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It’s Yuvraj Singh vs Carlos Brathwaite in the final of our greatest men’s T20 World Cup performance fan poll

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Oct-2022 • Updated on 22-Oct-2022Voting for the final match-up has ended. Carlos Brathwaite’s 3-23 & 34* against England in the 2016 final has been voted the greatest men’s T20 World Cup performance by fans.Yuvraj Singh’s 70 vs Carlos Brathwaite’s 3-23 & 34*70 (30) vs AUS | Yuvraj Singh | Durban, 2007
India’s young side had made a slow start in the T20 World Cup semi-final and were 41 for 2 at the end of the eighth over. Yuvraj Singh began with a swivel-pull against Stuart Clark – one of the best bowlers of the tournament – for six off the second ball he faced, and smashed a 119-metre pick-up shot off Brett Lee in the next over. His entire innings was like a highlights reel: the 70 off 30 balls included five sixes and as many fours, and he almost single-handedly took India to a match-winning 188.3-23 & 34*(10) vs ENG | Carlos Brathwaite | Kolkata, 2016
Nineteen to win in the final over. Four balls, four sixes. “Carlos Brathwaite, remember the name”! Those hits at Eden Gardens will forever remain part of cricketing folklore. What gets forgotten is that Brathwaite was effective with the ball too: he picked up the key wickets of Jos Buttler and Joe Root to finish with figures of 4-0-23-3. He then came in at No. 8 with West Indies 107 for 6 in 15.3 chasing 156, and took them to their second title in the company of Marlon Samuels.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The former Kings XI Punjab batsman on moving to a new franchise, working on regaining his form and rating himself as a finisher

Interview by Sruthi Ravindranath14-Sep-2020David Miller is among the most experienced players on the T20 circuit, with 319 matches under his belt and having played in the IPL since 2012. Miller, who is known for his penchant for big hitting and stepping up in crunch situations to finish games, had a breakout IPL season in 2013, his second year with Kings XI Punjab, when he made 418 runs in 12 matches, including a 38-ball 101 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Although he hasn’t quite managed to recapture the highs of that season since, he has taken on the role of a finisher on several occasions, and has emerged as a mainstay in the side.Miller was released by Kings XI Punjab ahead of the 2020 auction and this year will feature for a new franchise, the Rajasthan Royals. He spoke to us about his role as a finisher, his learnings from watching MS Dhoni and playing alongside big names in the Royals side this IPL. How do you calibrate a T20 innings as a middle-order batsman?
It varies from game to game. Being in the middle order, you are always going to come in in different situations, differing scenarios. I think it’s about adapting as quick as possible and knowing exactly what your role is when you walk in to bat. Whether you need 12 an over, 14 an over or whatever it is, you need to adapt to that position as quickly as possible. Being in the middle order, because the game unfolds before you bat, you have a good idea of what the conditions are going to be like. Just to sort of give yourself the best chance in order to win a game, you have always got to take calculated risks throughout your innings, and I make sure I’m staying positive in my movement, calling, running etc.You’ve only just linked up with the Royals side in the UAE. Have there been any discussions with the management about what role you’re expected to play?
I haven’t had any discussion with [Royals head coach] Andrew McDonald so it’s more just preparing and hitting balls and getting back to the swing of things, as I haven’t hit balls for a good few months. It’s about getting your body going, getting the feet going. In terms of plans and roles and stuff, we’re yet to get into that.

“Right now it’s more about making good friends and building relationships. IPL has a huge space for that, where overseas players can get to know each other on a personal level”

The pitches are generally on the slower side in the UAE. Do you plan to tweak your big-hitting method?
I’ve played in Dubai for some time now [preparing]. It’s certainly not like any other conditions I’ve played in before. I feel like I’m pretty well prepared. [I had] two to three weeks before to come and think about exactly the way I’m going to go in this year’s IPL. I’m really excited for it and I think the conditions are normally very good. It’s going to be set for a good IPL.You were with Kings XI for nine years. How did your roles and responsibilities within the team change over the years?
I think there is a natural sort of journey. You always start off as a youngster and you find your feet in the team, and then as you get older you get a lot more responsibility as a senior player, performance-wise and in many different aspects. I think that’s a journey that we’re all on. I really enjoyed it there, I had some great, great memories and it certainly was a good time. But looking forward to Rajasthan [Royals] and creating some memories and new moments here.ALSO READ: Who makes it to our Kings XI Punjab all-time XI?Of the two of your best scores in IPL, your 101 not out against RCB came in a win, and the other, the 89 not out against SRH in 2015, was in a defeat. The circumstances and targets were quite similar in both matches. As someone who is expected to finish games, what do you think was the biggest difference in the way you approached these two innings that had different results?
It’s just the way the cookie crumbles, I suppose. In the sense that against RCB there were definitely some moments that went our way – I got dropped on 41 and then we went on to win the game. The 89 not out, I think if you’re going at a 150-200 strike rate and you still happen to lose the game then it’s just unfortunate. I think in both games we needed 13-14 an over, so it is definitely hard to win a game like that – you’re going to lose more than you win. Just, against RCB things went our way a little bit more, I probably hit more boundaries that day.Among all the other experienced finishers in the format, where do you place yourself? Do you take pointers from the way they handle a crunch situation?
I think we’re all very different in the way we think we play. I absolutely love the way Dhoni goes about his business. Certainly his calmness – you just think he’s always under control. The way he portrays himself, that’s something he’s extremely good at and I do enjoy that about him. I try and give off the same energy. But in terms of an actual chase, he’s got his strengths and weaknesses as a batsman and so do I. I tend to be in awe of some of his chases rather than “I want to bat like him.” I suppose I just want to finish games like he does.
Technique-wise and the way you go about it, we all have our own ways. I don’t think I can rate myself or put myself in a category. We’ll see how my career unfolds and finishes and then we can look back and sort of judge. Definitely Dhoni is one of the best finishers ever; he’s proven it many times. I love watching him play.Photo finish: Miller’s been picking up tips on finishing games and keeping calm from Dhoni•BCCIYou’ve had a great few seasons for Kings XI, but the last two years have been different – you haven’t been as consistent as you were and your strike rate has fallen too. What has happened and how are you working on your consistency?
I haven’t been playing. The last couple of years I haven’t been playing for Kings XI. I suppose that’s one of the reasons why I haven’t been winning games as well. But in terms of consistency, I feel I’m better than ever before. I’m a lot more experienced now. I know what I’m expected to do. On the international stage I feel like I’m doing really well. In the IPL I had one bad season for Kings XI – and when I say bad season, it wasn’t as good as the previous ones that I had. It wasn’t a horrific season, to say the least. In the IPL there are only four overseas players [in the playing XI] and there are often seven to ten overseas players in the squad. There will always be players who are going to miss out, and if you happen to not have a great run, you sort of lose that position and you just don’t play. I missed the boat the last couple of years in terms of playing and I think it’s created a thing that I’ve not been playing well. The games that I’ve played in, I have contributed.Do you think your best is yet to come?
Definitely. I feel I’m very experienced, very well put together in my mind and a lot calmer. I’m still learning – everyone learns along the way. I’m certainly very excited about the latter part of my career and really looking forward to putting on some big performances. I’ve certainly got a lot to offer.ALSO READ: ‘I don’t have to be the captain to take on a leadership role for South Africa’AB de Villiers is among the best in the business and you’ve played alongside him in the South Africa side. Have you had any interesting conversations with him in the last few years about batting in this format?
AB and I being so close together in the Proteas side, we used to bat together often and I was fortunate to be sharing the dressing room with him. He’s very knowledgeable. I really enjoyed observing how he prepared, how he went about his business for South Africa. He’s always open for chats and advice and stuff like that. I’ve had some good chats from him and certainly want to learn from him.In a previous interview with ESPNcricinfo, you said you didn’t have to be the captain to take on a leadership role. Has this seniority given you a fresh perspective?
Definitely. Being around for a long time, responsibilities come on and off the field as a senior player. Not many guys get the opportunity to captain. I feel like I can offer a lot more, even by not being captain, behind the scenes with youngsters and leading by example at training and matches.We might get to see you play alongside Ben Stokes in the middle order. There are also other big names like Steven Smith, Jos Buttler and Jofra Archer in the Royals side…
I think overseas we’ve got some world-class players, so I’m really chuffed to be rubbing shoulders alongside them. To bat with Ben Stokes would be great fun, and I know the way he plays the game. He’s a match winner, he’s dynamic, so to share the crease with him would be great.Whether the T20 World Cup comes up or not is irrelevant. For me it’s about building relationships. IPL has a huge space for that, where overseas players can get to know each other on a personal level. Whether we get into the Australian or English dynamics of how they go about their cricket, that’s still to be found out. Right now it’s more about making good friends and building relationships.

Tottenham Hotspur were held to a 0-0 draw by Monaco in the Champions League last time out, but it was the hosts who had the better chances to win the match.

The French side created five ‘big chances’ in the game, compared to Tottenham’s one, and Guglielmo Vicario prevented a whopping 2.68 xG with eight saves.

Whilst Thomas Frank will be concerned that his goalkeeper needed to make so many saves, the Spurs head coach should be concerned about the lack of potency in the final third.

Tottenham have struggled at the top end of the pitch under the former Brentford boss in the Premier League so far this season, as shown in the table below.

1

Crystal Palace – 33

Crystal Palace – 22

2

Man City – 27

Man City – 17

3

Liverpool – 24

Liverpool – 17

4

Chelsea – 23

Leeds – 14

5

Arsenal – 22

Man Utd – 14

6

Man Utd – 22

Arsenal – 13

7

Brighton – 18

Newcastle – 11

8

Leeds – 17

Nottingham Forest – 11

9

Newcastle – 15

Chelsea – 10

10

Everton – 15

Everton – 10

Spurs do not rank within the top ten Premier League sides for ‘big chances’ created or missed, as they sit 15th in the division for ‘big chances’ created with 13, per Sofascore.

On top of struggling to create chances on a consistent basis, it also remains to be seen whether or not the Lilywhites have a striker who can provide consistent quality in front of goal.

Ranking Tottenham Hotspur's striker options

Mathys Tel, Richarlison, and Dominic Solanke are the main centre-forward options at Frank’s disposal this season, although Solanke is currently making his way back from an ankle injury.

Despite scoring a goal against Leeds United last month, Tel may rank at the bottom of the manager’s options in the number nine position, because he is still a young and inexperienced player.

The France U21 international has scored four goals in 28 appearances in all competitions for the club, per Sofascore, which shows that he still has development to go through before he can offer a consistent threat.

Richarlison is currently the first-choice number nine, in Solanke’s absence, and he has scored eight goals in 37 matches since the start of last season, per Sofascore, including three goals in eight Premier League outings this term.

Appearances

27

Starts

25

xG

10.97

Goals

9

Big chances missed

12

Minutes per goal

245

xA

1.15

Assists

3

As you can see in the table above, Solanke scored more goals in the Premier League alone last season than Richarlison has managed in all competitions since the start of the 2024/25 campaign.

This suggests that the England international is the best striker in the current Spurs squad, but the club are reportedly keen on a player who is even better than him.

Spurs ready to pay up for Serie A striker

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, as relayed by TuttoJuve, Tottenham Hotspur are one of a number of clubs interested in a deal to sign Juventus centre-forward Dusan Vlahovic.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The report claims that Fabio Paratici is eyeing up a potential swoop for the Serbia international, but will face competition from Premier League rivals Chelsea and Manchester United.

It adds that all three clubs are willing to pay the fee that Juventus are looking for, which is up to £22m, as they look to move on from Vlahovic in the upcoming January transfer window.

The experienced striker’s contract in Turin is set to expire at the end of the 2025/26 campaign, which is why the Old Lady are keen to move on from him in January to avoid losing the forward for nothing in the summer.

Why Spurs should sign Dusan Vlahovic

Paratici should push to secure a deal for Vlahovic ahead of both Chelsea and Manchester United because he could arrive in North London as an instant upgrade on Solanke.

The Serbian number nine’s form last season and throughout his career at the top level suggests that he would offer a far more clinical and lethal presence at the top end of the pitch for Spurs.

Vlahovic scored 17 goals in all competitions during the 2024/25 campaign, including the summer Club World Cup, and hit double figures for goals in the Serie A, per Sofascore.

Starts

21

25

Goals

10

9

Minutes per goal

180

245

Shots on target per game

1.0

1.0

Assists

4

3

Aerial duels won per game

1.3

1.7

Aerial duel success rate

48%

43%

As you can see in the table above, Vlahovic was far more prolific than Solanke at league level, as shown by their respective minutes per goal ratios, whilst he also won a higher percentage of his aerial duels and provided more assists.

These statistics suggest that the Juventus striker, who was described as an “absolute monster” by reporter Carlo Garganese, would provide more quality than the Englishman in the final third.

That is further backed up by their respective career finishing statistics. Per UnderStat, Solanke has scored 38 goals from 52.23 xG in his top-flight career, whilst Vlahovic has 89 goals from 90.73 xG in his time in the Serie A with Fiorentina and Juventus.

This suggests that Vlahovic would provide a level of clinical finishing and goalscoring prowess that Frank does not currently have at his disposal in North London this season.

Therefore, Paratici needs to do all he can to convince the Serbian marksman to turn down potential moves to Manchester United and Chelsea to join the Lilywhites in the upcoming January transfer window, as he would improve the current first-team squad.

Watch out Gray & Bergvall: Spurs gem with "Modric vibe" is thriving on loan

Tottenham Hotspur could have another world-class gem on their hands in the near future.

ByEthan Lamb Oct 24, 2025

كشفت تقارير صحفية موقف نادي برشلونة، من استمرار لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم القدم، خلال الفترة المقبلة.

ويخوض برشلونة مباراة قوية ومرتقبة أمام أتلتيكو مدريد مساء اليوم، الثلاثاء، في إطار منافسات الجولة الـ19 المقدمة من بطولة الدوري الإسباني.

ويدخل برشلونة اللقاء بعد فوز على ألافيس في الجولة الماضية، ليتصدر جدول ترتيب الدوري الإسباني بقيادة مدربه هانز فليك، برصيد 34 نقطة، وبفارق نقطة واحدة عن ريال مدريد الوصيف.

ووفقًا لصحيفة “سبورت” المقربة من برشلونة، فإن النادي الكتالوني لم يحسم ملف استمرار الدولي الإنجليزي ماركوس راشفورد، جناح الفريق الأول خلال الفترة المقبلة.

اقرأ أيضًا | قائمة برشلونة لمباراة أتلتيكو مدريد في الدوري الإسباني.. موقف بيدري

وأفادت أن برشلونة لم يقرر تفعيل بند خيار شراء الدولي الإنجليزي والتي قيمتها تزيد قليلًا عن 30 مليون يورو.

سجل راشفورد 6 أهداف وقدم 8 تمريرات حاسمة في 18 مباراة، ومع ذلك، فإن راتبه المرتفع وعدم التكيف سريعًا مع أسلوب هانز فليك يعودان إلى استمرارية مشواره في برشلونة.

وأفادت أن إدارة برشلونة منقسمة، هناك أصوت تطلب استمراريته بينما يريد آخرون رحيله، لأن راشفورد ليس ذلك اللاعب الذي يضغط على المنافس جيدًا، بالإضافة إلى أنه يتقاضى راتبًا كبيرًا للغاية.

لهذا السبب، بدأ الفريق الكتالوني في البحث عن بدائل في السوق، إذ يبحث برشلونة عن جناح أيسر، ولاعبًا بديلًا للنجم البرازيلي رافينها.

Manchester United have been known to spend a pretty penny in the transfer market over the last couple of years, but many of their funds have gone to huge waste.

The hierarchy have spent upwards of £800m on transfers since the summer of 2022, with Erik ten Hag spending around £600m of that – subsequently paying £86m for the services of Antony.

The Brazilian winger followed the manager to the Premier League from Ajax, but was unable to provide value for money, as seen by his tally of just 12 goals in his 96 appearances.

He was subsequently sold for a reported £19m in the summer window, joining Real Betis on a permanent deal and resulting in a £67m loss on his signature.

However, not all of the club’s dealings in the transfer market have been unsuccessful, with one player potentially going down as one of their best ever pieces of business.

The stats behind Bruno’s time at Man Utd

Back in January 2020, United completed the £47m signing of midfielder Bruno Fernandes from Sporting CP, with the Portuguese international arriving as an unknown quantity to many fans.

However, it’s safe to say the 31-year-old made an immediate impact at Old Trafford, as seen by his tally of 20 combined goals and assists in his first 22 outings for the club.

He’s only gone from strength to strength in the Premier League, with the midfielder celebrating his six-year anniversary in Manchester over the next couple of months.

Fernandes has now racked up a total of 306 appearances for the Red Devils since his big-money transfer, with his goal and assist tallies showcasing his impact in attacking areas.

He’s scored 102 goals whilst laying on a staggering 89 assists in that time, subsequently allowing him to achieve a record of a goal or assist in every 1.6 matches he’s played for the club.

Last season was one of his best for goal contributions, as Bruno registered 37 across all competitions despite the club finishing in 15th place in the Premier League.

However, he’s been tasked with operating in a deeper role in 2025/26 to date, but he’s still managed to thrive, even registering 10 goals and assists in his first 10 appearances.

£47m for such a player now looks to be a huge bargain, but he’s not alone in starring under Amorim’s guidance, with numerous other players impressing.

Man Utd's best signing since Bruno

In an attempt to improve the squad over recent years, the United fans have splashed the cash erratically, but players like Bryan Mbeumo have managed to prove their worth.

The board spent a reported £71m on the signature of the Cameroonian international, with real hope that the 26-year-old could inject needed quality into the club’s frontline.

During his first 15 league outings, he’s already managed to find the back of the net on six occasions – with such a tally the highest of any player in the squad.

He’s also averaged 1.6 shots on target and placed 58% of his efforts between the sticks, with both tallies also the highest of any player squad – showcasing his immediate impact at Old Trafford.

However, many could argue he’s been the best signing since Bruno, but that could also be awarded to full-back Noussair Mazraoui, who’s been a superb addition to the Red Devils.

The Moroccan international joined in a £12.7m deal from Bayern Munich last summer, with very few fans expecting the defender to have the immediate impact he has at Old Trafford.

Since his transfer, the 28-year-old has racked up 66 appearances for the club, with his tally of 57 last campaign, more than any other player within Amorim’s squad.

He often operated as part of the back three rather than at wing-back, something which helped him register some incredible numbers and become one of the best performers in the squad.

The Moroccan won 2.2 tackles per 90 last campaign, winning 60% of the dispossession attempts he entered – subsequently showcasing his tremendous ability out of possession.

Games played

37

Minutes played

2848

Pass accuracy

86%

Dribbles completed

60%

Tackles made

2.2

Tackle success rate

60%

Cross success rate

26%

Duels won

6.8

He also thrived with the ball at his feet, completing 86% of the passes he attempted, whilst also completing 60% of his dribbles – resulting in one journalist labelling him as Amorim’s “best player”.

This season, he’s made just nine league appearances, but the side have only lost twice when he’s featured – further showcasing his importance to the club in 2025/26.

However, a solution will need to be found in the coming months, as Mazraoui is set to link up with the Moroccan national team for AFCON during January.

He will no doubt be a miss, but his £12.7m move will no doubt be one of the best deals conducted by the hierarchy – subsequently offering a stark reminder that cheap deals can still result in the arrival of top talents.

Man Utd gem could be "the world's best", but he's becoming the new Mainoo

Manchester United have one star in their ranks who could suffer the same fate as Kobbie Mainoo.

ByEthan Lamb 3 days ago

Chelsea kept their unbeaten November form going in both the Premier League and Champions League with a straightforward 2-0 victory away at Burnley on Saturday lunchtime.

Pedro Neto picked up his sixth goal contribution of the league season when handing the travelling Blues the 1-0 lead, before Enzo Fernandez made sure of all three points late on when he gobbled up a chance on the 88th minute that was all Marc Guiu’s making from off the bench.

Away from the goalscorers mentioned, Andrey Santos also stood out in the midfield ranks, with Enzo Maresca no doubt ready to select the 21-year-old more often, off the back of such an assured showing at Turf Moor.

Santos' performance in numbers

The number 17 was thrown into the starting XI in Lancashire, with Moises Caicedo rested back in Premier League action, after lining up for Ecuador deep into the international break.

Thankfully, Caicedo’s absence wasn’t felt whatsoever, as Santos’ individual showing was described as “outstanding” at the full-time whistle by former Stamford Bridge great Joe Cole.

Indeed, the 21-year-old came into the side and looked right at home in Caicedo’s midfield anchor role, winning seven duels and two tackles to really boost the Blues centrally when Burnley attempted to work openings.

On top of that, Santos looked assured and comfortable on the ball, too, without ever really looking flashy with 34 passes accurately registered.

While Maresca will take plenty away from Santos’ polished showing, with one Chelsea content creator stating that he was “everywhere”, he did need the likes of Neto to come up trumps with a moment of quality in attack to seal the win, away from the Brazilian, allowing the visitors to tick.

While Santos has previously showcased an eye for goal and demonstrated his qualities as a box-crashing 8, he’s not the only Blues star evoking memories of Stamford Bridge royalty in Frank Lampard.

Chelsea star could be Maresca's Lampard

Come the end of his illustrious Premier League career, Lampard would bag 177 top-flight goals, with the former Blues captain having a great habit of sneaking into the box and finishing off chances expertly.

Romelu Lukaku would even hail Lampard as an “unbelievable” finisher of chances when reminiscing about his brief time in the Chelsea first team alongside the modern great.

In the here and now, the aforementioned Fernandez also has a similarly impactful knack to be able to finish off chances, with Guiu playing a late pass into a dangerous space up against Burnley, knowing that his captain could be there to kill the game off.

After all, that’s amazingly Fernandez’s fourth Premier League goal of the season already, meaning the World Cup-winning star is now Chelsea’s joint-top goalscorer in league action for the season with Neto, which is an accolade Lampard would regularly claim during his celebrated stay in West London.

Yet, there is far more to both the Argentine’s game and Lampard’s game away from scoring big goals, with pundit Micah Richards going out of his way to hail the £107 man as having “everything” in his locker now to be a “leader” at Chelsea earlier in the season.

Games played

11

Goals scored

4

Assists

1

Touches*

70.7

Accurate passes*

46.5 (85%)

Shots*

2.2

Big chances missed

4

Key passes*

1.8

Big chances created

4

Ball recoveries*

3.9

Total duels won*

3.9

The table above very much backs up Richards’ assessment of Fernandez being a complete midfield talent worthy of wearing Chelsea’s club armband, with an energy present in his game that matches that of Santos, with 3.9 ball recoveries averaged and 3.9 duels won per game this season in league action.

However, it is his ability to fashion chances galore and score plentiful goals that really does make that comparison to Lampard even stronger, with Fernandez beating the likes of Cole Palmer to the top prize when it comes to most goal contributions tallied up for the Blues over the last year, as the 24-year-old now sits on a weighty 21 goal contributions, next to the Englishman’s 15.

Fernandez also has a taste for silverware now, too, having lifted the Club World Cup in the summer, as he strives to lift Premier League titles like those before him, with Santos also wanting to mature into a consistent first-team star next to him.

Enzo Maresca now driving Chelsea move for "incredible" £79m Premier League star

The Italian is looking to sign a new defender, who is viewed as an ideal fit for his system.

ByDominic Lund Nov 23, 2025

When longtime first baseman, third baseman and outfielder Pete Rose died on Sept. 30 at the age of 83, baseball fans immediately began discussing whether Rose would eventually make it into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Rose has been banned from baseball since 1989, per the terms of an agreement he cut with commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti amid allegations that Rose bet on the Cincinnati Reds while managing them. Per Hall of Fame rules, players on MLB's permanently ineligible list cannot be inducted.

On Tuesday, John Condit—a former sportscaster for WHIO-TV in Dayton, Ohio—revealed that the question was on Rose's mind shortly before his death. On , Condit showed clips from a conversation he had with Rose on Sept. 20.

"I've come to the conclusion—I hope I'm wrong—that I'll make the Hall of Fame after I die,'' Rose said. "Which I totally disagree with, because the Hall of Fame is for two reasons: your fans and your family. That's what the Hall of Fame is for. Your fans and your family."

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred is said to be considering a petition that would reinstate the sport's all-time leader in hits.

"What good is it going to do me or my fans if they put me in the Hall of Fame couple years after I pass away?" Rose told Condit. "What's the point? What's the point? Because they'll make money over it?''