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Manchester United’s rebuild this summer is certainly needed, looking to make amends for the 2024/25 campaign, which saw the club finish in 15th place.

Such a finish for the Red Devils’ stature is unacceptable and something in which Ruben Amorim must transform if he is to keep his job at Old Trafford.

The Premier League has often been such a successful competition for the club, but one they have failed to win since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson, spanning well over a decade ahead of 2025/26.

Matheus Cunha has already agreed to make the move to join Amorim’s squad, costing £62.5m from Wolverhampton Wanderers, looking to make a huge improvement to the front line in the North West.

However, it appears as though outgoings are needed during the off-season, with multiple players having to be sacrificed to make way for new additions.

The latest on United’s move to sell players this summer

Over the last few days, it’s been confirmed that Bruno Fernandes has rejected interest from Saudi Arabia in favour of staying at United during the summer window.

It was reported that the Portuguese midfielder had been offered a deal in the region of £700k-per-week from Al-Hilal, wanting to stay at the top level of European football at this stage of his career.

However, the same can’t be said for striker Rasmus Hojlund, with the Danish international who looks set to depart Old Trafford during the off-season, according to Italian outlet Calciomercato.

The report claims that Serie A side Inter Milan are advancing a move to sign the 22-year-old, after preliminary talks were held between the club and his representatives.

Another report has reported that the Red Devils will demand a fee in the region of £40m this summer to part ways with the forward, who has only scored four league goals this campaign.

Why United’s £40m star would’ve been incredible with Mbeumo

It’s become clear over recent days that Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo has chosen a move to join United over the likes of Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur this summer.

The 25-year-old, who scored 20 league goals this campaign, has been a man in demand over recent weeks, understandably so given his form in England’s top-flight.

He looks set to cost a fee in the region of £60m this window, looking to be the next big-money addition during the Amorim era, linking up with Cunha in the final third.

The Cameroonian’s ability in attacking areas would undoubtedly change the club’s fortunes, something which could’ve benefited Hojlund if he were to stay at the club.

Whilst it’s undeniable that he’s been a disappointment after his £72m switch from Atalanta, Mbeumo’s talents could’ve enabled him to recapture his impressive form in front of goal.

The Bees’ winger has created 1.8 chances per 90 this campaign, whilst completing 1.3 crosses per 90 – evidently being able to offer opportunities for those around him.

He’s also registered seven assists, further demonstrating the creative ability he possesses, making him an all-round threat for the Red Devils in the final third.

1.

Paul Pogba

Juventus

£89m

2.

Antony

Ajax

£86m

3.

Harry Maguire

Leicester City

£80m

4.

Jadon Sancho

Borussia Dortmund

£75m

5.

Romelu Lukaku

Everton

£74m

6.

Rasmus Hojlund

Atalanta

£72m

7.

Ángel Di María

Real Madrid

£70m

8.

Mathue Cunha

Wolves

£62.5m

As for Hojlund, he’s managed to win 1.4 aerials per 90 this campaign, highlighting his ability to thrive in the air – something which Mbeumo certainly would’ve aided him with.

There’s no denying that his time at Old Trafford has been hugely disappointing, only registering 26 goals across his two-year stint, which seemingly appears to be coming to a close.

Mbeumo would’ve aided him in his attempts at turning around his fortunes in the side, but given the rumours around his future, it appears Amorim has already lost faith in the Dane.

Such a departure could raise funds for the club to complete a deal for Thomas Frank’s star man, who could operate behind the striker or even as the player at the top end of the pitch, especially with Hojlund’s pending move back to Italy.

Better signing than Cunha: Man Utd eye move for PSG Ballon d'Or contender

Manchester United could land a bigger signing than Matheus Cunha by bringing in this PSG star.

ByDan Emery Jun 3, 2025

Celtic romped to a 5-1 win over Aberdeen in their final away match of the Scottish Premiership campaign on Wednesday night, despite playing a much-changed side.

Brendan Rodgers opted to hand opportunities to several players in the comprehensive victory for the Hoops, including the likes of Viljami Sinisalo, Paulo Bernardo, Luke McCowan, Johnny Kenny, and Maik Nawrocki, among others.

Nawrocki made just his third appearance in the Premiership this season and scored the opening goal in the match with a fine header, and he made five clearances, two blocks, and two interceptions.

Rodgers was also quick to point out how well the Polish colossus performed in possession, as the boss said: “I thought he (Nawrocki) played through the lines really, really well, defended well, and obviously, he was very dangerous in the box.”

The former Legia Warsaw central defender was not the only rarely-seen star who caught the eye for the Northern Irish head coach, though, as Irish striker Johnny Kenny made his first senior start for the club and impressed against the Dons.

Why Johnny Kenny could be a future star for Celtic

The Celtic manager was “pleased” for the 21-year-old centre-forward after the reserve striker scored his first goal for the club with a fine header in the second half.

Rodgers said: “Johnny, we’re also pleased for because he works so hard, he is a natural goalscorer. I think when you see his movement for the goal, it’s so, so good and everyone was delighted for him.”

The young attacker did brilliantly to get across his man to redirect the header into the opposite corner from Luke McCowan’s cross to make it 4-1 on the night.

That was one of the five shots that Kenny managed against Aberdeen, which shows that he provided a constant threat in front of the opposition goal, whilst it was one of two shots on target for the forward.

The Celtic striker, who had only made six substitute appearances in the league prior to that game, had not made a single first-team appearance for the club prior to his return from Shamrock Rovers in January.

Kenny did, however, showcase his potential whilst on loan in his home country, with a return of 26 goals and eight assists in 76 matches for Shamrock Rovers in all competitions.

Appearances

6

xG

3.78

Goals

5

Big chances missed

1

Big chances created

1

Assists

1

As you can see in the table above, the Irishman caught the eye in the Conference League during the first half of this season, scoring five goals in six matches, before his return to Celtic at the turn of the year.

Kenny is a young talent who has shown potential to shine in the future for the Hoops, given his performance against Aberdeen and his goalscoring record in Ireland, but he is also 22 this summer and potentially at a crossroads in his career, where he will have to decide whether it is worth fighting for a spot at Parkhead or going elsewhere to be guaranteed regular game time.

Chalkboard

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

Meanwhile, Celtic could unearth an even bigger talent than the 21-year-old Irishman by continuing to integrate 17-year-old Sean McArdle into the first-team.

Why Sean McArdle could be an even bigger talent than Johnny Kenny

It took Kenny until the age of 21 to make his senior bow for the Hoops. McArdle, on the other hand, has made his Scottish Premiership debut before turning 18.

The teenage talent has come off the bench in the last two matches, since the club were confirmed as champions of the division, as Rodgers has decided that he is ready to play in the first-team.

McArdle made his debut against Hibernian at Parkhead last week before coming on for the final nine minutes against Aberdeen away from home on Wednesday night.

The 17-year-old Scottish ace was praised by Rodgers after his debut, as the head coach said: “I like him, he’s got decent legs, he’s got a nice football brain, left-sided, he’s got culture when he plays, and now he’s got the best role models you can have in some of the players that we have here, like Callum and these guys, to learn from.”

Minutes

9

Passes completed

11/12

Shots

1

Shots on target

1

Chances created

1

Dribbles completed

1/1

Duels won

1/1

Possession lost

1x

As you can see in the table above, McArdle followed up on that praise by delivering an impressive cameo off the bench against Aberdeen, completing 92% of his chances and showing a few nice touches, creating one chance in the process.

After that display, Rodgers praised the teenager once again: “Yes, I liked him when he came on. I like the young players, and any player that you play for Celtic, you have to have personality. And you could see at 17, he comes into the game, he takes the ball, he passes the ball. He’s got a wee edge to him as well that I like.”

The manager was not the only person impressed by McArdle, though, as teammate and experienced midfielder McCowan described him as a “great” player.

This shows that he has gained respect from the manager and at least one of the senior players in the first-team with his performances in training and in Premiership matches, despite being just 17.

McArdle, who scored five goals in 25 Lowland League games this season, could, therefore, be an even bigger talent than Kenny because he has already made more progress than the Irishman did at his age.

Kenny is five years older than the Scottish midfielder and only made his Premiership debut for Celtic at the start of this year, whilst the teenager has played twice in the division already and could establish himself as a regular in the coming years, potentially before he gets to the age the Irish striker is at now.

Dream Jota replacement: Celtic line up move for "wonderful" £10m-rated star

Celtic could land a dream replacement for the injured Jota by signing this star.

ByDan Emery May 14, 2025

To make his breakthrough at such a young age, whilst earning plaudits from Rodgers and McCowan, speaks to his potential and suggests that he could be a future star for the Hoops for many years to come if he continues his progression.

Leeds United returned to the top of the Championship last night with a huge 1-0 win over play-off-chasing Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium.

Dan James’ goal after just two minutes secured all three points for Daniel Farke’s side, moving back to the summit after Sheffield United and Burnley both dropped points.

The scoreline could’ve been a lot better for the Whites, with Ao Tanaka and Patrick Bamford both having legitimate goals chalked off for wrongful offside calls.

Nevertheless, their chances of securing promotion back to the Premier League is back in their own hands, potentially ending their two-year absence from the top flight.

However, despite the victory in the North East, numerous players failed to live up to their high standards, putting their starting roles at risk over the next few weeks.

Leeds’ poor performers against Middlesbrough

Midfielder Brenden Aaronson was handed a recall to the starting eleven by Farke for the clash with Michael Carrick’s side but was unable to take advantage of the opportunity.

The American international featured for the vast majority of the contest but lost 10 duels – the most of any player from either side – whilst also only completing 60% of the passes he attempted.

He wasn’t the only one to disappoint, with Manor Solomon struggling to live up to his high standards despite registering the assist for James’ strike early on.

The Spurs loanee only managed to complete 40% of the crosses he attempted, whilst losing possession eight times, often looking wasteful – something which was rarely said a couple of months ago.

However, despite the showings of the aforementioned pair, one other player failed to deliver once again, with Farke desperately needing to drop him at the weekend.

The player who Farke needs to drop after Middlesbrough

Over the course of the season, Leeds have impressed in the final third, as seen by their tally of 80 goals in their 41 outings – albeit two fewer than they should have after the wrongful offside calls.

The likes of Solomon and James have both been responsible for such a tally, popping up in key moments, as seen by the latter’s 12th league of the campaign last night.

Joel Piroe has been the Whites’ starting striker for the majority of 2024/25 but has struggled as of late, with his failure to find the net against Boro extending his goalless run to seven matches.

His showing at the Riverside was one to forget, unable to make the desired impact, leading to his withdrawal in the 73rd minute, subsequently being replaced by Bamford – who certainly outperformed the Dutchman in his brief cameo.

The 25-year-old only managed a total of 26 touches during his display, also only completing 10 passes – leading to journalist Beren Cross dubbing his showing as “careless”.

He also only registered a single effort on goal, whilst missing a big chance and losing 64% of the duels he entered, being largely ineffective at the top end of the pitch.

Joel Piroe’s stats for Leeds against Middlesbrough
Statistics	Tally
Minutes played	73
Touches	26
Passes completed	10/16 (63%)
Duels lost	7/11 (64%)
Shots taken	1
Big chances missed	1
Possession lost	8x
Stats via SofaScore

His misery would’ve been compounded had substitute Bamford’s effort stood, with the Englishman putting pressure on the manager to hand him a rare start at the weekend.

As a result of his performance, Piroe was handed a measly 2/10 match rating by Football Insider’s Harri Burton – the lowest of any Whites player during the triumph.

After extending his goalless streak, it would be a surprise to see the former Swansea City man start against Preston on Saturday afternoon, with no mistakes expected given their promotion hopes are once again in their own hands.

Whilst Bamford has been a player largely touted with an exit, the upcoming clash provides him with an opportunity to stake his claim for a first-team role next season, pushing Piroe back down the pecking order.

An amazing Solomon alternative: EFL star wants to sign for Leeds this year

Leeds United could be about to land an attacking star to improve their ranks next season.

By
Ethan Lamb

Apr 8, 2025

Cricket West Indies chief says the revenue-share model is “completely broken”

Firdose Moonda16-Jan-2024The boards of India, England and Australia must work closely with the ICC and act decisively to change the economics of Test cricket or risk more instances of under-strength squads going out on tour.That is the warning from Johnny Grave, the Cricket West Indies CEO, who was responding to criticism aimed at his board and Cricket South Africa for sending inexperienced Test squads to Australia and New Zealand respectively.”The revenue-share model is completely broken,” Grave said. “If we really want to operate as a cricketing community we are only as strong as the weakest team, and we’ve got to change the mindset of bilateral cricket.”Related

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In 2018, Cricket West Indies put forward a paper regarding T20 leagues, which asked for a cap on the number of overseas players in leagues, and a fee for home boards. Those suggestions were greenlit last year, but it was too late, according to Grave. The regulations are not retrospective and exclude the ILT20 in the UAE (which allows nine foreign players in the XI), the Major League Cricket tournament in the USA (six) and the Global T20 in Canada (five). That means the horse has bolted and is perhaps beyond reining in.”If those regulations had been in place, the ILT20 probably wouldn’t have had the enormous effect it has had on bilateral international cricket in January because it wouldn’t have had as many international players, therefore wouldn’t have got the broadcast revenues and probably wouldn’t be offering players the kinds of money they are offering,” Grave said. “And then by consequence, South Africa wouldn’t necessarily have had to compete and invest so much in their international talent for the SA20 in the same window.”

“CWI has spent over 2 million dollars sending teams to Australia in the last four months and whilst CA have received all the economic benefits from those series, we’ve seen zero dollars back. Is that really fair, reasonable and sustainable?”

Grave spoke about the impact on South Africa – who he has a “huge amount of sympathy for” – because their case is starker. They will send an entirely makeshift Test squad, including a debutant captain, to New Zealand, while the majority of their first-choice Test team is engaged at the SA20.When South Africa announced this squad, several Australians, including former captains Steve Waugh and Michael Clarke, criticised them, questioning whether the integrity of Test cricket could be retained. West Indies were also referenced at that point. Like South Africa, West Indies have seven uncapped players in their Test squad in Australia, and some of their highest-profile players are not making the trip.”They [West Indies] haven’t picked a full-strength Test team for a couple of years now,” Waugh said to the Sydney Morning Herald . “If the ICC or someone doesn’t step in shortly, then Test cricket doesn’t become Test cricket, because you’re not testing yourself against the best players.”That someone, Grave says, should include Australia. “As an example of this is that CWI has spent over 2 million dollars sending teams to Australia in the last four months and whilst CA have received all the economic benefits from those series, we’ve seen zero dollars back. Is that really fair, reasonable and sustainable?”West Indies have sent a squad with seven uncapped players to Australia•CWI MediaSince September 2022, West Indies have played six women’s internationals and seven men’s internationals in Australia, incurring a sizeable cost.”We took a women’s team there and we won a T20I against all the odds, and match fees and international air flights cost us three-quarters of a million dollars.”We’ve got a Test team there, an ODI team and a T20I team, which will cost us another million-plus dollars in terms of match fees and airfares. We spend more on airfares than anyone else in the world.” Grave said. “In percentage terms we will spend more than anyone on red-ball cricket so I would argue against any narrative that the West Indies aren’t interested in Test cricket.”Much of the Australian coverage has focused on the absence of Jason Holder, who opted out of the Tests to play in the ILT20, and is arguably West Indies’ most decorated and recognisable cricketer today. There is a sense that without him, and given the inexperience of the rest of the squad, West Indies’ chances of ending their 27-year losing streak in Australia are unlikely, but Grave refused to pin West Indies’ fortunes on any one player.”We are not going to throw money at any player in order for them to say no to the Franchise leagues or force them under contract to go and play Test cricket or ODI cricket. If you want to go play ILT20 or SA20 instead of going to Australia this year, good luck and best wishes, here’s your NOC. We genuinely hope that for any of our current T20 players that they play well in these overseas leagues and work hard because it is part of their individual preparations for the T20 World Cup. But when you come back from it and if you want to play Test or ODI cricket, then you have to accept that someone else was selected to take your place and depending on how they performed and what your preparation and performances have been will depend on whether you are selected again or not.””Every player has a choice to make. As a board, we are going to be consistent. We are not going to force any player to do anything they don’t want to do. We respect their ability to make choices.”

“Anyone who says cricket in West Indies is dying, you can say, ‘Look at the CPL.’ The average age is young. The gender balance is more female than male. Those are the kinds of stats any sports league would love to have.”

While the West Indies board has not always seen eye to eye with their players on the club-versus-country argument, the marketplace has changed and their administrators appear to be changing with it.The Australian position is different. In the past, players such as Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc have opted out of the IPL to focus on national duties, cushioned by handsome compensation from their boards. Grave was clear West Indies can’t do that.”We don’t have the ability to compete with the leagues on purely salaries and even if we did we wouldn’t have any money left for grassroots cricket and other crucial programmes in our system that need our funding.”That means West Indies are likely to lose a lot of players to leagues and can only hope to ensure they keep developing new ones to take their place. “We play red-ball cricket at Under-17 level, U-19 level, we have A-team tours, we just played an academy series, and our first-class cricket system will cost more than any other place by miles,” Grave said. “We have to put people up in tourist accommodation, we have to [use] hugely expensive regional flights just to be able to have one first-class game. We don’t have a host broadcaster so to produce Test cricket along with hawk-eye and all the cameras is very expensive but we are still very committed to the red ball game.”Johnny Grave: “We are not going to force any player to do anything they don’t want to do. We respect their ability to make choices”•Randy Brooks/AFP/Getty ImagesSouth Africa are in a similar position. Their first-class competition is not sponsored, is not broadcast, and has been bloated by expansion to a 15-team, two-tier system. Cost-cutting measures have included a reduction in the number of four-day games played – from ten to seven for top-tier teams. A recent South African Cricketers’ Association report claimed most former and current senior players believed standards had declined. But the red-ball game has been left in a state of neglect as CSA launched the SA20 in a bid to become self-sustaining outside of the ICC. It has worked for them financially because the tournament turned a profit in its first year and has attracted new sponsors for its second, but that success is backfiring on the national team.Last year CSA had to forego an ODI series in Australia that left South Africa’s World Cup qualification hopes hanging by a thread, and then played one against England in the middle of the SA20. This year they are potentially sacrificing World Test Championship points against New Zealand, and next year they continue to play only two-Test series to ensure the SA20 has a clear window. Grave understands their position, because he wants the same for the Caribbean Premier League.”The CPL is a fantastic product and we will always want to have an exclusive window so we don’t plan for the West Indies play international cricket ever again during the CPL. We want all our best players playing because we want that competition to be the absolute best it can be. We also want all the fan attention to be on that tournament when it plays. The average age for CPL fans is fairly young and the gender balance is probably more female than male. Those are the kinds of stats that any sports league would love to have. I hope the SA20 becomes like the CPL, so that anyone who says cricket in South Africa is dying – you can say look at the SA20.”But can you say something similar to anyone who says Test cricket is dying in West Indies and South Africa? Only if the other boards help them to revive it.”Hopefully the South Africa series has woken up the Australian media to the realities of what it’s like to operate Test cricket, and unless the boards change the economic model, I don’t think Test cricket will thrive outside of the Big Three,” Grave said. “I don’t think it will die either. But it could be and should be so much better. If the South Africa situation can restart sensible conversations about how we position Test cricket, we would certainly welcome that and give it our full support.”

Time and again he has been written off, time and again he proves people wrong

Shashank Kishore12-May-2022″Most of Australia hate me. There’s no doubt that I’ve had a lot of opportunity and haven’t quite nailed it, but hopefully they can respect me for the fact I keep coming back… hopefully I’ll win them over one day.”This was Mitchell Marsh, speaking after picking up his maiden Test five-for in 2019. It was supposed to be a happy occasion, but it was overshadowed by a decade of under-performance. After all, Marsh had first made heads turn in 2010, at the Under-19 World Cup, and later that year for the Deccan Chargers as an 18-year-old.At the time, Adam Gilchrist, captain of the defending champions, spoke glowingly of the boy from Perth who could hit a long ball and take big wickets. He was deemed the “perfect package”.Little did Gilchrist, or anyone else, know that Marsh would play all of 27 IPL games over the next 12 years. Or for that matter, no more than 36 T20Is for Australia since his debut in October 2011. But he kept coming back. Not quite as the finisher that everyone expected to be, but as a No. 3 who would go on to win a T20 World Cup.Related

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Report: Bowling, Marsh, Warner keep Capitals in mid-table joust

Scenarios: Capitals have a genuine chance of qualifying for playoffs

On Wednesday, nearly six months after that surreal innings in the final in Dubai, Marsh was at it again. And like then, there was no inkling of this being his night. Covid-19 had pushed him to the sidelines of an IPL season which began while he was nursing a hip flexor injury.When you’ve been as injury prone as Marsh has been, you’re playing as if every game is possibly your last. Remember the opening game of IPL 2020? A hobbling Marsh, who was one of Sunrisers Hyderabad’s big-ticket signings, had to leave the tournament due to a “moderate- to high-grade syndesmosis injury” in his right ankle and saw his season go up in smoke.This wasn’t a final, but the stakes were still high. Delhi Capitals, his third IPL franchise, had outbid Sunrisers, his former team, and new entrants Gujarat Titans to secure his services of INR 6.5 crore (USD 866,000 approx) for precisely magic like this. A chase of 161 a sluggish pitch was no walk in the park for a team that had to win to keep their playoff hopes alive.Then, he walked into bat at the fall of the first wicket in the very first over. The scoreboard didn’t move for the next two, as Rajasthan Royals, perhaps the best bowling attack in the competition, kept coming at him. Marsh’s season – not to mention his whole team’s as well – was going to be defined by the passage of play over the next 90 minutes.He was initially at sea when Prasidh Krishna tested him with hard lengths. Inside edges rolled off the pads, out swingers whizzed past the outside edge, cut shots going nowhere, playing and missing at deliveries that reared up – it was all happening. But Marsh didn’t seem agitated, not even after playing out a maiden over.In the third over, he had a massive slice of luck. The ball from Trent Boult swung in late and struck him on the boot right in front of the stumps. Royals appealed but the umpire was unmoved. Everyone thought there had been an inside edge. There wasn’t. Marsh was on 1 off 9 deliveries. As he looked at the replay on the giant screen, there was a grin and a fist bump with Warner.Marsh: Warner opening and me batting at three, we’ve had a lot of great partnerships•BCCI”If you looked at the powerplay tonight for both teams,” Marsh said later, “the ball was swinging around, also nipping around, probably one of the toughest powerplays I’ve batted in since I started playing T20 cricket. We just had to get through that unscathed. If we are two or three down, the game gets really hard. So we assessed that we have got to cut back on our runs and make sure we’re just one down at the end of the power play.”Lot of credit to them [Royals], they bowled exceptionally well in the powerplay to us and made it really tough, but chasing 160, you only need that one big partnership and that was our main focus. The last 18 months, I’ve loved batting with Davey [Warner]. Him opening and me batting at three, we’ve had a lot of great partnerships. Tonight was a memorable one for the Delhi Capitals.”Marsh made the plan sound simple, but it needed a lot of work, starting with a change in stance. Normally, he bats on leg stump and then shuffles across just as the ball is delivered. But that was leaving him wide open to Boult’s inswingers. So, he took guard just a little outside leg stump. Now he could keep his natural trigger movement and not worry about the lbw.R Ashwin came on for the next over. Marsh had seen enough. Length deliveries into the pitch were causing batters some discomfort. He knew that because that had been his earlier in the night – mixed in with cutters and slower ones – to pick up two massive wickets. At the first sign of something full, Marsh opened his shoulders and crunched Ashwin for six over long-off. He had picked the carrom ball off the hand and went inside-out. It came as a massive relief. The fist bump with Warner after the shot, which he stood back and admired on the giant screen, told you how much he enjoyed it. It was the start of superb spell of batting.Marsh was in control even without really imposing himself. He played to his strengths rather than trying to outfox the bowler or second guess what was coming. It was just simple and clean hitting that comes from picking the lengths – and the spin – early. It must have helped that he was batting with a great mate. Warner was with him at the other end on that famous night in Dubai. And he was with him again, just turning the strike over so he could sit back and watch from the best seat in the house.As if to say thank you, Marsh provided a power-hitting exhibition. The two sixes he hit off Kuldeep Sen in the seventh over – dead straight and over the sight screen – were right out of the top drawer, By then he’d raced to 39 off 28 even as Warner was a run-a-ball 12. The six to bring up his fifty as he took on Chahal was a sign of complete mastery over his batting. From there on, it was a cruise.”In terms of the way he goes about it, he’s someone I’ve looked up to for a long time now,” Marsh said of Warner. “I’ve been very lucky, over the last 18 months, to have been able to bat with him a lot and form a great partnership and great friendship. The friendship side of things comes out in the middle of the game. His experience, calmness – you can all see how much he loves winning. It feels like he’s back to where it all began for him. He’s been super consistent this year, I love batting with him.”Marsh couldn’t quite finish the job, but by the time he was dismissed in the 18th over, he’d made 89 off 63 and taken the Capitals to the doorstep. As he walked back, soaking in the applause, he had served a quiet reminder, something that he has had to right through the career. That he wasn’t to be counted out. Not now, not for the next few years. At 30, the possibilities are endless.

He has been taking KKR to wins from impossible positions as a matter of routine

ESPNcricinfo stats team16-Apr-2020Russell is a behemoth in T20 cricket and could end up as one of the greatest to have played the format. He flew under the radar in his early years but since 2015 has been the most sought after player across all leagues, thanks to his ability to win matches singlehandedly with bat and sometimes with handy performances with the ball. He was the most valuable player in last year’s IPL.Death-overs king
Before looking at smart numbers, here is a quick look at Russell’s destructiveness using conventional stats. In 2019, he scored 1080 runs at a strike rate of 182.12 across all T20s. No other batsman with 500 runs in the year scored at such a quick rate. Devdutt Padikkal from Karnataka was next, with a strike rate of 175.75, but he is an opener and has the advantage of batting with field restrictions in place. Of those 1080 runs, 510 came in the IPL, at a strike rate of 204.81. Russell’s final-overs impact in the IPL took hitting to an all-new level that ensured KKR could win from situations from where T20 teams had never won before.In the last five overs of games in the tournament, Russell scored 351 runs from 141 balls at a strike rate of 248.9. Only AB de Villiers had a higher strike rate, but he played only 55 deliveries in those overs. On two occasions, Russell singlehandedly scored more than 50 runs in the last three overs to help KKR get over the line.Which Russell knock was the best? Which was the most impactful? Smart Stats tries to answer these questions.ESPNcricinfo LtdRussell’s impact in the last two IPLs

Though he missed the 2017 IPL due to a doping ban, Russell has more high-impact performances in the last three IPL seasons than any other player, according to Smart Stats. This impact score is calculated using a complex algorithm, which takes into account multiple factors. For a batsman, this includes the innings run rate and required run rate at every ball when he scored his runs, the quality of opposition bowlers, the number of wickets in hand, and the quality of batsmen to follow.Russell has six performances in the Smart Stats list of the top 35 most impactful performances from the last three editions of the IPL. The next best is Sunil Narine with three such performances.