Even the morning after South Australia’s victory, some of those who took part were still making sense of it

Tristan Lavalette10-Feb-2025Enjoying unexpected time off, South Australia quicks Nathan McAndrew and Brendan Doggett found themselves still in disbelief as they recounted over breakfast what had transpired during a whirlwind previous two days at the WACA.Not long after Australia wrapped up the second Test against Sri Lanka, South Australia celebrated a six-wicket victory over Western Australia before tea on day two in the shortest outright result in Sheffield Shield history after just 763 balls were bowled. The previous record was 822 balls between Queensland and Tasmania in Brisbane in 2001-02.The match aggregate of 376 runs was the third-lowest ever in the competition’s history. WA were routed for just 66 in their second innings with McAndrew finishing with a remarkable career-best 7 for 11 from 9.3 overs. It was three-time defending champions WA’s lowest Shield total at the WACA since 1950.Related

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“Brendan Doggett and I were just talking about how wild it [the match] was,” McAndrew told ESPNcricinfo on what should have been day three of the match. “The game was in fast forward so much that even when we were taking wickets, it sort of felt like that’s what we had to do.”The historic clump of wickets was not necessarily foreshadowed the day before the match despite plenty of grass being left on the pitch amid usual sweltering Perth summer weather.”We had a training session [the day before the match], and it was hot as anything, so we thought that it’s going to be a really good cricket wicket,” McAndrew said. “We were pretty unsure about what to do if we won the toss at that point, just based off the colour of the wicket. We thought we might not be all that disappointed if we lost the toss and got sent in.”But with the fierce sun baking the pitch further, South Australia stand-in captain Ben Manenti had no hesitation to bowl first when the coin fell in his favour. “There was some thatchy grass that we’re not used to seeing at the WACA, where previously we’ve played on thinner grass,” said McAndrew, the Shield’s leading wicket-taker this season with 28 at 18.42.

It was actually pretty hard to bowl on and to get the ball full enough to make the batters play without them just being able to leave on length because it was so bouncy. It was hard to get nicks, it was nipping too farNathan McAndrew

“Our only goal was to bowl them out on day one, but the wicket did a lot more than what I thought it was going to do.”Batting was difficult with tennis ball bounce notable, but the match started fairly tamely and, not for the first time on the ground, it appeared an anti-climax was set to ensue. A youthful WA batting-order battled hard and did well to reach lunch at 72 for 2 with opener Sam Fanning closing in on a half-century.”We really struggled as a bowling group to bring the stumps into play,” McAndrew said. “It was actually pretty hard to bowl on and to get the ball full enough to make the batters play without them just being able to leave on length because it was so bouncy. It was hard to get nicks, it was nipping too far.”But coach Ryan Harris gave them a pep talk at the break and they readjusted their line and lengths on resumption to devastating effect as the pitch continued to deteriorate with conditions near 40 degrees Celsius.McAndrew nicked off Fanning for 49 – the highest score of the match – with a back of a length delivery that zipped off the pitch. “The ball started bouncing and skidding through more traditionally, so we could bowl normal lengths,” he said.The WACA scoreboard reflects a extraordinary match•Getty ImagesWA collapsed for 120, but South Australia fared little better in reply and were bowled out for 124 by stumps on day one. McAndrew, at No. 9 but a capable batter with a first-class average of 26.61, started fluently before hitting quick Brody Couch straight to third man to fall for 4 off 6 balls.”Probably a bit rich to say because I only faced six balls…I felt pretty comfortable but played a horrendous shot to get out,” McAndrew said. “Without being too critical, I think there was some really poor shots by some batters in this match but that was probably due to them being indecisive.”South Australia were frustrated by day’s end and thought they had let their advantage slip with the match now effectively a one-innings shoot-out.”Just forget about that batting effort and let’s turn up on day two, fight like hell and try and bowl as well as we possibly can to wrestle back the advantage,” Harris implored his team.South Australia’s meagre lead of four runs suddenly looked like gold when McAndrew immediately hit a dangerous area and had Fanning caught in the slips for a duck in the first over. Soon WA were reeling at 2 for 3 and still trailing by two runs.Unleashing one of the great spells at the iconic ground, McAndrew was in the zone and looking like taking a wicket on every delivery. He continually claimed edges and rattled the stumps, but his best wicket was when he took a superb one-handed return catch to his right to dismiss veteran Hilton Cartwright.McAndrew finished with figures that seemed beyond belief, but there wasn’t any time to take it all in given the surreal events unfolding.’To win in a day-and-a half at the WACA, it’s special’•Getty Images”My mind was just constantly on what was next, who was the next batter and let’s get him out as soon as possible,” he said. “It was a tough wicket and you didn’t want them to get any more. It was very much just a foot on the throat type mentality.”South Australia only needed 63 runs for victory, but perhaps no team has ever have felt so nervous about chasing such a low target. “I was pretty anxious, just counting those runs down…every single one,” McAndrew said.There were some anxious moments, but Jason Sangha proved that the bowlers could be thwarted on this wicket with a solid method and application. He finished 24 not out on the back of his first innings of 45 to guide South Australia to their first Shield victory at the WACA since November 2017.Relieved players celebrated with gusto during the late afternoon inside the ground’s famed walls as South Australia sit pretty on top of the ladder. They are in the box seat for a home final as they strive to end a Shield title drought that extends three decades.”To win in a day-and-a half at the WACA, it’s special,” McAndrew said. “We haven’t won here in a long time. To get a monkey off our backs is really nice and sets us up for the rest of the season.”South Australia are also well positioned in the One-Day Cup and play last-placed WA on Thursday at the WACA in a low-key fixture that is set to now garner significantly more attraction.”I dare say, you’d expect that wicket to be a little bit flatter, but you never know,” chuckled McAndrew. “If we turn up and the ball’s nipping around and bouncing all over the shop again, I wouldn’t be against it.”

The West Indies opener looks back on the best moments of his previous 99 Tests – his maiden century, the Headingley win, and the hundreds in Australia and South Africa

Interview by Andrew McGlashan02-Jul-2025On Thursday in Grenada, Kraigg Brathwaite will become the tenth West Indian to play 100 Tests. At his best, his powers of concentration have been legendary: he has faced the most balls by a West Indian batter in a Test.Runs have been harder to come by of late, and a new-look batting order needs him to perform, but his career is littered with some outstanding performances. Among the teams he’s played more than once, it’s only against India that is he missing a century. Brathwaite also captained the Test side on 39 occasions before stepping down earlier this year. And he holds one of the game’s quirkier stats for a player of this generation, having not played a single professional T20.”I was privileged to be captain when he played his first Test and to be coach now as he’s playing his 100th Test, 14 years later, it shows his contribution to the game,” West Indies coach Daren Sammy said. “I think that’s a great achievement. And I wish him all the best. I know his team will be rallying with him. It will be a special moment for him and also for the team.”On the eve of his landmark Test, Brathwaite spoke to ESPNcricinfo.Related

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What does 100 Tests mean to you?
It means everything. Words to describe it would be pretty tough. You always want to play for the West Indies as a youngster, but to play 100 Tests was a dream. I’ll never forget when I was teenager, I was 14 years old, I would have done an interview and they asked me what my goals were. I remember one of my goals was to play 100 Tests.I think it’s quite amazing to go through the journey of 14 years playing for West Indies and seeing that goal come to fruition. I just want to be a role model, to hopefully inspire even just one youngster in the Caribbean to set their goals from a young age. Whether it’s 100 Tests, 300 one-dayers, playing in all the franchises around the world, whichever it may be, the key is to set a goal and work extremely hard throughout, through the ups and downs, to achieve it.But despite setting that goal, when you played your first Test, against Pakistan in 2011, did you think 100 was realistic?
Obviously, I’ll say no. Playing the first Test wasn’t the easiest. To say it at that time, that I would play 100, would be pretty hard. But from scoring my first hundred [against New Zealand in 2014] – I never thought I’d score a hundred for West Indies, I never thought I was that good, even though I was inspired to want to play – that really helped me get the confidence to go on.There have been a few periods where things really clicked for you: in 2014 you averaged over 77 and in 2022 you were named in the ICC Test team of the year. Do they stand out for you?
In 2014, I remember every series we played I scored a hundred. That was a very good patch for me. Then 2022 as well, those two really stood out for me. We played Bangladesh in 2022 and I made 95 or so [94], otherwise it would have been the same [a century in each series]. As a batsman that’s what you set out to do. I was obviously hoping that 2025 would be as good as those two periods.In West Indies’ famous win at Headingley in 2017, Brathwaite scored 134 and 95•Getty ImagesThe runs haven’t flowed of late. Where do you feel your batting is? Have you got another peak in you?
I still have that belief. I still feel ready and raring. I think it’s just an example of what Test cricket is; it’s a grind, especially as an opener, it’s never easy. You always have your ups and downs, so it’s about staying strong and believing in yourself. Test cricket is all about being mentally strong. I do believe I have those periods left in me.Is opening now as tough as it’s been? It’s a topic in Australian cricket, for example. Are pitches doing more?
I won’t say they’re doing anything different to normal, to be honest. Playing in the Caribbean is obviously never an easy place because pitches, especially early on, can be a bit slow and the ball gets a bit of a nip. But I won’t say the pitches have changed. I think the challenges as an opener still remain, regarding fielding for whether it’s 90 overs or 100 overs and having to run off for five minutes to change, then face world-class bowlers. Kudos to the bowling around the world. Each team pretty much has quality fast bowlers. So it’s always a mental grind for openers.Looking back on the 99 Tests from a batting perspective, can you pick out some highlights?
I can never forget the maiden hundred. At the time I was in total disbelief that I could actually score a hundred for West Indies. But moving on from there, the hundred [against Pakistan] in Sharjah; for me as an opener, I always dream about being there at the end, especially in the second innings, for the team. And to be able to do that in both innings was quite special for me. That was Jason Holder’s first win as captain, so very special.Then Headingley [in 2017] as well. There’s a bit of back story behind that. We lost the first Test, so to come back and play two innings like that to help us to win was quite amazing. But also, and this is just an example of opening the batting, it was my first tour to England and we had three county games before the first Test. I barely got any runs. Mentally, you are really doubting yourself at times.Brathwaite’s advice to young cricketers: “Dream big first. Set your goals from a young age. And then you’ve got to work hard. It’s a a long journey playing red-ball cricket”•Nick Potts/PA Photos/Getty ImagesGoing into the first Test, I made zero in the first innings. It’s not easy place to be. But that’s just the example of having to keep having that inward belief. When that bowler runs up and bowls the ball, pacer or spinner, you’ve got to have that deep belief in yourself. In the second innings of the first Test, I got 30-odd [40], then the second game we won and I got runs. That was just a great example for me as a player and as an opener of what it really takes to do well in this career. You’ve got to be mentally tough. So those were special.But then, emotion-wise, when I got the hundreds in Australia [in Perth in 2022] and in South Africa [in Gqeberha in 2014] – they were both No. 1 [teams] at the time. For me, that was very, very special. We drew one and lost one but those two against the No. 1 team meant a lot.Have you always prided yourself on your powers of concentration?
For sure. When I was young, 10 or 11, I used to bat really fast and hit a lot of boundaries, a lot of sixes. But as I got older, I started to buckle down. I always understood my strengths and weaknesses from a young age. I still knew what I was good at aggressively and not going for other things. But as I developed, I understood playing the longer format.I remember there was an intermediate game back home. I got out playing a bad shot, looking for something that wasn’t there. The next week – because it plays on weekends – two of the guys scored a double and a 180. From there I decided I’ve really got to buckle down. The next game I made a double.That was an example of taking your time and waiting for your strengths. You know your weaknesses, you don’t go too hard at them. And that stood with me throughout my career. Playing for West Indies, it’s always my job, and I knew once I could bat at least two sessions as opener, it will only benefit the team.Brathwaite captained West Indies in 39 Tests, winning ten, including famous victories in Chattogram, Brisbane and Multan•AFP/Getty ImagesDo you think there will be an opportunity for more West Indians to reach 100 Tests?
There’s a lot of talk about it in recent years. At the end of the day, we need all the teams; we need South Africa, they’ve just won the Test Championship, we need West Indies. I think eventually we’ll get to ten-plus Tests in a year, hopefully. Right now, we’re averaging probably between six to eight a year. So, obviously, that would take a younger guy playing for a number of years to get up to 100. But I do believe that in time we will get more games. I can see it happening. I think there’s a lot of youngsters that are spurred to want to play for West Indies.Is there one opener you’ve especially enjoyed batting with?
I’ve enjoyed batting with them all, because I’ve batted with a number of openers, but John Campbell. For me, the bond is quite special because we played from Under-15, then to U-19s and senior cricket. So that one will always remain. We have good camaraderie.Having not played any T20s in this era does stand out. How has that played out? Would you still like to play?
To say I still want to play, it’s pretty foreign. But it’s something I wanted to do. I played a few 50-over games [for West Indies] but I missed a few regional tournaments in the Caribbean, so I was never really able to put my case to get back in the one-day team. Not being able to play 50-overs, it’s pretty tough to play T20s. It’s just how it went. I’d have loved to have played T20, it just didn’t work out. But you never know, there’s a lot of leagues about.If you had advice for a next-generation batter who has that dream of 100 Tests, what would it be?
Dream big first. Set your goals from a young age. Obviously that inward belief in yourself is very important. And then you’ve got to be disciplined, you’ve got to work hard. Things won’t always be easy. It’s a long process, a long journey playing red-ball cricket.But the main thing is, regardless of success or failure, do your routine. Whatever it is, in terms of running, gym, hard work at home, after a series, you don’t ever stop it. You do well, you’ve had a purple patch, a great year, you don’t sit back on your laurels and think that, okay, I’m done working, I’ve received or retained a contract and I’m happy. To be able to do it year-in, year-out through all the success and failure – because there’s way more failure than success, especially in red-ball cricket. But it’s about believing and dreaming it because you can do anything you put your mind to.

Big chases bring all the drama and here is a list of five from the IPL that had almost everything

ESPNcricinfo staff27-May-2025Jonny Bairstow made an unbeaten 108 in a chase of 262•BCCIPunjab Kings 262 for 2
In a season where run-scoring and six-hitting scaled new heights, this clash raised the bar for T20 cricket. The match featured a record 42 sixes and produced the highest successful chase in the format – 262. KKR’s 261 for 6 was powered by a 138-run opening stand between Sunil Narine and Phil Salt, with the middle order adding the finishing touches. In reply, Prabhsimran Singh provided the early thrust before Jonny Bairstow’s fiery hundred and Shashank Singh’s 28-ball 68 sealed the mighty chase with eight balls to spare.Sunrisers Hyderabad 247 for 2
It was Abhishek’s night in Hyderabad. A stroke of luck came early when he was caught on 28, but it turned out to be off a no-ball. Most times, when he hit the ball in the air, it either disappeared into the stands or dropped safely in no man’s land. Occasionally, as is the case when playing such high-risk innings, the ball went in the general direction of a fielder but PBKS weren’t able to hold onto their catches. Abhishek dismantled PBKS’ bowling attack with audacious ease. He stormed to his maiden IPL century in just 40 balls and went on record the highest individual score (141 off 55 balls) by an Indian in IPL history. Head played the perfect supporting act, hammering 66 off 37 in a dominant 171-run opening stand.Jitesh Sharma and Mayank Agarwal stitched a match-winning 107 in just 45 balls•Associated PressRoyal Challengers Bengaluru 230 for 4
The night seemed to belong to Rishabh Pant. His blazing 118, off just 61 balls, meant that RCB had to gun down 228 to earn a spot in Qualifier 1 against Punjab Kings. RCB began well, with Kohli and Phil Salt adding 61 inside six overs, but three quick wickets tilted the advantage LSG’s way. Kohli raised a fine half-century, but his dismissal in the 12th over left RCB with 105 runs still to get from just 52 balls. Enter Mayank and Jitesh. While Mayank’s 23-ball 41 was impressive on its own, Jitesh seemed to batting in a different dimension altogether, blasting 85 off 33 balls, with eight fours and six sixes. Will O’Rourke, in particular, came in for some heavy punishment, conceding 74 from his four overs – the third-most expensive spell in IPL history.The game wasn’t without drama from other corners. Jitesh looked to be out at the start of the 17th over, but a back-foot no ball from Digvesh Rathi handed the batter a reprieve. A few moments later, Rathi, before delivering the ball, clipped the stumps at the bowler’s end with Jitesh well sort of his crease. However, the wicket was not given because the umpire deemed that Rathi had completed his delivery stride before he removed the stumps. Pant also asked for the appeal to be withdrawn. In the end, RCB were not to be denied, as Jitesh himself sealed it with a six to send every Bengaluru fan into delirium.Rahul Tewatia was the centre of attention after his spectacular innings against Kings XI in IPL 2020•BCCIRajasthan Royals 226 for 6
With Rajasthan Royals (RR) needing 51 off the final three overs, Rahul Tewatia’s 17 off 23 balls was turning into a disastrous promotion to No. 4. But what followed was one of the most dramatic turnarounds in IPL history. Tewatia smashed five sixes off Sheldon Cottrell’s over. He and Jofra Archer added three more sixes, and a four, in the next nine balls. RR chased down 224 – the highest IPL chase at the time – with three balls to spare. Earlier, Sanju Samson’s 85 off 42 had kept them in the hunt against PBKS.Jos Buttler pulled off a great one-man rescue act for Rajasthan Royals last year•BCCIRajasthan Royals 224 for 8
The standout performer of KKR’s title-winning campaign, Sunil Narine, smashed his maiden T20 century to lift his side to 223 for 6 and then struck with the ball too. With 103 to defend off 46 balls and four wickets remaining for RR, KKR were cruising. But Jos Buttler had other plans. With a strapped-up hamstring that kept him out of the previous game, Buttler single-handedly turned the chase on its head – scoring 70 of the remaining runs, retaining strike for the final 18 balls, and completing the win with five sixes and six fours.The Pandya brothers run to congratulate Kieron Pollard on taking Mumbai home in a chase of 219•BCCI/IPLMumbai Indians 219 for 6
This was one of those chases that cemented Kieron Pollard’s status as Mumbai Indians (MI) saviour. Ambati Rayudu’s blazing 72 off 27 balls had powered CSK to 218 for 4. MI came out swinging in the powerplay but stumbled with three quick wickets. MI needed 125 off the last eight overs with Pollard batting on 2 off 4. Then the tide started turning – he hit three sixes off Ravindra Jadeja, followed by a barrage against the quicks. Cameos from the Pandya brothers helped bring it down to 16 off the final over. Pollard kept strike throughout and sealed the win off the last ball with a nervy, match-winning double.

England have the edge as rematch of 2017 and 2022 knock-outs looms on Wednesday

Vishal Dikshit28-Oct-20252:30

Wolvaardt: ‘Have a really good chance of winning if we stay calm’

The stark similarity between the two captains’ press conferences, before the England versus South Africa semi-final, was what preceded them. Out came a slender, black bottle of spray from a corner and it headed straight for the captain’s chair. The right index finger of the lady holding it came down at the top and sprayed it all over the chair, covered in a black cloth, with a long hissing sound. She did it twice, indiscriminately in the same manner, for the same duration, and with the same dedication.There was a deep sense of faith residing in that mosquito repellent, as it dampened the black cloth only a few minutes before each press conference; that it would do the job as soon as it was asked, not unlike the expectations the captains demand of their players, whether with bat or ball in a pressure situation, especially like a semi-final.Laura Wolvaardt arrived first. The first question thrown at her was about the one-sided rivalry between England and South Africa in ODIs – which stands at 36-10 – and especially England not letting South Africa go past the semi-finals in the last two editions, in 2022 and 2017.”I think if we just keep playing the way that we have, we’ll have a really good shot at winning tomorrow,” Wolvaardt said ever so softly, moving the bare minimum muscles on her face, almost weighed down by the occasion and the expectations. “I think we want to win tomorrow. So do they. It’s a semi-final, anything can happen. So, I think that if we just play our best cricket, it’ll be a really good game of cricket.”Wolvaardt even spoke of the opposition, while being that extra bit careful about not promising anything on her team’s behalf. The possible outcomes she presented were also carefully prefaced by “if”.Related

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Wolvaardt had been in both those semi-final defeats. She witnessed from close quarters the tears of Dane van Niekerk in 2017, as she and her inconsolable team-mates sat around on the field after the two-wicket loss, with the fiery Marizanne Kapp burying her head in her hands. Five years later, Wolvaardt lasted just two balls for a duck after being South Africa’s leading scorer in the league stage, and they crumbled for 156 in a tall chase, admitting later that they didn’t put their best foot forward when it mattered.Last year Wolvaardt took over the captaincy in full-time capacity, led South Africa to the final of the T20 World Cup, even going past the mighty Australians in the semi-final. On that occasion, however, her team floundered at the final frontier, to New Zealand, who were not even among the favourites to win the title. It was perhaps the occasion that got to them again; Kapp in tears at the national anthem even before the match had begun while Wolvaardt tried to keep everyone calm. Again, Wolvaardt saw her team-mates shedding tears and even saw her parents “more sad” than her, in her own words.Wolvaardt didn’t want to get ahead of herself this time.”I think, for me, tomorrow it’ll just be about keeping everyone as calm as possible,” she said on Tuesday. “I think the calmest team out there will most likely win. I think 50 overs is a very long time and it’s very easy to let the pressure of a semi-final get to you. But I think it’s still just a game of cricket and there’ll be ups and downs within the game, and I think the team that rides those waves the best throughout the 100-over game will come out on top. [It’s about] keeping everyone calm. Obviously we’ll have our plans in place, so trying to stick to those as best as we can. I think we’re really well prepared as a group, so just trusting and believing in that preparation that we’ve done as well.”Wolvaardt’s entire press conference was done in under six minutes. About an hour later came her counterpart Nat Sciver-Brunt, who looked as different as she possibly could from Wolvaardt. Sciver-Brunt first peeked into the room while holding the door ajar, quickly checking if things were in order and it was time for her to arrive. Once she sat on the assigned chair on the podium, she joked around with her media manager, expressed surprise at the mic booming her voice around the room as if it was not supposed to, and then looked completely at ease once the questions started.”I’m excited for tomorrow, I guess,” she started off by saying. “I’m massively excited to be in the knockout stages of this World Cup and, yeah, really excited to take on the game tomorrow.”Like Wolvaardt, Sciver-Brunt was also quickly reminded of how these two teams had started against each other in this World Cup when South Africa had imploded for 69.”That was obviously a long time ago in the tournament, and since then we’ve played a lot of games. But, yeah, South Africa obviously have had some brilliant games since then and are a dangerous side.”It was as if England were showing more faith in South Africa than South Africa were in themselves.”See, that game was pretty crazy,” Sciver-Brunt said. “Obviously a brilliant start from our side in this competition. But not what we would have expected from South Africa.”In her 14-minute long press conference – also because there were a lot more questions – Sciver-Brunt looked seemingly unfazed by the pressure or the magnitude of the occasion. She soon joined her team-mates at the nets where the experienced head coach Charlotte Edwards had started the drills, the music was blaring on the team’s Bluetooth speaker on the extreme left, and the mood appeared a bit more cheery than when South Africa trained there.Will they make it three out of three in semi-finals against South Africa or will South Africa see that third time’s the charm?

The most-capped player in women’s cricket and former New Zealand captain wouldn’t mind adding an ODI World Cup to her trophy cabinet, though

Interview by Vishal Dikshit19-Sep-2025At age 38, former New Zealand captain Suzie Bates is closing in on 20 years of international cricket and her 14th World Cup across formats. She spoke to us about keeping herself fit physically and mentally, her love for the game from since when she was a teenager, the growth of the women’s game, why she gave up captaincy, her aspirations of making a Test debut, and more.You were playing for Durham recently, where you scored 163 against Somerset. You were their first overseas player. What kind of space and confidence levels are you in right now heading into the ODI World Cup?
Yeah, it couldn’t have gone better, leading into a 50-over World Cup campaign. We finished against Australia in March and had no international cricket scheduled in the calendar. I was interested in playing over in England. Then Durham came calling and I committed to a big chunk of their season. I knew there were eight one-dayers in the first month, which hit the body pretty hard, but to be able to play that volume of cricket and just to a really good standard. Most of the English players were playing those one-dayers to start with. [I] loved my time up there. It was just a really refreshing experience. When you play cricket for a long time, to go into a new environment like that and fully immerse yourself in the club and with the people – it couldn’t have gone better. I think I was there 15 weeks and played about 24 games of cricket, so great preparation leading into India.Related

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You’ve been to India several times. You’ve said in the past you love touring the country. Your international debut was against India. In the 2013 World Cup here, you were the Player of the Tournament. You’ve also scored two centuries in India. How are you feeling about the conditions and the format, and the fact that you’re visiting India again?
I just have such fond memories of touring India, and as a cricketer, going to India is almost like the pinnacle and the biggest test for a female player, with conditions being so foreign, the temperature, just different culture for a New Zealand player. It’s something I really look forward to.I actually started my career with a tour in Chennai back in, I think it was 2007, for a quad series and maybe back then we were allowed to get out a little bit more. There was a bit less security and [to be] able to just explore places that you’d never been to and the different food and all those types of things I loved as a 19-year-old. We went to Ahmedabad after the [2024 T20] World Cup but that was a very short, sharp trip and we were pretty exhausted after the World Cup campaign.2:53

“Cricket in India is the pinnacle”

So to go back for a World Cup, it honestly excites me more than anything I’ve done recently. In 2013, we had a great time, and I just love playing there – the way the fans are, the conditions, it just tests every part of you mentally, physically, and when you play well, you really feel like you’ve earned your runs. It’s just really satisfying as a player to succeed over there.You’re closing in on nearly 20 years of international cricket, with nine T20 World Cups and a fifth ODI World Cup coming up. Longevity in any sport doesn’t come easily. How have you had to take care of yourself physically? How have you had to keep up with the changing times and the evolution of the game in the last ten years or so?
The fact that it’s five 50-over World Cups – when I say that out loud, pretty unbelievable. After a disappointing World Cup in 2017 when I led the side in England and we didn’t make the top four, and I sort of stepped away from captaincy, I was thinking I was near the end at that time. ()But we had a home World Cup [coming up in 2022], and I thought: I do want to be a part of that. Then I got injured and Covid hit, but I thought that home World Cup was going to be my last push at a 50-over World Cup as well.For me, I think the key is just keeping myself physically fit. I think being injury-free since I did my shoulder [in 2020], being able to play cricket, not miss games, has kept me mentally fit as well.Bates (first from left) has played four ODI World Cups and every Women’s T20 World Cup, lifting the trophy in the last one in 2024•ICC/Getty ImagesIt’s not always been easy and there’s times you wonder if you’re done or not, and how much you have left in the tank. But whenever I’ve had those thoughts, I’ve had a bit of a break. I just have never wanted to not be part of this White Ferns team. I’ve just always had the motivation to want to get up each day and get better, whether that’s with my fitness or my batting in particular, and even working on my bowling has rejuvenated me a little bit.But I think what has probably kept me going is that the game has changed so much – you were in a phase of your career where one-day cricket was the pinnacle, and then 20-over cricket took over and power came into the game, the athleticism. I guess I found it a bit of a challenge to try and keep up with the game and develop in different areas. And that excites me, always trying to get better. So yeah, it’s been a journey and it’s unrecognisable now where the game’s at to where it was even in 2013 at that 50-over World Cup.I just feel really grateful that my body, my mind, my game has allowed me to keep playing at this level for that long. I’m pretty sure this one will be my last 50-over World Cup (). But as I said, I thought the last two might have been, so never say never! But you know, every four years the 50-over World Cup comes around, and that’s what excites me, as teams for four years [you] build up to this and then the best team wins and everyone plays everyone.You’re the leading run-scorer in T20Is, third on the list in ODIs, and you’re just two ODI centuries away from joining Meg Lanning at the top for most hundreds. How has being a prolific run-scorer changed for you over the years across formats and conditions to keep up with the evolution of the game?
I feel like I’ve sort of had different phases of my career. When I started I was so young and naïve, and I was given a role at the top of the order to just go out and play my natural game and that meant a little bit of inconsistency. Sometimes it came off, but then I got to a point that I didn’t want to be inconsistent anymore. I wanted to be a consistent run-scorer at the top of the order and it was through mainly 50-over cricket [that] we got our opportunity. So I really worked on my game and being able to bat for long periods of time and still score runs, but tactically just being a bit smarter.And then 20-over cricket came on board and I probably just went out there and swung the arms a little bit initially, and then, you know, the game changed and strike rates became really important. When I first started, you could get 50 off 50 and still put your team in a winning position, whereas I think now a 140-150 strike rate is the key to a top-order batter. That’s been a challenge, to bring that power game in and be willing to get out at times, and not fear getting out to take the game on.2:00

“Women, like men, can now make a career out of cricket”

So I’ve tried to go along with the game as it’s progressed and watched other players around me and how they’ve been successful and gone about it. I’ve had to change, I’ve had to dig deep and figure out what my 20-over game looks like and what my 50-over game looks like, and there’s been runs of form and runs of not scoring and starting to doubt what you’re doing and then being able to figure it out again.Yeah, it’s just the whole roller-coaster ride of cricket and trying to stay consistent with how you prepare and how you train – that’s all I’ve tried to do. And when you do that, the runs tend to come back eventually and then you make the most of them.There’s one shot I want to ask you about specifically: when you shuffle around the crease and play the ball behind square. Is that something you started trying out on your own in the nets or did a coach or team-mate suggest it? We hardly see anyone else play it.
In my head when I’m playing it, it’s just like a lap. () But when it comes out on the field, I don’t know what you’d call it – it’s like a jump right across, get front-on. That’s not how I think it is in my head! But I guess it came a bit like [how] Brendon McCullum played a scoop.Yeah, just accessing different areas of the ground, and I think everyone set straight fields for me, so initially [that helped to] play that shot. But I don’t practise it in the nets. It’s like if the field is set and I know there’s pace on the ball, it comes out and it’s almost not how I intend to play it, but that’s how my body gets in that position. I’m just thinking about hitting the ball there and that’s what comes out.You’re also not too far away from 200 ODIs. Is that on your list?
No, I feel like there’s no milestones on my list anymore. I hear other players talk about [it], but as you get older and you know you’re near the end, you honestly do go into every game wanting to contribute to a win, and it’s as simple as that. So if I’m scoring runs at a decent clip and that’s putting our team in a winning position, it doesn’t matter what I’ve done previously or what I’m going to do in the future. That’s all I tend to focus on and those things [milestones] sort of happen.But I know when I do finally hang the spikes up and put my bat away in the cupboard, which will be a sad day, I’ll look back and be really proud of my ability to keep going at this level. Winning the World Cup was the only thing I really cared about, and we managed to do that with the 20-over World Cup. But to get a 20-over World Cup and a 50-over World Cup before I retire would just be the absolute best. I’d sleep very peacefully after that.Bates captained New Zealand for from 2011 to 2018, then stepped away to focus on her game: “You get involved in the politics of the sport, which is not really your scope”•ESPNcricinfo LtdYou played basketball in the 2008 Olympics and now cricket is going to be part of the 2028 Olympics. Are you thinking of having another shot at an Olympic medal 20 years later?
When I heard cricket was going to the Olympics, it excited me, but more for the game and more for younger players in New Zealand. My experience as a 19-year-old athlete from Dunedin growing up wanting to play sport and watching the Olympics, to go to that [2008 Olympics], I remember how inspired I was by all the athletes around me. I just wanted to be an athlete. It didn’t matter what it was. I found that environment so special. We got a little bit of a taste of it as cricketers at the Commonwealth Games. So yeah, it’s a huge step for cricket if I get that opportunity because it’s one of the greatest events you can go to as an athlete. Maybe I’ll be there in a different capacity, but whatever happens, it would just be a great thing for the White Ferns and for cricket.A day before the T20 World Cup final last year you said how proud you were of breaking down barriers in the game by playing in the mid-30s as a female cricketer. There are quite a few in that age group for this ODI World Cup – Alyssa Healy, Chamari Athapaththu, Harmanpreet Kaur, all around 35-36, and Ellyse Perry is getting there as well. What do you think this means for the game, for young girls watching?
I guess it shows where the game is at professionally. I remember growing up in the White Ferns and watching players at 27-28 probably in their prime having to retire because they couldn’t financially justify carrying on with what was almost a hobby. And if you had a mortgage or a family or other things, it just wasn’t financially stable enough to carry on. It wasn’t necessarily by choice that they stopped playing. What makes me so happy and so proud is that players now – like the men – can make a career from it for as long as they want to. And if they are physically healthy, and mentally motivated to play, they can have a 20-year career, which wasn’t a possibility ten years ago.If players want to have families and come back and play, there’s all that support around that. There’s just different options for young females growing up. It was a bit of a battle for some of us, but the ones that are still playing are fortunate enough. Now it’s their job, so they can still do it.I reckon I was just on the edge of becoming professional when I was at an age where I might have had to step away, so just so grateful and lucky that I’ve been born in this generation. It is really cool to see someone like Ellyse Perry, Chamari Athapaththu… We’ve watched the game grow globally, we’ve played against each other, we’ve played on the same team at FairBreak [Invitational T20], at Sydney Sixers [in the WBBL]. Yeah, those players have been through that whole journey, and you’ve watched how their games evolved. And as much as they are competitors, you’re proud of how they’ve gone about their game as well because they’ve been inspirational in their countries and now young girls know that they can do it for as long as they like.Do you think the way you love the game has changed over all these years – like when you were as a teenager, then the captain, now a senior player having won the T20 World Cup?
Yeah, it’s like my game that’s gone through phases as well. I think when I was 18, making my debut in Lincoln against India, I just thought I was in the greatest team in the greatest place in the world, playing international cricket. I just went out there and thought: this is the greatest sport, like the greatest level of cricket that I can play, and I just absolutely loved it.1:10

“Not getting a WPL deal was one of the most disappointing things, personally”

And then you get expectations of yourself as you get older, of wanting to contribute more and be consistent, so you’re a bit harder on yourself. Then I became captain. You get involved in all the off-field [decisions] – you probably can take it a bit serious and everything seems so important.I think that, later on in my career, I wasn’t just thinking about my enjoyment of the game, it was: how can we get better every day and how can we do things differently? You get involved in the politics of the sport and what we need to do domestically, which is not really your scope. So the enjoyment probably suffered a little bit.Then I gave up the captaincy and we had Covid and cricket was taken away and you realise how much you missed it. I was also injured and was like, “Oh, I’ve missed cricket so much.” You kind of have a taste of what it’s like without it. Then you get older and you’re near the end and you just want to enjoy it as much as you can because you know you’re going to be a long time retired and you’re going to miss it. So I feel like that joy has always been there, but I’ve probably dug deep at times.But now it’s just all about the joy of playing, because you just get a perspective of life and you realise how lucky you are to be doing what you’re doing. If you’re not having fun, I think that’s when you know to walk away.Before the T20 World Cup began last year, New Zealand lost ten T20Is in a row, and suddenly you weren’t among the favourites. How was that experience – coming into a tournament with that kind of form and then going on to lift the trophy?
It almost freed us up a little bit, because I know as a senior player, and especially with someone like Sophie Devine, we’ve gone to those World Cups with really high expectations because the potential of our side – if we played our best – is high and then we’ve disappointed at those tournaments. So by almost playing so badly in the lead-up and not being able to get a win off England [on the tour there], it was like other people’s expectations were low and they almost freed us up to make some upsets.Bates featured in the 2018 Women’s T20 Challenge exhibition match, and the 2019 edition of that tournament, but is yet to be picked for the WPL•BCCIYou know New Zealanders love being the underdog, and we went into that tournament knowing we had to play India and Australia in our pool and probably had to beat one of them. So that first game [against India] was really important and we started well and the momentum kind of went with us from there. Then the belief grew – we were still underdogs and we kind of took that tag on.And once we started that tournament, I knew we could win it, because I felt like we’d made progress even though we were failing. We were playing the game plan, we stuck with the players that we had, we didn’t make changes, and the coaches were so sure of what they were telling us to do that we didn’t lose confidence. It was just almost like once we won that [India] game, the momentum just grew, the belief grew, little things went our way. It was just an unbelievable experience to go from being in England and sitting in the changing room wondering where the next win was coming [from] to lifting the World Cup and forgetting about that tour completely. Like, it doesn’t matter when you win a World Cup what happens before. So it was really special.You’ve been playing T20 leagues around the world now – the Big Bash and the Hundred, to name a couple. But you haven’t had a chance to play in the WPL yet.
That was probably one of the most disappointing things, personally, because I just feel like I’ve been part of so much of the women’s games, and I was involved in the exhibition games [Women’s T20 Challenge] and being part of the Big Bash for the first time, and the Hundred and all those competitions.I love being around the best players in the world and playing cricket in India and the WPL was just something that all the players were so excited about. So yeah, you were gutted to not be a part of that, and obviously the first three years players were retained. But it’s something I still would absolutely love to do before I retire.It is just so amazing to see the game grow in India and it’s a little bit daunting for the future for countries like New Zealand, when you see the number of players and the resources, and just playing in those atmospheres and under that amount of pressure that it’s gonna put them in good stead for the future. But yeah, I love watching and following it. India is a special place for a cricketer, so you always want to be a part of those big tournaments.Last year Bates surpassed Mithali Raj as the most-capped player in women’s cricket, and now has nearly 350 internationals under her belt•ICC/Getty ImagesI have to ask you about Test cricket as well because ten years ago in Bengaluru, you had said that you felt a bit cheated that you had not played a Test at that time. New Zealand have not played a Test match since 2004. How do you feel about that now?
I’m envious. I’ve said this in another interview that I watch the [Women’s] Ashes and even when I watch men’s Test cricket and they talk about it being the toughest game – [that] it tests your skills, it tests you mentally, it tests you physically. As an athlete and a sportsperson, I want to be tested. So when there are women’s Test matches on, you’re like, “Oh I wonder what I’d do in this situation or how I’d go about it.” And to not have that opportunity when others are playing it – you do want to experience it.I understand the decisions and the politics of it at times, but as a player I’d love to have a taste of how I would handle that mentally and physically. If it happens and I’m still playing, I will be over the moon. I do think for the future of the game – I think Virat Kohli’s talked about it – that is still where you learn the most about the game and where you are tested. If a young New Zealand player gets to play a four- or five-day Test match in India, in those conditions, with the ball turning, the amount of learning compared to a 20-over game… you just can’t compare. So I think there’s space for it, but those decisions aren’t up to me.You’ve spoken in the past about how you don’t give much verbal advice to youngsters. You prefer to let your game do the talking on the field. But as far as longevity and staying fit and being successful and achieving excellence is concerned, what kind of advice do you have for youngsters?
Yeah, I do find that difficult [to give advice to youngsters] because everyone’s on their own journey and everyone’s motivated differently, and I think I was inspired by watching people’s actions, not what they said.I guess if I wanted to give these young girls advice, it’d be like: work as hard as you can to make the most of this opportunity. They have the world at their feet in terms of [things] like financial support. We have three full-time coaches for the first time as the White Ferns. They have everything available to them if they wanted to get better.And it’s not saying “back in my day”, but you had to go looking for it [back then] and there were barriers and there wasn’t financial support. If you want to play for 20 years, there is every opportunity to do that and if you love the game and you want to see how much you can get out of yourself, then work hard every single day to get better when you’re at training. Yes, have breaks because that’s really important too, because now it’s a job, but don’t leave any stone unturned. I could say now if I stop tomorrow, I gave everything I had to my game. Yes, I made mistakes, and yes, I would maybe have done some things differently, but I gave what I had at that time to be as good as I could be and for as long as I could, so I don’t have any regrets.

Pakistan have the upper hand but the SA left-arm spinner has prevented them from making the most of it

Danyal Rasool14-Oct-2025When running late, there is always an instinct to rush, even if you cannot possibly make it to your destination on time. You might skip a long shower or an elaborate breakfast, or flirt with the top end of a speed limit on the way. There are wins to be had along the way, small gains that make no difference to the final outcome. But they’re worth pursuing anyway.And South Africa woke up late. Part of it, like the flip of the coin on Sunday morning, they could do as little about as if someone had turned off their alarm and drawn the curtains tighter to induce further sleep. But when Pakistan got the best of the batting conditions, South Africa’s spinners took over a session to find their lines, allowing Imam-ul-Haq and Shan Masood to gain an early, and what felt like a decisive, upper hand.It did not stop South Africa from scrambling to make up ground, even if the inherent disadvantage of batting last meant they were invariably treading water. That knotty sense of hopelessness was at its zenith at tea on Tuesday, a full two days after Imam and Masood pulled clear. But every time Pakistan’s position has veered into unassailability, Senuran Muthusamy has stood stubbornly in the way.Related

• Azhar Mahmood blames shot selection for Pakistan's collapse

• Noman puts Pakistan in driver's seat on 16-wicket day

Muthusamy has made a life out of ensuring innate disadvantages do not prove insurmountable. Growing up in South Africa as a specialist red-ball spinner around the same time as Keshav Maharaj is an accident of birth not conducive to a long Test career. Muthusamy made his first-class debut in 2013, and only got a shot at international cricket when South Africa toured India six years later. His Test match journey reads like a destination list even off-the-beat travel brochures would find too unusual to suggest: Visakhapatnam, Pune, Centurion, Chattogram, Bulawayo and now Lahore.With Pakistan 199 for 2 on Sunday afternoon, yet another one of those rare opportunities for impact appeared to have passed him by, but Muthusamy kept going. He spent the rest of the game showing everyone the value of a scrap to stay alive. Off the final two balls before tea that day, South Africa began to tug Pakistan back, and have held them in place in this uneasy stalemate. The hosts have the higher ground, but remain acutely aware that it is treacherous. Muthusamy accounted for 11 of the next 18 Pakistan wickets that fell, doubling his career Test haul over the past three days.On Tuesday, Masood’s men looked to make amends for leaving the door open. Abdullah Shafique scratched his way to 41, his highest Test score in over a year, and Babar Azam (42) and Saud Shakeel (38) both contributed with similar scores to swell Pakistan’s lead to 259 with six wickets still in the bag. Pakistan’s sense of comfort was illustrated by Shakeel – perhaps the team’s most conservative batter – stepping outside his crease to swipe Muthusamy over midwicket. He found the assured hands of Tristan Stubbs on the boundary, and South Africa began to claw their way back into plausibility once more.Shan Masood and Imam-ul-Haq had laid Pakistan’s groundwork on the first day in Lahore•AFP/Getty ImagesIt took a remarkable implosion from Pakistan, who lost their last six for 17 runs, to keep South Africa in contention. Muthusamy and Simon Harmer held their lines and nerve as the batters appeared to lose theirs; this was the third-steepest six-wicket collapse for Pakistan in a decade. By the time it was done, Muthusamy’s figures were the third-best in Gaddafi Stadium history, behind only Imran Khan and Abdul Qadir.By stumps, Ryan Rickelton and Tony de Zorzi were holding Pakistan at bay. The pair have complemented the tenacity of their spinners; it seems a long time ago but just this morning, de Zorzi had lifted Noman Ali over his head for six before bringing up the game’s only century off Pakistan’s most valuable spinner. Rickelton and de Zorzi have been responsible for exactly two-thirds of the runs South Africa have scored this Test, and will need to crank it up to an even more unlikely percentage if they are to fetch the remaining 226 to pull off a supremely unlikely heist.”A partnership on a wicket like this is gold,” de Zorzi said after play. “It’s tough to start and for a new guy to get rhythm. The beginning is the toughest but hopefully we can build a partnership and crack on.”Any reading of recent – or ancient – history suggests it remains an uphill challenge. Only one of the previous three completed Test matches in Lahore have resulted in a win for the chasing side, and never has a total anywhere near this magnitude been brought down. The advantage Pakistan built up by calling correctly at the toss and the three hours that followed still holds firm, but South Africa have refused to allow the hosts to stretch it further.At the end of the day, the PCB’s in-house website, in its report for the day, cautiously noted the game was “hanging in the balance”. This was around the same time as de Zorzi was beginning to talk up his side’s chances.”Ricks and I keep each other present,” he said. “We take it one ball at a time and remind each other of our options. The guys coming in are just as able, if not more talented. Hopefully they won’t [need to] but anyone in there, if they build a partnership, it’s on.”They may have woken up late, but Muthusamy and de Zorzi have ensured Pakistan are still on their toes three days after they were supposed to have pulled away.

When the draw for the first ever league phase of the Women's Champions League was made back in September, there were a lot of ties that caught the eye. From the repeat of last year's semi-final between eventual champions Arsenal and eight-time winners Lyon, to the return of Mary Earps to Old Trafford as her current side, Paris Saint-Germain, faced former club Manchester United, it was a draw that certainly did not disappoint. But no fixture drew the attention quite like that which will take place on Thursday at Stamford Bridge, between Chelsea and Barcelona.

These two have met plenty in recent years. After facing off in the Champions League final back in 2021, the pair have, quite incredibly, clashed in the semi-finals in three of the four seasons since. However, despite those regular meetings at the top level, it's hard to call it a rivalry because of how much Barca have dominated the head-to-head, losing just one of those seven matches.

Some Chelsea fans will have been dismayed by this draw, then. On the other hand, some will have been excited by the chance to have another go at the Catalans. What has unfolded since the fixtures were confirmed, too, will have given the Blues even more confidence going into this game, with there perhaps no better time for the champions of England to get another win over a team that has had their number unlike any other foe in recent years.

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  One-sided

  On the face of it, the head-to-head between these two is insanely one-sided given how good this Chelsea team has been in the last five years especially. In seven meetings, Barcelona have emerged with five wins, one draw and one defeat, scoring 16 goals to the Blues' four. Sometimes, those sorts of numbers don't tell the full story and you have to look beyond them to find out more. Delve deeper, though, and it reflects even more positively on Barca.

  In the last two seasons, when they've met in the semi-finals, Chelsea have had the perceived advantage of hosting the second leg of those ties. In the 2023-24 campaign, the Blues managed to emerge victorious in Catalunya, too, with a historic 1-0 scoreline giving them their first, and thus far only, win in this fixture. Yet, that never seems to bother Barca. Every time, they rise to the occasion and get the result they need, winning on all three of their visits to Stamford Bridge.

  That they inflicted a whopping 8-2 aggregate defeat on the English champions last season felt particularly damning too, given this Chelsea team did not lose a domestic fixture all year and had spent the summer recruiting those with the knowledge of how to get over the line in the Champions League, most notably in head coach Sonia Bompastor, who guided Lyon to victory over Barca in the 2021-22 final.

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  Financial woes finally hit

  So, why would this year be any different for Chelsea? Well, for a start, Barca's squad this season is as weak as it has been for a long time, relative to the high bar that has been set in Catalunya and when compared to other giants across Europe. That's a shame, too, because it is due to factors largely out of the control of the women's team, and certainly the players.

  Barca's financial woes have been well-documented for some time on the men's side, where concerns around player registration and meeting Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules are not new. However, the impact of that on the club has finally made its way to the women's team, with Barca able to call upon just 18 senior players at the start of the 2025-26 season. Compare that to Chelsea's 27, Bayern Munich's 24, Arsenal's 23, Lyon's 22 or even the 20 of Manchester United, who are making their debut in the Women's Champions League proper this term.

  It must be said that, in terms of a starting XI, Barca arguably still have the very best in Europe, if not the world. Their 7-1 thrashing of Bayern to open up their Champions League campaign provided perfect evidence for that claim. But when it comes to depth, as they again look to challenge on four fronts, they're way off many of the continent's biggest clubs and, as such, their bench is nowhere near as stacked as usual. That has already made an unwanted impact, with Barca suffering their earliest Liga F defeat in 11 years last month.

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  Untimely injuries

  The last thing Barca need, then, is injuries. Yet, coming into this clash with Chelsea, they're dealing with some key ones. Patri Guijarro, arguably the best holding midfielder on the planet, is out until the New Year with a stress fracture in her right foot; Salma Paralluelo, the exciting young forward, could also be sidelined until after the winter break due to a knee injury; while Ewa Pajor, who scored more than 50 goals for club and country last term, has only just returned from her own injury, though she marked her comeback with a brace against Real Madrid on Saturday.

  We're talking about some of the best players in the world here, too, the kind which would be tough enough to replace even if Barca had a little more depth at their disposal. But they're having to rely more on younger players, who are talented but inexperienced in these big situations, in order to cope with these losses while also, at times, having to rejig the line-up to deploy players in unnatural and different positions. It's not the perfect situation, at all.

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  Perfect setting and situation

  That will all be music to the ears of Chelsea. This is a huge opportunity for the Blues to get one over Barca given their personnel situation, but also because this is a one-legged affair, rather than the two-legged ties Barca have risen to the occasion in previously, and it's at home.

  Of course, the Catalans have a great record away at Chelsea and they've beaten them in the only other one-legged match the two have played, in that 2020-21 Champions League final. But if the Blues could pick the perfect situation to play this match in it would absolutely be at home and it would be in a single match, given they have got results against Barca on their day before, but never across two legs.

Arguably one of the best sights in football is seeing a world-class winger in full flow. Whether it be through speed or skill, there are plenty of top-quality wide men in today’s game, including 2025 Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele.

In the past, we have been graced with the brilliant skills of Ronaldinho and crossing ability of David Beckham, but who is the best winger in football today?

Ranking factors

To help rank the wingers in order, we have considered the following criteria:

• Current form – how well a player has been performing
• Importance to their teams – how influential they are to their team
• Role – how unique their skillset is
• Reputation – what others are saying about them

15

Rafael Leao

AC Milan and Portugal

One of the fastest wingers around in the game today is AC Milan star Rafael Leao, who has been called one of the players Ronaldinho most enjoys watching.

Tammy Abraham has even said that Leao “has no idea how good he is”, and he has wowed on the left wing, contributing with double figures for goals and assists in 2024/25.

14

Rodrygo

Real Madrid and Brazil

With Real Madrid’s squad filled with world-class stars such as Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo is sometimes forgotten about in Spain.

However, Jude Bellingham labelled Rodrygo as “the most gifted player in the squad” and a “pleasure to play with”, so he must be doing something right at the Bernabeu. Neymar is also a big fan of his fellow countryman, calling him a “joke” in 2025.

13

Luis Diaz

Bayern Munich and Colombia

Luis Diaz has both the speed and the skill to leave defenders for dead and is already catching the eye at new side Bayern Munich.

Diaz, who left Liverpool in 2025, won his first Premier League title before leaving Anfield, and, according to Danny Murphy, has “gone under the radar”. His defensive work ethic has also been praised, and in the final third, he can come up with something special out of nothing.

12

Nico Williams

Athletic Club and Spain

After coming through the Athletic Club academy, Nico Williams has made a huge impact in La Liga and with Spain and is now regarded as one of the top left-wingers around. At the age of 23, Williams looks destined to move from Bilbao at some point, but did sign a new contract in 2025.

Jose Mourinho has even revealed that he prefers Williams to Barcelona star Lamine Yamal, calling the Athletic Club star “unique” and “wonderful” – high praise from an iconic manager.

11

Bradley Barcola

PSG and France

Bradley Barcola arguably goes under the radar slightly at Paris Saint-Germain due to the sheer amount of attacking talent at the Parc des Princes, but the 22-year-old enjoyed his best ever season in 2024/25.

Called “unstoppable” by Luis Enrique, Barcola has hit double figures for Ligue 1 goals and assists for the first time in his career, which has resulted in his Transfermarkt valuation rocketing to €70m.

10

Desire Doue

PSG and France

Another exciting attacking PSG star is Desire Doue, who, on the right-hand side, has been making a name for himself all across the world.

In French, Doue means ‘gifted’, and the teenager has been living up to his name, with some even calling him the next Neymar due to his ability to stand defenders up, slow the play down before going past them with a piece of skill.

9

Mohamed Salah

Liverpool and Egypt

Many would argue that Mohamed Salah would have been top of this list earlier in 2025, however, the Egyptian King has gone off the boil at Anfield in 2025/26.

The Liverpool star extended his Anfield stay and produced record numbers for goals and assists in a 38-game Premier League campaign, winning his second title with the Reds as a result. Arne Slot called Salah “outstanding” recently, but at 33, Salah may well be getting past his prime.

8

Jeremy Doku

Man City and Belgium

Jeremy Doku has been a standout player for Manchester City in 2025/26, terrorising full-backs with his explosive speed, agility and dribbling qualities.

The Belgian’s display in a 3-0 win over Liverpool was unbelievable, and if it wasn’t for a certain Erling Haaland, you could say Doku would be the first name on the teamsheet under Pep Guardiola.

7

Michael Olise

Bayern Munich and France

After swapping Crystal Palace for Bayern Munich in 2024, Michael Olise has taken his game to the next level with the Bundesliga giants, hitting double figures for league goals and assists for the first time in his career in 2024/25.

Olise “could be as good as anyone” and, according to Didier Deschamps, the Bayern star has a “lot of qualities and has progressed a lot”, so he could get even better over the coming years. His Transfermarkt valuation now sits at a career-high €100m.

6

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

PSG and Georgia

After starring for Napoli for over two-and-a-half years, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia sealed a big-money move to PSG in 2025 and is so far proving to be worth the €70m fee.

The two-footed winger can play on either side and has helped PSG to another Ligue 1 title and a Champions League triumph. Kvaratskhelia is not just brilliant in attack, but the Georgia star also does a “titanic defensive job” with a “relentless” attitude in tracking back, something which doesn’t go unnoticed.

Big picture: A potential World Cup final?

It was a false start to the T20I series in Canberra as the rain swept in, but the second match in Melbourne has the makings of a memorable evening with the crowd approaching, or even surpassing, 90,000 as India return to a city where they attracted huge support both in last season’s Test series and the 2022 T20 World Cup. That is, if the weather plays ball. It’s a watching brief on that front.With these two teams likely to be among the favourites for next year’s T20 World Cup, there is a chance they could meet in the final at the only cricket ground bigger than the MCG – the vast Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad where Australia toppled the home side in the 2023 ODI World Cup final. That, of course, is for another day, and there are plenty of things that could get in the way for both sides, so for now it’s about continuing the build towards the tournament.Related

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• Suryakumar finds form before washout in Canberra

• Nitish Kumar Reddy ruled out of first three T20Is against Australia

However, the prospect of close to a full house at the MCG is exciting even for the Australia players. “It’s an experience for the guys who haven’t been there and done it,” said Nathan Ellis, who has yet to play an international at the MCG, which hasn’t hosted a T20I since the final of the last World Cup.”I was just talking [to Marcus Stoinis] about the early days [in the BBL] where the Melbourne Derby would get 90-odd thousand and he was saying how exciting it is and how cool it is, running us through his experiences there. So really excited to play in front of a huge crowd at MCG, it’s an exciting prospect. A few of us have had that one in the calendar for a little bit.”There wasn’t too much to be gleaned from 9.4 overs in Canberra, but India’s top order had made an early statement and they looked set for a hefty total as Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav motored at 10 an over. Not that this Australian side would have been overawed by that, given their own batting power which has shone across the last three series, although India’s spin trio would have been a fascinating challenge to overcome and will likely remain so in Melbourne.

Form guide

Australia WWWLW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
India WWWWWMitchell Marsh and Suryakumar Yadav will try again in Melbourne•Cricket Australia via Getty Images

In the spotlight: Tim David and Varun Chakravarthy

Like Ellis, Tim David has not played an international at the MCG. The one opportunity he has had so far was against England at the 2022 T20 World Cup but the game was abandoned without a ball being bowled. His BBL record at the ground is not too flash with 148 runs in nine innings. The average of 16.44 is his lowest at any venue he has batted more than five times in T20s. However, if there’s ever a moment for that to change, it feels like now. David’s move up the order – initially to No. 5 and now likely No. 4 in this series – has added a new level of dynamism to Australia’s top order and allowed him to shape games over a longer period.Australia’s play against spin has improved, but it still feels like an area they could potentially come unstuck. Varun Chakravarthy is the No. 1 T20I spinner in the world but has yet to send down a ball against this opposition in the format; Canberra was his first match against them, although there have been head-to-heads in the IPL. It will be very interesting if he is used early against Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head. Chakravarthy removed Head when he was threatening a big innings in the Champions Trophy final earlier this year.

Team news: Both teams might be unchanged

This is the last game Josh Hazlewood is available for before he switches to Ashes preparation. Australia could consider rotating in Sean Abbott, who is only around for the first three matches of this series.Australia (probable): 1 Travis Head, 2 Mitchell Marsh (capt), 3 Josh Inglis (wk), 4 Tim David, 5 Mitch Owen, 6 Marcus Stoinis, 7 Josh Philippe, 8 Xavier Bartlett/Sean Abbott, 9 Nathan Ellis, 10 Matt Kuhnemann, 11 Josh HazlewoodGiven the lack of cricket in the first game, an unchanged team could be on the cards for India unless conditions persuade them to play Arshdeep Singh as an extra quick. Nitish Kumar Reddy is out for at least the first three matches of the series.India (probable): 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Tilak Varma, 4 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 5 Sanju Samson (wk), 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Harshit Rana, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Jasprit BumrahJosh Hazlewood will get his Ashes preparations started after this T20I•Getty Images

Pitch and conditions

This will be the first match the MCG has hosted for the season. “I feel like every Big Bash game has been 180-plus [totals] there and you had good value for runs, whilst being a little bit in it for the bowlers,” Ellis said. The bowlers will need to adjust to some different dimensions. “It’s bigger square, shorter straight, [Canberra] was longer straight, shorter square,” he said.Frustratingly, it may be another evening of looking skywards with a chance of showers through the day and a possible thunderstorm. October may not have finished gifting its rain-affected matches just yet.

Stats and trivia

• India have won four of their six T20Is at the MCG.
• Marsh needs four runs to reach 2000 in T20Is; Sanju Samson needs seven for 1000 runs and Tilak Varma needs 38 for 1000.
• Jasprit Bumrah needs four wickets to reach 100 in T20Is.

Quotes

“T20 cricket now, the bowling side of things, you’re going to have a lot more bad days than good days. So [it’s about] being able to not ride the highs and not ride the lows too much, but just learning and trying to do it better the next time you are put in that scenario.”