Category Uncategorized

Dwayne Bravo, the Chennai Super Kings’ designated death bowler and highest wicket-taker in T20 cricket, is injured again and will miss a “few days or a couple of weeks,” according to their head coach Stephen Fleming.Fleming revealed that Bravo had sustained a groin injury, which was serious enough to keep him off the field, and hence he couldn’t bowl the final over against the Delhi Capitals in Sharjah. In the injury-enforced absence of Bravo, Dhoni tasked Ravindra Jadeja with the responsibility of defending 16 off the last over, but centurion Shikhar Dhawan and Axar Patel sealed the chase with a ball to spare, handing the Super Kings their sixth defeat in nine games.”He seems to have a right groin injury, I think, and it was obviously serious enough to keep him off the field,” Fleming said at the post-match press conference. “He’s obviously desperately disappointed that he couldn’t bowl the last over – that’s what he’s pretty much in the team for. He will have to be reassessed going forward, but at this stage you’d imagine it’s going to take a few days or a couple of weeks, but we will assess that tomorrow.”Bravo had turned up for the IPL in the UAE with a different injury – a knee problem suffered during the CPL – and missed the Super Kings’ first three games. He didn’t bowl in the CPL final because of that injury and instead played as a specialist batsman for the Trinbago Knight Riders. During their first three games, the Super Kings used fast bowlers Lungi Ngidi and Josh Hazlewood, but then Bravo returned to the XI against the Sunrisers Hyderabad and has since been part of the side.Bravo impressed with his yorkers and slower variations in the Super Kings’ return fixture against the Sunrisers and the Kolkata Knight Riders, providing more depth to both the bowling attack and the batting line-up. In six matches so far in IPL 2020, Bravo has bowled 14 yorkers, according to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data. Only Mumbai Indians’ Jasprit Bumrah (19) and Sunrisers’ T Natarajan (40) have bowled more yorkers than Bravo in the tournament.Bravo’s injury depletes a Super Kings squad that is already without two other first-choice players in Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh, who had both opted out of the tournament for personal reasons. However, Bravo’s absence could open up a spot for Imran Tahir, who was the highest wicket-taker in IPL 2019, with 26 strikes at an economy rate of 6.69. Tahir was also the Guyana Amazon Warriors’ highest wicket-taker in the CPL and third overall, with 15 scalps at an economy rate of 5.82 from 10 games.New Zealand spin-bowling allrounder Mitchell Santner is the other overseas option for the Super Kings. Tahir and Santner are the only overseas players to have not played for the Super Kings this season. With the UAE tracks tiring in the second half of the IPL, the Super Kings will look to one of these two spinners to fill the Bravo-sized hole.The Super Kings’ next match is against the Rajasthan Royals in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

Chelsea have reportedly submitted an under-the-radar bid for an £85 million player, amid their search for a new manager to replace Mauricio Pochettino.

Chelsea set managerial deadline as candidates named

Co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley are leading the pursuit for Pochettino's successor, coming after the club announced his departure on Tuesday evening.

Chelsea chief Boehly now offered £6 million-a-year manager with 11 trophies

He’s highly decorated.

By
Emilio Galantini

May 23, 2024

A shortlist of candidates to succeed the Argentine has been drawn up, ranging from Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna to Brentford's Thomas Frank, as well as Leicester City manager Enzo Maresca.

Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol also claimed this week that Chelsea have set a deadline for the end of next week to appoint their new manager, with a mysterious "high profile" name under consideration at Stamford Bridge alongside the aforementioned.

Fellow reliable journalist Ben Jacobs, sharing further detail on Pochettino's exit, says Chelsea are looking for a "young" and "progressive" head coach to take them forward.

"Several senior players surprised by the news [about Pochettino]," wrote Jacobs on X. "The dressing room wanted him to stay. Chelsea are looking for a 'young' manager. That really means 'modern' and 'progressive'. Chelsea are not considering Thomas Tuchel or Jose Mourinho. Ruben Amorim is not currently a frontrunner either. Kieran McKenna is expected to be a leading candidate, but #CFC feel Brighton are further ahead so would need to move fast."

McKenna has given the green light for Chelsea to approach him, according to Standard Sport, but chairman Todd Boehly will need to pay a compensation package of around £4 million to get him out of Portman Road.

It will be interesting to see who becomes the next Chelsea manager, but amidst the hunt for Pochettino's heir, Spanish news outlet Mundo Deportivo have claimed that the Blues have submitted a transfer bid.

Chelsea are targeting a replacement for veteran defender Thiago Silva as well as Pochettino, with the Brazilian playing his final game at the end of last season as he officially joins Fluminese.

Thiago Silva's career at Chelsea – the stats	Number (Transfermarkt)
Appearances	155
Goals	9
Assists	4
Yellow cards	16
Minutes played	12,729

Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo has been linked, with reports even suggesting that Pochettino wanted Chelsea to sign Araujo while he was manager.

Chelsea submit under-the-radar bid for Ronald Araujo

As per Mundo, it is believed Chelsea have already submitted an offer to sign Araujo, amid their search for a new head coach.

The Uruguay international is considered non-transferable, but Barca realise there is a danger of him being tempted away. Araujo still hasn't put pen to paper on a new contract, making this situation one to watch. Other reports have claimed that Barca value him at around £85 million, as Chelsea seek a "high profile" replacement for Silva.

Villa Park was bouncing when Jhon Duran scored an emphatic brace off the bench to ensure that Aston Villa salvaged a late draw against Liverpool in the Premier League, for it all but confirmed a place among Europe's elite.

Unai Emery watched his team get picked apart by ravenous Eagles later that week, last week, but it didn't matter, with Tottenham Hotspur already losing at home against Manchester City, confirming that the Villans would grace the Champions League for the first time in its modern branding.

But there's no denying that a remarkable campaign finished with a whimper, Villa crashing out of the Europea Conference League against Olympiakos in the semi-final and winning just one of five final top-flight fixtures.

Of course, this hardly matters when the proud supporters know that the summit of European football lies around the corner, when the giddying chance to make more history, in turn, opens the door to exciting new additions.

Former loanee Ross Barkley is expected to be the first to make the move to the Midlands this summer in a shrewd move following his excellent spell with Luton Town last season, but Emery is certainly not going to stop there.

Villa lining up exciting deal

According to FC Inter News, Aston Villa are interested in launching a summer move for Inter Milan star Denzel Dumfries, who has played a big part in Simeone Inzaghi's Scudetto-winning season.

The Dutch dynamo is out of contract in 12 months and has earned plenty of attention in recent months, with Manchester United notably keen on pursuing a deal.

But Villa are confident that Champions League football and the consequent windfall provide them with the means to complete a swoop, with the Italian club hoping to collect €30m (£25m) for his sale.

Denzel Dumfries' season in numbers

Dumfries has been on Inter's books for three seasons after transferring away from his homeland, where he had earned acclaim with PSV Eindhoven, with journalist Antonio Mango hailing him as "a joy to watch".

Having now amassed 131 displays for Inter – scoring 11 goals and adding 20 assists – the Netherlands star has cemented himself as one of the most dangerous and dynamic wide defenders in Italy, even described as a "monster" by journalist Alan Rzepa.

Matches played

30

29

Matches started

18

23

Goals

4

2

Assists

4

2

Clean sheets

15

2

Pass completion

81%

84%

Big chances created

6

6

Key passes per game

0.9

0.4

Ball recoveries per game

1.8

3.8

Dribbles per game

0.4 (52%)

0.4 (38%)

Duels won per game

2.9 (53%)

3.6 (47%)

Take a look at the table above. Dumfries is far more potent in an attacking sense, and while he's not very active in deeper phases of possession, he still maintains superiority over Villa right-back Matty Cash in creativity and effectiveness in the duel and in his ball-carrying.

It is worth noting that Villa kept two clean sheets in 23 matches where Cash featured from the outset, as opposed to six clean sheets across the 15 fixtures where he was not.

As per FBref, the Netherlands international ranks among the top 3% of full-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 12% for assists, the top 2% for touches in the attacking penalty area and the top 6% for aerial duels won per 90.

FBref make it clear to see that the 28-year-old does not fit into the constraints of a traditional full-back, instead pushing high up the pitch to best utilise his attacking abilities.

He's been known to dream of a move to the Premier League and it would now be the perfect way for Emery to follow the soon-to-be-confirmed transfer of Barkley with a real statement of intent.

Why Denzel Dumfries would be perfect for Villa

Dumfries certainly differs from the industrious but lacking in game-changing moments of Cash, but this measure of balance could actually be perfect for Villa as they look for crafty new ways to stay ahead and ensure that the 2024/25 campaign does not lurch them back toward the lower depths of the Premier League table.

1.

Kyle Walker

Manchester City

2.

Alejandro Grimaldo

Bayer Leverkusen

3.

Trent Alexander-Arnold

Liverpool

4.

Andrew Robertson

Liverpool

5.

Jeremie Frimpong

Bayer Leverkusen

It's particularly interesting that Dumfries bears a stylistic similarity to Manchester City phenom Kyle Walker, who might be getting on a bit but remains one of the greatest defenders in Premier League history, instrumental throughout Pep Guardiola's dynasty, completing 300 appearances.

Walker also spent the 2010/11 campaign on loan at Villa Park when growing into his skin in the early days of his Tottenham career, scoring one goal and supplying three assists from 15 Premier League matches.

Having recorded the fastest speed in the 2022/23 Premier League at 37.31 km/h – despite being 32 years old for most of the campaign – Walker's pace has been a singular weapon for Guardiola's trophy vacuum, with Three Lions teammate Jordan Pickford hailing him as "the best right-back in the world."

Cash does a good job for Emery's Villa, but Dumfries would bring the breakneck pace and inborn predatory instinct to provide the squad with an additional dimension fitting for a club emerging as a budding power at the height of continental competition.

Walker does not barrel ahead with the same regularity as he once did, ranking among the top 8% of positional peers for progressive carries per 90 across Europe's top five leagues in the 2019/20 campaign, but, unquestionably, he's still got it in him and has demonstrated such immense athletic attributes and how they can contribute toward a team of elite-level success.

Pundit Kenny Cunningham called him a "phenomenal athlete", and given that Dumfries is endowed with explosive, aggressive athleticism, always eager to hunt down opportunities in the final third and contribute toward attacks with goals and assists, he might just be the Premier League's natural heir to Walker's place in the division.

Villa must cash in on flop who’s earning more than Luiz & Ramsey

Monchi must ensure that this player is sold this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair May 25, 2024

CA’s head of community cricket is confident states and the board can work together in challenging times

Daniel Brettig12-Aug-2020Belinda Clark, Cricket Australia’s chief of community cricket, was given reassurance that Queensland Cricket and its chair Chris Simpson were not seeking to tear up the national system of support for the game’s grassroots after he questioned the “centralised model” of the governing body earlier this year.Ahead of a vital meeting of the Australian Cricket Council, comprising the chairs of CA, the state associations and the Australian Cricketers Association on Thursday, Clark stated that the hot rhetoric from Simpson, delivered to an ordinary general meeting of QC in late June, had reflected a desire for states to be heard and empowered but not to dismantle the growth of a national network to encourage the game’s junior and community tiers.”I’ve had those conversations and have followed up with the CEO there, Terry Svenson, and the message coming out is that both Chris Simpson and our ambition around supporting the community is absolutely aligned,” Clark said. “I think what’s important to recognise is that the state associations play a really important role in nurturing their affiliates and their club system and providing support to those people that are playing inside their state.ALSO READ: Belinda Clark: ‘There’s still plenty of money in cricket'”What we’ve been able to do from a national perspective is work very closely with each of the states and territories. So, we run national programs. We design them with the states. The states implement them and all the clubs implement them and the benefits of those flow through the entire system. I’m comfortable that we’re all aligned in terms of what we’re trying to do.”There may be some differences in opinion in how we go about doing that, but it’s a very connected system and we are meeting with our counterparts weekly to ensure that that’s the case.”Simpson’s words had been delivered in the midst of a dispute between CA and the states over the matter of annual grants, one of the key issues for the ACC to unpick this week as the CA chair Earl Eddings seeks to find common ground with the governing body’s owners. Cricket New South Wales, chaired by John Knox, has also blocked CA’s proposed reductions in annual grants, while wider questions of the game’s governance model – a nine-member independent board – have run parallel to the annual nominations committee process for new directors.

It’s obviously been difficult for every sport to deal with the situation that Covid’s played in our lives at the moment. There’s the health and safety, the economic impact as well and sports are all dealing with that as they see fitBelinda Clark on the challenges of the Covid-19 era

“The centralised model or the behemoth that CA has morphed into has consumed all aspects of cricket, assumed the role of the master of all matters cricket,” Simpson had said. “The states take offence to this – as we live and breathe grassroots and the day to day running of cricket. The states are resourcing and supporting the volunteers, the lifeblood of the game and cricket’s most valuable asset. In my view, the states have lost control of cricket. We are told from Jolimont Street how to run cricket and we do not believe in many of these ‘systems and processes’.”If CA is a master of all, then the board must comprise of some masters of volunteerism and grassroots cricket as it is our primary function at state level to provide services, support and resources to volunteers far and wide who deliver cricket so wonderfully…it is nonsensical to think that centralisation is good for grassroots cricket. Cricket administration of yesteryear gave regional communities a voice; cricket administration of today is not a collaborative model, rather a top down ‘we know best’ beast.”Cricket Australia is seeking a solution to their ongoing negotiations with the states•Getty ImagesCA’s push for cost savings in the time of Covid-19, initially through staff cuts at the organisation, reduced distributions to states and also a shrink in player payments, raised a host of discontents in terms of relationships between CA, the states and the ACA. This led ultimately to the exit of the CA chief executive Kevin Roberts and senior executives including his chief operating officer Scott Grant. At the same time, all states other than NSW made their own piecemeal cuts, amounting to more than 150 staff being shown the door including a huge swathe cut through community cricket roles in Victoria.”If you just think about the number of people we still have in the field, it’ll be the envy of many sports to still have that,” Clark said. “What’s difficult is if there’s something there and if it’s taken away, and people react to that. Look, there’s no doubt that we are getting great results from having more people involved, more support going to the clubs. But we have to adapt and we can’t walk away from that.”The clubs are adapting to what’s in front of them with Covid-19. We need to adapt with less field staff in some areas, it’s not in all areas but in some. And the community is adapting as well. At the end of the day, our job is to make sure that those people feel supported and there’s opportunities for people to play the game.”Clark, who stepped away from community cricket temporarily in 2018-19 to run elite performance areas before the appointments of Ben Oliver and Drew Ginn to oversee the game’s top end, said that the difficulties of Covid-19 meant that communication and co-operation across the game were more vital than ever before.”It’s obviously been difficult for every sport to deal with the situation that Covid’s played in our lives at the moment,” Clark said. “There’s the health and safety, the economic impact as well and sports are all dealing with that and cricket associations are all dealing with that as they see fit. What I can say is that as community teams across all of the states and territories and Cricket Australia, we’re absolutely committed to providing that support to volunteers. And what we’ve had to do in some areas, in some instances, is just be creative about how we do that.”

Tottenham have "sat down at the table" to discuss signing a £26 million player who's been called "similar" to Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White.

Spurs targeting new midfielder and attacker this summer

As reported by reliable media sources, like football.london correspondent Alasdair Gold, Spurs are targeting a new number six and attacker for Ange Postecoglou this summer.

Ange personally identifies £51m forward as perfect signing for Tottenham

The Australian think he’d fit in “seamlessly”.

By
Emilio Galantini

Apr 18, 2024

Specific names are already being shortlisted ahead of the next transfer window, and there have been many mentioned this week alone. RB Leipzig ace Dani Olmo has played his way onto Tottenham's transfer agenda, among others, as the north Londoners seek more threatening options.

Tottenham have an option to make Timo Werner's signing permanent for around £15 million, but while the German has got off to a good start overall, some have expressed doubt over his ability to chip in significantly long-term.

"I’m sorry, he misses so many good chances. And those chances that he missed, they can change games. Technically, he’s one of the worst players in the Premier League. I’m going to say that, because I honestly believe that," said pundit Jay Bothroyd to Optus Sport in a harsh assessment of Werner.

Tottenham's top scorers in all competitions this season	Goals
Son Heung-min	15
Richarlison	11
Dejan Kulusevski	6
Brennan Johnson	5
James Maddison	4

“He doesn’t cross the ball well, he hits it as hard as he can across the face of the goal all the time. He never picks anybody out. His finishing’s poor. His passing’s poor.

“And yes, you can say that he’s effective. But then I’m saying, okay, he’s an athlete. In this day and age, I look at him and I say he’s effective because of his athleticism. As he gets older and he loses that athleticism, how effective is he going to be then?”

Fabrizio Romano also says Tottenham want a player who can add more goals and assists to Postecoglou's side, and one astute option could be Genoa's Albert Gudmundsson.

The Iceland international has bagged 13 goals and three assists in 30 Serie A starts under Albert Gilardino this term, leading to reported interest from N17.

Tottenham sit down to discuss signing Albert Gudmundsson

According to a report from Italy this week, specifically newspaper Tuttosport, Tottenham have "sat down at the table" to discuss signing Gudmundsson this summer, and so have Inter Milan.

However, they could be better placed to seal a move for the attacking midfielder than Inter, as agent Oscar Damiani told FCInterNews that Italian clubs most likely won't reach the potential £26 million asking price for Gudmundsson.

Called "similar" to Forest star Gibbs-White by Football Transfers, the 26-year-old has also been likened to Liverpool star Mohamed Salah by teammate Kevin Strootman.

“He reminds me of Salah when he was at Roma, in that every now and then he disappears. Much like Salah then, he would have four or five chances per match and only score at most one," said Strootman.

“They used to say that if Salah was more clinical, he would be playing for Liverpool, and that is exactly what happened. All joking aside, Gudmundsson is a devastating player and also an exemplary professional.”

Pochettino is yet to formally join the USMNT as their head coach despite having an agreement with the USSF

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Pochettino yet to join USMNTHas an agreement with the USSFTerms of Chelsea's severance package creating hindranceWHAT HAPPENED?

The Athletic reported last week that ex-Chelsea coach Pochettino is all set to become the new manager of the United States men's national team. Pochettino is currently without a club after he was told to exit Stamford Bridge in May this year.

AdvertisementGettyTHE EXPLANATION

The Argentine, however, is yet to formally put pen to paper on a contract despite reaching an agreement with the United States Soccer Federation. The Athletic now reports that the reason why the manager is yet to take up the job is the terms of Chelsea's severance package to him. Per the clause, the Blues will pay Pochettino until the time he gets a new job after which the club will not owe any money to him. It is unlikely that USSF will be able to afford Pochettino's last wages as national jobs are generally lowly paid compared to what the top 6 Premier League clubs pay.

DID YOU KNOW?

There is more than one way to solve the existing issue. USSF could replicate Canada's stance during the signing of Jesse Marsch as three MLS teams from Canada helped the country's federation by contributing. However, it has been reported that USSF had no such chat with MLS clubs as of now. The second way will be to go the Lionel Messi way as they could collaborate with a third party who could partly sponsor the move.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyWHAT NEXT?

It remains to be seen if the Blues come forward and agree to cover half the money that was owed to the manager while USSF will pay their part. The USMNT will be next seen in September during the international break as they take on Canada and New Zealand in back-to-back friendlies.

After facing the consequences for their financial wrongdoings, Everton are now set to suffer once more when the transfer window opens in a move that will arguably weaken Sean Dyche's side.

Everton transfer news

It's a big few months for the Toffees. Not only must they comply with the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules, but they must also ensure that Dyche's squad are ready to push past the fight for relegation and into the comforts of mid-table both this season and next. Of course, they would have been well on course for survival by now and in those aforementioned mid-table places if it wasn't for two deductions culminating in the loss of eight points.

Everton made to regret signing flop whose value has plummeted £17.5m

He’s only shown glimpses since his move to Goodison Park.

ByEthan Lamb Apr 19, 2024

With 777 Partners yet to complete their takeover too, Everton may need to be more careful than ever with their spending, which has seen them linked with free deals for both Ben Johnson and Wilfred Ndidi in two deals that could represent wise business. Welcoming Ndidi would be particularly impressive, especially after the latest Amadou Onana update.

According to Sport in Spain, Everton have been left with no choice but to sell Onana this summer in an attempt to balance the books at Goodison Park. The Toffees have 'finally given in' amid reported interest from Barcelona and Chelsea in a deal that could be worth up to €70m (£60m) in the coming months.

If Everton saw their price tag matched this summer, then Onana's sale could go a long way towards avoiding another FFP punishment next season, but the sale may still leave Dyche frustrated nonetheless.

The former Burnley boss has been full of praise for the midfielder during his time at Everton, including when he told the club's official website back in December: "I thought Amadou [Onana] was terrific today, not just his goal but the ugly side of the game with his hard work and positional sense.

"There was a lot to adapt to and they've had almost no time, we had a 10-minute walkthrough so for them to take it on like that today with that performance, particularly in the second half in a different way with control and tactical understanding to see it through, was very, very pleasing."

"Terrific" Onana will need replacing

It's all well and good if Everton manage to balance the books, but that won't take away from the need to replace Onana this summer. Recent links to Ndidi is a positive sign that those at Goodison Park will do just that, however, in a move that wouldn't cost them a transfer fee and could hand Dyche an adequate option in the middle of the park.

Progressive Carries

36

19

Progressive Passes

89

101

Tackles Won

25

33

Interceptions

25

15

Clearances

25

25

So, whilst the idea of selling Onana this summer sounds far from ideal, Everton may be better off in the long-term if it means they avoid another point deduction next season and bring a player in like Ndidi as a far cheaper alternative to the Belgian.

MatériaMais Notícias

Deyverson retornou à Academia de Futebol neste sábado (5) para realizar testes físicos e o restante das avaliações antes de ser integrado aos treinos. Retornando de empréstimo, o atacante ainda não fica à disposição de Abel Ferreira, que já assumiu que pretende utilizar o atleta.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasEscalação do Palmeiras: Danilo tem lesão confirmada; Veron e Kuscevic voltam a treinar com bolaPalmeiras05/06/2021PalmeirasNo Allianz Parque, Palmeiras goleia Bahia pelo Campeonato Brasileiro Sub-17Palmeiras05/06/2021Futebol NacionalPalmeiras x Chapecoense: onde assistir ao duelo pelo Brasileirão, arbitragem e escalaçõesFutebol Nacional05/06/2021

O contrato do jogador com seu antigo clube, o Alavés-ESP, terminaria apenas no final de junho, mas o atleta se despediu ainda em maio, no dia 21. Três dias depois, no dia 24 de maio, o Palmeiras o registrou no BID (Boletim Informativo Diário).

Essa semana, depois do jogo de ida da Copa do Brasil diante do CRB, o técnico palmeirense falou sobre a volta dele e como o elenco está em relação a isso.

-Sempre fui verdadeiro com a direção. Sabemos do contexto da pandemia e, neste momento, temos que fazer contenção. Parte financeira acima da parte esportiva. Ele vem nessa linha. Já foi muito feliz aqui. Tenho certeza que o grupo vai receber bem – disse.

Na última sexta-feira (4), Deyverson passou por uma bateria de exames, clínicos e físicos, no hospital Sírio-Libanês, em São Paulo. No dia seguinte, ele foi, pela primeira vez nessa segunda passagem, para a Academia de Futebol, onde realizou mais algumas atividades, mas sem entrar em campo para treinar com os companheiros.

Como está regularizado no BID, o atleta já pode estrear pelo Campeonato Brasileiro – na Copa do Brasil e na Libertadores, o Palmeiras pode inscrevê-lo nas oitavas de final. Na primeira passagem pelo elenco alviverde, fez 104 jogos, marcando 25 gols.

continua após a publicidade

The offspinner ran through West Indies’ middle order before the young opener slammed an unbeaten 69

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Nov-2019A day after they recorded India’s highest partnership in women’s T20Is, openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana put on yet another stellar display to chase down a small target of 104 against West Indies in St Lucia to take a 2-0 lead in the series.The win, however, was set up by offspinner Deepti Sharma, who ran through West Indies’ middle order to finish with her career-best T20I figures of 4 for 10.ALSO READ: Shafali Verma, India’s 15-year-old prodigyOpting to bat first, West Indies lost Stacy-Ann King and Shemaine Campbelle within the powerplay, where they made just 17 runs.While fast bowlers Pooja Vastrakar and Shikha Pandey sent West Indies’ openers back, the spinners caused most of the damage after that. The hosts’ only bit of fight came from Chedean Nation and Natasha McLean, who put up a 32-run stand for the fourth wicket, but Sharma came back for her second spell in the 16th over to remove both of them.She produced another double-strike in the 20th over, removing Chinelle Henry and Sheneta Grimmond off consecutive deliveries, as West Indies limped to 103 for 7.India wasted no time in their reply, as 15-year-old Verma slammed six fours in the first two overs of the innings, off Henry and King. She was the aggressor in the partnership, hitting six more fours and two sixes, while Mandhana hit four fours on her way to a 28-ball 33 not out.Verma finished with an unbeaten 35-ball 69 as the duo sealed the chase in just 10.3 overs.

Lionel Messi, David Beckham and Kylian Mbappe have all been snubbed by Pierre Gasly as the Formula 1 star picks his personal Paris Saint-Germain hero.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Famous faces passed through French capitalRacing star has always been a big fanIdolised Portuguese striker growing upGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The 28-year-old is an avid PSG supporter and has followed them closely since the age of five. He has seen many iconic figures pass through Parc des Princes in that time. Some of those, such as Ronaldinho and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, cemented his love for the Ligue 1 outfit.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

He has also watched South American superstars Messi and Neymar grace the books in Paris, while World Cup winner Mbappe is only now departing for Real Madrid, with Gasly enjoying the unpredictability of sport at the very highest level.

GettyWHAT GASLY SAID

Alpine driver Gasly has told the : “I've been a massive PSG fan since I was five years old. I remember the days of Pauleta. There was Ronaldinho; Ibra came over, Beckham came over. You can name all the superstars – Messi, Neymar, Mbappe. I've supported every single season and I will always support the team, no matter what. But this is football, anything can happen. Look at the Euros… as much as we like to predict the outcome of matches, how can we be sure? That's the beauty of sport – anything is possible. So long as you get a shot, you have to believe in it. Maybe, then, next year will be the one for the Champions League trophy.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

DID YOU KNOW?

Gasly added when asked to pick his PSG hero, having had to pick between football and racing in his younger years: “It's tough but if I need to pick one out, it will be Pauleta. I looked up to him when I was a kid. I played football from when I was five until I was 11 and Pauleta was very iconic. Then I had to take a decision between football and racing, basically. I think I picked the right sport for my life!”