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Celtic journalist Lewis Laird has been reacting to Bosun Lawal’s return from injury over the weekend.

The Lowdown: Lawal’s absence

Lawal joined the Hoops in the summer from Watford, with the Glasgow club pipping the likes of Chelsea, Fulham and Norwich City to his services.

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As we know, the teenager is yet to feature under Ange Postecoglou and has been out injured since November.

He was spotted at the end of February doing some individual work and has now made a return to action, starring in a 1-1 draw with Celtic’s arch-rivals Rangers in the Glasgow Cup.

The Latest: Laird reacts

Laird, who covers all things Celtic-related, reacted via Twitter following the B team’s 1-1 draw with Rangers on Saturday.

He posted: “Thought it was a good display from Celtic this afternoon, unfortunate not to come away with first 3 points in the Glasgow Cup. Great to see Bosun Lawal back and playing 90 minutes after a long spell out”.

The Verdict: Good news

Lawal appears to be a star of the future, with Celtic chiefs believing that they may already have a future first-team centre-back partnership on their hands in Lawal and Dane Murray.

Hopefully, the 18-year-old can now remain injury-free and feature regularly alongside Murray in the B team, looking to catch Postecoglou’s eye in the process.

The Hoops manager isn’t afraid to rely on the youth, as he showed with Murray earlier in the season against FC Midtjylland, and if Lawal impresses over the coming months, he may be given a serious chance to impress for the first team in pre-season.

In other news: Deal negotiated – ‘Ambitious’ Celtic ace who Postecoglou hailed now open to Parkhead exit

Newcastle United moved on to 43 points on Saturday as they beat Norwich 3-0 in a Premier League encounter at Carrow Road.

The Magpies are well clear of relegation and are on course to avoid the drop down to the Championship after an impressive resurgence under Eddie Howe.

They can now start to think about what they are going to do in the summer transfer window as attention turns to 2022/23 and their ambitions to compete higher up in the table.

One player the club are reportedly in the running for is Napoli centre-forward Victor Osimhen, who has been thriving in the Serie A this season.

Speaking about a potential transfer, his agent – Andrea D’Amico – said: “If a very important offer arrives, it goes away. But this is true for every player who plays in Italy.”

“At the moment I have no requests from the Premier, but it is early, it is a situation that remains evolving. England remains a top-tier market. When I speak of an important and indispensable offer for Osimhen, I mean offers of 150 million.”

Imagine him & Bruno

If the Magpies can bring the £126m (€150m) attacker to St. James’ Park then he would be able to form an exciting partnership with Bruno Guimaraes.

Osimhen has scored 12 goals in 19 Serie A starts this season and averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.12 for Napoli. The dynamo also scored four goals in five Europa League matches earlier in the campaign and this shows that he has been a reliable scorer, and performer, for the Italian side.

He is finally fulfilling the potential that he showed earlier in his career. Whilst in the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg, his then-manager Andries Jonker outlined his talent, saying: “He has great potential in him. He is ambitious, quick and highly unpredictable, he will be a star in the future if he maintains his focus.”

Guimaraes, meanwhile, has four goals and one assist in 13 games in the Premier League since arriving in England in January. He has averaged a fantastic SofaScore rating of 7.25 as he has been able to hit the ground running in the top-flight under Howe.

The Brazilian has proven that he can make an impact in the division and now you can imagine what his link-up with a striker as clinical as Osimhen would look like. Imagine both of them exchanging passes and running at opposition defences next season; it’s an exciting thought and a dream that PIF can, hopefully, realise in the coming months.

AND in other news, “Newcastle want..”: Journo drops exciting claim on £109m duo, it’ll delight supporters…

Pundit Micah Richards has made a claim on Leeds United defender Liam Cooper after his injury scare on the weekend.

The Lowdown: Cooper set for scans

It was a weekend to forget for the Whites on all fronts, with relegation rivals Burnley and Everton picking up three points each to leave Leeds on the brink of the bottom three.

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Leeds fell to a 4-0 defeat to leaders Manchester City, with Stuart Dallas suffering a broken leg at Elland Road.

Dallas wasn’t the only Leeds player injured on Saturday evening, though, with captain Liam Cooper withdrawing from the starting line-up after pulling up in the warm-up due to a knee problem which requires a scan.

The Latest: ‘Massive’

Speaking live on BBC Monday Night Club, relayed by MOT Leeds News, Richards, who contributes regularly for BBC Radio 5 Live and Match of the Day, had this to say on Cooper and his latest problem.

“Cooper being out is massive for them.

“While they’ve conceded the most, when you’re going up against Man City, especially from set-pieces, if they pick you apart you hold your hands up.”

The Verdict: Fingers crossed

Cooper’s return to action last month following a hamstring problem coincided with a change in form at the back for Leeds, so this fresh injury concern could be a big problem.

Jesse Marsch’s side picked up five points from nine and conceded just once in games with Southampton, Watford and Crystal Palace with Cooper back in the side from the off.

The Whites star has been the club’s second-best performer this season, with Dallas third, as per WhoScored, so Leeds officials will be desperate to find out the centre-back’s knee problem isn’t too serious heading into the final four games.

In other news: Leeds want to sign ‘X-factor’ attacker despite possible relegation.

Sky Sports pundit Kevin Phillips has claimed that Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp may have been promised some ‘massive funds’ ahead of the upcoming transfer window, just days after signing a new deal at the club.

The Lowdown: Extending Klopp’s stay

The Merseyside outfit confirmed last week that the German manager has put pen to paper on a contract extension with the Reds, which will see him remain in charge at Anfield until at least 2026.

And, over the last few weeks, reports have started to emerge on who the gaffer’s summer transfer targets may be (The Times), including the likes of Jude Bellingham and Aurelien Tchouameni.

With this in mind, former Sunderland striker Phillips believes that Klopp may have been promised significant funding to splash in the summer.

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The Latest: Best man for the job

Phillips told Football Insider’s Ewan Kingsbury: “This new deal suggests he’s been made promises, for sure.

“He could have been made assurances about massive funds in the transfer market, assurances about the contracts of Salah and Mane.

“If you’re the owner, why would you not do everything in your power to keep him at the football club?

“I think we all know Steven Gerrard is being groomed to take over, but he’s not quite ready – so why not keep the best?

“It’s a sensible decision, but Klopp won’t be easing up – he’ll be asking the board for every penny he can get.”

The Verdict: Incredible success

The boss first joined Liverpool on an initial three-year deal from Borussia Dortmund back in 2015 in what was a £15m move, but his many achievements have meant that he is still in charge an outstanding seven seasons later.

Klopp has enjoyed plenty of success during his spell with the Reds, having bagged the likes of the Premier League, Champions League, and UEFA Super Cup titles just to name a few (Transfermarkt).

Following the recent sacking of Sean Dyche at Burnley, the Stuttgart-born boss now becomes the longest-serving manager in the top-flight of English football, and with another four years ahead of him, the future at Liverpool is sure looking bright.

In other news… an expert has delivered an update on the injury setback of Liverpool’s ‘unsung hero’.

A big Newcastle United update has emerged regarding their pursuit of Atletico Madrid defender Renan Lodi heading into the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

Speaking on his YouTube channel (via Sport Witness), Brazilian journalist André Hernan has revealed that the Magpies ‘should’ sign the left-back ahead of next season.

He has claimed that talks are ongoing and at an advanced stage between PIF and Atletico Madrid, with the Tyneside club in a ‘strong’ position to make him one of their first signings of the summer.

This comes after a report last month claiming that the Magpies will present an offer in the region €25m (£21m) for the full-back.

Howe will be buzzing

Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe will surely be buzzing with this news, as it strongly suggests that he will have the chance to work with Lodi at Darsley Park next season.

The left-back is a young player with potential who has also experienced plenty of football at the top level, which would make him an exciting addition for the club if they can get a deal for him over the line.

At the age of 24, he is still a few years away from the peak of his career, so the Toon would be bringing in a player with scope for development. He is someone with whom Howe could work on the training pitch to improve his performances and, in turn, increase his value for a possible sale in the future.

Lodi also has plenty of experience under his belt. The full-back has played 39 times across La Liga and the Champions League this season, after featuring on 31 occasions in those competitions last term. This shows that he knows what it takes to perform at the very top level in Europe, which should stand him in good stead with adapting to the Premier League.

Howe would also love what the 24-year-old would offer in the final third. Among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues, Lodi ranks in the 90th percentile or higher for assists, attacking touches, progressive passes received and non-penalty goals per 90, as per FBRef.

He has shown that he can provide a big threat in the final third whilst playing at left-back, and the Newcastle head coach would surely love to have a defender who can help turn his team into a progressive, forward-thinking side. Therefore, the ex-Cherries boss will be buzzing with PIF’s work on closing in on a deal for the Brazilian.

AND in other news, Howe can land the next Shearer as Newcastle “prepares” £59m bid for 68-goal “diamond”…

Manchester United have already made an approach over a mega-money move for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen.

The Lowdown: Attackers needed

Erik ten Hag is eager to get going at Old Trafford, so much so that he terminated his Ajax contract six weeks early.

A number of incomings and outgoings are expected over the coming months, with Edinson Cavani falling into the latter of the two categories.

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He looks set to become a free agent at the end of June and is likely to leave, while Marcus Rashford has been linked with an exit, which may leave Ten Hag extremely short of attacking options.

The Latest: Osimhen update

Sports Witness relayed an update from Corriere dello Sport regarding Osimhen on Wednesday. They claim that the Red Devils have already made an approach for the 23-year-old, who has a €110m (£93m) valuation.

A number of clubs in England are seemingly keen on the Nigeria international, however, only United have been name-checked in the update.

The Verdict: Osimhen or Nunez?

Benfica’s Darwin Nunez has been linked with a big-money move to Old Trafford, so it looks as if it will be one of the two forwards this summer, as United are also working on a move for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong.

Midfield appears to be a big priority, so we can’t imagine the funds will be there to sign both strikers alongside de Jong, who is reportedly 95 per cent likely to join.

Osimhen, who former United striker Odion Ighalo described as ‘the future’, has scored 18 goals in 31 appearances this season, turning out impressively in the Europa League.

Meanwhile, Nunez, a year younger than Osimhen, has scored a whopping 34 goals in 2021/22, has played in the Champions League and can also play on the wing or in a deeper role, so perhaps the Uruguay international could be the smarter buy.

In other news: Man Utd source: Sensational transfer twist as Erik ten Hag now hijacking move for ‘golden boy’. 

After Zimbabwe and Australia, it’s New Zealand’s turn as Bangladesh’s impressive home season continues

Mohammad Isam08-Sep-2021Bangladesh completed their first T20I series win against New Zealand, taking an unassailable 3-1 lead on Wednesday. Victory was hard-fought – the hosts eventually won by six wickets and five balls to spare despite bowling out the visitors for 93. The series win is Bangladesh’s third in the last three months – they beat Zimbabwe 2-1 in July and Australia 4-1 in August.New Zealand were shot out for below 100 mainly thanks to Nasum Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman. They became the first Bangladeshi pair to take four-wicket hauls in the same T20I innings. Then with a hint of tension in the chase, Mahmudullah settled nerves with two meaty blows.Nasum’s timely blows
While Shakib Al Hasan remains their premier spinner, Nasum was equally deserving of the title, bowling with a great deal of accuracy. He got Rachin Ravindra out in the first over of the day and was nonplussed by Finn Allen going for reverse sweeps, eventually getting him caught on the same shot.Then later in his second spell, Nasum capitalised on Mahedi Hasan having already broken the flourishing 35-run stand between Tom Latham-Will Young.Sniffing a weakness, he got one to spin back into Henry Nicholls’ stumps from outside off-stump from around the wicket. Next ball, a classic left-armer’s delivery against a right-hander had Colin de Grandhomme feeling for one that spun away as the edge was snaffled by wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan. New Zealand at that stage were tottering at 52 for 5 in the 12th over.The Fizz follows up perfectly
Rahman followed Nasum’s double-wicket over with two of his own.In the 16th over, Mohammad Naim took a good catch diving to his left at mid-on, after Tom Blundell miscued a lofted drive. Off the last ball of the same over, Rahman took a brilliant return catch off Cole McConchie, who was completely undone by an offcutter that ripped off the surface.New Zealand still had Young going strong despite the mayhem. He swept and drove well to hit five fours and a six in his 46, nearly half of New Zealand’s score. But with wickets and overs running out, Young’s attempted swipe only found Mahmudullah at cover. Off the next ball, Mahedi took a simple catch after Blair Tickner gave a thick outside edge.Patel provides a scare
Fresh off his match-winning four-wicket haul in the third T20I, Ajaz Patel took little time to threaten. Bangladesh. After McCochnie removed Liton Das cheaply, Patel had Shakib stumped in the sixth over. The left-hander hared down the wicket, but missed the full delivery that yorked him as Latham grabbed the ball and effected the stumping.Later in the same over, Mushfiqur Rahim fell for a duck, trying to play his favourite slog-sweep. Then, perhaps brought on for his last over much later in the game, Patel immediately created a chance only for Latham to fumble and reprieve Mahmudullah. He eventually finished with 2 for 9 off his four overs, with Bangladesh needing 19 off the last three overs.Mahmudullah does the dirty work
Bangladesh made it tough for themselves, only to be bailed out by Mahmudullah. He added 35 runs for the fourth wicket with Naim, who was run out needlessly for 29. It rocked Bangladesh, who kept on batting conservatively, before Patel’s last over nearly derailed them. Mahmudullah however rode out that stumping chance in the 17th over, to hit Tickner over midwicket for his second six in the penultimate over. It was a decisive blow in the game.

The former England quick, who qualifies through his mother, will feature in the T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier next month

Matt Roller21-Sep-2021Jade Dernbach, the 35-year-old seamer who won 58 limited-overs caps for England between 2011 and 2014, has been named in Italy’s squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier next month.Dernbach’s opportunities in county cricket have been limited in recent years and he will leave Surrey at the end of this season, but he will resume his international career after being persuaded to declare for Italy – he qualifies through his mother – by Gareth Berg, the Northamptonshire allrounder who will captain and coach the side.Related

• Gareth Berg named playing head coach of Italy

• Jade Dernbach joins Derbyshire on loan after limited role with Surrey

• Jade Dernbach to move on after 19 seasons with Surrey

Grant Stewart, the Australian-born allrounder who played for Kent in their T20 Blast triumph on Saturday, is another fresh inclusion in the squad, while there is also a call-up for the Leinster Lightning batter Jamie Grassi.Owais Shah, the former England international and a team-mate of Berg’s at Middesex and Hampshire, will act as his assistant coach.Italy reached October’s qualifier – which forms part of the pathway for the 2022 T20 World Cup – by virtue of their T20I ranking, after the sub-qualifier events were cancelled by the ICC due to Covid-19. They will face Jersey, Germany and Denmark from October 15-21 in Spain, with the top two teams progressing to the global qualifiers in early 2022.Italy squad for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier: Gareth Berg (captain/head coach), Jade Dernbach, Madupa Fernando, Jamie Grassi, Grant Stewart, Darren Low, Dinidu Marage, Gian-Piero Meade, Joy Perera, Amir Sharif, Baljith Singh, Jaspreet Singh, Manpreet Singh, Nikolai Smith.

Maxwell took 1-24 in the win over South Africa after Ashton Agar was omitted but Marcus Stoinis believes Agar will be called upon in the tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff and AAP24-Oct-2021Marcus Stoinis believes every member of Australia’s squad will likely play at some stage of the T20 World Cup, after Ashton Agar’s shock axing for their tournament-opening win over South Africa.Agar, who is Australia’s top-ranked bowler in the format, was the unlucky omission that allowed selectors to unleash Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins in the same T20I attack for the first time. He has been a mainstay in Australia’s T20I side during recent years, featuring in 24 of the 30 matches since his recall in 2018, with the only games he has missed being through injury.Coach Justin Langer usually picks five specialist bowlers in his XI but there was only room for the three quicks and Adam Zampa in Abu Dhabi, where Stoinis stroked the winning runs in the final over of a stop-start chase of 119.Glenn Maxwell delivered four overs – the first time he had completed his allocation in a T20I since 2018 – including the second of the match that featured the dismissal of Temba Bavuma, as Australia did well to restrict South Africa to 118 for 9.”There’s an argument for everyone to be in the team,” Stoinis said. “There’s no easy answers and we’ll probably just see what happens as the tournament goes on. I think everyone’s going to get used in this tournament.”With these conditions, we’ve got to adapt as we go. He [Agar] has got such a good record, has been so good for us. So I wouldn’t be counting anything out.”Related

• Impactful Adam Zampa turning it Australia's way when it matters

• Langer says Australia will be flexible in selections depending on conditions, opposition, match-ups

• Glenn Maxwell heads into T20 World Cup on the crest of a wave

Kane Richardson, Mitchell Swepson and Josh Inglis were the other members of Australia’s 15-man squad that didn’t make the cut in their tournament opener.Aaron Finch said after winning the toss they were on the wrong side of “brutally tough” calls. Finch, who didn’t ask Stoinis or Mitchell Marsh to deliver a single over, expanded on the logic of off-spinning allrounder Maxwell’s key role with the ball after the five-wicket victory.”We felt there were some really good match-ups in the powerplay,” Finch said. “He did a really good job.”Before the tournament, Maxwell had talked about how he had been working on his bowling to right-handers to make himself a more valuable option for Finch. “I suppose that’s the biggest thing I’ve been working really hard on, bowling from over the wicket and being able to attack right-handed batters and it feels like it’s going really well,” Maxwell said.Stoinis agreed and said Maxwell’s innovative approach to batting was part of what made him a “brilliant T20 bowler”.”One of the benefits of batting like he does, he understands the game and he understands what batters are trying to do,” Stoinis said. “He’s very smart. He’s obviously played so much.”I definitely think he’s someone we should be using in this World Cup. He did match up well to a few of their left-handers and the wickets suited it, but there’s no reason why he won’t be bowling.”

RCB, meanwhile, are looking to beat MI at the Wankhede for the first time since 2015

S Sudarshanan06-Apr-20250:56

Can Bumrah get MI’s season back on track?

Big picture – Bumrah available, Rohit set to return

One of the running jokes of the IPL over its 18 seasons is that Mumbai Indians have needed the month of May to truly kick into gear. With the tournament usually starting in April in the early years, MI would typically lose a few games before getting back to winning ways in May. While the timelines may have shifted over the years, MI have continued to start slowly, and that’s been the case in IPL 2025 too. With three defeats in four outings so far, they are getting close to danger territory. Teams typically need at least 16 points from their 14 league games to be in contention for the playoffs, and time may be running out for the five-time champions.One bit of news will brighten the mood around the MI camp significantly, though. Jasprit Bumrah is available for selection. If any one player can transform a team’s fortunes all by himself, it’s Bumrah.Related

• Bumrah available for selection for Mumbai Indians against RCB

What he can’t do, however, is fix MI’s batting issues. In three of their four matches, their opening partnership has not lasted beyond the second over. Rohit Sharma’s run of lean scores aside, MI have yet to settle on a batting order. Naman Dhir, one of their bright spots from last season and for whom they used the right-to-match card at the auction, batted at No. 7 in two games before scoring a 24-ball 46 at No. 3 in their last outing against Lucknow Super Giants. With Rohit set to return after missing that game with a knee injury, Will Jacks could move back to one-drop, which would push Dhir further down.While Suryakumar Yadav’s form has been a consolation for MI, Tilak Varma has looked scratchy enough to get retired out, and Hardik Pandya hasn’t been setting the death overs on fire. And there are questions over MI’s firepower – or lack thereof – lower down the order. On the eve of their match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, head coach Mahela Jayawardene didn’t sound too worried. “I want to be more flexible with the batting order given where we are and the talent and skill we have,” he said in Mumbai on Sunday. “As long as we have productivity from those guys in different positions, it will give us advantage going forward.”MI’s opponents on Monday, RCB, are one of the form teams so far this season. They are coming off a loss to Gujarat Titans at home but have won both their away games. That run has included a win at Chepauk for the first time since 2008. RCB have beaten MI only three times at the Wankhede, and haven’t done so even once since 2015. With a unit in strong early-season form, with four of their batters having already scored half-centuries, this could be their best chance of ending that run.0:26

Jayawardene provides an update on Bumrah and Rohit’s availability

Form guide

Mumbai Indians LWL
(Last three matches, most recent first)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru LWW

New loyalties

Tim David, Romario Shepherd and Nuwan Thushara, all of whom were at MI last season, are with RCB this time. Will Jacks and Reece Topley, meanwhile, were with the RCB squad in 2024, but have now moved to MI.

Team news and likely XII

Mumbai IndiansBumrah and Rohit – who had a near-30-minute batting stint at the nets on Sunday – are set to return, with Ashwani Kumar and Raj Bawa – who did not bat or bowl against LSG – likely to make way.Likely XII (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Ryan Rickelton (wk), 3 Will Jacks, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Tilak Varma, 6 Hardik Pandya (capt), 7 Naman Dhir, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Jasprit Bumrah, 12 Vignesh Puthur.Royal Challengers BengaluruVirat Kohli was not at training on match eve. RCB are expected to go in unchanged, the only point of contention being whether they need an extra spinner. If they decide to pick one, they could bring in either Suyash Sharma or Swapnil Singh in place of Rasikh Salam.Likely XII (probable): 1 Phil Salt, 2 Virat Kohli, 3 Devdutt Padikkal, 4 Rajat Patidar (capt), 5 Liam Livingstone, 6 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 7 Krunal Pandya, 8 Tim David, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Yash Dayal, 12 Rasikh Salam/Suyash Sharma.

The big question

Naman Dhir scored an impressive 24-ball 46 after being promoted to No. 3 against LSG. With Rohit Sharma set to return, though, Will Jacks could move back to No. 3 and push Dhir down the order. Is that the way MI should go?

In the spotlight: Tilak Varma and Tim David

Tilak Varma has made a sedate start to IPL 2025. After a breakthrough international season that featured two T20I centuries for India, he has struggled for fluency in the IPL. He began the season with a 36-ball 39 against Gujarat Titans, and scored 25 off 23 against LSG before being retired out as MI’s required rate spiralled out of control. Tilak returns to the Wankhede now, but it hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for him in T20s: he has a highest score of 38 in 15 innings here, and his strike rate of 124.07 is his lowest at any ground where he has batted at least five times.Among the away players who could feel at home in Mumbai on Monday is Tim David, who made his name as a lower-order hitter for MI from 2022 to 2024. Since 2022, only Dinesh Karthik (208.33) and Suryakumar (197.09) have better IPL strike rates than David (188.95) at the Wankhede (minimum five innings). “Coming back to play in Mumbai, it’s a wonderful place to play at the Wankhede,” David said ahead of the game against MI. “[I] love batting here. It’s a nice place to have as your home ground. It’s not my home ground anymore. Hopefully I get a chance to do some damage out there in the middle tomorrow night.”2:00

Bishop: Hazlewood has an important role to play

Pitch and conditions

The weather in Mumbai has been hot with high humidity levels. The temperature is expected to hover around the early 30s on Monday evening. Despite the ground’s relatively small dimensions, there have only been four 200-plus IPL totals at the Wankhede since 2024, two of them coming in the same game. Teams batting first have won four of the last eight matches here, but captains have preferred to chase, with the threat of dew in mind. The team winning the toss has bowled first in every IPL match here since 2024.

Stats and trivia

• Rohit Sharma has been dismissed 21 times inside the powerplay in 33 IPL innings since the start of 2023. He averages 24.95 in this phase in this time – only Wriddhiman Saha (20.85) has done worse among the 11 batters who have batted at least 25 times in the first six overs.
• Since the start of 2023, no one has scored more runs in IPL chases than Suryakumar Yadav (809). Among batters with at least 10 innings in chases, only Nicholas Pooran and Abhishek Sharma have better strike rates than Suryakumar (184.28).
• Tim David (31) has hit the most sixes in the death overs (17th to 20th) in the last three seasons of the IPL, ahead of MS Dhoni (27) and Rinku Singh (26).
• Bhuvneshwar Kumar needs one wicket to become the third-highest wicket-taker in the IPL. He is currently on par with R Ashwin and Dwayne Bravo on 183 wickets, behind Piyush Chawla (192) and Yuzvendra Chahal (206).

Quotes

“The modern day [cricket] is so tactical. We keep changing line-ups to match up certain bowling line-ups. I don’t see how different [retiring a batter out] is. As a batsman, I have had times when you struggle to get through. [Tilak] batted well for us in the three games, built partnerships and got us to situations we need to. I still value that. He was trying and wasn’t able to get going, so I felt it was my decision to throw someone else to get those two hits.”
“Rajat is aggressive and he backs himself to play his role. I watch these guys bat during the game and I love watching them bat. He’s very calm as a captain. He seems well-planned with his decisions and he’s building on from a great environment in this team, so it’s great fun to be a part of.”