Transfer deadline day is always an exciting one for fans all over England, but today could prove to be a huge day for Tottenham Hotspur in their quest to end the window on a positive note.

Up to now, the business conducted by Thomas Frank has been a huge success, spending around £155m on new additions, with Xavi Simons being the latest big-money signing in North London.

The Dutchman joined in a £52m deal last week, adding to the £55m signing of Mohammed Kudus and a permanent move to land Frenchman Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich.

However, new boss Frank is evidently still hunting for further additions to help boost his chances of securing any form of success in Europe and or the Premier League this campaign.

Numerous names have emerged on their shortlist throughout deadline day, with progress being made on deals to land various top-level European talents.

Spurs’ hunt to land new talent on deadline day

Despite Simons’ transfer in recent days, Spurs have been hunting for the signature of Ademola Lookman over the last couple of hours – potentially costing a fee in the region of £43m.

The Nigerian, who scored 20 goals for Atalanta last season, has been desperate for a transfer this summer, potentially getting himself a move to North London before tonight’s deadline.

However, another name has emerged on their radar in recent hours, with Football Insider reporting the Lilywhites are keen on a late move for Conor Gallagher.

They claim that the Atlético Madrid star is available for €60m (£52m) in the coming hours, with Newcastle United also battling Frank’s side for a potential switch back to England.

Why Spurs’ latest target would be perfect for Kolo Muani

Alongside Lookman, Spurs are negotiating a deal with PSG for the signing of striker Randal Kolo Muani – despite the Frenchman looking certain to join Juventus this summer.

It’s been reported this morning that the Lilywhites are close to agreeing personal terms with the forward over a deal to North London – with a loan with an obligation to buy mooted before tonight’s deadline.

Such a deal has advanced after Dominic Solanke suffered a setback with his current ankle issue, with no timeframe currently placed on his return to first-team action.

Kolo Muani, who scored 10 goals in 22 appearances on loan in Italy last campaign, would offer another impressive option in the final third – potentially being aided by Gallagher in his quest for goals in 2025/26.

Whilst the former Chelsea star is primarily a ball-winning option, he’s also showcased his ability to break the lines and play key passes into attacking areas – having the tools to be a perfect box-to-box talent in Frank’s side.

His underlying stats from the 2024/25 campaign showcase the talent he possesses, with £52m potentially being an excellent price – should he replicate such figures in North London.

The 25-year-old, who’s been labelled “sensational” by journalist John Cross, ranked in the 89th percentile for tackles won (1.8) and in the 90th percentile for recoveries made (5.9) in LaLiga – showcasing his ability to regain possession should he move to Frank’s side.

However, in possession, the England international also impressed, making an average of 3.5 progressive passes per 90 at a pass completion rate of 85% – tallies which could provide Kolo Muani with constant chances in dangerous areas.

2.6 of his progressive passes last season were made into the final third, further showcasing his talent with the ball at his feet, offering added ammunition for the Frenchman should he join the Lilywhites.

£52m would be another huge investment from the Spurs hierarchy, but it’s a deal that could add further quality into Frank’s already impressive midfield department.

If he can replicate his numbers from LaLiga last season, it would be a sensational pickup and one that could allow Kolo Muani to adhere himself to the supporters in the process.

Frank's next Wissa: Spurs close to agreeing terms to sign £50m star

Tottenham are set for a frenetic finish to the summer transfer window.

2

By
Angus Sinclair

Sep 1, 2025

Cristiano Ronaldo has broken yet another record as the Portuguese legend made World Cup qualifying history with a first-half brace in a 2-2 draw with Hungary on Tuesday. Attila Szalai gave Hungary an early lead in the eighth minute of their match but Ronaldo brought his side back in the game with an equaliser in the 22nd minute before handing the Selecao the lead on the stroke of half-time.

• Portugal denied World Cup berth despite Ronaldo heroics

  Portugal were on track to book a place at the World Cup next year as they had to come from behind against Hungary. The man who was responsible for leading the charge was none other than their legendary captain Ronaldo. The 40-year-old struck twice in the first half after Szalai handed the visitors an early lead, but Dominik Szoboszlai's last-minute equaliser ensured the match ended 2-2 and Portugal will have to wait until November to secure qualification.

Advertisement

• Ronaldo breaks World Cup qualifying record

  With the equaliser against Hungary in the 22nd minute, Ronaldo went past former Guatemala international Carlos Ruiz's tally to register his 40th World Cup qualifying the most in history. He increased his tally to 41 in 50 appearances with the second goal just before the half-time whistle. He now also has 143 international goals to his name, while the all-time tally reached 947 for club and country. 

• CR7 eyes 1000 career goals

  Ronaldo is looking to become the first player in history to reach four figures on the competitive goal front. He is within sight of that target after maintaining remarkable individual standards. Prolific strike rates have been enjoyed for Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, Al-Nassr and Portugal in a career that has spanned over two decades now. The all-time leading scorer in Champions League and men’s international football is determined to further cement his legacy and is now just 53 goals shy of fulfilling that dream.

  The former United man has even been told that goalkeepers will want to let in his 1,000th goal. Rene Meulensteen, who has worked with the Portugal icon at Old Trafford, recently said: "He will be remembered for 1,000 goals, but if it is done in a spectacular manner, if it would be done for Portugal, if you would have had a choice, then probably you would say, yeah, let's do it for Portugal. The world will be watching, telling you. Can you imagine being the goalkeeper? You want to let it in, don't you? Because you're going to be remembered as the goalkeeper that let Cristiano's 1,000th goal in."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

• AFP
  

  Portugal on the hunt for World Cup glory

  Ronaldo has achieved almost everything in football, be it on a personal level or collectively with his clubs and the national team. He has won five Champions League titles, league titles in all four countries he has played in and the European Championship with Portugal in 2016. Yet, the only trophy that eludes the Portugal legend is the World Cup trophy. It is also something that his rival Lionel Messi won in 2022, thereby settling the GOAT debate.

  However, Ronaldo should once again has a chance in North America next year. Even in the twilight of his career, the Al-Nassr star continues to remain a key player for Portugal. The Selecao will heavily bank on their captain to guide them to glory in 2026 once they secure qualification.

Mohamed Salah is getting old, but he’s still here and he’s still thriving for Liverpool.

The long-time talisman turned 33 this summer, and there’s a sense that the overload of attacking signings this summer were completed with an eye on the Egyptian stepping into the final stretch of his Premier League career.

Last season, Salah took it on himself to win the Premier League, making merry under Arne Slot’s wing in the first year since Jurgen Klopp stepped down and putting in an individual campaign for the ages, breaking any number of records and posting 34 goals and 23 assists across all competitions.

Now, things are a bit different, with the likes of Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz signed for British-record fees in what could shape the Reds’ frontline for many years to come.

Times are changing down Anfield Road, and though Salah continues to play a focal role in the project, having scored three goals and supplied three assists already this term, the weight of responsibility is no longer so heavy.

And this is without even acknowledging the emphatic early form of Hugo Ekitike, who is giving Salah and Isak a run for their money as the club’s main man up top.

Ekitike's start to life at Liverpool

Six games, four goals, one assist. Not a bad way to announce yourself to the England game. Ekitike left Eintracht Frankfurt and signed for Liverpool in a deal rising to £79m in July, and he’s been hailed for his “really clever” play by Wayne Rooney, who knows a thing or two about scoring in the Premier League.

Isak came off the bench for his league debut in a Liverpool shirt last time out, in the Merseyside derby, but Slot has quite the conundrum on his hands as the ostensibly second-fiddle star continues to go from strength to strength.

There are, for sure, worse problems to have as a manager.

Against the Toffees, Liverpool arguably played their finest football of the season in that eventful first half, with the 23-year-old demonstrating his natural ease in jinking through the lines to latch onto the ball and guide it into the net, past Jordan Pickford.

Threading through the assist for Ekitike’s latest goal was Ryan Gravenberch, and while the French forward has started the season in fine fettle, it is the man in the middle who has been the star of the show across the past five weeks.

Gravenberch is becoming Liverpool's best player

Martin Zubimendi is almost three months into his Arsenal career. The Spain international joined the Gunners for £60m in the summer and is regarded as a coup for Mikel Arteta’s side. He is one of the silkiest midfielders out there.

Gravenberch walked all over him at Anfield earlier this month, to use some sporting jargon, and it all might’ve been so different, had Zubimendi accepted Liverpool’s proposal to sign him in 2024.

He didn’t, opting to remain with Real Sociedad. It stang, let’s get that straight. However, Gravenberch rose from mediocrity to form the nucleus of newbie Slot’s engine room, having been utilised sporadically by Klopp beforehand.

Still only 23, the Dutchman was instrumental in winning the Premier League last season, and he’s only gotten better since the summer, it seems, with journalist Daniel Storey even remarking on the Totally Football Show that he’s been “the best player in the country” across these opening weeks, having scored, assisted and dominated against Everton on Saturday.

Gravenberch wasn’t at his crispest in possession, but that’s only because he took it upon himself to make things happen in the final third, winning seven duels and making five tackles too.

The campaign is young, but Gravenberch has started with staggering style, looking even more robust and complete than last year, when he stepped into the place meant for Zubimendi and made it his own, crowned the 2024/25 Hublot Young Player of the Season for his performances.

Matches (starts)

37 (37)

4 (4)

Goals

0

2

Assists

4

1

Touches*

66.5

76.0

Pass completion

89%

88%

Key passes*

0.7

1.5

Dribbles*

1.0

1.5

Ball recoveries*

5.2

5.3

Tackles + interceptions*

3.5

2.8

Total duels (won)*

5.0 (57%)

5.3 (55%)

Much has remained the same for Gravenberch, but he’s now starting to be a bit more progressive on the ball, moving forward more frequently and being rewarded for his ambition with a sharp uptick in direct goal contributions.

Gravenberch is the life-force of this Liverpool team, the beating heart. Whether he manages to maintain this new level across the span of the season remains to be seen, but we wouldn’t bet against it.

Last year, this young, powerful and technically proficient midfielder proved he could raise his game, right? Now he’s merely doing it again, marking the latest development in a journey which has yet to reach the surface; it’s not even close.

Though Liverpool have left something to be desired across the opening weeks of the season, they have still won five games out of five in the Premier League and claimed three points in their Champions League opener too. There is a pervading sense across the country that the Reds are a shoo-in for a successful top-flight title defence, though it is far too early to declare such a thing with any real conviction.

If Liverpool do achieve their goals, Gravenberch will be at the heart of everything, with his continuing role in the middle of the park becoming something truly special. So many times in recent years have the club turned to Salah and the skipper, Virgil van Dijk, for inspiration. This is still true.

However, Gravenberch indeed stakes a compelling claim for the best player on Merseyside so far this term, becoming a talisman in a different fashion to Salah, who remains a focal point but with greater quality in the final third to ease him toward the autumn of his Liverpool career.

In any case, this is quite the team, and Liverpool are looking to make it a special year.

Slot is brewing the new Gerrard & Torres in £130m-rated Liverpool duo

Arne Slot has unearthed two new potential heroes in this Liverpool duo.

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 21, 2025

“I have never, ever heard a negative word coming out of his mouth,” Nehal Wadhera says about head coach Ricky Ponting

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Apr-20253:36

Bishop: Shreyas the captain has always made teams better

Eighth over. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have it all lined up. Yuzvendra Chahal strikes. Against the run of play. Ajinkya Rahane is lbw after a 55-run stand – in a 112 chase – and… a switch flicks. Chahal keeps getting wickets, and Shreyas Iyer keeps adding fielders around the bat.Last throw of the dice? Sniffing something others hadn’t? To Ian Bishop, it could be both or neither of those things, but Shreyas has “made teams better” wherever he has gone. On the night in Mullanpur, it meant a 16-run win for Punjab Kings (PBKS), their fourth win in IPL 2025.In that situation, with more than half the small target knocked off and many, many balls left, “I have seen captains sit back and probably say, ‘let’s take this as deep as we can’,” Bishop said on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out show. “I think Shreyas is a good captain. Wherever Shreyas has gone, and I keep saying it, since he took over from Gautam Gambhir halfway through at Delhi Capitals [then Daredevils] in 2018, he’s made teams better.”Related

RCB return home aiming to avoid a hat-trick of defeats

Chahal back in his element, in the game, in typical style

Stats – PBKS pull off lowest successful defence in IPL history

Ponting: That might be the best win I've ever had as coach in IPL

To Ambati Rayudu, it was a case of things falling in place for PBKS, but Shreyas did something “the best of captains” might not have.”I have known the best of captains who wouldn’t have taken this score [111] seriously. Trust me,” Rayudu said. “But this guy did. [Coach Ricky] Ponting does. Ponting would never give up. That’s a great combination that they have going. But only if they don’t change the players as often as they do. And keep it constant. I think they’ll get a lot of success in the IPL.”He [Shreyas] has that composure as a person and as a captain, and that is why I feel… sir [Bishop] here has said he is a good captain, and that’s because he has that composure.”Back in IPL 2018, the season Bishop referred to, Ponting was the Delhi coach and Gambhir the captain. Gambhir was in poor form with the bat, and Delhi had won only one of their first six matches of the season when he stepped down, and Shreyas took over. They still finished bottom of the table, but with five wins from their eight remaining games. Shreyas then led Delhi to a third-place finish in IPL 2019 and the final the following year. His next captaincy stint came with KKR, and he led them to the title in 2024.Now with PBKS, Shreyas has led the team to four wins in six games and is also their top run-getter. Are PBKS looking set to make the playoffs at this stage then?6:18

Pressure or complacency – why did KKR collapse?

“They are more eager, they are more hungry. They are on their way,” Rayudu said, while Bishop pointed out that, compared to some of the teams, PBKS were only playing their sixth game on Tuesday, and “had they gone the other way and lost this, it wouldn’t have been detrimental, but they have given themselves a bonus”.It’s not only about Shreyas, though. Ponting has played his part in the backroom, and said the KKR result “might just be about the best win that I’ve ever had [as a coach]”. Nehal Wadhera, the PBKS middle-order batter, provided a glimpse of the “positivity” in the camp with Ponting and Shreyas working in tandem.”I have never, ever heard a negative word coming out of his mouth,” Wadhera said of Ponting at the post-match press conference. “When your coach is such a character, the way he inspires everyone, and even when we got back [after the batting innings], he just said, ‘okay, today our bowlers need to get the job done, I need some really fiery spells today’; automatically when players listen to such things from the coach, the confidence boosts up. It really showed on the field. It’s all because of his pep talks.”Also Shreyas Iyer. They way he charges up everyone… he’s one of the finest captains I have ever played under and he’s really great at what he does, with the bat and the way he captains, and the way he is leading the team is really great.”

Tottenham Hotspur are at the start of a new chapter, and Thomas Frank knows he must not only emulate his predecessor Ange Postecoglou in winning silverware at the Lilywhites helm but make significant gains in the Premier League too.

Last season’s Europa League champions juxtaposed their triumph with a dismal 17th-place finish in the league, and have thus completed a series of signings across the summer to compete in the Champions League and domestically too.

But while the likes of Xavi Simons and Mohammed Kudus add much to Tottenham’s attacking fluency, Frank remains eager to sign a centre-forward before the window slams shut.

Spurs in late bid for new striker

According to Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham have almost agreed personal terms with Randal Kolo Muani, who is being targeted on a loan deal with an option to buy.

Transfer Focus

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

Kolo Muani, 26, had been expected to sign for Juventus this month before issues between Paris Saint-Germain and the Italians ground that one to a halt, thus opening the door for Spurs.

Tottenham previously went in for the France international in January, but Juventus one the race there. It’s understood he would cost in excess of £50m to take away from Paris on a permanent basis.

What Kolo Muani would bring to Spurs

Kolo Muani is not just a dangerous presence in the final third but a high-speed and mobile forward, recognised by Les Bleus teammate Kylian Mbappe for his “complete” qualities.

His half-season spent with Juventus led to ten goals and three assists across 22 games, ending what had turned out to be a miserable 18 months with PSG, leaving Eintracht Frankfurt for the Ligue 1 giants in September 2023 for a £76m fee.

But class is permanent, and his reliable nature and link-up ability at number nine suggests he could be Frank’s new version of Yoane Wissa, who is set to join Newcastle United from Brentford for £55m.

Having scored 19 goals in the Premier League last season, Wissa, 28, proved his worth and then some, and it must be exciting for Kolo Muani to consider how Frank could now raise the level of his own game.

Goals scored

0.48

0.57

Assists

0.11

0.10

Shots taken

2.45

2.76

Touches (att pen)

6.28

4.95

Shot-creating actions

2.34

1.99

Pass completion

70.2%

75.5%

Progressive passes

1.49

2.05

Progressive carries

1.54

1.82

Successful take-ons

1.54

0.44

Ball recoveries

2.24

2.42

Tackles + interceptions

1.28

0.94

Wissa might be a more clinical goalscorer at this point in time, but Kolo Muani has more variation to his game, and indeed demonstrated in Turin his potential to score clinically, bagging eight Serie A goals across only 13 matches.

Skilful and tenacious, the Frenchman would be a fantastic addition for the Londoners, who already have solid options in the final third, but perhaps need that extra something.

Wissa has developed into a clinical shooter under Howe’s wing, and given Kolo Muani has a higher bar already, there’s no telling how high he will soar if welcomed to the spearhead of an exciting Tottenham project.

He's a Kudus upgrade: Spurs make enquiry for "Dele-esque" £80m talent

Tottenham remain active in the transfer market as the window reaches the eleventh hour.

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 1, 2025

تمكن منتخب مصر للناشئين لكرة اليد، من الفوز أمام الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، بنتيجة 24-22، في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما مساء اليوم ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس العالم.

وتقام منافسات بطولة العالم لكرة اليد للرجال تحت 17 عامًا، في الفترة من 24 أكتوبر وتستمر حتى 1 نوفمبر 2025، في المغرب، وتضم 12 منتخبًا مقسمة على 3 مجموعات.

وتعد هذه البطولة الأولى من نوعها على مستوى هذه الفئة العمرية، تحت إشراف الاتحاد الدولي لكرة اليد (IHF)، الذي يسعى من خلالها إلى اكتشاف المواهب الشابة وتعزيز تنافسية اللعبة عالميًا.

طالع | ترتيب مجموعة مصر في كأس العالم تحت 17 عامًا بعد الفوز على أمريكا

ويشارك منتخب مصر لكرة اليد مواليد 2008 في البطولة، في مجموعة تضم إلى جانبه منتخبات البرازيل وأمريكا والمغرب، صاحب الأرض والجمهور.

وكان منتخب مصر لكرة اليد للناشئين قد فاز على نظيره البرازيلي في افتتاح مشواره ببطولة العالم المقامة في المغرب، بنتيجة 35-26. موعد مباراة مصر والمغرب في كأس العالم لكرة اليد تحت 17 عامًا

ومن المقرر أن يلتقي منتخب مصر أمام المغرب، يوم الثلاثاء 28 أكتوبر الجاري، في تمام الساعة 10:55 مساءً، بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras venceu o Cruzeiro por 1 a 0, neste segunda-feira (14), pela 19ª rodada do Brasileirão. E o triunfo veio no último minuto da partida, com assistência de Raphael Veiga para Flaco López. Após a partida, o técnico Abel Ferreira fala sobre o desempenho do Verdão em entrevista coletiva. Confira no vídeo acima:

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasBrasileirãoVÍDEO: Gol e melhores momentos de Palmeiras x CruzeiroBrasileirão14/08/2023PalmeirasATUAÇÕES: Flaco López brilha e garante vitória do Palmeiras diante do Cruzeiro nos acréscimosPalmeiras14/08/2023PalmeirasPalmeiras marca no último minuto e vence o Cruzeiro para voltar à vice-liderança do BrasileirãoPalmeiras14/08/2023

Aston Villa are in desperate need of creative inspiration and now find themselves in negotiations to sign an experienced playmaker in a lucrative free transfer deal next year.

Aston Villa continue to struggle after draw with Sunderland

Every Premier League point is valuable in the context of a season, though Aston Villa supporters will be feeling a familiar sense of frustration after their side surrendered a narrow lead to draw against ten-man Sunderland last weekend.

The Villans are in the bottom three and have yet to find a winning formula under Unai Emery, albeit they did finally break their goal drought courtesy of a sweet strike from Matty Cash to open the scoring.

Making his thoughts clear post-match, Unai Emery claimed his side need to rediscover their ‘identity’ and called on Harvey Elliott and his backline to be more decisive in their actions.

He stated: “We have to recover our identity. I am not frustrated with the result, but disappointed and frustrated about how we are playing. We are not feeling comfortable with our style. We have to try to recover our personality and confidence to play like we are training.

“Some players need to adapt, for example, Harvey Elliott was getting the ball and passing behind the defence without options. He needs to understand that he has the skills to play more passes and then do the pass behind or outside with better options. We were lazy sometimes defensively. Lazy. For example, the goal we conceded, we were lazy. Maybe it’s because we didn’t play in our style.”

While Jadon Sancho is still yet to make an impact in the West Midlands, there is a creative void within Emery’s side that Aston Villa struggled to address during the summer.

Now, the Villans may have identified a cost-effective solution in a move that is bound to excite supporters at Villa Park.

Aston Villa in negotiations to sign Julian Brandt

According to CaughtOffside, Aston Villa are in negotiations to sign Borussia Dortmund attacking midfielder Julian Brandt, who could arrive either on a cut-price deal in January or a free transfer next summer.

Capped 48 times by Germany, the 29-year-old has scored once in five appearances across all competitions this term and is yet to agree on an extension at the Bundesliga giants as he seeks a lucrative contract, attracting further interest from Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur.

Best signing since Watkins: Aston Villa struck gold on "unstoppable" star

This Unai Emery signing has been a revelation for Aston Villa.

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 20, 2025

Fitting the brief as a versatile star capable of playing centrally or on either flank, Brandt has created three chances this term in the Bundesliga, per Fotmob, and he has also maintained a pass accuracy rate of 86.2%.

Experience and taking ownership are two qualities that Emery could use to lift his struggling side, though it remains to be seen if the Spaniard can convince Brandt to commit his future to the West Midlands-based outfit.

Following their 2-2 draw with Real Betis, former player Stan Collymore has named one Nottingham Forest star who he believes is “finally” living up to the hype.

Ange "disappointed" by Real Betis draw

After falling a goal behind courtesy of Cedric Bakambu’s impressive finish inside 15 minutes, Nottingham Forest arguably played the best football of Ange Postecoglou’s young tenure. The Midlands club soon equalised through summer signing Igor Jesus, who then found his brace to flip the game on its head.

From there, it was Forest’s to lose and they should have extended their lead before the break. Ultimately, however, they left the door ajar for Antony to find a late equaliser for the hosts. In the end, the Tricky Trees were forced to settle for a “disappointing” draw, according to Postecoglou.

Even after making it four wins without a victory as Forest boss, however, there were positives for Postecoglou to take. The first-half display was particularly dominant and Elliot Anderson once again stood out in the middle of the park.

Worse call than Luiz: Ange got it so wrong with 6/10 Nottingham Forest man

Nottingham Forest secured a 2-2 draw with Real Betis in their first European game in 30 years.

ByEthan Lamb Sep 25, 2025

Both the England international and another midfield star received high praise from former Nottingham Forest player Collymore after the game.

Collymore: Sangare "finally" living up to hype

After spending most of last season sidelined through injury, it was important for Ibrahim Sangare to make his mark under Postecoglou and that’s exactly what he’s doing. According to Collymore, Sangare is “finally” living up to the hype after an “incredibly effective” display against Real Betis in the Europa League.

The numbers paint a similar picture about the midfielder. Against Betis, Sangare won two out of three ground duels, was dribbled past just once, and made three recoveries. It was a display that Postecoglou will expect to see from his defensive midfielder every week.

It’s also worth noting the impact that Douglas Luiz has also had and how that may have played a part in Sangare’s revival. The former Aston Villa man was in full control when he was on the pitch and often acted as the conductor for wave after wave of Forest attacks.

RCB were reduced to 42 for 7 in the ninth over at one stage, but David smoked an unbeaten 26-ball 50

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Apr-2025Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) had to wait close to two hours for the weather to clear in Bengaluru, but when it did, they were caught in a Punjab Kings (PBKS) storm.At one stage, it seemed the hosts would get bowled out for their lowest total, but Tim David ensured that they nearly doubled 49 and weren’t all-out in an innings shortened to 14 overs by rain.For PBKS, the dream evening started with Shreyas Iyer winning the toss and electing to bowl. Arshdeep came into the game with two powerplay wickets in the season and he doubled that tally, dismissing both RCB openers on the pull.Phil Salt went after a length ball and top-edged it towards square leg; Josh Inglis ran across to take the catch. Virat Kohli walked down to Arshdeep, who pulled his length short, to induce a splice to Marco Jansen over mid-on.Rajat Patidar whipped Arshdeep and Xavier Bartlett for a four and a six over the leg side. Liam Livingstone tried to end the four-over powerplay on a high. He charged Bartlett and tried to slap a length ball over point, but skied it to Priyansh Arya just past the in-field.RCB’s batters continued to miscue big shots. Jitesh Sharma swung at Marco Jansen but was beaten both times. In the following over, Patidar top-edged a pull off Yuzvendra Chahal, which fell safely around the midwicket region. Jitesh was less lucky next ball as he found deep-backward square with a slog sweep.Two balls later, Krunal Pandya was the third batter out on the pull. He couldn’t extend his arms fully and feathered a shortish ball from Jansen onto his helmet and it popped right up. PBKS used a DRS to reduce RCB to 33 for 5.Chahal, who was back to slowing his speeds and teasing the batter, struck again by looping the ball wide of Patidar’s off stump and having him caught at long-off. RCB’s ploy to send in Manoj Bhandage as the Impact Player didn’t work as he was beaten on the flick by Jansen and dismissed lbw.Bhuvneshwar Kumar and David stitched a 21-run stand, which took RCB past fifty. Harpreet Brar dismissed Bhuvneshwar and Yash Dayal off successive balls, and the hosts were nine down in 11.5 overs, with the score on 63. David managed to find the boundary regularly though, first off Bartlett and then off Brar to reach fifty and lift RCB to 95 for 9.