Tottenham want "star status" boss to replace Postecoglou, says ex-employee

Tottenham Hotspur now want a manager with “star status” to replace Ange Postecoglou, according to a former employee of the Premier League club.

Ange Postecoglou heading towards Spurs exit after disappointing season

According to reliable media sources, like journalist Matt Law of The Telegraph, a parting of the ways with Postecoglou is growing more and more likely – even if Spurs do end up winning the Europa League and their first piece of silverware in 17 years.

Levy set for "big decision" as Tottenham look at hiring "master" £8m manager

Ange Postecoglou is increasingly likely to leave at the end of 24/25.

3 ByEmilio Galantini Apr 23, 2025

The north Londoners face off against Norwegian minnows Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League semi-finals after beating Eintracht Frankfurt in the last round, and if they get past this year’s fairy-tale overachievers, then Postecoglou will be just one game away from ending Tottenham’s trophy drought.

Liverpool (away)

April 27th

West Ham (away)

May 3rd

Crystal Palace (home)

May 10th

Aston Villa (away)

May 18th

Brighton (home)

May 25th

It would be the perfect end to an otherwise disappointing domestic campaign, with Spurs on course for their worst ever finish in the Premier League and just one match away from equalling their record for most defeats in a single season.

Postecoglou has been dealt a plethora of injuries to key players throughout 2024/2025, which undoubtedly crippled Spurs’ chances of success, but there is a serious argument that 16th in the league still simply isn’t good enough.

Unrest surrounds the club right now, not just regarding Postecoglou, but also the current running of Tottenham by chairman Daniel Levy and ENIC, with disgruntled supporters protesting against their ownership on a consistent basis.

Whoever potentially succeeds Postecoglou will have a mighty job on their hands, and Levy needs to get this appointment amid mounting pressure.

Tottenham are believed to be targeting Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola and Fulham’s Marco Silva, according to multiple reports, while the likes of Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner and Brentford’s Thomas Frank have also been linked.

Tottenham want "star status" manager to replace Ange Postecoglou

However, while these names have performed impressively on shoe-string budgets, the aforementioned tacticians boast just one major trophy between them.

Some critics may be underwhelmed by this, but according to former Spurs scout Mick Brown, Tottenham are looking at a “higher profile” manager with “star status” to come in and “transform” them into a winning team.

“There’s no doubt Frank has done a fantastic job at Brentford,” Brown told Football Insider, commenting on the links to the Bees boss.

“But’s a completely different job to managing Tottenham Hotspur. His job at Brentford cannot be questioned, he’s done better than many others would have, and everybody I speak to has a lot of respect and admiration for him.

“The issue is, Tottenham have had about 15 well-respected managers who have done jobs elsewhere.

“I think they’re looking at higher-profile managers to come in and transform them into a winning outfit.

“I don’t know whether Frank meets that star status they’re looking for.”

According to some reports, Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi has admirers at Spurs, and the Italian would definitely fall into the high-profile category after three successful years at the San Siro.

He's perfect for Nuno: Nottingham Forest shortlist "lively" £40m striker

Nottingham Forest have now shortlisted a “lively” £40m striker as a summer transfer target, as they believe he would be a perfect fit in Nuno’s attacking structure, according to a report.

Forest's striker search heating up

There have been widespread reports suggesting that Wolverhampton Wanderers star Matheus Cunha is edging closer towards a move to Manchester United, which means Forest may have to move for an alternative striker target this summer.

Luckily, there are a number of potential options in mind, with Brentford striker Bryan Mbeumo one of the players under consideration, having scored a remarkable 18 Premier League goals this season.

Benfica star Vangelis Pavlidis is also on the shortlist for the Tricky Trees, alongside Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who is set to be available on a free transfer this summer if he is unable to agree a contract extension with the Toffees.

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Nottingham Forest are now keen on signing not one, but two players from Manchester City.

ByBrett Worthington Apr 27, 2025

Nuno’s side have their eye on a number of options who are already plying their trade in the Premier League, including AFC Bournemouth striker Evanilson, with a report from GiveMeSport revealing Forest are now weighing up a move for the Brazilian.

The 25-year-old has been added to the shortlist, with Nuno eager to bolster his attacking options this summer, and there is a belief he would be a perfect fit in the manager’s attacking structure.

AFC Bournemouth'sEvanilsonin action with Fulham's Joachim Andersen

The Brazilian hasn’t been at Bournemouth for long, completing a £40m move from FC Porto back in August, but the Tricky Trees could be willing to make a summer approach as they are keen on bolstering their squad with more attacking firepower.

"Lively" Evanilson adapting well to life in England

Football scout Ben Mattinson was left impressed by the forward during his time with FC Porto, praising his work-rate, ability to get shots off and eagerness to take players on.

Since then, the Brazil international has gone on to establish himself as an important player for Bournemouth this season, picking up nine goals and five assists for the Cherries in 27 Premier League outings.

With the Champions League potentially on the horizon, Nuno may also keen to bring in players with experience in Europe, and the former FC Porto man has impressed in the competition in the past.

It is no wonder Forest believe Evanilson could be an ideal addition to Nuno’s squad this summer, and it is exciting news they are now in the race for his signature.

Tottenham: £4.5m-per-year manager stalls new contract as Spurs make contact

Tottenham Hotspur have contacted the representatives of a managerial target, and he’s now thought to be stalling talks over a new contract at his current club.

Tottenham's shortlist of targets to replace Ange Postecoglou

While the consensus is that an historic campaign in the Europa League could save Ange Postecoglou, starting with their all-important quarter-final tie against Eintracht Frankfurt, there are those who believe the Australian could be gone regardless.

Ex-CEO: Ange tenure "irreparable" with Tottenham "already" in manager talks

The Australian is being heavily tipped to lose his job.

ByEmilio Galantini Apr 9, 2025

Following a lowly Premier League campaign where Spurs lie 14th in the table, recording 16 defeats, Postecoglou’s tenure has been described as “irreparable”, and the Australian is fully aware of this narrative.

“I don’t think you’re going to win that argument of convincing people, well I think [someone] wrote that even if we win it, I’m gone anyway,” said Postecoglou on his future in a pre-match press conference before their tie with Eintracht.

Wolves (away)

April 13th

Nottingham Forest (home)

April 21st

Liverpool (away)

April 27th

West Ham (away)

May 3rd

Crystal Palace (home)

May 10th

“We’ve been through a really tough time, but we’re still in a position where we can make an impact, and you don’t know how often you get those opportunities.”

If the Lilywhites do opt to part company with Postecoglou, Tottenham have their shortlist of ideal candidates.

According to The Athletic, Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola, Fulham’s Marco Silva and Brentford’s Thomas Frank all feature highly in the club’s thinking, while the reliable Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Inter Milan head coach Simone Inzaghi has admirers within Spurs.’

More potential candidates are emerging as we approach the end of the campaign, and one of them is believed to be Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner.

The Austrian is attracting rumoured interest from north London, following an impressive 2024/2025 at Selhurst Park where he’s even guided Palace to an FA Cup semi-final spot at Wembley.

Tottenham started to become linked with Glasner last week, with Sport Bild reporting in the last few days that contact has now been made for the 50-year-old.

Oliver Glasner stalling Crystal Palace contract talks amid Tottenham contact

Now, as per The Boot Room and journalist Graeme Bailey, another update has come to light on their interest in Glasner.

According to their information, Glasner is stalling talks over a new contract at Palace, and Spurs have indeed reached out to the tactician’s representatives to express their interest in appointing him.

Crystal Palace manager OliverGlasnerapplauds fans after the match

Glasner is believed to be fully aware of Tottenham’s approach, and he’s postponing new deal talks until he gets more clarity on Steve Parish’s long-term plans for the club.

The £4.5 million-per-year Palace boss has enjoyed a stellar 2025, with only Premier League title frontrunners Liverpool taking more points this calendar year than the south Londoners, so his job is rightfully turning heads across the English capital.

“He’s very structured, very well organised, meticulous, observes the opposition very closely and prepares the team very well for them,” said former Bayern Munich boss Niko Kovač to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, during Glasner’s tenure at Eintracht.

“He doesn’t just let Eintracht run their boots off. He adjusts tactics, tries to simulate the opponent during the week in training. Oliver has transferred his ideas of football well to his team because he works methodically, because there’s no chopping and changing.”

Bold and beautiful: Dhoni and Pant jazz up Vizag with modern classic

It was a night to savour for Capitals’ adopted home which had waited almost five years to see both the wicketkeepers in IPL action

Deivarayan Muthu01-Apr-20241:53

Aaron: ‘Really good move for Pant to bat at No. 3’

Matheesha Pathirana had bowled a perfectly acceptable yorker on off stump at 142.3kph. Rishabh Pant, though, sat deep in the crease, opened up his hips and pumped it away to the left of long-on for six, with his immense bottom-hand power.Pathirana’s next ball was also a yorker. This time, he tried to tuck Pant up by hitting the blockhole on middle, but the batter sat deep in the crease once again, cleared his front leg, and whacked it to the right of long-on for four.The reading on the speedgun was 150.4kph. Earlier in the evening, Pathirana had yorked both Mitchell Marsh and Tristan Stubbs with similar rapid deliveries, but Pant was unhurried and unruffled. The yorker is designed to make batters powerless, but Pant manufactured so much that he pinged the boundary.Related

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Pant: 'Whatever happens, I had to be back on the ground'

Pathirana is a bit like the OG slinger Lasith Malinga. Even if you are expecting a yorker, or sight it out of the hand, it’s fiendishly difficult to keep it out because of the low release point and the angled seam, which causes the ball to dip sharply on the batter. Pant defied all of that and took down Pathirana, a super-specialist at the death, with shots that scream power.Mustafizur Rahman wasn’t spared either. He had bowled a slower offcutter into the pitch and tried to hide it away from the swinging arc, but Pant shovelled him over deep square leg for six with just hand.That’s the Rishabh Pant calling card. After being on 23 off 23 balls, he finished with 51 off 32 balls on a Visakhapatnam pitch that offered swing and seam movement to the fast bowlers throughout the game.And this was a player who was learning to “walk properly again” not too long ago after a serious car accident. Many wondered if Pant would be able to lead a normal life, let alone return to action. But Pant always had self-belief – both on and off the field.MS Dhoni and Rishabh Pant thrilled the Vizag crowd•BCCI”Yes, that one-and-a-half years was a wait but at the same time you’ve got to keep doing what you can as a cricketer and keep learning from it,” Pant said at the post-match presentation. “I think I always had self-belief that whatever happens in life, I need to be back on the ground. That was the thought process and I never thought about anything else.”Pant’s blitz was central to Delhi Capitals piling up 191 for 5. But it wasn’t the only special innings on the night. MS Dhoni also thrilled the crowd with a big-hitting display, emphasis on the big. His 37 off 16 balls was the innings that actually turned Visakhapatnam wild. On the eve of the game, hundreds of fans had turned up outside the gates of the ACA-VDCA stadium to catch a glimpse of Dhoni, but he didn’t train on Saturday.Returning to the scene of his first big innings, , with his shoulder-length hair, brought the roof down. He walked out to bat for the first time this season, at No. 8, to ear-splitting cheers and chants of “Dhoni! Dhoni! Dhoni!”. The only thing that was missing was a rousing Rajinikanth or a Vijay number to accompany his entry to the crease, which has become something of a ritual at Chepauk.

Dhoni swiped his first ball of the season – and his first since the IPL 2023 final – through square leg for four. But it was his six off Khaleel Ahmed in the next over that demonstrated his power. The left-arm seamer floated a slower ball that finished wider than a set of stumps outside off, but Dhoni somehow got close to it and launched it over extra-cover with his great bat speed and unfettered swing. Back in 2005, when Shahid Afridi bowled at roughly the same pace that Khaleel did, at the same venue, Dhoni had jumped out of his crease and crunched him over extra cover for six.Dhoni was 24 at the time. He is now 42 and was functioning on just one leg in the last IPL. He came into this season after undergoing knee surgery and even after all these years, he continues to be explosive. All up he hit seven boundaries in 16 balls, including a one-handed six over midwicket off Anrich Nortje, one of the fastest bowlers going around right now, in the final over.”It was beautiful, wasn’t it? And even the one-handed one over midwicket. He has been playing incredibly well in the pre-season,” Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming said at his post-match press conference. “He’s coming back from quite a serious operation. He has been rehabbing well and his batting has been superb. And that performance gave a positive vibe towards the end of a tough day. So, to get to within 20 [runs] is important run-rate wise and the way he played was spectacular.”The end of the game was totally surreal. This was a home game for the Capitals and they were winning. They went into the final over with 40 runs to defend. They closed it out and were celebrating with handshakes but it felt like a jarring image because all around the rest of the ground, people wearing yellow shirts and wielding yellow flags, were screaming Dhoni’s name. He had gone 4, 6, 0, 4, 0, 6. It was power at its purest. It was fandom at its loudest. It was weird at its wholesome-est. All of a sudden the result just didn’t matter to the people. They’d been treated to something far more valuable.

Shafique's marathon knock, Pakistan's record chase, and Jayasuriya's dream start

Highlights of Pakistan’s incredible win, which was the highest successful chase in Galle

Sampath Bandarupalli20-Jul-2022342 The target chased by Pakistan in Galle, their second highest successful chase in Test cricket. It is also the second highest target chased by any team against Sri Lanka. The highest for both is 377, which Pakistan chased down in Pallekele in 2015.ESPNcricinfo Ltd1 Pakistan’s 342 is the highest successful chase by any team in Galle. The previous highest was 268 by Sri Lanka against New Zealand in 2019, while the previous highest for a visiting side was 164 by England in 2021. Pakistan’s chase in Galle is also the fourth-highest successful chase in Tests in Sri Lanka.Related

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Report: Shafique's epic 160* leads Pakistan to fourth-innings glory

524 Minutes batted by Abdullah Shafique for his unbeaten 160, the longest a player has batted during a successful chase in Tests. The previous longest innings was 460 minutes by Aravinda de Silva during his 143* against Zimbabwe in 1998. Shafique’s 524-minute effort is also the third longest by any batter in the fourth innings of a Test where data is available.408 Balls faced by Shafique in the chase. He is only the fifth batter to face 400-plus balls in the fourth innings of a Test where balls-faced data is available. Shafique’s 408 balls are also the second most faced in a successful chase, behind Herbert Sutcliffe, who faced 462 deliveries for his 135 against Australia in 1928.ESPNcricinfo Ltd3 Shafique’s unbeaten 160 is also the third-highest individual score in a successful chase in Asia. Kyle Mayers scored 210* against Bangladesh in Chattogram in 2021, while Younis Khan hit 171* against Sri Lanka in Pallekele in 2015.160* Shafique’s score in Galle is now the third-highest individual score for Pakistan in the fourth innings of a Test. Babar Azam scored 196 against Australia earlier this year in Karachi, while Younis’ aforementioned 171* coming next.2 Number of individual scores by openers during a successful chase in Test cricket that are higher than Shafique’s 160*. Gordon Greenidge scored an unbeaten 214 against England in the 1984 Lord’s Test, while Arthur Morris got 182 against England in Leeds in 1948.ESPNcricinfo Ltd720 Test runs for Shafique in his first six matches. Only three batters scored more runs than him in their first six matches: Sunil Gavaskar (912), Don Bradman (862) and George Headley (730).21 Wickets for Prabath Jayasuriya after two Tests. Only Narendra Hirwani (24) and Alec Bedser (22) took more wickets than Jayasuriya in their first two matches, while Bob Massie also had 21. Jayasuriya also became only the third bowler to claim five-fors in his first three Test innings, after Tom Richardson and Clarrie Grimmett.

New Zealand hand India first ODI whitewash since 1997

Also, Bumrah goes wicketless in an ODI series for the first time in his career

Bharath Seervi11-Feb-20204 – The number of times India have been whitewashed in a bilateral ODI series of three or more matches, including this 3-0 result against New Zealand. The first two instances came in the 1980s, against West Indies, both 5-0, while the previous time was a 3-0 loss to Sri Lanka in 1997. India had also lost 4-0 to South Africa in 2006, but that was a five-match series with one game abandoned, so it does not qualify as a whitewash. This series against New Zealand is India’s first whitewash in a series of three matches or more in any format under Virat Kohli.ESPNcricinfo Ltd2 – New Zealand’s two highest successful chases against India have come in this series – 348 in the first match and 297 in the third. Before this series, their best chase against India was 281. In this series, New Zealand also defended a score of 273 in the second match in Auckland. In the last two-and-a-half years, India have failed to chase targets of 275 or less only three times, and two of those have come against New Zealand – the World Cup semi-final and the Auckland ODI.21.66 – Average of India’s top-three batsmen in this series, which is their lowest in any series or tournament since the 2014 three-match series in Bangladesh when they averaged 19.33. The openers – Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal – have averaged 28 and 12 respectively here, while No. 3 Virat Kohli averaged 28. On the other hand, New Zealand’s openers averaged 47.66 and hit four fifties.!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var e in a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var t=document.getElementById(“datawrapper-chart-“+e)||document.querySelector(“iframe[src*='”+e+”‘]”);t&&(t.style.height=a.data[“datawrapper-height”][e]+”px”)}})}();

114.60 – Bowling average of India fast bowlers in this series, their second-worst in an ODI series of three or more matches. The pacers took only five wickets in the 85.2 overs bowled, of which Shardul Thakur took four wickets. Jasprit Bumrah and Navdeep Saini went wicketless and Mohammed Shami got one wicket. In comparison, the host’s fast bowlers picked up 18 wickets at average of 41.421 – Runs scored by KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer, combined, in this series. In contrast, the other India batsmen combined scored 423 runs. Between them, Rahul and Iyer scored three fifties and two hundreds while all the other India batsmen hit only two fifties – one each for Ravindra Jadeja and Kohli.!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var e in a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var t=document.getElementById(“datawrapper-chart-“+e)||document.querySelector(“iframe[src*='”+e+”‘]”);t&&(t.style.height=a.data[“datawrapper-height”][e]+”px”)}})}();

1 – Bumrah went wicketless in an ODI series or tournament for the first time in his career. He has played 16 series in his five-year career and this was the first time he did not take a wicket. Even in the last series, against Australia at home, he picked only one wicket in three matches. Thus, he has now taken only one wicket in six ODIs since the World Cup, where he was India’s most successful bowler.6 – Number of ODI series in which New Zealand have whitewashed the opposition in the last five years. The six whitewashes include a 5-0 win over Pakistan in 2017-18 and a 3-0 over Sri Lanka in 2018-19. Bangladesh and West Indies were their other victims, all in series at home.

Yankees' Jazz Chisholm Jr. Explained Brutal Baserunning Blunder That Led to Double Play

Amid a difficult weekend for the New York Yankees, second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. made a baserunning mistake Saturday that led to an inning-ending double play on a pop fly in the infield.

Following New York's 2-0 loss to the Miami Marlins, Chisholm was asked about the play and whether he saw anything that caused him to inch further off the bag.

"I was just trying to be aggressive already playing with both the middle infielders out there," he said to reporters Saturday via YES Network. "You know, I saw something that I thought they were going to do. He deeked it like he was going to do it and he didn't do it. But still trying to be aggressive because I played here before, I know how the field plays and you know, sometimes you get aggressive and you get caught up. You make an out."

When asked if he'd do anything different next time, Chisholm simply responded "no."

After the play, Yankees manager Aaron Boone was seen having a spirited discussion with first base coach Travis Chapman and also went down the dugout stairs to speak with Chisholm.

Boone mentioned that Chisholm was "trying to make a play" because he thought Marlins second baseman Xavier Edwards was going to let the ball drop to try and get him off the base paths.

The Yankees' loss Saturday dropped them to 60-51 on the season and with a win from AL East rival Boston Red Sox Saturday, they fell to third place in the division and a half game behind Boston for the league's top wild-card spot. Chisholm started his career with the Marlins, spending four and a half seasons in Miami before he was dealt to the Yankees at the trade deadline last season.

Ruben Amorim reveals 'crucial for our life' half-time speech to 'sloppy' Man Utd players during clash with rock-bottom Wolves

Ruben Amorim has revealed that a blunt and emotionally charged half-time team talk was the catalyst for Manchester United’s much-needed 4-1 victory at Molineux on Monday night, after his side briefly flirted with embarrassment against struggling Wolves. The two teams went in level at the break, but the Red Devils fired in three goals in the second half to walk away with all three points.

  • First half scare at Molineux

    United had started brightly and appeared fully in control when Bruno Fernandes swept his team into an early lead. But a lapse in concentration allowed Jean-Ricner Bellegarde to find the equaliser, which ended Wolves’ nine-hour Premier League goal drought. What had been a calm evening suddenly felt volatile, and Amorim insisted the solution was not tactical reinvention, but rather psychological.

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    Amorim reveals what was said during half-time

    Speaking after the match, Amorim said that he demanded more clarity and conviction from his players during the interval.

    "It wasn't tactical," he said. "It was so clear we are dominating the games but not finishing the plays as we should. We need to be better in the details. Trying to explain to the players we have 45 minutes to win the three points that are crucial for our life."

    Amorim criticised the sloppiness that followed Fernandes’ opener, saying it handed Wolves, who are rock bottom of the Premier League with only two points, a belief they didn’t previously have.

    "Once again, after we scored a goal, we were a little bit sloppy on the ball and that gave a little bit of hope to the opponent," he said. "We should have finished that half in the different way, and then in the half time they understood that we have everything to win the game, to win three points – and they did that."

    Despite bouncing back to secure a comfortable win that edges United close to the Champions League spots, Amorim refused to entertain discussions about the significance of sixth place.

    He added: "Nothing. It's always the same feeling we should have more points. But that's in the past, let's focus on the future. Bournemouth (on Monday) is going to be a different world. So we need to to know that, but in our club, it doesn't matter. We need to to improve the way we play."

    The manager also confirmed that United remain in negotiations with Cameroon, the Ivory Coast and Morocco in the hope of delaying the departures of Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui for the Africa Cup of Nations.

    "Let's wait for the middle of the of the week," he added. "I don't know for sure, but we are doing our job and the national teams are talking with us and that is a good sign."

  • Mount ready for a new beginning at United

    Beyond the victory, one of the night’s most encouraging subplots came from Mason Mount. The midfielder, whose United career has been repeatedly interrupted by injury, scored a crisp volley from a Fernandes cross, his second goal in three matches, in another sign that he is finally rediscovering rhythm. Mount had made only five league starts in each of his previous two United seasons and missed 52 matches across that period. This campaign, however, he has featured in 12 of 15 league fixtures and looks increasingly comfortable in Amorim’s system.

    "Anytime I play I obviously want to play to the best of my ability and perform," Mount told Sky Sports after the win over Wolves. "I've had setbacks. I've had difficult times, I feel now I'm ready to keep pushing on and building on these performances. Getting in the goals, that's the most important thing as a forward player and just keep going and working hard. That's exactly what I'm focusing on now."

    On his volley, Mount added: "As soon as I see Bruno [Fernandes] with the ball and has time and space to turn, that's my trigger to try and get in behind and try and time my run. I thought it was going to be a bit close [to offside] but the defender dropped back and bit and kept me onside. Delighted with that. And as I said before, it was about being ruthless in the second half and finishing our chances off. We all know the calibre of player he [Fernandes] is. When he gets on the ball he's always trying to create something. He's a joy to play with as a player that's higher up the pitch because you know he's having a look and he's going to play the ball over the top."

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    What comes next?

    The win lifted United to within a point of fourth-placed Crystal Palace, strengthening their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League. Amorim knows consistency is now essential. United host Bournemouth next Monday, and the Portuguese coach is determined that the performance at Molineux becomes a platform rather than another fleeting glimpse of promise.

Battle for T20 World Cup favouritism begins

Jasprit Bumrah and Josh Inglis are two big returns for either team as No.1 and No.2 face off with the T20 World Cup edging closer

Alex Malcolm28-Oct-2025

Jasprit Bumrah was rested for the ODI series•AFP/Getty Images

Big picture – Bumrah returnsWhile ODI series had relatively little meaning other than both teams taking some early steps on the road to the 2027 World Cup, the five-match T20I series beginning in Canberra on Wednesday night is of far greater significance for the near term.The No. 1 and 2 teams in the world face off in the final throws of their preparations for February’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. The conditions will bear no relevance, but the chance for each side to test themselves and their game style against each other so close to a World Cup will be highly beneficial to both teams.India are unequivocally the No.1 team in the world. The reigning World Cup winners stormed to the Asia Cup title without being defeated and they were only run close once by Sri Lanka in the Super Fours and to an extent by Pakistan in the final. They have lost just three matches since winning the World Cup in 2024 and have arguably become an even stronger and more dynamic group with an influx of young IPL talent under Suryakumar Yadav.Related

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Jasprit Bumrah returns after being rested for the ODI series and will likely enjoy the early season conditions in Australia given his exploits with the red and pink balls down under last summer. One challenge facing India will be how to best balance the XI in Australian conditions, something they struggled with in the ODIs, having won the Asia with a spin-heavy team in spin-friendly conditions.Meanwhile, Australia have turned over a new leaf since their disappointing exit from the 2024 World Cup at the hands of India. Back-to-back mediocre showings in the 2022 and 2024 editions force a rethink from Australia’s hierarchy about their approach. The results have been spectacular since going to an all-out power-hitting method of playing under Mitchell Marsh. They have lost just two of their last 20 T20Is on the back of some electric batting led by Marsh, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Cameron Green, Tim David, Mitchell Owen and Glenn Maxwell. They are without Green against India as he prepares for the Ashes but Marcus Stoinis and Matt Short fill the breach.”There has been a shift,” coach Andrew McDonald said on Monday in Canberra.”We’re 11 games in now from the initial conversation. When we set out on this journey, we’d failed in a couple of World Cups previously, so we wanted to shift and stretch the boundaries on what we thought we could do.”So yeah, we have been more aggressive, we’ve played people in different positions. Tim David has batted a little bit higher than previously.”Our admission was that we haven’t been successful in a couple of campaigns. We’ve got to change things up. We’ve got to stretch ourselves.”Is it the style that can win a World Cup? We believe so. Will we have to pivot and nuance it slightly, depending on whether we’re in Colombo or Delhi or Kolkata? There’s no doubt about that.”In the short term they get to test their new style against the best team on the planet.”You’re playing against India, so it’s a really good test on whether this style will hold up,” McDonald said. “They’re the number-one ranked team in the world, I think we’re number two. We’re excited to test ourselves against the best.Form guide
Australia WWWLW
India WWWWWSuryakumar Yadav’s form has been a worry•AFP/Getty Images

In the spotlight: Matthew Kuhnemann and Suryakumar YadavIn any Australian white-ball team, Adam Zampa is the first name written on the team sheet and the rest are selected from there. For the first time since the 2023 tour of India, where Australia picked a second XI post their ODI World Cup triumph, Zampa won’t be in an Australian T20I XI having played every game in the past two years. He will miss the entire series for paternity reasons. It presents a great opportunity for Matthew Kuhnemann, who has played just one of Australia’s last 16 T20Is despite being in every squad. Australia want the option of playing two spinners in the same XI in the World Cup, particularly in Sri Lanka. Kuhnemann can lock himself into the final 15 with a good series against some of the best spin-hitters in the world that will put him under severe pressure.Suryakumar Yadav’s fall from being the No.1 ranked T20I batter in the world in the first half of 2024 to struggling for runs in 2025 has been startling. He has not scored a half-century in his last 14 innings and has averaged 10.50 and struck at just 100.80 in that time. How or why is somewhat of a mystery given he had an outstanding IPL earlier this year as the second leading runscorer across the tournament with five half-centuries at a strike rate of 167.91. It seems incomprehensible that he wouldn’t be a key pillar in India’s top four heading into the World Cup but he would love some runs against Australia to ease any pressure he might be feeling.Team news: Inglis back, Short out, India to add pace optionsMatthew Short’s hopes of bedding down his spot in the T20I side have taken another blow after he had surgery on the cut he sustained on his finger in the second ODI in Adelaide. He will remain with the squad but will be unavailable until the wound heals. Inglis missed the entire T20I tour of New Zealand and the ODI series against India with a calf strain that has taken some time to get right. He has been ramping up the intensity of his running since rejoining the squad in Sydney and looks set to return to the line-up. He will likely return at No.3 where he has had great success. How Australia structure their middle order remains to be seen as Glenn Maxwell does not return until game three. They are thin for options with backup keeper Josh Philippe set to play as a batter in Canberra while Ben McDermott has been called into the squad as extra cover. Australia do not have Ben Dwarshuis for the opening three T20Is due to a calf issue.Australia (possible): 1 Mitchell Marsh (capt), 2 Travis Head, 3 Josh Inglis (wk), 4 Tim David, 5 Josh Philippe, 6 Mitch Owen, 7 Marcus Stoinis, 8 Sean Abbott/Xavier Bartlett, 9 Nathan Ellis, 10 Matt Kuhnemann, 11 Josh HazlewoodIndia had a spin-heavy line-up in their last T20I outing in the Asia Cup final but will likely add some pace to their attack for the five matches in Australia. Arshdeep Singh is almost certain to return alongside Jasprit Bumrah but Harshit Rana may also come into the mix after his career-best ODI performance in Sydney on Saturday. If those two are added, then Shivam Dube could miss out. Nitish Kumar Reddy is fit again after missing the final ODI with a left quad issue and could be an allround seam-bowling option if needed.India (possible): 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Sanju Samson (wk), 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Shivam Dube/Harshit Rana, 9 Kuldeep Yadav/Varun Chakravarthy, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Jasprit BumrahPitch and conditionsIt is expected to be cool in Canberra on Wednesday with a medium chance of showers during the day but the evening is expected to be clear and a full game is expected. Manuka Oval has tended to be a lower scoring ground in men’s T20I and BBL cricket with spin playing a role and the boundaries being large.Stats and triviaThere have been five men’s T20Is in Canberra, with the most recent in 2022, with the record split 2-2 between defending and chasing teamsIndia won their only T20I in Canberra against Australia in 2020, defending 161Suryakumar’s streak of 14 T20Is without a half-century is the longest of his career Australia have not beaten India in a T20I series in Australia since 2008Quotes”The opportunity to play in front of sold out crowds in pretty much all three one-day games, and what’s looking like the next five T20 games, it’s fantastic. I think building into the World Cup, where there’s going to be big crowds and perceived pressure, it can only be beneficial for us.”
“I have had good few sessions back home, good two to three sessions here, so I am in a good space. I think that is really important. Runs… it will come eventually but I think working hard towards the team goal, it’s more important what team wants from you in different situations and I take it one game at a time. If it starts, then I think it will be a good thing.”

Green ruled out of ODI series against India with side soreness, Labuschagne called up

Allrounder Cameron Green suffered low grade side soreness and will miss the entire series in order to rehabilitate before WA’s next Shield match on October 28

Alex Malcolm17-Oct-2025

Cameron Green has suffered low grade side soreness•Getty Images

Australia have copped another major injury blow with Cameron Green ruled out of the ODI series against India with low grade side soreness, which could have significant implications for the upcoming Ashes.The 26-year-old Green was ruled out of the series on Friday with Marnus Labuschagne called into the squad to replace him. Labuschagne will fly from Adelaide at the completion of the Sheffield Shield match on Saturday night to join Australia’s squad in Perth ahead of the first ODI on Sunday.Green had only just returned to competitive bowling following back surgery last year, and missed the T20I tour of New Zealand to play in the opening Shield round for Western Australia against New South Wales in Perth last week. He was due to bowl eight overs in the match but only bowled four, and took a wicket – he was not allowed to bowl on consecutive days by Cricket Australia’s medical staff when Western Australia were unable to bat long enough in their first innings to allow for a full day’s rest between four-over spells.Related

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Zampa, Inglis to miss Perth ODI against India

Labuschagne dropped from Australia ODI squad

He was unlikely to bowl in the first two ODIs against India but was continuing to build his loads with a view to bowling more overs in round three of the Shield, which starts on October 28. He was going to be rested from the third and final ODI in Sydney and was also going to miss the T20I series that follows in order to play in the third and fourth rounds of the Shield to prepare for the Ashes.Green pulled up sore after bowling at training this week and will undergo a short rehabilitation period with the hope that he can still play and bowl in Western Australia’s third Shield game against South Australia at the WACA starting in 11 days’ time.The injury is a concern for Australia, who had been banking on Green being fully fit to bowl without any restrictions in the Ashes. Australia are already sweating on the fitness of Test skipper Pat Cummins, who said earlier this week he was “less likely than likely” to play in the first Test against England starting November 21 in Perth.Australia’s other Test allrounder Beau Webster is also carrying an injury concern at the moment, having missed the opening two Shield matches for Tasmania after rolling his ankle at training two weeks ago. But it is understood that CA has been ultra cautious with him and that he will be fit for Tasmania’s next Shield game on October 28.Marnus Labuschagne has been in prolific early-season form•Getty Images

“I’m sure he’s going alright, he’s in good hands,” Travis Head said. “We’ll work through it, like anything else with guys who have some injuries. We’ve got Josh [Inglis] in the same position as well.”I don’t think it will have any impact on the Ashes. It’s more disappointing that he’s not here at the moment for the next three games, so he’ll work through that.I I don’t think it’s too serious, so probably more precautionary leading into the next five weeks.”Green’s injury has shorn Australia’s ODI team of yet another first-choice player. He made 118 not out off 55 balls in Australia’s last ODI, against South Africa in August.World Cup-winning skipper Cummins is unavailable for the entire India series, while wicketkeeper Josh Inglis will miss at least the first two ODIs as he recovers from a calf strain.Adam Zampa is missing the Perth ODI to remain at home in northern New South Wales with his pregnant wife. Alex Carey, who is normally in Australia’s first-choice ODI XI as a specialist bat and is also the back-up wicketkeeper to Inglis, is also missing the first ODI in Perth to prioritise playing the Shield match between South Australia and Queensland in Adelaide as part of his Ashes preparation.Labuschagne has been recalled to the ODI squad after peeling off 159, his fourth century in five domestic innings. Labuschagne was dropped from the ODI squad ahead of the India series after lean returns over the last 12 months. But he has been the form player in the One-Day Cup for Queensland since posting scores of 130 off 118 against Victoria and 105 off 91 against Tasmania.

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