The India head coach said a decision on Rodrigues’ inclusion in the XI against New Zealand will be taken on match day

Sruthi Ravindranath22-Oct-20254:19

Preview: ‘Wounded’ India favourites against New Zealand?

India head coach Amol Muzumdar has said leaving Jemimah Rodrigues out of the World Cup clash against England on Sunday was “one of the toughest decisions” the team has had to make, and one dictated purely by combination and conditions.”To be fair, Jemi [Rodrigues] has been a very important player, an integral part of this side we have built,” Muzumdar said. “Sometimes you just have to take those tough calls. That game, particularly against England, required the sixth bowling option, given the ground of Indore and the [high-scoring] conditions over there, we thought six bowling options would be a better call on that particular day and for that particular match.”Rodrigues, who has managed just 65 runs from four innings this tournament, including two ducks, made way for seamer Renuka Singh in the weekend.”It was a tough call, there is no doubt about it,” Muzumdar said. “One of the toughest decisions, but sometimes tough calls do need to be taken. She took it really nicely and very sportingly.”Related

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Ahead of India’s crucial clash against New Zealand, Rodrigues had an extended net session, closely working on her drives, though Muzumdar said the decision to bring her back into the XI will be taken only on match day.India have now lost three consecutive matches, to South Africa, Australia, and England, all after getting into promising positions. Muzumdar conceded that the pressure of playing a home World Cup is being felt, but backed the squad, including young pacer Kranti Gaud, who’s gone for runs in her second spell in all three games, to bounce back.”I think a home World Cup, of course, there has to be some kind of pressure. But this side, this particular side is well-equipped to handle that. We’ve built a side around it and I think all the players are well-equipped to handle pressure.5:13

‘Fans need to temper expectations with India’

“[Gaud] had not much of experience in international cricket, but that’s the stage we are in. She’s been the spearhead of the fast bowlers in the team. And we’ve had several discussions, we’ve not left any stone unturned with regards to discussion and taking the load off her.”While six Indian batters have crossed fifty in the tournament so far, none has reached three-figures, something Muzumdar said the team is actively trying to address. Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur had laid the platform in the England game with a 125-run stand but were dismissed for 88 and 70 respectively.”We are well aware that a three-figure mark hasn’t come this World Cup. But if you look at the past year-and-a-half, the 18 months that have passed before the World Cup, we’ve had definitely a lot of hundreds that we’ve seen than ever before. I don’t think there is a lot of load on anyone. But we’ve had honest discussions about it. And the players also have been honest that, ‘Yes, instead of a fifty, we could have converted that into a hundred’. They are aware of it. And I’m hopeful that it will come in the next couple of games.”Muzumdar also said there was no burden on either Harmanpreet as captain or on Richa Ghosh to finish games single-handedly.”As a batting group, we’ve discussed we need to get into a certain stage where we can have that, that kind of a liberty for Richa to go out there and play her shots.”

In a year with the most 200-plus totals and the highest economy rate, Bumrah has towered over all other bowlers

Sidharth Monga31-May-20252:13

Moody: Ridiculous how far ahead of the rest Bumrah is

People on X have been calling him Josh Hazlegod since Ashes 2017-18, but it is Mumbai Indians (MI) that have got the closest to a religious experience. You can almost always neatly divide any given match of MI, any given campaign, or their entire IPL history into Before Bumrah and Anno Domini.In hindsight, MI made a mistake at the toss in the Eliminator against Gujarat Titans (GT), had to fight heavy dew and were being carted all around; GT’s run rate at the end of the 14th over was higher than the asking rate, and they had eight wickets in hand. And then appeared the lord, Jasprit Bumrah. The miracle of Bumrah created what might yet be the image of IPL 2025: Washington Sundar in a variation of the spreadeagle having failed to negate a yorker, and his stumps all over the place.In this year’s IPL, Bumrah missed the first four matches. MI won only one of those. Since Burmah’s introduction to this year’s IPL, they have won eight out of 11 matches. Basically, that is the same number of losses in the four matches Before Bumrah and 11 matches after his return.Related

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• Ashwani fills the gaps in MI's Bumrah-centric bowling plans

Overall, MI had zero titles in five years Before Bumrah; they are now gunning for the sixth one in 13 seasons with him in the side.There is no mistaking correlation with causation here. Even in a format with as limited agency for bowlers as T20, Bumrah creates a massive impact. The overall economy rate and average in all T20 matches involving Bumrah are 8.12 and 27.7, respectively. Bumrah, though, has gone at 6.86 and 20.09. When you are that much better than what the average bowler is doing in the same conditions, you can create a massive impact even in T20. Bumrah’s teams have to be really ordinary for him not to have an impact on the result. They usually aren’t.This year has been extra special for Bumrah. Bear in mind, it has been the year with the most 200-plus totals and the highest economy rate, and will end up with the most sixes. Among those who have bowled at least 25 balls in this IPL, Bumrah holds the best economy rate: 6.36 per over as against the overall 9.61. To turn in his most economical IPL ever in the big 2025 is phenomenal. Only three bowlers with as many or more wickets than him are still alive in the tournament.T20 is a format where batters hit you regardless, making it difficult to define what a good ball is, or to ascertain cause and effect. That’s not the case with Bumrah, though. Just one look at his pitch map, and you know why he has done well. A total of 43.41% of Bumrah’s deliveries have been full tosses, yorkers, or in the 2-4m bin. These can safely be assumed to be attempted yorkers. His unique action gives Bumrah the opposite of dip – the lift, which makes it difficult to line up any error in attempted yorkers.The miracle Bumrah created, what might yet be the image of this IPL•BCCITo have that higher margin for error because of a physical irregularity is one thing, but to hammer it home so beautifully is another. Bumrah’s full tosses have gone at just 7.42 runs per over (11.58 for all other fast bowlers), his yorkers at 5.49 per over (6.66 for others) and 2-4m deliveries at 5 per over (8.2 for others). Others have bowled only 22% of their deliveries in these three zones because if they miss their yorker, they get punished.The worst region to bowl in this year’s IPL has been 4-6m, which is the aggressive good length on a seaming pitch but just a slot ball on the T20 pancakes. Bumrah has veered into that zone only 7.75% of the time for 8.1 runs an over, while others have made the mistake nearly twice: 13.83% for an economy rate of 11.82.Bumrah has basically bowled defensive good lengths or hard lengths or attempted yorkers 36.82% of the time. This is incredible control over what you want to do. Hyperextension gives you certain benefits, but not this rate of execution and awareness of your game and the game in general.2:58

Cricinformed: Bumrah, the gold standard for a T20 bowler

Apart from the lift on his on-pace deliveries, Bumrah generates alarming dip and cut on the slower ones. He is streets ahead of the slower balls bowled by other bowlers. For others, only those slower balls that end up as yorkers have gone for under a-run-a-ball. For Bumrah, the whole band from 0-8m, plus 10-12m, is under a-run-a-ball. His slower balls in the slot have yielded a batting strike rate of just 50.Against his next opponents, Punjab Kings (PBKS), Bumrah bowled four overs for just 23 runs earlier in the season even as PBKS chased down 185. Against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who are in the final, Bumrah went for just 29 runs in his four overs even as they scored a match-winning 221.So, for MI to win the title, they have to beat the two rare sides that have risen above Bumrah in the league stages. In both those matches, both Trent Boult and Mitchell Santner went either for or above ten runs an over. That tells you the scale of heavy lifting the batters have to do off the others.In a batters’ format, in a year that belongs to batters more than any other, Bumrah has two possible shots at making this arguably the greatest IPL for a bowler despite missing the first four matches. Still, there are many things that can go wrong: the toss, the dew, bad day for others around him, or a batting failure, but Bumrah is not likely to be one of them.

Tottenham Hotspur’s efforts in the Champions League against PSG last night were a vast improvement from the North London Derby, but it still wasn’t enough to claim all three points.

Luis Enrique’s men secured a 5-3 triumph at the Parc des Princes, but the night could have been a lot better for Thomas Frank’s side at one stage.

The Dane’s side twice took the lead against the reigning Champions League winners, with Randal Kolo Muani and Richarlison putting the Lilywhites ahead before and after the break.

However, numerous moments of madness from numerous players subsequently cost the side all three points, with Frank’s side now winless in their last three outings.

During such fixtures, the first team have shipped a total of 11 goals, many of which have been down to failures of one player – as demonstrated in Paris once again yesterday.

Cristian Romero’s dismal display against PSG yesterday

After Frank’s arrival as manager over the summer, he made an immediate impact by naming numerous first-team members as part of his Spurs leadership group.

Centre-back Cristian Romero was named as part of the group, with the Argentine wearing the armband in every one of his starts for the Lilywhites this campaign.

That was no different on Wednesday night, but the 27-year-old did nothing short of lead the side to a positive result, with his various errors costing the side against PSG.

His questionable pass into the feet of Pape Sarr saw the Senegalese star robbed of possession, which led to Fabian Ruiz firing the hosts into the lead for the first time.

Romero also charged down Vitinha on the edge of his 18-yard box, but his sliding effort saw him block the Portuguese international’s strike – which resulted in a penalty and all but killed off the game.

His underlying stats also showcase his lack of positive impact at the Parc des Princes, with the defender losing 50% of the duels he entered – subsequently being dominated by the opposition’s frontline.

The Spurs star who was as bad as Romero against PSG

After the manner of the Derby Day defeat on Sunday, it was clear that manager Frank needed to make various changes to try and avenge such a disappointing result.

As a result, the Dane made five changes to his starting eleven, which also saw a switch from a five-back to a more familiar four-back system – one which Romero was at the heart of.

The likes of Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray were handed rare starts at the heart of the side, with the duo often linking up with intricate play in large spells of the first half.

With both players aged under 20, there’s no denying that they will have huge parts to play in the immediate and long-term future for the Lilywhites in their quest for success.

However, there will certainly be question marks over a few of the other starters, with Pape Sarr one player who was unable to take full advantage of his recall to the squad.

The 23-year-old was named as a substitute against Arsenal, but was given the chance to stake his claim for a starting role again last night – but he may look back on the game as a missed opportunity.

Sarr certainly wasn’t solely to blame for the host’s third goal, but his lack of awareness after Romero’s pass saw him lose possession in the build-up to Luiz’s emphatic finish.

Minutes played

84

Touches

44

Passes completed

26

Errors leading to goals

2

Possession lost

7x

Tackles won

50%

Dribbled past

2x

Blocks made

0

He also could have done more to prevent Willian Pacho’s strike, with the Senegalese international unable to get ahead of the defender to clear the loose ball in the penalty area.

The youngster’s underlying stats were just as poor, with the midfielder only able to win 50% of the tackles he entered, whilst also being dribbled past twice.

Sarr’s lack of positive impact was highlighted in his tally of possession lost, as he gave the ball back to the opposition on seven separate occasions – often presenting a careless figure in possession.

There’s little denying he put in a shift when out of possession, but he did so to little avail, ultimately leading to journalist Alasdair Gold handing him a 5/10 match rating upon the final whistle.

After such a showing, it’s evident that Bergvall and Gray are both ahead of him in the pecking order, with Sarr needing a huge reaction in the upcoming matches to dislodge the pair.

As for Romero, it was yet another evening to forget, but given his role as captain, he must pick himself and the rest of the team up ahead of Saturday’s clash with Fulham.

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ByEthan Lamb Nov 26, 2025

Ellie Roebuck has returned to the England squad for meetings with China and Ghana, the FA has confirmed. The Aston Villa stopper replaces Manchester City goalkeeper Khiara Keating due to injury, her first time being selected by the Lionesses since shortly after the 2023 World Cup. In the intervening years, Roebuck's health issues had put her entire career in severe jeopardy.

Roebuck suffered a stroke that could have left her blind

Roebuck was a backup goalkeepr in the England squad that achieved European Championship success in 2022 and reached the World Cup final in Australia in 2023. England fell to a penalty shootout defeat to Spain two-and-a-half years ago, but six months after the showdown with La Roja, Roebuck suffered a stroke that she said should have left her blind.

"I'm lucky because I should have lost my vision," Roebuck told in February. "I should have lost my peripheral vision for sure. The majority of people that suffer a stroke [like mine] do that. So, I probably should have been blind, which is quite a miracle that that didn't happen."

Having been struck in the back of the head with a ball in training with Manchester City, the 26-year-old was treated for a concussion but further tests revealed that Roebuck had actually suffered a stroke.

"I knew it wasn't concussion," she said. "I've had concussion. I just knew something wasn't right. I said 'for my peace of mind I need a head scan, something is not right and I know it'."

Having been called back in by the club doctor, Roebuck added: "It filled me with panic, but I never had in my mind that it was a stroke. He sat me down and was like, 'you've had an infarct in your left occipital lobe'. I asked 'what's that in English?' And then he said it was a type of stroke."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportRoebuck replaces Man City's Keating in the England squad

The diagnosis came at the worst possible time for Roebuck, who two weeks previously had formalised her City exit having signed a pre-contract with Barcelona. "I was sat in A&E with all the people on a Thursday night that'd been out drinking," Roebuck added. "They'd come in with their cuts and bruises and I was just sat there [thinking] 'what is happening?' And then I got taken to the stroke ward which was something that I'd never really want to remember.

"You're in there with people that I thought were 'normal people' to have strokes – older people. It was just a crazy experience." Roebuck also added: "The nurses said you can't carry shopping for six weeks. You can't do any exercise. I thought, 'I'm a professional footballer, I can't do that'."

After a year in Spain, Roebuck went on to sign for Aston Villa coming into 2025-26, though has made only two appearances for the Villans in the WSL this season due to Sabrina D'Angelo's solid status as No. 1. Even so, with Hannah Hampton already not part of the squad through injury, England have confirmed that Roebuck has returned to the England setup, replacing Manchester City's Khiara Keating, who was forced to withdraw due to "a small groin injury" suffered in training.

AFPMoorhouse in line to make England debut

Keating's withdrawal from the England squad not only paved the way for Roebuck to return to the Lionesses squad, but means Anna Moorhouse is now line to make her England debut against China.

Moorhouse received her first call up in July 2024, but found herself behind Keating, the retired Mary Earps and the currently injured Hampton in the pecking order over the past 17 months. The 30-year-old didn't play a single minute as England successfully defended their Euros crown in Switzerland.

However, as next in line, Orlando Pride's Moorhouse is tipped to start at Wembley, while Roebuck will hope to feature in some capacity in the coming days following her return to the setup. Brighton's uncapped Sophie Baggaley is the other goalkeeper in the squad named by Sarina Wiegman.

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What comes next for the Lionesses?

After their upcoming friendlies against China and Ghana, the former of which was originally intended to mark a special farewell to Mary Earps, England are not in action again until March, when they kick off the 2027 World Cup qualifiers. The Lionesses begin their qualification campaign against Ukraine before they welcome Iceland in their Group 3 clash.

England and Spain then renew rivalries in April when the Lionesses face off against La Roja at Wembley as the duo battle to secure automatic qualification to Brazil 2027.

Varun Chakravarthy, the top-ranked T20I bowler in the world, says India head coach Gautam Gambhir has fostered a “Spartan mentality” in the team, leaving “no option of losing”. He also credited Gambhir and T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav for his international comeback, after spending nearly three years out of the team.”Definitely one thing which I can say about [Gambhir] is he brings a Spartan mentality to the team where there is no option of losing. You just have to bring your best and give everything on the ground and later on, whatever happens, happens,” Varun said on the sidelines of the CEAT Cricket Rating Awards in Mumbai on Tuesday.”When he is around, there is no mediocrity – you can’t be mediocre in the field, that’s what I feel.”Related

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Varun made his India debut in July 2021, but after enduring a tough campaign in the 2021 T20 World Cup, he was dropped and only played for India again in October 2024.Since then, Varun has been a regular fixture in India’s T20I XI and has also made his ODI debut and played a key role in helping the team win the Champions Trophy earlier this year.”When I made my comeback again, Surya and GG [Gambhir], they spoke to me and they told me that we are looking at you as one of the wicket-takers. And they have backed me throughout. For that, I have to give them the credit.”When he is around, there is no mediocrity,” Varun says of Gautam Gambhir•Getty Images

“I was out of the team for more than three years, but I did have a consecutive good IPL. For them to recognise that and bring me into the team was great for me.”Varun, who has been left out of India’s ODI squad for the Australia tour, spoke about the things Gambhir wants him to work on to enhance his chances in one-day cricket.”Basically, the conversations were around bowling longer spells. Because in T20, you maximum bowl two overs back-to-back. But in ODIs, you have to bowl five to six overs back-to-back, which I did work on and I was able to do it in the Champions Trophy.”And he wants me to bat a little more up the order in domestic circuit and improve on my batting.”Varun was also full of praise for fellow spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who finished as the leading wicket-taker at the Asia Cup.”Kuldeep is definitely one of the most experienced bowlers right now in the pool of players that we have and he has done amazingly well,” Varun said. “I bowl at the speeds of 95kph and he bowls around 85kph, so we kind of complement each other. He has more revs and more turn, I have more speed and bounce, so till now it’s been working well for us. Hopefully, we can do the same thing in the World Cup also.”

The format of the WTC discourages defensive cricket, and that has made Test matches look and feel very different to what they were – the story in numbers

Sampath Bandarupalli07-Jun-2025In November 2015, South Africa lost an away Test series for the first time in nearly a decade when they went 2-0 down after three of the four Tests in India.In the final Test, a dead rubber in Delhi, South Africa focused solely on playing for a draw instead of trying to get a consolation win when set a target of 481 in five full sessions. To achieve that, they scored 143 runs in 143.1 overs. They were on track for the longest time, but then lost their last five wickets in just 31 balls after tea on the final day. Morne Morkel was the fastest scorer with a strike rate of 33.33.No team in the 152-year history of Test cricket has gone that long while scoring as slowly.Fast forward ten years, and teams have a solid reason to do what South Africa tried to do in Delhi. You get four crucial points to help your cause on the World Test Championship (WTC) table, after all, and prevent the opposition from claiming the full 12 points.Except, no one seems to be thinking that. There were only four draws in the WTC cycle which will have it’s winner at Lord’s in just over a week’s time.