will fight for the position. I believe in Altay, he (Lammens) is ready to play but Altay is going to continue.”

However, there are other concerns Amorim will need to deal with ahead of their upcoming derby clash, including the fact three of his players have been ruled out due to injury.

Man Utd trio set to miss Man City clash

Unfortunately, Manchester United trio Matheus Cunha, Mason Mount and Diogo Dalot look set to miss the clash with Manchester City due to injury, Amorim confirmed in his pre-match press duties.

Man Utd’s injury list – who will miss Manchester Derby?

Lisandro Martinez

Matheus Cunha

Diogo Dalot

Mason Mount

The trio earn £415,000 per week between them at Old Trafford and have featured in all three of Manchester United’s Premier League matches so far, so who could come in to replace them?

Kobbie Mainoo may well be a swap for Mount, while Casemiro may start in a deeper role to allow Bruno Fernandes more creative freedom. Patrick Dorgu may also be included higher up to allow greater tactical flexibility.

Either way, Manchester United are gearing up for their biggest match of the season so far and will need to be at the top of their game to take something come full-time at the Etihad.

Tottenham Hotspur have been given a late-summer transfer boost as Daniel Levy and the Lilywhites recruitment team scramble for reinforcements.

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Spurs want to sign a centre-back, playmaker and a new winger (Sky Sports), but bringing in all three is perhaps unlikely at this stage of the window and with such little time remaining.

The north Londoners have found it notoriously difficult already, having seen high-profile blockbuster deals for the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze fail in dramatic fashion.

After weeks of talks, Spurs have also got nowhere with their bid for Savinho, as Man City make it crystal clear that the Brazil international is not for sale.

It remains to be seen who they target as an alternative to the 21-year-old, but it is evident who has become their top playmaker target during this final stretch.

According to numerous sources, RB Leipzig playmaker Xavi Simons is in London right now, with both Chelsea and Tottenham pursuing a deal for the highly-rated Netherlands international.

The 22-year-old is valued at around £60 million, which is a similar price that Spurs were once prepared to pay for Eze and Gibbs-White. With there being precious few available playmakers who could truly make a difference for Thomas Frank, Simons has emerged as their potential saving grace.

He racked up 11 goals and eight assists over 33 appearances in all competitions for Leipzig last term, and Arsenal legend Ian Wright believes that Simons is an “unbelievable” player.

Tottenham have now submitted a near-£60m bid for Simons, according to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, with journalist Graeme Bailey also sharing the player’s stance on joining Frank’s side.

Xavi Simons ready to join Tottenham after talks with his camp

As per the reporter, it is believed that Simons is ready to join Tottenham, who’ve held talks with his representatives, after Chelsea began stalling their deal – with the attacking midfielder growing impatient.

The west Londoners have been in talks for weeks, but there are complications with player sales.

They also haven’t found a full agreement with Leipzig in all of that time, and that has allowed Spurs to move in to hijack their negotiations. Right now, Simons is happy to stop pausing on a move and sign for Tottenham instead, despite already agreeing personal terms with Chelsea.

This flurry of promising developments, including Levy’s offer, means that they could be on the verge of finally signing their desired number 10. However, as we’ve seen with Tottenham, no supporter should celebrate until the ink is dry.

“I think he’s going to have a really good career at the highest level,” said Bayern Munich sporting director, Christoph Freund.

“He has everything, mentality, character and is just an exceptional player.”

The left-arm fast bowler became the first Indian to take a four-wicket haul on IPL debut

Alagappan Muthu31-Mar-20253:07

Does Rohit have a technique issue?

Ashwani Kumar became the first Indian bowler, and sixth overall, to pick up four or more wickets on IPL debut and on the back of his performance Mumbai Indians wrapped up Kolkata Knight Riders for 116 in their first home game of IPL 2025.The 23-year-old left-arm seamer from Punjab tripled his career tally of wickets – from two to six – over the course of one evening. He dismissed the KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane with his first ball. He took down Rinku Singh and Andre Russell. This league does not present many higher quality of wickets.The most impressive thing about Kumar was how hard he was to line up. He had an orthodox bowling action. His speeds were largely in the early to mid 130kph range. Those are the kind of bowlers that get smashed around in the IPL. But try as they might, KKR were never able to do it. Kumar came to prominence because of his performances in the Sher-E-Punjab T20 trophy last year where he displayed an affinity for the death overs. He didn’t really bowl in that phase of the innings against KKR but he did show why he could find success in high-pressure situations. It was his control of length.Rinku tried to take him down, but one ball after coming down the track and hitting him for four, he was caught on the deep-point boundary. Kumar pulled his length back to surprise the batter. Russell tried to take him down, but one ball after clearing his front leg and smacking him through the line, he was beaten by a bouncer and then knocked over by a 140kph good length delivery that surprised the batter again.Mumbai are almost surely looking at their first win of IPL 2025 after losing their first two games. KKR, meanwhile, were left wondering what had gone wrong. They were put in to bat and they seemed very conscious of putting up a par-plus total, their batters going on the attack even though they lost Sunil Narine and Quinton de Kock in the first two overs. Angkrish Raghuvanshi looked good for his 26 off 16 but he fell immediately after the powerplay. That left KKR five down and forced them to bring in Manish Pandey as an Impact Player, which meant they will be going into the bowling innings short of options. The move didn’t work with Pandey falling for 19 off 14.

While the goals weren’t overflowing at St James’ Park on Saturday, Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United did at least pick up a much-needed 1-0 win in Premier League action over lowly Wolverhampton Wanderers to finally get a victory on the board.

Before this confidence-boosting victory on home soil, the Magpies only had a point next to their name in league action, as they feared what a post-Alexander Isak reality would look like.

Now, however, with Nick Woltemade leading the line, the near future looks far more rosy, as the former Stuttgart goal machine scored on his debut to secure a slender victory over Vitor Pereira’s visitors.

Woltemade's dream debut

With Howe revealing before the Wolves clash that Yoane Wissa was going to be absent due to a knee injury, the pressure was severely ramped up on the new £69m striker to deliver some instant goods as the Toon’s fresh centre-forward option.

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Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

He didn’t disappoint either on his first outing at St James’ Park, with the clinical number 27 finding himself in the perfect position to head home a Jacob Murphy deep into the first 45 minutes, which did see Wolves have a few openings.

Thankfully, after Woltemade headed past Sam Johnstone, the tight game swung in favour of the hosts.

More goals should soon come the 6-foot-6 attacker’s way, too, considering he was purchased for that lavish amount, off the back of him powering home a lethal 18 strikes from just 36 contests wearing Stuttgart white.

However, while the Toon masses are undoubtedly enthused by the potential of Woltemade, they look to be less overjoyed by the presence of Harvey Barnes in the first-team ranks as one of the German’s attacking partners, if his out-of-sorts showing against the Old Gold is anything to go by.

Unlike Murphy on the right wing, who assisted Woltemade’s game-clinching goal, Barnes would fail to deliver a single accurate cross all night to the head of the towering striker.

To add insult to injury, the ex-Leicester City attacker would also go the entire contest without testing Johnstone with an on-target effort.

With Anthony Elanga waiting in the wings, it does appear that Barnes might be on borrowed time as Howe’s dependable left-wing option, with Newcastle now left to rue the departure of an enigmatic forward, who could have been a dream partner for Woltemade to bounce off of, over relying on the 27-year-old.

Newcastle must rue selling "breathtaking" Barnes upgrade

Barnes has shown glimpses of his immense quality donning Newcastle black and white, away from a slow start this season.

In particular, last campaign saw the former Foxes hero pick up nine goals and four assists in league action.

But, the alarm bells will be ringing now surrounding the Burnley-born forward, with a poor injury record also weighing heavily next to his tally of no goals and no assists from his opening four league clashes this time around.

In an ideal reality, Newcastle would love to have a “breathtaking” Allan Saint-Maximin back in their ranks, as he was once labelled by former Magpies boss Steve Bruce, as a Barnes upgrade, with the slick Frenchman always consistently entertaining the St James’ Park masses when situated on Tyneside.

Lauded as a “special” talent by Jamie Carragher when at the peak of his powers in England, Saint-Maximin would always have a piece of magic up his sleeve, even when Newcastle found themselves in the doldrums.

In total, the brand-new Club America number 97 would tally up 13 goals and 21 assists for Howe and Co. before moving on to Al Ahli in 2023.

On the contrary, while Barnes does boast one more Toon strike, he only has eight assists next to his name, with Saint-Maximin’s trickery, matched with his eye for an assist, potentially music to the ears of the lofty German if he were still lining up for Howe’s side today.

With two goals already tallied up at Club America from just one league start in Mexico, meaning he’s further started the season in better form than a low-key Barnes, it’s clear to see that Newcastle prematurely got rid of their “rare” talent – as he was once dubbed by Paul Robinson – particularly with Woltemade now in through the door.

Games played

111

Goals scored

12

Assists

19

Big chances created

29

At the time, however, cashing in Saint-Maximin for £30m might have been viewed as a smart move.

But, with the silky Frenchman previously creating big chances for fun in the Premier League, Woltemade could well have even more excellent service to depend on if Saint-Maximin were still at the Magpies, over Barnes failing to spark into life.

Howe's "best" Newcastle duo are now more important than Bruno & Tonali

Eddie Howe might now have unearthed an even better duo at Newcastle United than Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali’s midfield partnership.

ByKelan Sarson Sep 13, 2025

The former New Zealand captain sees the current WTC structure as “not ideal”

Matt Roller31-Mar-20253:42

Williamson: Current WTC structure ‘not ideal’

Kane Williamson has backed calls to introduce designated windows for international cricket, which he believes could help to turn the World Test Championship (WTC) into a “more level competition”.The ICC’s cricket committee will consider proposals to tweak the WTC’s format when it meets in Zimbabwe later this month ahead of the start of the 2025-27 cycle. ECB chair Richard Thompson is among those calling for “a fairer, better competition” after criticism around uneven schedules and a points system that Ben Stokes has described as “utterly confusing”.Williamson, who captained New Zealand to the inaugural WTC title in 2021, described the current structure – which sees Australia, England and India play far more fixtures in a cycle than anyone else – as “not ideal”. He also backed the concept of four protected 21-day international windows per year, an idea proposed by the World Cricketers’ Association (WCA) last week.Related

Bangladesh and Zimbabwe hope for fresh start in Test cricket

In-transition Bangladesh face Zimbabwe test in rainy Sylhet

Williamson opts out of New Zealand central contract for 2024-25

Protected windows on WCA wishlist for 'sustainable future'

“It comes back to scheduling,” Williamson told ESPNcricinfo. “I love Test cricket and I’d love to see it stay and I’d love to see it be a pathway for young cricketers still, alongside the T20 format… If you can prioritise windows where teams are playing each other consistently and somewhat evenly, then I think it just makes it [the WTC] a slightly more level competition.”The context now in Test cricket has certainly increased the effort and results. We don’t see draws any more, basically, in Test cricket, so every team’s pushing for a result when there’s something on it. For us as a country, winning the inaugural Test Championship final, it was really special and a great moment in our history.6:00

Williamson on how T20 leagues have changed cricket

“You put a tournament in front of somebody or a team, and they’re always quite keen to win it… Context is something that’s been spoken about for a while now, and it is great to see that there’s an effort to do that. It’s just how you keep tinkering it because there’s so many different opinions with teams, who they play and how you sort of continue to make it level.”South Africa reached June’s WTC final against Australia at Lord’s after playing only 12 Tests in the 2023-25 cycle, the joint-fewest of any team, and their route to the final has prompted some criticism over the WTC’s unequal schedule.”[Teams] get the cards that they are dealt and they try to make use of what’s in front of them, and take those opportunities,” Williamson said.”Naturally, the fact that it’s different for each team is not ideal. Any time you get the opportunity to review after a two-year Test Championship window, to try and tweak it a little bit, that’s fine. It’s still in its infancy, really, as a competition, so you’re always going to look at those things… It’s tricky though: there’s 12 months in a year, right? That’s difficult.”Williamson believes that 50-over cricket has already “given way” as a format. “I still think the ODI World Cup is at the top of the list in terms of an international event to win. When I first started, you’d have a tour for six weeks… Now, you tend to go from one thing to the next, and so it [50-over cricket] may well be the thing that gives way.”He also believes that the rapid and continued growth of franchise cricket poses significant challenges for national boards outside of the ‘big three’ of Australia, England and India, with financial incentives often drawing young players away from Test cricket.”We’re a small country and a smallish economy, certainly relative to some of the big, big nations,” Williamson said.”You mentioned the big three, and the focus on the five Test-match series that they have, and I’m a fan of watching those too. But [the question is] where that leaves everybody else, not just in terms of how they fit in their international cricket, but how we end up playing each other, or how you can still get that even competition across the board. And not just that, but [how you] still create that pathway for young players to see their heroes perhaps playing for their country.Despite giving up a central contract, Kane Williamson is eager to play for New Zealand•Getty Images

“There’s so much cricket happening in the world, and so many different opportunities for players… The interesting part is what messages that sends to your young players, and what they aspire to be now. You can only say that’s gone from […] a pure Test focus, where that was the start of my career as a youngster, to maybe looking at playing in the IPL, or playing in some of these other big leagues, and country vs franchises and all that sort of discussion.”Williamson has played more than 350 times for New Zealand across a 15-year international career but his priorities are slowly shifting aged 34. He is still active across international formats but turned down a central contract for the 2024/25 season in order to play in the SA20, and is due to feature in the PSL, the T20 Blast and the Hundred later this year.”At the moment, there’s no clear windows that meet everybody’s needs, and that’s the tough part,” Williamson said of the global calendar. “If you do have clear windows, and you do allow that full focus… then you can just take your attention there. What we’re seeing a lot is players having to make decisions [themselves] and that takes away a little bit from one part, whether it’s the international or the franchise space.”Things are moving quickly… It’s quite interesting, but I still absolutely love playing for New Zealand and I’m looking forward to doing that again in the future. But it is nice: there are some other options you can have, and with a young family as well, it’s nice that they can have me around a little bit.”

Disappointment, frustration and false hope are undoubtedly the best ways to describe the current situation at Manchester United football at present.

The younger generation of supporters will likely have followed in their loved one’s footsteps in following the Red Devils, but many won’t have seen the success achieved in years gone by.

Sir Alex Ferguson put the club on the map with his near 27-year stint in charge, leaving Old Trafford as a footballing legend given his tally of 16 top-division titles.

The Scotsman gave the fanbase a reason to be proud of following the club, subsequently helping them achieve the global status they currently possess.

However, it’s not been all plain sailing for everyone involved at the Theatre of Dreams in recent years, currently enduring a 12-year drought without a Premier League title.

Such a spell doesn’t appear to be coming to an end anytime soon, especially if the man currently leading the side doesn’t change his current philosophy on the field.

The failures of Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system

Back in November, huge excitement was built up within the United fanbase after Ruben Amorim took the reins following the dismissal of Erik ten Hag a few weeks prior.

He won the Liga Portugal title back in the 2023/24 campaign, doing so with a 3-4-2-1 system, which he also brought with him after making the move to Old Trafford.

It was a radical change from the 4-2-3-1 often utilised by former Red Devils managers, but it’s one that has failed to change their fortunes on the pitch since his appointment.

The 40-year-old has only achieved a measly 38% win percentage in the role, winning just eight Premier League games, which resulted in the club’s 15th-placed finish in 2024/25.

Amorim’s fortunes haven’t changed in the new season, only winning one of the last four outings and even losing the most recent outing against local rivals Manchester City.

He also spoke out after the defeat, with huge questions being asked about his current system, but insisted he won’t be moving away from his current philosophy.

However, it’s clear that after 47 matches in charge, he’s been unable to transform the squad, desperately needing a change in system if he is to save his job in the coming weeks.

The player who Amorim must unleash in a system change

Much has been made about the lack of success at United over recent years, but fingers have been pointed to the way of the manager and the hierarchy, given the poor recruitment.

Rasmus Hojlund was Amorim’s number one centre-forward option last campaign, but massively failed to deliver, only scoring four times in the Premier League throughout his 32 appearances.

The Dane was subsequently moved on during the summer transfer window, leaving on loan to join Serie A side Napoli – with the deal potentially turning into a permanent one next summer.

However, he’s already hit the ground running for Antonio Conte’s side, scoring on his debut against Fiorentina last weekend – which could indicate that he was held back by Amorim’s system.

Another player who’s suffered since Amorim’s arrival is academy graduate Kobbie Mainoo, with his career massively stagnating over the last couple of months.

The 20-year-old burst onto the scene in 2023/24, registering 35 appearances in all competitions and finding the net five times from his deep-lying midfield position.

Goals against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester City in the FA Cup were memorable moments for the youngster, but also ones that made him a regular starter under Ten Hag.

He was even included in England’s Euro 2024 squad, making six appearances throughout the tournament, which led to Alex Turk labelling him a “£100m-plus footballer”.

However, Mainoo has only been restricted to 22 starts in the last 12 months, none of which have come in the early stages of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign.

As a result of his lack of action, the player requested a loan move during the summer, but it was rejected – a decision that could prove to be a blessing in disguise if Amorim changes his system.

A 4-3-3 formation could allow the Red Devils to have more solidity in the middle of the park, with Mainoo able to regain regular minutes in a trio alongside Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte.

His reduced minutes last season restricted his progress, but the youngster managed to produce some impressive figures, which highlight his ability to play in a box-to-box role.

Games played

25

Minutes played

1656

Pass accuracy

87%

Chances created

1.7

Successful dribbles

1.3

Tackles won

63%

Duels won

5.9

Interceptions made

1.2

Recoveries made

4.8

He created 1.7 chances per 90 and completed 1.7 dribbles per 90, subsequently allowing him to develop the ball into forward areas and find the new £200m trio at the top end of the pitch.

Mainoo also won 63% of the tackles he entered, making 1.2 interceptions alongside such a tally – showcasing his ability to regain possession and have a positive impact at both ends.

If he can replicate such numbers in a system change, there’s no reason as to why he can’t once again be a key component in any future success at Old Trafford.

However, the main focus at present will be on the managerial situation, with Amorim desperately needing to move away from his current philosophy if the club are to overturn their dismal ongoing slump.

Amorim can save his job by axing Man Utd flop who is this season's Onana

Ruben Amorim is certainly facing the sack at Manchester United if he doesn’t change their fortunes.

ByEthan Lamb Sep 16, 2025

The PSL may have taken a day off, but it didn’t stop the league from producing another blowout. The in-form James Vince led the way for Karachi Kings, his easy elegance producing 70 off 47 balls to bail his side out of a tricky position three quarters of the way into the innings. It was complemented by an excellent bowling and fielding performance in the face of limp resistance from Quetta Gladiators. The ageless Mohammad Nabi was the architect of the Gladiators’ woes, conceding just seven in four overs for two wickets. Gladiators had lost their first five wickets for 57 and trudged on till the end as Karachi wrapped up a 56-run triumph.Kings opted to bat, and, as has been the trend this tournament, flew out of the blocks with David Warner and Tim Seifert. In four of the first five overs, Kings found at least two boundaries in a free-flowing start, in spite of Gladiators running through the bowling options in an attempt to find a way to apply the brakes. Back-to-back fours by Seifert off 33-year-old legspinner Ali Majid, who was making his PSL debut, brought up Kings’ fifty in the fifth over.But Kings lost their way as the end of the powerplay neared. Abrar Ahmed beat Warner in the flight four balls before Saud Shakeel cleaned Seifert up, and as Kings stuttered, Gladiators squeezed. The next four overs produced just 18 as Shakeel’s men dominated the middle overs, and by the end of the 14th, the momentum had switched around completely, with Kings having managed 108 for 4.James Vince’s half-century boosted Karachi Kings•PCB

However, the PSL’s penchant for producing big runs at the death in the first innings held firm. Vince, the only one batting with any fluency at this point, went after Faheem Ashraf, who has been routinely expensive this tournament. As Gladiators’ discipline faltered, Vince and Nabi made hay, smashing 67 in the final six to end with a total they felt was defendable.They need not have worried at all. Seven balls into their defence, Kings began to cut through their opponents. Mir Hamza responded to a Finn Allen six with a slower ball he toe-ended to Nabi, while Hasan Nawaz fell to an excellent catch at slip by Khushdil Shah.It never really got better for them despite a cameo from Kusal Mendis as a dart from Nabi brought about his departure. It was the Afghan’s first over, and he would have sunk his sword deep into the Gladiators by the time he had be done with his fourth. The ever-dangerous Rilee Rossouw departed trying to deposit him over the rope, and when he sent down his last delivery, Gladiators were teetering on the brink at 53 for 6 at the halfway stage.Opener Shakeel hung around ineffectually, never making a realistic attempt to go after the target. He clipped it around as Mohammad Amir had some success with a few swings; it was telling that by the time Aamer Jamal cleaned Amir up, he had hit a 16-ball 30 from No. 9 while Shakeel, who faced the innings’ first ball, had managed 29 off 35.Shakeel would remain undefeated till the end of an innings that hobbled along till the final delivery as Gladiators ended on 119 for 9. However, the same could not be said of the team he leads, which fell to its second successive heavy defeat.

The Ballon d’Or is the most prestigious individual award in football and numerous legends of the game have picked up the honour since its creation in 1956.

Voted for by an international jury of journalists, Manchester City midfielder Rodri won the award in 2024 after a sensational season at the Etihad. But with the 30 nominees now ranked, here is the final 2025 Ballon d’Or standings.

Ballon d'Or final rankings in pictures

2025 Ballon d’Or Final Rankings

Rank

Player

Age

Club

Nation

1

Ousmane Dembele

28

PSG

France

2

Lamine Yamal

18

Barcelona

Spain

3

Vitinha

25

PSG

Portugal

4

Mohamed Salah

33

Liverpool

Egypt

5

Raphinha

28

Barcelona

Brazil

6

Achraf Hakimi

26

PSG

Morocco

7

Kylian Mbappe

26

Real Madrid

France

8

Cole Palmer

23

Chelsea

England

9

Gianluigi Donnarumma

26

Man City

Italy

10

Nuno Mendes

23

PSG

Portugal

11

Pedri

22

Barcelona

Spain

12

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

24

PSG

Georgia

13

Harry Kane

32

Bayern Munich

England

14

Desire Doue

20

PSG

France

15

Viktor Gyokeres

27

Arsenal

Sweden

16

Vinicius Jr

25

Real Madrid

Brazil

17

Robert Lewandowski

37

Barcelona

Poland

18

Scott McTominay

28

Napoli

Scotland

19

Joao Neves

20

PSG

Portugal

20

Lautaro Martinez

28

Inter Milan

Argentina

21

Serhou Guirassy

29

Borussia Dortmund

Guinea

22

Alexis Mac Allister

26

Liverpool

Argentina

23

Jude Bellingham

22

Real Madrid

England

24

Fabian Ruiz

29

PSG

Spain

25

Denzel Dumfries

29

Inter Milan

Netherlands

26

Erling Haaland

25

Man City

Norway

27

Declan Rice

26

Arsenal

England

28

Virgil van Dijk

34

Liverpool

Netherlands

29

Florian Wirtz

22

Liverpool

Germany

30

Michael Olise

23

Bayern Munich

France

Detailed look at the 2025 Ballon d'Or top 20 20 Lautaro Martinez Inter Milan and Argentina

Striker Lautaro Martinez came close to winning the Champions League in 2024/25, with the Inter Milan captain playing a key role in their run to the final, scoring nine goals in 14 European appearances.

In Serie A, the Argentine also hit double figures for goals for the sixth successive season, seeing him finish in 20th place.

19 Joao Neves PSG and Portugal

One of many PSG regulars who finished in the top 30 is midfielder Joao Neves, who is starting to show why the French giants splashed the cash on his services in 2024.

His first full season at the Parc des Princes couldn’t have gone better, playing regularly and lifting all there was to be won in Paris. Neves was called crucial to PSG’s Champions League success due to his “immense physical commitment”.

18 Scott McTominay Napoli and Scotland

After leaving Manchester United for Napoli in 2024, Scott McTominay enjoyed a brilliant first season in Italy, guiding them to a Serie A title.

In fact, the Scottish midfielder was named as the Serie A MVP for 2024/25 as he contributed to 18 goals in 34 league games. Finishing above the likes of Erling Haaland and Virgil van Dijk shows just how far McTominay has come.

17 Robert Lewandowski Barcelona and Poland

At the age of 37, Robert Lewandowski has continued to score goals at the highest level, finding the back of the net on 42 occasions in 2024/25.

The Poland international has had some incredible attacking players around him under Hansi Flick and has won the Copa del Rey, Supercopa de Espana and La Liga. However, Lewandowski missed most of Barcelona’s Champions League semi-final with Inter Milan through injury.

16 Vinicius Jr Real Madrid and Brazil

After finishing second in the 2024 Ballon d’Or rankings and not turning up to the event, Vinicius Jr was looking to win the prestigious award in 2025.

However, with Real Madrid missing out on the La Liga title and also being knocked out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage, the Ballon d’Or wasn’t going to a Galactico.

Vinicius Jr has still contributed to 39 goals in 52 appearances in all competitions, though, winning the UEFA Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup.

15 Viktor Gyokeres Arsenal and Sweden

One of Europe’s best strikers around at this moment in time is Viktor Gyokeres, who has now signed for Arsenal from Sporting CP. After an outstanding first season in Portugal, Gyokeres backed that up in 2024/25 with more than 50 goals in all competitions.

No player has scored more in Europe, and the Sweden international rounded off the campaign by winning both the Liga Portugal and Taca de Portugal and has already opened his account for the Gunners.

14 Desire Doue PSG and France

Desire Doue has proven to be a gem of a signing for PSG and impressed as a starter later in the season, despite sometimes being in the shadows of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembele.

However, the 20-year-old starred in big moments, providing two assists in the Coupe de France final while scoring two goals and getting an assist in the Champions League final. Those displays saw him finish 14th, and he looks destined to pick up the Ballon d’Or at some point in his career.

13 Harry Kane Bayern Munich and England

Bayern Munich and England star Harry Kane continued to score goals for fun in Germany and finally won the first major piece of silverware of his career.

The striker lifted the Bundesliga title in 2024/25, scoring 41 goals and providing 14 assists in all competitions during the season.

12 Khvicha Kvaratskhelia PSG and Georgia

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia made the move to Paris Saint-Germain in January and went on to help the French giants win the Ligue 1 title, Coupe de France, and the Champions League, scoring in the final against Inter Milan.

The first half of the 2024/25 season saw Kvaratskhelia star for Napoli, who also won Serie A, before his big money move to France, so the Georgia icon’s two league winners medals helped him to a high ranking.

11 Pedri Barcelona and Spain

Running the midfield for Barcelona has been Pedri, who remained injury free under Hansi Flick to help them win the Copa del Rey, Supercopa de Espana and La Liga.

Called “the best midfielder in the world” by Thiago Alcantara recently, Pedri has controlled numerous games and has missed just one in all competitions in 2024/25, contributing to 14 goals along the way. He also helped Spain reach the Nations League final.

تداولت خلال الساعات الماضية أنباء قوية عن اقتراب مدرب سيراميكا كليوباترا، علي ماهر، من الرحيل لتولي تدريب الاتحاد الليبي، بعد النتائج المميزة التي حققها مع الفريق في الدوري المصري.

وأثارت هذه الأنباء جدلًا واسعًا في الأوساط الكروية المصرية، خاصة أن سيراميكا يقدم موسمًا استثنائيًا حتى الآن، جعل اسمه ضمن المنافسين على صدارة الترتيب.

لكن نادي سيراميكا كليوباترا خرج سريعًا للرد على تلك الأخبار، عبر تصريحات خاصة لـ بطولات، أكد فيها حقيقة موقف مدربه من الرحيل إلى ليبيا.

اقرأ أيضًا.. أمير عبد الحميد يكشف سر رفض توروب انضمامه لجهاز الأهلي تحت قيادته

وقال معتز البطاوي، المدير الرياضي للنادي: “هذا الكلام غير صحيح على الإطلاق، علي ماهر مستمر معنا في سيراميكا كليوباترا، وكل ما يقال عن رحيله إلى ليبيا وسفره للتدريب هناك شائعات”.

وأضاف البطاوي: “علي ماهر ملتزم بعقده مع النادي، ويقود الفريق بكل تركيز”.

ويتصدر سيراميكا كليوباترا حاليًا جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري برصيد 23 نقطة من 12 مباراة، متقدمًا بفارق نقطتين عن الأهلي الوصيف، الذي لعب مباراة أقل.

وبالتالي، فإن علي ماهر متواجد مع سيراميكا كليوباترا في الفترة المقبلة وسيقود الفريق في بطولة كأس السوبر المصري التي ستقام في الآمارات خلال الفترة من 6 إلى 9 نوفمبر وسيستعد لمواجهة الأهلي في نصف النهائي.