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West Ham chiefs have now been told exactly what they need to complete a deal for AC Milan striker Santiago Gimenez in January, with Nuno Espírito Santo’s side in the market for another centre-forward as Niclas Füllkrug packs his bags.

The Hammers are stepping up their pursuit of a number nine ahead of the winter transfer window, with Fullkrug set to depart as the injury-ridden German international seeks a new chapter (Fabrizio Romano).

Fullkrug, according to multiple reliable media sources, is exploring options to leave, with talks already happening, after having struggled with injuries and a lack of overall form since his move from Borussia Dortmund last year. His impending departure has intensified the need for attacking reinforcements, with Nuno apparently keen to bolster his forward options following a difficult start to the campaign.

The East London club have “already” begun scouring the market for potential targets (Fabrizio Romano), and West Ham are reportedly keeping an eye on Man United striker Joshua Zirkzee as a potential reinforcement, among others.

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

Leeds 2-1 West Ham

West Ham 3-1 Newcastle

West Ham 3-2 Burnley

West Ham have been linked with Palmeiras striker Vitor Roque and explored a loan move for Real Madrid’s Endrick, before Lyon swooped in to take command in the race for his signature as the Ligue 1 giants press ahead with a deal.

Additionally, Gimenez has emerged as a target for West Ham too.

The Mexico international, who scored for fun in the Eredivisie and even once commanded an £88 million price tag, hasn’t managed to carry on that form at the San Siro since making his eventual £28 million move to Milan earlier this year.

Gimenez has managed just seven goals in 30 total appearances for the Rossoneri, and Milan chiefs may now green-light a mid-season departure for the 24-year-old, who had previously starred under Arne Slot at Feyenoord.

The North American racked up 26 goals in 41 appearances in Slot’s final season at Feyenoord, and finished the previous campaign as their top scorer whilst firing them to the title that year.

Interestingly, Milan are believed to be interested in Fullkrug as a replacement for Gimenez, with the prospect of a swap deal even touted in the press very recently.

West Ham told Santiago Gimenez deal conditions as Fullkrug swap deal mooted

While the possibility of a swap deal or even part-exchange is apparently there, a report by Calciomercato has detailed exactly what David Sullivan needs to do to make a deal happen.

According to their information, West Ham’s hopes of securing Gimenez in January hinge on meeting strict conditions set by the Italian giants.

Milan will only consider selling for a permanent transfer fee of at least £22 million, and crucially, the deal must come from a club that Gimenez himself approves. The Italian outlet emphasizes that without these two conditions being met, any discussions remain purely hypothetical.

The situation presents both an opportunity and a challenge for Nuno’s side. However, that being said, there is reason to believe that Gimenez would be a major upgrade on Fullkrug.

The eight-year age difference between the two strikers means that West Ham would certainly benefit from a swap for the long-term, and unlike Fullkrug, Gimenez enjoyed 20-plus goal seasons in the build up to his Milan move.

Gimenez’s “sensational” form at Feyenoord attracted interest from elite Premier League sides, including Arsenal, and West Ham could now have a chance to help him rediscover his goalscoring touch in England.

Milan’s willingness to sell means a deal is there to be done, so Gimenez could genuinely be one of Nuno’s better options.

Rain again thwarts visitors’ push for victory on same day that they receive points deduction

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay11-Sep-2025A bad day for Hampshire ended with them flirting with first division relegation after rain frustrated their attempt to beat Sussex at Hove.Only 21 overs were possible on the final day at the 1st Central County Ground and between the showers Sussex, who needed 278 to win, reached 84 for 3 before a final downpour at 4pm ended play with opener Tom Haines unbeaten on 40. Both teams took 11 points.That at least covered the eight points Hampshire had been deducted earlier in the day for preparing a poor pitch when Sussex won at the Utilita Bowl in May.Hampshire have a trip to Somerset next week before they finish the season at home to title-chasing Surrey.Having been up against it after two days, Sussex will be relieved with an outcome which stretches the gap between them and the bottom two. They host ninth-placed Yorkshire next week before finishing the season against the side currently bottom, Worcestershire, at New Road.After the entire third day was washed out, more rain delayed the start until 2pm, leaving Sussex 51 overs to score a further 241 at 4.7 runs per over.On a pitch which was becoming more comfortable to bat on, Hampshire needed to take every opportunity going but in the third over of the day wicketkeeper Ben Brown put down a chance low to his right offered by night watcher Sean Hunt off Kyle Abbott. In the next over Hunt edged Keith Barker between second and third slips.Just 27 minutes were possible before another shower drove the players off with six overs lost but Hampshire then struck twice in successive overs to give themselves hope. Hunt had done his job, using up 61 balls in making 19 before left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin pinned him lbw half forward.In the next over Barker picked up a deserved wicket when Ollie Carter was bowled by a delivery which nipped back onto his off stump. But only 8.4 overs more were bowled either side of tea before another downpour was quickly followed by handshakes on the dressing-room balcony.

كشف مصدر داخل نادي الزمالك، عن أسباب إحالة المهدي سليمان حارس مرمى الفريق إلى التحقيق، بعد تغيبه عن التدريبات الساعات الأخيرة دون سبب واضح. 

وكان الزمالك قد حقق الفوز على زيسكو الزامبي بهدف دون رد، في الجولة الأولى من دور المجموعات من بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية. 

طالع.. مران الزمالك | جلسة بين عبد الرؤوف واللاعبين.. وتدريبات فنية وخططية

وقال المصدر لـ بطولات: “المهدي سليمان كان يأمل في الحصول على فرصه للمشاركه خلال الفترة الماضية، لكن بعد إعلان قائمة مباراة زيسكو الزامبي في الكونفدرالية وعدم تواجده فيها من الأساس، اللاعب شعر بالغضب فقرر الغياب عن تدريبات الفريق”

وأضاف: تم خصم جزء من مستحقات المهدي سليمان، بسبب تغيبه عن مران الفريق قبل السفر الى جنوب إفريقيا استعدادًا لمواجهة كايزر تشيفز الجنوب إفريقي وفقًا للائحة”. 

وتابع: “سيتم عقد اجتماع مع المهدي سليمان عقب العودة من جنوب إفريقيا إلى مصر، لاحتواء الأزمة وحل الأمر بشكل ودي مع تطبيق اللائحة على الحارس”.

ويستعد الزمالك لمواجهة كايزر تشيفز الجنوب إفريقي، يوم السبت المقبل، في الجولة الثانية من دور المجموعات من بطولة الكونفدرالية الإفريقية. 

Stats highlights from New Zealand’s 3-0 sweep of England in the ODI series

Sampath Bandarupalli01-Nov-202510 Consecutive bilateral ODI series wins at home for New Zealand since losing to India in January 2019 – the second longest winning streak in men’s ODIs after South Africa’s 17 consecutive series wins between 2002 and 2007. New Zealand surpassed England’s streak of nine series wins between 2016 and 2020.2 Instances of New Zealand whitewashing England in a series of three or more matches across formats. The previous instance was also in a three-match ODI series at home in 1983.10 Consecutive defeats for England in ODIs away from home, their longest losing streak.ESPNcricinfo Ltd22.3 Strike rate of New Zealand’s bowlers in the series against England, the second best for any team in a men’s ODI series or tournament where they took at least 30 wickets. South Africa’s bowlers had a strike rate of 21.5 against Zimbabwe in a three-match series in 2018.New Zealand’s fast bowlers took 26 wickets against England at a strike rate of 19.8, the best for any team in a series or tournament for a minimum of 20 wickets.84 Runs scored by England’s top four across the three ODIs in New Zealand – the fewest by any team’s top four in a men’s ODI series or tournament where they batted at least three times. The previous lowest was 89 by Bangladesh in the 1988 Asia Cup.England’s top three scored 58 – Jamie Smith (18), Ben Duckett (11) and Joe Root (29) – in the three ODIs. Only one team has had fewer runs in an ODI series or tournament (minimum of three matches), while playing with the same top three: 46 by Bangladesh’s Tamim Iqbal (40), Junaid Siddique (1) and Mushfiqur Rahim (5) in the 2009 Tri-Nation Tournament in Bangladesh.ESPNcricinfo Ltd104 Runs added by England for their first four wickets in this series, having lost their fourth wicket at scores of 10, 63 and 31 in the three matches – the fewest runs added by a team for their first four wickets in a men’s ODI series or tournament (minimum of three games).156 Runs scored by Jamie Overton are the most in a three-match series while batting at No. 8 or lower, going past Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s 141 runs against India in 2022.

There is no rain forecast for match-day in Adelaide and the conditions are expected to be batting-friendly

Tristan Lavalette22-Oct-20254:27

Renshaw not sweating about Ashes selection

Big picture – Subplots add to the intrigueThis Australian international summer – hyped as possibly the biggest cricket season ever – started with a whimper after persistent drizzle in Perth ensured the first ODI was rather forgettable.But Australia did dominate a game that lasted less than 50 overs and they can clinch the three-game series with victory in Adelaide. While the series-opener will be erased from the memory of the fans who endured the constant rain delays – a further frustration was that it hardly rained during some breaks – there were some notable takeaways for both teams.Perhaps most pleasing for Australia was the new-ball performance from quicks Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc as they tore through India’s top order before the damp weather set in. Hazlewood, particularly, relished the extra bounce and pace on a ground that will host the first Ashes Test in a month.Related

India's ODI gameplan tested in pacy Perth

Frustrated Short looks to make most of India opportunity

'I hide' – Renshaw blocks out Ashes speculation

With Pat Cummins set to miss the Ashes opener, Hazlewood’s importance has grown and he looked in good physical condition in the first ODI having struggled with injuries in recent years.While the Ashes hovers over basically everything in Australia right now, winning this series is important for Australia as they look to build consistency in 50-over cricket after a patchy run.ODI debutants Matthew Renshaw and Mitchell Owen performed well as did fringe players Matt Kuhnemann and Josh Philippe in a welcome sign for the team’s depth amid a transition ahead of the 2027 World Cup.Josh Hazlewood starred with two key wickets in the opening ODI•Getty Images

India, however, had very little to take out of the first ODI apart from a late cameo from debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy and an impressive new-ball spell from left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh.Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma struggled in their returns, while Shubman Gill had a rare recent failure on his ODI captaincy debut. India were rusty in their 50-over return since the Champions Trophy and it was a particularly tight turnaround for those who played in the Delhi Test against West Indies, which only finished on October 14.India will surely present a much more formidable challenge in Adelaide and they will need to if they are to force a series-decider. Like in Perth, the sellout crowd in Adelaide should be mostly filled with blue shirts to again underline India’s heft in the sport.Form guideAustralia WWLLL
India LWWWWIn the spotlight: Matthew Short and Rohit SharmaWhile those in the Ashes frame are hogging the spotlight, Matthew Short has gone under the radar given he is not part of those discussions. But Short has for some time been on the fringes of Australia’s white-ball teams, pegged back by inconsistencies and, more recently, injuries. Unlike Renshaw and Philippe, Short did not make the most of his opportunity in the first ODI, making just 8 off 17 and falling tamely to left-arm spinner Axar Patel. Short is likely to be retained at his favoured Adelaide Oval, where he has long dominated for Adelaide Strikers in the BBL. He will need to perform well with competition starting to heat up amid a transition of the batting order.Rohit Sharma succumbed under the early onslaught in Perth, nicking Hazlewood to second slip on 8. In his return to the field since the IPL, he scratched around, but did show off his trim physique with hard running between the wickets. Rohit has been working tirelessly in the Adelaide nets as he hopes to turn back the clock and alleviate some pressure amid doubts over whether he can make it to the next World Cup.3:07

Kotak: ‘Too early to judge’ Kohli and Rohit

Team news: Alex Carey and Zampa returnRegulars Alex Carey and Adam Zampa will return, likely at the expense of Philippe and Kuhnemann. Carey missed the opener due to Sheffield Shield duties and he will take the gloves with first-choice white-ball wicketkeeper Josh Inglis still on the sidelines with a calf injury. Zampa was unavailable in Perth owing to paternity reasons and he will squeeze out Kuhnemann, who had a rare opportunity in the XI and did well bowling in the death.Australia (possible): 1 Mitchell Marsh (capt), 2 Travis Head, 3 Matthew Short, 4 Alex Carey (wk), 5 Matthew Renshaw, 6 Cooper Connolly, 7 Mitchell Owen, 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Nathan Ellis, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Adam ZampaIndia are likely to stick with the same batting order, but question marks hover over the makeup of their attack. Left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav was unlucky to miss out in Perth although Axar and Washington Sundar – both preferred for their all-round abilities – bowled quite well, taking two of the three wickets to fall. Spinners are normally under the gun at the smaller Adelaide Oval making it an intriguing dilemma for India’s hierarchy. Prasidh Krishna’s ability to swing the new ball might get him the nod over Harshit Rana, who struggled in Perth.India (possible): 1 Shubman Gill (capt), 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Axar Patel, 7 Washington Sundar/Kuldeep Yadav, 8 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 9 Harshit Rana/Prasidh Krishna, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Mohammed SirajWashington Sundar was preferred over Kuldeep Yadav in the opening ODI•PTI

Pitch and conditionsThere has been rain in Adelaide in the lead-up, with the SACA ground staff using UV lights to dry the wicket ahead of the match. In a relief, no rain is forecast on Thursday, although conditions are expected to be overcast and cool. The Adelaide Oval is renowned as a batting paradise because of the shorter boundaries square of the wicket.Stats and triviaKohli needs 54 runs to move past Kumar Sangakkara and into second place on the ODI runs list. Travis Head needs 50 to reach 3000 ODI runs. Starc is five wickets away from joining Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee and Shane Warne as the only Australians to take 250 ODI wickets. Australia have not beaten India in an ODI in Adelaide since January 2008. India completed successful chases in the past two matches between the teams in 2011 and 2019. Quotes”Adelaide’s always a good place to play and it will be heaving tomorrow. It’s a sellout so it’s a great chance for guys to show off their skills.”
“Both Virat and Rohit looked in good touch. They batted well in the nets yesterday. I believe they are doing well.”

South Africa are already in the semi-finals but Pakistan, despite not winning a game so far, are still in contention for a spot in the last four

Andrew Fidel Fernando20-Oct-20252:48

High-flying South Africa take on deflated Pakistan

Big picture – Can Pakistan find some batting firepower?South Africa have already booked a semi-final spot. Despite not having won a match so far in the tournament, Pakistan still have a slim chance of sneaking into the knockouts, provided they win their last two matches by huge margins and other results also go their way. With no teams ruled out of contention just yet (at least until Monday’s Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka match finishes), there is plenty on the line in every game. This tournament has now arrived at its pointy end.Pakistan’s bowlers will perhaps still be buoyed by their most recent performance. Fatima Sana and Co. struck early and then repeatedly against England, restricting one of the better batting units in the tournament to a low score that Pakistan looked likely to chase down, before a second spell of rains washed the rest of that match out. As had been the case in that game, the rains that have held sway in Colombo will likely envenom seamers, who may get the ball to move appreciably off a slightly moist deck. Often, teams prefer to bat first at the Khettarama – a venue that is notoriously tricky for chasing sides, especially under lights. But at this time of year, bowling first is an advantage too.Related

Road to the semis: Five teams in contention for one spot

Bangladesh, Pakistan and SL fall behind in the power game

In fact, Pakistan’s batters were on the receiving end of some good seam bowling in Saturday’s match against New Zealand, when they had been 92 for 5 in an already rain-reduced innings, before more rains ended that match. South Africa have experienced seamers like Masabata Klaas and Marizanne Kapp in their XI. Although they haven’t quite lit this World Cup up so far, both bowlers are very capable of bowling themselves into better rhythm on a helpful deck.The tougher the surface is to bat on, however, the more Pakistan will feel they can compete. As batting is by a distance the weaker of their two main discipline, a low-scoring match would suit them best. In fact, it had been a low-scoring game in which Pakistan last took South Africa down, roughly a month ago in Lahore.South Africa’s batting, which, as Sri Lanka found out on Friday, is led off by one of the best opening combinations going, is looking in increasingly good shape. They appear to have left the embarrassment of being blown away for 69 in their tournament opener well and truly behind them.1:15

Sekhukhune: ‘We want to keep ticking all the boxes’

Form guidePakistan: LLLLW
South Africa WWWWLIn the spotlight – Fatima Sana and Nonkululeko MlabaPakistan captain Fatima Sana has been putting together an excellent World Cup, with nine wickets at an average of 16 so far. Almost 15% of her overs have also been maidens (she has bowled more maidens than any other bowler in this tournament). Against England, her last outing with the ball, Sana bowled some vicious inseaming deliveries, presenting a beautiful wobble-seam, and extracting substantial movement to send balls shooting between right-hand batters’ bats and pads. Both South Africa’s opening batters are right-hand batters. Expect Sana to repeat that same mode of attack against them.Although in T20Is Nonkululeko Mlaba has been a force for some time, this World Cup may be remembered as the tournament in which she stepped up her ODI bowling. She is by a huge distance South Africa’s most penetrative bowler of the tournament, having claimed 11 wickets at an average of 15.18, with an economy rate of 4.63. Pakistan’s batters will know that even if they survive the seamers, they have one of the world’s smartest spinners to counter later in the innings.Pitch and conditions: Can the rain please stop?I think we can call it now – the northeast monsoon appears to have properly arrived in Colombo, which makes a match uninterrupted by rain even less likely. There will likely be juice in the pitch for the seamers, but it is a rare match at the Khettarama where the ball does not take significant turn as well.0:58

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

Team news: Pakistan might strengthen their battingPakistan will search for ways to add muscle to their fragile batting order. Could Eyman Fatima or Sadaf Shamas make it back into the XI as they search for better combinations?Pakistan (possible): 1 Omaima Sohail, 2 Muneeba Ali, 3 Sidra Amin, 4 Aliya Riaz, 5 Natalia Pervaiz, 6 Eyman Fatima/Rameen Shamim, 7 Fatima Sana (capt), 8 Sidra Nawaz (wk), 9 Diana Baig, 10 Nashra Sandhu, 10 Sadia IqbalSouth Africa will likely keep their XI as it is.South Africa (possible): 1 Laura Wolvaardt (capt), 2 Tazmin Brits, 3 Sune Luus, 4 Marizanne Kapp, 5 Annerie Dercksen, 6 Chloe Tryon, 7 Nadine de Klerk, 8 Karabo Meso (wk), 9 Nondumiso Shangase, 10 Masabata Klaas, 11 Nonkululeko MlabaStats and trivia Sana has played more ODIs (ten) against South Africa than any other team. But she has a poor record against this opposition, having claimed only six wickets at an average of 62.83. Before this tournament, Mlaba had bowled in 12 matches in Asia, and claimed 18 wickets at an average of 31.44. Her bowling average in Asia is now 25.27, and her strike rate is down to 29.3. This is more than twice as good as her numbers at home (average 51.18, SR 71.4). Since 2020, these teams have played each other ten times. Pakistan have won two of those games, both at home. South Africa have won the other eight.

Roberto De Zerbi is now in the frame to replace Pep Guardiola, amid a new update on the Manchester City manager’s future at the Etihad Stadium.

Guardiola’s contract isn’t due to expire until the summer of 2027, having penned an extension last season, and Man City fans will no doubt be hoping he stays for the foreseeable future, given the unprecedented success he has brought to the blue side of Manchester.

Trophies Pep Guardiola has lifted at Manchester City

Number of times won

Premier League title

6

Champions League

1

UEFA Super Cup

1

Club World Cup

1

FA Cup

2

League Cup

4

Community Shield

3

However, Jurgen Klopp resigning as Liverpool manager at the end of the 2023-24 campaign due to fatigue displayed just how draining it is to be a Premier League manager for a sustained period of time, and there will come a point where City need to start seriously thinking about successors.

At the moment, the former Barcelona boss will be focusing on closing the gap to Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table, while also attempting to win a second Champions League, but there has now been a new update on when he could leave the Blues.

Man City targeting De Zerbi amid Guardiola future update

According to reliable reporter Paul Hirst, in a report for The Times, an exit at the end of the 2026-27 campaign is on the cards as the 54-year-old has won everything there is to win since arriving at the Etihad Stadium back in 2016.

The three-time Champions League-winning manager is expected to see out his current contract, but Man City may then be faced with the difficult task of bringing in a successor, and De Zerbi is in the frame, as the former Brighton & Hove Albion boss has admirers within the club.

Guardiola is personally a fan of the Marseille manager, who has made a fantastic start to the 2025-26 campaign, with his side currently second in Ligue 1, just two points behind Paris Saint-Germain at the top of the Ligue 1 table.

Not only is the 46-year-old impressing in France, but he was also hailed by Statman Dave for the work he did during his first year as Brighton manager.

The Italian is well-known to favour a possession-based style of football, so he may not need to make wholesale changes at Man City, which is another bonus, alongside his experience in the Premier League.

The only concern will be that De Zerbi is yet to lift many major trophies, winning only the Ukrainian Super Cup with Shakhtar Donetsk in the 2021-22 season.

In truth, whoever replaces Pep will find it almost impossible to eclipse what the Spaniard has achieved at City, and supporters will be hoping he extends his stay beyond the end of next season.

Every current manager in the Premier League has been ranked Every current manager in the 2025/26 Premier League ranked

Every current Premier League boss ranked from best to worst.

ByCharlie Smith Nov 8, 2025

“Personally it feels really good because the fans, they know I’m Deepti Sharma. It’s difficult to go out in the mall or walking down some streets”

Valkerie Baynes26-Sep-2024India aren’t under pressure to win their first senior women’s World Cup title; instead, they are taking inspiration from the success of the Indian men’s team earlier this year as they head into the Women’s T20 World Cup, according to allrounder Deepti Sharma.India Women have never lifted World Cup silverware at the senior level, their Under-19 counterparts making history when they won the inaugural age-group women’s T20 title in South Africa in 2023. That was the curtain-raiser to the Women’s T20 World Cup 2023, also held in South Africa, where India lost their semi-final to eventual sixth-time champions Australia.”I wouldn’t say pressure because the World Cup is a big event for each and every player, but personally I’m motivated with the men’s World Cup they took home,” Deepti told ESPNcricinfo. “We are doing a really good job throughout each and every series and every tournament and I won’t say it’s a pressure, but we will do our best.”Related

• 'Pressure is a good thing' – fit-again Shreyanka Patil looks to keep the dream run going

• Nigar Sultana wants to beat Scotland in first game and 'get into a flow'

• Harmanpreet: 'This is our best ever team at a T20 World Cup'

India were runners-up at the 2020 edition in Australia and have twice reached the final of the ODI World Cup, in 2005 and 2017. It was the latter that Deepti highlighted as a watershed moment for women’s cricket in India. There, England clinched a nine-run victory before an ecstatic home crowd at Lord’s.”How we played the finals in 2017, suddenly everything was changed,” said Deepti, who was still only 19 at the time but already had 30 ODIs and three T20Is to her name. “Personally it feels really good because the fans, they know I’m Deepti Sharma. It’s difficult to go out in the mall or walking down some streets.”It’s a great feeling from the 2017 World Cup final and obviously if we win the World Cup things will really change from every perspective and each woman will want to play cricket after that, so I’m hoping for the best.”From reflecting on how her sport has changed since then, Deepti was also struck by how much progress had been made in just the past couple of years as the women’s global franchise circuit has flourished. She was speaking at The Oval last month while preparing for the Women’s Hundred eliminator with London Spirit, who went on to win the final.Deepti Sharma won the Women’s Hundred 2024 with the Heather Knight-led London Spirit•Getty ImagesHaving called international rivals Charlie Dean, Heather Knight and Sarah Glenn team-mates through the campaign, and played with Alyssa Healy, Chamari Athapaththu and Sophie Ecclestone in her second season with UP Warriorz at the WPL where she was the MVP in 2024, any mystique surrounding World Cup opponents is all but gone.Having come into the Spirit squad as a replacement for the injured Grace Harris, Deepti played eight matches, scoring 212 runs at a strike rate of 132.50 and going unbeaten five times in her six innings. She also took eight wickets at an economy rate of 6.85. Deepti was the fifth-highest run-scorer at this year’s WPL with 295 runs at a strike rate of 136.57 and she took 10 wickets at an average of 21.70 and economy rate of 7.23.And while India’s players have become even bigger stars at home, whether it be from reaching the closing stages of World Cups or their franchise appearances, it may well have made them easier for fans to identify with. Deepti felt as much when India hosted South Africa in June and July this year. Then, India suffered an early scare with a 12-run defeat in the opening T20I in Chennai having swept their ODI series in Bengaluru 3-0.Those matches were India’s last before the Women’s Asia Cup, where they were upset in the final by T20 World Cup qualifiers Sri Lanka.

“I wouldn’t say pressure because the World Cup is a big event for each and every player, but personally I’m motivated with the men’s [T20] World Cup they took home”Deepti Sharma

“The World Cup gives lot of confidence that we can do our best and small girls when they come to watch our series in India – in Bangalore, we played the South Africa series – and they were like, ‘I want autographs’ and ‘I want pictures’, so it’s great to watch them,” Deepti said. “And they said, ‘I also started playing cricket.'”We just told them, ‘don’t give up, just play your best and don’t think about the result, results will come, just express yourself’.”Despite those hiccups against South Africa and Sri Lanka, Deepti was confident heading into the World Cup, where India will start their campaign against New Zealand on October 4.”We’re quite positive as a team,” she said. “We are doing really well and we are thinking that each and every game is important, so whether we are playing any team, we are quite focused.”Should India finally triumph in Dubai on October 20, just imagine the focus on them.