For the first time this World Cup, South Africa will be playing in Colombo. While this is going to be a fairly significant change in conditions as far as batters are concerned with the pitches at the Khettarama having shown to be tougher to score on, South Africa are banking on the knowledge gained on their recent tour of Sri Lanka to help them manage.”I think now we as a team, we kind of know the players, especially me as a bowler. I know there are ways to bowl, their strengths and their weaknesses,” stated Nonkululeko Mlaba on the eve of their match against Sri Lanka. “So yeah, it was very important for me to actually read and to know the players.”Mlaba is likely going to play a crucial role if South Africa are to come away victorious, with the left-arm spinner having picked up eight wickets across the first four games of the tournament. With those wickets coming in India, she would have been forgiven for being excited by the prospect of bowling on the spin-friendly surfaces in Colombo, however she’s happy to focus on keeping things simple. After Sri Lanka, South Africa will face Pakistan in Colombo on Monday, before moving to Indore to meet Australia.Related

• Rain, redemption and a race for the semis: SL face SA in crucial Colombo clash

“I think it’s my second time playing here. Because we had a tri-series against Sri Lanka and India, and yeah, it’s always good to come back here and hopefully this time around I’ll just do well for the team.”One thing that I normally do best is just sticking to my good lines and lengths, and the rest will take care of itself.”South Africa have faced some tough challenges already across this tournament, most notably in their heavy opening game loss to England. But even in their three wins, they have been forced to work hard for the results.Against India and Bangladesh, it was a strong rearguard that saw home two tricky chases, while it was only against New Zealand where the win was relatively comfortable. Mlaba believes there are no easy games in this tournament”I just feel like each and every team is very hard to play against because we played against Sri Lanka in a tri-series and also played against them at home, and they beat us in a few games.”They definitely have a good team – the spinners, they’re very good. And [Chamari] Athapaththu herself, she’s quality. So as a team we don’t underestimate any team, we just play our own game and try our best to win the game.”One running theme across South Africa’s matches this tournament has been a tendency to allow teams back into the contest from a position of strength, most recently when Bangladesh fought back from 78 for 5 to post a total of 232. Mlaba, however, is not unduly concerned.”That’s obviously part of the game,” she said. “You know we as a team, you start off well and then sometimes you just lack here and there, but then it’s just a matter of trying to bring the team together and just try and focus and do well in that certain period.”I’ve watched a lot of games and a lot of teams, they’ve also been going through the same as us. So, it’s just part of the game, it’s cricket.”

“This is the fourth time in two Tests that we’ve lost wickets lower down the order cheaply. We need to take responsibility.”

Danyal Rasool23-Oct-2025

Pakistan’s head coach was left to bemoan a familiar flaw with the team’s performance, pointing to his side’s first-innings collapse as the turning point in the game. After the Test, which South Africa won by eight wickets, Azhar Mahmood said Pakistan had specifically discussed this at their training camps, and that it was “not acceptable” that this kept happening.”The first innings collapse was where it started,” he said at the post-match press conference. “We lost 5 for 17. We should have posted 400-425 there, which was the position we’d put ourselves in. Agha and Rizwan were building a partnership which we couldn’t utilise.”This is the fourth time in two Tests that we’ve lost wickets lower down the order cheaply. This is not acceptable, and we need to take responsibility. We spoke about this at our two camps. Whenever your top players score 270-300, the contribution from the lower order really matters.”Related

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The only thing more reliable than Pakistan’s late-order collapses this series has been a senior player or coach criticising those collapses. Midway through the first Test, Mahmood was fiercely criticial of Pakistan’s first innings collapse which saw then lose their last 5 for 16, slumping from 362 for 5 to 378. Following the game, captain Shan Masood highlighted the issue once more after Pakistan lost their final six for 17 in the second innings.But forewarned has not proved forearmed. The second Test saw the same issues prop up in each innings. On Thursday, Pakistan began at 94 for 4, but soon crumbled to 105 for 8, losing their final six for 43 to set South Africa up for a straightforward chase.”You also have to give credit to opposition,” Mahmood said. “South Africa were much better than us in this department. We could have taken the lead but credit goes to Muthuswamy, the way he played; his shot selection was perfect. He put on 70 with Maharaj and 98 with Rabada. If you play with a quality team and you give them several chances in a brief period of time, they will punish you. That’s what happened and we allowed them extra runs.”You have to work on your game and know your scoring shots. You can learn from the opposition. Muthuswamy scored primarily from the sweep and reverse sweep. You should know your scoring options. When we went to bat, we started blocking early. If we had rotated the strike and put pressure on them, we could have pushed them off their lengths. The way they did – though of course a low target made it easier. You need mental toughness; international cricket is all about how you cope with pressure.”Shan Masood and Aiden Markram pose with the shared trophy after the series ended in a draw•AFP/Getty Images

It was that innings from Muthuswamy which turned the Test around from one Pakistan controlled to one South Africa ran away with. With South Africa reduced to 235 for 8, 98 shy of Pakistan’s first innings total, it looked like a repeat of the Lahore Test. But Muthuswamy, who finished unbeaten on 88, struck a 70-run stand with Keshav Maharaj, and another 98-run partnership with Kagiso Rabada to give South Africa a 71-run lead.It set Pakistan up for what has now become a familiar phenomenon – the third innings implosion. In several Tests last cycle, Pakistan’s third innings turned Tests which were relatively evenly poised to ones the opposition dominated by crumbling late on, leaving them with innings defeats or straightforward chases for the opposition. That was a feature in each of the three Tests Pakistan lost before their turn to spin wickets – two against Bangladesh and one against England – and it reared its head once more.Mahmood admitted that was a concern, though believed Pakistan’s calendar didn’t help. “It is a concern that we have a poor record in our third and fourth innings. But if you play four Tests in a year and the team only gets together every six months, you don’t have time to work on your game. We last played in January and our next Test is in March. These gaps are too long, and we’ll have to play regular Test matches to cope with these situations.”

And that was not all. West Indies picked up three injuries and had to manufacture an entirely new opening pair

Andrew McGlashan13-Jul-2025

Justin Greaves celebrates dismissing Alex Carey•Associated Press

A lot happened on the opening day at Sabina Park, and not just with the ball – although that certainly did .One of the greatest spinners of all time was left out. Australia lost 7 for 68 under lights. Batters went into T20 mode in the third session of a Test. Jayden Seales bowled a worldie of a delivery. A substitute fielder took a worldie of a catch. West Indies picked up three injuries and had to manufacture an entirely new opening pair.Day-night Tests can have a strange tempo to them in that, for periods, things can move at a sedate pace, as if setting up for that final session under lights before moving at a breakneck speed. Early in the last session, around the time Beau Webster was dismissed shortly after Steven Smith, Australia shelved the idea of batting normally. At one point, it was worth pondering if Pat Cummins may declare, but the lower order kept swinging until West Indies had 45 minutes to face.

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On its own, leaving out a spinner on a well-grassed pitch for a pink-ball Test shouldn’t really scream selection shock. But this spinner has 562 Test wickets. The day before, Cummins had sown the seeds for a selection call that, while having plenty of logic behind it, still came with a lot of significance.About half an hour before the toss, Nathan Lyon was kicking a football on his own. A couple of backroom staff wandered up to him. There was a tap on the shoulder from one. Then Scott Boland took the tape measure and marked out his run-up. For the first time in 12 years, Lyon wasn’t included in the XI when he’s been fit.Related

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He had bowled one over against India last season in the pink-ball Test in Adelaide and wasn’t needed under lights against England in Hobart during the 2021-22 Ashes. But overall, he has been prolific with the pink ball. Australia have got creative with selection on the subcontinent in recent years, but this was still a surprise.”It’s odd not having him out there,” Smith said. “I think most of us have played pretty much every game with him, but conditions are conditions. I think we saw today how much seam was on offer and Scott Boland’s not too bad at that, as we’ve seen on numerous occasions. Obviously, Nathan’s an exceptional bowler, it’s certainly nothing to do with his skill that’s for sure.”

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When debutant Kevlon Anderson spilled Sam Konstas at third slip, you feared if West Indies were going to have another fielding nightmare. By tea – the first interval, not the second, in the world of day-night Tests, although can anyone actually agree on what to call them? – they only had one wicket to show for their efforts but had beaten the bat regularly amid sometimes extravagant seam movement.”I think some of the numbers early on, the seam amounts were through the roof,” Smith said. “They might have bowled just a fraction short. It looks pretty sometimes when the ball misses the bat, but when it’s a little bit shorter, it’s actually going too far to catch the edge on a lot of occasions.”Steven Smith and Co went into T20 mode in the third session of a Test•Associated PressBut early in the middle session, Shai Hope pulled off a spectacular catch to remove Usman Khawaja, flying one-handed towards first slip. It was another around-the-wicket dismissal for Khawaja but it had been a gutsy stay. Hope, meanwhile, had taken a terrific catch in Grenada to remove Travis Head and his return to Test cricket as a wicketkeeper has been very solid.Still, shortly before the dinner interval, Australia were sitting nicely on 129 for 2. Then Seales produced one of the deliveries of the series to remove a well-set Cameron Green: angled into middle from wide of the crease, nipping off the seam, zipping past the edge and trimming the bails. Sometimes you really do get a good one.”The ball did a lot more today than it did throughout the entire series,” Seales said. “There were a lot of plays and misses, and not enticing the edges as we did in the previous matches. But as the movement calmed down and the pitch calmed down a bit, it was easier to get wickets.”

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After dinner, with the lights in full effect, Smith wasn’t going to hang around. He edged one wide of second slip, slashed one over the cordon then nicked a big drive to first. “Throw the kitchen sink at it,” he said when asked about his thinking. “Any width, I was just trying to climb into it. It felt pretty tricky out there and it felt like when the ball was up there and you get a good look at it, have a go at it.”Webster soon fell and it was clear Australia weren’t going to try and see out the day. “We knew that Australia wanted to bowl under the lights, so they would push and see how much they could get,” Seales said.Substitute Anderson Phillip pulled off a stunning catch to dismiss Travis Head•Associated PressWith Head and Alex Carey at the crease, Australia had a pair who could cause damage in a short period of time. Carey, especially, continued to strike the ball crisply. Then Head tried to drive Justin Greaves over extra cover. Off the bat, he appeared to have placed it well enough. But Anderson Phillip, on as one of three substitute fielders, sprinted to his right at mid-off, dived full length, held the catch horizontal to the ground and managed to cling on as he hit the turf. “Great effort, great effort, great catch,” Ian Bishop said on commentary. “It had to be a fast bowler to do it, great athleticism.”

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Left with 45 minutes to bat, neither designated opener could come out for West Indies. Mikyle Louis had jarred his knee in the outfield – his prognosis did not sound promising – and John Campbell took a blow on the chest at short leg from a hard sweep by Smith.It felt like Mitchell Starc, in his 100th Test, could take a wicket nearly every ball. Then he did: Anderson dragging on in what was one of the tougher debut scenarios to imagine. Starc went to 396 Test wickets. Those four more may not be long in coming.Campbell, who had gone to the hospital for a scan, was back at the ground and set to bat No. 3. But it’s understood that he couldn’t get his kit on in time, so it was over to captain Roston Chase. It was that sort of day.

Mhatre’s 65 gave India A a strong start, but they slumped from 90 for no loss to 234 all out to concede a 75-run first-innings lead

Shashank Kishore31-Oct-2025Prenelan Subrayen is, in every sense, a marathon man. How else does one describe a cricketer whose spirit refuses to be dimmed, even after the repeated heartbreak of being reported for a suspect action? Each time he has been forced to rebuild, he has returned with more fire, more resolve, more love for his craft than before.At 32, Subrayen’s career is just two Tests old. Earlier this month in Pakistan, he played the first Test in Lahore, and made way when Keshav Maharaj returned from injury for the second Test in Rawalpindi. Then, last week, he learned of his non-selection for the India tour.Related

• Temba Bavuma named in South Africa A squad for India tour

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But in his first outing since that disappointment, Subrayen reminded everyone of his qualities. On Friday in Bengaluru, he wheeled away tirelessly, bowling 22 overs unchanged to rip through the heart of India A’s batting order and restore South Africa A’s advantage by stumps on Day 2 of the first unofficial Test. From 90 for no loss, India slumped to 234 all out as Subrayen picked up 5 for 61. Having pocketed a 75-run first-innings lead, South Africa A ended the day 30 for no loss.Subrayen’s five scalps included some noted names. He deceived Ayush Mhatre in flight as he advanced, forcing him to chip to midwicket for 65, the highest score of the India A innings. Devdutt Padikkal mistimed a lofted hit to mid-off as he stepped out, and Rajat Patidar was bowled through the gate attempting to drive against the turn.Subrayen employed as many as four catchers around the bat at most times. Tanush Kotian, who has bailed Mumbai out of tough situations time and again, was out jabbing to one of them, short leg, and Khaleel Ahmed mistimed a slog to long-on to give Subrayen his 13th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.While Subrayen did the bulk of the damage, others had moments to remember too. Okuhle Cele is likely replay his ball to dismiss Rishabh Pant over and over.Midway through the second session, when Pant walked out to bat for the first time since returning from his broken foot, there was a sense of anticipation around the ground among the handful present. He charged down the pitch first ball, and swung hell for leather, only to connect with thin air.Cele then bowled short at Pant, attempting to target his ribcage, not wanting to give him any room to drive or slash. And on 17, the tactic found its reward, Pant jabbing to Zubayr Hamza in the slips while attempting to fend one away.The only India A batter to make an impression with the bat was young Mhatre. He fearlessly drove on the up, played a few delightful straight drives, and took on spin from get-go. All of this brought him a 46-ball half-century. He was eventually out for 65, his knock containing 10 fours.B Sai Sudharsan, his opening partner, was edgy for much of his 94-ball stay. Early on, an attempt to pinch a single to mid-off nearly had him run out on 2; he was saved by a full-stretch dive at the non-striker’s end. Sudharsan alternated between denying himself outside off and poking at deliveries that left him. Eventually, Tshepo Moreki worked him over with an away-going delivery that he nicked behind for 32.This was when Subrayen stepped up and began his marathon spell, which has now put South Africa A firmly in the driver’s seat with two full days remaining.

GOAL reviews the major takeaways from Americans playing in Europe, including a return to form for Tillman and Pulisic doing what he does best.

So, we got our Christian Pulisic show – once again – this weekend. It’s become a familiar narrative around “Captain America” at this point: he delivers when it matters most. Big moments, big games, big pressure – for the USMNT, Chelsea, Dortmund, and now Milan – he has a habit of showing up. It can sound a bit dramatic, sure, but on this night it was absolutely true.

Against a heated Inter Milan side, AC Milan needed a spark, and their main man provided it. Pulisic’s decisive strike not only secured a vital 1-0 derby win, it added another signature moment to an already growing Rossoneri highlight reel.

And he wasn't the only American to perform overseas. There has been plenty of hype around Gio Reyna's performances in the November, but Malik Tillman – who started and starred during the Gold Cup for the USMNT – sent a reminder of his quality in a top performance for Bayer Leverkusen. Tim Weah, too, got off the mark in Ligue 1 for Marseille following his unexpected summer move to the club. 

At the other end, there was good news for Noahkai Banks, who continues to impress at the heart of the Augsburg defense. Could he make a case to be in the USMNT squad come next year?

GOAL looks at the major takeaways from this weekend's Americans Abroad.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Pulisic delivers again

  It just had to be him. Pulisic has endured an admittedly mixed relationship with the Milan derby. He struggled through his first few, and failed to make an impact on the game. But in the most recent few iterations, the American has been magnificent. Heading into Sunday's game, he had found the net in two of the last three Milan derbies and, coming off two weeks of rest, seemed primed to make it three in four. 

  And that is exactly what he did. Pulisic grabbed the only goal in a 1-0 win for the , lunging in at the far post to react to a Yann Sommer rebound before careening off in celebration deep into the second half. He was withdrawn from the contest soon after, but his damage was done. With the win, Milan overtook their arch rivals and are now two points off the top, where early-season surprise Roma currently sit. If Pulisic continues to perform like this, they might not be second for very long. 

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Malik Tillman wakes up

  He may not have quite shown it on the club level since the summer, but Tillman still has quite a bit about him. The attacking midfielder had big boots to fill at Bayer Leverkusen when brought in to replace Florian Wirtz on a sizable transfer fee, by some distance their best player for the last year or so. And there were certainly some teething issues, not least the fact that he lost the manager who signed him within two months. 

  But Tillman has started to find form of late, and showed his such against Wolfsburg this weekend. He led the way for Leverkusen, scoring and assisting in a comfortable 3-1 win. It's been a tricky season for the 2023-24 champions. They started poorly and after 11 games are eight points off the summit – and two behind Red Bull Leipzig in second. Still, there's plenty of time for them to continue to find form. And with Tillman making an impact, there would seem to be reason for optimism. 

• AFP
  

  Weah gets first league goal

  A thigh injury robbed Weah of a chance to feature in that highly successful November camp for the USMNT, but back in action Friday against Nice for OM, the winger added to the misery as his side smashed Les Aiglons 5-1.

  Just under two months from his first goal for Marseille, the historic goal against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, he was back at it with his first Ligue 1 goal for his new club. The goal was a wonderful thing, smashed home at the near post – fittingly, on the three-year anniversary of his goal for the USMNT against Wales in Qatar. It's the kind of strike Weah is certainly capable of, and something he could do with showing off far more often for both club and country. 

  OM now sit just two points back from PSG in the Ligue 1 summit and remain a viable contender for the title. It's a feat they haven't accomplished since 2009. If they do, they can count Weah as one of the reasons why. 

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  Banks makes his case with a clean sheet

  Suddenly, the U.S. has a bit of an injury crisis at the back, and the World Cup setup that once felt secure is starting to look a little muddied. Cameron Carter-Vickers is out until April. Chris Richards is picking up knocks. Tim Ream isn’t injured, but at 38, it’s fair to wonder how much his legs can be relied upon. And Mauricio Pochettino doesn’t seem to fully trust Auston Trusty… yet.

  Enter Noahkai Banks, who could be more talented than all of them. There's a lot to like here. Banks has the physical profile at 6-foot-4, and is surprisingly refined for an 18-year-old with limited first division experience. He has broken through for good at Augsburg this season, and has been handed six Bundesliga starts in a row for a mid-table side. Saturday was his best game yet. Banks played on the right side of the back three as they managed a gutsy 1-0 win over Hamburg. 

  It won't be an easy season for the German side – who have had real trouble scoring goals. But the flip is Banks will have plenty of time to show that he can defend. And that's never a bad thing. 

Sean Dyche has now personally requested the signing of a “fantastic” Istanbul Basaksehir defender Jerome Opoku at Nottingham Forest, and his current club may be tempted to cash-in.

Reinforcements may be needed in the January transfer window, given that Forest are looking like they could be involved in a relegation battle this season, although there has been an uptick in results since Dyche arrived just under a month ago.

The 54-year-old has made a solid start in the Premier League, collecting four points from his opening three games in charge and signing off before the international break with a 3-1 win against fellow strugglers Leeds United, which could be an important result come May.

The former Everton boss has experience in relegation battles, having managed to guide the Toffees to safety in the 2022-23 campaign, while also stabilising Burnley in the Premier League, so Evangelos Marinakis should have full trust in his manager as we approach the January transfer window.

Sean Dyche requests signing of Jerome Opoku

Given Dyche’s impressive start, Marinakis may be willing to back him this winter, and the Nottingham Forest boss has now personally requested the signing of Istanbul Basaksehir defender Opoku, according to a report from Africa Foot (via Sport Witness).

The 27-year-old has attracted the attention of a number of Premier League clubs as of late, with Everton making an offer in January, while Fulham are also in the race, so the Tricky Trees may have to fend off competition from elsewhere to secure his signature.

Such is the level of interest in the centre-back, he could become ‘one of the hottest topics’ of the upcoming window, and the Turkish club may be tempted to cash-in, given that his current contract is set to expire in 2027.

The Basaksehir defender hasn’t played in England since a spell at Plymouth Argyle in the 2020-21 campaign, at which point he received plaudits from manager Ryan Lowe, who described the 6 foot 5 colossus as “fantastic”.

Since then, the Ghana international has gone on to establish himself as an important player for Basaksehir, making 14 appearances in all competitions this season and helping his side keep clean sheets in three of their last four matches.

Opoku is yet to prove himself in one of Europe’s top leagues, meaning it would be a risk for Nottingham Forest to make a move, but Dyche knows what it takes to avoid relegation from the top flight, so if the manager wants to make the Basaksehir star his first signing, Marinakis should back him.

Nottingham Forest make contact to sign midfielder Dyche called "terrific"

India went from 294 for 4 in the 43rd over to 330 all out, a total that proved inadequate

Vishal Dikshit12-Oct-20253:54

Review: Healy’s 142 was Australia’s bedrock

India’s famed top five finally came to the party at the Women’s World Cup 2025 to put on a staggering total of 330 but such was their lower-order collapse, the flatness of the pitch, and the might of the Australians that India fell “30 to 40 runs” short.It was the first time any team had scored over 300 while batting first against Australia but India believe they could have got much more after they were placed at 294 for 4 in 42.5 overs. As it happened, they lost the next six wickets for 36 runs to be bowled out with seven balls to spare. After their openers Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal scored half-centuries, India’s middle-order batters got off to starts but they and the lower order couldn’t cash in on the promise.”The way we started we thought if we could have added more 30-40 runs on the board, we missed runs in the last six-seven overs,” captain Harmanpreet Kaur said at the presentation. “We kept losing wickets and that really cost us because today’s pitch was totally different. We knew it was a good batting wicket, but those last six overs where we were not able to capitalise really cost us.Related

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“Today the first 40 overs were really good and in the last 10 we were not executing well. In matches these things are going to happen, we are not going to be 100% all the time but it’s very important how you come back.”Head coach Amol Muzumdar concurred with his captain that India had to finish better to get over the line. He pointed to the defeat to South Africa, where they couldn’t defend 251 despite being in a strong position, to highlight that the team have issues with the ball as well.Both Harmanpreet Kaur and Amol Muzumdar felt India did not finish well with the ball•Getty Images”Look, in my opinion, the finish is very important in a cricket game,” Muzumdar said at the press conference. “I always say, even in this dressing room, that yes, we need a good start, but we need a better finish. So, if you see the finish that we had in the South Africa game, as far as bowling is concerned in the last five overs, we ended up losing that game. And, even today, basically, if we would have got another 20 runs, maybe things would have been different. But, at the same time, it’s been a gradual progress for us. And there are a lot of learnings. I keep talking about positives and learnings. One of the things to learn is to finish well.”India have struggled to defend competitive totals in their last two games, losing both with seven and six balls remaining. They have played these games with only five bowlers in batting-friendly conditions. Their next match against England is in Indore, which tends to offer plenty of runs as well. Will India look to bolster their attack?”Obviously, after this game, we will have a look at it,” Muzumdar said. “I am sure the team management will have a proper discussion about this and then we will take a right call as we approach the next game. I am sure about that.”

“We’ll sit and discuss [about five bowlers] because this combination has given us a lot of success in the past,” she said. “Two bad games are not going to make a big difference for us. Going forward there are a lot of things we need to sort it out and hopefully we’ll come up with the best approach.”Harmanpreet Kaur on India’s five-bowler approach

Harmanpreet, however, did not sound too keen to change India’s combination which has five frontline batters, a wicketkeeper-batter, three allrounders and two frontline bowlers.”We’ll sit and discuss [about five bowlers] because this combination has given us a lot of success in the past,” she said. “Two bad games are not going to make a big difference for us. Going forward there are a lot of things we need to sort it out and hopefully we’ll come up with the best approach.”One of the other issues for India, compared to teams that have been doing better, is their consumption of dot balls. It was a much larger issue in their first three games of the World Cup before they addressed it against Australia where five of their top seven had strike rates in excess of 100.”Well, to be honest, after the previous game, we had an elongated discussion about how we are going to approach the batting innings,” Muzumdar said. “That was one of the things that was discussed about the dot-ball percentage. So far, in the last year-and-a-half, we have been playing very aggressive cricket. I thought today was a good display. Yes, the dot-ball percentage has come down. But, we will have a closer look at it, I don’t know what the percentage is (48% against Australia), but we would like to get it down.”

Longtime Dodgers star Clayton Kershaw is officially hanging up his glove as the team announced on Thursday that the 11-time All-Star and three-time Cy Young winner will retire after the 2025 season.

Kershaw will make his final regular season start on Friday, Sept. 19 when the Dodgers host the Giants at home.

The 37-year-old spent his entire career in Los Angeles since 2008 when the Dodgers first called him up. The Dodgers gave Kershaw a one-year deal back in February to ensure that he would remain with the only club he's ever known. And, now that it was his final season, it was even more fitting for him to be with the Dodgers.

Kershaw's 18th season has definitely been memorable. He made history by joining the elite 3,000 strikeout club, something only 20 pitchers in total have done. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred named Kershaw a "Legend Pick" at this year's All-Star Game, too. Through 20 appearances before his final start on Friday, Kershaw posted a 3.53 ERA with 71 strikeouts and 40 earned runs on him over 102 innings pitched.

The ace started his season on the 60-day IL after he missed most of the Dodgers' 2024 World Series campaign due to left knee and left toe injuries—both of which required surgery. He returned in mid-May and has remained healthy.

It's possible Friday won't be Kershaw's final MLB start, as the Dodgers are expected to clinch a playoff spot for the 13th season in a row. In Kershaw's 18 seasons, 14 of those saw the Dodgers competing in the postseason. He helped lead the Dodgers to their 2020 World Series championship title.

أعلنت رابطة الأندية المصرية المحترفة عقوبات مباراة كهرباء الإسماعيلية وبيراميدز، ضمن منافسات مسابقة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

والتقى بيراميدز مع كهرباء الإسماعلية على ملعب استاد الإسماعيلية، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثامنة من مسابقة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

طالع.. حكم مباراة بيراميدز وبتروجيت في الدوري المصري

وحقق بيراميدز الفوز على كهرباء الإسماعيلية بهدفين مقابل هدف، ليزيد من رصيده إلى 26 نقطة في وصافة جدول ترتيب مسابقة الدوري المصري.

وقررت الرابطة إيقاف محمد أوناجم، لاعب كهرباء الإسماعيلية مباراة وتغريمه 5000 جنيه، بسبب حصوله على البطاقة الصفراء الثالثة.

وغرمت الرابطة فريق كهرباء الإسماعيلية، 50 ألف جنيه وذلك بسبب حصول اللاعبين على عدد ستة بطاقات في نفس المباراة.

وفي نفس الوقت تقرر إيقاف محمود عبد الحفيظ زلاكة، لاعب بيراميدز، مباراة وتغريمه 5000 جنيه، بسبب حصوله على البطاقة الصفراء الثالثة.

Left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav has been released from the T20I squad in Australia to return to India and prepare for the upcoming Test series against South Africa.Kuldeep has now been included in the India A squad for the second four-day game against South Africa A beginning on November 6 at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. India A won the first game on Sunday, with Rishabh Pant scoring 90 in a chase of 275.The BCCI said in a statement that the request to release Kuldeep had come from the Indian team management. Kuldeep had played only one of the three ODIs and the first two T20Is in Australia. He was left out of the XI for the third T20I in Hobart and Washington Sundar took his spot. India play the fourth and fifth T20Is in Carrara and Brisbane on November 6 and 8.Related

• Arshdeep and Washington help India level the series against Australia

• Kamboj, Suthar take India A home after Pant 90

• Arshdeep's career highlights the balancing act T20 cricket imposes on India

India’s first Test against South Africa starts on November 14 in Kolkata.

India squad for last two T20Is in Australia

Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill (vc), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (wk), Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar.

India A squad for second four-day game vs South Africa A

Rishabh Pant (capt & wk), KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Sai Sudharsan (vc), Devdutt Padikkal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, Manav Suthar, Khaleel Ahmed, Gurnoor Brar, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Kuldeep Yadav